A Certain Man's Diary #2

When I got back from splitting wood, Emi was staring at the wall, radiating killing intent and spamming 【Intimidation】 in every direction.

Eh? What's with that? What are you doing? Did something happen?

I wanted her to learn a safe way to land before moving on to 【Grasshopper】, so why is she spewing killing intent everywhere?

On reflex, I gave her a knuckle bonk to stop the 【Intimidation】, then tossed Emi outside.

......It was a bit scary. Freaked me out.

After that, I peeked outside every now and then, but Emi just stood still under the eaves, continuing to leak killing intent.

Ehhhh......?

Seriously, Emi, what are you doing?

It makes so little sense it's honestly scary, seriously.

Did I do something? Girls are so hard to understand......

For the time being, I gave her a bigger piece of meat at dinner, and she cheered up a little.

Thank goodness.

◇ ◇ ◇

For several days after that, Emi's bad mood (?) continued.

I was bewildered, having no clue what on earth had happened.

......While I was trying to figure out how I should act, the 【Intimidation】 Emi had been releasing outside suddenly stopped, and a loud DOGOOO!! echoed through the air.

What happened!?

I peeked outside stealthily and saw that the ground at Emi's feet had been gouged out, creating a small crater.

Huh? What just happened?

As I kept watching, Emi started punching a boulder, smashing it into pieces.

Ehh!?

That's the thing I was planning to teach her next......!

Wait, seriously, what just happened? What? Did she possibly figure that out on her own?

Once again, Emi's talent sends a shiver down my spine.

I mean, I want her to practice landing, so why has she gone off and started learning stuff from way out of left field, like 【Intimidation】 and 【Magic Strike】?

It's a mystery.

◇ ◇ ◇

Today, too, Emi is climbing trees and jumping off them, over and over, with single-minded devotion.

I got the impression she grasped the knack for 【Silverfish】 relatively easily, but this task seems to be quite difficult.

Well, I think that's normal.

This girl has good instincts, so with 1 more year of practice, I bet she'll master the ‘silent landing’ too.

Emi's been working hard at her training every day, so today I want to give her a reward.

An Electrideer antler.

If you polish this and do a bit of craftwork, it becomes a magic lamp that emits light just by holding it.

No idea how it works.

It's a pretty thing, so I figure a girl would be happy with it.

When I handed Emi the magic lamp, she was very surprised, or so it seemed to me.

Her expression didn't change, but she was probably surprised.

Cute.

My guess is she hasn't had much of a life up to now, so this might be the first time she's ever seen a magic tool.

But this magic lamp I went to all the trouble of making didn't last long.

Emi stared intently at the magic lamp.

Then its light gradually weakened...... and the magic lamp broke with a crack.

Wait, what are you doing!?

I mean, what did you just do, Emi!?

And then, having broken the magic lamp, Emi placed it on the floor and, for some reason, started clapping her hands endlessly.

Pan, pan, pan...... She just kept clapping.

I say this now, but a lot of what this girl does is a mystery, and from the outside it makes so little sense it's a bit scary.

Still, I can tell from her usual behavior that she's a smart girl, so there must be some meaning to this clapping.

I decided to let her do as she pleased.

But she really didn't stop, no matter how much time passed.

It was so noisy I couldn't sleep, so I finally scolded her a little and tossed her into the futon.

◇ ◇ ◇

For 1 week after that, Emi kept clapping her hands.

And then, before I knew it, she had mastered the ‘silent landing’.

I really don't get it.

And in no time, she acquired the technique to jump off a cliff without a single scratch.

Of course, she became able to use 【Grasshopper】 without any problems too.

Children really grow up fast......

Next, I'll have her master 【Mantis】.

I split a big boulder clean in two with a hand chop.

Emi is surprised.

【Mantis】 is based on a technique called 【Magic Sword】 used by a knight commander in a castle I infiltrated for work long ago.

【Magic Sword】 is a technique that enhances the sharpness of a blade.

No idea how it works.

Apparently, it's a closely guarded secret technique that only a handful of top disciples can use, even within the “Sword Saint Style” school.

For all that, it was actually pretty easy to do once I decided to mimic it.

If only a handful of top disciples can master this, are those “Sword Saint Style” people even training seriously?

Emi could do it too, after practicing for 3 days.

◇ ◇ ◇

Recently, I've started sparring with Emi.

Normally, you might teach the basics of fighting like this before teaching specific techniques...... but I've never been taught by anyone, so I don't really know.

Sure enough, Emi's a natural.

Once, as a surprise, I threw a punch with a little extra oomph behind it; she got sent flying pretty far and looked stunned, but from the next time on, she could deflect that kind of hit cleanly.

Also, to build up her stamina, I've had her running through the mountains all day.

She follows behind me in silence, without a word of complaint.

Her resistance to poison has also become quite strong.

An ordinary poison likely wouldn't cost her her life anymore.

Is there anything else I can do for this girl?

◇ ◇ ◇

Reading back over my recent entries, I've written about nothing but Emi.

Like some old geezer doting on his granddaughter.

Me, of all people.

I can't help but laugh.

When I saved this girl on a whim half a year ago, I never imagined it would come to this.

10 years ago.

I felt my body going downhill, so I quit the job and started living hidden away deep in these mountains.

Days spent just idling, without any purpose.

At the time, I thought I'd just spend the rest of my time like this until this body rotted away.

You never know what will happen in life.

To think the most fun, happiest time of my life would come now, at the tail end, with death just around the corner.

However, once I become aware of this happiness, I feel anxiety at the same time.

Someone like me, a “cursed child” who has lived his life spreading death and misery across the world.

There's no way I should be allowed to be happy.

Someday, there will surely be a backlash for this happiness.

If not, the people I killed wouldn't be satisfied in the Underworld, would they?

Ah, but.

Even if misfortune visits me.

There is one thing I will not compromise on.

I will absolutely not let Emi be dragged into that misfortune.

I will protect Emi, no matter what.

Because I'm Emi's Master, and her “kind and cool Grandpa.”