Arifureta: Similar Story, Different World
Chapter 5: Similar Panic, Different Severity
Lady Liliana listened intently as my fingers flew across the keys. Every note brought the tempo up and allowed us to enjoy a fun beat. Normally, the song I was playing would have a violin and drums accompanying it. But as I only had the hands to play one instrument at a time, I had to settle for the piano alone. The cheery and familiar rhythm of the piano made it easy to forget I was in another world enjoying my break from research with a Princess.
For a moment there, as my heart danced to the beat of the music, I thought I was playing for my little sister while she watched my performance.
Ah, such bliss.
It had been four days since Hajime and I started researching this world's magic system and about a week since being summoned. How time flies!
But, already, we've hit a block. Well, I did. Hajime had easily picked up on how to use magic. He faced the difficulty of having to make larger circles for more effective spells, but he was getting there. Even with a low Magic, the guy was nothing if not persistent. Makes someone like me who had twenty times his base stats feel not deserving of the gifts I was given. Had there been a computer, printer, and photocopy machine, then creating the circles would have been less taxing on his hands. He really found quill-writing to be really difficult unlike me who found it fun in a way.
But then there was my problem.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, in the Heiligh Great Library had the solution I needed. No magic on space or interdimensional portals. No spells with the void or space attribute. Nothing about other worlds or dimensions. Hell, they didn't even have records of any debates concerning where Ehito came from.
Well, he was there god. I guess questioning where your deity came from was a big no-no where the influence of the Church of Saints was strong.
Did that mean I have to leave Heiligh Kingdom to find my answers?
Shit. Not only do I have to be trapped in this dangerous, monster-inhabited dimension, but I have to travel it to find answers. Goddamn you, Ehito.
There existed a few notes on how somethings called 'Great Labyrinths' held magic tools and materials within that had never been seen before. They could potentially hold answers to the problem of interdimensional magic. One of them was close by, the Orcus Great Labyrinth. But it had only been explored up to the fortieth or so levels. It was said to have a hundred floors. There were other confirmed suspected labyrinths here and there, eight in total. But out of them all, Orcus was the only one within Heiligh Kingdom.
Trying to find and explore the others would be like an archaeological expedition to other countries which could be seen as potential scouting parties. It would send a bad impression especially if the one leading it was just a child who was also an Apostle that avoided fighting the devils. And I highly doubt they would allow me a small escort if they were making ready for war.
This was not good. Not good at all.
I bluffed about surpassing a god. I promised I would find a way to bring help from my world. I was claiming the impossible, sure. But with how the odds were stacked against me, I practically played them all as fools. And now, I could see the consequences crashing down upon me in the near future.
I would probably be imprisoned or executed for being a fraud. If they looked at my Status Plate, they could very well say it was probably true. Out of all the Hero's companions, the classless one didn't fight, let alone assist with the preparation for war. Let's not forget about having the highest Magic stat. I would be depicted as a lazy slob or coward. Or both!
The classmates seeing me that way was fine. Their opinion mattered little compared to the denizens of Tortus who were providing me food and shelter. Quite literally, I was a waste of tax money.
I also couldn't just run and escape. I'm as trapped as a rat in this world. I may have researched a lot about it, but I have never lived here at all. I don't fully know how their society works. Sure, they resemble the Medieval Era of western Europe, but that didn't mean they ran the same culture!
Especially dangerous stuff will never be made known to a public through libraries or education as they were both controlled by religion. For all I know, heretics here could be tortured and then brainwashed by magic to fight as soldiers or worked to death like slaves.
Either I die outside the Kingdom, or I die for it.
Fuck.
"Eichirou-sama, is something the matter?"
"No, it's nothing to be concerned about, my Lady," I snapped out of it to present a polite smile. The princess looked to me with concern in her eyes. So I chose to divert her attention away from me. "Did you like the music?"
"Yes, I did." She didn't seem to believe me but replied, nonetheless. "This Vandross Cloud is amazing for having composed such a song. What did he call it again?"
"'Wings of Piano', my Lady."
"'Wings'? Hm," Liliana tilted her head at my response. She tried to play the chorus a few times from memory and got very close to getting it down perfectly. Truly, this child had talent and was hardworking to boot. She really reminded me of my diligent sister. "Is it because the music makes one feel as if they were flying?"
"It was a general consensus among those that adored it, yes, my Lady." Even her assumption of the song's meaning was the same as my sibling's. If they met, they would probably become fast friends. I wonder… "He also has another song I favor. It's named 'Love for Atlantis'."
"'Atlantis'?"
"In my world, it's a mythical city that sank beneath the ocean long, long ago." I explained. "In some cases, it's a really dramatic story, but if you'd like, I could tell you about it later."
"Then, could I request it of you as well? After you perform, of course. Songs and stories from your home world are all so interesting and lovely."
She subtly requested ever so politely, but I could see the gleam in her eyes. She adored the stories as well as the music I had showed her every teatime since day one. After the second visit, she looked like she wanted to demand I come by every single day. Being the gentleman, I had to politely decline as it would paint the young girl in poor light. However, I did end up promising to extend my breaks just so we could have a music lesson every now and then.
No progress with my research and having only to teach Nagumo the mechanics of spell-writing, I had a lot of free time, regrettably.
"Please pardon my performance, my Lady, but this piece is just the piano solo version. Playing the equivalent of a full orchestra is beyond my abilities."
"That's a shame." She smiled warmly. "But please, I still wish to listen to you play."
I began to play the new song. Technically, the intro would have been played by a guitar and violin. Next would have been the wind to set the mood. But I played it all as best I could with the piano before it would actually join the symphony. The song took a dance of its own and made Liliana slightly tilt herself from side to side.
Then, the sad part came. The music took on a deeper and graver tone to play out the inevitable downfall to come of the sunken city. It started off slow, with a melody of raindrops. A pause, then the waves came splashing. This would have been the violins but as I didn't have any, I did the best I could with the piano.
The lull that should have been accompanied by winds and percussions returned the mood to playful and joyous. Liliana seemed to enjoy this one as she started to sway with the music once more. Unfortunately, sad times weren't over. The drop of melody, another pause, then what should have been the bell tolling to signal the ocean as it came down to devour the city.
Had I been performing this with a violin, then the song would have been more theatrical. The despair, the fear, the isolation expressed with such a tragic tone. All of these emotions came crashing as a violent, orchestral storm, only to recede back to a peaceful melody. The soft final notes as the last drops of rain, lamenting as the city vanished beneath the waves, lost to the world forever.
I really liked this song. Hanami and Daiki both seemed to enjoy watching me play it too. I liked it even more for that. When I asked why they liked to watch me perform such a sad song though, they only told me 'even if it's sad, onii-sama seems to have so much fun with it'.
True, I did. But only because they enjoyed it as well. My sibling's happiness was my happiness. If they were happy, what could be better?
Were they happy right now, I wonder?
"How was it, Liliana-sama?" I snapped away from my internal contemplation as I checked to see if she enjoyed it. She looked, how should I say, a little conflicted. Teary-eyed was one thing, but wearing a satisfied smile? I handed her my handkerchief. "Was it too emotional for you, my Lady?"
"No, it was absolutely beautiful," she took the cloth and dabbed her eyes dry. Her complexion looking better like a child's after a fun and exhilarating ride. "I truly wish I could hear an entire ensemble play such a gorgeous composition."
Yeah, me too.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Liliana-sama."
She nodded and started to attempt to play it from memory again. She didn't get far so I had to show her once more. Of course, after a few attempts, she seemed to get the hang of it. Not the whole song, mind you, but she still learned to play what she could by ear better than I did when I first started learning.
Come to think of it, I had been playing the song better here than I ever had before on Earth. Was that how nostalgic I felt? That I yearned to listen to the song that my siblings and I enjoyed so much that I got better just to remind myself of its beauty and the happy times we shared?
No way. That's just ridiculous. I had to refrain from slapping how stupid the idea was.
I must just miss them so much that I couldn't help but think I had gotten better. No way I could play this song as well as the original creator. I'm not that kind of genius.
Just a desperate kid that misses home.
"Eichirou-sama, are you sure nothing is bothering you?" Liliana's sudden serious tone broke my train of thought. Looking at the girl, no, the young lady sat next to me, her air had grown more mature than it was during the performance. She had swapped to Princess Mode.
"What makes you so sure that something is bothering me, my Lady?" I asked, evasively.
"Please stop avoiding the question and tell me."
Liliana stared at me, unwavering. She was perceptive.
"I assure you, my Lady," I insisted. "Nothing is wrong—"
"Eichirou-sama, that's obviously a lie." She spoke familiar words that resonated in my mind. "If nothing truly bothered you, such a sad expression wouldn't be present on your face right now."
'Oniisama, I can tell if you're lying to me. You're making that face again.'
For a moment, I saw someone other than the Princess sitting next to me. I saw one of the few I wished was here. One of those that I really missed.
I chose to ignore that.
Had I really been that obvious? Had my face been expressing what I truly feel? Even so, it's be best not to let it bother her.
"My Lady, please—"
"Eichirou-sama," I started and yet she interrupted, staring deeply into my eyes. "I'm a Princess of the Kingdom of Heiligh and have been entrusted by my father, the King, to accommodate you as our guest and his friend. Something that's bothering you is as my business as is yours."
'Your my brother, therefore, what bothers you bothers me.'
Again, the voice and words overlapped. Again, Liliana wore that face of concern and stern responsibility.
What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I seeing someone who wasn't even here?
"Hana—my Lady." I collected myself. "I insist."
"Please stop treating me like a child." Her eyes told me she wasn't going to let go of it at all. "Tell me what's wrong."
"It's… It's just a spell of homesickness," I admitted. "Nothing serious."
"Had it been not, you wouldn't be denying it so vehemently."
She had a point. Fuck. I can't win against this girl.
Not when I've dug my own grave.
"Truth be told," I reluctantly explained. "I'm feeling a bit down over my current progress in my research. I've been stuck for a while now that I started reminiscing my family. And how I miss them."
"Why didn't you tell me the first time I asked?" She spoke so similarly. Like a mother would out of concern for her child. "Was it so personal that you chose not to explain it, even slightly?"
Or a younger sister concerned for her idiot brother.
"Not so, my Lady. I just did not wish to trouble you with my woes," I smiled as I answered, but she could see it for what it was. An excuse. "You've been enjoying our time together and I couldn't bring myself to dampen your mood."
"If you were feeling troubled, you shouldn't hide such things. It's not good for one to keep negative thoughts to themselves. Know that I am here, waiting, in case you need someone to listen to your worries."
'If you want someone to lean on, Daiki and I, as well as mother and father, are here for you as well.'
Well, shit. This was bad. I could feel my eyes watering every time I looked at this girl. I could see the resemblance even though I knew they were different people.
"My humblest apologies, Liliana-sama." I looked away in shame. And fear. "But I can't…"
'Can't what' exactly?
I can't bring myself to look at the girl. It was just a single instance. But that instance planted a seed of hope. A hope that if I looked long enough, Princess Liliana would take the form of my sister Hanami. That kind of hope was false and fragile.
It was the kind of hope that would destroy me. It shouldn't take root or blossom.
Only, Liliana was the kind of person to not let a simple excuse dissuade her.
"I won't stand for this, Eichirou-sama!"
"Eh?" I had to look up towards her as she stood up and glared down on me. "Liliana-sama?"
"You shouldn't be straining yourself for my sake. One such as yourself should be free to deny my requests if you find it troubling."
"My Lady, forgive me for disagreeing, but I have never found your requests troubling in any way." I stood up as well to deny the fact. My height towered over hers, nevertheless she stared back in defiance. "Please do not take it the wrong way. I only sincerely wish for you to enjoy yourself."
"Even still," she argued back. "Eichirou-sama is above someone like me. I may be a Princess, but you are an Apostle. An Apostle of god shouldn't be burdening themselves for my sake. Or my happiness." Her voice quieted to a whisper as her fists ended up balling by her sides. "Not unless you want me to misinterpret your feelings."
"Eh?"
What the hell was she say—OH! OH! NO! Wait nononononononono! Oh god, no!
"Lady Liliana—"
I was interrupted by the shorter girl's hand in my face. She was looking down so maybe she hadn't noticed. But she had thrown it so close to my nose, I couldn't help but notice the fragrance of something resembling freshly picked fruits. Or flowers.
