Episode 1. The Apprentice’s Apprentice is here.

Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/UrYUh6Q

「So you are Sword Saint Alice’s master, the Great Sword Saint Takumi, aren’t you? 」

「What? No, I think you’ve got the wrong guy. 」

　A young girl still in her infancy was kneeling at my feet in the grass.

She came when I was salting meat in front of a cave to prepare it for the coming winter.

　She had long black hair and slightly slit eyes, and was about fifteen or sixteen years old. On her back, she carried a sword with length which looked not much different from her own height. As I recall, it’s a sword from the east and is called a katana. The clothing she was wearing was also a white kimono with red peony peony flowers painted on it, from the east.

　I recognized her at first glance.

　This girl was far stronger than me.

「I’m not much of a Great Sword Sage. I’m just an old man who has long since retired and lives alone in the mountains.」

「Oh, you’re kidding. Master Takumi has an excellent sense of humor. 」

　I’m not kidding.

　I’ve used the sword as an adventurer in the past. But it’s been a decade since I belonged to an adventurer’s guild. Not only was I not a sword saint, but my adventurer level was the second lowest D-ranked adventurer level, and I was always treated as a liability to the party.

　He retired as an adventurer when he was expelled from the party after receiving a notice of inactivity, and has been living comfortably in the mountains ever since.

「Maybe the Takumi-sama you’re talking about is a different person with the same name. That’s a shame. 」

「No, that can’t be true. You’re the only adventurer in the world named Takumi. 」

「Huh? 」

　I can’t help but make a funny sound.

「No way, you’re lying, right?　Not a very common name, but I’ve seen a few guys with the same name. 」

　There is something called an adventurer’s ranking in the guild. There is a list of names and ranks of all guild members, and I believe there were atleast two others named Takumi.

「All Takumi except you have been renamed. You are the only Takumi for all time, since its permanently banned by the World Guild Bill from adopting such a name in the future. 」

「What’s that? I’m kinda scared. 」

　I don’t understand what the girl is saying.

「How did? what come to be?　When did we get a bill like that? 」

　The girl tilts her head, looking a little surprised.

「It’s been a long time ago. No one should be named the same as the one who ranked first on the adventurer’s list. It’s a bill that was passed over a hundred years ago.」

　Come to think of it, I think there was such a bill.

　But the number one position in the adventurer ranking should have never changed in the last hundred years.

「The Great Sage Nuruhachi is no longer number one?　No, more importantly, that’s what my name is now: …… 」

「Yes, Nuruhachi-dono has fallen to third place. Now, the number one spot on the ranking is, by far, Takumi-sama. 」

　It was like being hit on the head with a hammer.

　I can no longer accept reality.

「No, no, no, no, no, no, it’s not right. I retired ten years ago. I was ranked about five hundredth then, but that was because of my friends and I haven’t done anything with it since. 」

「Again, your modesty. I’m aware of all that Takumi-sama has achieved. 」

　I don’t know anything about it. All I remember is hunting small animals and planting fields in the mountains.

「Conquering the Great Cave of Alefend. Taking down the Ancient Dragon. Reclaiming King Gabel’s Landing. It is said that Takumi-sama’s exploits in the past, present and future are the greatest in human history. 」

「No, I have no idea!　I’ve been in the mountains! I’ve just been taking it easy every day! 」

　I exclaimed out loud.

「No, Takumi-sama is truly a wonderful person for not boasting about his own activities. 」

　It’s not working. No matter what I say, it won’t work.

　I cut to the chase and ask a question.

「Hey, does that mean I’m doing this all by myself? 」

「No, according to the Adventurer’s Guild’s records, you and Alice-sama were in a party together. In fact, Alice-sama told me that it was as if Takumi-sama had accomplished it all on her own. 」

「Wait a minute. Do you mean that Alice, that Alice!! ? 」

　Speaking of which, I was first told, “Master of the Sword Saint Alice-sama, the Great Sword Saint Takumi-sama”.

　Ten years ago, before I retired from being an adventurer, I remember protecting an infant girl in a dungeon.

　The little girl had been living in the dungeon since she was born, or maybe she had been living in the dungeon since she was born, and she was like a wild animal. I remember teaching her human language and how to hold chopsticks. The name “Alice” was just a random name I gave her.

　I wasn’t an apprentice.

　I was just Alice’s guardian.

「Yes, there is only one Alice-sama, too. Before Takumi-sama became number one in the rankings, she was number one. 」

　My head is already spinning and I feel like I’m about to explode.

　That Alice has become a sword saint and is conquering one legendary level quest after another. And she says it’s as if I accomplished it all by myself.

「I’ve got the gist of it. So what are you doing here? 」

　I managed to say that while holding my head.

　Let’s go down from the mountain later and tell the Adventurer’s Guild the truth.

　Being number one in the rankings is too much of a burden for me.

「Haha, I’m late in introducing myself. I’m Leia, the first disciple of Sword Saint Alice-sama. 」

　Alice’s apprentice. If Alice is my apprentice, then she’s my apprentice’s apprentice.

　I had a very bad feeling.

「Alice-sama is the most powerful sword saint of mankind, but I was told that she is a bit bad at teaching people things. 」

Alice seems to be the strongest of all of mankind, huh.

「I have come to seek guidance from the Great Sage Takumi, the greatest swordsman in the universe. 」

　I’m the most powerful person in the universe?

　No, its crazy. I am a normal human being, I definitely am.

　I don’t know where to start. Anyway, this is the one I absolutely have to say no to.

　When I retired from being an adventurer, I decided that I would live on my own forever. Living alone in the mountains, I can live on my own with no power and no one to bother me. I didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone other than this nature.

「Ahhhhh, Leia-san. 」

「Yes, Grand Master. 」

　Stop looking at me with those twinkling eyes.

　And don’t call me Grand Master.

「I’m not going to take any more disciples or anything. I’ve decided to live my whole life on my own ……. Huh?　What?　Leia, taking out your dagger and what …… Stop 」

　Before I knew it, Leia was pointing a dagger at her stomach.

「I have come here with the intention of committing suicide if you refuse to become my disciple. Takumi-sama, please think seriously before you respond. 」

　Oh, no. You don’t listen to anything I say.

　I’m dead. No actually she will. Ahhhh, what to do?

「Ms. Leia. 」

「Yes, Grand Master.　」

「I accept you as my apprentice. 」

「Thank you, Grand Master. 」

　Leia, who had been kneeling all this time, jumped on me with joy. I don’t know if she was really happy, but she hugged me with all her strength.

　Oh, this is bad.

　Every part of my body screams, and my consciousness is fading away.

「Oh, Grand Master, Grand Master, what happened? 」

I lost myconsciousness while slumping in my apprentice’s arms. [TN: Its apprentice’s apprentice :)_]

　This story isn’t about me really becoming the most powerful person in the universe or anything like that.