Vol. 3 Chapter 13

“Err…… So? Could you tell me why I’m being dragged away?”

I, while being dragged through the city by Claudia and Lorna, asked so.

The appearance of me being dragged by two people, a beautiful woman and a beautiful girl, is kind of surreal. The stares from the people around me brought tears to my eyes. Moreover, the Donna Donna* is flowing through my head for a while now! (TN: Donna donna – It’s a word that came to be said from the lyrics of the old folk song “Donna Donna”, which means ‘being taken by someone’)

“Ah, that’s right. I haven’t said it yet.”

Claudia-san, who received my question, told me that, as she remembered.

“Seiichi-kun. You, won the Royal Capital Cup, right?”

“Yes, well”

“That’s the reason”

“……Yes?”

When I asked her as I didn’t understand what she meant, Claudia-san continued.

“Don’t you remember? The winner of that, will be given the right to act together with us 【Sword Saint War Maiden(Valkyrie)】for a day ……”

“Ah!”

“It looks like you remembered it. You weren’t at the awards ceremony for some reason, and maybe you’re not interested in the winning prize itself? I was thinking about that, but…… apparently, by the looks of it, you really weren’t interested in it.”

Oh man, I totally forgot about this.

I, should have a perfect memory skill, but I’ve became very forgetful. Do you mean that my skill is a scam? Is the skill a scam? No, I’m just denying something natural.

Well, like magic and other skills, I remember exactly what I need, so as a matter of deciding which skills are necessary and which are not, perhaps I’m choosing what to remember.

…… What was that about?

That’s all well and good, though I didn’t expect that right would suddenly come into effect on the day the Royal Capital Cup would end. Even though the Royal Capital Cup ended in the morning, it was too sudden.

As if she had guessed my inner thoughts, Claudia-san makes a bitter smile.

“Hahaha. Well, we don’t have a lot of spare time, either. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Ah! Please look, Ku-chan! There’s a stall over there that sells delicious looking skewers! Let’s go eat there tomorrow! Also, there’s an accessory shop subsequently! There will be a lot of new clothes coming out, and well, we are really busy!”

“……We don’t really have free time. I want you to believe me.”

Claudia-san put her hand on her forehead at Lorna’s line, and looked up at the heavens. She’s having a hard time heh .

As we were exchanging these words, before we knew it, we were right in front of the royal castle.

“Well …… this, is the castle of the Welmburg Kingdom ———— the 【Arkshell Castle】“

Claudia-san proudly said so.

However, I forgot to respond to her words, and simply looked at the castle in front of me.

It may be rude of me to ignore Claudia-san’s words, but that’s just how huge and beautiful the castle in front of me is.

It was more than when I first came to Terviel and was excited while looking at it with Saria from a distance.

“Amazing……”

When I was on Earth, I never had a chance to see a castle. No, I’ve seen Japanese castles, and I’ve seen the castle in a dreamland where a mouse live*, but this would be the first time I have ever been in a Western castle where a proper King lived. (TN: Mickey mouse, I guess)

That’s why, I was overwhelmed by the presence of this Arkshell Castle.

Seeing me looking up at the castle in a daze, Claudia-san smiled with satisfaction.

“Yeah, I’m most glad that you liked it. Then, let’s enter immediately.”

Following Claudia-san’s lead, we entered inside the gate of the castle.

At that time, a man wearing the same armor as Claude, who was guarding the gate leading out of the city, saluted to Claudia-san and Lorna-san. Awesome. …… it was a small average feeling.

Beyond the gate, there was a large and luxurious garden, and flowers of various colors were in full bloom. And yet, the scents of the flowers weren’t fighting with each other, and each one indiscreetly asserted their own smell. Amazing.

In the center there’s a fountain, which is probably some sort of a magic tool. It’s further, amazing……. I’m starting to feel like crying because all I can say was amazing.

I was wounded inwardly, and when I followed Claudia-san, we stopped at a certain place.

“This, is the training ground where the soldiers of the Welmburg Kingdom do their practice.”

“By the way, even if everyone in the Magic Division releases their magic with all their might here, there’s a barrier erected that will be unperturbed! The only thing is, if they use such dangerous magic, Louise-sama will be angry, though!”