NO, STOP! SHE'S A MINOR, DUMBASS! FOCUS!
Oh right!
"My Lady—?"
"Please, Eichirou-sama!" She accidentally pressed her fingers to my lips to silence me, sending the stupefied organ between my ears into overdrive just to keep myself calm. "I've come to realize that our breaks aren't helping you relax as I thought they would."
"Mm?!" I mumbled incoherently.
"Therefore, I will suggest a different solution."
"Eh?! Liliana-sama? Wai—?!"
"Forgive my rudeness, Eichirou-sama, but I must cut this break short. I'm doing this for your sake." I couldn't even get a word in. The princess tuned me out, and in a few seconds, I was being ushered out the door, a few minutes before our break usually ended. "Come to the training grounds tomorrow. And be prepared for a workout."
That was all I was given before she shut me out. Her personal maid, who assisted the little girl in pushing me out, looked to me with a nervous yet bemused expression. She was outside for a reason. To keep me from knocking on Liliana's door.
This means her orders were final and would not be changed by anything I tried to say.
"Thank you for accommodating her Highness again this evening, Yamamoto-sama." The maid bowed to me while smiling apologetically. Well, it wasn't really her fault I was kicked out. I need not be mad at someone just doing her job so she didn't have to. "I wish you a good night."
"Eheh," I smiled in response, but even then still gave her a confused smile. "Don't mention it, Helina-san."
No, really. Don't. I have no idea what I had done except maybe gotten her mad and further confused her feelings. I still hadn't nipped that problem in the bud as I didn't know how to approach it without making things awkward between us. Doing that would put me in a precarious situation with my friend Eliheid and the pope might think something was up and cause a major misunderstanding.
Now though? It was still biting me in the ass in more ways than one.
Nice going, you indecisive idiot!
With nothing to do about it, I bid Liliana's personal maid adieu and took my leave.
As I walked down the corridors, alone, I thought about my mistake. Seeing the princess resemble my sibling so much, I couldn't help but feel depressed. She wasn't fully similar to Hanami, but the key features were there. She also had the same intense curiosity as Daiki. The way she kept egging me on to play more or tell her stories was quite telling.
Shit. I really am homesick.
It wasn't the same as when I transferred to Japan ahead of my siblings. At least then, I had the option to call them and my parents or send messages.
But the isolation I've been feeling in Tortus was getting to my head. I had been fumbling every now and then, saying stuff that would risk me being exposed when I should've held my tongue.
Dammit.
God-fucking dammit.
"What's got you in a sour mood today?"
The ninja, he hates it when I call him that, made his appearance, leaning on a corner wall.
"Yo, Kousuke-kun. I got kicked out from Lady Liliana's study."
"What?" He looked at me strangely. But then he started to tease. "Did you go too far with your flirting now?"
"Of course not, Mr. Invisible," the corner of his eye and lips twitched at my talkback. "She was worried because I felt a bit depressed today. So she called off the break early to give me some time to myself."
I then explained the situation to Endou. Having been friends with him for a week, I felt I could tell him about the lack of progress with the research. Among the classmates, Kousuke was one of the calmest and most collected. Had I mentioned this to Ayako, Kentarou, or Hatayama-sensei, they would be depressed for a long while. In the teacher's case, it would likely spread like wildfire for how difficult it would be for her not to lie to her concerned fan club.
"So you have a morning date with the Princess, aren't you happy about that."
"I told you it's not like that," I responded calmly at the teasing with an amused smile. "Besides, I'm not even sure she would think of that to cheer me up."
Kousuke just shrugged while mouthing 'you never know' just to annoy me.
This was another thing I found out about the dude. He liked to tease. Well, more now than before. It could've been the shock of being isekaied, wow, that was a weird term, that stopped him from expressing himself. But now that it's been a week and ample enough time for the class to get settled, the exception being myself, he was beginning to articulate even more. Either that, or my teasing rubbed off on him.
"So, what're you going to do?"
"I'll take Lady Liliana up on her offer. Can't really deny it when she practically ordered me to be there."
"I meant the research."
"Be more specific then, otherwise I'll forget you're even here." My face cringed in annoyance for being reminded of my problems. The jab had little effect as well, so I just sighed and answered. "I'm not sure, man. But if the Library doesn't have what I need, then maybe… maybe I should try outside the Kingdom."
I stared out the hall's windows as Ii said that. The small glass panes showed the stunning sights beyond the walls of the palace. A gorgeous view, but potentially filled with monsters.
I looked away from it but my eyes settled on the carpeted floor.
"That's dangerous, Eichirou."
"Gee, no shit. Thanks, Captain Obvious."
"Everyone will be worried," he ignored my jab and stated something worrisome. "Ai-chan wouldn't allow you to leave."
"Heh, I highly doubt 'everyone' would. Still, if I don't do this, I won't be able to find us a way home." I murmured the thought but saw his point. "Hatayama-sensei's too caring for her own good."
"Like you?"
"My 'caring' is more selfishly motivated than hers," I argued back. Kousuke already knew I was doing the research just to get back home for my family's sake. I placed everyone else's situation secondary to mine. "I could probably convince her if I word it properly or show my resolve."
Despite the teacher's insistence, she still lacked the influence to even prevent her students from volunteering for a war. It was bad to trample her efforts at keeping everyone safe, but if I was forced to do so, I would need to leave that safety in order to find a more solid lead.
"I guess I could come with you." Kousuke blatantly stated. "Don't know about Jugo or Ken-chan, but I can't just leave you to your own devices."
"No, you don't." I denied him. "You have no need to risk yourself just because I couldn't find anything or keep my mouth shut. You're staying here." He stared at me with indifference, nonverbally stating he would do it even if I refused. "Don't make me stick you to your bed this time."
"Do that, and I'll gouge your eyes out as soon as I find you."
Minor magic experiment fails. I tried to see if I could make a new magic attribute that was neither water nor earth by mixing both. It was to see if I could find new elements in my search for a special attribute with void or space control.
Childish logic, sure, but I never expected to be able to create a goo that stuck objects together by contact. Kousuke's seat, a small wooden crate at the time, was attached to his rear end for a whole day like a wooden bee. And he was still seething about it.
Sure, he was visible to everyone for the entire day, but it was embarrassing to say the least. I owed him an apology.
However, it wasn't enough to have him put his life on the line.
"Only I will need to leave, you're staying here to keep on training." My tone was dismissive, my eyes staring him down behind my glasses, signaling the end of the argument. I softened my gaze slightly. To express I wasn't mad, just firm in my decision. "You may not like it, but Jugo-kun and Kentarou-kun would be more worried without you. They need someone watching their backs."
They had been friends for far longer compared to the week I've gotten to know them all. If there was anyone they could trust to back them up, it was Endou. He would be watching out for them even if they didn't know it.
"…"
Endou's glare burned the back of my head, but he didn't argue back. Having hung out with them for a while, they've started to pick up on my cues as I have to theirs. Kousuke especially was noticing far more than I gave him credit for. That time with Hiyama was an example. The fact that he didn't resist when I took his fire-imbued staff without prior notice meant he understood what I was going to do, in a sense.
As we arrived at the hall for dinner, I joined the usual group. I had been ever since the practice I set fire to an ass. I thought I should socialize more often. It really took the edge off after I started working with Nagumo, but the load almost vanished when I started to join the rest for meals.
"Oh! Eichirou, Kousuke. Come on, let's eat!"
"Hurry up, before Gochin finishes—OI! That's my meat!"
"Really now, Kentarou. How rude of you to take food from other's plates."
Kentarou and Jugo were already digging in and arguing about slices of meat. Apparently, being forced to do the same exercise regimen as the knight order was enough to force the two into gorging as much as they could. From looking alone, I noticed Jugo had gained some weight. Not that it impeded his class of a heavily armored front liner. Kentarou, on the other hand, was gaining muscles.
Both Endou and I had noticed him flexing before during bath time. We knew why and teasing him was too easy.
"Thank god, we get tomorrow off. I don't wanna go back! Don't wanna! Don't wanna!"
"Aya-chan, please shut up and let me rest."
"Ueeee! Why is magic so haaaaaaard! Also Bakabreak! Give us a break!"
"Suzu?"
"Hm, what, Erin?"
"Shhh."
Ayako and the other girls, on the other hand, were exhausted and somehow unable to even pick up their spoons. Magic training was harsh on the mind, or so they say, but having an instructor that blew up her own demonstrations made the normally excited girls deflate as soon as it was over.
The mage named Ruina was apparently clumsier than I initially thought. During one of the recent lessons, Tear mentioned that she regarded the youngest of the mage instructors as one of her most hardworking student. I guess she implied that there was no other strong point to describe of the failure-prone adult.
"You shouldn't eat too much. You're going to get a stomachache. Hey, knock it off and start eating. If you don't, you'll go hungry later tonight. Sensei will get mad at you if you cause the kitchen staff trouble for being hungry!"
"Ai-chan is so cute."
"So much like a mom."
"Ai-chan as a mom? Impossible! She's too cute."
"Hey! Stop that and finish your meal! Sensei will get angry, you know?!"
"Kya~, she's so cute!"
Hatayama-sensei was at the center of her own little fan club. I noticed that they always stuck around her protecting her like she was a little pup. Adorable, but they pretty much jeered every time I spoke politely to the teacher. Did they think I was picking her up or something? Not to insult the woman's feminine charm but I wasn't interested.
Sure, she was legal, but she worried incessantly. Sometimes, it was difficult to even say you were fine to her when she hardly believed you were. Like a doting mother, and thank god, mom wasn't like that.
"Guys, great work today. Tomorrow is our day off. Let's rest easy and prepare for the coming week."
The other classmates were pretty much worn-out one way or another. Amanogawa even tried to reinvigorate everyone's spirits. Too bad, it wasn't very convincing, what with him struggling to keep his fatigue from showing.
"Oh, Eichirou-kun. I got the circle done. I don't know about the end result yet. Didn't have enough mana to test it, but the spell should work as a good defense even if it isn't perfect."
"Then, let's have a go at it tomorrow."
"Sure, everyone's on break anyways. We can probably borrow a section of the field if we can find Meld-san."
Nagumo, on the other hand, was pretty much looking normal, aside from our exchange being done through whispers. Unlike the others, he hadn't taken much part in physical training and had been spending more time with me in the library trying to find more he could do with magic than he did sleeping.
A few days ago, he even beat my early-rising routine by an hour. The librarian was really surprised at his enthusiasm but livid when he asked if he could have breakfast while he flipped through books.
I guess the guy was trying his best in his own way. Even if it put off a lot of people.
Small talks as we ate. Fun and relaxing. Unlike the times I get to relax and play the piano for Liliana, these little times of simple banter and jokes made me feel young again.
I sound like an old man for thinking that, but the time I spent with Liliana was more like being an older sibling. This one with friends was, as the old people put it, youth at its peak. It felt great. Like the responsibilities were momentarily gone.
And for as long as the moment lasted, I enjoyed it.
"Haaah… Haaah… Meld?"
"What's up, Eichirou?"
"What… Haaah…. the hell… Haaah… am I doing… Haaah… here?"
"Hime-sama asked me to help train you to relieve your stress and take your mind off things."
"Oh… Haaah…. I see."
The wheezing boy looked over to his other companion.
"And you… Haaah… Hajime?"
"Haaah… I've been… Haaah… skipping training… Meld-san… Haaah… wanted me… Haaah… to at least… Haaah… run a few laps…"
"Oh… Haaah… so you aren't… Haaah… being punished… Haaah… for skipping?"
"Had I known both of you were this unfit, I would have allowed you a short break earlier."
Meld's brow furrowed at how the two tired boys glared at him from beneath their sopping wet hair. Sweat was the norm after exercising for about an hour, however both looked more dead than tired.
"That's… Haaah… what we… Haaah… were trying… Haaah… to do… Haaah… earlier…" Eichirou slowly stood up straight, arms at his sides. His glasses were sliding off the bridge of his nose due to the sweat but he was too tired to care. "You just… Haaah… kept telling us to… Haaah… run!"
He looked miffed, but Meld had just been following the Princess' instructions of forcing the boy into a workout session to stop him from thinking and get his body moving. The Knight Commander didn't think his choice of having them run laps was wrong, but maybe he should tone it down a bit more when it came to these two. Unlike the others, they didn't seem to share the bountiful physical stats as their fellow Apostles.
