Chapter 14

### Chapter 14: Hoping to Become Friends (2)

* * *

#4

In the end, I returned to Building 3.

Opening the door to the first-floor freshmen-only training ground, I saw a wide field covered with fine grass and an inexplicable audience stand.

I was momentarily amazed by the neatly organized environment.

"Hey, Ezio. Isn't that your friend over there? And who's next to him...?"

There was a visitor in the training ground.

"Wow, you're really amazing! Your sword seems to be an extension of your hand. How can I swing it as beautifully as you do? Huh? Huh?"

"..."

Swish, swish.

"Hey, what's this early graduation thing? The other kids say you're a year younger than us. Is that true? So Sasha is older than you? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"..."

Whirr, swish.

"Tch... Why don't you answer me at all? Do you dislike Sasha?"

"..."

"Hee... You didn't say you dislike her, right? So you like her, right? Sasha, can I stay here with you? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

Far away, Miu was silently swinging her sword in a black training uniform, while a female student was chattering noisily around her, circling her.

Just hearing her thin, high-pitched voice made me want to punch her. She was the same one who clung to Miu in the lecture room, asking all sorts of questions. She was about the same height as Yurika or a bit shorter.

Was it Sasha or Shasha?

It must have been Sasha Elner.

Her sky-blue hair, like white paint mixed with water, was parted into two braids at the nape of her neck, fluttering in all directions as she moved.

She was still in her uniform, not really there to practice, and was doing her best to interfere with Miu's sword training.

"Sasha just wants to make friends... Not even a word of conversation... Is it really that hard?"

"..."

Swish, swish.

Indeed, Miu, with her superhuman concentration, was cleanly ignoring Sasha's desperate attempts to get her attention, slicing through the air.

Sasha, getting no response from Miu, started to grumble.

"Hey, if you keep this up, even Sasha will get mad... Kyaa!"

Whoosh—!

The precise downward slash sent a faint breeze that reached even here.

Sasha, who had been slightly bent over, was startled and screamed, jumping back.

"That was dangerous! Use words, words! I won't fix it, but still!"

"..."

The sharp tip of the sword was pointing at the training ground floor.

Of course, it wasn't because Miu, annoyed by Sasha's mischief, was trying to split her into two, but rather because she had paused her training upon seeing Gabriel and me enter through the open door.

"..."

Miu, whose eyes had slightly widened, was looking at me.

"Huh? What is it, what's wrong?"

Sasha also looked over, blinking as she alternated her gaze between Miu's slightly flustered face and me.

I felt bad for Miu, but I didn't want her attention to shift over here.

"Ah, just ignore us and keep going. We'll go over there."

As Gabriel and I headed to the right corner of the training ground, Miu waved her free hand.

"Ah, no. I was just about to stop anyway."

It didn't seem like she was about to stop, given how she had been enduring Sasha's dizzying mental attacks. Judging by the sweat droplets on her pale skin, she had been maintaining her stance for quite a while.

I wondered if I had interrupted her practice.

Sasha, looking somewhat displeased, spoke up.

"Hey... You didn't even answer me once. You're completely discriminating against me, what's that about? I'm so disappointed."

Regardless.

Miu, brushing her hair behind her ear, sheathed her sword and walked towards the training ground door we had just entered.

Swish.

Just before grabbing the handle, she turned to me and said,

"Hey, do your best... Ezio."

Her face looked somewhat anxious.

Her voice trembled slightly when she called my name.

It seemed she still needed some time to get used to it.

I raised my hand in response.

"Thanks."

"..."

Miu, who gave a faint smile, quickly closed the door as if to shake off Sasha, who was following her. Sasha puffed her cheeks and looked back at us before chasing after Miu, who was gradually moving away, and left the training ground.

#5

"You really have something, Ezio."

"What do you mean?"

Gabriel said this while throwing me a practice wooden sword.

"Looking at your face, you seem like someone who doesn't show any expression, but I saw you smile at him just now. The atmosphere was so nostalgic. My intuition tells me there's definitely something between you two."

That's why I don't like perceptive people...

Or rather, it's strange not to notice.

"I keep telling you, there's nothing. You're just being shy. If you get closer to Miu, at least you won't be ignored like Sasha."

Swinging the wooden sword around, I replied, and Gabriel sighed, shaking his head.

"That's a bit different. It feels like she's blocking any approach. She seems like the type who's really hard to talk to... If you get the chance, could you help me make a move? I don't want to make the first move and end up looking bad."

"What do you mean, 'make a move'? Are you interested in Miu?"

"Huh? She's pretty. She's the top of our class. There's no harm in getting closer, right? We'll be seeing each other in the same class for a while."

"Well, that's true..."

Even if I act as the intermediary, there's no guarantee that Miu and Gabriel will get along well. Moreover, it's questionable whether Miu would want a friend like Gabriel.

Gabriel might be a bit frivolous, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Still, he might be closer to the type Miu dislikes.

...It's a bit ridiculous for me to say this.

"Actually, I had some expectations when I came to study here. Where I lived, there were only old, hairy uncles. Hya— Just the thought of living in that cold place with smelly old men made me want to die. I wanted to enjoy my youth. The women they brought as potential marriage candidates were as big as adult polar bears."

