Chapter 312 - 312. The Cold Morning Air and a Showdown in the Company Yard
Maira covered her mouth as she let out a great yawn.
We walked side-by-side through the streets of Heilong, still wet with morning dew.
"Aren't you tired, Mash?"
"Everything's got a yellow tint to it. And the morning sun is killing me."
"I only had to keep you company, but you had to handle four people..."
Hearing her murmur words she wouldn't normally say with such feeling gave her a strange allure. As I reached out to take her hand, my arm brushed against her chest, which bounced softly.
"Hwoah!"
After letting out a strange cry, Maira shot me a reproachful glare.
"After everything we did, you're still not satisfied?"
"Yesterday was yesterday. Today is today!"
That wasn't my intention, but I had to act as though I was always prepared for such things.
When I puffed out my chest, she sighed. Then, she took my dangling hand in hers.
"So, what about Fam and the others today...?"
"They said there's someone they want to introduce to Samueimu."
There was an adventurer in this city named Chicchi who came from the same village as them. They must have gone to see him.
"Moos and Nefy, too?"
"I don't know, but probably."
When I had peeked into the next room, it was already empty.
"And Mizuki, Shizuka, and Doris went shopping for clothes..."
Maira muttered as if to herself.
Mizuki and the others had gone to visit the tailor who supposedly made the bunny girl outfits they wore last night. I thought Mizuki wanted to change her usual attire to a bunny girl costume, but it seemed she figured that if someone had that kind of skill, they could probably also make the clothes that were sold in our original world.
Maira nodded to herself for a moment, then clenched a fist in a triumphant pose.
"So it's just the two of us today."
She pressed herself against me and smiled brightly.
In the loading yard in front of the Mateo Trading Company building, laborers were bustling about their work.
Cargo was being loaded onto a ship bound for the city of Flucht. They would be traveling upstream, a journey said to take more than twice as long as our trip down the river. In addition to the wind, propulsion from oars would be essential. The men, who also served as rowers, proudly showed off their brawny physiques.
As we made our way toward the building, trying to stay out of the way, I spotted Mercedes and Avea.
Mercedes noticed me first and bowed deeply. Avea just grinned and raised a hand in greeting. It had gotten quite cold, yet she was still in her usual red bikini armor. She looked so cold that I shivered for her.
"How is Claire doing?"
Mercedes nodded at my question.
"Yes. The young mistress is doing well in the city of Migul."
"I see. Is she all right without you, Mercedes?"
"If you are that concerned, you should at least go and check on her."
"Well, you're not wrong, but..."
As I started to feel uncomfortable under his intense stare, he sighed and cleared his throat.
"She is getting along well with Miss Rinko and Miss Airi, so I have asked the two of them to serve as her escorts."
He turned his face toward Migul and narrowed his eyes. I followed his gaze. The sky, faded to a lighter blue, was clear, and it felt as though I could see for miles, but of course, Migul was not visible.
"So, I take it you came here for a reason?"
Prompted by Mercedes, I gave a small nod.
"I want to head to the Demon Kingdom. I was hoping you could arrange passage on a ship for me."
"Hmm. We do not travel there ourselves, but we do have dealings with trading companies in the Demon Kingdom, so I can provide an introduction, however..."
He trailed off, tilting his head and stroking his beard.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, but... Sir Mash, while you may not be traveling in secret, I assume you wish to enter the Demon Kingdom without drawing attention. However, you are a known figure to those in the know. We cannot always be certain about the connections of the trading companies we deal with in the Demon Kingdom."
"You mean there's a chance the Demon Kingdom will find out who I am."
The problem was that I was a hero summoned from another world by a goddess. Even if I had no hostile intent, they wouldn't see it that way. Akizuki Uta, the hero from a hundred years ago, had answered the call of the gods and the people by leading an army to invade the Demon Kingdom and defeat the Demon King.
I was still weighing whether to ask Mercedes to arrange the ship anyway when he glanced at Maira.
"Shamon Island is now territory of the Demon Kingdom and a bustling city for merchants, but it is also a training ground for those who serve the gods. Why not ask the church for assistance? From there, it is also close to the Demon Kingdom's capital."
"That's true..."
Maira nodded thoughtfully, then looked at me. Mercedes was probably just trying to ensure we had as comfortable a journey as possible. But traveling on a church vessel felt like it would lead to its own kind of uncomfortable adulation.
"Shall we ask at the church?"
"Yeah, let's do that."
I nodded.
Maira gave a small bow and started to head for the church. I was about to follow when a strong hand gripped my shoulder from behind. I turned to see Avea grinning at me.
