CHAPTER 40 – TURNING 15 YEARS OLD“I am worn-out …” (Wendelin)
“Me too …” (Luise)
“I don’t feel tired at all! Well then, this is my best attack!” (Armstrong)
It’s been around two and a half years since we settled down in the royal capital. I turned 15 years old a few days ago. Today, I am working hard at my training with Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ alongside Luise.
『d.a.m.n it! What kind of serialized battle manga is this!』 would be the way to describe those two and a half years but the fruits of my labour have appeared to an extent.
If there wasn’t any improvement, my mental health would have ended up taking a disastrous blow.
I continued increasing my mana pool just like I have been before coming to the capital. Furthermore, I learned heaps of new spells as well.
Among these, there were three you ought to pay particular attention to: the super physical enhancement, high speed flight and the mobile magic armor and helmet taught by Armstrong-dous.h.i.+.
The spells consume a ridiculous amount of mana, but their power is guaranteed. As I received a pa.s.sing mark from Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ a few days ago, it can now be used in actual combat.
Maa, personally I usually prefer finis.h.i.+ng things off by using long-range magic without having to get up close and personal.
Or rather, I don’t want to encounter an enemy that I can’t fight without having to use the spells taught by Armstrong-dous.h.i.+.
And, as Luise received the same coaching as me, she also successfully learned four spells: physical enhancement, high speed flight, mobile magic armor and helmet and meditation.
Influenced by the expansion of her mana pool by quite a bit, she’s advanced from her previous state of only being able to enclose her own body with magic power to her current abilities.
In addition she even acquired the original magic 『Meditation』.
This could be called a magic to heal your own wounds through meditation while on the move. It is quite unique as even Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ and I aren’t able to learn it.
Although it is regrettable that you can’t heal others with it, it should be considerably convenient during battle as you’re able to heal your own injuries.
Even from the perspective of other party members, it is very re-a.s.suring if she is able to somehow handle things by herself although several of the members might be injured at the time.
Such were the circ.u.mstances as mentioned above. As for the last concluding part of out training, we carried out a mock battle today.
No, I think I should use more accurate words.
For the last two and a half years, the three of us have, almost everyday carried out mock battles under the pretense of them being mock battles in the wastelands found on the outskirts of the capital.
Consuming huge amounts of mana while fighting to our physical limits, our mana capacity has naturally had increased.
To increase our mana capacity, we used huge amounts of mana fighting to the limit during our mock battles since it was better to perform other training regimes after our mock battles have ended.
Speaking of a sole miscalculation, 『Given that you destroy the army’s training grounds whenever you train, we wish for you to practice at a deserted location』 is what the important people of the army told us, I guess?
Even so, since there are as many uninhabited places on this continent as one likes, there was no problem with that at all.
Therefore, even though we didn’t lack a place to train, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+, being the original instigator of the problem to begin with, was in an abnormal state of high-tension.
Armstrong-dous.h.i.+’s magic is beyond normal anyway.
Though he used his mobile magic armor and helmet and changed his cane into a hammer with magic power, he could still hit a dragon with his bare hands.
Flinging it away by grabbing its tail and defending against the dragon’s breath with his armor and weapon by transforming their materials through magic power, he ended up tearing the dragon to pieces.
Of course, even if he taught this to someone, those are things that one simply can’t copy.
Even if he forcibly taught those methods to other magicians, they would end up being in trouble instead.
As he doesn’t possess the normal amount of mana that most magicians have, they would run out of mana right away if they tried to follow his instructions.
As such, he continued to devote himself to his own studies until Luise, who at that time had a high amount of mana without being able to use it after studying at her home’s dojo in the magic combat style, and me, whose mana exceeded his own, appeared.
Luise and I were thrown into rigorous training drills almost everyday due to him being really delighted about this matter for the past two and a half years.
But this will end today.
Because Ina, who is the youngest in our party finally turns 15 tomorrow, we will be able to start our adventurer activity’s at last.
As such, we carry out one last mock battle with Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ today.
Though it has only been a few minutes, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ was filled to the brim with adrenaline as he was filled with the will to fight. Anyhow, due to the rapid consumption of mana, Luise and I couldn’t withstand the approaching exhaustion.