Although, from what he heard of Alan and the old Court Mage, Eichirou had magic powerful enough to take on ten men at once and still retained the strength to cast more varied spells. He also could apparently simul-cast spells.
Magic was a great tool used in war as well, but the fighting was mostly done by the knights. The primary reason being one couldn't keep up a barrage of fireballs. If a group of monsters was too large, they would whittle them down with a few spells or narrow down paths of approach, or in cases of eradication, their escape.
If Eichirou was focused on studying as a mage, then it would be understandable why he was physically weaker than most of the others. It would serve him well to have a body fit for running or traveling on foot in case he ran out of mana. With his high magic ability it should also be possible for his stats to grow faster as well. Whatever the case, he understood his position and only commented back, never refusing the exercise.
Looking over to Hajime, Meld thought the boy's situation a bit harder to understand. When he'd learned that the boy was just a Synergist, he thought he could at least find someone willing to teach the boy the craft. However, Pope Ishtar had advised against it, stating that 'distracting the Apostles from the greater threat would be detrimental to our salvation'. Apparently, even Ehito-sama believed having a Synergist undergo knight training would be better than having him utilize his real class.
The believer within the Knight Commander wished to follow his god's will, but the man he had grown to become after years of fighting monsters and defending his home said such a thing was ridiculous. To take away a smith's hammer to give him a sword is the same as sending him to die. Having experienced a great deal over his career, Meld hadn't enjoyed the idea of having kids fight a war. Hajime's case only made the feeling grow even grimmer.
"You're thinking… Haaah… of putting us… Haaah… through the ringer again… Haaah… aren't you?" Having noticed the Knight's serious expression as he stared towards the two, Eichirou spoke his thoughts. "I'm only gonna say this once… Haaah… Do it, and we might actually die."
'I guess this is their limit for the day.'
Meld smiled wryly as he returned his focus to reality. The two were still exhausted that standing up seemed to be their limit.
"You've done well to keep up at least. You should work out often to keep up your stamina. Being able to endure strenuous labor would actually help you in more ways than fighting. You should emulate what Ryutarou calls his 'fighting spirit'."
Meld's time with the other Apostles had allowed him the chance to get to know them. Although still children, a few displayed talents for fighting and were able to endure hellish training from day one. Sakagami Ryutarou was one of them, and his philosophy was pretty much the embodiment of a hardworking soldier.
"Don't… compare… me… with brawn-for-brains… Haaaaaaaah…" straightening himself up, Eichirou replied heaving a sigh.
"Someone like Sakagami-kun… Heeeh… isn't the standard… Heeeh… for humans in… Heeeh… our world," Hajime tiredly agreed next to him, struggling to even breathe. "He's… Heeeh… an outlier…"
Meld knew he had been in the library for most of the week, but he couldn't forget the boy's deplorable situation. He knew the kid was trying to find a way to equalize his position with his fellows so Meld kept silent about it and didn't scold the boy for doing things his own way. To be told that Ryutarou's enthusiasm was not shared by his fellows, however, it didn't take much to convince the Knight Commander.
"True, only Kouki's pretty much been able to keep up with him. I think we can call it a day for the simple exercise." Meld nodded, but then his serious tone returned. "However Hajime, you still haven't done much for weapons training, so we will get to that now, after you've had some rest."
"Eeeeeeeeh?" His face contorted in disappointment but he didn't refuse.
"Heh, sucks to be you."
"I'm afraid you'll be joining him, Eichirou."
"Hah? Why?!"
"Liliana-sama's request was not limited to simple running." Meld didn't want to rain on the other guy's parade, but he had his orders. "Since we have the time, we will be having you practice some self-defense as well. Also, I'm obligated to inform you that you've been banned from the library for the entire day under her Highness' orders."
"EEEEEHHHHH?" Now it was his turn to contort his expression, only this one was surprise and shock.
"Heheh, how'd you like them apples?" Hajime teased. But the gloating didn't last long as even he was informed of being banned. "EH?! Why me too?"
"You've been causing the librarian trouble for the past few days." Meld explained with an incredulous expression, wondering why the boy failed to notice. "Only Senec-dono has ever gone so far as to trouble the librarian to opening the Great Library an hour or more before dawn, and now the Court Mage is still serving his six-month ban. The young lady needs to rest too, you know. In the past week, she couldn't do so since 'the Apostles needed her assistance'."
Both boys deflated at the mention of the librarian. It was a fact that they appreciated her help, something the librarian herself expressed to the princess, however she found it difficult to refuse them and ended up overworking even herself to keep the books organized and tidy.
Meld was actually impressed. Between the two teenagers, they had caused her almost the same amount of trouble Break Senec has done for the past few months. Quite the thing to be impressed about, sure, but they were as enthusiastic and persistent about learning as someone Meld had believed to had already gone senile with age.
"Alan, Reed, bring out the weapon racks."
""Sir!""
As he waited for them to catch their breath, Meld gave his orders to the two soldiers on standby. As soon as the words left his mouth, they were already moving. Stands and a few tables with equipment laid bare were assorted out next to them. Before he even asked for it, targets were already laid out for him and the boys to use for practice. Some were even laid out in small formations. His men never disappointed him. Such discipline was the envy of other countries' military. One could say that Meld Loggins was one of if not the greatest commanders that the Heiligh Kingdom had been blessed with.
But enough about himself, as he would say. The important, and fun, part comes next.
"Choose your weapons." He stated clearly, using the strong voice he normally had when drilling his men. "From what I've gathered from your fellow companions, our equipment is what you refer to as 'Medeval?' or ancient gear. Since such things had already existed in your world, I'd like for you to pick the one most familiar so as we can train you to use them properly."
The boys reluctantly approached the racks and tables to get a better look at what the knight order had to offer. Spears and swords of the finest make. Axes and hammers strong enough to withstand crushing goblin skulls. Shields that could protect from tens of arrows fired from the same direction. The knights had stocked up on a lot of gear over the years. They weren't as powerful as artifacts, per se. Many had been loot collected from bandit-hunting excursions while others were commissioned from the best blacksmiths in the Kingdom. Not powerful to fight devils, but adequate enough if you faced monsters.
"Oh, a sword." Hajime had picked up a one-handed short sword. It was just short of half a meter and looked more like a long dagger with its relatively small hilt. Pulling the hilt slightly, Hajime unsheathed the blade and swung it lightly to test. "So light. What metal is this made from?"
"Some of these aren't actually metal," Meld explained to the boy's surprise. "There are monsters with metal-like bone structures that we need to hunt down every now and then. Their materials are great for equipment as they are light but durable. Also, much better than steel and easier to process than, say, adamantium or mithril."
"So cool."
Meld watched as the boy showed a similar expression to the other Apostles. He'd heard their world actually used weapons made from steel that launched small, metallic balls as projectiles. 'Guns' they called it. But the concept was lost to the Knight Commander.
Patting the weapon at his side, the Knight reminisced on when he too was given the chance to select his weapon. A two-handed long sword. Made from the same monster materials, if not slightly superior, to the blade Hajime was holding aloft. Heavy and strong, it could cleave most human-sized monsters in two with the right swing. Could be used defensively and didn't need much maintenance.
The knight order required him and his men to learn the use of other weapon types, of course. It was a standard military protocol in case you lost your main weapon. You needed to learn how to adapt in fights and having a spare or knowing how to use another that you picked off a corpse paid dividends to saving one's life.
"Hmm… It's a bit too long." Looking over to Eichirou, Meld noticed he was looking over the spear racks comparing his height to each one he found. He returned them as soon as he judged the length with his height. "None of these would work well."
"What's wrong, Yamamoto-sama?" Alan had approached before Meld could say anything. "Do the weapons available not meet your standards?"
"Do you have anything about this tall?" The boy stood straight and set his hand upright on his head. "These spears are too long. It's a bit hard for me to use."
'Too long? But the average soldier should be able to wield spears up to two and a half meters long.' Meld thought. "Alan, go fetch him a shorter one. If you can't, take off the rear spikes and shave down the shaft if you have too."
"Y-Yes, Sir."
Meld eyed Eichirou as the boy shifted his attention to the other weapons. He tested a few, picking up rapiers and swords then giving them a swing or thrust as he curiously studied the tools in his hands. He did the same for shields, except this time, he tried to carry the smaller ones with a single hand while forgoing the heavier makes. He did the same for axes and hammers, took one look at the larger, two-handed ones then moved on to grip the small maces and picks.
He looked like he knew his way around weapons, a curious thing for Meld as he had heard their world had stopped using them for war and did so for ornamental ceremonies, or rarely sport, or so Shizuku said.
Alan soon returned and handed Eichirou a spear with a simple bladed end and an ebony shaft. The boy took it and started practice thrusting. After a few swings, he nodded and thanked the soldier. He then sat back down and rested. Oddly, he remained observing the weapon he was given. Meld noted it was one of curiosity, but also… something more. Amazement? Awe? The Knight Commander couldn't put his finger on it.
"You're going with the spear, Eichirou-kun?"
"Yeah. I hear it's easier to use, but getting the height just right is more of a preference thing."
With time to spare, the two broke out in conversation. Meld didn't bother them as he was getting his men to gather some light protective gear from the barracks. It wouldn't do for them to exhaust themselves with just wearing the armor.
"Why the short sword, Hajime-kun?"
"It just seemed cool as weapon. Don't you think so?"
Meld had heard this often from the other Apostles. Though, he never bothered it. What they found impressive about the tools were more aesthetic than functional from what the Knight Commander gathered. As their instructor, he frowned on that and suggested weapons that befitted their classes.
Daisuke wanted to go for the long sword as well, claiming it was 'cool' and whatnot. But the boot didn't fit the foot. Watching the boy swing the blade like a club had Meld wincing at the poor performance before he suggested the guy stick with some gauntlets instead. Close range Fighters couldn't compare with Swordsmen when talking about wielding bladed weapons anyway.
"Well, think what you will." Eichirou, in respect for his fellow Apostle's choice, responded thus. "I just don't want to be so close to something or someone trying to kill us."
"Eh?"
"Well, this is for self-defense. Why else wouldn't I be cautious enough to keep myself at a distance? Try lifting your blade and stretch your hands as far as you could."
Hajime seemed to slowly come to understand his point, but he held the sword up and tried raising the blade to eye-level as instructed.
"That's as far as you can reach. This is mine." Eichirou did the same. However, his was over twice as far. "See the difference?"
"Yeah," Hajime nodded. "But I still think keeping a hand free would be more useful. I still have to test that suggestion you gave me the other day."
"Going for versatility, I see. Not a bad choice. Just be careful though. Wouldn't want your free hand to get chopped off."
Hajime chuckled at the joke while Eichirou resumed to studying his weapon.
Meld couldn't help but agree with the warning though. Many thought it best to fight with a shield. Not only did it protect you, it could keep one from losing a limb forever. Living with one is hard enough, fighting would be for dear life. And no matter how strong the healing spell, no one could regrow limbs.
But the choice of versatility piqued Meld's curiosity. What exactly would Hajime use as a backup? He only had a sword equipped. Would it be magic? Meld guessed he would see later.
"Have you found what you like yet?" After enough time to rest and equip the boys with some light protective gear, Meld got up and placed a hand on a target. He signaled Alan to do the same for another. "If you have, then let's see how you do. Hajime, I see you stuck with the sword. Come give this guy a swing. Eichirou, Alan will be checking yours."
Meld tapped the target and took a few paces away to allow Hajime some room.
"When you're ready."
Hajime looked at the target and got a running start. He swung down with a cry,
"HAAAAAA—" THUNCK "Eh?!"
Only to bounce back as soon as his blade made contact.
"You swung the blade wrong," Meld assessed the strawman's shoulder which had a dent but nothing more. "When you attack, make sure you keep the edge at the same angle as your swing."
Hajime nodded and tried again.
THUNK
THUNK
CHINK
After a few more attempts of changing his grip, the boy landed a cut deep enough for half the blade to sink in but not pass through.
"Good. The cut works as well. It didn't punch through since you didn't have enough Strength, but this will do."
"Haaah, I guess I really can't rely on my stats with this one." The boy sighed in defeat. He made to smile but Meld didn't think he was trying to be funny at all.
