CHAPTER 5 MERC AND HER BROTHER

It was the day after Rosemary1 told Merc2 she was going to teach her Healing.

Merc had been swinging a wooden sword since morning, as she had no plans to go to Rosemarys place today.

Usually, she would go to her Masters place once every two days. And on her days off, she would either practice swordsmanship or Mana Manipulation. Furthermore, she didnt need to chop any firewood today because she had chopped more than enough the day before.

Sis, is that fun?

Just as Merc was taking a short break, Mercs brother, who was watching her, asked her. His name was Law and he looked like a slightly shorter version of Merc. He was also androgynous, as was usual of children his age.

As he watched Merc, Law sat on the ground with his arms around his knees.

Hey, Law. This has nothing to do with whether or not youre having fun. It is one of the things that every warrior must do.

Warrior? Are you a warrior, Sis?

Strictly speaking Im a swordsman However, anyone who fights might be referred to as a warrior. Even so, this will be difficult for your 8-year-old self.

That is not true! Ill join as well!

Law, who was normally indifferent to Merc swinging her wooden sword or cutting wood, appeared to be unusually active today.

He had stopped coming to see Merc train after declaring his intention to become a teacher. His curiosity today could have sprung from his renewed interest in the sword. Or he was probably thinking about something because his sister had returned home late the day before.

Here you go. Try not to hurt yourself, okay?

Okay Heavy.

As soon as Merc handed him the wooden stick, Laws face tensed up. After all, the stick was loaded with lead on the inside, so it was probably much heavier than it appeared.

Whats wrong? You wont be able to cut a single sheet of paper with that posture. Watch out!

Due to the weight of the wooden stick, Law lost his balance and was about to fall back as he raised it. However, Merc immediately caught him and took back the wooden stick.

I knew it. Its way too early for you.

B-But, Mom told me that youve been doing this since you were five.

I began with a manageable level of difficulty and gradually increased it to where I am now. If you really want to learn how to swing a sword, start with a light wood branch.

A tree branch? Can I really become stronger using that?

Beats me. Why do you want to become strong in the first place?

Law grew silent at the unexpected question. Perhaps he merely wanted to get stronger for no apparent reason, as is often the case with children his age.

And, as a victim of that endeavor, Merc dropped down on one knee and looked at Law.

Listen closely, Law. You can do almost anything when youre strong. And youll probably end up doing almost anything. For example, killing someone you dont like or having things go your way by sacrificing others Youll end up doing those things.

I wont!

Law refuted, clearly irritated by Mercs statements. Merc, on the other hand, just giggled to herself since she had done all of those things.

In that case, its fine if you dont become strong. Theres no reason for you to become strong.

Huh?

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Mercs words left Law speechless. After all, he hadnt anticipated any of this.

Law, what was your dream again?

My dream? Its to become a splendid teacher like Father.

Thats right. Thats all you need. Your wish is to wield a teaching pointer, not a sword. So focus your efforts there. You require a different kind of strength than a swordsman.

But, Sis

Hm?

Law finally made up his mind after a long period of twiddling his thumbs and looked up at his sister.

What will you do when you become strong? Isnt your dream to become a Healer?

Thats right. My dream is to become a Healer.

Then you dont need to get as strong as well, right? After all, you arent a warrior.

Laws words were completely correct.

Every single one of his statements was spot on when it came to Merc. So, why was Merc not only swinging her sword and studying Healing, but also learning Magic?

Its simple. Healers must have the strength to protect themselves.

The strength to protect themselves?

Thats right. The better the Healer, the more risk he must face. Naturally, if he joins an adventurers party, he will have to fight. If that happens, he cant just rely on the others to protect him at all times because he cant fight, can he?

He cant.

Additionally, Healers confront plenty of other challenges. An old acquaintance of mine, a Healer, told me she had been kidnapped by nobles once they discovered her talent at a young age. Thankfully, she was able to escape and began training to protect herself. And before myself3 knew it, she had become a Saintess.

That woman, come to think of it, she used to get quite irritated when someone called her a Saintess. Well, I suppose thats why I always called her that

Saintess? An acquaintance of yours? A Healer? What is this about, Sis? Who are you talking about? Do I know her? Why did you call yourself myself?

Merc became out of touch with her current self as a result of recalling events that were still fresh in her mind. To distract Law, Merc quickly put a grin on her face and began to stroke his head, which was filled with question marks.

Dont mind it. Its nothing. All I wanted to say is that Healers are vulnerable to various threats, and I need the strength to defend myself. However, that is not the case with teachers, am I correct?

Youre right

In fact, Father cant beat Mother at arm wrestling or arguing. Physical strength isnt necessary.

Youre right However, I still want to get a little bit stronger.

Huh? Why?

Just when Merc believed her brother had given up, he looked up at her with a sad expression on his face.

Its because I dont want to become like Father.

Oh

Mercs offhand comment reminded her brother of his Fathers defeats to his Mother in arm wrestling as well as in their quarrels4.

Merc felt guilty once she realized she had unwittingly harmed her Fathers dignity.

Robinxen: This is just me trial running Rousseaurumus potential alternative name. Robinxen: We still havent really reached a consensus regarding Mercs name. Some people seem fine with it, some prefer alternatives and some dont like it but dont like the alternatives more. Were at a bit of a stalemate and still working out on how to proceed. So keep commenting your input! T/N: Merc refers to herself with (Ore) here, which is normally used by males, as opposed to (Watashi) which she usually uses, which is gender-neutral and can be used by males and females alike So I decided to use myself instead of I in this case, as it will be brought up later. Robinxen: Its a fantasy setting, why do people get hung up on this?