Chapter 6

"What, what's going on!? Why can you use the 'Dual Blade Slash'!?"

The red-haired one approached aggressively.

"I practiced."

"Don't kid me! It's not something you can learn just by practicing!"

What can I do about that?

I can actually do it now.

"That's only possible because it's a skill!"

"Indeed, it's impossible for an ordinary person to slash two places simultaneously. There will always be a time difference."

"Exactly!"

"But if that's the case, you just need to slash at a speed that's not ordinary."

"I don't understand!?"

The red-haired one clutched his head, but then, probably realizing the intense pain in his arm, he winced.

"..."

"What, you don't have any holy water?"

There are two main ways to recover a blessing.

One is natural recovery over time.

The other is by drinking holy water.

Holy water can be purchased from the church.

It's a necessity when going outside the town, but it seems the red-haired one broke the bottle containing the holy water while fighting the goblins.

Since he drank the holy water I gave him, by the time we could see the town, his blessing had recovered significantly.

And as the blessing returns, it takes the injuries on his behalf over time.

In other words, the wounds heal on their own.

"How are your injuries?"

"...They're much better now."

"Good. ...Hmm, but I think it's better to stop for today."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I was hoping to get revenge from the other day. But from the looks of it, we should do it another day."

I was practicing my test cuts against the goblins to prepare for the rematch with the red-haired one.

I hate losing, you see.

It feels bad to end things with a loss.

"! ...Alright! I'll accept that challenge!"

The red-haired one drew his sword.

"? It's fine to do it another day?"

"No problem! My injuries are healed now!"

The red-haired one swung his sword vigorously to show that he was fully recovered.

"Got it."

This saved us the trouble of setting a date for the match.

Originally, if we hadn't met by chance in the forest, I was planning to go to the vigilante group's headquarters to get the red-haired one's address.

Unfortunately, I didn't know where he lived, even though we were in the same town.

"Even if you can use the 'Dual Blade Slash,' I will win! Because my 'Dual Blade Slash,' as a pure-blooded 'Swordsman,' cannot lose to your imitation as a 'Unemployed'!"

The red-haired one declared this and readied his sword.

I also drew my sword and faced him.

"Let's go! 'Dual Blade Slash'!"

He immediately unleashed an attack skill.

Attacks came from both sides simultaneously.

Of course, I countered with the same technique.

"‘Dual Blade Slash’"

A metallic sound rang out, and the red-haired one's sword was deflected outward.

I used the 'Dual Blade Slash' for defense, not attack.

But that wasn't the end.

*Bang!*

"What...?"

The red-haired one's eyes widened.

Because my third strike had hit his shoulder.

"...What...? Y-You... How did you do that!?"

"My 'Dual Blade Slash' isn't a skill. In other words, it doesn't have to be 'dual' blades."

To be precise, the third strike still isn't simultaneous and is slightly delayed from the first two.

"Impossible... There's no way you can do that..."

"Hmm. Then I'll show you as many times as you want."

After avenging myself against the red-haired one, I went home.

"Oh, welcome back, Alair."

"Mom, I have a favor to ask."

"? What is it? Out of the blue."

"I want to see all the skills you've learned."

Mom looked puzzled at my request.

"Why?"

"I want to learn skills."

I managed to reproduce the 'Swordsman's' skill, 'Dual Blade Slash,' on my own.

If I can do that, maybe I can do the same with other skills.

That's what I thought.

Mom came closer and hugged me tightly.

"I'm sorry, Alair... I didn't realize you were suffering so much..."

"Mom?"

"I'm sorry for not noticing... I'm a terrible mother..."

"But what are you talking about, Mom?"

"No matter how mature you are, you're still ten... You can always be a little spoiled with your mom, you know?"

Hmm, it seems she thinks I've gone crazy because I can't handle being 'Unemployed.'

"Mom, I'm fine."

"Uh-huh, I know. Mom will always be on your side."

This isn't going to work.

The quickest way is to show her.

I escaped from Mom's embrace and went to the yard.

"Mom, watch this."

"Of course, Alair. I'll always be watching over you."

I think Mom might be the one who's about to go crazy.

Let's just show her.

"‘Dual Blade Slash’"

Two slashes simultaneously cut through the air.

"How about it, Mom?"

An ordinary person's dynamic vision wouldn't be able to catch it, but Mom should be able to tell that it was a proper 'Dual Blade Slash' even from a demonstration.

"...That's strange. It looked like Alair used the 'Dual Blade Slash' just now... But that can't be. If that's the case, this must be a dream... Yes, a dream. But to have such a dream... Maybe I can't accept that Alair is 'Unemployed'... Oh, what a terrible mother I am..."

"Mom, it's not a dream."

I've suspected for a while, but Mom might be a bit air-headed.

I pinched Mom's cheek.

"Ow (It hurts)?"

"It's not a dream. I reproduced the 'Dual Blade Slash.' It took about a month."

"Then it's really..."

Mom had a dazed look for a while, then she ran into the house,

"Dad! Dad! Alair is a genius after all!"

Sigh.

As always, she's so noisy.