"Don't let it get you down," the Knight spoke up and gave the boy a pat on the back. "Even if you didn't land a clean hit, it's better to know that you didn't bounce off it again. Any newbie worth their salt would appreciate being able to cut than to not be able to do squat."
He tried to tell the boy he could still do better. Honestly, he was lying. The other Apostles had managed to either cut or smash clean through a target with even a staff. To have someone bounce off with a blade on wood was embarrassing to say the least, but 'not saying' was not 'lying'.
He really meant what he said. He just hoped the boy understood that.
KUSHEK
"Oh! Wonderful strike, Yamamoto-sama."
The spear he was given was approximately his height. That was the distance between Eichirou and his target. The spear tip had pierced the head exactly in the center. A few cuts to the straw marked his earlier grazing attempts.
"It still took me seven tries, Alan-san." The boy humbly replied while pulling the weapon out and checking for damages. "I still need to practice getting it right."
"That may be the case, Yamamoto-sama, but you already have the form down. Are you sure this really is the first time you've held a spear?"
"Curious, isn't it?" the boy said jokingly. "I've never had to practice learning how to use these weapons in our world. And yet, this somehow feels… familiar."
Eichirou's voice didn't tell any lies, or any Meld could have noticed. Instead, it was filled with genuine awe and curiosity. Soon, he returned to his stance. And Meld had to agree with Alan. His posture and the way he held the weapon was that of a trained soldier. The only difference was that he was sweating like crazy at the simple practice thrusts.
"Meld-san, I'm ready."
"Alright," Meld returned his attention to his charge. Watching Eichirou must've lit a competitive spark in Hajime as he saw fire in those eyes. "When you're ready."
THUNK
"Again"
CHINK
KUSHEK
The sound of wood getting sliced and pierced reverberated the training area for quite some time. After a while, the two had gotten used to their newly selected weapons, Eichirou catching on fast and Nagumo slowly following behind.
"Okay, now that you know the basics," Meld signaled his men to clean up the field. "Let's see how you fare in an actual fight. Reed."
"Sir?" The man he called responded. Hajime recognized him as the soldier who guided him and Endou to the library on the day they got Status Plates.
"You take on Hajime. Use a practice short sword and show him how it's done. Also, be on the offensive."
"Understood," the man stepped up while picking up a wooden blade. His passive expression was now sharpened and ready for combat. It had the boy unsettled for a few seconds until he had prepared himself. "Nagumo-sama, are you ready?"
"Eh, wait!" Hajime stuttered as he noticed something. "You're going to use a wooden one? Then shouldn't I—?"
"No need for that, Hajime," Meld replied in his subordinate's steed. "My men aren't so inexperienced as to practice with dull blades. Your training is the same as his, except where you are practicing how to use a weapon, Reed is training how to restrain his strength."
"But…"
"No need to worry, Nagumo-sama." Reed spoke. His serious face momentarily replaced by an assured smile. "I'm confident in my skills to avoid serious injury. Please, do not worry over me."
"And besides, Alan here is good with healing magic."
"Just a little, Commander," the young soldier replied humbly to Meld's claim. "I can heal minor wounds but I can't compare to a Priest."
"So Commander Meld says," Reed sighed at his colleague's response. "Now, Nagumo-sama, are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Then," the man lowered his posture, before suddenly stepping forward. "Have at you!"
"Guoh!"
Nagumo jumped to the side. Had he not, the wooden blade would have slapped his cheek. Reed took a step back, reasserted his posture, then attacked again. Being slow on his recovery, Nagumo ended up wildly swinging the blade sideways to knock away the attack and rolling again.
It wasn't to last, however. On his fourth try to dodge the incoming Reed, the knight attacked again instead of falling back. The shock of being pressed on caused the boy to trip backwards.
"Transmute!"
"Woah!"
Jumping back from the sudden flash of light, Reed avoided the hole that split open beneath his left foot. Eyeing the split's source, Hajime's free hand glowed on contact with the ground. Had the knight stayed, his posture would have collapsed.
"Clever move," Reed complimented the boy as he took the opportunity to get back up. The hole remained but didn't change further once Hajime relinquished his skill on the ground. "However, Nagumo-sama, how long can you keep up the cheap tricks?"
"Uwah!" Hajime ducked away from the incoming mid-swing. Before he had time to react, the knight was already pressing him once more with a thrust. Hajime had to roll twice over to escape being skewered to the ground. "Woah! Aren't you too persistent?!"
"Meld-sama ordered me to be aggressive. My guess is he probably wants to see how you cope."
The polite reply was given behind a few more swings aimed at squashing Hajime on the dirt. Jumping to his feet, Hajime was forced to jump over a low swing aimed to take out his legs. He dived again near Reed's legs and struck the ground with his free hand.
"Transmute!"
"Again—What the—?!"
Instead of a hole, Hajime transmuted a pillar to envelope Reed's legs. The earth burst forth and wrapped itself around like a living stone snake. In the moment of surprise, Hajime had the knight's lower torso wrapped in rock.
"Haaah…" Out of breath, Hajime smiled. "Got you!"
"Not quite."
The boy's expression turned from relief to shock as Reed reversed his grip on the wooden sword and struck his prison. The rock cracked, and with a tug, Reed broke free to bring his weapon to bear.
The first bout ended with the wooden sword a Hajime's throat, dented by stone and covered in dust that the boy's rolls and skill threw up.
"Pfft…"
"Is something wrong, Yamamoto-sama?"
"No, no, Alan-san." Eichirou snickered as he reassured the knight. "I just remembered something from my world. Something about constantly rolling to escape death. It's a joke a rare few of us from Earth know."
Alan didn't know what to make of it and didn't bother. A joke from another world wasn't really his business to understand.
"Well done, Hajime." From the side, Meld ignored Alan and Eichirou as he nodded his approval. "You did better than I expected."
"Eh? All I did was roll though." The boy replied sounding disappointed. "The only damage I've done is probably dirty Reed-san's boots and pants."
"Not so," Reed disagreed. "You managed to stun me long enough to escape. Quite an ingenious way to use your class. I'm impressed."
"Had you not fallen exhausted at the end, you could probably win through surprise and ambush." The commander nodded approvingly. "You may have lacked the strength to continue, but as a novice facing off against a trained soldier, you chose to run, escape, and fight smart instead of facing him head-on. You know when the fight is lost and chose to at least try to survive."
The boy didn't seem to get why that was important. It took his fellow Apostle explaining for him to understand why Meld found the boy's mindset to be in the right direction.
"Meld means to say that 'it is better to avoid a fight you can't win'. He prefers you save yourself rather than stupidly taking on an impossible challenge. 'Value your life' so to speak."
"Eichirou's right on that. Now," Meld turned to face the two audience members. "Alan, your turn. Use your spear this time."
"Sir."
The man saluted and disappeared behind in the barracks. Upon returning, Eichirou's jaw dropped.
"Oh, come on. What the hell? Why does Hajime get to face a practice blade but I get the real deal?"
Stepping up next to Meld, Alan's spear thudded on the ground by the rear tip. The sharp long blade at the other end gleamed sharply under the morning sun. The owner of the weapon simply scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Well, that's because you have a bit of talent behind yours," Meld smiled but there was a hint of mischievousness. "And you seem to understand my point already, so why don't you demonstrate it for Hajime?"
"You're joking?"
With Meld not responding and Alan already moving to one side of the field, Eichirou was left to stomp his way to his side.
"Commander," Reed spoke up next to him with Hajime close by. "Are you sure about this?"
"Eichirou showed such skill in practice." Meld stared at the boy as he readied himself on the field. All the while, he spoke quietly. It wasn't that he didn't want Hajime to overhear, but rather he didn't want Eichirou to. "If he has talent, we should give him the opportunity to hone it. If, after this, he doesn't wish to partake in weapons and combat training, then we will just continue with physical sessions instead."
"Was that because of Princess Liliana's request?" Hajime asked to which Meld nodded.
"Mostly, yes. However I only opted for this kind of training to check if Eichirou is prepared for the worst. There are many more threats to you all outside the palace besides devils and monsters."
Hajime made a face that said he didn't understand. Meld didn't expect him to, though. The only one he expected it from was the boy preparing his stance opposite one of his best spear-using subordinates.
All the while, he noticed a single pair of eyes observed from afar.
The grinding of teeth would've been heard had the owner of said gaze wasn't alone. It didn't stay for long, however. The observer immediately took their leave the moment they spied Meld looking in their direction.
The Knight Commander was perceptive. But it didn't matter so long as no one was really there when Meld checked the area. It chose a secluded place to peak from, one with no guards on duty. However, it didn't really care what Meld would think if they were caught observing in the first place. There was nothing wrong with being curious. The only thing the observer thought was wrong was the attention being given to the boy.
To Yamamoto Eichirou.
First the King, then the Princess, after that the Court Mage. Now it was the Knight Commander.
The spy contemplated what they've gathered. Information was key. But observing from a distance was all they could do. Getting close was dangerous. If anyone found out what they were doing, they needed to get rid of them, quietly. That couldn't apply to someone as prominent as Meld Loggins.
Must knock him down before he gets anymore support.
"Are you ready, Yamamoto-sama?"
"Come at me already!"
"As you wish!"
Sounding slightly irritated, Eichirou called out the knight who gladly obliged. With a low thrust to his feet, Alan aimed to trip Eichirou as he moved to respond. Unfortunately for Alan, a sweep to the boy's right from the low-pointed spear knocked the attempt aside. He repeated another low stab again, but Yamamoto knocked it aside to his left this time.
Unable to trip him, Alan recovered and took a step back. He then assessed Eichirou's stance. He kept the point centered while aiming at Alan. With his tip pointed low, the knight struck forward, aiming for a mid-thrust.
"Guh!"
Receiving the blow with his weapon's shaft, Eichirou stepped forward and let the thrust slide to his left harmlessly, guided by the boy's own spearhead. Countering, the rear tip of his weapon nearly pommeled Alan in the face had he not raised his armored elbow to take the blow. Taking a step back, Alan checked for damages. A small dent was clear on the metal but didn't break the vambraces.
"Nicely done, Yamamoto-sama."
Eichirou didn't reply. Instead, he recovered his posture. Legs spread by the shoulder width with the right foot forward. His left hand holding the shaft of the spear center mass while the right held near the rear end for balance. The tip was still pointed as a middle guard towards Alan.
The knight took the challenging glare as he aimed again for a thrust at Eichirou's midsection. This time, he kicked off with all his legs could give, forcing a swift lunge. This came close with his spearhead approaching the boy's abdomen but was parried by a right sweep. Then, Eichirou counter attacked. Taking one step forward with his left, the spear tip was suddenly enroute to Alan's face. Or rather, it was in his way due to his own lunge.
THWACK
"What the—?!"
The knight had pulled a sudden stop at the last second and thrown his shaft in front of his path, knocking Eichirou's spear tip skyward with a resounding crack. He quickly moved his left arm back and right arm up to pivot a downward strike. The spear was swung down like a club. With the weapon's reach and the suddenly closed distance, the shaft was in a clear path aimed at the top of Eichirou's head.
But the boy saw it coming.
Before Alan could make contact, Eichirou quickly twisted his own body to the right. His right hand held tightly on his spear that it joined him in his rotation.
"Wha—?!" Alan cried in shock, unable to pull away his heavy downward strike.
"Eat this!"
WOOSH THWACK
With his body as the fulcrum, and Alan knocking the spear upward as leverage, Eichirou twisted his body so that the seemingly light weapon swung sideward. Th black hardwood's shaft cracked sharply on the knight's metal-knuckled gloves, canceling Alan's descending swing as well as disarming him.
Not missing a beat, Eichirou tugged the spear's shaft by its middle point, returned his right hand and the rear tip to beside his waist and stepped forward once more. The tip had Alan by the apple, a few inches or maybe one step forward, and Yamamoto could have permanently silenced the knight.
"It's my loss."
Alan, out of breath, had his arms raised in surrender. Eichirou, however, didn't move a muscle and kept his stance forward. His spear still threatening the knight's throat.
"WELL DONE!" Meld shouted as he approached the two spear-wielders, clapping as he broke the two from their post-battle calm. "Well done, Eichirou! I was right to have Alan go in armed—!"
