Volume 7 Chapter 5 Instructing Vice-Captain Cassandra (Noon)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Vice-Captain Cassandra¹ seemed to feel that she was on equal footing with me, but I was suppressing both my ability scores and the levels of the skills I used to a degree she could easily handle.
I hadn’t even used my trump cards, like Ground Shrink². Dealing with someone so closely tied to national authority like the Knights’ Order, I wanted to keep my more unnatural abilities hidden. Besides, if I went all out, it wouldn’t exactly be “instruction” for her.
(Now then, how should I attack next?)
”How do you handle fast opponents?” I asked.
First, I increased only my speed. I didn’t use Ground Shrink, but I mixed in Flash Move³ as I dove in. Vice-Captain Cassandra didn’t panic even as I suddenly appeared before her eyes; she parried with cold, calm efficiency.
”So you’re a speed type? Too naive!” she shouted.
She didn’t fall for my feints, either, watching me closely to react. She even managed to slip in a few counters, so it seemed she could handle this level of intensity without much trouble.
(Still, if she can observe me this calmly, I wish she’d look at my inner character rather than just my “adventurer” label. …Actually, scratch that. I look like a brat and I’m definitely a pervert, so her assessment isn’t technically wrong. She just hasn’t had the chance to see anything beyond that. Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Is my inner self even worth looking at to begin with? …I should stop. This is just getting depressing.)
I’d confirmed her ability to handle speed, but how about power?
”Alright, I’ll get a bit more serious now,” I said.
Keeping my speed the same, I gradually increased the strength put into my sword. Cassandra was still able to defend, but she seemed to lose the leeway to counterattack.
”Ugh! You… you were holding back…!” Cassandra grunted.
Her counterattacks stopped, but my current output wasn’t enough to overpower her solid defense. (Hmm. At a level that doesn’t look unnatural for my ability scores, this is about the limit. Continuing like this would be monotonous, so I’ll change my approach.)
I took a backstep to create distance and stored my sword and shield into my Item Box.
”Hah… hah… What’s the meaning of this?” Cassandra panted. “Are you surrendering because your swordsmanship can’t break my guard?”
”No, no,” I replied. “The second act starts now.”
Since it was probably already known that I’d used martial arts in my duel with Gerta, there was no need to hide it. I equipped my gauntlets and charged! I didn’t have time to put on greaves, but since I was wearing armor, it could serve as a substitute to some extent. I resumed the attack at the same speed she had just adapted to.
However, the sudden weapon change seemed to catch her off guard; despite my strikes being relatively soft, she was forced entirely onto the defensive for a while. It seemed she hated adventurers so much that she hadn’t bothered to look into my background. I wondered how she had the gall to challenge me to a duel without doing basic research.
”Ugh, you versatile brat!” Cassandra shouted.
”Oh, finally getting used to it?” I asked.
Once she recovered from the shock and began to strike back, I started increasing the power again. As expected, she couldn’t fully withstand the impact once it passed a certain threshold, and she was reduced to a defensive turtle once more. Now that I’d confirmed her response to martial arts, I moved to the next phase. I backed off again and re-equipped my sword and shield.
”Phew… Switching back to your weapons won’t change the outcome!” Cassandra yelled. “I’ll capture you in no time!”
”Doing the same thing twice would be boring, don’t you think? How about this?”
I lunged with Flash Move, making it look like a sword strike-only to transition into a low leg sweep that buckled her posture. It was a combination of swordsmanship and martial arts. She looked genuinely shocked; I suppose not many people in this world fight with such a hybrid style.
Without giving her time to recover her stance, I slammed into her with a shoulder tackle, sending her tumbling back. I kept it light, so there was probably no actual damage. As she rolled and tried to right herself, I moved in for a follow-up kick… or so it seemed, until I swung my sword down instead. Bitten by the feint of the kick, Vice-Captain Cassandra finally took a direct hit from the blade.
”Gah!” Cassandra cried.
”I’m not done yet,” I said.
She’d taken a hit to the arm and clearly wanted to treat it with Healing Magic, but I smothered her, giving her no room to breathe. While I kept my power at a level she could theoretically counter, I infused my martial arts with the Impact Attribute⁴. If she didn’t defend perfectly, the force would send her flying. Naturally, the sword carried the Slashing Attribute.
Sword and shield, fists, elbows, knees, and feet-I even used my back. I unleashed a barrage from every conceivable angle. Faced with the dizzying shifts in timing and attributes, she couldn’t keep up, and the damage started to pile up. A counterattack was now a physical impossibility. Based on her stats, she should have been able to cope, but I suspected her rigid, formal training was causing a mental bottleneck. She was too confused to react.
”A Vice-Captain should be able to handle at least this much,” I goaded.
”You don’t… have to tell me that!” Cassandra barked.
Giving her a little push actually worked; she regained her cool and began to adapt. As expected of a hard worker. Having confirmed her resilience, I put some distance between us again.
”Impressive adaptability. As expected. I’ll wait, so go ahead and heal yourself,” I said.
