"Haa... haa..."
To get straight to the point, it was, of course, my complete victory.
It wasn't just a matter of Status; the gap in everything beyond the numbers—skill, spatial awareness, and overall experience—was so vast it wasn't even comparable.
I had originally been the one learning, and now I was the one teaching. And to the young Ais, no less.
Ah, of course, just because our positions had reversed didn't mean I was teaching her exactly as I had been taught. For one thing, Ais was still far too young, and for another, my conscience would have been far too pricked if I'd actually done that.
In the end, I chose to simply dodge all of Ais's attacks and only tap her lightly whenever she let her guard down. Since she was wrapped in protective cloth, it shouldn't have hurt.
Still, I couldn't blame her for being frustrated. Her personality already made her hate losing, and when you added the stubborn pride unique to a child, the look in her eyes as she stared at me was filled with a fierce competitive spirit... to be honest, it was almost murderous.
"...One... more..."
"...No."
"Uu...!"
Getting angry wouldn't change the fact that the answer was no.
Besides, that "one more" was already the seventh time. I was honestly getting scared she might keep going until she collapsed.
Well, I had gone until I collapsed too, though that had been by force.
"Rest is part of an adventurer's basics. If you mismanage your pace, you'll die without even being able to resist."
That was the truth. The Dungeon was vicious; it preyed on those who lost their composure first.
It would slowly tighten the noose, then bare its fangs just when you thought you'd barely made it through the worst of it.
In the Dungeon, the most important things weren't strength, but a calm mind and the ability to maintain a safe margin.
Only by mastering that could one reach the realm of a first-rate adventurer.
...And who was I to say something like that to her?
It had no persuasive power coming from someone who was practically the gold standard for reckless behavior.
Well, Ais didn't know that, so it didn't matter.
At my words, Ais pouted and turned her back to me, sitting down to catch her breath.
...Yeah, at least she listens. But why do I feel sorry for Riveria?
"How was it? Did you get anything out of sparring with me?"
"...No."
Yeah, that made sense. This wasn't really sparring.
It was just a session of moving until Ais got tired—at best, nothing more than basic physical conditioning.
Of course, it wasn't as if there was nothing to gain, but for the current Ais, it probably wasn't possible to grasp.
It wasn't what she wanted, after all.
"...Um."
"Yes?"
Ais started to ask something, then closed her mouth. Watching her hesitate, she eventually lowered her head and buried her face.
She's really struggling...
I didn't know the details of Ais's past, so I didn't want to interfere if I could help it, but if I left her like this, I felt like she'd end up doing something drastic.
Hmm... maybe I should take the edge off a little. If I can just distract her, she'll probably calm down... but how...
Then, something I had forgotten until now suddenly caught my eye. Come to think of it, I still had these, didn't I?
"Ais. Would you like me to tell you why I'm strong?"
"...!"
At my words, Ais's head snapped toward me.
Should I call her honest, or just gullible...
"You can... tell me?"
"Yes, of course. I normally wouldn't, but I'll make an exception for you, Ais."
Nod, nod.
Ais nodded, her eyes sparkling with intensity.
Ugh, my conscience...! But this is necessary. It can't be helped. Right.
"The reason I'm strong... is because..."
"..."
"It's because..."
"Gulp..."
"It's because...!"
(Thump thump)
"Because! Of this!"
"...Huh?"
After drawing out the suspense, I finally held out the object to her.
"This is...?"
It was, in fact...
"A Potato Ball?"
It was a Potato Ball.
"Wow. You know Potato Balls!"
They're crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, fragrant, easy to eat, and absolutely deli-cious.
Despite my passionate explanation, Ais's eyes only grew colder. It was the same kind of look Riveria gave.
They say children take after their parents, and I guess this was what that meant. I shrank back instinctively at the bone-deep chill.
"...A joke?"
"A joke? Of course not! I'm serious!"
Well, half of it was a joke. But that also meant half of it was sincere.
