Ax’s Worst Day ③
Seeker Guild. Training Hall. Training Ground No. 19.
Ax-san quickly closed the distance, leaped, and slashed at the Blue Dog carrying a greatsword on its back.
Unlike the first and second times, this strike seemed to hold not a shred of hesitation.
“Hyaaaaaahhhhh!!!”
“…”
The Blue Dog, with no wasted motion, swung the wooden sword in its mouth upward and parried the blow.
“Guuuhh.”
It was a strange sight.
The Blue Dog sat primly, lightly holding a wooden training sword in its mouth.
And with that, it effortlessly parried Ax-san’s wooden sword.
Ax-san immediately disengaged and then closed the distance in an instant.
He bravely attacked, launching a fierce assault.
“Hyaah! Teyah! Zeiah! Tittyatteiii!”
He swung his sword from all directions—up, down, left, right. A series of wild, heavy, sharp slashes.
But every single one was deflected by the wooden sword in the mouth of the large blue dog sitting primly.
Moreover, the Blue Dog hadn’t moved a single step since the start. It remained sitting there properly.
“…”
The Blue Dog lightly swung its wooden sword.
As if it were a lie, Ax-san was easily knocked back. But he managed to only stagger, not fall.
“Hah… hah… hah… W-What is this dog…?!”
“What is it, I wonder?”
“What could it be, eh?”
“…”
While watching this mock battle, I glanced back at Emi-san sitting in a chair behind me.
Emi-san rubbed her belly, silently watching Ax.
By the way, Ax-san and the others had drunk the ultimate hangover cure (Elixir), so their alcohol level was zero.
Emi-san had looked so surprised.
Ax-san slammed down a powerful strike driven by sheer force.
But the Blue Dog easily deflected and repelled it.
He was completely outmatched.
That dog. I know it. It’s the dog Celeste-san was looking for.
Celeste-san is the disciple of the Tier I Seeker, the ‘Sword of Swords’.
So that dog must be related somehow. It’s carrying a greatsword, after all.
But how did things end up like this again?
Let’s see… We rented a VIP Room on the second floor because we’d stand out too much on the first floor.
And so, everyone moved.
VIP Room.
Ax-san and his mother, Emi-san, sat across from each other at a table.
“This is a very nice room.”
“…Well, it’s a VIP Room, after all. This is my first time inside.”
“Ax. Is it okay for us to be here?”
“Feels kinda awkward, eh.”
“Me too.”
“…Sorry. Please stay.”
“I’m sorry about this.”
Emi-san apologized, looking sorry.
We agreed. We understood it would be awkward if it were just the two of them.
This VIP Room had two table areas, one on the left and one on the right.
Ax and Emi-san were on the right. We were on the left.
After we each ordered non-alcoholic drinks and such.
“Oh, right, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. I’m Ax’s mother, Emi Hylant.”
“I’m Rell Tasan.”
“Hoss, eh.”
“I’m Wof.”
“Rell-chan and Hoss-chan, you’re from ‘Fang of Thunder’, right?”
“Chan… That’s right, eh.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Is Wof-chan here also part of it?”
“No, I’m Ax-san’s friend.”
“Oh, nice to meet you.”
With the introductions finished, Ax-san spoke.
“The reason our letters were ignored… was it because they were addressed to the house?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I couldn’t come home.”
“Even so. You could have at least sent one letter about the pregnancy or about Dad. If you had, Mineha and I wouldn’t have reacted and pushed back like this.”
Everyone present felt and thought the same thing.
Yes, if there had been just one letter, things wouldn’t have gotten this complicated.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t do that.”
Emi-san lowered her head.
“Mom. I want to know the reason.”
“It’s over now, so I suppose I can say it, but there was a confidentiality agreement.”
“…Confidentiality… Agreement…?”
Ax-san furrowed his brow.
I never expected to hear those words in this world.
Confidentiality agreement. Or non-disclosure agreement.
It’s a measure based on a contract or similar agreement to prevent important information from leaking outside.
“I’m truly sorry for selfishly not telling you anything about your father until now.”
“Ah, yeah… That’s right. I didn’t know anything about Dad… What happened to him?”
“Shortly after Ens became a Tier I Seeker, he received a designated request from the royal family. It was to explore a high-difficulty Dungeon called the ‘Snow’s End’.”
“That’s where he went missing, right? Wait. The royal family?”
“That’s right. But that matter is already concluded.”
It seemed she didn’t intend to talk about that part.
Ax urged her to continue.
“I couldn’t give up. Under the guise of visiting his grave, I explored that Dungeon every year.”
“You were doing something like that?”
“It took fifteen years, but I finally found them. Ens’s companions, who had explored with him, frozen in ice on the lowest floor.”
His companions were frozen too?
“So, did you thaw them out?”
“No. It wasn’t easy to thaw them. That wasn’t ordinary ice. It’s a special ice Legendary called Demon Ice. Honestly, I didn’t know if Ens and the others were even alive inside the ice. But I couldn’t just leave them like that. I decided to search for a way to thaw them. However, even as a Tier II Seeker, there’s a limit to what one person can do. So, I relied on the Witch, and she introduced me to the House of Count Steel-land.”
