Translator: "Pink Tea" Editor: "Weasalopes"
After having dinner, and a little before going to bed, we have a meeting.
There we discussed our future plans. Basically, we partic.i.p.ate in the training and wait for the big wave to occur. We decided that if it did not occur in ten days, then we will return home.
「I want to get at least a bit stronger before the big wave, but the time is limited.」
Said Lunsan and Laursan agreed with her words.
「That"s right. So there I thought. How about earning LP for Noir-san all together and then have him enhance us? Of course, that is if there are no objections.」
「I don"t mind. I think that is the best way.」
In fact, I myself was thinking about strengthening my friends. I have a bit fewer than four thousand, so even in the current situation, I can Grant about one skill to a single person.
The question is what should I give.
「Gathering LP means that you will have to do something sensual. It"s fine to discuss among us and decide on contents, right?」
「Y-Yes.」
A wink from Laursan makes my heart skip a beat. It seems that from this point the four of them are going to have discussion without men.
So I was to return to my room, but as I was climbing the stairs I heard Laursan talking about back and something.
「What is that? Don"t do such a thing to Noir!」
Emma retorts. With an indescribable feeling, I return to my room.
About an hour later, when I went to bed, there was a knock on the door. It was Laylsan.
「It has been decided that we will do it one by one. Today it"s me, is it fine?」
I silently nod a couple of times. To think they would start from today… As I was getting nervous, Laylsan told me to lie down on the bed face-down.
When I did so, she gently sat on the area about my waists and started pus.h.i.+ng my back.
「I about about doing ma.s.sage. Noir-kun, aren"t you pretty tired?」
「This is especially true today.」
「Right? If you are tired then it"s fine to just fall asleep like this.」
I have misunderstood that something risque was about to happen. If you think about it, Laylsan is the last person who would do that.
LP might not increase with a ma.s.sage alone. However, she must have left it to those three and decided to work on fatigue recovery. That"s quite appreciated as well.
She firmly presses on muscles, relaxing them. She loosens muscles from the back of the neck to the shoulders, hips, thighs and soles of the feet.
It feels too good and I gradually started dozing off. This is the finest ma.s.sage.
「Now, could you turn up and lie on your back?」
「Yes.」
I abide with my eyes half-closed. … Eh? Was my room this dark? It seems that only one light-emitting magic tool is used. Whatever. She carefully ma.s.sages my arms, and her supple arms move to the chest muscles next.
A lot happened after that and LP has increased by a considerable amount.
The training of the soldiers takes place at a fairly early time.
When we go to the training area, we stand out quite a bit. In part due to our young age, also our outfits and aura probably tell what we are foreigners.
And then there is also a fact that everyone is pretty.
「Will those children fight as well? Is that okay?」
Soldiers easily lost such doubts when the training began. They all admire the high physical capabilities the girl"s possessed.
But, by no means we are exceptionally strong. I keep secretly using appraisal, but there are plenty of soldiers with levels over 100. Even if a soldier does not reach that number he might happen to have strong skills.
Although there is no one at the level of General Stay, there are several people around level 200, as expected.
After sword training with soldiers and was.h.i.+ng off sweat, General Stay comes while I"m resting. For a while, he was observing me fight.
「Stalgia, are you good at anything other than a sword?」
「I think I"m average with other weapons. As for the sword, I do not possess swordsmans.h.i.+p skill.」
「But you can make it with creation if conditions are met? It might be better to do it. You are fine for now, but it won"t work on a strong opponent.」
I"m fully aware of it. I"m not a battle type, instead, I fight using various tricks and gimmicks, so I never put much emphasis on martial art"s skills.
But I should accept the General"s opinion.
「… If you want, how about creating the bow skill and then getting trained in it?」
「A bow? Why that?」
「Actually, our army has few archers. You can tell by looking, but for one quarter it"s composed of beastkin.」
True. Just as there are beastkin in Hornest, there also were a lot of them among the troops dispatched from the capital.
「They have high physical strength but often not good at handling delicate tools. And among us humans, there are also not many of those who train with the bow from an early age.」
It seems that progress with a bow is slower than with a sword or a spear. Even when dealing with monsters, it was much faster to just cut them in melee, there also was a matter of national mentality, so the country didn"t have many archers, explains General.
However, during the wave, many flying monsters will attack. They usually ignore the army outside of the town and enter inside.
「Of course, we have cannons and magic guns prepared. However, on top of being quite valuable, very few people can handle them well. We are intending to shoot arrows and magic to prevent them from invasion, but there are limits.」
As was said yesterday during strategy explanations, but it is almost impossible to prevent monsters from entering the town. So General Stay wants to use me to fight against flying monsters.
「How is it? Depending on your growth I consider granting you a special bow and arrows.」
「General, the magic bow is certainly too much!」
The soldier who was listening to the conversation strongly appeals but gets rejected.
「Silence. I will do this under my responsibility. And it"s not easy to get up to that level.」
「… I will try.」
「Then, follow me.」
I create archery while walking behind the general.
Thanks to Laursan and Laursan, there are 5700 LP, and more LP can be expected today and tomorrow.
Archery C 500
Archery B 900
Archery A 1700
Archery S 3500
Martial art skills do not suddenly become the strongest just because you got S in it. Although the ability grows, the speed of growth and support that comes from skill depends on how keen your sense for the weapon.
Therefore it sometimes happens that the person who had no skill but trained for three years is stronger than the person with S rank but who only trained for a year. However, there is certainly a big difference between having or not having one.
This time it was necessary to improve rapidly, so I went all out and got S.