"So you came to study in the Empire?"

Gabriel nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I couldn't stand it there and ran away. When I first tasted the Empire's culture, I thought, 'This is where I'll find my grave.' Seriously, just stepping out onto the street, the women lined up there made me feel so excited..."

Gabriel spread his arms wide, exclaiming in admiration.

I chuckled and said,

"This guy is dangerous. I might need to exorcise the demon in your head."

Gabriel furrowed his brows.

"What? Hey, Ezio. We're almost adults. In my country, I'm already an adult. Is there a law that says students can't date? Is there a law that says men and women can't have physical relationships? ...And, by the way, did you know that if you get consent, you can enter the girls' dormitory here? I heard that inter-gender interactions are not only not prohibited but even encouraged..."

"Enough. Just grab your sword. If you keep talking like that, I'll attack your lower half first."

Gabriel sighed.

"Phew— You're a grown man, yet you have so many unnecessary inhibitions. Are you a virgin? You look like someone who could have three women at a time, day and night..."

"Let's not forget why we came to the training ground. Just grab your sword, man."

Gabriel shrugged.

"Alright, alright. It's boring. But since you didn't answer the question about being a virgin, you must be one..."

Silently raising my sword and aiming at Gabriel's chest, he chuckled and nodded.

"Okay, that's enough. Let's start properly."

He tapped his palm with the wooden sword.

"It's been a while since I've used a sword."

"A while?"

"Yeah, I didn't have much use for it. I learned, but it didn't feel right."

What does 'it didn't feel right' mean?

He's a non-ordinary guy in many ways.

Gabriel suddenly asked me,

"Can we just have a light sparring match? I used a bit of strength earlier and I'm starting to feel some muscle pain."

"There's no need to overexert yourself. We don't need to use magic. Just think of it as a brief test of each other's abilities."

"Hmm, I'm not sure if it will be brief... But okay. Come on, Ezio. You go first. I'll let you make the first move."

Gabriel, who had been grinning, took his stance.

"..."

"..."

The conversation faded, and a silence enveloped the space between us.

Gabriel, with his legs slightly apart, was clearly using a well-practiced warrior's form.

Even standing still, it was incredibly difficult to find an opening. It was hard to predict the angle from which to attack.

This isn't a serious sparring match. It's a practice match to test each other's abilities.

Still, as soon as we entered a combat stance, my brain recognized it as a real fight and instinctively activated my senses.

...Huff.

A faint tension enveloped my body.

My eyes meticulously scanned Gabriel's arms, legs, hands, and shoulders, and I clearly perceived that he was waiting for me to attack.

Swish.

Pulling my right leg back and extending it.

"Huff—"

I pushed off the ground in one breath.

Clang—!

My body, like a cannonball, rapidly closed the distance, pulling the background into a blur as I entered Gabriel's range.

The sharp air sliced across my face. The wind whistled like a drum.

Whirr—!

Without stopping, I swung the wooden sword horizontally with both hands.

"Ooh, pretty fast—?"

"!"

Clang—!

The moment we clashed, a fierce tingling sensation shot through my wrist, spreading throughout my body.

It was the expected result, given his well-trained body and balanced stance, but Gabriel didn't budge an inch, taking my attack head-on.

In that brief moment, he twisted his stance and deflected my wooden sword with a flexible motion.

Lifting his right arm to shield his face, he pointed the tip of his wooden sword at the training ground floor, crossing it with mine in a T-shape.

Crack, whirr!

Pushing my wooden sword outward as if to sweep it away, he simultaneously rotated his arm above his head, striking diagonally down at my left shoulder. The transition was as smooth as flowing water.

Sssss—!

I pivoted on my left foot, spinning my body half a turn.

And.

Zing—!

Our wooden swords clashed again in mid-air.

"Ugh...!"

Once again, a massive resistance enveloped my wrist.

Crazy. I almost dropped the wooden sword.

It was sheer brute strength.

I gritted my teeth.

Clang—!

Explosively concentrating my strength, I knocked Gabriel's wooden sword upward and swiftly brought it down with both hands, as if to split his head.

"Whoa, that's dangerous."

Clang—!

Gabriel smiled slightly.

Holding the handle with one hand and the bladeless part with the other, he deflected it and sent it flying.

Damn. My best attack was blocked so easily.

Whirr!

He then bent his waist and thrust his sword point at me.

Just as it was about to touch my neck.

Clang—!

I quickly leaped back.

"..."

"..."

We separated, and after a brief exchange, we paused to catch our breath.

Gabriel, who said he hadn't used a sword in a while, was not at all inferior to me in terms of strength or skill. His strength seemed to surpass mine.

Did he hold back during the physical training session? It didn't seem like it.

Our match was so intense that it couldn't have been a casual sparring session...

But I still haven't figured out what Gabriel's talent is. His combat sense seems naturally excellent. If he can handle a sword this well, he might be even better with other weapons.

We didn't have enough exchanges to fully gauge Gabriel's level, but he didn't seem weaker than me.