“Your best attack eh …” (Wendelin)
“Wend, the practical problem is that I have already hit my limit on the number of attacks I can do.” (Luise)
“Well then, shall we kill him?” (Wendelin)
“Ehh!” (Luise)
“No, it’s pointless to proceed without such intentions.” (Wendelin)
Luise and I were floating in the sky above the wasteland located at the outskirts of the capital while squaring off against Armstrong-dous.h.i.+.
Since we continuously attacked him with all the techniques we possessed, it seems that Luise, having the lowest amount of mana among us, will hit her limit soon.
If that’s the case, there is no other way but to hurl all of our remaining mana at dous.h.i.+ with the intention of killing him.
That doesn’t mean that I actually bear a grudge against dous.h.i.+.
Although he is a person that has various qualities to him, he isn’t a detestable person. Even now, he is looking after us after all.
Thanks to his magic martial arts, even my original physical ability has been boosted. I don’t think I would pathetically lose in the first round like I did in the previous martial arts tournament now.
Given that I plan to never partic.i.p.ate again, it can’t be helped that I won’t be able to confirm this.
“We even received coaching from dous.h.i.+ for two and a half years. For that reason we will to return this debt of grat.i.tude by using all of our power in order to beat him.” (Wendelin)
Or rather, if we don’t go to the extent of using all of our power, it should be impossible to defeat dous.h.i.+ in combat.
If you want to know why, it’s because he took lessons from Luise in things like the method of moving efficiently and various other techniques. As such, he has become a lot stronger than he was before.
Since he even ended up increasing his mana by matching his capacity with mine, he has become an even more formidable enemy.
“Even this is for the sake of returning dous.h.i.+’s kindness!” (Wendelin)
“(And the real motive?)” (Luise)
“(For those last two and a half years we were even enlisted into the military! Entered dojos’ as new disciples! Let’s beat him and disappear from here in the ensuing confusion!)” (Wendelin)
Even though I became strong by receiving his kindness, because Armstrong-dous.h.i.+’s style was nothing but combat training by fighting outdoors rigorously, quite a bit of resentment has gathered within me.
“(Though I decided to lie to myself about not bearing such a grudge! Baka! Baka!)” (Wendelin)
“(Wend, you are no child, therefore …)” (Luise)
Going so far as to have us procure lunch from the outdoors everyday, I even thought to myself『Are we some kind of ranger corps!』.
“Well, how was it for Luise then?” (Wendelin)
“As expected, it was quite painful for me too.” (Luise)
Since it was to the extent of Luise, who received magic combat style training since she was a child, calling it painful, it was even more painful for me who was a former modern person.
I think it isn’t good to make light of the weak mentality of a former modern person.
“Luise has even less mana than dous.h.i.+ and me.” (Wendelin)
With only that amount, it is hopeless for her to oppose the power of dous.h.i.+ while trying to conserve her mana.
“If it’s that, I will somehow manage. By the way, how are you fairing Wend?” (Luise)
“As long as I can somehow deal with the physical fatigue, I should be alright for a few more minutes .” (Wendelin)
“Recently you are showing more and more signs of becoming a monster.” (Luise)
“You should say this to the person in front of us too. Also, even Luise huh …?” (Wendelin)
Actually, only talking about Luise’s mana capacity, who has practiced for two and a half years, her mana capacity has risen up to a level close to being considered high ranked.
By matching her capacity with mine, her mana capacity has increased.
Although she can use only few spells, she might even be able to send a dragon flying single-handedly nowadays.
Originally it is important for an instructor of magic combat style to possess ability.
Making use of her overflowing mana, she strongly raised her offensive and defensive power even more so than the likes of Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ and me. Her fighting style has become very skilfull, efficient and proper.
“Let’s restrain him by you firing highly concentrated mana bullets, Wend. Afterwards, I will attack him with all my might and inflict damage by kicking, I think?” (Luise)
“It is the safest and most reliable strategy.” (Wendelin)
Recalling the spell for the mobile magic armor and helmet, Luise’s whole body was enveloped in thin armor as she suggested the strategy plan to me.
Her magic mobile armor and helmet has the lowest defense strength among the three of us.
It is like that this due to the effects of her maintaining her mana. As her kinetic vision and physical ability are superior, she basically evades the enemy’s attacks. The magic mobile armor and helmet being her last line of defense is an important point.
The order of mana pool sizes in descending order goes: me, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ and Luise.
As for close-combat ability, the order is Luise, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ and then me. You could call it an obvious choice of role division between the two of us.