"It's been a while. Let's have a little spar. I'll see how much stronger you've gotten."
"N-No, I have to go to the church with Maira."
As I said that, Maira waved her hands in a fluster.
"I have to make a report when I get to the church, so I think it will take some time. And Mash, I believe you had a promise with the chairman, so it's a shame, but let's part ways for now."
With those words, she left. As I stared after her back in a daze, a wooden stick was thrust at my chest.
"Haaah..."
I let my own wooden stick hang limply at my side and let out a heavy sigh.
"You haven't been slacking off, have you? If you have, I'll beat that laziness right out of you, here and now."
"Even if it's a mock battle, there's no point."
I was bound to get completely trounced anyway.
"Got a problem with that?"
"Fam, Mizuki, and Aira aren't even here to watch. And yet there's still a chance I could get hurt."
Even if it was just a wooden stick, a blow from the steel-muscled Avea would be no joke.
She let out a short breath at my words.
"Then how about this? Like I said before, if you beat me, I'll let you have me."
I studied Avea again. Long, wavy red hair. Tanned, bronze skin that had likely seen long hours under the sun, yet it was fine-grained, with no blemishes to be seen. Above all were the powerful muscles that defined her entire body, and the sorry excuse for a red bikini that covered her chest and bottom.
"I'm sure that comes with a condition for if I lose. Why are you so fixated on me?"
"I don't care if you kick the bucket, but I can't let the young mistress, Fam, or Mizuki be left stranded."
Avea tapped her shoulder with the stick. She shook her head lightly, relaxing her shoulders.
Then, she casually gripped the stick and pointed its tip toward the ground.
She held out one hand, beckoning me.
"Come."
Without a word, I slowly assumed a guard, leveling my stick forward.
Seeing this, Avea's lips twisted into a faint smirk.
"You're the one who challenged me. What's so funny!"
"No, you've got guts."
"Kh..."
I suppressed the urge to fall for her taunt and charge in.
Instead, I took a deep breath of the cold air. The morning chill seeping deep into my lungs helped me regain some of my composure.
I pulled back, creating distance between us. The cobblestone floor beneath me was wet with morning dew, reflecting the light. At this temperature, it would take some time to dry. It might be a little slippery.
Avea seemed to be waiting for me to get serious. She showed no sign of attacking. I glanced around and saw that the laborers had stopped their work to watch us. Some were murmuring excitedly, seemingly starting to place bets on who would win. Even Mercedes wasn't rushing them, content to watch our match.
I took another breath and turned my gaze back to Avea.
Standing before me, she had a physique that even I, a man, found admirable. I had a feeling a punch from one of those powerful arms would do far more damage than the carelessly held wooden stick.
Her muscles rose and fell faintly in time with her breathing.
I steeled myself and edged forward, closing the distance.
Avea just watched my movements. That alone was enough; her gaze seemed to ensnare me, making my body shrink back and my movements sluggish.
I couldn't find a single opening to attack. She had complete control of the situation. I pictured several patterns of attack in my mind, but in every one, her defense was perfect, and she repelled them all.
This is an illusion. I'm just making her seem stronger in my head. I told myself that, but the memory of having challenged her so many times without ever breaking through her guard made my footwork even more hesitant.
I was too tense. I used the rhythm of my breathing to relax my body.
Then, I edged forward again until I was just a single step away from striking range.
Just then, I thought I saw her body move slightly. I held my breath and looked again. It must have been an illusion; she still hadn't broken her relaxed stance.
However, I thought I sensed a slight tension in her body. At the same time, I saw a boiling fighting spirit rise from her like an aura. For the first time, I felt like I could clearly see her true strength, something I couldn't read before, and I instinctively took a step back.
"What's wrong? Come on."
Avea grinned. It wasn't a mocking smile. It was the smile of a warrior seeking battle.
I held my breath. No hesitation. I steeled myself and kicked off the cobblestones.
The distance was still too great; I knew I was being drawn in. But I struck with all my might, as if to banish that doubt.
Avea's smile didn't falter. The moment I thought her stick had shifted its angle just slightly, my own was knocked away with a heavy impact, like hitting metal. A dull numbness, like an electric shock, ran from my fingertips to my elbow, and I had to fight the urge to drop my weapon.
"Guh...!"
Immediately, a flash cut through the wide-open space created as my weapon was deflected. I instinctively threw my upper body back, dodging the blow by a hair's breadth. The sound of it slicing through the air grazed my nose, making the hair on my entire body stand on end.
I instinctively touched my face; my nose was still there.
"Too bad. I was hoping to give you a handsome new look."