”Hah… hah… ‘Heal’!” Cassandra cast.
Since I’d been redlining her defense, she was battered and clearly exhausted, both physically and mentally. She obediently cast her recovery spell while catching her breath.
”It seems Captain Emily was right,” Cassandra muttered. “Pride and responsibility have nothing to do with raw ability.”
”Hey now, you could at least give me a proper compliment,” I said. “Our values might be different, but I have plenty of pride and responsibility.”
I thought she might have finally started to respect me, but no luck. (My ‘Ordeal’ is in top form today too. Well, that’s nothing new, so I’ll give up on winning her over and focus on the instruction.)
”Is that the end of your tricks?” Cassandra asked with a smirk. “Now that I’ve seen your power and speed, your attacks won’t work on me again!”
Thinking she’d seen my limit, she laughed and set a classic defeat flag with that stereotypical line. What a cliché person. Since I was at it, I decided to use some magic I’d been sitting on to poke at her weaknesses.
”Let’s get back to it then. Make sure you defend properly,” I said.
I unleashed my Fire Magic, “Fire Javelin,” in rapid succession-not just at her, but at the ground around her feet. The impact kicked up a massive cloud of dust, pinning her in place and blinding her.
”What?! You can use magic too?!” Cassandra screamed.
”I never said I couldn’t,” I replied.
She’d raised her shield in time, so there was no real damage, but she was more rattled than I expected. Why did she assume I was a pure physical fighter? As she stood there with her shield up, having lost track of my position, I circled around quietly, grabbed her arms from behind, and pinned her to the ground.
”Gwah! You… how did you…?!” Cassandra grunted.
”I have both search and detection-type skills, you know,” I said.
The Vice-Captain is excellent at defense, but her scouting skills are lacking. Simply put: if her vision is blocked by a dust cloud, she becomes a sitting duck because she can’t track her opponent. In a standard Knights’ Order formation, a scout would handle the detection, so it’s a weakness that usually doesn’t matter. But in a 1v1 against a tracker, it makes her incredibly vulnerable to a surprise attack.
”Now, surrender,” I said.
”Never…!” Cassandra replied.
I knew she’d say that. She’s stubborn as a mule. She was refreshed from her earlier heal, but with me pinning her to the dirt, she had zero leverage to fight back. Her refusal to give in was less about spirit and more about being a sore loser. Usually, that’s a trait I’d admire, but right now, it was just a pain.
”Still not enough?” I asked.
”Guh…! I will… never… yield…!” Cassandra groaned.
Even though I had her in a perfect joint lock, she just gritted her teeth against the pain. If I pushed any harder, her arm would snap or the joint would dislocate. I really didn’t want to go that far.
”Captain Emily! This is my win, right?” I shouted.
”Actually, I can’t call it for Daisuke yet,” Emily said. “Cassandra isn’t unconscious, and she hasn’t lost any limbs. Besides, she can use Healing Magic, so she can still fight even with a broken bone or two.”
(Are you serious? This is way more of a hassle than I bargained for.) I could just blast her like I did Gerta, but the power calibration is tricky. With Gerta, I got lucky, but if I’d been a hair weaker, she would have kept going-and a hair stronger might have put her in the morgue.
Cassandra is the type to endure past her limit, which makes an accidental “overkill” way too likely. That left me with only one option: a knockout. Choking her out felt a bit too cruel, so I decided to end it with Lightning Magic.
”Sorry about this, Vice-Captain,” I said.
”Gah-!” Cassandra cried.
”This should do it, right?” I asked.
”Yeah. I recognize Daisuke-san as the victor,” Emily said.
Once I showed the unconscious Cassandra to Emily, she finally gave me the win. Honestly, the very end was the most tedious part. Though I have to admit, the instruction had its fun moments. I stood up and scooped Cassandra into a princess carry. She obviously despises my guts, and she’ll probably scream her head off when she wakes up, but I couldn’t just leave her face-down in the dirt.
”Man… I didn’t think the finish would be the hardest part. She’s incredibly stubborn,” I said.
”Cassandra hates to lose,” Emily said. “But Daisuke… is ‘unconscious-play’ your thing? You’re going to carry her straight to an inn like that? I have to say, I’m a little grossed out.”
”Huh?! No! I’m not doing that! What the hell is wrong with you?!” I shouted.
”Hahaha! Relax, it’s a joke!” Emily laughed.
Emily let out a boisterous laugh, but I really wished she’d shut up. I could hear the other knights watching from the distance whispering. “Wait, for real?” “He took down the Vice-Captain…” “Sounds like we have the same hobbies.” (That last guy needs to turn himself in to the authorities immediately.)
”Well,” Emily continued, “the request hasn’t officially started yet, so doing anything now would make you a criminal. But once the request period begins, Cassandra is all yours.”
”Well, I guess that’s true…” I said.
”Oh? So Daisuke-san is accepting the request after all,” Mercedes said.
”Well, yeah… wait, what?” I asked.
