Blade’s concern for Lunaria continued for the next several days. Then one afternoon, during their practical training…
“Can you teach me something, Blade?” asked Lunaria.
“Hm?” Blade replied indifferently.
“I’d like to learn some swordplay. I’m trying to find a way to improve and reach the next level, but I feel a little lost right now. I didn’t want to interrupt your meditation, but I thought it’d be a pity to miss this opportunity to learn from you… I can be greedy that way, I suppose.”
Lunaria had taken Blade’s hand as she spoke and moved close enough that she could have punched him. She was oddly talkative.
“You know, Blade?” she said as she began to violently swing his hand.
She seemed strangely affectionate for a change, like Cú when she wanted his attention. (Earnest did it, too, sometimes.)
Blade wondered what Lunaria was up to, then he thought, Oooh. I get it.
“I really wish they would assign us a more competent instructor, at least,” said Lunaria. “The only people I know who could actually teach me anything new are you and General Dione. But the general doesn’t fight with a sword, and you know how her personality is… It’d be less theory and more blood-and-guts action, I think.”
“Well,” Blade said, “if you don’t have anyone to teach you, why don’t you try teaching others?” He looked over at the junior-class students. Of course, Lunaria could have taught the senior class plenty about magic and swordsmanship, too.
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Lunaria put a hand to her mouth, clearly surprised.
She hadn’t, huh? Well, that’s typical Lunaria.
As they were talking, Earnest suddenly came racing over from one corner of the Proving Ground. “Ugh! Come on! You’re always hanging around Blade every chance you get! He’s not your property, you know! Show a little class!”
She pushed her way between the two of them, sticking her arms out on both sides to keep them apart. Why, thought Blade, does she have to get in my way? but then he quickly changed his mind.
“Actually, this is perfect. Earnest, why don’t you join us for a bit?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah. You, me…and Lunaria.”
“Blade, I’m afraid that—”
“Whoa! Blade! Why do I have to—?”
“I mean,” he interrupted, “you’re both at about the same level anyway.”
“Me? A genius? On the same level as this stupid mongrel?!” growled Lunaria.
“Don’t you dare compare me to this annoying little snit, Blade!” spat Earnest.
“And you get along so well,” Blade added.
“How?!”
“In what possible way?!”
“I think you two would work great together!” Blade insisted. “Don’t you agree?”
“What? Me…and Earnest?” asked Lunaria.
“The two of us…against you?” muttered Earnest. “Could we win? You think? Really? I suppose where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?”
“Earnest… All I will say is, you had better not mess this up.”
“That’s my line! If you drag down an ordinary pleb like me, you’d better stop calling yourself a genius.”
The two of them switched gears in an instant. Now they were intensely motivated.
See? You guys are a perfect match. In fact, I bet you’d make one hell of a team.
After all, there was only one person Lunaria trusted besides Blade, and that was Earnest.
“But no scionification, all right? You guys rely way too much on those big moves and raw power.”
Blade didn’t mean to give them a handicap when he said that. Quite the opposite. If he wanted to see them break out their true potential, he had to keep them from leaning too much on their best skills—those were only crutches. He, on the other hand, intended to rein in his spirit, strength, and speed, bringing himself down to the level of an average junior-class student. The katsu curry hadn’t quite settled in his stomach yet, either, and he was just thinking that it was about time for a nice nap in the sun.
If he was mentally asleep and physically at the level of a junior-class student, he’d probably be a good match for the pair of girls giving it their all.
…In the end, it turned out he’d overestimated them a bit.
“Oooooh…”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I, Lunaria…am such a bad girl…”
The two of them were lying stacked on top of each other. The topmost butt seemed like a perfectly placed pillow, so Blade lay down and rested his head on it. It really was about time for a nap.