“Steel-land!?”
I blurted it out unintentionally.
Everyone’s gaze focused on me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Something up?”
“Sorry. It’s just that a name I recognized came up.”
The House of Count Steel-land.
Their third son used to be the boss of a Clan called something like ‘Dragon Fang Wax’.
They were supposed to have been crushed because of the dangerous documents we found in that safe.
They were quite vicious, corrupt nobles. The Witch introduced her to them?
By the way, I learned that name from Munieca-san.
“Let me continue. By agreeing to several conditions, I was able to obtain information and funding from Steel-land. However, there was a confidentiality agreement. Leaking any information related to the Demon Ice was forbidden. Because of that, I couldn’t talk about Ens or the pregnancy, and I couldn’t send letters.”
“So that’s how it was.”
“So what happened then?”
“Based on the information, I finally obtained a Legendary capable of thawing the Demon Ice. And I was able to thaw it and get Ens and the others out. I had almost given up hope, but they were alive. They had been sleeping inside the Demon Ice for over twenty years.”
“Sleeping while frozen in ice… It’s a hard story to believe.”
“It’s the truth, eh.”
“Well, Ens is actually here, so…”
Ax-san and the others murmured.
From my past life’s memories, the term ‘cryosleep’ came to mind.
By preserving someone through freezing, they enter a state of suspended animation, allowing them to transcend near-eternal amounts of time.
But in reality, there are many challenges. It’s not as simple as just freezing someone.
The Demon Ice was clearly a perfect form of ‘cryosleep’.
“After that, it took time to run several tests and prove it was really Ens and the others. With things like that, it wouldn’t be strange if what was inside had turned into something else, a Monster…”
“Ah, yeah, that’s true.”
“…Being reunited with him felt like a dream. I was able to spend time with the person I loved, whom I thought I’d never see again… But then, it happened suddenly. Steel-land, who had cooperated with the thawing, betrayed us. We were caught off guard by the sudden turn of events and couldn’t do anything; we were confined to their base. Even if we tried to resist, one of the thawed companions was taken hostage, so even if we wanted to do something… we couldn’t manage it. Still, we didn’t give up. Then, a turning point came just a few weeks ago. The Seeker Knights raided their base. The employer is unknown. Well, I have an idea who it was. We were rescued and became free. After hospitalizing our weakened companions, I returned home, learned about the letters, and immediately took a carriage to Hydrangea. I was in such a hurry, and by the time a letter would have arrived, I’d already be here… I’m sorry. That’s why I couldn’t explain the circumstances.”
“…Uh, Mom, you didn’t need to be hospitalized? Were you okay?”
“Yes, because I was pregnant, my treatment was good even under confinement. Thank you for worrying.”
“I see. In that case… that’s fine. I understand why you couldn’t send letters. I also understand you went through a lot.”
“Yes, I’m glad I could explain properly.”
Emi-san drank her beverage with a sigh of relief.
I apologized.
“Um, I apologize for the Witch.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
Emi-san blinked in surprise.
“Um, sorry. I forgot to mention. I’m the Witch’s disciple.”
“Ah, that’s right, the Witch’s disciple. You’re Wof, aren’t you? Meaning that Wof.”
“That Wof, eh.”
“That Wof.”
“That Wof.”
“Y-Yes.”
That Wof. Yes.
“My master has caused you a great deal of trouble this time.”
When I lowered my head and apologized again, Emi-san chuckled softly.
“Don’t worry. It’s true the Witch introduced me, but she was basically deceived herself.”
“Deceived? Why would the Witch make a deal with people like that?”
No, because she’s the Witch, making deals with shady people isn’t out of character.
But stepping on such an obvious landmine doesn’t seem like the Witch.
“She was just one of my regular clients, and I maintained an honest business relationship with The Witch. I knew she had her shady side, but I guess she didn’t think I, the one who introduced her, would come to any harm. As her disciple, surely you know she wouldn’t just let herself stay deceived, right?”
“So you settled things properly.”
“Yes, I believe so.”
The Witch would do that. I would too.
Ah, could it be that the employer is…
“Well, if it’s The Witch.”
“Beggin’ yer pardon, Wof, but she seems like the type ta return somethin’ a hundredfold if ya did somethin’ to her.”
“That’s exactly right.”
“The Witch is The Witch, after all.”
“My family’s house was crushed, but something like that doesn’t matter to that Witch. Or perhaps, crushing it was The Witch’s doing. She’s capable of that much.”
Actually, um, the crushing was Reold, and that was mostly my fault.
Well, I think they deserved to be crushed, so I have no regrets or anything.
“That’s The Witch for ya.”
“That’s The Witch, alright.”
“Yes, The Witch.”
Well, that’s The Witch for you. Everyone was convinced.
Just then, our drinks and food arrived.
After drinking and eating, Ax-san finished his Extra-Large Mug and quietly asked.
