Chapter 123 - Backyard of Stray Priest ⑤
As announced, this is the revived version of the episode deleted after posting.
In terms of the main story, it's the one that remains in a form that is briefly mentioned in Chapter 1, Episode 7.
In the Northern Forest, it seems monsters sometimes leap out from the bushes. Unlike the rats in the underground sewers, they seem quite ferocious. So, before actually going, I decided to take the Town Guard's trial training 'Women's Beginner Course' recommended by Beowulf.
Even though it was her day off, Beowulf accompanied me.
The guard station is almost in the center of town, slightly to the north, but the training ground is connected to the Kingdom Army's grounds, so it's quite spacious. It seems horse riding training can also be done.
When I went to the reception window, three other women seemed to be participating.
When I talked to them, they were all young mothers who had their first child and said they wanted to be able to protect their children in case of emergency.
There were some who could use magic, but like us, it was beginner magic.
Normally, they were all people who used magic to save on firewood, draw water, or cool the beer their husbands drank, and they seemed to have no experience in rat extermination. As proof, when they heard that we were doing rat extermination, they were all surprised.
Once you take the Beginner Course, you proceed to the Novice Course.
From the Novice Course onward, it seems you can take higher-level courses sequentially depending on your grades during the trial training, but most people seem to stop at the Pre-Intermediate Course after Novice, or the Intermediate Course after that.
By the way, those who become able to take the Intermediate Course are also recognized by the town's self-defense force and can participate on the front lines as combatants if they volunteer.
"Now then, I believe the people gathered here today have the spirit to acquire the means to fight for themselves and protect yourselves and your families from those who would do you harm. This course will teach you the very basics, so if you have the desire to learn more techniques after taking it, please proceed to the Novice Course."
The female soldiers lined up are the instructors. In the guard, those who serve for three years and are deemed excellent can be incorporated into the Kingdom Army if they wish.
Inevitably, there should be many young people, but there also seem to be many soldiers who want to stay in Nakanohara due to marriage or other reasons, so there are some veterans like Hans-san to some extent.
The one who stood up to give the greeting was the oldest of the women, a tall beauty with long blonde hair fluttering named Bridget-san.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties.
According to Beowulf, she is a master of unarmed combat.
First, we received an explanation about the duties of the guard indoors with the three other women.
After that, we went out to the training ground to have our basic physical strength measured.
The physical strength measurement consisted of jumping to a tree branch, a short-distance run, a long-distance run, and finally arm wrestling.
For the jump, you pass if you can jump and grab the designated tree branch, and if you climb all the way onto the branch, you get treated to a drink. I'm good at climbing trees, so I was confident in the jump too. At least, I was confident I wouldn't lose to the housewives with children.
"Jeanne. Good luck!"
At Beowulf's cheer, I jumped and grabbed the branch in one breath. I hung there with both hands, swung my body, hooked both legs on the branch, and climbed onto the branch in no time. I successfully got a drink and received five points.
Beatrix, who followed, also cleared it easily.
The two of us toasted.
The housewives were worried that if they hooked their legs, their hems would roll up and their thighs would be seen, so they didn't try to hook their legs.
They're too soft.
In the end, they tried to go up with just arm strength, and all three ended up just hanging there. All three got three points.
For the short-distance run, the first place gets five points. Since points are deducted by one for each subsequent place, I challenged it with spirit to pull away at once.
However, there were three people who were incredibly fast, and unfortunately, Beatrix and I ended up competing for the very last place. Thanks to that, I couldn't get a drink.
Affected by that, the long-distance run, which I should have challenged after pulling myself together, ended with similar results.
We ran three laps around the training ground, but before I knew it, I was overtaken by the three of them.
I had a provisional top start, but it hasn't been very good since then.
In the final arm wrestling, I challenged the tournament to show the pride of a monster hunter.
The first-round opponent was Beatrix. If you win, one of you gets a point and can face the provisional top seeded player in the second round.
We fought after promising that the loser would treat the other to lunch after the physical measurement, and as a result, it became a great battle where both sides gave their all.
While everyone cheered in a circle, it once became a draw, and as a result of the rematch, I won. The Goddess grants victory to the more righteous one.
Unfortunately, I used too much strength in the first match and lost the second round, but I'm satisfied because I was able to squeeze the cost of a more luxurious lunch than usual out of Beatrix.
"Chanting while arm wrestling is a foul. Since everyone joined in the chorus, everyone ended up on your side, didn't they?"
"Well, isn't it fine? In the end, Beatrix was fourth overall."
I decided not to hear the conversation between the mage making excuses and Beowulf.
After the physical measurement, we received explanations about various equipment and received the training that guard apprentices first receive, such as the basics of unarmed combat, the basics of using shields and weapons, the basics of using things around you as weapons, and the basics of cooperation in small groups.
In small-group cooperation, we were taught several formations and cooperative attack methods, such as two people holding shields and swords in the front and two people holding spears in the back.
Among them was a formation for rat extermination.
It seems to be a method for cornering an opponent at night or in the forest.
The weapons were all made of wood, and the shield was the lightest leather one, so they were easy to handle.
It felt like most of it was training to block the opponent's attacks, but I wonder if the guard can attack the enemy with this. It's a mystery.
"What you must know well is that you must not underestimate your opponent. Always think that the opponent is stronger than you, and stronger than all of you."
