Chapter 10
Training Scene avec les FillesRakel’s training regimen started the next day.
“You can do it~”
The one spectator waved her hand.
Filly had, for some reason, decided to come over early this morning.
She was sitting on a bench at a corner of my training area while Rakel and I got ready to start.
“Over here. Lie face down.”
Rakel demanded I do.
Huh?
I was confused, but figured I should listen.
And,
“There we go.”
“OGHFF!!”
Without so much as a warning, Rakel went ahead and just sat on me!
“Y-you’re… heav…!”
“Now, start doing push ups~”
WTF! What are you making a 7 year old do!
I could hear Filly having a laugh.
“I, can’t… Can’t do it, just can’t…!”
I tried my best to get Master to accept my refusal.
“Yes you can. Just do it.”
This is verbal violence!
“You simply need to remove my weight with your Art.”
… … You could’ve told me!
I focused on Rakel, particularly on her weight on my back, and invoked 【Veiled Wings of Freedom】.
And straightening my arms, I did one push-up.
“You have yet to make your Spirit Art your own.”
Rakel claimed as she started stroking my hair with her fingertips. Can you not?
“The Spirit Art we’ve been bestowed with should be treated as a third arm or leg. Surely you don’t consciously think, I’ll raise my hand now, or, I’ll walk forward now, when you move your 4 limbs, do you? In the same sense, you must master your Art to the point that it becomes as natural as walking. This is absolutely imperative.”
“absolutely…”
“Yes, imperative. When I’m done with you, you need to be able to use it in your sleep.”
“And that’s why you’re making me do push-ups using my Art?”
“Correct. Also, it’s because you’re frail.”
Frail...
Well, it should come as no surprise I have very little in way of muscle. Since all I spent my time on was training my Spirit Art.
“Now, give me 5,”
“5…”
“――sets of 20.”
“Cruel! Inhumane! You callous elf! ――owowow!?”
“M-s-t-e-r.”
“… Master.”
This surrept.i.tiously busty, spartan elf will be the end of me.
I start doing the d.a.m.n push-ups.
Oof… This is harder than I thought…!
There was the fact that I simply wasn’t used to this, and on top of that, I had to concentrate so as to not undo the floating…!
I need two heads for this s.h.i.t…!
I looked in front of me in an attempt to take my mind off the stress, and there, Filly’s eyes were moving up, down, up, down, matching with my exercise.
It looked like she was looking at Rakel though.
… Getting a bad feeling here.
“… Make room for me too~!!”
Filly started in a sprint, and then jumped!
“Booom!”
“BLEEGH!!”
I was squashed under the sudden new weight.
“Move those arms, Jack.”
“Move move~!”
“d.a.m.n you… Dammit you two…!”
I’ll remember this…!
◆ ◆◆― ――― ――― ◆◆ ◆―― ――― ―― ◆◆ ◆
“… gasp… gasp… gasp…”
“Faster faster~”
I was running.
After many more exercises (avec les filles as training weights), I rehydrated and took a short break before being ordered to run.
Rakel was on my shoulders, because of course she was.
I was gasping for air, my sides burned, and kept moving just barely conscious.
If I did pa.s.s out, the elf on top would regain her weight and I’d become pancake.
So I was strenuously trying to keep my Art active and, basically, this was exhausting.
I hadn’t even run that long and I was panting like a dog.
And then――
“Too slow.”
Rakel admonished, tapping my head.
―― And then, there was her.
She was riding on my shoulders, meaning, my face was sandwiched between her thighs, meaning, this
smooth, unbearable softness, meaning, this was getting really problematic for me.
From Rakel’s perspective I should be a snot-nosed 7 year old kid, but regretfully, I was a fully grown man on the inside you see…
I don’t know what I’d do if my secondary s.e.xual characteristics were to start showing up. I was thankful that I was still in a child’s body.
“… Tell me something.”
Even though I had my hands, legs, and everything else full with training, Rakel, my heartless Master, started talking to me.
“Your father had said… That you started your training in Spirit Art from when you were practically an infant. Why? Do you want to be good at it?”
“Because…”
My tired mind relapsed into memories I’d rather forget forever.
Memories where the people I knew――
Where the people I loved――
Where they were all mercilessly broken into pieces by my little sister.
“… Because, I… Hated it!!”
I needed oxygen. I was barely keeping up the Spirit Art. My head was a mess.
