Chapter 24

I did not stop the group in black and Dodel from escaping.

No, there was no time to stop them.

"Leia, Rose... Wake up!"

I shook their shoulders a bit more forcefully, but... due to the severe damage, they showed no response.

"Damn..."

Reluctantly, I carried the two under my arms and started running towards the exit as fast as I could.

(Please... let it be just my overthinking...)

The group in black withdrew easily.

They withdrew so easily, it was almost eerie.

Their smooth retreat was... terrifying.

The existence of a second—huge explosive device kept flashing in my mind.

"Uuuuuuuh!"

I ran down the stairs as fast as I could.

Running down—rather, I was almost falling.

From the sixth floor to the fifth.

From the fifth floor to the fourth.

From the fourth floor to the third.

I moved as carefully and quickly as possible to minimize the burden on the unconscious Leia and Rose.

"Just a little more...!"

Finally, I reached the first floor and saw the exit when...

A nasty sound, like something being released, echoed.

An overwhelming pressure enveloped my entire body, freezing my spine.

(No way...!)

In the next moment, an explosion far greater than the previous one occurred.

The epicenter was probably the VIP room on the seventh floor.

And its power far exceeded my expectations.

Not just this building, but the entire area was blown away.

"Uuuuuuuh!"

I ran.

I dashed in a fraction of a second.

But no matter how much training I had, I was still human.

There was a limit to my speed, and I couldn't run faster than the explosion.

(Damn, I can't make it...)

As a last resort, I tightly hugged the unconscious Leia and Rose.

(If I can be a shield for even a little...!)

Wishing this, I braced myself for the impact that would come in a fraction of a second.

"Seal—<Kusabara Shui>"

The massive explosion that was closing in from behind vanished in an instant.

"...Huh?"

As I stood there in shock,

"---If it weren't for a surprise attack, such a puny explosion wouldn't be a problem."

The woman who had extinguished the massive explosion smiled seductively.

"Y-You are...?"

The moment I opened my mouth,

"Sure enough, it's Lady Rize!"

"Bravo! Indeed, the pride of the Five Great Merchants!"

"Hahaha! The Dohrain family will be safe for the next few decades!"

The people around us cheered.

(...Dohrain family?)

That name... it's the same as the family of the principal of Ice King Academy, Felis.

Looking closely, her facial features and clothing style resembled Felis.

Healthy, lustrous skin.

Slit-like fox eyes.

A beautiful kimono with a base of white and red, like fire.

Long, red and white hair tied on the side, with a conspicuous hairpin shaped like a flame.

(Could they be sisters...?)

As I was thinking this,

"Uuun...?"

"...W-Where are we?"

Leia and Rose regained consciousness.

"Leia, Rose! You're awake...!"

As I heaved a sigh of relief,

"Allen...? R-Right, that guy...!"

"Where is that swordsman!?"

They must have remembered Dodel. They immediately stood up and looked around cautiously.

"It's fine, I took care of him."

"...S-Sure. You're really strong, Allen..."

"...I'm so frustrated."

They quietly bit their lips.

Losing to Dodel was really hard on them.

(What should I say in a situation like this...?)

As I was thinking this, a woman suddenly spoke to me.

"Thank you so much, Allen. You really saved us."

She was the noblewoman from the Dohrain family who had just extinguished the massive explosion and received great applause.

Her accent was much stronger than Felis's.

"N-No, I'm the one who should be grateful. Still, it's amazing... to extinguish such a powerful explosion in an instant."

She called it <Kusabara Shui>. What kind of soul equipment is it...?

"Hehe. No, it's just a simple self-defense technique. You're really good at flattery, Allen."

She laughed happily, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono.

"Self-defense...?"

The pressure I felt for a moment was far beyond that level...

"Well, by the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Rize Dohrain. I handle the financial system in the Five Great Merchants. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Allen Roadel. A student at Thousand Blades Academy, and currently working as a magic swordsman due to some circumstances."

"Ah, I see! You're that Allen!"

She clapped her hands and nodded in understanding.

"I've heard a little about you from my sister Felis."

"Is that so?"

As I had guessed, Rize and Felis are sisters.

"Did you hear that he defeated her favorite—Cid? She was saying, 'I absolutely won't forgive this!' and was really upset!"

"That... I don't know what to say..."

"Hehe, it's just a child's tantrum, so don't worry about it."

She waved her hands side to side.

Unlike the slightly disappointing people like Ms. Reia and Felis, Rize was a 'mature woman.'

She exuded a sense of ease and grace... a very charming person.

"Still, I owe Allen a big favor... What should I do?"

She tilted her head slightly.

