Chapter 146 - The Peerless Sword and the Thoughts of Another Summer Bird
It had been a while since my last morning practice. I’d gone to the Mateo Trading Company to discuss Lini of the rabbit-kin, only to be cornered by Avea.
The venue was the company's courtyard. It was usually piled high with cargo, but by some stroke of bad luck, it was completely clear today, revealing a neatly paved stone space. Besides Avea, Fang and Beers were also there for training. On my side, I had Fam and Mizuki.
Observing were Shizuka, Maira, Cecily, and Aira, as well as Claire and Mercedes.
And for some reason, I was being made to face Lini. She clutched a wooden sword, her expression tense, as Avea whispered a strategy in her ear.
"Hey, who do you think I am? I'm a C-rank adventurer, you know!"
Avea grinned at my words.
"Let me give you a piece of advice. Just like you said, you're a C-rank adventurer now. Don't let your guard down."
Avea stepped away from Lini.
They were underestimating me way too much.
Lini held her wooden sword in a low stance. Calling it a low stance was generous; it looked more like the sword was too heavy for her to keep raised. I gripped my own wooden sword and assumed a standard seigan stance.
There was more than a sword's length of distance between us.
Just as I began to slide forward to close the gap, Lini raised her sword and leaped into the air. By the time I tried to parry her attack, it was too late. Her swing landed squarely on my forehead.
She caught me completely by surprise. I collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Aira rushed over and touched the lump forming on my forehead.
"Ouch…"
Was it my imagination, or was her gaze unusually cold?
Avea approached and peered down at my face.
"To think you'd actually lose… You let your guard down way too much when you're outside your own range."
"Was that leap a trait of the rabbit-kin?"
She nodded in response to my question. Lini, who had crept closer while hiding behind Avea, peeked at me.
"…Are you okay?"
"Have you ever swung a sword before?"
She shook her head. Aira helped me sit up.
As I stood and looked around, I felt the cold stares of everyone present. Fam's mouth was hanging open, but when our eyes met, she quickly snapped it shut and shook her head.
"M-M-Master was, uhm, no, ah! That's right! He let Lini win!"
"I don't think so. He was just completely off his guard. Besides, wouldn't he lose in a real fight anyway?"
Mizuki's reply to Fam was sharp. The corners of her mouth were twitching; she was clearly trying to suppress a laugh. It reminded me of how she was when we first met. I felt the urge to sneak into her room and attack her in her sleep again.
"That's not true! Master is kind!"
"Give the loyal dog act a rest. Where was the kindness? He just lost pathetically, didn't he?"
Now even Cecily was piling on.
"You're wrong! Master gets stronger from this point on!"
"Fam, the fight is already over. It's true that Mash can display incredible strength in a crisis, but if he were to get stronger after that, he would already be dead in a real battle."
Maira spoke to Fam as if gently correcting a child.
"Hmph! Master can die up to three times, so it's fine!"
Fam started spouting some ridiculous, delusional logic. Was my life some kind of stock of extra lives from a shooting game?
Her desperate defense on my behalf continued. It was a little embarrassing.
"Mash."
As I watched Fam and the others, Aira called my name.
"I'm not done healing you yet."
"Ah, right…"
Her hand was placed over my forehead.
"We'll be arriving in Migul soon."
"Yeah, we will."
I nodded at her words.
"You asked me to watch your practice, and I've been watching all this time."
I had asked her to be present during training so she could provide healing if anyone got hurt. I'd thought she disliked the role, but she always showed up whenever I practiced. But that, too, would end once we reached Migul.
We were already two-thirds of the way through our journey. A pang of sadness hit me.
"You're right. Thank you."
"That's not it. I'm not saying this because I want to hear your thanks."
She stared at me, her gaze intense.
"Avea is strong. I don't think my sister and I could beat her even if we fought together. But you're different, Mash. I've been watching all this time because I believed you could win. But if you're planning on staying like this until we reach Migul, I won't be attending your practice anymore."
"Aira…"
She averted her gaze and pushed against my chest. The distance between us grew by a step. Then she turned her back on me and walked over to where Fam and the others were watching.
The pain in my forehead was gone.
Avea stood before me, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Your woman said her piece. What about you?"
A wooden sword was thrust at me.
I sent a glance toward Aira. It wasn't just her gaze; the eyes of everyone in Levante had changed. Just as she always did during our training, she sat on the ground and hugged her knees. She used to sit like that, waiting for me to win.
Seeing Aira, Fam and the others followed her lead and sat down as well.
Retreat was no longer an option.
"Come to think of it, this one is supposed to be your future wife, too. I'm so envious."
Avea gently placed a hand on Lini's head.
I faced Avea.
I tightened my grip on the wooden sword. Mine was modeled after a katana—more of a bokuto than a simple wooden sword.
Hers, on the other hand, was modeled after a bastard sword. Perhaps to match me, she held it with both hands instead of using a shield.
A solid blow from either would cause serious injury.
"I have no intention of handing you a win just for your woman's sake."
"Of course not. When I win, I'll make you and fifty goblins scream all night long."
"Is that so!"
Just as I was about to assume my seigan stance, she lunged. Her strike was far faster and heavier than Lini's. I barely managed to block it with my bokuto.
"A step forward, I see," she laughed.
"Shut up! You think I'd fall for the same trick twice?"
