Chapter 36

"Then, I plan to have you all undergo combat training."

After being driven out of Fiar Berugen, Aichi and the others temporarily set up a base closer to the Great Tree. Just as they caught their breath, Aichi said this. Though it was called a base, it was nothing more than a barrier created by Aichi using the Phildorien crystal (Translator's Note: The literal translation is 'Light Blue Crystal') he had... obtained. Among them, the rabbit-eared girls were sitting on tree stumps, looking bewildered.

"That... Mr. Aichi. What do you mean by combat training?"

Shia, representing the confused group, asked.

"Exactly that. Anyway, we won't reach the base of the Great Tree in the next ten days, right? We need to make good use of this time to transform you, who are deeply tainted with weakness, fragility, and the nature of defeated dogs, into beings with a certain level of combat skills."

"Why... Why do we have to do such a thing..."

Aichi's intense gaze and the overwhelming pressure emanating from his entire body made the rabbit-eared girls tremble. Given Aichi's abrupt declaration, it was only natural for Shia to ask.

"Why? Why do you even need to ask? Pitiful rabbits."

"Ah, you still won't call me by my name..."

Aichi looked at the dejected Shia with a sidelong glance and began to speak.

"Listen, the agreement I made with you is to protect you until the end of the guidance. What will happen after the guidance ends? Have you thought about that?"

The Horia clan exchanged glances, shaking their heads. Kam also had a grim expression. The vague unease they felt had been pushed to the back of their minds, or perhaps they hadn't thought about it at all.

"Of course, you haven't thought about it. If you had, you wouldn't be so clueless. You are weak, and when faced with malice and hostility, you can only run or hide. Now, you've even lost your hiding place in Fiar Berugen. In other words, the moment you lose my protection, you will be in dire straits again."

"......"

It was exactly as he said. The Horia clan all lowered their heads, their expressions dark. Aichi's voice rang out again, addressing them.

"You have no place to retreat, no hiding place, and no protection. However, both monsters and humans will mercilessly target you, the weak. If you continue like this, you are destined to be wiped out... Is that what you want? To be eliminated because of your weakness? To waste the lives you were fortunate enough to save? What will you do?"

No one spoke, and a heavy silence filled the air. Then, someone spoke up alone.

"That's not good, you know."

Moved by these words, the Horia clan began to lift their heads. Shia's expression was resolute.

"That's right. It's not good. So, what should we do? The answer is simple. We need to become strong. We need to break through all obstacles and earn the right to survive with our own hands."

"But... we are rabbit people. We don't have the robust bodies of tiger people or bear people, nor the special abilities of winged people or earth people... No matter how hard we try... it's just... impossible..."

Shia felt a sense of rejection towards Aichi's words due to the common knowledge that rabbit people are weak. They are weak, and combat is impossible. No matter how hard they struggle, they can't become as strong as Aichi described.

Aichi sneered at the Horia clan.

"I was once called 'Incompetent' by my former comrades."

"Huh?"

"'Incompetent' the 'Incompetent.' An ordinary person with the most average attributes and skills. The weakest among my comrades. In battles, I was nothing but a burden. That's why my former comrades called me 'Incompetent.' It was exactly like that."

Hearing Aichi's confession, the Horia clan were all shocked. He could easily defeat the vicious monsters in the Laissen Grand Canyon and the elder of the bear people with excellent combat skills. It was hard to believe that such a person was once called 'Incompetent' and 'The Weakest.'

"But, when I fell to the bottom of the Nether, I took action to become stronger. I didn't think about whether I could do it or not. If I couldn't, I would die. I bet everything on that life-or-death situation. ...When I realized it, I was already like this."

His tone was casual, but the content was so intense that the Horia clan felt a chill run down their spines. With attributes no better than those of rabbit people, he faced monsters far stronger than the ones that had left them in despair in the Laissen Grand Canyon and survived. More than the vast difference in strength or the fact that he survived, it was Aichi's determination to challenge those monsters in his weakest state that made the Horia clan shudder. They had been overwhelmed by despair, accepted the elders' decision, and resigned themselves to die together.

"Your situation is similar to mine back then. If I help you break through despair within the agreed period, that's fine. If you say it's impossible, then the next time you will really be wiped out. After fulfilling the agreement, I have no intention of helping you again. You will just lick each other's wounds like defeated dogs."

So, what will you do? Aichi asked with his eyes. The Horia clan did not immediately respond. No, perhaps they didn't respond at all. They knew that there was no other way to survive except to become strong. Aichi wasn't protecting the Horia clan out of a sense of justice. Once the agreement was fulfilled, he would abandon them without mercy. However, despite knowing this, Aichi's proposal was a decision equivalent to stepping into the unknown for the gentle, peaceful, and non-combative rabbit people. Changing their mindset was extremely difficult unless they were in a special situation like Aichi's.