“……Well, in the case of Louise-sama, it would look like she’s doing office-like duty rather than getting angry. Before I went to pick-up Seiichi-kun, I saw Lorna being chastised by Louise-sama for the prize of the Royal Capital Cup, but there was no change in her facial expression than usual ……”

“Ple,please don’t remind me! George from the intelligence department, who took a secret photo of Louise-sama with me, couldn’t stand the punishment of Louise-sama, and before heading to the inn, he said, 『…… Haha, the wooden sword ……. the wooden sword that cuts iron…… is coming at me……! I don’t want it to come over hereeeeeeeeeeeeee! 』”

“…… Did you take him to the infirmary properly?”

“It was too much trouble to deal with him, so I left him alone. Kuh…… George-kun, I’ll never forget your gallant figure ……!”

“…… He’s alive, right? George-kun.”

“George-kun? Who’s that?”

“You’re an ogre……!”

“Can I go home now!?”

I finally couldn’t take it anymore, so I interrupted their conversation and told them so.

Because that’s right, isn’t it!? If I just listen to them silently, I won’t hear any decent words ……!

I didn’t want to stay in such a dangerous place for too long. No, I wouldn’t think that!? But more than that, this George-kun guy is just too pitiful! More than half of it was him paying for his own mistakes, though!

However, Claudia grabbed me by the shoulders to keep me from escaping.

“…… I’m sorry, but you have to give up. This is, the current situation in this country ……”

“The Guild is one thing, but most of the inside of this castle as well!?”

Are there only perverts and weirdos in this country! But that style of perverseness is going in the right direction, which is why it’s so bad……!

Maybe that’s why everyone is so happy here, because this place is made up of weirdos. …… Is it okay for me to go? In this place.

“Hmm? Oh, this is just right. Seiichi-kun, look at that.”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, I who was urged by Claudia-san to do so, looked in the direction that Claudia-san had indicated.

Then, in one corner of the training ground, I saw several women holding wooden swords while wearing the same armor as Claudia-san and Lorna-san.

“Is that…… the training?”

“That’s right. It’s our Valkyrie training.”

“And that’s, our commander ———— Louise-sama!”

When I looked closely again, I saw that the women holding the wooden swords were standing around a woman. I can see her, but I can’t see her face very well.

“Come now, let’s get a closer look!”

“That’s right. It should also be a good stimulus for you, Seiichi-kun.”

At their urging, I approached the women.

Finally, I was then able to make out the appearance of the woman who was being surrounded.

She has a straight, light blue hair that flowed down to her waist. And, she has a surprisingly well-organized face.

Her blue armor has a sophisticated and smart shape, and didn’t give a rustic impression at all.

With her wooden sword at her hip, her eyes closed and her pure white cloak fluttering, she looked like a dignified and noble knight herself.

Rurune-san, please follow this person.

“Can you see her? The person at the center of them, is Louise-sama.”

“Please take a closer look! It will be over in an instant!”

Lorna-san is so excited about that, so being curious, I decided to observe the girls in their training.

Then, the women who had been holding their wooden swords, slashed at the person named Louise all at once.

I have the Zeford-style guardian swordsmanship which I got from Zeanos, but since it’s a skill that I’ve acquired by defeating him myself, not one that I’ve acquired through the end of a long training, my swordsmanship itself is no greater than that of an amateur’s.

However, even from my point of view, it was easy to tell that the women’s swordsmanship was one of the most polished and professional.

The speed of her sword was surprisingly fast, even for me with my Mind’s eye skill.

The girls’ blows which can be said to be heartfelt, were concentrated and swung down over Louise-san’s head.

Naturally, all the wooden swords would hit Louise-san directly ———— it was the moment I thought so.

“————”

Louise-san, quietly opened her eyes.

At the moment when their wooden swords approached her, I could see with my own eyes that she had caught all of their wooden swords, with her clear sky-blue eyes, like the surface of the water without a single wave.

And then————

“————”

A flash.

Louise-san pulled out the wooden sword at her waist with more speed than any of the women surrounding her, and then she swung it out.

Her speed was so fast that my Mind’s Eye skill was almost useless for her.

The things that Louise-san slashed …… were the wooden swords of the women who were slashing at her all at once. What’s more, the wooden sword that slashed those was so sharp that it was hard to believe that it was slashed with the same wooden sword, and the tip of their swords slipped off quietly with a brilliant cut.

The women whose weapons were cut all looked dumbfounded, and Louise-san, who lightly shook off her wooden sword, gently put it on her waist.

“————The speed of your swords has increased. However, your swordsmanship is too straightforward. Be diligent”

『! Yes! Thank you very much!』

When she told the women with a beautiful voice that suits the atmosphere that is somewhat detached from the real world, the women replied cheerfully.

