Keiri-san’s advice, no, given the circumstances, it was more of a warning.
If you asked if my life had changed drastically since hearing about the lost magic sword, I would have said it hadn’t changed much, but unfortunately, another matter forced me to change my living environment.
If I were to introduce one of those changes, this would be the first thing that comes to mind.
“Haa!!”
With a single burst of effort, I swung the Ore Tree horizontally, cleaving through my opponent’s torso.
“Hmph!”
Himik, my training partner, easily blocked it with her training spear.
Although she was wearing a cooking apron, made for ease of movement, it was unsuited for combat. The fact that she could effortlessly block my attack even in such attire indicated the gap in our abilities. While I felt frustrated, I used that jealousy to tell myself it was due to my own immaturity, fueling my determination.
“Aaaaaaaah!!!”
Emitting a monkey-like roar, the Ore Tree, amplified in power, clashed against her spear with a *gakin* sound, sparks flying. However, I clearly understood from the sensation that it wasn’t an effective blow.
It had been several days since this became my daily routine, sparring with Himik after work, ever since I heard about the major tournament. Each time we fought, it was a process of trial and error, but my opponent had more experience and skill. I couldn’t seem to win a single match. In dungeons, the main focus is fighting monsters, so while I gained combat experience, one-on-one situations against humanoids were rare. Consequently, my lack of experience fighting people was glaring.
I do engage in one-on-one training with instructors, Party Member Kaido and his group, and Himik. In addition, I’ve gained some practical combat experience in real battles on a few business trips. However, all those opponents were either my equals or weaker. Even the Knights’ Order leader I fought during my business trip to Isal wasn’t someone who made me feel the despair I did when fighting the instructors. But this tournament is a battle to determine the best among beings on that same level, those who inspire despair. It wouldn’t be surprising if there were skilled individuals like the instructors appearing.
What’s needed is to create conditions that allow me to fight well, or even win, against stronger opponents. To do that, I need to at least partially bridge this gap in experience. That’s why I’ve increased my usual training volume.
“Ngh!”
“Haa!”
As expected, skill doesn’t improve overnight. Or rather, I can feel myself gradually adapting. My solitary training alone wouldn’t allow for this pace of growth. I’m truly grateful to have sparring partners who help me grow like this. Especially when they are skilled individuals. It’s common sense in this industry that strength is strength, regardless of gender. Even now, without the connection to the Ore Tree, Himik easily parried my full-power strike and countered with her spear.
“Huff, huff.”
After successive bouts, my stamina was pushed beyond its limits. Fighting with minimal strength, I couldn’t execute a decisive move. Off-balance, I couldn’t defend myself, resulting in a blade being thrust before my eyes.
“Haa, shall we call it a day? Thanks for sparring with me, Himik.”
“Mhm, I’m glad I could get some exercise too.”
The intense training after the dungeon tests is indeed tough, but that’s precisely why it’s rewarding. If I can’t grow explosively, then it’s important to take it one step at a time and accumulate effort. Because I’m exhausted, my control over my strength becomes minimal, leading to fewer wasted movements. And because I’m tired, my concentration tends to waver, but this training environment allows me to build focus. Furthermore, pushing my body like this has increased my stat gains.
Taking a few seconds to catch my breath, I considered incorporating different training methods next. Once I felt somewhat settled, I stood up and secured the Ore Tree to the fixture on my back.
“Master, a towel.”
“Thanks.”
Seizing the opportune moment, Himik offered me a towel she had prepared. As I wiped the sweat from my face with the towel and took a breath, I noticed Himik staring intently at me.
“What’s wrong? Is something on my face?”
“…Master, aren’t you overdoing it a bit lately?”
“Really? I don’t think I’m pushing myself too hard…”
Himik wasn’t looking at something on my face, but rather at my complexion. I thought I was managing my fatigue well, but from her perspective, it seemed my management was still insufficient.
“This training, procuring materials for the wedding, managing Party Member Kaido and his group, dungeon dives, and other paperwork. It feels like you’re taking on too much. And besides all this, you seem to be trying to shoulder something else. I understand you’re a hard worker, but don’t push yourself too hard. Not just me, but Suella and Memoria are also worried.”
“…You’re hitting a nerve.”
Everything she said was true, and now that I thought about it, it was starting to lean towards being a bit of a heavy workload.
“If you feel that way, I’d like you to reflect on it a bit. We haven’t known each other for long, but even I can see that you have a tendency to push yourself without realizing it sometimes.”
Her pained smile seemed to say “I can’t help it,” and I could genuinely feel her looking out for me since we started working together. And this habit Himik mentioned was probably acquired at my previous company. I would gauge my body’s limit and pack my activities right up to that breaking point. It’s like an overinflated balloon; it can withstand some shock, but not beyond a certain point. She seemed to see me constantly walking a tightrope. Fortunately, unlike before, I have enough mental余裕 to not dismiss the concern she shows me, so her words sank in.
“I was pushing myself unconsciously… I need to be careful.”
“You really do. I wouldn’t mind taking care of you if you collapsed, but I would worry, of course, while you’re down.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Mhm! Please do!”