CLANG
The spear tip which had dropped from Alan's throat was then pointed towards the Knight Commander's own face. As if reacting by instinct, Reed had drawn his own real blade and blocked the attack while pushing away his commander. Now he was locked in place with Yamamoto's spear tip pushing down on his sword's center mass.
"Yamamoto-sama?!"
"Oy, Eichirou-kun!"
Before Alan could reach him, Nagumo had gotten close and pulled Eichirou back. The sudden opposite force to counter his weight threw off any force he placed on the spear away from Reed.
"Hey, snap out of it! Eichirou-kun? Eichirou!"
"Gaaah… Haaah… Haaah… What… What the—?!" He asked, confused. He was breathing wildly. His previous composure was gone. It threw everyone off as just a moment ago, he had been so close to injuring two knights. "What… the fuck just happened?!... Haaah… Haaah… What… Haaah… What did I do?"
"Eh?"
""…""
Neither of the knights responded. Nagumo looked just as confused as he did. Meld was the first to regain his composure.
"Eichirou." The boy snapped his attention to the man. All form of hostility was lost, replaced by a panic Meld had seen only with new recruits experiencing their first battle. "First, let go of your spear."
CLANG
He did as he was told.
"Now, I need you to breath. Breathe and calm your mind."
He did so as well. First it was a fast one. After exhaling, he took a second and deeper one. On the fifth, he was back to the calm, collected pace he usually had.
"Better?"
"Yeah… Ugh!" A hand rushed up to his head. For a second, Meld thought he was in pain, but soon, he was back to normal. "Sorry about that, Meld, Reed. I guess the adrenaline went to my head."
"'Adrenaline'?"
"Ah, right. Your science hasn't caught up to that yet." With both hands to his face, wiping away cold sweat, Eichirou spoke normally, all traces of panic gone. "Think of it as something your body produces to keep your head focused in a fight. Our world calls that phero— that thing 'adrenaline'."
The knights didn't argue with that. A scientific fact from another, more advanced world might as well be a mystical ailment to them. But they didn't relax their guard.
"Does that mean you'll stop attacking the commander?" Reed kept his sword out. It wasn't pointed anywhere but the ground, but he didn't sheathe it yet.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be back to normal after a little rest."
"What causes such a thing," Meld responded. "If you don't mind me asking?"
As a commander, it was part of his duty to be notified about things that could affect his men. But even more than that, he wondered what could send a normally calm kid into a fright that would cause his allies to be indistinguishable from his foes.
"Ah, in emergency cases, adrenaline affects those who get the need to act. Like a minor push to do things as soon as possible. Think 'suddenly jumping in front of a horse to save a kid from being trampled when you were just standing still a second ago'. It's similar to that. But for people like me who rarely has to do things with that kind of rush, we tend to go overboard or get confused on what to do." He looked to Meld as he spoke. "Suddenly shouting when I just did what I did jumped me to attacking you as well."
Not a hint of a lie. If anything, he sounded like he regretted it. Meld couldn't help but think back to the rest of his men that he had to approach and calm down after their first battle had ended. Seeing the similarities and comparing it to Eichirou's depiction, it seemed to make some sense.
"Reed, put away your sword." The man did so while Meld approached the kid, the boy, and placed a hand on his shoulders. The calm was there, but his hands still shook. "Sorry about that. I guess I really did go overboard with you two today."
"Heh, no kidding." Yamamoto looked his way but didn't see him. Instead, he probably saw what he almost did to the Knight Commander's face. "I'll be fine as long as I get some rest. Don't tell me you're gonna make me run laps after."
The boy's smile was one that was fighting the shock. Admirable, but it betrayed his maturity. Meld still saw a child that didn't know what else to do other than fake being alright. And he may have felt slightly guilty for having put the boy in such a situation in the first place.
"Alan, help bring him back to his room. Reed, have the men clean up."
""Sir.""
"I'll tell Liliana-sama that I've complied with her request." The two went to work, but before Alan and Hajime could leave with Eichirou on their shoulders, Meld added. "I'll see to it that she knows of your current condition and have her get someone to attend to you."
Eichirou seemed to turn white at that but he still joked.
"I wonder who'll be in a bigger pickle, you who went overboard or me who got into an even worse state than before."
"Rest assured about that, Eichirou." Meld smiled. "Liliana-ojousama is a hardworking child willing to personally take care of those she feels responsible for."
It turned Eichirou into an even whiter shade, but it wasn't for the reasons Meld had assumed.
So their morning ended without any more incident.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggghhhhhh…"
"Please hold still, Yamamoto-sama."
"Aaaagh, ugh, aaaaagh, ugh…"
"Please refrain from making too much noise. I can't… won't be able to concentrate."
"Sorry about that, Iselda—ugh—san. I'll try and lower my voice."
"Thank you, Yamamoto-sama."
Well, this was embarrassing.
Here I was, laid down on my bed, topless, as a beautiful maid tends to my aching muscles. Sounds like a hot scene, right? Wrong!
I couldn't move. At all!
My hands had gone limp as soon as Meld ordered me to let the spear go. My legs, shoulder, and waist all felt like they were on fire. And my back, oooooh, my back. It felt like I jumped off of a four-story building, snagged on a few clotheslines, whacked onto several fire escape ladders, then finally slammed into a car parked at the bottom. Kinda makes me pity the professionals that have to do stuff like this in movies. If this were an action filming set, I should get paid double or an added health care bonus.
Suddenly being able to spear-fight like a professional didn't mean my body could keep up with the fancy footwork and quick, jerking movements. That was a problem with my body's conditioning. I did exercise, maybe once in a while, but never to the scale that I could twist my body to swing a long pole in under a second, let alone that move I did to deflect a spear.
In the first place, how the hell was I able to do all that?! Since when was I an experienced spear user? Never. That was fact. I know me, I can attest to it. Being able to do crazy shit is crazier when you never knew you could do it.
I noticed I blanked out when I grabbed the spear but remember every detail when I handled it. Like I was me but not at the same time. That made the crazier shit into batshit retarded.
"Yamamoto-sama, I'm done now. Should I get anything? Or call someone to keep you company while you rest? Liliana-sama, perhaps?"
I shuddered at the thought. She wouldn't take this lying down. She was already busy with something and it was why Iselda was here and not her. Great news, sure, but it was still bad if she worried more for it.
Yet, she had suggested the exercise that got me like this. Not the method, but still. That girl would take responsibility and most likely go overboard. Better to avoid that for a lot of the obvious reasons, especially so that she doesn't take it to heart.
"NO!" My sudden shout of answer was muffled by the sheets, sparing me from shocking the maid. "Ah, no need for that. I wouldn't want to bother the Princess. Not when she might be busy."
"Are you sure, Yamamoto-sama? Would one of your fellow Apostles be alright then?"
And risk getting Hatayama-sensei on my case again? HELL the fuck NO!
"Just some water and lunch will be fine, Iselda-san. I don't have anything scheduled with Liliana for today and the others should be busy with their own things. I think it's better if I could just rest alone for a while."
She nodded and quickly left to fetch my meal. It was just about noon, maybe a little after, but it would be fine to leave me be for a while as I was banned from the library, my only other bastion besides my room. That left me alone on my bed. And with no one around, that was good.
I summoned what strength I had remaining in my arms, grabbed my coat off the edge of the bed, and took out the plate.
"Status, open," I said so in almost a whisper. Once the screen glowed with results, my eyes narrowed at the changes. "Well, that explained it."
Name - Yamamoto Eichirou | Age - 18 Years Old
Gender - Male | Level - 2
Class -
Strength - 15 | Vitality - 15
Resistance - 225 | Agility - 20
Magic - 300 | Magic Resistance - 275
Skills:
· Language Comprehension
· Living Encyclopedia of Another World
- Combat Arts
o Quarterstaff
o Spear
o Sword
· Appraisal
My stats had gone up. Greatly too. It was probably due to the magic practices we've been having. But the more appalling thing was the additional entries to the mystery skill I had no idea how to use.
So this was how I learned to use a spear so damn fast.
I watched action movies. Mom liked watching Jackie so much that we as kids got into it as well. I know the staff could be used in such a way, but I had never tried going so far as to emulate it! Swinging the damn thing was dangerous, and I was already terrified at giving my brother a black eye. Getting grounded from action films with a scolding from mom was triple the negatives!
I also never went to martial arts classes. Well, not the ones that use weapons. Hand-to-hand was basically reserved for self-defense, or if anyone wants to try and get frisky with my little sister. I would show them how to get frisky with their own nuts after I jam their heads up their— Ahem.
Anyway, not a fan of weapons. So this should explain how I was able to use the spear. The question now was 'How does the skill work?'.
At the time, when Meld asked us to select weapons, I was thinking to myself 'do I really want to pick one up?'. I had to run several laps already. Even if it was an order from Lady Liliana, there was no way I could pull off a sudden workout with an accompanying weapon training. Hence why I was reluctant to comply.
But as soon as I got to the table, my curiosity got the better of me. How wouldn't I? There were stuff you only saw behind glass panes at the museums. Even if you were given the chance to touch one of those antiques, swinging them around for a test run was a big no-no. Also, dad would've had my head if I tried playing around with exhibits owned by institutes he sponsored, but I digress.
Meld was just following Liliana's orders so I had no other option than to cooperate. At least I could humor him by picking one and going for a few practice swings. The gear was all cool to look at. So I grabbed one up and thought to myself 'how does one use this thing?'…—!
I jumped off the bed, landed face first on the floor, picked myself up and immediately grabbed the small knife-like object hidden in the drawer.
"Appraisal, letter opener."
The rush of information was uncomfortable, but what I needed.
Stainless steel it was not. But the quality was still top-class. More on beauty but it didn't have to be used for anything other than slicing open letter envelopes. Ideal for the use of nobility. The blade was half a foot long. Hilt, porcelain and inlaid with some gold and brass, was handled by one of the finest of craftsmen from the west. The blade was thin, but it could serve to do more than slicing open envelopes.
It was a potential dagger.
I then thought about how to use it. The obvious came to mind. Slip it under a flap and slice open the paper. Easy, right?
I shook my head and dug deeper, looking for other potential uses.
Come on! Think. Think! Where else would I use this thing?
In emergencies!
Self-defense was plausible. I focused on that.
Slowly, my hands moved along the tool, pinching the blade between my fingers. Slowly, I moved down the hilt.
Blocking is a no. Stabbing. How does one stab with a knife?
Immediately, my grip on the hilt turned into a back hand. My right hand held the knife deftly, as if I had done so for years. My left hovered as if to intercept an incoming fist. My posture suddenly fell low.
Before I realized it, I had bent my knees and was positioned in a stance that had my left-hand block before my body and my right with the knife held behind me above my head, ready to strike. Though I felt the muscle pangs, my shoulder blades bunched up as the knife hovering above me seemed ready to carry my full body weight for a swing in a moment's notice.
I could swing down on those foolish to approach. I could intercept close range jabs or other knife thrusts and trap the assailants hand. I could also use a feint and switch to a left-hand punch then end it with a stab to the neck.
Suddenly, I thought about ranged attacks. What if the enemy was farther than this simple letter opener's reach? I couldn't just jump to them, so what did I do with this flimsy utensil?
The answer was clear. I should throw it. It would buy time, at least distract them before they noticed me rush them in.
Unexpectedly, my blocking hand was lowered and the knife was brought down. My grip slid from the hilt down to the blade tip and now, I had the damn thing held before me, ready to fly off as soon as I swung forward. I hadn't done so ever before, but there was a strange confidence that if I did, I could land it square on the center of my reflection's head in the mirror a few meters away.
A killing blow.
I snapped out of the stance in terror and returned to normal, weak-kneed me. It was a painful trip to the floor as I fell squat on my rear, drained once again at the sudden movement. The letter opener harmlessly skidded across the floor as I dropped it, just a letter opener once more. But the panic that sudden thought gave me didn't abate just yet.
Breathe deep. Just breathe. Hold it. Release. Calm? Good.
I looked at my hands, then back to the reflection of the mirror. Beads of sweat escaped me, but not from exhaustion. This was a different feeling.
It was fear.
Fear of the sudden killing intent I myself released while I held the blade in my hands. There was a weird sense of self-assurance that came out of nowhere. It was like I could actually use the thing as a weapon. Not just to protect myself.