I was spouting words without meaning.
“I hated not being able to do anything… I hated being powerless… Being helpless… I just hated it!”
Anyone would think I was a crazy 7 year old making a scene.
Why would a child from a rich family even feel like that.
Rakel, she―― gently, stroked my head.
“… I see.”
She then slid her slender, white fingers down to my cheeks.
“―― Then, run faster.”
“Lat hurzz! Shop! Shtop puyin ma chiiksh!!”
I swear I’ll get you back for this, someday, dead serious…!!
◆ ◆◆― ――― ――― ◆◆ ◆―― ――― ―― ◆◆ ◆
“Jacky, well done~?”
“pant… pant… pant… pant…”
Unable to even bother shooing away Filly who was poking my face, I lay sprawled on the ground, exhausted.
Half the day had pa.s.sed already. It should be time for lunch soon.
“Please… Tell me… It’s over…!”
“Not yet. We have one more.”
“AaAaAaAaAa!!”
I screamed hearing those cold-blooded words.
This is ridiculous.
“It’s not muscle training, don’t worry.”
“So you’re… Finally gonna teach me… actual Spirit Art…?”
“Something like that. Hurry and catch your breath, we’re going to the forest.”
“Me too~!”
Filly hadn’t come at all when I was wheezing and running around the place, but she sure was chipper trying to come along now, to the forest of all places. You can just go live there…
Then, they waited for me to recover, and the 3 of us headed into the forest.
Rakel was leading us through the place like it was her back yard.
We ended up arriving at the edge of a sheer cliff.
“Fuwa~… So high~!”
As I also peeked over the edge with Filly, I could see that it was a 20 meter fall.
Yipes… Didn’t think a place like this was in this forest.
“Master, what kind of training are we―― ”
Just,
When I was about to turn around,
“Bop.”
Rakel―― Without any warning, pushed me off the edge.
“Eh?”
The force moved my body forward.
Now with nothing but―― Air, under my feet.
Thin air that stretched 20 meters downwards.
“Hu-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!?”
A momentary floating sensation.
Then, wind bursting from underneath.
The cliff top accelerated far above eye level.
And below me, the ground approaching in an instant.
――【Veiled Wings of Freedom】!
I stopped my descent at around half the way down.
I held my chest down with relief, and――
“―― Do. You. Want. To. Kill. MEEEEEE!!!”
I floated myself back up, complaining furiously.
The master who attempted her student’s murder on the first day, looked calm as always.
“You took 10 meters… Still too slow.”
“Is that really the first thing you have to say after you pushed me to my death!!”
“Just now, I tested your apt.i.tude in using your Spirit Art at
at a moment’s notice.”
Rakel claimed unfazed.
“You can learn to use your Art very powerfully, but it’d all be useless you’re struck dead in a surprise attack without ever being able to use it.
So from now on, I’ll be pushing you into situations where you have to use your Art no matter what. I’ll do this suddenly and at any time of the day.
You are to deal with it to the best of your ability.”
“… So you’re saying you’ll do things like just now, and without any warning?”
“Yes.”
… … I’m! Gonna! Die!
“Bam!”
I was still jolted from Rakel’s eccentricities as I landed back on the cliff, when Filly slammed into my legs.
I banged into the ground, completely unprepared to receive the sudden impact.
I yelled, “Blegh－!” in pain, and on top of me, Filly looked over at Rakel,
“Like this~?”
“Like this.”
The two girls gave each other a thumbs up.
… Really…? Are you really telling me I have to stay on alert 24 hours a day as these two are going to try and pull pranks…?
“You’re current reaction time is around 1.5 seconds. That’s ample time for an enemy to get close enough to lop off your head.”
She made a hand gesture of slitting her throat.
… She’s making it sound very logical, but her methods are messed up.
“Your goal should be bringing it down to 0.2 seconds. Truly strong people are even faster, but 0.2 seconds should allow you to deal with most things.
You don’t need to actually stay on alert all the time. But you need to keep in mind any situations that might befall you and think up ways to deal with them after the fact.”
“… got it.”
“Good. Then, that’s all for today.”
“Oh!? We’re done!?”
“Yes, done―― With the basics.”
Huh…?
All this was… just, basics?
◆ ◆◆― ――― ――― ◆◆ ◆―― ――― ―― ◆◆ ◆
“HA HA HA HA HA!!!”