Conscious of the sweat trickling down my neck, I spoke.

"Huff... Gabriel, you have a real talent for fighting, don't you?"

He was completely different from the guy I saw in the physical training session. I didn't expect him to be so strong.

"Huh? Is that how you see it?"

Gabriel laughed ambiguously.

"Actually, I can't really explain it. My father said I was the true successor to lead the tribe, but as I said, I preferred women to fighting. It seems my abilities only fully manifest when I'm in combat... Thanks to this, I got to study in the Empire, and I have no complaints about my lineage."

Gabriel shrugged.

"Basically, when I enter a fight, I get stronger, react faster, and can handle new weapons quickly. That's about it."

What?

Was he really the successor of a barbarian warrior tribe?

"You look pretty despicable, and your methods are barbaric."

"What the hell? Are you making fun of my small eyes?"

Gabriel squinted and continued.

"And, man, my talent isn't just that. Come on, try again. I won't block this time."

"..."

"What do you mean, 'won't block'?"

"Exactly. Just hit me."

I have no idea how to hit him.

But since he said to do it, I might as well try.

"If you get hurt, don't blame me."

I nodded obediently.

Clang—!

I pushed off the ground again and lunged at Gabriel.

Whirr—!

In the same way as before, I aimed for Gabriel's side.

The air split as I swung, and the heavy black wooden sword blade crumpled Gabriel's uniform as it dug in.

Thud—!

A significant impact resonated through the blade.

Just as I thought, "Oh no,"

"!"

"There, see that?"

The attack clearly hit.

Yet, Gabriel didn't move an inch from his spot, standing still and taking my powerful wooden sword strike head-on.

He wasn't using magic.

It was pure physical strength.

This is...

Like hitting a stone wall.

I was the one feeling the pain.

If I had hit any harder, I might have fractured my bones.

Rubbing my tingling wrist, I muttered in a daze.

"..."

"What kind of body do you have, man?"

"I've been pretty solid since I was born."

Gabriel rubbed his side calmly.

"..."

"It's not just solid, right? It's like a knife can't even cut you?"

Out of curiosity, I tapped him with the wooden sword. It felt like a well-sharpened knife would barely scratch his skin.

"Wow, how did you know? There were a few attempts to assassinate me by other tribes trying to remove the successor, but they all failed."

"..."

"Are you even human?"

"Of course, I am."

Gabriel chuckled.

"According to my father, I have the blessing of ancient Vikings. I have a strong constitution. I get stronger in fights. And, I become less afraid. Yeah, if I don't feel pain, what's there to be afraid of?"

Ancient Vikings?

Gabriel, this guy, is more of a big shot than I thought.

Gabriel suddenly became serious.

"But there's one problem."

"What is it?"

"I'm terrible at magic. No matter how much I learn, I can't use it well. So I use all my magic power to enhance my physical strength."

...He really is a muscle brain.

An original Viking, with warrior blood flowing through his veins.

"Alright... I think I've learned enough about you."

Gabriel rubbed his neck and looked at me.

"Now it's your turn, Ezio."

"..."

Hmm.

After a moment of thought, I spoke.

"Is that your talent? The blessing of ancient Vikings... or something? Anyway, you were 'born with it,' right?"

"Yeah, I guess. My father would know better."

I was unsure before, but now I'm certain.

I took a step back and spoke.

"Gabriel."

"Yeah?"

"You said you don't feel pain, right?"

Gabriel nodded in response to my question.

"Yeah. ...Of course, if you fully charge your magic and hit me, even I would feel a lot of pain. Don't have any bad ideas, okay?"

"No, we don't need to use magic in a practice match."

"..."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Well, you know."

I tapped my palm with the wooden sword and then,

Grin—

I gave a thin smile and gripped the handle tightly.

"Then if you cry after getting hit, it's not my fault."

"..."

"What?"

Clang—!

As soon as I finished speaking, I charged.

Thud—!

I struck Gabriel's side again with the edge of the wooden sword, as if hitting a ball.

A flash of light appeared in my mind.

At that moment,

"Useless...—Cough?!"

Clang—!

Gabriel, who had been watching, was hit without a chance to scream, clutching his side and rolling onto the training ground floor.

"Ugh—..."

He lay on the grass, trembling and clutching his side, his hand shaking as he reached inward.

Gabriel's eyes were shaking uncontrollably, perhaps for the first time in a long while, or maybe even the first time ever, with intense pain.

"Ugh, cough, ugh... Hey, you, damn it, you... didn't use... magic..."

"Did it look like I used magic just now?"

"..."

Clearly, no magic circuits were activated, and there was no faint blue afterimage on the sword path.

Realizing this, Gabriel, writhing in pain, managed to speak.

"Then, what... the hell... you... damn it... it hurts so much..."

I hit him hard enough to bruise but not break bones. Given his tough body, he should recover quickly. This is punishment for overestimating your abilities, you guy.

"It's nothing special."

Squatting next to Gabriel, I tapped his shoulder with the wooden sword and said,

"I just thought it was a bit unfair that you were the only one with such a talent, so I temporarily took it away."