But to kill.
"Status, open," not sparing a second more to bemoan that killer confidence, I held the artifact until it touched my glasses' frame. "So that's how it works."
The stats didn't change one bit, but there was under skills.
Skills:
· Language Comprehension
· Living Encyclopedia of Another World
- Combat Arts
o Dagger
o Quarterstaff
o Spear
o Sword
o Throwing Knives
· Appraisal
So the skill 'Living Encyclopedia' allows me to learn the actual combat art as long as I have the tool and the intent to learn. And it's all ingrained instincts, hence my body's struggled to keep up when I use them. The muscles don't learn without practice. Even more so when the information was just copied and pasted into my head like text on paper.
In short, 'Wanna learn, grab a spear. Poof, you're not a newbie anymore'.
Huh. Isn't that useful.
Useful, yes. But is it worth it?
My inner voice thought. I could use weapons as long as I strongly desired to do so. But was it really worth it to feel that way again? To feel alright with taking a life?
The feeling came out of nowhere. Like I had been a seasoned veteran at the job. It was the only description to my state of mind as I held the weapons. Not just the letter opener but the spear as well. Like I had done so for years.
When I held it and practiced with it, it felt like I had done so time and time before. But that was the first time I had wielded one with the intent of piercing a target.
During the fight with Alan, when he started getting more aggressive, I felt the need to push back. To strike at the man who held a weapon that could harm me. And when I was countered, I lost myself in the heat of battle even before I could process that my move had failed. And that bit of suddenly stabbing at Meld? Only because he shouted. No. That wasn't adrenaline. That was me panicking and reacting to what I felt as another threat.
If my instincts with weapons were only acting on my perception of a threat, wouldn't that make it deadly if I was suddenly jumped with a knife in hand? I could end up killing someone like that. Even worse, I would do so without meaning to.
I began to sweat even more.
I didn't want to kill. Get the hell out of here and leave Ishtar and his zealots to fend for themselves, sure. But I didn't want to directly take a life. I almost did that to Meld.
What would I do if I suddenly lost it and started attacking the others?
Calm down. You won't lose yourself.
Forget getting home alive. If I keep panicking every now and then and overreacting with a club to their face or a pole to their chest, I would probably become a serial killer! And if I did get back home, what would happen if I was stuck in that state? My friends? My family?
They'd be in danger, no doubt.
They won't. I'll protect them!
All because of me.
ENOUGH!
My hands covered my mouth as I stifled a scream. I tried to get a grip on my breathing again.
"Haaah… Ugh—!"
And failed coughing. I tried again.
Breathe deep. Hold it. And… release.
Calm down.
Breathe deep. Hold it. And… release.
Process it.
Breathe deep. Hold it. And… release.
Nothing's happened yet.
Last one. Breathe deep… Hold it... And… release…
.
.
.
That's it. Calm? Good.
This skill only posed a threat to Meld when I panicked. I shouldn't panic. Not now. Not ever. Doing so is the same as letting it happen.
I shouldn't rely on this skill too much.
Such was the new goal added to my list of priorities.
If I need to use it, so be it. But I will NOT rely on it.
If this skill was able to turn meek, silent me into a skilled fighter, that was helpful in many ways. I could be capable of protecting myself and others when I need to. But if I had to give up my current state of mind during a moment of panic for it? No martial art or skill would make it worth losing my sanity.
I want to go home.
If I didn't, people I care about would be sad.
But I want to do so while still normal.
Otherwise, they would all get hurt.
But if I don't use it, it would be such a waste.
I could die early without it as well.
What should I do…?
I need to think…
.
.
.
Fuck. I'm too distracted. Calm down!
If I don't come up with a plan or make my mind up, this'll be a problem!
That thought scared me.
KNOCK KNOCK
"UGH—OW!" I jumped, startled and in pain. "Who—ahem. Who is it?"
"Endou. You alright, man?"
"Oh, Kousuke, huh," I sighed in relief and got off my ass. I glanced at the mirror to check if my current state was ok and sat back down on the bed, still sweating heavily. There was no changing it now. The best I could do was mask my panic and act normal. "Come in."
"Yo. I came to check up on—woah," he looked me up and down as soon as he got in the door. Under his heavy bangs of a plain face, I saw eyes of genuine surprise. "You look tired."
"You don't say?" I replied with a weak smile, trying to sound sarcastic to mask my half-rattled state. "I feel like I fell off a horse with my foot still tied to the saddle and my back skidding off horseshit and stones."
"That's an oddly detailed description." He smirked, expecting me to joke.
"Eh, well. At least that time, I got my foot free after a few seconds and only suffered for thirty minutes."
His smirked vanished.
"I'm kidding, man."
"Ha? You—… Haaah," he sighed in relief. Then chose payback in the most non-violent way possible. "Jackass."
"Yeah, well," I smiled back. "You believed me anyway, gullible idiot."
He looked like he wanted to punch me in the shoulder, but seeing my deplorable state, he refrained from exerting too much on me.
"Then, mind explaining what got you into such a mess?"
No harm in giving him the gist of it, but I omitted the fear, paranoia, and sudden change in my Status Plate. It wasn't that I didn't trust him. I did, more than I did before I met him. But it wasn't enough to say I trusted him with my life. I can't just talk about this with anyone.
Had it been family, maybe I would've relied on their help. But Kousuke and I were just recently strangers. He might think I'm off my rocker and it would be bad since I already told him about my plans of leaving the Kingdom. If he knew I wasn't feeling confident about it, he might dissuade me from leaving entirely. I should keep it from going that far. I still planned on finding the answer to a way home away from this place. This… nightmare.
I did have to tell him the thing about almost skewering Meld though. I can't lie about that. Otherwise, the inconsistency would raise questions.
"Didn't know you were such a wuss." He joked.
"Har har, let's laugh at the guy who nearly pissed his pants in a 'practice' that just so happened to involve bladed weapons." I tried throwing my pillow at him, but it fell short. "Shut up, man. I nearly had a heart attack."
It was more than that, but let's not worry him further.
"But seriously, Eichirou," buying the mask, he picked it back up and tossed it in the bed before taking a seat on a nearby chair. "You're lucky you didn't actually make a shish kebab out of Meld-san. If you did, I doubt even the king would be able to forgive you."
"The guy's pretty much the only one the king trusts with the army." I agreed. "He's also a responsible guy for keeping an eye on everyone during training."
It was a good thing that it was Meld. I may not trust the guy wholeheartedly, especially after that dick move with practice, but I sure as hell prefer the chivalrous knight over some religious zealot. Not to be a dick to Amanogawa… no wait, actually, to be an absolute dick to the gullible Amanogawa Kouki, the class wouldn't last long if their symbol of leadership began to blindly believe pious bullshit. The way he kept staring at me up till now also spoke of his determination, in this case, to get me to join them. Or maybe he was homo. Who am I to judge?
But since the guy drowned in his own righteousness, it was difficult to argue with him on the matter of the war. I am strongly against it. He sees me as wrong and would sooner or later ask again. Probably. The guy was persistent and had his heart in the right direction. Too bad his head is useless, minus the pretty face.
It made him easy to manipulate. Just carry a banner that said you were right, or fought for justice, either idealistic crap would work just as easily as the other, and he would drag everyone all to hell in a heartbeat. He already did too, what with him volunteering like a fool.
At least Meld has kept them all mostly safe and in line. If he had been like another Ishtar, I may have gone ignored since the beginning and the others on their way to the devil's capital city.
Thank Anima, or whatever god out there besides Ehito, am I right?
A side note, I would rather praise Earth's fictional pantheons than bow to this prick who can't even have his own people resolve their problems. Frigging Buddha got a whole continent to chill and learn to let live by sitting under a tree. The hell was this pretty-faced dick wad doing?
I lost myself in the internal rant. I even forgot what I was stressing over just a few minutes ago.
"Don't you mean 'responsible for training us'?" Kousuke suddenly asked. "Aren't you going to join us starting tomorrow?"
"Not sure about that one." I never really agreed to it. I was only in it to humor Liliana. The physical training… I'll admit, was a necessary respite to keep me from losing my head in depression. But the weapons? I wasn't so sure I wanted to feel that again so soon. "I'll think about it though."
Kousuke nodded, leaving the choice to me. Huh, for a guy who surprisingly liked to tease, he really knew when to stop pushing buttons. Before I could thank him, however, he pulled out a letter from his pocket.
"What's this? Confession letter?" I teased.
"Not unless it was the Royal Family inviting you over."
That wiped my smile off my face. Was it Liliana? Did I really land her interests so hard that the king wants to adopt me? Shit! That's no joke! I can't be tied down now!
"I'm joking." Endou said, interrupting my already frantic mind. "It's the invitation for a party."
"A party?" I asked as I unfolded the piece of paper. True enough, the fine cursive writing and signature all spoke of a ball by the invitation of the Royal Family. "'A gathering to welcome the arrival of the Apostles to be attended by the noble families and officers of the realm'. Our introduction to the country's aristocracy then?"
Ah, politics. Ugh. I hated these things. All the plastic expressions, empty praises, and aristocratic platitudes you had to endure.
"Seems so," Kousuke nodded. "The Head Maid passed us these letters after we ate. I volunteered to pass you yours."
"Aw, how sweet of you," I mocked him for his kindness, but he knew I meant nothing for it other than to joke around. "You didn't need to go that far for me, y'know?"
"I wouldn't. Except," he paused. Then, after shaking his head, decided it wasn't worth mentioning. "No, never mind."
"What's up?" curious, I asked.
"Hm… Did you do anything recently? To upset anyone, I mean?"
I pondered on it.
No. None. Except Ishtar, maybe. My existence was probably a stain to him and whatever he wants out of the class. But I didn't do anything aggressive these past few days. I mostly just helped Nagumo learn magic and entertain Liliana during our breaks. Not really anything to piss off a pope, is it?
Checking for any of the other prominent people in the palace, I came up blank.
"Nope. I've been pretty decent for the past few days. Why?"
"If you didn't, then it's fine. Could just be me misunderstanding things."
Dodging my question, Kousuke dismissed the topic entirely. I didn't think I could get anything more out of him so I dropped it as well. Checking through the letter once more, I noted the formal theme of the event as well as the appointed time.
"Wait, what? Tonight?!"
"Ah, right," Kousuke said. "Meld gave us the day free for us to prepare."
I groaned with envy. What the hell, Meld?! You choose to tucker me out on a day I need to keep up appearances? Then again, maybe he really didn't expect me to be this weak bodied in the first place. The damn skill also had a hand in it so Meld wasn't complicit in my situation.
Maybe I should skip—
"Oh, right," Kousuke suddenly jumped, remembering something. "The Princess' maid came asking about you."
"Eh? Why?"
"When I asked, she wanted to know whether it would be alright for you to escort Liliana-sama during the party." My inner voice went silent at that. "Should I tell her you can't make—"
"Tell her I'll be happy to oblige Lady Liliana's request."
"Eh? Are you sure?" Kousuke was surprised. Of course he was. I was about to do something stupid. Even as I moved towards the closet to grab the necessary attire, all he could do was try to stop me. "Weren't you just exhausted? Are you sure you'll be fine with escorting the princess?"
"Yeah, I should be fine." Brushing aside his arm on my shoulder, I nodded. "If it's just escort duty, then it's no worries."
Of course it wasn't okay. But if I didn't show up, Liliana would find out why and feel guilty about my situation. Being the indirect cause, there was no way this wouldn't eat away at her. Being the responsible kid that she was, it would probably lead to her getting all kinds of ideas to make up for it.
That was going to cause me more trouble than it was worth.
Firstly, it would trouble the girl. I appreciated her gesture to help. I really did. But the constant association with myself would be misleading. Not just to her, but the king and entire kingdom as well. I already ignored the classmates constantly pairing me with her, but that I could take. The Royal Family, however, I can't just mislead. That's a dangerous game.
I was already playing through the bluff, but it wouldn't make any sense to put my life in even more danger!
Secondly, more of a byproduct of the first, nobles and the king would probably approach me as I have such a close relationship to the princess. I haven't seen her have much contact among the others even after the whole week I've been with her. That was probably because of me. That detached relationship with the hero and other companions would probably make me her anchor to the others. I don't like that implication one bit as that would put me responsible, in a sense, for the others.