When Dad saw me clearly in a bad mood from the day’s events, he burst into laughter.
“Looks like she’s taking good care of you, son! It’s the first time I’ve seen you this tired!”
“She’s… crazy… I tell you…”
“No, you just lack stamina. And it’s not ‘she’, it’s Master.”
Rakel, who was also sitting at the table, said that, and Dad once again boomed in laughter.
And as expected, Rakel had a swarm of plates lined up for her.
Filly made attempts to steal some of that food at calculated intervals, but Rakel’s speedy hand intercepted her every move.
… How the h.e.l.l are you eating more when you’ve been riding on me the entire time!
“I was right to choose you. Jack here had looked so bored when his other masters tried to teach him, but you managed to make him like this in just half a day!”
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen our Jack so lively...”
Mom… If you think this face looks lively, you’d think corpses are alive too…
“Rakel-san, what kind of training is he undergoing? Do you mind saying?”
“Just… Simply a few fundamentals. Running while using his Art, for example.”
“Ho! That is nostalgic… I remember doing similar things back in the day. So Jack needs the fundamentals too?”
“The basics are essential for everyone, even a Roost… I believe. And also,”
“MGGHH!?”
Suddenly, a steamed potato flew into my mouth.
“I’m training him to deal with sudden attacks like this… Jack. You should’ve easily seen that one coming.”
“Hwo la hew ashakhs duing uh meew (Who the h.e.l.l attacks during a meal)!”
“Do you plan to say the same thing to an
to an a.s.sa.s.sin?”
Ugugugu….!
I didn’t have any valid complaints.
“HA HA HA!! It’s quite practical I see! Rakel-san, do you have much experience teaching?”
“Well… Somewhat.”
“Looks promising, doesn’t it, Madelyn? Our son will surely become great someday!”
“Yes. The chance to meet a good teacher is also a kind of talent, isn’t it?”
A good teacher… Well, I can’t say I’m able to deny that.
As I chewed on the mouthful of steamed potato, I noticed that Filly had been strangely quiet for the past while.
She was staring intently at Rakel.
Probably thinking up another way to swipe food away from the elf, was what I thought――
“Hey!”
――But, she now addressed Rakel directly.
Once Rakel turned her way, Filly made big, starry eyes, and said,
“Me too! Teach me Speerit Arts too!”
◆ ◆◆― ――― ――― ◆◆ ◆―― ――― ―― ◆◆ ◆
After our meal, Rakel, Filly and I, returned to the training area.
“Alright, do it.”
“Ok!”
This time, I was watching.
It was Filly who’d be showcasing her powers.
It was so like her to get interested in joining us.
And it wasn’t like she wasn’t following us around already, but making her into an actual pupil still required Mr. Posford’s permission.
But then she started throwing a big tantrum like some princess, shouting, “But it looks so fun!” and reluctantly―― Rakel accepted and told her to show her Art.
Filly looked around in a “Let’s see~”
“Ah. Found some~! Come here birdies~!”
She called towards the sky.
And right after, 3 birds that were flying calmly, made a straight swoop towards her.
The birds landed on Filly’s head and shoulders and started chirping to her.
“Mhm… Eh~!? Really~!? Wow~!”
… They’re communicating?
I could only see them as Filly and the birds talking to each other.
“...So that’s how it is…”
Rakel nodded in understanding after watching the scene.
“【Perfect Lexicon】 of the Great Spirit Barbatos… It’s an Art that lets one understand and command living beings other than humans…”
“You know, the birdies, the kitties and even the little ants, all of them become my friends!”
Filly laughed, “Hey~ That tickles~!” as one of the birds on her shoulders play pecked at her.
It really did look less of a command them and more of a become friends with them.
It was a warm sight to see but… Depending on how she used this, her Art could become a force to reckon with.
“Hmm…”
Rakel contemplated for a moment,
“Philene.”
“Filly is fine~! Are you making me a disciple too!?”
“…Filly then. About me teaching you, we’ll have to go over that with your father.”
“Ehh~!”
“But aside from that―― Could I interest you in helping with Jack’s training for the afternoon?”
“Helping? What do I do?”
“Well…”
Rakel beckoned the girl over, and whispered something in her ear.
Really f.u.c.king bad feeling about this.
“… Ok. Got it! Will do~!”