When we approach a female soldier in charge of training, the general introduces me. I appraised her along with the greetings and saw【Archery A】and several archery related techniques. Even though she is only twenty-eight years old, amazing…
「Lyrica, teach bow to this boy. He is a candidate for the magic bow.」
「Hee, that gives me expectations.」
「However, he is no different from an amateur. Well, don"t say anything and just look at him first.」
「Though it"s impossible to grow in just a few days.」
I"m handed a wooden bow. There is a round target in the distance, I"m told to try to shoot it.
Gripping the bowstring I fix the arrow on it. I remember all those times when father taught when I was a child… And shoot.
「Oh my, oh my oh my oh my.」
Lyricsan put a hand to her mouth, and General Stay glares at me.
「Are you really not using it daily?」
「I really don"t. However, I created a skill for the short bow.」
「Rank?」
「S.」
「…What a guy.」
General shook his head and mumbling went somewhere else. As I was left behind, Lyricsan, with brightly s.h.i.+ning eyes, attacked me with a barrage of questions. Such as origins and ability.
While somehow evading her question, I in one way or another get to the training. And then miss the next arrow.
「Aah, Aah, that won"t do. You s.h.i.+ft a bit when you release an arrow.」
「It"s difficult, as expected.」
「But your stance is beautiful and you have astonis.h.i.+ng talent. If you do as I say… You might become a boyfriend candidate!」
I stare silently. What I want to become is not a boyfriend but an excellent archer. First of all, there are twelve years of difference between us.
「You just had a face『Why do I have to go out with such an old hag?』, RIGHT?」
「I didn"t think that! So please stop.」
With her longbow pointed at me I was simply scared. She said it was a joke and lowered her bow but her eyes were serious.
Though she jokes around from time to time, fundamentally she was very good at teaching. By the dusk, I almost never missed the target. When I praise her skills as an instructor she returns me the praise.
「Noir-kun, it"s clearly abnormal. I instruct various people, but your speed of understanding is number one. Your skill is too good after all, I"m soo envious.」
She acted cutely like an innocent girl, and I didn"t know how to react. Should I poke her about it, should I not?
However, suddenly her expression changes to that of a mentor.
「Don"t get c.o.c.ky. Even a low-cla.s.s soldier can hit an enemy that stands still. The problem is a moving opponent.」
Yes, among flying monsters there are such that never stop moving and fly continuously.
「Next time, I will raise the difficulty, so be prepared.」
「Please continue your kind guidance.」
I bow my head and express grat.i.tude. Then.
「Aaaam, those earnest eyes… Something that I do not possess anymore…」
As soon as I lowered my head in grat.i.tude, my hair was touched. She surely has skills, but she might be that… Her atmosphere is somewhat similar to that of my Master.
Anyway, I finished my training for the day.
When night comes, and I"m alone in my room, I ponder on which skills I should grant to everyone. First, let"s put down their abilities on paper.
Emma… The level is about 50, fights focusing on dual-wielding daggers and wind magic. Dagger technique is B, wind magic has a spell for attack and another for improving user"s agility. Melee to medium-range type.
Lunsan… The level is about 60 and uses a magic gun. Rank B, can shot damaging and healing projectiles. Medium to long-distance type.
Laylsan… The level is comparatively high, about 150, proficient in martial arts with fists and kicks as the core. Battle skills are also A or B, had a powerful skill【Magic Fist】that allows her to infuse fists with magic power to increase offensive capabilities. Short distance type.
Laursan… Level 15, has【Monstrous Strength S】. However, has almost no combat experience.
Laylsan stands out from the rest. I guess it would be fine not to strengthen her.
Recently Emma showed tremendous growth, Lunsan is also much stronger than when we met.
The first thing to do is to create skills that can prevent Laursan from dying. Then enhance strong points of Emma and Luna.
「It"s Luna, may I come in?」
「Good timing, please come in.」
I wanted to consult with her about skills, but it wasn"t the time for that. Lunsan came in a pretty s.e.xy costume.
「Why, are you dressed like that…」
「I wanted to clean your ears, but Laursan said that it wouldn"t be much of stimulation… Excuse me.」
Coming inside she is wriggling around a bit embarra.s.sed. As if she finally resolved herself, she comes and sits on the bed next to me.
「I have brought earpicks.」
「Oh, ah, then please go ahead.」
And thus I had my ears cleaned my Lunsan.
A lot happened and LP went up.
—— At midnight, a sudden scream makes me jump off the bed.
「Noir! Noir please save me! I"ll get killed, save…」
Then, the sound was completely cut off. Currently, I"m alone in this room. If I"d have to say from where I heard that scream, then I"d say I was coming from my finger.
To be more precise, from the communication ring given to me by brother.
「Just now, it was brother, trying to use the power of the ring.」
The ring can only be used once. It was supposed to be used by me if it would seem impossible to triumph over monsters, to think the brother would use it himself. Was he attacked by a monster on his way home? Where is he right now?
It"s the middle of the night, and searching for him blindly seems impossible… Where is currently my brother Gillan Stalgia?
【Tonell Village. Located exactly 40 kilometers north-northeast from this town】
North-northeast?! Why is it a completely different direction from the one leading to our country? Besides, I have heard of Tonell Village somewhere. Wasn"t it the village where the hero Gaien was born?
「I have to wake up everybody… Or not.」
I reconsider immediately. Everyone is completely exhausted from the training, it might be better if I went alone. Even if he is injured, if it"s brother alone I should be able to carry him back.
After writing down circ.u.mstances on a parchment and leaving it on my desk, I silently leave the inn. If he is in the village, does that mean that he was attacked by bandits? There is also a possibility that monsters invaded there.
Anyway, please be safe until I arrive, brother…