I Possessed the Heroine’s Teacher

I still can’t forget the moment my master passed away. It was during my younger, immature, and foolish days.

I trusted an enemy who disguised themselves as a friend, and I fought with my master who warned me to be cautious of them.

“I’ve told you several times that I have a bad feeling about that girl! Stay away from her!”

“What right do you have to insult my friend! I wish you’d die with your head cracked open, you stupid master!”

After saying those words, I ran away from home. There were countless times when I wanted to rip open my past self’s mouth for saying such things.

“Oh, you came?”
“You even abandoned your master to come find me… What a fool.”

The friend I found after a long runaway betrayed me. When I sensed the shadow of death on my body, I was ready to give up on everything, regretting that I had ignored my master’s words.

“Tsk… You really are a handful…”
“Light, become my shield.”

My master suddenly appeared and lifted the shadow of death that was cast upon me.

However, the trap designed to kill me was too elaborate, and even my master couldn’t escape its influence.

My master took care of all the enemies, but he was exhausted and allowed himself to be ambushed.

As my master lay dying, bleeding from his forehead, he stroked my head until the very end.

“Why are you crying… my foolish disciple… I’m the bad master who uses and torments you.”

What are you saying, master? You’ve always been by my side… always saving me… You filled the void left by my parents. Why don’t you blame me? Please, curse me and say it’s my fault.

“Ah… Master… Don’t speak… Let me heal you…”

“It’s fine. You’re also injured, so don’t waste your magic, cough…”

“Please, don’t speak! I’ll take you to the healing center!”

I carried my master on my back. His body, which used to radiate a sun-like aura, was trembling. His warm body was growing cold.

“It seems I’ve failed as a master, Iris…”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me alone!”

Tears flowed uncontrollably. It’s my fault, it’s all my fault. I was so pathetic, a fool. I couldn’t accept that my master was dying for someone like me.

“Iris… you’ve grown so much…”

“Please, master…”

I didn’t want to hear those words anymore, as they seemed to be announcing the end. I couldn’t accept that my master’s usually powerful voice was now trembling weakly.

“You’re a good child… Now go find your parents… my brother will surely love you too…”

“Please, master, please…”

With those final words, my master’s breath stopped. My foolish actions, my immaturity, had led to my master’s death.

It was my fault. I was responsible for this outcome. It felt like an unknown someone was whispering to me that all of this was my fault, my mistake. I wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t.

“This is a joke, right, master…? You’re just joking, right?”

I kept asking questions to my master, whose breath had stopped. But he didn’t answer me.

“You’re just sulking, right? Your cute disciple is begging you, so please answer me…”

My master’s body was cold. I just cried and cried, for what felt like an eternity, until I fainted.

[I wish that stupid master would die with his head cracked open!]

I kept biting my lips, which had uttered those words. It was as if my words had come true, as my master passed away with his forehead cracked open.

For a while, I didn’t even want to speak, so I remained silent. After searching for so long, when my father finally found me, he was indifferent.

“You’re here. I entrusted you to Werner, but where is he?”

But when my father learned of my master’s death, his pupils shook.

“Werner… Our youngest… is dead…?”

My father couldn’t believe that my master had died. And when my master’s colleagues heard the news, they all disliked me.

“You let our youngest die, and you still have the audacity to show your face. Even if you are the captain’s daughter, I won’t acknowledge you.”

“Get lost. You were a burden to Werner until the very end, and now you’re thinking of bothering us too?”

“…Move aside. After Werner, who’s next on your list to kill?”

“My daughter will be sad… I won’t hold you responsible, but I still find it unpleasant. Let’s not meet outside of our duties.”

“Our youngest died like that…”

In this way, they mourned my master’s death and blamed me. There were even those who attacked me in their grief over my master’s death, but my father stopped them all. However, even he didn’t view me favorably.

“…I can only feel sorry for our youngest. I shouldn’t have entrusted you to him.”

In the end, I had to work twice as hard to earn everyone’s recognition. Only then did they gradually begin to acknowledge me.

But still, the empty space in my heart couldn’t be filled. Without my master, every sound seemed like noise, every living thing seemed like a pest, and every smell seemed like a stench.

After the war ended, I received a palace-like home. I could live with my father, mother, and everyone else.

But still, I missed the old house where I lived with my master. I missed the rye bread we shared more than my mother’s cooking. I missed my master’s embrace more than my parents’.

One day, I read about someone who had turned back time in a magic book. It was a ridiculous story, usually dismissed as a joke, but I needed hope, even if it was a lie.

I left home and secluded myself to research the magic of turning back time. I skipped meals and didn’t sleep, focusing solely on my research.

I had everything I needed. But even if I turned back time, my master’s soul had already departed to another world. It was said that while an ordinary person’s soul might return, my master’s soul was special and had already transcended to another dimension.

But I wasn’t one to give up so easily. My master wasn’t someone who would be stopped by something as trivial as the barrier of dimensions. If my master had reincarnated in another world, I would simply summon the soul of that reincarnation.

“Time, please grant me a second chance.”

My plan was successful.

An eternal yet fleeting darkness enveloped me. As I lifted my heavy eyelids, a familiar ceiling came into view. The wrinkled wooden ceiling, the old magical lamp. It was the everyday scenery I had dreamed of.

As I gazed at the familiar ceiling, a familiar voice reached my ears.

“It’s high noon, and you’re still not up, you foolish disciple?”

The familiar sting of a knuckle to my head echoed. Seeing my beloved master’s face brought tears to my eyes.

“Hey, why are you crying…? Are you writing a letter to your father…? This is just a joke, Iris…”

Oh, master… my one and only master. This soul belongs to you. Even if the memories are different, the soul carries the same essence. I even adjusted it so that you would have some knowledge of this world and a certain level of awareness about me.

“You’re hitting your cute disciple’s head… I really hate you.”

I hated that you left me and abandoned me. I hated that you made me feel so alone.

I hugged my master tightly.

“Hey, you’re suffocating me! You’re as strong as your father, you know…”

“This is the punishment for hitting your cute disciple’s head!”

This is the punishment for leaving me, so accept it.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. What do you want me to do to make it up to you?”

Please stay by my side forever.

“Then teach me swordsmanship!”

I had already mastered swordsmanship and magic, but being with my master was a great reward in itself.

So, I had to act like a weak and foolish disciple in front of my master. Manipulating the measuring tools of the adventurer’s guild? I could do that with ease.

“Alright, alright, I understand.”

My master stroked my head as he always did. The warmth of his hand alone felt like compensation for all my hardships.

“Lazy disciple, what are you doing? Hurry up and get ready!”

“Yes, I’m coming now!”

Moving in sync with my master made me feel like I could fly.

.

.

.

In the dead of night, my master was fast asleep after drinking.

He probably wouldn’t wake up no matter what I did. I had cast a strong sleep magic spell on the alcohol.

As I caressed my master’s cheek, which I had longed to touch, memories of touching his cold, lifeless face resurfaced.

“Master, I’ve done something terrible to you.”

I kissed my master’s cheek.

“So this time, I’ll protect you.”

This time, I won’t let you die.

And please stay by my side forever. Give me your attention and your heart.

I love you, my master.