Since we're participating in the Beginner Course, that's only natural.
"The opponent is always stronger than you. Even so, you must at least escape. What should you do? First, be in a safe place. To do that, escape as much as possible. If you are forced to fight, take the opponent by surprise. To do that, use every possible means to make the opponent let their guard down or make them think you aren't there."
She stated clearly that deceiving and entrapping an opponent who harbors hostility is not cowardly but a valid tactic.
"After taking the opponent by surprise and dealing a blow, you must escape. Never think of trying to defeat them."
The words Bridget-san said were impressive.
After eating lunch, Beatrix and I were standing at the end of a narrow, winding passage equipped with leather armor.
No, I should say we were crouching, to be precise.
That passage was made by surrounding it with several square shields stood up with props.
We were proceeding through it with a round shield equipped on the left hand held in front of the body.
Both of us held a spear about as tall as ourselves in the right hand with a reverse grip at face height to strike down the enemy.
We kept our bodies low, peeking only from the eyes up from the edge of the shield we held, and walked slowly while keeping an eye on the left and right.
Oops, I have to look firmly at my feet too. It would be terrible to trip in a place like this.
I'm in front. Beatrix is behind.
Beatrix is turned sideways and is mainly guarding the right side with a crab walk. Accordingly, I must guard the left side.
"Kuhhh!"
Suddenly, something like a black shadow flew from the front in a parabola.
An enemy.
I immediately held up my shield and blocked it. I caught it brilliantly and rolled it onto the ground.
No, this is a feint.
Another one flies from the left.
As expected. I'm not so soft as to be caught by such a feint.
I stepped in with my left foot and turned my body to the left at once... and just then, Beatrix's scream echoed.
"Ouch! Jeanne! Where are you aiming!"
The handle of my spear had firmly caught the back of Beatrix's head.
"This is difficult."
Beowulf came out from the shadow of the shield where the first object had flown from.
In her left hand, she held a cloth ball tied with string about the size of a person's head.
"Now, now, don't say that. It's impossible to gauge the distance of a spear all of a sudden."
A tall female soldier in leather armor came out from the shadow of the shield on the left holding a cloth ball. It was Bridget-san.
The two had been hiding behind the shields and attacking the two of us with cloth balls.
"What, what, is it already over? In the end, you did it five times and got caught by the first two every single time."
Three soldiers, each holding two cloth balls, came out in a row from the shadow of the shields ahead.
"Acting Captain Hans! It looks like it's already over!"
Hans-san came out from the shadow of the shields further ahead.
"Is it over? I was just sitting here."
"It's fine, it's fine. We're in the same boat, so it's fine."
Men in leather armor replied to Hans-san, who spread his hands holding cloth balls and made an exaggerated shrugging gesture.
After the trial course was over, I was receiving training on how to use a shield when a monster suddenly leaps out from six guard soldiers, including Beowulf who participated specially during her holiday.
The fact that we started a monster hunting business is known to all the guard soldiers and seems to be generally well-received. There are some who oppose it, but the reason is that it's too dangerous for people who haven't received proper training to do monster hunting, and they don't seem to be denying the intention itself.
It's probably because they won't have to do rat extermination, the number one unpopular duty of the guard.
Since we came to receive training even though it was a trial course, they took the lead in setting up special training, as if to say they'd give us a good workout. Hans-san said, "I have paperwork to do," but he seemed to have decided not to hear it.
"I'd never used a spear before. Sorry."
While I was apologizing to Beatrix, who was making a fuss about what if she got a lump, Hans-san asked.
"Why were you holding a spear? You've never used one, right?"
"Because I want to attack stylishly."
When Beatrix, who had been hit on the back of the head by my spear, answered while rubbing the back of her head, she was told that she was ten years too early.
Apparently, it's better to solidify the defense first.
After that, except for Hans-san who left saying he had paperwork, the five soldiers who surrounded the two of us in a circle teased us mercilessly while making us practice parrying the thrown cloth balls with our shields.
"Train yourselves and come anytime. The Nakanohara Guard always welcomes you brave people."
When leaving, we were seen off by everyone as Hans-san said with a laugh while waving his hand. We even received an old round leather shield because it was no longer used.
"Next is the Novice Course. You shouldn't have to do the physical measurement again, so why not participate as early as next week? Matilda participates every month, though the course is different."
Beowulf said...
I consult with Beatrix for a moment.
"Beatrix, what should we do?"
"Matilda, you know. Every time she participates, she comes home in tatters."
Come to think of it, that's true. I don't know what she's doing, but every time she comes home, she's cooling various parts of her body with water.
That won't do. It will definitely interfere with rat extermination.
"As I thought, you know. We are, well, actually fighting. So, we have to rest on our days off."
It's as Beatrix says.
I'll back her up here.
"Besides, we have to practice since we got a shield. Let's solidify our defense first."
When I looked at Beowulf, she had eyes like a dead fish.
"Now then. Beowulf, Jeanne. For now, let's go wash off the sweat."
"Right. It's a bit early, but let's go to the bath."
"Since we worked hard today, let's toast with beer after the bath."
"That's good. Sweating and then replenishing energy. It's healthy. Since you accompanied us today, the two of us will treat Beowulf to a glass."
Beowulf also smiled. I'm sure it wasn't a bitter smile.
We dealt a surprise verbal blow and succeeded in escaping.
Maybe I was an excellent student after all.