Volume 4 Chapter 12 Equivalent exchange
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I’m facing off against Lady Uno, sword at the ready.
My blade’s a curved, single-edged sword, a bit shorter than a bamboo practice sword.
Lady Uno’s sword hangs loosely, not even trying to guard.
This isn’t a low stance, it’s a no-guard fighting style.
”Take this!”
I swing with a cloth-tearing cry… but she dodges it easily.
As if in passing, Lady Uno flicks her blade upward.
Even though it’s a clearly half-hearted, slow move, I get my arm chopped clean off.
My right arm, sword and all, falls to the ground with a thud.
The pain is more like a shock, searing my brain.
Strength drains from my body, and I collapse to the ground, my balance shattered by the gushing blood.
Of course, any fight left in me is long gone.
Lady Uno quickly picks up my arm and sticks it back on.
There won’t be a scar, but it’ll take a few hours for the feeling to return.
This whole extreme training thing started because I told Lady Uno I didn’t want to level up.
She scolded me for being weak, saying a real man always seeks strength.
And so, the special training began, her theory being that if you don’t want borrowed strength, get strong on your own.
Lady Uno says anyone can reach level 7 strength if they train like their life depends on it, no assist needed.
Level 7, I figure, is like winning gold at the Olympics in everything.
But it seems Lady Uno plans to push me to level 10 strength, no less.
If Lady Uno says it’s possible, then it probably is.
If I think it’s impossible, that’s why it is.
Must be.
Leveling up to 10 isn’t that hard if you play it smart.
If I just pick the right monsters in the beginner dungeon and keep hunting them, I could probably hit 10 solo in less than a month.
But training up to actual level 10 strength, without any assists?
That’s a whole different story.
A level 10 warrior can supposedly take down a bear with their bare hands.
Sure, Kintaro probably fought a black bear, but in this world, it’s more likely to be a grizzly.
So, basically, I’ll be training until I can take down a grizzly with just my body.
Normally, that’s impossible.
No, scratch that, it’s absolutely impossible.
I need to somehow convince Lady Uno to stop me from this crazy training.
All I really need is to be able to beat a quail, right?
Challenging the dungeon this time is a freak accident.
The rest of my life is gonna be spent relaxing in Toyata village.
What do I even do with being as strong as a real Hero?
”You’re not there yet, not even close. First, stop making that weird noise. Why would you give the enemy a heads-up about your attack timing?”
No, no, no, in Kendo, making noise is super important!
I only learned a little in P.E., but they taught us that the louder you shout when you swing your shinai, the better your chances in a match.
From my combat style, Lady Uno’s silent approach with the sword seems like a good idea, but in a real fight, my weapon is a bow.
I avoid close combat whenever I can.
My style is to slip by unnoticed, then run.
The only reason I’m training with a sword, despite having no skill, is because a clean cut is easier to heal than internal damage.
If Lady Uno punches me and turns my organs into mush, I’d need a whole new body.
For Lady Uno, fixing my body completely would be nothing.
But it would leave me with mental scars.
Getting sliced like this is tough, but it’s a hundred times better than being crushed.
”Sir Saburou, please.”
Exceneca hands me a goblet filled with Water of Life.
One sip, and my strength surges through me.
All the fatigue from blood loss vanishes.
”Thank you.”
When I thank her, Ms. Exceneca’s cheeks flush just a bit.
It’s cute how this cool older woman can be shy.
Is this what they call “gap moe”?
”Exceneca, don’t coddle him too much. It’s not good for him. He can’t truly be strong without facing hell.”
She’s a monster, a real beast.
On the outside, she’s a cute girl, but there’s so much that’s disappointing.
Can “gap moe” still work in a case like this?
Maybe, even now, letting me rest until I get my senses back is Lady Uno’s way of being kind.
I’d like to think so.
The spirits of earth and wind are plotting to decorate me, a guy with no (strength) left to stand, with flowers.
I’ve been completely owned by these guys.
”They sure do favor you, don’t they?”
As Lady Uno twirls her finger, the wind spirit scampers off that way, but the earth spirit keeps running around me.
”Guess I’m just earth-aligned, huh?”
Usually, the earth spirit is the one that sticks closest to me, and the wind spirit drops by pretty often too.
The water spirit comes by sometimes, but the others are rarely seen.
As an apprentice blacksmith, I’d like to be friends with the fire spirit too, but rumor has it your compatibility with spirits is decided from birth.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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