“Mom. About Ens, that guy. Why did he do something like that?”
“You mean the Exhibition Match. That man said it’s absolutely impossible for him to treat you as his son. He understands you’re truly parent and child, of course, but…”
“Well, frankly, that’d be difficult.”
“Plus, the son is older.”
“Treating each other as parent and child is impossible, isn’t it?”
This can’t be helped.
It’s just too much of a special case.
“Exactly. I can’t say anything about this either.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I can’t think of him as my old man either. Having a younger biological father makes no damn sense.”
Yeah. That’s right. Even listening to this makes no sense to me.
Emi-san gave a faint, wry smile, holding her glass. Was the content nectar water?
“Even so, in his own way, he wants to somehow get closer to you.”
“Ah, well, that’s… I also… It pisses me off, it’s complicated, but it’s not like I want to be hostile.”
“It’s just that he’s so awkward…”
Is that awkwardness the reason for the Exhibition Match?
“What kinda awkwardness is that?”
“It’s an awkwardness as absurd as my seventh older sister’s.”
“Also, I don’t know why Ax wants to punch him, but as things stand, you won’t land a single hit.”
“I know. He’s First Class. But wait, from your perspective, Mom, is it okay for me to punch him…?”
“If the opponent wasn’t Ax, I would stop it.”
If you call it a father-son quarrel, then indeed it is.
“…I see.”
“That’s why I’ll be your sparring partner—”
“…I can’t fight you now, Mom!?”
“Oh my, why not?”
“No, no, you’re pregnant!”
“If it’s about that, I’m already in the stable period, so it’s fine as long as I don’t do strenuous exercise.”
“Is that the issue here?”
“I feel like that’s not the issue.”
“Um, Emi-san. I think you should stop.”
I couldn’t help but caution her. Emi-san looked puzzled.
“It’s fine. That much won’t count as strenuous exercise. It’s okay to do light exercise like a mock battle.”
“Is a mock battle light exercise?”
“I feel like it’s not light exercise.”
“It is not light exercise.”
“Mom… Please, just stop…”
Ax-san pleaded. Emi-san gave a wry smile and nodded.
“If you insist, then alright. Let’s see. What should we do then… Ah, that’s right. Just now, there was an acquaintance on the first floor. I’ll go ask them quickly.”
As soon as she said that, Emi-san left the VIP Room.
We were left dumbfounded. Watching us, Ax-san said reflectively.
“Sorry about that… Uh, my mom caused trouble.”
“I get that ya like Ax, but I also get why she’s hard ta handle.”
“It’s not exactly trouble, but, well, you know. It must be tough.”
“She’s an energetic mother, isn’t she?”
“…Mom. She’s 340 this year.”
“She was over 300?”
“Even so, she’s still in the young category.”
“Certainly in the young category.”
Coming from Rell-san, an Elf himself who hasn’t even reached 100 yet, those words carried weight.
They live for a thousand years, so when you think about it, she is young… right?
“That’s true too, but… watching my mother get so carried away is tough.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I get it.”
“But isn’t she cute?”
“Her appearance, yeah. But the fact that you can call my mom cute right there is what’s amazing about you, Wof.”
“Eh?”
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I got his approval.”
Standing next to Emi-san, who had returned saying this, was a blue dog carrying a greatsword on its back.
I probably won’t forget the look on Ax-san’s face at that moment for about three days.
Ax-san did a half-spin and went flying.
That happened when the Blue Dog skillfully jabbed the flat of Ax-san’s sword.
It felt like a light tap, yet what was with that power?
“He’s completely outmatched.”
“What is that dog?”
“What could it be?”
Seriously, what is with that abnormal strength?
Equal to Alveld— No, maybe even stronger… That’s impossible.
“It can’t be helped. Well, considering who the opponent is, it’s仕方ない (shikatanai), though.”
At Emi-san’s words, I voiced the question I’d been wondering about for a while.
“Could that dog possibly be—”
“But you were lucky. To think the ‘Sword of Swords’ would train you, that’s great, isn’t it, Ax?”
“…………”
“……”
“……”
Everyone fell silent.
Ah, yeah. As I thought. That’s who it is.
That’s the ‘Sword of Swords’… or rather, the Sword of Dogs?
“Hey, looks like you’re busy.”
Suddenly, a man stood next to me. I was surprised to see him.
It was because he bore a striking resemblance to Ax-san.
I immediately understood.
“Are you Ens-san?”
“Ah, I’m Ens Heiland. The ‘Sword of Swords’, huh. Hmm. It seems Ax has found a good training partner.”
“Oh my, darling.”
Smiling, Emi-san gave a small wave.
Ens-san responded too.
“Hey, Emi. Take care of Ax for me. I was asked a favor. You’re Wof-kun, right?”
“Yes.”
“The Witch asked me about you. Could you come with me to the next training ground?”
“O-Okay.”
By The Witch?
With a question mark floating over my head, I obediently followed him.
Behind us, Ax-san was doing a triple mid-air corkscrew spin.
Amazing.