I realized it only after Mercedes pointed it out. The conversation had naturally shifted to me taking the job, even though I hadn’t actually said yes! (Did Emily play me?)
”Good grief… you totally set me up, didn’t you, Captain?” I asked.
”I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Emily said.
”You dragged me into a duel before I could decide, knowing the ‘reward’ would be pointless unless I took the job,” I said.
”Now that you mention it, that does make sense,” Emily replied.
”Wait, it wasn’t a setup?” I asked.
”My goal was exactly what I told you. You’re overthinking it,” Emily said.
My Insight and Sense Malice skills didn’t ping at all. She was actually telling the truth. (I guess I was just being paranoid.)
”Fine. The order is a bit backwards, but I’ll take the request. Can you give me the specific details?” I asked.
”Understood. Let’s head back to the office,” Emily said.
”Watching that duel made me super tense, and now I’m starving,” Mercedes said. “I want snacks.”
”Didn’t you just finish a mountain of food a minute ago…?” I asked.
Mercedes is always in her own world. It’s a bit idiotic, but I guess it’s cute in its own way. Since I’d essentially been swept along by the momentum into taking the request, I needed to hear the details of this monster subjugation. I might need to start making some serious preparations.
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Summary:
Daisuke duels Vice-Captain Cassandra to demonstrate his strength without revealing his true power level. He cycles through speed, brawling, and magic to expose her rigid combat style. Despite her stubbornness, he eventually knocks her out with Lightning Magic, only to realize Captain Emily tricked him into accepting a monster subjugation request.
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Trivia:
- Daisuke is intentionally keeping his stats ‘natural-looking’ to avoid suspicion from the state.
- Cassandra relies on standard formations and is weak in solo detection.
- Healing magic allows knights to fight through broken bones, which is why Emily wouldn’t call the match early.
- Daisuke has passive skills like ‘Sense Malice’ and ‘Insight’ that verify Emily wasn’t lying about her intentions
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Character Insight:
Cassandra shows extreme grit but limited flexibility, while Daisuke displays tactical maturity by prioritizing non-lethal suppression over brute force. Emily is shown to be a master of social manipulation.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The term ‘Ordeal’ (Shonenba) is a play on the title’s ‘Tribulation’, suggesting his constant fight against his own base desires.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Cassandra – Vice‑Captain of the Royal Knights, mid‑20s, short brown hair, scowling beauty, 175 cm tall, muscular, sturdy. Called ‘The Ogress’ for strictness and Iron Claw. Hardworking warrior with high defense and healing magic, but poor scouting; Ability Faction member, niece of Günther. Recently enslaved after a duel, wields a short spear and Radiant‑Iron shield, leads the Third Unit, and despises adventurers.
• Gerta – B-Rank adventurer and former opponent of Daisuke, once leader of the Beast Fang, a towering 190 cm muscular beast-woman with golden-brown flipping hair, jagged teeth, a lion-like tail, and a wild predatory aura; wields a greatsword and commands Maten, Magic Blade, and Roar, thriving on strength and exhibiting masochistic tendencies in combat and intimacy, valuing power above all—her rough, intense dynamic with Daisuke cemented his martial arts legacy.
• Emily – Captain of the Knights’ Order, a 30‑year‑old with a striking purple wolf‑cut hairstyle and powerful aura, wears his hair wavy and tied back. Boisterous, sharp‑witted, battle‑crazed and teasing, he sports a wicked smile and an “older sister” aura. Married, he leads the Third Unit, chaperones a high‑school girl party, and is often late because the Knight Commander overloads him with work.
• Daisuke – Mid-40s Japanese reincarnated adventurer, physically youthful but mentally middle-aged from a corporate past, blessed by the Green God and bearing the unique Class ‘Onanist’. B-Rank (Lv69), wielding a one-handed sword and buckler, with high Fortitude, Lust Control, Item Box, and mastery of Earth/Wind magic, stealth, high-speed combat, transformation, and cleaning magic. Manages slaves Ilse, Liese, Camilla; mentors Rin and Cassandra; dates Ines; pursues Regina and Dietlinde. Owns a Royal Capital house, runs a growing harem, cooks expertly, and coordinates missions for the Royal Knight Order—his lecherous inner monologue contrasting sharply with his disciplined exterior.
• Mercedes – Brown semi-long hair, white frilled one-piece dress, Mercedes—also known as Mel—is a gluttonous, airheaded yet perceptive Knight Order subordinate and companion to Daisuke, who affectionately calls her “Mercedes-san.” Energetic and talkative, she’s easily teased, bribed with sweets, and prone to accidentally breaking walls or equipment. Though a high-ranking noble and Home Secretary of Maultasche, mother of Patrizia, and skilled in combat, destruction magic, and shield teaching, she’s terrified of Vice-Captain Cassandra and stressed since the Hero Party incident. She despises goblins/orcs, feeds Daisuke intel, seeks a Reincarnator boyfriend (often rejected), and views dungeons as divine trials—yet her informality around knights and sweet tooth make her endearingly unorthodox.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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