Being responsible for my friends was fine. For Amanogawa and the rest? Ehito can fuck himself for having summoned all of us at once.
Lastly, Ishtar would have something to nose about. As I deduced before, my relationship with Liliana was a double-edged sword. She had taken to my stories like the hungry given bread. If anyone misconstrued that, it could be taken as me brainwashing the poor girl. Such fodder would be like kindling to my stake. Or hers if she comes to defend me. Ishtar getting dirt on me was bad. For both our sakes.
How does escorting Liliana help with all that? It officializes our relationship.
"After all, it would be rude of me as an 'Apostle of Ehito' to not honor the request of a friend who has welcomed us so."
I may have felt some vomit at the words, but I meant what I said.
A friend.
That's right. Liliana was a friend to us Apostles. And I had to convince everyone, everyone, of that.
If I'm given the opportunity, I should guide her to mingle with the others. It wouldn't do for me to be her only friend. Maybe Shirasaki and Yaegashi for starters. Their popularity of the two would practically gravitate the others to them if they become best friends. But they would probably be swarmed by suitors though. I had already heard from the others that Prince Lundel, Liliana's little brother, has been eyeing Shirasaki. Adorable. Good luck with that, little one.
Maybe Ayako and Mao instead, seeing as they could become fast friends. Nakamura was fine, but I should keep Liliana away from Taniguchi. At least, until Nakamura can weed out the perverted old man form the diminutive girl. Hatayama-sensei and the female side of her fan club should be able to assist too.
I should keep her away from Amanogawa, though. He could infect her and I don't like to entertain the idea of the pretty boy whitewashing Liliana's already impressive personality with his bland and blatantly skewed one.
Kousuke, unable to dissuade me, just sat back down and observed as I organized the attire available. He probably wanted to say something but knew that he couldn't change my mind now that I made my choice. So instead, he opted to ask a different question.
"Eichirou."
"Hm?" I kept my hands busy selecting suits and checking if they matched the coats. "What's up?"
"Where did you learn how to dress up so properly? Were your parents into fashion or something?"
"Fashion? Pffft…"
I snickered at the thought of mom readying her own dress. Nope. Never happening. The woman wasn't even able to properly prep herself for her own wedding. I doubt she would even know what a proper 'suit and tie' event was. Ah, Kousuke started looking confused. Better explain.
"No, no. Our family didn't really dabble much in fashion. Just that my dad used to meet some pretty well-off businessmen for parties so I had to get used to prepping myself for those kinds of events."
No matter my age, I still had to look the part as his son. Honestly, I didn't enjoy those shorts and overall straps before. Never wearing them again. A coat and vest were more my style anyway.
"Hmmm. No wonder you looked so comfortable in a suit." He commented before asking bluntly. "So you're rich? Is that why you're used to maids?"
"This again?" I smiled evasively. "Why can't you just walk up and talk to one?"
"…" He looked away from me. This was his 'silent explanation' mode. It usually meant one sentence: 'I can't do it.' Still, he didn't seem to want to let up.
He really was interested in this. I didn't mind talking about it, but the guys I was close to, Kousuke especially, were always badgering me how I was good to talking with maids. Perhaps it was because they found it difficult to do so.
But why would one be nervous when asking for assistance from someone who should accommodate your request? It was their job, for goodness sake.
To be fair, I was just being polite to everyone in general, give or take a few exceptions. I was still suspicious of most but the façade had to be maintained through a consistent, well-mannered practice. A slip could paint me as an inferior to these people of high class. So I always kept to the teachings that my father drilled me when talking to important people. Polite in the face of the superior, compassionate to those beneath, defiant only when strongly against.
Pretty overboard for a child at age five, maybe. But it took a while, and after I got the hang of it, even dad was impressed. It wasn't really that hard. Despite their being so many kinds of people, there were many things they could all share and accept as a friendly gesture. Like smile and wave.
"Just try talking to one." I egged him. "It isn't all that hard. Just ask for directions or something if you want to get used to them."
"Eh?" His expression said that he didn't get it. "But… is that all?"
Really now, it's like convincing Kentarou-kun and Ayako-san to get along well after they argue. What did he find so hard about speaking up? He and I got along just fine. Or maybe that was more on my part but come on. Also, Jugo could converse with maids well. He just needed to learn eye-contact. Hajime, on the other hand, needed to learn to some restraint. Even the librarian was slightly overwhelmed by his enthusiasm.
"Conversations are an exchange. You start by giving and they take it. Then it's their turn. Just repeat that. Should they not reply, then that's them being the rude one and you can leave them alone. Simple as that."
"It doesn't… seem simple."
"What? You don't want to talk to pretty girls?"
"…"
Ah, 'S.E. mode'. He couldn't. Just like Kentarou can't bring himself to be normal around Ayako. It's either fidgeting in silence or a pretty heated disagreement. Arranging the last part of my attire. I took a seat opposite him and sighed.
"Haaah, I'll be frank with you, man." I really couldn't be any blunter too. "Just talk to one. You might not feel confident now, sure. But if you keep acting like those male 'herbivores' I've been hearing about in the news recently, you probably won't get a girlfriend. Even here in Tortus."
"No—That's not what I—! That news is outdated!"
"Is it? Can you prove it?"
"…"
"Dude, chillax." I patted the guy on the shoulder. I'm topless, hot, and sweaty, him frantic, stuttering, and nervous. No homo. "If you keep letting yourself fade in the background, how else would you expect anyone to see you?"
The pretty foreigner-looking girls were probably too much for the teenage hornballs from Japan. But there really should be a limit to how meek they get. Seriously. Anymore, and the birth rate would plummet into negatives. I worry for my ancestral home's future. Not that it really bothered me as I hadn't lived there in so long.
"Find some self-confidence in there somewhere," I tapped his back where his heart should be before crossing my arms and sighing. "And for the love of god, try and act natural. Not cool. Not sexy. Not impressive. Not Kouki."
Especially NOT Kouki.
"Just be yourself."
The simple message was pretty cliché, I know. But it works. No matter how many times mom used it to reassure the kids every time we changed schools, that same advice cropped up over and over. Shit got old way too fast, more so with all the movies and inspiring kitten posters.
But it was true anyway. No denying that.
"Easy for you to say," he replied while ashamedly looking away. "You practically grew up with maids."
.
.
.
The statement met silence. All my desire for teasing was dropped.
Instead, I stood back up, turned away to face the open cabinet, and breathed.
Deeply. Serenely. Calm? Good.
Again.
Breathe deep.
Calm?
Good.
"Yeah," I replied blankly. "Guess I did. But that doesn't excuse your weak self-confidence."
Grabbing a few of the other clothes left in the closet, I turned to face him with coats and dress shirts in each hand, back to my normal self. Well, 'normal' wasn't the way he would think of it.
I felt an odd sense of irritation. Like I needed some payback. Was this what it felt like to be wronged?
"Now," I smiled, with the added purpose of terrifying him. Judging by the eyes filled with shock and horror under his thick bangs, it was super effective. "Let's see what we can do about getting you ready for a party!"
"Oy! Why're you looking at me like that? What's with those eyes?! What're you going to do with those?! Get away! No, please!"
CREAK
"Yamamoto-sama, I've come with your meal—"
Just as I was about to 'help' Kousuke, the maid arrived with a tray of food.
"Ah, perfect timing, Iselda-san." I continued casually, as if nothing was wrong, with Kousuke cowering away from me and towards the door. "Please, shut the door before Endou escapes! He's trying to avoid the party being thrown by the King in the Apostle's honor!"
"Understood!"
Credit given where credit is due. The maid reacted swiftly. Unflustered by my toplessness by now, she followed my orders to a 'T', locking the door behind her and leaving Endou trapped with me.
"Eh? Iselda-san! Please, open this door! Please!"
Maybe it was because she was a maid of the palace and the occupation demanded her discipline and ingenuity, but it also seemed that she had jammed something to keep the door from opening as Kousuke struggled with the knob. As she was but a simple Tortusian, she couldn't handle a competition of Strength against an Apostle, but she could delay him this way, at least.
"Tututu… that won't do, Endou-kun." I appeared behind him, prepared for anything he could try. "Weave and weld. Hold tight and taut. Stay all who struggle. Let nothing escape thy grasp. Entrap, as I command thee, Adhesive!"
A thin stream of gray liquid flew out of the paper I hastily drew a unique magic circle on and struck the boy on his palm just as he tried slamming his hands to the door. It stuck like glue and appeared to envelop the wooden surface and his skin in a thin yet expanding coat. It grew even more as he struggled.
"Oy! Eichirou! This isn't funny no more!"
"Yes, well, you pushed a few of my buttons," I replied with wholehearted honesty. "But I honestly want to help you gain some confidence. I bet that dressing you up will do for now."
I really wasn't lying. I wanted to help him so. But there was something else inside my intent. It was to embarrass this young man as best as I could just before I ruin our friendship. The reason being for taking the teasing too far. Even if he didn't mean to.
There were just some words I tend to avoid. They reminded me too much of the past. I really was tired and all that. Liliana's choice of relaxing had been way beyond my expectations. It helped with relieving the stress, I'll admit.
But the results were almost voided when I was reminded of a time I didn't want to remember.
In light of relieving the stress I just oh so recently gained, my only option is to embarrass this boy who's words were the cause. He might not have meant it, but I was too tired to care.
And besides, maybe a little harassment would scare the confidence into him.
Or not. I was just really mad right now.
I soon forgot about my worries that came with the realization of my other skill. I had Kousuke to thank for that. After toying around with him and giving him some advice on how to dress up, I let Kousuke go. He ran, ran, from me as soon as he was able to. I never knew the guy could go so fast. Then again, still didn't quite understand how stats applied to physics. Also, I might have scared the boy.
'Might'.
But thanks to relieving my stress and finally getting some rest, I owe Kousuke twice over. Iselda served me my meal and for a short time, I was in peace once again.
A while ago, I really wasn't sure how to go about facing my skill problem but having been given the calm I needed to contemplate everything, I realized something.
If I couldn't rely on the skill, I would just have to find a way to work around it. The skill had a subsection. 'Combat Arts'. That implied there were other types of uses for it. Where there were combat ones, there should be non-combat counterparts.
I can't thank Kousuke enough for this. Being able to relax and act like a teenager again really cooled my head.
If there was a way to utilize the skill without the risk of harm, then it wasn't a lost cause.
I could learn how to use a knife with just my desire alone. Who's to say I couldn't do it with a chisel, paintbrush, or hammer in the same manner. Getting skills in other fields should increase my chances of survival. Having painting or writing skills would be a good replacement for photography and printing. It could serve me well if I needed to copy documents or take images from Great Labyrinths for study.
Should I continue the weapons practice with Meld though?
Yes. Dangerous, but yes. I could become dangerous with a weapon when I feel threatened. But that's a price I have to pay to gain a mastery of this skill. Maybe, just maybe, I could learn to avoid harming anyone if I could.
First step would be to get as faaaaar away as possible from anyone while I practice.
Still, something bothered me.
"Status, open." I scanned the contents of my Encyclopedia skill. The way the 'Combat Arts' just branched away into subsections of weapons called something to me. Something either Hajime or Kousuke might've mentioned before.
'A Derivation of the skill?'
They said it was possible but also mentioned that it had never happened before. How such a statement could be said without contradictions was beyond me. But the context was still there. What I had was the first Derivation Skill in what could be centuries in this world. Maybe even ages ago.
This was bad.
The Appraisal was already a no-no. This made me an even rarer specimen.
I should really, really avoid sharing this.
Being tied down by the legalities required of the Appraisal skill would tie me down. Having a Derivation Skill, especially one of this versatility, would practically force me into the war.
Calm down. Only you have access to this plate. Just… Just don't draw any more attention than necessary.
Breathe. Calm. Good.
Now, before I lose my head further, I should get prepared for the party. Better put on my best performance otherwise I'll end up with another Ishtar on my back.
"Haaah," Iselda released a sigh she had been holding in for quite a while.
She was currently taking the used dishes back to the kitchen for cleaning. Having had to help Yamamoto-sama with assisting his fellow Apostle to get dressed was quite the task. Although Apostle Endou-sama resisted vehemently, Yamamoto-sama assured her it was for his own good, seeing as he and the rest of their fellows had encountered trouble with the palace's given attire.