"Shut up! When I win, I'll teach that body of yours how to be more feminine!"
"You know I find lines like that absolutely disgusting, don't you?"
Avea swung her stick in a wide, horizontal arc.
I dodged that blow as well, shifting my body out of the way.
At that moment, Avea's eyes widened slightly, her mouth falling open a fraction.
A strange pause enveloped us. I used the opening to create distance and reset.
My heart was pounding fiercely. My whole body was demanding blood and oxygen. Only moments had passed since our weapons first met, yet I was already incredibly exhausted.
This was no time to be on the defensive. For some reason, Avea looked bewildered. My only chance of winning was to keep attacking before this sense of strangeness disappeared.
"I didn't think you'd dodge that," she muttered, leveling her stick at me. I no longer had the energy to analyze her words and retort.
I kicked off the cobblestones again and charged at Avea. This time, it wasn't just a powerful strike. It was a two-stage attack with a compact swing.
First, I struck down as if to knock her stick away, then used the rebound to swing down at her head. Avea seemed to be a moment late reacting to the first feint, but her muscles immediately flexed like steel, deflecting my blow upward.
I used that rebound to swing down again, but she deflected the strike with a minimal movement. Before she could counter, I swung my stick wildly. Diagonal slashes from the left and right, a thrust, a wide swing at her torso. I attacked relentlessly, aiming for the gaps in her defense.
But Avea was calm.
Every attack I launched was effortlessly received, parried, and deflected. Each time our sticks clashed violently, a dry crack echoed, creating the illusion of sparks flying.
"Hah... hah..."
Exhausted from the flurry of attacks, I broke away to catch my breath, taking a deep gulp of air. Every muscle in my body was screaming and tense.
"What's the matter? Is that all you've got?"
Avea's breathing was steady. She wore a relaxed expression, as if she'd just finished warming up. I wanted to say something sarcastic to that infuriating face, but my exhaustion wouldn't even allow me that.
She slowly readjusted her grip on her weapon.
"Then, let's end this."
The next moment, the fighting spirit enveloping her seemed to swell a level higher.
A heavy thud echoed as Avea stepped forward, the force of it so great it felt like the ground shook. The downward strike that followed came with the impact of a falling giant tree. It felt like a miracle that I managed to block it at all. But the destructive power of the blow sent a pain so intense through my arm that I thought it would shatter, and immediately, a spreading numbness caused me to lose all feeling from the elbow down.
"Guhh...!"
I didn't even have time to cry out. Avea unleashed a continuous barrage. I managed to dodge the first few blows with quick footwork, but I was overwhelmed by attacks coming faster than I could move.
It was a miracle I was still holding the stick. But I had no sensation; I couldn't tell if I was blocking Avea's attacks with the stick or my arm.
She rained down ferocious blows, looming over me as I was forced to retreat. Gradually, my arms dropped, and I could no longer protect my body.
"This is the end!"
Avea shouted, preparing to bring down a final blow with the full force of her body. The stick, raised like a sledgehammer, loomed over my head, threatening to crush me.
In that instant, her body's axis wavered slightly. Her left foot had slipped just a bit on the dew-slicked cobblestones.
I bet everything on that chance. I focused every nerve and dodged her swing.
And then I thrust my stick at her now-defenseless throat.
I stared at Avea, breathing raggedly. She looked down at the stick I held. Its tip was perfectly still. Then she let out a short breath.
"You win."
Avea said it in a calm voice. At the same time, cheers erupted from the laborers who had been watching our match.
"No. You just slipped."
This wasn't my victory. It was a fluke, something that might happen once in several hundred fights.
"No. The old you wouldn't have even noticed."
She spoke as if she was certain of something.
"Maybe. Today was different. I could see your movements. At first, I thought you were deliberately holding back."
She shook her head at my words.
"I wouldn't do that. Still, to improve so much in such a short time..."
She didn't seem to be lying. It was possible my level had increased significantly from the battles in Migul to the fight at the Crimson Brigade's fortress. That boost might be taking effect.
Avea dropped her wooden stick. A dry sound echoed. Her fighting spirit from moments ago was gone.
"It's your win, fluke or not. I'll acknowledge your growth."
"Are you sure?"
Seeing her nod, I lowered the tip of my stick from her throat to the space between her breasts.
A single string connected the two cups of her bikini top. I placed the tip on it and brought it down in a single motion. I felt the string snap, and the red pieces of cloth covering her breasts began to flutter down.
Just as the two mounds quivered and what they concealed was about to be revealed, Avea covered her chest with her arms.
"Are you an idiot?!"
She punched me with all her might.
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