Chapter 16: A Day of Training
“Ahhh, that was nerve-wracking!”
“I’m just glad we didn’t get hurt.”
“Yeah, right?”
After returning to my master’s house, I finally took a moment to breathe in my room. Since then, my master had taken me to crush an Orc Nest in a group battle and face off against a formidable foe known as the Murder Raptor, a dinosaur-like monster towering over three meters.
Even though the opponent was weaker than my master, facing such a large monster was undeniably nerve-wracking. The powerful strikes coming down from above were terrifying. I think I could have managed to take it down alone, but teaming up with Rio made for just the right kind of practice.
“On the flip side, I also got to experience just how monstrous my master’s strength is.”
“That’s true…”
As I reflected on the image of my master and the Murder Raptor, I couldn’t help but agree with Rio. At least in terms of appearance, the Murder Raptor was definitely the scarier of the two.
“By the way… are there a lot of beings like my master in the Demon Tribe?”
“I can’t imagine being able to win against them.”
“Right? I heard that while the Demon Tribe has fewer members, the strong ones are quite numerous, and they tend to live much longer than humans.”
It seems my classmates are working hard to defeat the Demon King, but I wonder how they’re faring now. Well, it’s not really my concern. Still, thinking about my classmates, the princess, and the maids makes me feel irritated. I want to make them eat their words.
“Speaking of which, was there anyone among the summoned classmates who was close to you, Rio?”
“…No, not really.”
“I see… Sorry for bringing up something unpleasant.”
Seeing Rio’s expression darken, I quickly apologized.
“I’m fine. Right now, I have you, Shuu.”
Despite her gentle words, she leaned her body against my shoulder. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong, but I felt a sense of trust towards her. I like her, but for now, I think it’s best to keep things as they are. Yes, I mustn’t be deceived by human instincts.
“Haha, well… thank you.”
But I had no idea how to respond! What does “thank you” even mean!? Someone, please tell me how to reply! I said it was fine as it is, but in truth, I just don’t know what to do!
“Shall we start preparing dinner soon?”
“Is it already that time?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Ever since I started living in this house, Rio and I have been cooking together. I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. Thanks to that, I feel like my Cooking Skill has been improving rapidly.
With those thoughts in mind, we headed to the kitchen together.
“Alright, from today on, let’s try using magic in our daily lives.”
Those were my master’s words after we finished lunch. He often blurted out spontaneous ideas, which could be quite troublesome.
“We already use magic as part of our training every day, isn’t that different?”
“I understand why you might wonder, but first, let me show you an example.”
As he spoke, magic power began to gather around my master. Suddenly, various beginner-level spells activated around him. Wind swirled, fire ignited, water formed, and sand appeared simultaneously. Using four types of magic at once? My master truly is something else.
“Now, you need to keep these spells active while going about your daily life. While eating, while cooking, and of course, even during close combat training.”
“Huh!?”
Keeping them active at all times?
“Indoors, you can only use wind or light magic, but let’s start with one type of magic for now.”
“Understood.”
“Eh!?”
I couldn’t help but interject as I watched Rio nod obediently. Isn’t she being a bit too agreeable? Or does she think it’s pointless to argue with my master? Well, that might be true.
“What? Do you have a complaint?”
“No, none at all!”
When my master shot me a suspicious glance, I stood at attention and affirmed my response.
“Good. That’s the right attitude.”
My master nodded in satisfaction, but he wasn’t asking for anything unreasonable. Well, it might sound unreasonable to an outsider, but his demands were tailored to our rapid growth, and we had never failed to meet them.
“But wait, we have to do this without our staffs, right?”
“Ah, of course. The goal is to use magic as naturally as breathing, without relying on a staff. Using one would defeat the purpose.”
“Exactly.”
I had tried this in the past and failed, but now I felt capable of doing it. It just required a bit of concentration.
…Yes, concentration is key.
Well, there’s no choice but to give it a shot.
Glancing over, I saw Rio with a serious expression, her head glowing. It looked like she was trying to move, her limbs twitching slightly, but she seemed unable to do so. The sight of her limbs twitching while a halo of light surrounded her almost made me laugh.
I mean, I told her to concentrate! Clear your mind. It’s because I’m looking at Rio that I’m failing. I need to keep my gaze straight ahead.
When I turned to look at my master, he was covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. He was on the verge of bursting out! I shouldn’t look at him either! Alright, I’ll just look up at the sky; that should work!
Steeling myself, I gazed diagonally upward, envisioning my forehead glowing as I channeled my magic power. Then, in my mind, I chanted “Light.”
“Ku ku ku, buhahahaha!!”
My master’s laughter echoed throughout the room, unable to be contained any longer.