His words held truth, however. There had been a buzzing rumor among the servants that the Apostles weren't adhering well to the accommodations of the palace despite all the effort they put into it. Some were sloppily dressed, others had difficulty eating certain foods, and then there were those who didn't appreciate the facilities. Mainly the lack of something called a 'shower' or a 'proper toilet'.
Iselda didn't understand such concepts and assumed they were probably commodities only available in their world. She could see why there were some Apostles who found living in the palace uncomfortable and therefore, didn't argue with Yamamoto.
'But did Endou-sama have to be such a crybaby about it?' she thought.
She didn't mean any insult to the Apostle. It was just that she found his behavior rather strange. Yamamoto-sama had explained that there were some concepts in their world that wouldn't translate to Tortus as the differences in culture was too vast. Iselda took his words for it and didn't bother thinking about it. But still, it was strange for a young man to be so whiny when it came to clothes. Iselda thought he looked quite nice. He didn't quite compare to Yamamoto-sama, but she couldn't say he looked bad.
Well, Apostles knew what fitted them best, or so she believed. Just let it be.
"Ah, great timing, Iselda!" Arriving at the palace's grand kitchen, a familiar voice called her over.
"What is it, Amelia-senpai?" Iselda addressed the older girl politely but kept her distance with the cart she was pushing between them.
"A delivery just arrived." Gesturing over to several barrels near the back entrance, the older girl clasped her hands to plead. "We need extra hands right now to prepare them. Is it okay for you to ask for a leave from Apostle-sama?"
"There's no need for that. Yamamoto-sama told me to take a break anyway as he would be resting until tonight's party." Quite convenient, actually. The timing of her break was impeccable. After serving him, he just told her to leave a pitcher of water for him while he rested before the appointed time of the ball later that evening. It looked like he had expected the kitchen to need extra hands. 'As expected of an Apostle. Yamamoto-sama is considerate as well as insightful as always.'
"Hmm? Did something good happen?" Amelia began poking her face closer to Iselda's own. Their height difference made it easier for the taller girl to bypass the cart barrier Iselda had set up. "Your face is glowing! Did you get to feel Apostle-sama's muscles up close again—Mmph?!"
"Please stop saying such things. It's rude." A rag stuffed itself in Amelia's face. Her senior always had the habit of being too close or rowdy. So much so that the younger maid had took to becoming more composed and well-mannered than her senior. She was also too damned perceptive! "We—we have things to prepare, do we not?"
Moving ahead of her senior maid, the young Iselda set aside the dirty dishes for another of the servants to clean. Folding up her sleeves, she popped open one of the barrels in the back while Amelia prepared their tools.
"Hm?" Soaked under cooling water were round red fruits with a small cut stalk where it used to be connected to a branch. The red orbs seemed to shine even more under the light of the sun. "Pleap fruits?"
"It's amazing, isn't it? These fruits could be made into salads and their juices are comparable to nectar from those fairytales during Ehito-sama's creation of the world. With this many, it can be called the largest harvest of pleap fruits in the century."
Amelia plopped her head over Iselda's shoulders, much to the girl's dismay, as she counted the number of barrels available.
"They also say that pleap fruits are common in the Apostles' world! After hearing the stories about them from your Apostle-sama, the Princess begged the King for something similar as gifts to appease the Apostles-sama. He quickly requested the other nobles to find them. No we have enough to make juices and other deserts. Liliana-sama was also wondering if we could replicate dishes from your Apostle-sama's stories."
"He's not 'my' Apostle-sama." Iselda snapped back. "Stop saying misleading things, senpai."
"You say that," she smirked knowingly backed. "But you enjoy serving him so much that you've practically forgot you serve the palace and the Royal Family."
"I'm under orders by Liliana-sama to do as he needs me to—ack!"
"Ita! Ow! What was that for Head Maid?!"
Looking up at the imposing woman, only the bubbly Amelia dared to ask the lady who smacked them both in the back of the head.
"Those who shirk their duty will receive punishment." A smile was present, but her scolding voice froze hell over. "Does your work include pointless chatter?"
""…""
"I thought not. Now get to peeling. And do be careful with the seeds. Separate them as cleanly as you can. Do not break a single one."
With no reply back to the eldest of maids, they were left to start preparing the fruits while she herself started organizing the other servants in preparation. Only her senior to accompany her, Iselda sat down and started peeling the pleap fruits before slicing it open and collecting the dark seeds in a nearby flute glass. After a while, and as the Head Maid vanished to do more work, she continued her task in relative peace.
"So, so, so?! How far did you get with him today?"
Except for the fact that her senior kept pestering her.
She was doing the same job, peeling the same fruits, similarly discarding seeds in another flute glass next to her. A tedious task for many. And yet the older maid, who was able to efficiently peel and pit five times more fruit than Iselda had done in the past few minutes, had only been doing the work half-heartedly.
All to interrogate her for 'juicy' stories.
"We didn't 'go anywhere', Amelia-senpai." Iselda flatly replied. "Please go back to work."
"Ehhh? But it's boooorrrriiiiing!" The older girl whined as a child. "Your time flirting with Apostle-sama's much more interesting than peeling some fruit—Ita!"
"Back to work."
"Ye—yes, ma'am!"
Delivering a smack to the back of the talkative maid's cranium, the Head Maid disappeared as soon as she came. Iselda, somehow grateful as well as terrified still of the old hag, resumed her job.
"Please do your work properly, Amelia-senpai. And for your correction, I haven't been 'flirting' with Yamamoto-sama."
"Tch, boring," the older girl really liked to act as a child, much to Iselda and her colleagues' dismay. "And here I thought our little Iselda-chan would finally get a chance to experience some 'grown-up' love."
The words had Iselda rolling her eyes. Their idea of 'grown-up romance' was a bit perverse as it pitted her, a simple maid, vying against Princess Liliana for an Apostle's attention. It was pretty much an open secret to the palace that the two were close. Not enough to become noteworthy, but enough that the servants would start fantasizing a romance between a princess and god's blessed from another world.
Such were the flights of fancy that tickled the maids' hearts as well as made the guards pray for their lady's success.
They couldn't help it. The Apostle of Ehito known as Yamamoto Eichirou was well-liked by everyone. He was polite, courteous, as educated as a noble, and open-minded. He was a great converser and storyteller, with a few of the servants having overheard and agreeing with Iselda's sentiments.
The other Apostles were bland and confusing. Some of them were well-mannered and polite. Others were quite rude and picky. There were also the indifferent and difficult ones to communicate with. All in all, Yamamoto-sama was the only one to captivate most of the people he met.
The only exception was the Church of Saints as he seemed to disagree with their methods. None of the lower servants knew the big picture, but many suspected it was because of Ishtar-sama's insulting of the Apostle's own god. One called Anima.
For simple commoners such as they, gods were an idol of worship. Having known of Ehito all their life, they devoted their souls to him. Some going so far as to offer their very existence to the Church.
But the thought that Ehito's pope had insulted the god of another world sent rumors flying everywhere. Some said that the pope was just mistaken and should be forgiven. Others say that there was no other god besides Ehito. But there were those who sought to reason that maybe it was just the pope's misunderstanding the Apostles that caused the confusion.
No matter where one went, there was a discussion about it. If the god Anima was real or not. If the pope really did mess up or not. If Liliana was actually flirting with him or not. Not one of the servants could say for certain.
Well, the last one was being kept secret by Liliana-sama's personal maid, so no one dared to question it further. Her adoration for her charge was as much as the Queen's to her child. Well-respected as she was, only the inept would dare.
Also, the Queen had ordered everyone to let Liliana take things her own pace. By that, she meant let the Princess go for Yamamoto-sama without any external interference. Even she found the young man endearing enough to let her own daughter pursue him through her own ability. Iselda found it odd though, for the Queen being supportive. The King was probably still unaware of his own daughter's attraction to the boy.
But back to the Apostle in question, the awe of such a benevolent otherworlder showing respect not just to the King and Royal family, but to the guards and servants as well, it was enough to amaze many. And unlike the others that bumbled behind the choices of the handsome one, Yamamoto-sama took things at his own pace and made a larger impression than the Hero did.
'As I thought, Yamamoto-sama is impressive.'
"Aaah, I see a maiden in looooooove!"
Iselda felt compelled to peel something else other than the skin of the pleap fruits.
"Amelia-senpai. Could you kindly please. Get. Back. To. Work." Each word was punctuated by the knife cutting into the fruit. "If Head Maid catches you slacking off—ow!"
Dropping the fruit, Iselda grasped her hand. A cut visible on one of her fingers and a small stream of blood on the knife.
"Wait! Let me see." Taking the wounded hand in her own, Amelia quickly responded to the younger maid's distress. "No change in color. No foaming or signs of poisoning. Alright."
Taking out a simple piece of paper, the older maid began to chant.
"By Ehito's blessing, relieve this child's suffering. Close the wounds, I command thee, Heal."
The wound quickly closed up. The emergency healing magic circle died and faded away from the paper. The healing spell completed; its purpose fulfilled.
"Thank you," Iselda meekly said. "Fast as always with the first aid, senpai."
One of the skills her senior had was healing magic. Harder to come by, especially from a commoner born in the streets, Amelia was the rare case that had a good aptitude for the spell.
"Don't thank me yet. You should check later if it starts to hurt or if you feel off in any way."
"Eh?" looking at the wound then back to Amelia, Iselda asked. "Why is that?"
"Pleap fruits are especially rare and hard to grow so it is very valuable. The taste is sublime and worthy of the Apostles, no doubt. But there are rumors that it could be poisonous." Iselda stiffened at that. "Some say your skin starts itching and it gets to the point that you can't help but tear off your own skin. Others say it goes straight for your chest, stops you from breathing until you die silently screaming."
The examples were terrible. Not just the kind to scare off children, but it sounded horrible to even think about. No wonder the Head Maid told them to be careful.
"Hey, hey. Don't go all white just yet. You don't seem to be suffering any symptoms so you should be safe. Just make sure to get yourself checked if you feel off, you hear?"
Amelia didn't have a class just like most of the other servants, including Iselda herself, but her medical and healing abilities were one of the things she was appreciated for. Perhaps her upbringing made her knowledgeable of such things. Nevertheless it was a respectable trait.
"Understood, Amelia-senpai. I'll be cautious."
Iselda was quite impressed with her senior every now and then. She showed remarkable attentiveness and care for her juniors. Regrettably, it was how she found out about Iselda's confused feelings for Yamamoto-sama. It was bad that she decided to use such information as teasing material to annoy the strict junior Despite this, she was supportive of Iselda so it painted her in a better light. She was also a hardworker and good at her job.
"Wouldn't want my precious junior dying off before her first love gets fulfilled!"
The only thing Iselda wanted from her though was to keep her mouth shut.
"ITA!"
"OW!"
"I don't see you working." Preoccupied by the accidental cut, neither noticed the sudden return of their superior. "Move along and find the head chef. He needs more help arranging the dishes for the hall. Remember to clean up before you go."
"Yes, Head Maid." "Understood."
Both maids nodded and left, leaving the pile of peeled pleap fruits to be tended to by another servant called on by the Head.
Iselda kept an eye on her senior, keeping the lively girl as well-behaved as the junior could. Soon, they needed to prepare a party worthy of their saviors. It wouldn't do for them to mess up even more.
All the while, she checked on the former wound the older maid had patched up. No scarring, no itching. Clean as can be. And yet, she wondered what her senior meant by the fruit being poisonous. There were many things in this world she had yet to experience. Being a palace maid had allowed for some of them to be fulfilled, but rare foods was a commodity reserved for the higher-ups.
'But to think it could be poisonous?' Iselda wondered. 'If such a thing was abundant in the Apostles' world, then would that mean they could survive despite the poison?'
The young maid sighed at the obvious.
'Of course they can. They're strong enough to defeat devils. Able to wield powerful magic that could surpass even the Court Mage. And maybe strong enough to beat the best of the Knight Order if the cause of Yamamoto-sama's injuries were anything to go by.'
Iselda let the concern slip away. Initially, she had panicked at the news. Not just for herself, but also those they would be serving this to. But at the simple thought, she just sighed and forgot about it.
'I highly doubt something like this would even faze Yamamoto-sama.'
Hold your butts and give me a few hours to up the other one. Party's up next.