“Thanks… Hey. Stop right there, Jack.”
“LETMEGOO!!”
I was unwillingly dragging into the forest once again.
◆ ◆◆― ――― ――― ◆◆ ◆―― ――― ―― ◆◆ ◆
I was somehow riding on top of a wolf.
“...Eh? What? What the what?”
“See how long you can stay on the wolf. That’s it.”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘that’s i―――”
“Go go, Awoo~!!”
“― ― ― aaAAAAAHHH!!”
I was desperately clinging to the wolf’s back as it bolted forward on Filly’s order.
Too fast! Toofastoofastoofast!!
The wolf ran around the trees and stumps, swerving violently like a rollercoaster.
But unlike a coaster, this furry body had no handle bars or seat belts!
Gonnafallgonnafallgonnafall――――!!!
“You need to focus on the timing where it turns! When you’re about to be thrown off, you need to cushion your weight to nothing!”
Cushion, my weight…!?
The moment it turns…!
I carefully watched thecarefully watched the wolfs movements.
When it it? When’s it turning?
Not yet… Not… Not yet… A little more…!
Now!!
“――DOUWAAAAHHHH!!”
Forget cushioning, whatever that means, I was literally shot off of the wolf’s back.
I was stopped by hitting a tree, after which, I slowly descended to the ground. Since I had no weight, it didn’t hurt at all.
“You misread the timing.”
Rakel admonished after running to my location.
Filly giggled at her side.
“That all went way too fast!! Can’t you explain it to me first! Just explain!!”
“I’d thought you’d prefer learning by experience rather than spend time with my babble.”
Surprisingly, Rakel actually listened to my complaints for once. She began explaining.
“All things have a force that compels them to maintain their condition. Moving things like to keep moving, while stationary things want to stay unmoving.
Fundamentally, the heavier they are, the more work that is required. So whether you want to move or stop a heavy object, you would need that much more strength.”
“Master~! I don’t get it~!”
Filly energetically declared her loss, but I had no problem understanding.
In gist, she’s talking about an objects ma.s.s.
You might think that you could easily move an object in the zero gravity of s.p.a.ce, but that is very much not the case.
It’s easy to show this is true by taking for example a ma.s.sive object.
Can a single human drag a s.p.a.ce station with their own hands?
What about satellites?
The moon?
That’s right, they can’t. Even if the have no weight, they still have ma.s.s.
Observing my expression, Rakel continued.
“You look like you understand, then, what 【Veiled Wings of Freedom】 can do isn’t just nullify something’s weight, it can also erase this force.
In addition, it allows you to choose when you want to erase it.
If you couldn’t, you couldn’t damage anyone no matter how heavy the object you hit them with.”
That’s right. Hit with something is, in other words, an attack involving ma.s.s.
When I use my Art to throw something, I subconsciously erase its ma.s.s when I’m throwing it, and return it right after.
Since something with no ma.s.s would have no inertia, if I didn’t return it, the thing wouldn’t budge.
“Inertia―― Ah, I see.”
I understood.
“So this is training to erase my inertia. If I remove my ma.s.s the moment when the centrifugal force peaks, I won’t have to hold on as hard, right?”
“Correct. Once you master this technique, you will be able to move in ways impossible for normal people.”
“… Master. Actually, why are you teaching me this sort of high level stuff from the get go?”
“This will also help in quickening your reaction time. Once you learn this, you will be faster at dealing with surprise attacks.”
… Always with the practicality.
“So? Want to stop?”
“… I’ll do it. This time, I’ll do it right.”
“Good… Filly.”
“Oh~kay Master~! C’mere doggy!”
So you’re calling the wolf doggy. The thing looks like it’s eaten 2 or 3 people already. s.h.i.t’s real scary.
But… Yeah.
This wolf didn’t hold a candle to the terror inspired in me by my little sister.
As I faced a wolf that stood at my own height, I heard Filly cheering from behind.
“Yay, Yay Jacky! You can do it, Jacky! You’ll eat dirt again Jacky!!”
“You’re doing this deliberately aren’t you!! You’re bent on making me fall off!!”
“Get on with it already.”
And thus, my days in training began.
Filly got permission from her father the next day, and became my sister disciple.
Me, Filly, Rakel.
The days we 3 spend on nothing but training flew by like an arrow――
――And soon, it was winter.