Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder

HTSCF CH 056 Settling down again

Father? God of Life? There was something briefly mentioned about them in the plot, but it was nothing useful. As for why such terms felt familiar—

|Congratulations, Host! You have completed the Hidden Mission as of now! And! You've also triggered a Side Mission!|

|What is it?|

| Teach the protagonist and villain how to use magic!|

|Do I have to? I already have one student...|

|Does the Host have important questions for this system or not!?|

|... Fine, I accept.|

Jun had a lot of free time anyway. This was a rare world where not only was he older than those two men, he was more powerful than them! Jun "looked" at Aurelius and Raven, who had been watching him lose himself in his thoughts. "Do you two want to learn how to use magic? You'll be able to attack and defend against Dark Flames without using your Swords, which will prevent corruption. Even if you two get corrupted again, I can just purify..."

Naturally, they agreed to be Jun's students. Why wouldn't they? Ophelia had a grand time laughing haughtily at the prospect of being an "elder" apprentice. Little did she know they would overtake her within a couple of weeks. Jun was happy to have two extra sets of eyes to help him get around. Although he was capable of using multiple types of magic simultaneously and could store large quantities of mana in his body, the mana expenditure was exponential and fatigue was prevalent.

As Jun's party of two became a party of four, they journeyed through the continent while Jun taught his three students magic. There was no sense of discomfort or distance between Jun and Aurelius and Raven. Often, the two men would help him walk in certain hard-to-traverse areas by holding his hand or linking arms, and he instinctively welcomed their touch.

Jun's suspicions were confirmed when Ophelia whispered to him one day: "Teacher, teacher, I think Ark and Ray might be your past life's lovers!"

Ophelia had dropped the "sir" address with Aurelius and Raven from the moment she became their "elder" apprentice.

"Why do you say that?"

"I forgot to mention it before, but Ark has golden eyes and Ray has those crimson red eyes you're always talking about!"

"... I don't always talk about that." Jun adamantly denied this. Not always, just most of the time.

"Then the feeling? Do you have the feeling, Teacher?" Ophelia gesticulated, copying Jun.

"..." Though he regretted telling Ophelia anything, he did have "the feeling" so he nodded.

"Are you going to become lovers with them now?" Choking on his saliva, Jun nearly bit his tongue.

After recovering through Ophelia's hearty smacks on his back, he responded, "That depends on them."

"How so?"

"I don't know if they like me in this life."

"And you, Teacher? Do you like them?"

"It's not like, Lia. It's love..." Jun paused, thoughtful. Though he spoke like it was the natural order of things, nearly believing it himself, his heart wavered. Love...? "... And I'll always love them just like I did in my past life and will do the same in my next life."

"Ew, that's so gross—"

"This kid—!" Giggling, Ophelia ran away while Jun attempted to give chase. Attempted.

Swords were not only physically strong but had exceptionally heightened senses. As such, Jun did not realize his conversation with Ophelia had been overheard by Aurelius and Raven, who were practicing magic several hundred feet away.