The Mentor

My vision swam and my breath hitched as I comprehended the danger of my situation. A Vritra, of all things that could save me, it's a Vritra...

It would have been better to die in that fall.

Am I going to get experimented upon by Agrona? Are they going to turn me into a retainer? Questions bombarded my mind as I continued hyperventilating.

"W-wh-who are you?" I managed to stutter out, trying to crawl away from my 'savior'.

She had an amused look on her face and her lips twitched slightly upwards. "Seris Vritra." she said simply.

A.K.A. The unknown variable in the war, who has no allegiances to any side.

"I'm curious, how did one so young as yourself acquire a mana-core?" 

'Play dumb!'

"W-what's a core?" 

'Not that dumb!'

She deadpanned at me, staring as if saying 'really?'

I sighed, Great, I made myself even more suspicious.

'Idiot.'

I ignored it in favor of answering Seris, "I learned about it in a book and wanted to make a core."

"So, you merely wanted to make a core and one just appeared?" Was that a hint of sarcasm?

I shook my head, "N-No, I had this… gut feeling to try and pull the mana particles in my body to one location."

"A gut feeling you say." She stood up, walking towards me, "Or was it prior knowledge?"

I laughed nervously, "H-how would I have prior knowledge? I'm only four years old."

"We both know you are much older than that."

My heart almost jumped to my throat. How? How does she know? Wait, Agrona knew of Arthur's reincarnation so it's not entirely impossible. But I'm pretty sure he wasn't the one to reincarnate me, so how?

'Maybe it's because of me.'

I don't even know who you are, man.

'Oh, you do, just try and remember.'

"Am I to assume that you had a similar experience in your last life?" she broke my train of thought with her question.

"I suppose…" I trailed off.

"Heh," she let out an almost imperceptible breath, a victorious expression in her eyes.

Alright screw it, if I die, I die.

"Why did you bring me here?" I dared to ask.

"Have you grown some courage all of a sudden?" she asked rhetorically.

No, lady, I'm shitting bricks right now. I just don't care if you kill me now.

Unless you torture me, that shit hurts.

"Very well, I will answer your question." she said once I gave no reply, "I want you to become my apprentice."

The world seemed to stop around me as I utter out a single word, "Eh?"

'Very smart response.'

Oh shut up.

She nodded, seemingly unfazed, "Yes, in return I will keep your existence hidden and you won't have to fear becoming one of Agrona's subjects."

Now I knew who Agrona was, but I still needed to act unaware, "Agrona?"

"You don't need to know about him yet." she waved away my question, "What is your answer? Do you accept?"

Lady who in their right mind would risk Agrona's attention?

"I accept. I can trust you right?" I asked a bit hopefully.

"Agrona will never know of your existence from me, however if you get caught by someone else..." she trailed off, her implication clear as day.

In other words, 'if you screw up I'm not helping you.'

I'm surprised she's even proposing to train me in the first place.

'Probably doesn't want to lose an asset such as us.'

Yeah, but still, I don't have the power of the Marchosias in this world, I don't have the key to help me ascend past my limits.

I'll have to make do with being trained by a Scythe.

________________________

Apparently, the hospital-like room I had awoken in, was where I would be staying for the foreseeable future. 

She could have at least given me a better room, I thought, laying on my bed.

'Be glad she even gave us a room to begin with.'

Yeah, yeah, I know. I just hope she lets me contact my family sometime in the future, just to let them know I'm alive.

'I would be surprised if she ever lets you reunite with them.'

… I want to run away from here now. 

'I don't think we can.'

I know, I just hope we can see them again.

Sighing I got up from the bed and sat down in lotus position, all I can do now is to get strong enough to leave.

All I know about her is from her small appearance in Darv and the time she helped Arthur. If only I had finished book 8 before being reincarnated here…

Ah well, no use crying over that. I know a lot about the future anyway, for now, let's just focus on getting stronger.

_________________________

"Take this." Seris ordered, throwing me a knife.

Woah woah woah!

I somehow managed to catch in without stabbing myself.

That's dangerous you know…

'I think she just doesn't care.'

"Prepare yourself." She said simply, giving me a moment to adjust before attacking.

"Wait-" I tried.

"No."She interrupted, conjuring a black mana sword and aiming at my midsection.

'If you don't move soon she's gonna gut you like a fish.'

I know!

Moving as fast as I could, I pivoted my knife in an arc downwards, barely parrying her blade. But it still cut through the side of my torso. 

'Be thankful it's just a mere graze.'

I ignored him in favor of moving away from my adversary.

That hurts way too much than it should!

'You just don't have enough pain resistance.'

Of course, I don't! I used to live a pretty normal life!

'You'll need to get used to it then.'

I'm not a goddamn masochist! I retorted, blocking her next strike.

Sonofa- That hurt like a bitch!

'It has nothing to do with masochism. I do not enjoy the pain, I just feel it lesser than you.'

How do you even feel pain?

'I used to.'

Wait, what?

'Watch out!'

Huh?

And then I black out.

_________________________

I woke up with a massive headache, and a bump on my head, and on the floor. Great.

Seris was still there when I woke up, how long has it been anyway?

'It's been barely half an hour.'

I see.

"Ugh," I groaned, getting up.

I guess that's what I get for not paying attention while sparring.

"If you have rested, we shall begin again," Seris spoke in monotone, conjuring her black sword.

I gulped. 

C-Can I plead the fifth?

'I don't think you can… My condolences.'

_________________________

My training for the next two years or so mainly consisted of advancing my mana core and basic sparring, with Seris acting as my mentor. 

She was surprisingly caring about me, and I don't mean it in a familial sort of way.

I had expected a Vritra to be merciless and not give a fuck about damaging my body, but she stopped and told me to rest before I got wrecked too badly. Guess that makes me racist then.

I was not allowed to go outside, not until I could prove to be able to handle myself and move around undetected, and that makes sense. A pre-adolescent boy appearing out of nowhere would raise a few eyebrows.

I tried to take in swordsmanship at that time but failed miserably. It just felt…odd to use a sword. I had heard before that a sword feels like an extension of your body if you have talent with it. But I felt, imbalance with a sword. With any one handed weapon really. 

I did have some talent for two handed weapons, like a bow or daggers, or a polearm. So that's what I trained in, two handed weapons and dual daggers.

The thought of dual wielding swords did cross my mind from time to time, but if I couldn't handle one sword what good would two do?

Like this, years passed as I grew up to the age of a pre-adolescent boy.

That's when I met my new sparring partner, Master Seris' new student. And someone I hadn't seen in the novel.