I desperately defended my reason for offering the Potato Ball. I didn't do anything wrong!
"I'll tell you this now, but I'm actually the fairy of Potato Balls."
"Huh...?"
"My flesh is made of potatoes, and oil flows through my veins."
It was complete nonsense. But young Ais believed it.
Honestly, it was ridiculous that a child would buy it, but for some reason, Ais did.
To be honest, that was even more worrying. Was she really this easy to trick? She was going to get scammed left and right at this rate.
Not that I was one to talk.
"The mysterious food known as Potato Balls hides tremendous power. Why, the moment you eat one, the crippled rise to their feet and the blind leap up—"
I continued to rattle off nonsense in the tone of a shady street salesman.
To be honest, it was a lie that no passing dog would believe. But Ais believed it.
"...Amazing."
...Is she really going to be okay? I was deeply worried she'd get scammed in the future, even though I was the one scamming her right now.
"If I eat Potato Balls... I can get stronger...?"
"Yes, of course."
More nonsense. But this was enough.
I'm saved because it's Ais...
Even as I got older, my gift of gab hadn't improved much. Unless it was someone like Ais, there were probably very few people who would fall for this.
"Of course, it'd be hard to believe just like that."
Even so, Ais didn't immediately accept the claim that Potato Balls were the secret to my strength.
But that didn't matter. The other person was Ais, after all.
"So I'll give you one. Please try it."
"Ah..."
When I readily held out a Potato Ball, Ais looked flustered. Seeing me so confident, she must have wondered if it actually was true.
Of course, eating a Potato Ball doesn't make a person stronger. But there was a reason I was so confident.
Because she was Ais Wallenstein.
"Th-then just one..."
As the fragrant aroma drifted up, Ais's attention focused entirely on the snack.
I knew it.
Dungeon, Dungeon, Dungeon.
Just as I'd expected from her obsession, she was in a state where she cared about nothing beyond the Dungeon.
In other words, even if she knew Potato Balls existed, there was a good chance she had never actually tried one.
In fact, even when she saw me holding a whole pile of them, she hadn't given them a single glance. That was proof she hadn't realized the thing in my hand was her soul food.
Which meant that if I got her to eat this, her heart would quite literally shift from the Dungeon to Potato Balls!
Well, only a little, but still.
Even that little bit mattered.
If she could just breathe a little easier, catch her breath, then she'd be able to find a bit more peace of mind.
Ais took a small bite of the Potato Ball.
"...?!"
She froze for a second, then suddenly came to her senses and devoured it in an instant.
The time it took for one Potato Ball to disappear: about three seconds.
Ais, who had eaten it faster than a quick-cast spell, stared at the remaining Potato Balls with eyes glittering with desire.
Just as planned.
"Would you like another?"
Nod, nod.
Her head moved at a speed beyond anything else.
*
Munch munch.
Crunch crunch.
Munch munch.
Before I knew it, only two of the roughly ten Potato Balls remained.
For the record, I hadn't eaten a single one. Ais had eaten them all. I could only wonder how so much could fit into that small body.
"Munch munch... sniff."
At some point, Ais started crying while eating.
It's not... that delicious, is it?
Maybe the tension had finally broken, and all the sorrow she'd been holding back came flooding out.
The truth she had always forced herself to ignore. Her obsession with the Dungeon was not only born of revenge, but perhaps also a defense mechanism to run from those feelings.
To be honest, I hadn't understood that feeling before. When my grandfather died, I went straight into the Familia and spent each day diligently, so I hadn't been able to empathize.
But now it was different. Now I could feel the girl's emotions as if I could reach out and touch them.
Because her situation and mine were similar. Because we were both wandering after losing something precious.
The only difference was that she had a purpose, and I didn't.
That was why I couldn't block her path. All I could do was support her a little.
I placed my hand on her head again. Very gently, I stroked her hair.
Her sniffles grew a little louder, but my hand remained on her head.