"Such a favor... I just did what any swordsman would do—"

As I tried to decline gently,

"No, no. 'If you owe someone, you must pay them back'—that's my principle. Even if you're fine with it, I won't be."

Rize placed her slender index finger on my lips to stop me.

"Right... Okay, how about this. If Allen ever finds himself in a really difficult situation, come to me. I'll help you once, no matter what."

"Any situation...?"

"Yes, any situation. Come to me."

No matter what, you can get help once from one of the Five Great Merchants.

(I've been given an incredible right...)

The Five Great Merchants are on par with the principals of the five academies, the most powerful people in this country.

Even just once, being able to use her power... is an incredibly powerful card.

Then, she whispered softly in my ear.

"Besides, I'm different from my sister. ...I'm quite interested in you."

"...! I don't know what to say... to be cared about by someone like you..."

To be cared about by such an excellent soul equipment user... honestly, I'm very happy.

(...Right, I can use that right to ask her to accompany me in training...!)

I have no intention of asking for money or expensive items with that right.

I don't need that much money.

I just need enough to live a modest life with my mother.

I don't really want anything.

If I must say, I want a new sword.

So, isn't it best to use that right for training?

"Ah, you're so pure... I can't stand it!"

She licked her lips.

Then,

"Excuse me, Allen is troubled...!"

"Any more, and it's not okay...!"

Leia and Rose, who had been listening quietly, stood in front of me at the same time.

"Oh, you're quite protective..."

Rize took a step back, smiling.

After the pleasant conversation came to a close—she narrowed her eyes and gave a warning.

"Well, not to scare you, but... you should be more careful about your safety in the future. The group in black from earlier is the 'Black Organization' that's been causing a lot of trouble lately."

"...So, it was them."

From their distinctive clothing, I had a "hunch," but I didn't think it would really be them...

The Black Organization—a large-scale criminal organization that has been active in the country in recent years.

They are involved in various criminal activities such as drug manufacturing and smuggling, human trafficking, and assassinations of important figures. Dodel is a member of this organization.

(I didn't want to get involved, but... there was no choice.)

Ordinary people, who are not even swordsmen, were suddenly attacked by a mysterious group.

If I had decided not to act, I would have regretted it for a long time.

So, I can only accept that it was "unavoidable."

"Thank you for the warning."

"Be careful. ---Well, I have a lot of cleanup to do, so I'll take my leave here. See you again, Allen."

She smiled warmly, narrowing her fox eyes.

"Yes, see you again."

After parting ways with her, we—went to the kimono rental shop.

Of course, to compensate for the damaged yukatas.

However, the shop staff already knew about the incident and said there was no need to compensate.

They even thanked us, saying, "Thank you for helping Dressia."

■

Exactly three weeks after the tumultuous Great Dohrain Commercial Festival.

The Giant Worm's extermination.

The recovery of three kilograms of Shizurin grass.

The extermination of the Goblin Lord.

Having completed all the tasks assigned to me by Mr. Bones today, I reported the completion at the Magic Swordsman Association's reception.

"---Good job! Allen, Leia, Rose—thank you all for your hard work today!"

He came out from the reception and shook hands firmly with each of us.

That's right.

Today marks exactly one month since we were suspended from school.

This day marks a significant milestone in our journey as magic swordsmen.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Bones."

"Thank you so much!"

"We're grateful. Thanks."

"You're welcome! Thanks to you, we were able to clear the backlog of requests!"

As we were exchanging farewell greetings with Mr. Bones,

"Uuuuuuuh... Allen... I'm so sad...!"

"Leia and Rose... The few flowers and comforts in my life... Uuuuuuuh..."

"Come back anytime! After school, right?"

The magic swordsmen, including Mr. Dread, were sad to see us go.

They may be a bit rough in their words and actions...

But they are all good people with a lot of heart.

"Thank you for taking care of us for this short month...!"

"Thank you! If we meet in the city, please say hello!"

"See you."

After saying goodbye to everyone, the three of us left the Magic Swordsman Association.

The outside was already dim, and the slightly cool breeze helped calm our heated bodies and minds.

"Phew... It was a lot, but being a magic swordsman was fun."

"Yeah, at first it was all surprises... But now, it's all just funny stories."

"Being a magic swordsman is fun."

Until now, my mind was set on becoming a holy knight, working for everyone, and earning a stable salary.

But after this month of experience, my perspective has broadened a bit.

The life of a magic swordsman, listening to many people's wishes and helping them... doesn't seem so bad.

"Well, it's late, so let's call it a day."

"Yeah, tomorrow we finally get to return to Thousand Blades Academy!"

"I'm looking forward to the soul equipment class."

"Yeah, me too."

Thus, we successfully completed our one-month training as magic swordsmen and returned to Thousand Blades Academy.