— — — — — — —
"Oh?"
Renzo smiled as he looked at Satou Kazuma and waved his hand. "Sit down first. You're attracting attention, and people are starting to stare."
He gestured towards the adventurers and mercenaries at nearby tables, who were now curiously glancing in their direction.
"Ah... Right!" Kazuma quickly obeyed, sitting up straight with his hands on his knees, legs neatly together, as if he were being interviewed. His eyes were locked onto Renzo, filled with anticipation and eagerness.
"Heh." Renzo took a sip of his fruit juice and grinned. "I do have a way to help you, but it'll require a lot of hard training. You can't expect to just tap a skill point on your adventurer card and instantly master it."
He leaned forward slightly. "I can teach you, but it won't be easy. I won't let you give up halfway, kid. Are you really sure about this? Are you prepared?"
Teaching Kazuma wasn't an issue for him. In fact, Renzo had his own reasons for doing so.
Besides, this kid wasn't all bad. A little perverted and sometimes messed up, sure, but overall, a useful companion.
Having someone reliable in this world could be beneficial. Kazuma was someone he knew well and could control. A good candidate for a subordinate.
Kazuma listened intently, then nodded with a serious expression. He even bowed slightly. "Please teach me, Renzo-sensei! I'm not afraid of hardship!"
In a world like this, how could he afford not to get stronger?
One wrong move and the Demon King's forces could take him out at any moment.
And in a world where strength was everything, a good life was impossible without power.
"Alright then." Renzo nodded. "First, let's find a place to stay. We'll begin training tomorrow."
"You better be ready to suffer, kid."
He had already decided—he'd teach Kazuma the Water Breathing technique and the corresponding sword forms.
Breathing techniques would strengthen his body, while sword forms would serve as his main attack method.
Later, with some skill points, Kazuma could pick up additional abilities and complete his combat style.
Kazuma immediately agreed, following Renzo out of the guild.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Aqua called out, quickly catching up to them. As they walked, she clung to Renzo's arm and asked, "Renzo-kun, how exactly do you plan to train that idiot Kazuma? Tell me!"
"Haha! You'll find out soon enough." Renzo smirked.
"Tch, fine! Don't tell me then!" Aqua pouted but quickly changed the subject. "So, where are we staying? You're rich, right? Are we getting a mansion? That'd be great!"
Renzo shot her a sideways glance. "Even if I had one, I never said you'd be living in it."
This woman really didn't see herself as an outsider, huh?
Still... having her cling to him like this wasn't a bad feeling.
"Hey, hey! You're my chosen hero! How can you abandon your goddess like this?!" Aqua panicked.
She couldn't just let her golden meal ticket escape!
"I've been meaning to say this—I've never met a goddess as dumb as you!" Renzo said bluntly.
"I fully agree!" Kazuma raised his hand in support.
"Shut up, you perverted freak!" Aqua shot back.
— — —
Later that day, Renzo met with a city official in Axel and purchased a plot of land on the outskirts of town.
The location wasn't bad, and since it was just land and not a fully built house, it was fairly cheap—only ten million Eris.
"Why buy land? Wouldn't it make more sense to buy a house instead? Don't tell me... we have to build it ourselves?" Aqua asked, confused.
Kazuma also chimed in, "Yeah, I was wondering the same thing!"
Renzo just chuckled. "Did you guys forget my ability?"
"Fantasy Creation?" Aqua blinked. "Wait... don't tell me... you're planning to create an entire house out of thin air?!"
Her eyes widened as she stared at Renzo in disbelief. "Are you serious?! That's a whole damn house! And the land you bought is over 2,000 square meters! Do you really think you can handle that?! Are you stupid?!"
"You'll see soon enough." Renzo didn't bother explaining further and led them to the property.
When they arrived, they found a piece of land overgrown with weeds and shrubs.
Renzo's face twitched. "The city official really scammed me on this one... Whatever. First things first—let's clear it out."
"Stand back." He drew his sword and signaled Aqua and Kazuma to move aside.
Vwoom!
As he unsheathed his blade, an overwhelming aura radiated from his body, pressing down on everything around him.
"W-What the hell...?!" Kazuma felt his heart pound in his chest. The sheer force of Renzo's presence was suffocating.
Even though he had never seen a true powerhouse before, instinctively, he knew—
This was a monster beyond comprehension.
Renzo was far stronger than he had ever imagined.
Instead of feeling intimidated, Kazuma felt pure excitement.
This was his sensei now. No matter how much Renzo denied it, Kazuma had already acknowledged him as his teacher.
He couldn't wait to start training.
"Damn... this guy is insanely strong!" Aqua's eyes sparkled as she stared at Renzo's back.
For the first time, she saw hope—hope that she could finally return to the heavens!
As for Kazuma?
Aqua glanced at him and scoffed in disdain.
Slash!
Renzo's sword moved effortlessly, sending out waves of energy. Dozens of powerful, meter-long flying slashes swept across the land.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The energy slashes cut through the overgrown vegetation with perfect precision, neatly clearing the land. Renzo had controlled his energy output to ensure the slashes didn't extend beyond the property boundaries.
His precision was impeccable.
In no time, the land was completely cleared of weeds, shrubs, and obstructing trees. The roots had been obliterated by the sword energy, leaving them no chance to regrow.
Kazuma stared in awe. "Sensei... What kind of world did you come from?!"
He was beyond curious now.
Meanwhile, Aqua was having an existential crisis. "What kind of overpowered character did I accidentally summon?!"
She was incredibly relieved that Renzo hadn't held any grudges against her.
Otherwise, she'd be dead already.
"Alright, time to create a proper home," Renzo muttered. "Let's add a villa, a boundary wall, a training ground, a swimming pool... Yeah, that should do."
He quickly formed a mental blueprint, drawing from countless memories and experiences.
After a few minutes of calculations, he nodded. "Two-thirds of my energy? Not bad, I can handle it."
The next moment, he activated Fantasy Creation.
A fully furnished, luxurious villa, complete with a garden, training facilities, and all necessary amenities, instantly materialized before Aqua and Kazuma's disbelieving eyes.
Kazuma: "..."
Aqua: "..."
Both of them stood there, jaws dropped.
"This... This is something a human can do?!"
Kazuma clenched his fists. "Damn it! I want this ability too! What the hell did I miss out on?! Why did I choose this dumb goddess?!"
.
.
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