LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 38
“Keruk!”
“Kraaaaak!”
“Saaak!”
Three goblins attempted a surprise attack from the left.
“Phew.”
Without hesitation, I plunged the blade in.
The thin neck of the goblin met with the sword, and its body disintegrated into powder.
“Cough!”
Upon seeing this, a goblin scout in the distance began to flee.
If I let it escape, it would call in reinforcements.
‘That can’t happen.’
I infused energy into the dagger in my right hand and threw it.
Whooooosh! Crack!
The dagger flew straight and smashed the goblin’s head.
Likewise, its corpse sizzled and disappeared.
“Phew.”
After exhaling, I retrieved the dagger that had fallen to the ground.
“Definitely, daggers are comfortable in tight spaces.”
In confined areas, wielding something like a greatsword often leaves you unable to attack properly due to hitting the walls.
‘Still, normally you should master just one kind of swordsmanship.’
There are plenty of cases where trying to train in various sword styles results in not mastering anything at all.
Especially since greatsword techniques and dagger techniques can be seen as entirely different skills aside from both being bladed weapons.
“Well, that doesn’t apply to me.”
I sheathed the two daggers I held in each hand and glanced at the rising system message.
[Skill level increases!]
「Sword Mastery」
Lv.3 -> Lv.4
‘Nice.’
「Sword Mastery」 isn’t specialized in just one area; it encompasses all sword skills.
Even if I practice various sword styles, my overall swordsmanship level will increase.
It’s a skill that bears the name “mastery” quite well.
[Cleared ‘Goblin Settlement’ 1-2]
[Ending practice simulation]
As the forest thick with trees and robust plants vanished, it transformed into a familiar area.
“…It’s amazing no matter how many times I see it.”
The illusion quality of the [Practice Room] was truly mystical.
To perfectly recreate almost everything from humidity and air to smell and sound was nothing short of miraculous.
Forget VR or augmented reality from my past life; this quality was on a whole different level.
“Should I increase the difficulty next time…?”
I adjusted the settings and changed the challenge stage from ‘Goblin Settlement’ to ‘Battlefield of the Orc Warriors.’
Just as I was about to summon forth the illusion.
“There you are.”
A blue-eyed woman entered the [Practice Room].
“Professor Reina?”
“Practicing even after class, huh?”
She looked around the space that showed signs of my use.
“…You’re quite humble for your skills.”
“Given the facilities and permissions I have, it would be a waste not to use them, right?”
The [Practice Room] not only helps refine swordsmanship but also allows one to acclimate to battlefield experiences.
Currently, what I lacked the most was ‘experience.’
‘You should eat everything you can.’
Perhaps because my body is overflowing with talent, the results of my hard work were showing steadily.
There’s no reason not to consume what’s offered.
“Right…”
Reina seemed to have something more to say, biting her lip slightly.
“Ran, student.”
“Yes.”
“About what happened last time, I’m sorry.”
She met my gaze and lowered her head.
“I underestimated you. And during our sparring, I was a bit too rough. Regardless of it being for training, hitting a man’s body recklessly was wrong.”
“Huh? No…”
“That sparring was supposed to correct deficiencies. However, I didn’t give you any meaningful feedback. In other words, I haven’t given you a proper reward yet.”
That… is true.
If my first-place results ended with me fainting after sparring with the professor and being sent to the infirmary, it would overshadow the distinction of my ranking.
“So, I’d like to give you a reward.”
“……”
Honestly, just providing me with a top-notch hospital room back then was more than enough.
However, it wouldn’t be courteous to refuse outright now.
‘What’s she going to give me? A potion? A secret technique? Or maybe a legendary sword?’
I really want to decline.
‘Hehehe.’
Ah, this is tough.
How can I keep rejecting an adult? It’s not like I’m trying to embarrass her.
Right?
“If it pleases you, Professor… then sure!”
“Really?!”
“Um… I’m genuinely okay with it. But if it eases your mind, then…”
Saliva pooled in my mouth.
I barely swallowed to keep it from overflowing.
“Alright. Then let’s meet tomorrow morning at 10 at the D building station.”
“…Huh?”
“I know a good restaurant.”
“Ah….”
Food, huh.
Yeah… I see now….