I thought our blades would lock, but she twisted and struck again. As I parried it, she delivered a powerful knee kick.
"Ugh…"
The knee struck my solar plexus perfectly, and I doubled over, stumbling backward. My lungs felt crushed; I couldn't breathe.
As if to deliver the final blow, her sword came swinging down.
To close the space she needed for the swing, I instinctively threw my arms around her.
Avea twisted her body, throwing me off. I used the momentum to escape her sword's reach and regain my footing.
She didn't press the attack.
"One-trick pony," she said as I took my seigan stance again. I knew I lacked variety, but this was the only way I knew how to begin.
My solar plexus throbbed with intense pain. I pushed through it, arching my back and bracing myself. Finally, I could breathe again, and I took a deep gulp of air.
She was strong. No matter how I moved, she would likely counter with something superior and crush me.
And so, the conclusion was always the same. Forget about how to move; I had to unleash a single, unavoidable strike.
No matter what she said, I had to bet everything on one blow. First, close the distance to one step, one cut. Seize the centerline. Then, pour all my strength into the tip of my blade and cut her down. Chanting this mantra in my mind, I slowly, deliberately, closed in on her.
Avea was in a waiting posture. She stood quietly, sword at the ready, as if luring me in.
I kicked off the ground with my back foot and leaped toward her. She reacted to my movement, raising her sword to block the attack. I swung down, intending to slice right through it.
The moment our swords clashed, it wasn't the sound of wood hitting wood, but a high-pitched clang, like metal on metal.
My strike had been completely blocked.
And then, our blades locked.
"Surprised? But why would you assume that something you can do is something I cannot?"
"Kuh…"
Come to think of it, even Fam can do this far better than I can. But I couldn't stop now.
Avea was overpowering me with sheer strength.
I tried to shift my body, to deflect her pressure, but I couldn't escape. Our eyes were locked in a fierce struggle.
"Avea…"
"What?"
"This is for earlier."
I pushed back with all my might, and she took the bait, pushing back even harder. Timing it perfectly, I aimed a kick at her calf.
It was meant as payback for her earlier knee kick, but it was more effective than I expected, and her body wavered.
I couldn't let this chance slip away. But if I made a big move, she would easily regain her balance.
I let go of my sword and drove my fist into her solar plexus.
"Ugh!"
The impact was solid. It seemed she hadn't expected me to switch to unarmed attacks.
Avea hunched forward. Her head dropped to a perfect height, so I threw a punch aimed at her face.
But my fist never connected. It stopped the instant it touched her chin.
"I don't mind you holding me. You're about the only one who treats me like a woman, after all. But, as I always say, that's the part of you I hate."
Her sword descended upon my unarmed form. And then, she beat me mercilessly.
When I came to, I felt something soft under my head.
I tried to sit up, but I was gently pushed back down. Someone was giving me a lap pillow.
In my field of vision, Fam and the others were training under Avea's instruction, practicing one-on-one combat drills. The sound of clashing wooden swords echoed through the courtyard.
"Aira… I might just stay like this until we get to Migul."
"I'm Maira. Mash, you were beaten so badly you can't even tell us apart."
"Why tell such a pointless lie?"
It was true I had been beaten unconscious, but I was confident I could tell the sisters apart even if I had dementia.
I tried to move my head to see her face, but I was held down again.
"Mash, your injuries are severe. It's better if you stay like this a little longer."
Despite her words, I felt no pain. It seemed she had already finished healing me.
Her hand gently stroked my head. It felt wonderful.
"Um… everyone's watching, so I'd appreciate it if you'd choose a more private place to be so affectionate…"
That was Maira's voice. I wanted to lie in Aira's lap a little longer, but I supposed I had no choice. I sat up. This time, Aira didn't try to stop me. I took Maira's offered hand to get to my feet, and Aira stood up as well.
"I want you to remember that I helped heal you, too," Maira said, her cheeks puffed out slightly. I gently poked her cheek.
Cecily was watching us with a disdainful expression.
"To lose in the end, after all that…"
She sighed as if to say good grief and bumped her shoulder against mine. I wanted to come up with a witty reply, but nothing came to mind. I had been thoroughly thrashed in front of them all. There was no excuse I could make.
"But why punch her in the stomach but not the face?"
she asked, looking puzzled.
"I would've preferred not to punch her stomach either, but I got carried away."
"I'd think it's better than hitting each other with wooden swords. Besides, with Aira and Maira here, a little injury shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Does the idea of not hitting a woman not exist in this world?
"About the wooden sword fight, that was because you all blocked my escape route… And while I did punch her in the heat of the moment, I still hesitated. She even winced a little, you know."
If possible, I really didn't want to hit a woman in the face. I was surprised I'd managed to stop myself. I wouldn't have any issue hitting Fang or Beers, but with Avea, I hesitated.
"Besides, you're talking as if you regret it. Wasn't it you who hit Mizuki and made her like that in the first place?"
"Hey, don't say things that could be misunderstood! But, Cecily, you think Mizuki has changed too?"
"You mean you really don't know why?" Cecily asked, a look of astonishment on her face.
"Actually, other people have mentioned it, and it's been bothering me."
"It's because you attacked her, obviously!"
"Well, that's true, but…"
"I was just joking. You really have no idea?"
When I nodded, Cecily let out a deep sigh.
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