And I found myself being encouraged by her cheerful disposition. With events piling up one after another, I, too, began to feel a bit of pressure. Things weren’t going smoothly; I wanted to tackle each one individually, but progress was slow. I realized I had unconsciously been accumulating stress over this. Haste makes waste. Perhaps it’s time to slow down a little.
“I’m hungry. Shall we go back and prepare dinner?”
“Indeed. Then let’s pick up some ingredients.”
“What are you planning to make today?”
“Mhm, today I’m going to try making Nikujaga. Masaru taught me the seasoning the day before yesterday!”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I slightly relaxed the tension I had been holding and headed back with Himik. Switching from work mode to personal thoughts, I asked about today’s dinner menu and got an answer that was a quintessential dish women would want to be made. The recipe was probably taught by Masaru, a Japanese person, but I looked forward to seeing what kind of Nikujaga a fallen angel from another world would make as we left the training facility.
“Huh? That’s noisy. Did something happen?”
“They seem to be in a hurry.”
From the direction of the dungeon entrance at the end of the hallway, though at a distance, I could hear shouts, not normal voices. Therefore, the voices carried with surprising clarity.
“An injured person coming through! Make way!”
“Heartbeat, pulse both decreasing!”
“Summon a healer!”
Just hearing it, I could tell that rather alarming words were being exchanged. From a distance, I couldn’t identify who was on the stretcher. However, they were definitely human. The moment I saw that, I understood that an abnormal situation was unfolding, and my body reacted instantly.
“…Hm? Himik?”
“Master, you were about to take on too much again. Your brow furrowed.”
I was immediately pulled back by the presence that stopped me. As soon as the commotion started, I was already considering how to grasp the current situation and whether I should act, when a slender finger gently poked my brow. With that simple gesture, my tensed body returned to its natural state. I let out a wry smile, repeating the same behavior I was just admonished for, and muttered an apology. Indeed, it wasn’t Kaido and his group who were harmed. There was no need to be so anxious. Perhaps they had fought a monster in the dungeon that was too powerful for them. In that case, it would be out of my jurisdiction to interfere.
“Are you curious?”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen someone sustain such severe injuries before.”
Even so, the tester who was so severely injured couldn’t leave my mind. Normally, a tester who had become a magic body within the dungeon shouldn’t sustain such damage to their living body. If they were that badly injured, they would have been forcibly withdrawn and sent to the infirmary immediately. Yet, they sustained injuries that carried them outside the dungeon. What exactly…
“…Sorry, there’s no point thinking about it here. Let’s go shopping for dinner.”
“I see, Master.”
“What is it?”
“If anything comes up, I’ll listen. So don’t keep it to yourself.”
“Ah, I will, thank you.”
Pulling myself out of my deep contemplation. Even if my mind understood that the situation was abnormal, all I could do was be vigilant. For now, it’s better to wait for information to come in. With that in mind, I took a light breath to calm myself. I thanked Himik, who gently stood by my side, telling me not to take on everything myself. My intuition, not my reason, whispered that something was beginning to stir. I left the scene, finished my shopping with a vague sense of unease, as if a fog had settled in the back of my mind, and that day, as usual, the four of us ate dinner and went to bed. Then, contrary to my wish, and affirming my bad premonition, an urgent internal email arrived the next morning. Seeing that, I understood that my wish had not reached the gods.
“Magic Sword wielder, infiltrated dungeon, targeting testers.”
The subject line matched what Keiri-san had said. That alone told me the contents of the email were not good. While Himik prepared breakfast, in the time before heading to work, I read the email on my tablet with the same sensation as seeing a newspaper’s front-page article. PK. As I read the email’s contents, the word “Player Kill” flashed through my mind. Taking the initials of those two words, it’s a phrase commonly seen in online games. As I continued to read, the words flowed out, and the profile of the person the email speculated about fit perfectly. The victims were a party of Tester mages. They apparently woke up immediately after treatment and reported in detail what happened in the dungeon. They stated they were attacked suddenly. They stated there was no enemy. In essence, this was what they wanted to convey. Hearing this alone, it could be considered a case of carelessness and a surprise attack, leading to serious injury. In such cases, it’s usually dismissed with “it’s your own responsibility.” However, the nuance changes in this situation. The magic sword, currently missing, has effects that match the method of this crime. Adding that condition alone changes the perspective. Indeed, the email indicated they were launching an investigation with the line of inquiry being the use of a magic sword. Regardless, the fact that an impurity had entered the dungeon was undeniable. What was the purpose and what was the motive? I wanted information, not wanting any more danger to infiltrate my workplace. The existence of an unknown entity is truly frightening when it’s close by. Was this the work of a proxy for an organization rebelling against the Demon Lord’s policies, similar to the Evouleater incident, or was it someone acting with a different intention? I couldn’t guess.
“… ”
I understood that thinking deeply wouldn’t yield answers. However, even if my reason understood, my emotions couldn’t accept it. I had heard somewhere that the truly terrifying enemies are unseen ones. This current enemy is exactly like that. The email stated the targets were testers, but I don’t know if that story is accurate. The assumption that the testers were targeted is a hypothesis based on the information that only testers were attacked and not the monsters within the dungeon. It’s a story built on a foundation of sand, so its credibility is low. Limited information about an unseen enemy and speculation-filled reports. The clouds are gathering ominously. Intuitively, I felt a wave of unease approaching.
Today’s word: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
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