The Horia clan fell silent and exchanged glances. But, looking at them with a sidelong glance, Shia, who had a resolute expression from the beginning, stood up.

"Do it. Please teach me how to fight! I hate being so weak!"

Her voice echoed through the forest, a declaration of determination. Shia hated fighting. The pain of being hurt was one thing, but hurting others made her even more sad. However, with her clan in such a dire situation, and knowing it was her fault, she could not just sit and wait for their annihilation. For a certain purpose, Shia was determined to become strong, even if it meant going against the nature of rabbit people.

Her eyes, filled with unwavering resolve, looked straight at Aichi. Seeing this, Kam and the others were speechless, then they too became resolute and stood up one by one. Not only the men, but the women and children also stood up, and the entire Horia clan was on their feet. Kam, as their representative, took a step forward.

"Mr. Aichi... please take care of us."

His words were few, but they carried a strong will. The will to fight against the unreasonable.

"I understand. Be prepared, okay? It's your own will to become strong, and I'm just here to help. I won't be gentle or guide you softly. And we only have ten days... You'll have to go all out. Your choice is between life and death."

Hearing Aichi's words, the entire Horia clan nodded, their expressions filled with resolve.

～～～～～～～～

When training the Horia clan, Aichi first took out equipment he had crafted from the [Treasure Vault] and gave it to them. The first item he gave them was a small knife, a single-edged blade that curved upwards, similar to a Japanese wakizashi. These knives, crafted by Aichi to hone his precision alchemy, had exceptionally sharp and thin blades. Made from Tauru ore, they were highly durable. Despite their delicate appearance, the blades were incredibly strong.

Aichi then taught them the basic movements of wielding a weapon. Of course, Aichi had no martial arts expertise. He only had knowledge from comics and games, which were not very useful for teaching. What he could teach them were the "rational movements" he had honed through battles with numerous monsters at the bottom of the Nether. After instilling these movements in them, he would find appropriate monsters for them to gain practical combat experience. The Horia clan's strengths were their scouting and stealth abilities. Eventually, they would master specialized ambush and coordinated group tactics.

Incidentally, Shia was being trained in magic by the moon as her personal instructor. As a demi-human with magical power, she could directly manipulate it. With knowledge of magic arrays, she should be able to cast spells without incantations. Occasionally, her screams could be heard from the other side of the mist, indicating that the training was going well.

However, from the second day of training, Aichi's forehead would twitch whenever he saw the Horia clan's training. Indeed, the Horia clan were going against their nature and diligently following Aichi's instructions. They managed to defeat the monsters, albeit with a few injuries.

But...

Gusha!

A monster died from a thrust of Aichi's specially crafted wakizashi.

"Ah, forgive my sinful self~"

A Horia male clung to the fallen monster, as if it were a dear friend he had killed due to an unyielding belief.

Gushu!

Another monster was sliced down.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I had no choice but to do this!"

A Horia female, trembling, held the wakizashi that had cut the monster's neck. She looked like a woman who had killed her beloved in a fit of passion.

Baku!

A dying monster,

used its last strength to counterattack. Kam was thrown back, and from the ground, he muttered sarcastically.

"Ah, this is the punishment for raising my blade against you... It's only natural..."

Hearing this, the Horia clan's eyes welled up with tears, and they called out to Kam in distress.

"Chief! Don't say such things! We are all equally sinful!"

"That's right! Even if the judgment comes, it won't be now! Get up! Chief!"

"We have already taken a path with no turning back. Chief, let's walk it together!"

"You... Yes. We can't stop here. For the sake of the one who has passed (a small mouse-like monster). We must move forward, overcoming his death!"

"Chief!"

The atmosphere among Kam and the others was quite good. Then, Aichi couldn't hold back any longer.

"Shut up, you idiots! You're making a big deal out of just killing a monster! What is this? What are you doing? This is a lousy drama! Are you trying to create some dramatic effect? Kill silently! Kill immediately! And calling a monster 'he'! Disgusting!"

Yes, Aichi could see that the Horia clan were trying hard, but perhaps due to their nature, they always put on a ridiculous soap opera after killing a monster. Aichi had seen this many times over the past two days and had pointed it out several times, but they always brushed it off and didn't change. Aichi was at his wit's end.

Aichi's voice was filled with anger, and the Horia clan, though trembling, mumbled in response.

"Even if you say that..."