‘Then again, if I just accepted personal rewards like a potion, it would raise fairness issues.’
This feels right.
“Yes, understood.”
I nodded with a smile, trying to look unaffected.
I’m absolutely not feeling regret.
……
Seriously.
*
“Hmmm~ Found out something, have we?”
At the school terrace.
Karen smiled gently, shaking her teacup.
This was the first time Reina had looked for Karen first.
‘Isn’t that obvious?’
How could someone as great, beautiful, wonderful, and strong as Karen be robbed of time by personal desires?
This time, thanks to her request (which was an excellent excuse), I was able to face her one-on-one.
“Uh… I didn’t find anything noteworthy about Ran.”
“That so?”
A faint disappointment flickered in Karen’s eyes.
After getting to know Ran through Reina, I had planned to approach him slowly without burden.
‘Since I ruined our first impression.’
My blood boiling led to a blunder.
I thought I had accumulated a fair amount of social experience, but before such brilliant talents, my true nature resurfaced.
“How unfortunate…”
“Nevertheless, you don’t need to worry!”
Reina confidently spread her shoulders.
“Tomorrow, on the weekend, I’ll be spending the day alone with Ran, so I’ll gather as much information as I can then!”
“…Huh?”
“I actually had something to repay to Ran, so this works out perfectly.”
“No, hold on, what…?”
Karen’s voice trembled.
“Alone, together?”
“Yes. We’ve decided to eat together at the restaurant in D building.”
“W-what?!”
The air around me tightened.
All sorts of lewd images flooded my mind.
-Sorry… Professor♥
-I can’t resist the imperial family’s vision swordsmanship…♥
Ran, creating snowflakes at the tip of his sword, with Reina perched on his shoulder, grinning ominously.
-I apologize, Lady Karen.
-Ran has now become a person who cannot live without 「Frozen Technique」.
Envisioning Ran shining with hearts in his eyes, having become her disciple.
I felt my insides twist.
“Ugh… No… What you need to learn is survival and blood swords…! To become the best, you can’t have such ice cream-like sword techniques…!”
“Lady Karen…? Are you okay?”
“…Huh? Oh, it’s fine. Nothing at all~.”
Karen, regaining her composure with effort, took a sip of her coffee.
The bittersweet taste of the beans mixed with a rich flavor of blood spread throughout.
“…The coffee tastes particularly good today.”
No matter what liquid I wet my throat with.
This maddening thirst showed no signs of abating.
Desire is like a roaring fire at its peak.
It won’t extinguish until everything is burned away.
‘Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran, Ran….’
It absolutely won’t go out.
*
Saturday at the D building tram station.
I never would have imagined spending my first weekend in Polaris with Reina.
“…Surprisingly casual clothes.”
“And you’re surprisingly in uniform.”
I arrived about ten minutes early, but Reina was already waiting for me.
‘If it’s Reina, I thought she’d always be dressed neatly.’
Seeing her in a white crop top and jeans was quite refreshing.
In contrast, I was still in my school uniform.
“It’s not mandatory to wear uniforms on weekends.”
“I’m sorry but I don’t own any casual clothes.”
I couldn’t afford to waste money on such things.
Come to think of it, I haven’t had the luxury to spare since spending time with the people from the third squad in the mountains.
I had only been lacking money and time, so I never thought about buying clothes.
“Hmmm… Is that so.”
Reina looked me up and down.
“Then let’s go look for clothes first. We still have time before the restaurant reservation.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just think of it as a small gift from an adult. And…”
She said it as if it meant nothing, like a scholar stating a fact.
“It would be wasteful for such a pretty boy like you to not try on various outfits at your age.”
Oh?
“……”
“What’s with that look?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go. Oh, I can just take things without checking the price, right?”
“Do as you like. My salary is more than enough.”
Hmm.
Although her tone was casual without meaning,
‘Whoa, that moment was a little thrilling.’
I chased after Reina, trying to cool down my unnecessary flushed face.
Crack!
“Huh?”
“Why aren’t you coming quickly?”
“I heard something breaking over there.”
“This station is a bit old. They say they’ll be renovating it soon.”
I see.
‘It wasn’t a big deal after all.’
I shifted my gaze away from the column where I heard the sound.