Chapter 23: Was that sword really only a centimeter away from my throat?

“Arisugawa-kun, I’ll give you two choices. One, forget the image you just saw. Two, die. Which do you choose?”

Miyamizu Rin’s body surged with ice-blue spiritual energy. She held a longsword, pointing it at Arisugawa Yuu as she spoke coldly.

“Sorry, a photo that impactful… even if I wanted to forget, I can’t.”

Even with a sword at his throat, Arisugawa Yuu decided to be honest.

This was clearly a no-win situation. He didn’t believe for a second that if he said he’d forgotten, she would actually believe him.

“Then go die.”

With that, Miyamizu Rin’s figure flickered, and she lunged forward with her sword.

Arisugawa Yuu didn’t dodge. He just stared straight at her.

An icy aura washed over him. The ice-blue sword finally stopped just one centimeter from his throat.

Miyamizu Rin’s face flushed red, and she scolded him reproachfully, “Are you an idiot? Why didn’t you dodge?”

Arisugawa Yuu chuckled softly, meeting her clear, ice-blue eyes. “You said you’d be responsible for my safety, senpai.”

Miyamizu Rin retracted her sword, huffing, “That’s only if you don’t provoke me. If something else tries to harm you, I’ll naturally stop it. But I can’t stop myself.”

Arisugawa Yuu blinked. “So, was this considered provocation?”

Miyamizu Rin looked away in embarrassment. “Yes. As punishment, you’re not allowed to eat breakfast this morning.”

Arisugawa Yuu protested with an innocent look, “Senpai, this was clearly just a tease.”

“Hmph, smooth talker. As punishment, you’re not allowed to eat breakfast tomorrow morning either.”

“……”

Despite the punishment, when breakfast was ready, a set of bowls and chopsticks was still prepared for him.

Arisugawa Yuu pointed at the three sets of tableware on the table and “helpfully” reminded her, “Senpai, did you accidentally prepare an extra set?”

Miyamizu Rin glared at him with her clear eyes and said coldly, “If you don’t talk, no one will think you’re mute.”

“……”

Alright, she was just shy.

Arisugawa Yuu wisely kept his mouth shut and sat down in his spot.

Sitting next to him, Miyamizu Yukisato’s snow-white fox ears twitched. While Miyamizu Rin was in the kitchen, she quietly tugged on his sleeve and whispered, “Arisugawa-onii-chan, big sis is always like this—tough on the outside, soft on the inside. Isn’t she cute?”

He had already noticed this about Miyamizu Rin.

Was she cute?

Of course, she was cute.

Arisugawa Yuu nodded. “You couldn’t find anyone cuter than Miyamizu-senpai.”

Just then, Miyamizu Rin returned. Hearing his words, her pale face flushed red instantly, and she chided, “Arisugawa-kun, can you be any more of a smooth talker?”

Ah, this—

How did this woman walk without making a single sound?

Arisugawa Yuu asked curiously, “Senpai, are you a cat?”

Miyamizu Rin was momentarily baffled by his sharp turn in logic, her delicate face showing a hint of confusion. “What do you mean?”

He explained, “Every time you walk, you don’t make a sound. It always catches me off guard.”

“Why? Were you planning to do something sneaky?”

“No, I was just asking.”

Arisugawa Yuu rubbed his nose.

“Hmph.”

“……”

The conversation ended there. The two humans and one fox sat down to eat.

Today’s breakfast was exceptionally lavish, much more so than last night’s dinner.

There was grilled mushrooms, grilled chicken skewers, egg and ham sandwiches, tempura made with monkfish, milk…

Looking at the table laden with food, Miyamizu Yukisato had a look of pure bliss on her face. She exclaimed, “Wow, so much delicious food! We usually don’t get to eat like this. It’s all thanks to Arisugawa-onii-chan being here that big sis prepared so much. I say, Arisugawa-onii-chan, you should just confess to big sis and get married already. Then I can eat like this every day.”

Miyamizu Rin’s face reddened as she pinched Koyuki’s fluffy white fox ears, scolding, “Koyuki, can you please stop talking nonsense.”

Koyuki muttered stubbornly, “But I’m just telling the truth.”

Miyamizu Rin tightened her grip, a “nuclear” smile spreading across her face. Her voice was like an icy stream flowing through a mountain forest on a chilly spring morning. “Koyuki?”

Koyuki immediately surrendered. “Big sis, I won’t talk nonsense anymore.”

In situations like this, playing dumb was the best strategy.

Arisugawa Yuu remained silent, burying his head in his food, pretending he hadn’t heard Koyuki’s “fox-talk.”

After letting go of Koyuki, Miyamizu Rin sat down, her face still red, and began to eat her breakfast with graceful posture.

After breakfast, Miyamizu Rin called Arisugawa Yuu to a wide, open corner of the courtyard. She parted her crimson lips and asked, “Arisugawa-kun, what do you think is the most important thing in cultivation?”

Arisugawa Yuu thought for a moment and answered, “Hugging a big thigh?”

According to what Miyamizu Rin had said before, the monsters were currently ranked from D to SSS. The Golden Feather Demon Hawk that attacked him was S-rank.

He had clearly seen Miyamizu Rin defeat the S-rank monster in just a few moves, sending it fleeing without a single peep. Who wouldn’t believe she was a big thigh to hug?

As long as he held onto Miyamizu Rin’s thigh, he was grasping the future.

Hearing this, Miyamizu Rin massaged her temples, a look of pain on her beautiful face. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Miyamizu Rin was so angry at Arisugawa Yuu’s lack of ambition that she clenched her silver teeth and finally took action.

She irritably poked his head with her jade-like finger and said, “The most important thing in cultivation is to be down-to-earth, to rely on your own strength to reach the peak step by step, not to hope to rely on others’ power.”

Arisugawa Yuu, of course, understood this principle. He was just joking.

Before he could respond, he heard Miyamizu Rin continue, “Although I said I would be responsible for your safety, I can’t be by your side all the time. What if you encounter danger when I’m not around? So, you absolutely cannot take your training lightly just because I’m here, understand?”

“Understood.”

Arisugawa Yuu was as obedient as a student caught in an early relationship being lectured by the class teacher.

“Hmph, it’s good that you understand.” After a satisfied huff, Miyamizu Rin continued, “Next, I will guide you through the basics of cultivation. Once you have cultivated spiritual power, I will send you to the ability user school. At that time, I will not give you too much help. You must rely on yourself to become strong, understand?”

“Understood, understood.” Arisugawa Yuu nodded, then raised his right hand. “I understand, but I have a question. Isn’t it an ability user school? Why are you talking about spiritual power and cultivation?”

“I am different from them.”

Miyamizu Rin said.

“What do you mean?”

Arisugawa Yuu was even more confused.