This match was nothing like mine and Glenys’s. The contenders moved nimbly, as if in a dance. It was captivating.
There was absolutely no way I’d ever be able to move around like that in my armor. I could only hope that, under Glenys’s tutelage, I might one day fight at least somewhat as gracefully as she did.
My technique essentially relied on overwhelming force to destroy anything in my way. That worked all right on monsters and other non-humans, but it wasn’t well-suited to opponents requiring a little more finesse.
I was thinking about asking Ariane to teach me the basics of swordsmanship, the next time we had a free moment, when the battle between her and Glenys finally reached its conclusion.
Ariane’s staff spun through the air, landing in front of me with a dull thud. Looking up, I saw her with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. She glowered at her mother, who wore a satisfied smile.
Even as a complete amateur, I could tell that Ariane was a skilled swordsman. The fact that Glenys could beat her so handily made me all the more impressed with the older elf’s abilities.
“Absolutely astonished” might actually be a better way of putting it.
“My, my. You’ve certainly improved, but you still have a ways to go.”
“Gah! I couldn’t even get a hit in!”
The figure standing beside me, who’d also watched the sparring match unfold, slowly raised her hand.
Glenys caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over.
“Oh, Chiyome. Do you also want to spar?”
“Please, if you’d be so kind as to give me a chance,” the young girl replied in her usual formal manner as she stood, fixing her azure eyes on Glenys. Her short black hair rippled in the wind.
Chiyome was small in stature, and dressed in loose, black clothes for ease of movement. She wore gauntlets on her arms, shin guards on her legs, and a short sword at her waist. Two triangular ears poked out from her hair, and a long, black tail wrapped around her waist, giving away the fact that she was not quite human.
Chiyome was one of the mountain people, who hid constantly to avoid being enslaved by humans and used for manual labor. She was also a member of a militant group known as the Jinshin clan, which was devoted to rescuing enslaved mountain people. The clan was originally founded around six hundred years ago by a man who came to this world in a manner similar to how I ended up here. He brought this group of persecuted people together and trained them as ninjas. Chiyome was a member of her clan’s highest class, consisting of the top six fighters.
Glenys waved Chiyome over.
“Of course.”
Ariane and Chiyome changed places, and Chiyome faced Glenys. She didn’t pick up a weapon, but instead clenched her gauntleted hands together. The two eyed each other in silence for several moments.
Unlike the previous bouts, this time Glenys made the first move. She launched a series of kicks, moving far more quickly than what I’d seen when Ariane attempted the same. Chiyome dropped low to the ground, dodging the blows before jumping back to her feet and delivering her own round of kicks. Glenys ducked out of range.
Thanks to her small form, Chiyome’s movements were quick and nimble, making me wonder if there actually was some cat blood in her. It almost looked as if she were playing with Glenys.
However, even under Chiyome’s onslaught, Glenys’s ever-present smile never left her face.
The two moved in a blur as they traded blows. The tip of Glenys’s staff finally struck the back of Chiyome’s knee, distracting the young girl. Glenys laid into her until Chiyome eventually lost her balance and found Glenys’s staff at her throat. Chiyome let out a low growl, but a moment later, she accepted her defeat.
“Well, I’ve been had.”
Glenys withdrew her staff and clapped. “That was quite impressive, Chiyome. Your mastery of martial arts outshines even my own daughter’s. I worry that your attacks might be a bit weak due to your small frame, but you’re still growing, so I imagine that will sort itself out with time.”
Chiyome’s expression, which was usually flat whenever she spoke, lightened up a bit at Glenys’s evaluation. She quickly bowed her head to hide her smile.
“Th-thank you, ma’am.”
Glenys looked down tenderly at the young girl before turning her attention back to me, and bringing her hands together in a loud clap.
“Well! I think that’s enough morning exercise. How about we eat some breakfast and begin preparing for your trip?”
“Sounds great!”
“Understood.”
Ponta, who’d been busy playing around the perimeter of the house, picked up on the word “breakfast” and let out an excited cry as it came running.
“Kyii!”
Ponta was a cottontail fox: an animal about sixty centimeters long with the face of a fox and the body of a Japanese flying squirrel. It got its name from its dandelion-like tail, which it was currently wagging. The soft and fluffy fur on Ponta’s back was the color of grass, while its stomach and half its tail were pure white, giving the fox the appearance of a mountain of shaved ice covered in matcha syrup.
Ponta was a spirit creature, which meant that a spirit resided within it, allowing it to use magic.
According to Ariane and Chiyome, spirit creatures were typically incredibly cautious. Judging by how easily the mere mention of food drew Ponta in, however, I couldn’t help but think that it was somehow missing that instinct.
Ponta summoned a gust of magical wind, and caught the updraft with the membranes between its front and back legs. It flew high into the sky and glided toward the top of my helmet—its usual spot. However, before it could successfully make its landing, Ariane reached up and grabbed Ponta right out of the air.
Ariane petted Ponta’s head gingerly, speaking in an unnaturally sweet voice. “Hiya, Ponta! You want something to eat?”
Ponta looked back and forth between Ariane and myself before letting out an excited cry and burying its face in her ample bosom.
I guess the allure of food beat sitting on my head any day.