……Oy oy oy, there’s only one person whose skills are outstanding. What? Was that being removed from humanity movement. I think she’s more of a monster than I am. (TN: LOL)

As I was stunned by her overwhelming ability, Claudia-san and the others were laughing bitterly.

“Hahaha …… As usual, I can’t see her sword at all. Those girls, were also strong soldiers with a level not less than 250, and I myself am 380, but…… Lorna, did you see it?”

“If Kuu-chan can’t discern it, how can I, a level 360 person, see her move?”

“Hmm…… in the case of Louise-sama, even if she’s up against a level 500 the same as her, I feel like the situation will be similar.”

“No, as expected, that’s…… a’re? I can’t deny it!?”

Apparently, the two of them couldn’t see Louise-san’s attack earlier. Even so, Claudia-san’s level is 380, and Lorna-san’s is 360. For Louise-san, it’s 500 huh.

As I was thinking about such a thing, Louise-san noticed us and approached us.

“Claudia, Lorna. You’re back.”

When the two heard those words, they straightened their posture and saluted.

“Yes, we brought him”

“It’s already perfect!”

“Lorna, if you haven’t done anything extra, it wouldn’t have to be this much trouble.”

Louise-san said that in a somewhat indifferent tone.

Lorna-san turned away and whistled, while Claudia-san laughed bitterly at her state.

Louise-san turned her gaze at me.

“So, are you Seiichi-san?”

“Eh? Ah, yes”

“I am, the leader of the 【Sword Saint War Maiden(Valkyrie)】in the Kingdom of Welmburg, Louise Barze.”

When she introduced herself, her facial expression didn’t change at all. Anyway, she was expressionless.

“Well…… in which case, here”

“Eh?”

As I looked at her face to the extent that it isn’t rude, Louise-san suddenly handed me a wooden sword. Err……?

“Let’s have a mock battle.”

“Can I go home?”

I who asked so unintentionally, didn’t think that it’s bad.

However, Louise-san quietly shakes her head.

“If only my subordinates hadn’t prepared such a strange prize, this wouldn’t have happened, but you are the winner of the Royal Capital Cup. And, if the prize for winning it is spending time with us, then I have to fulfill that responsibility.”

“I think that sense of responsibility is very impressive, but why a mock battle?”

“……? Why, you said…… I have assumed on my own that spending time with us meant that you’ll participate in our training together, but…… is it different?”

It’s useless, this person doesn’t have self-awareness!

I’m pretty sure that Lorna-san’s intention in preparing this right was for the winner to enjoy spending time with the beautiful women of Valkyrie, and Louise-san.

And yet, Louise-san seems to have misunderstood it for the right to receive training together.

Or rather, what does she mean by the prize being a training?

“Well, anyway, I’ll take a look at your skill once. If there’s anything I can point out, I will do so, and if I can fix it, you’ll be stronger than you are now.”

“Heh? No, wait ……”

I tried to talk to Louise-san, but she had already separated from me, and was ready to start the mock battle at any moment.

And, Claudia-san and the rest of the Valkyrie were far away from us, and were now in full spectator mode. There’s no way out ……!

To me who is stunned, Louise-san calls out.

“I’m fine whenever you’re ready, alright?”

“Eh? Uhmm, I……”

“Well then, let’s look, at your defensive side first, shall we”

You’re a stupid asshole me……! Refuse it clearly! This is no longer an atmosphere which I can refuse!

When I was intensely quipping by myself, Louise-san quietly pulled out her wooden sword.

“Well, then———— here I come”

“Tu!?”

When Louise-san approached me at a speed that rendered my Mind’s Eye skills useless, just like what she did when I was watching her battle a while ago, she swung her wooden sword at me, driving it sharply into the pit of my stomach.

Almost as a reflex, I jumped backwards as hard as I could to avoid it.

At that time, a small crater was formed on the ground where my foot was, but…… yup, it doesn’t matter.

“……I’m surprised. I didn’t expect, that my first attack would be so easily dodged……”

“No, it wasn’t that easy, though ……”

“It’s alright, I’ll give it my all from here.”

“Why do so many people not listen to me!?”

Even though it was not that easy, Louise-san declared that she will attack me with all her might. I’m gonna cry before long.

With that thought in mind, Louise-san, this time, at a speed that I really couldn’t capture with my skill Mind’s eye, swung her wooden sword from a distance.

…… Shupang!