“Make it flashy with the highly concentrated mana bullets now.” (Luise)
“Understood” (Wendelin)
Since it would also be disadvantageous for me to challenge Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ in close-combat due to the difference in experience, we decided that I would stop his movements with highly concentrated mana bullets from a distance.
Before, when eliminating the Grade Grande, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ fired a highly concentrated snake-shaped spell of the wind system at it.
From my point of view, I didn’t understand the reason of expressly transforming the spell into a snake but since the spell suited the image of the person itself, its effectiveness was greatly boosted.
Therefore, this snake-shaped highly concentrated mana bullet matches him well, I guess?
In my case, as I am usually also influenced by my previous life, my highly concentrated mana bullet has the shape of a ultra focused cannonball.
Generating several tens of them, I release them all at the same time. Each of them clashes with Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ one by one.
I am not inferior in the ability possessed by dous.h.i.+ in regards to such magic.
“Ooh! As usual your attacks haven’t a shred of mercy!” (Armstrong)
While saying this, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ ended up repelling them with both hands as if he was swatting flies successively.
The repelled, highly condensed mana bullets poured down onto the wasteland. The entire place ended up being riddled with craters as if it was the aftermath of a battlefield. But currently there was no one here who would complain about it either.
I was told that this wasteland would apparently be reclaimed afterwards.
Even if the soil is dug up, there will be no problems, it seems.
“As usual you aren’t affected by the limits of mana!” (Armstrong)
Although I’ve already forgotten how many hundreds I have sent off, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ was still calmly repelling the highly concentrated mana bullets with his hands.
“(Has this person really crossed the age of 40?)” (Wendelin)
As his mana keeps growing even till today, his combat ability, in proportion to that, looked to be evolving into that of a monster with each pa.s.sing day.
Is there really a person able to kill him in this world I wonder?
As expected, slowly the state of my mana depletes to dangerous levels, but it seems I am slightly superior with regards to mana capacity after all.
Looking properly, I could gradually detect cracks in Armstrong-dous.h.i.+’s mobile magic armor and helmet.
Finally I hit the limit of my mana.
And then Luise moves at last.
“Teei!” (Luise)
It seems the technique has no particular name.
Or more precisely, since it is a waste of time to shout something like the name of a technique, I have never seen martial artists doing anything of that sort in this world.
Although Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ follows Luise’s movements, the instant a gap appears due to her onslaught, Luise enters his blind spot and delivers a kick charged with all her magic power on to Armstrong-dous.h.i.+.
Receiving the kick, Armstrong-dous.h.i.+’s mobile magic armor and helmet breaks. He ends up being blow off to the ground.
As he fell to the ground, a grand cloud of dust was kicked up and a thunderous roar can be heard. One can see a large crater where Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ has landed.
“Unfortunately I ran out of mana.” (Wendelin)
For a normal person, you would doubt whether they would be able to survive this level of damage. For Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ though, even without his mobile magic armor and helmet, he has been influenced by the powerful physical enhancement spell on him. As such this degree of damage shouldn’t even faze Armstrong-dous.h.i.+.
While shaking the soil off his dirtied robe, he called out to us.
“As expected, I am at disadvantage in a 2 vs. 1.” (Armstrong)
“I wonder about that …” (Wendelin)
And yet it takes two people just to knock him down.
This is definite evidence proving that this person is just that much of a monster.
Or rather, both Luise and I are close to collapsing from fatigue and drowsiness any time soon because of our gamble.
As expected, it looks like I have overused my mana in a short period of time today.
“You pa.s.s but the lad and I must not stop forging our mana even more. I can’t wait for a rematch.” (Armstrong)
Although Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ and I had earnestly enlarged our mana capacity as much as possible in these two and a half years, we haven’t yet hit our limits either.
Because I am only 15 years old, it isn’t strange for me not to have reached my maximum mana capacity as it was rather normal for magicians to not hit it before an age of 20 years.
Therefore Armstrong-dous.h.i.+ is a rare precedent as he’s still able to enlarge his mana.
No, maybe there is also the possibility of him changing into an atrocious monster due his mana going out of control sooner or later.
Of course this is just a light joke.
“I will watch over you attaining great accomplishments as adventurers.” (Armstrong)
Although I felt like there was no particular need to watch over us, we managed to escape his rigorous training for the time being. Luise and I show an expression of relief.
However, I am dead tired …