"Monsters are somewhat pitiful..."

Aichi's forehead twitched even more.

A Horia boy approached Aichi, trying to calm him down. This boy had almost been eaten by a Haiberia in the Laissen Grand Canyon and was saved by Aichi at the last moment. He had a special affection for Aichi.

However, before the boy could say anything, he suddenly moved away from that spot.

Surprised, Aichi asked the boy.

"? What's wrong?"

The boy gently picked up something at his feet and replied to Aichi.

"Ah, yes. I almost stepped on this flower lady... It's a good thing. If I hadn't noticed, it would have been crushed. It's so beautiful, it would be pitiful to step on it."

Aichi's cheek twitched.

"Flower... lady?"

"Yes! Mr. Aichi! I love flower ladies the most! There are so many beautiful flower ladies around here, and it's really hard to avoid stepping on them during training~"

The rabbit-eared boy smiled. The surrounding Horia clan also smiled at him. Aichi slowly lowered his head, his white hair hiding his expression. Then, he asked in a whisper.

"...Do you sometimes move around strangely during training... because of the 'flower ladies'?"

As Aichi said, during training, the Horia clan would change their steps or move at strange times. Aichi had noticed this but thought it was to get into a better position for an attack.

"No, no, not at all."

"Ha ha, I must be overthinking it."

Kam laughed, and Aichi's cheek relaxed slightly. But...

"Yes, not only flowers, but I also consider insects. When they suddenly appear, I feel anxious and try to avoid stepping on them."

Kam's words made Aichi lose all expression. Aichi began to sway like a ghost, and the Horia clan, unsure of what to do, exchanged glances. Aichi slowly approached the boy and smiled at him. The boy smiled back.

Then Aichi... smiled and crushed the flower in front of him. He carefully stepped on it and stomped a few more times.

The boy, who was standing nearby, was speechless. After Aichi's foot gradually moved away, the remains of the "flower lady," now unrecognizable, lay on the ground.

"Flower... lady--!"

The boy's anguished cry echoed through the forest. The Horia clan, shocked, looked at Aichi, who had a vein popping on his forehead and smiled at them.

"Ah, I see. I understand. I was too naive. I misjudged your race. Ha ha, to have the leisure to care about 'flower ladies' and 'insects' in a life-or-death situation... This is the fundamental problem, not your combat skills or experience. I should have noticed this earlier. I'm angry at my own immaturity... Ha ha ha"

"Mr. Aichi?"

Aichi began to laugh, a laugh that sent shivers down their spines. The temperature dropped, and Kam, trembling, spoke to him. Aichi's response was...

Do Bang!

A gunshot. Kam was knocked back, landing on the ground with a thud. The non-lethal rubber bullet that hit Kam's forehead also fell to the ground with a plop.

A gust of wind blew, and silence enveloped the area. Aichi approached the unconscious Kam and shot a rubber bullet into his stomach.

"Hau!"

Kam coughed and screamed, tears streaming down his face as he looked at Aichi. The rabbit-eared man, in a woman's sitting position, was crying, and Aichi, ignoring this bizarre scene, declared.

"You are a bunch of dirty [bleep]. If you don't want to be [bleep], go crazy and hunt monsters! From now on, if you get distracted by flowers and insects, I'll [bleep] you all! Understand? Quickly go hunt monsters! You [bleep]!"

The Horia clan stiffened at Aichi's vulgar curses. Aichi, without mercy, fired his gun.

Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang! Do Bang!

"Ah--!" They scattered like birds and beasts, the Horia clan fleeing into the forest. The boy, trembling, clung to Aichi.

"Mr. Aichi! What's wrong!? Why are you doing this!?"

Aichi glared at the boy with a flash in his eyes, then looked around, confirming that flowers were blooming everywhere, and fired again without a word.

The boy screamed as the flowers fell.

"What are you doing~? What are you doing~? Stop it, Mr. Aichi!"

"Shut up, brat. Do you understand? If you keep talking, I'll make you like the scattered flowers around you. If you care about flowers and protect them, I'll make them wither. If you do nothing, I'll make them wither. If you don't like that, go kill as many monsters as you can!"

Aichi fired at the flowers again as he spoke. The boy, crying, "Ah~," disappeared into the forest.

From then on, Aichi's [bleep]-filled roars and the Horia clan's screams alternated in the forest.

Due to their nature, rabbit people were inherently poor at combat. The training method to change this was more about changing their mindset than teaching combat skills. In Earth terms, it was like Hartman-style training, the specific content of which is not explained here... (Note: Hartman refers to Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket, those interested can look it up.)