“Hey, wait!? Isn’t the movement of the attack and its sound out of sync!?” (TN: LOL, it’s faster than the speed of sound)

When I thought that Louise-san had swung down her wooden sword silently, I heard a sound a little later. I 〇 kokudou-san will be surprised! She has completely left the sound behind…….! (TN: A ventriloquism expert)

And then, in the form of pursuing the surprised me, the slash that exceeds the speed of sound approaches.

“I don’t want to be around this person anymore!”

I jumped sideways to avoid the slash.

However ————

“Tuh! Tuh! Tuh! Tuh!”

…… Shupapapapan!

Once again, four slashes that exceeded the speed of sound flew towards me!

What is that slash that exceeds the speed of sound!? If I haven’t abandoned being a human, this would be a deadly attack for sure!?

In the first place, it’s not an attack that can be reproduced with a wooden sword! After dodging it, I don’t understand why it leaves a clean slash mark on the ground!

I continue to evade the faster than the speed of sound slashes that came at me one after another, using various postures. Ouhh! That one almost hit me in the face!?

“……Louise-sama is pretty much the same, but Seiichi-kun, who continues to avoid her attack unscathed, has also ceased being a human plenty enough.”

“As expected of the one who won the royal capital cup only with a donkey. What is his level?”

“No, before that, Seiichi-kun, who is dodging the serious slashes of Louise-sama, is abnormal. Even if he were 500, the highest level a human could have, there was no way he could avoid the attacks of the same level of Louise-sama unscathed. Is he, really just an adventurer?”

“Hmm…… For the time being, I had George-kun look him up, but it seems that he’s a new adventurer who really just recently came to the city and registered with the guild.”

“……George-kun, you’ve done great efforts.”

While I was desperately trying to avoid it, Claudia-san and her companu are having such a heartwarming talk.

Goddamit!

“…… I’m really surprised. I didn’t think, that my seriousness won’t work ……”

As I continued to single-mindedly avoid the slashes being fired at me by Louise-san, she muttered with a slightly shocked voice.

“……Then, how about this?”

“!”

Once I thought that the storm of slashes had stopped, this time, at a speed higher than the beginning, it approached me.

“Hah!”

Swinging down from above my head, Louise-san delivers a sharp blow at me.

The speed and sharpness of that, made it impossible for me to avoid it. No, it’s really dangerous, though!?

Certainly, if only I could recognize it, it would be possible for me to avoid it if I was somewhat serious, like the time I avoided her first attack.

But more than that, a blow that exceeds my reflex speed, is being swung down at me.

In the first place, I don’t have to get worked up and fight her, so I was thinking about deliberately letting her attack hit me and ending it since it was useless.

But you know? It’s impossible, right? Such as leaving slash marks on the ground with a wooden sword, what kind of attack is she doing!? If she has a skill like the 『Penetration』 of the Black Dragon God, my body will definitely be chopped into little pieces!? I’m too scared to let her attack hit me!

When I dodged her first attack, I unintentionally made a crater in the ground because I took it a little too seriously, but Louise-san was also a monster enough!?

Being from the same high school as everyone who was summoned as heroes, I was afraid that I might get caught somehow and be treated like a hero the same as those guys, so since I wanted to avoid standing out as much as possible, I hadn’t given my all in front of people before.

However, Louise-san’s attack was so dangerous that I couldn’t help but avoid it with a little seriousness.

……I’m not going to die from this attack, am I? Even if it doesn’t kill me, it looks painful. ……

It was when I reached the point of giving up while looking at her wooden sword gradually approaching me.

『The effect of the skill 【Evolution】 has been activated. With this, your body will adapt to combat. Due to the adaptation of your body, the skill 【Mind’s Eye】 has been integrated with the skill 【Enemy Search】 and changed to the skill 【World’s Eye】. In addition, you have acquired the skill 【Reflexive Defense】』

Such an inorganic voice flowed into my brain.

When I was startled by the voice that suddenly flowed into my brain, finally, Louise-san’s wooden sword reached me, and it has gotten to the point where she added a great deal of power from there.

However————

“Tu!?”

My body, turned the situation upside down.

In order to turn aside the force transmitted from her wooden sword that will hit my brain, as I crouch in the same direction as her wooden sword is swung, at a speed faster than the speed of her sword, at the same time as taking a little distance between us in a manner of a backflip, with a swinging motion of my foot, I kicked up the arm that Louise-san was using to swing down, to the extent that it won’t hurt her, and let her wooden sword be released from her hand.

And then, as soon as I landed, I thrusted my wooden sword into the nape of the wide-eyed Louise-san.

TN: How’s the anime so far?

Read only at Travis Translations