Jared, who had a light sparring match with Pfeil in the courtyard of Duke Rüdiger’s Mansion, wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel, confirming his body had recovered. He was scheduled to return to the Capital City tomorrow, and in a little while, he would have a dinner gathering with the Rüdiger family. Of course, the dinner gathering was merely a nominal event; they would simply share a table.
Duke Rüdiger’s Family, it seemed, disliked ostentatious things. While many nobles had a tendency to favor flashy things, Jared found them to be unusual. Similar to Duke Alway, the ducal families Jared knew were understated. Considering the ghoul horde that had attacked the territory recently, simplicity was preferable. The dinner gathering was being held as a minimal courtesy to express gratitude to Jared and his companions who had come to offer support.
“Perhaps I should really focus on Earth Magic, as Pfeil suggested,” Jared muttered.
As he regulated his breathing, even though it was a simple spar, he regretted not being able to land an effective blow despite using magic. Jared hadn’t truly cultivated his magic or combat skills over a long period. He had attained a certain level of skill in a short time thanks to his abundant magic power and an excellent mentor. However, after recently liberating his magic power and gaining the ability to use Petrify Magic and Body Enhancement Magic, his combat style had broadened, resulting in him becoming a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
“With your proficiency in combat and skills like Petrify Magic and Body Enhancement Magic, shouldn’t you focus on developing those?” Pfeil, drinking water beside him, offered his advice, but Jared couldn’t immediately respond.
While he was happy to have acquired skills he didn’t possess before, he was also anxious about how much he could truly master them. Ancient magic was still incomplete and inefficient. This wasn’t the case with his previous Earth Magic, but it consumed as much magic power as unleashing the powerful Great Earth Magic, indicating many areas for improvement.
“I do want to master Body Enhancement Magic, but…” Jared began.
“But what?”
“I question how necessary Petrify Magic truly is.”
Once someone was petrified, he didn’t possess a method to reverse it. For something like the ghouls recently, where the sole objective was to defeat them, it might be acceptable. However, in combat against humans, it would invariably lead to taking their lives. Even if he didn’t take their lives, if he couldn’t restore their petrified bodies, those individuals would suffer. Perhaps he wouldn’t feel guilt if the target was an enemy, but the thought of Barnabas Kaif made him hesitate.
“Hmph. Still spouting such naive words. Combat is always about fighting enemies. Therefore, whether it’s petrification or body enhancement, you should use whatever you can to its fullest.”
“I understand that, but…”
“I suppose you’re going to say you don’t want to injure others more than necessary. That’s naivete. Have you become timid after petrifying Barnabas Kaif?”
Jared bit his lip, his inner thoughts exposed.
“Has regret been born from meeting his surviving family, Ernesta Kaif?”
“Perhaps.”
“You’ve become soft. No, I should say you’ve become weak. Do you remember? The first time we faced each other, you were prepared to kill me if it meant protecting Olivier Alway. You were soft then too, which is why I’m alive. But you are softer and weaker now than you were then.”
Jared couldn’t deny Pfeil’s assessment. Setting aside the softness, he was aware of his decline in strength. After meeting Olivier, fighting Pfeil, and subsequently facing many difficult battles where he nearly died.
“Enemies like you and others were strong. It wasn’t arrogance, nor was I underestimating them.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. You are being influenced by Olivier. Both for the better and the worse. Though I admit I myself have become softer due to the influence of you two. But—cast aside that softness in battle. I’m not saying kill all your enemies, but at least be able to protect your own life.”
Pfeil had indeed changed. Jared wouldn’t say he had become softer, but the doll-like impression he had upon their first meeting was gone. He sometimes became emotional and spoke harshly. Jared had thought this was a part of Pfeil’s youth, but to Pfeil himself, it was a sign of softness.
When he thought about it, there was some truth to it. Before meeting Olivier, he had nothing to lose and only needed to deal with enemies calmly. However, after living with his clumsy, older fiancée, he learned the warmth of her affection—and gained things he didn’t want to lose.
“Have I become soft?”
“Yes, you are soft. The first time we met, while you were trying to protect Olivier, you were determined to defeat me, your enemy. You would have even killed me if I had no further use. But it was Olivier who stopped you. You are influenced by your fiancée. While this softness might not be entirely bad for you, remember that it can be dangerous in battle.”
Pfeil gulped down his water, his expression shifting to one of concern.
“In everyday life, you might be fine as you are, but switch gears during a fight. If you have things to protect—protect them by any means necessary.”
“…Pfeil.”
“—Hmph. That was uncharacteristic of me. Forget what I just said. However, you cannot remain strong while clinging to softness. Think carefully.”
With that, he turned and walked towards the mansion. Jared, left behind, pondered his friend’s advice, contemplating what he should do.
“Just to be clear—”
“Yeah?”
“It’s merely my opinion. Find your own answer. Be strong in a way that you won’t regret, even if it’s soft. However, I cannot fight while harboring softness.”
“I understand. I’ll find my own answer.”
“Let me know when you find it—I’m looking forward to it.”
Before Jared could say anything further, Pfeil disappeared into the mansion. This time, he didn’t stop or look back. Having keenly felt that Pfeil was genuinely concerned about him, Jared didn’t want to settle for a half-hearted answer. Jared sat down in a corner of the courtyard, waiting for Lily to call him, and envisioned his ideal self.
There is an important announcement on the activity report. Please read it.
