I can’t exactly go and expose my own secrets, so I’m gonna have to keep my grumbling to myself, but let me just say this... My proficiency with swords is only at C-tier! I’m just a crafter, okay?!
While my magical prowess all across the elemental board was B-tier, which gave me the ability to send heads rolling with nary a whisper (or incanted spell), I definitely couldn’t do that here.
Casting Jump was out of the cards as well, which left me without any options for creating distance between us. I had plenty of stamina, so I wasn’t worried about keeping this up, but I knew that if I remained stuck in melee range, I would lose.
I stepped on a rock and slipped. My guard dropped.
Not even a moment later, Keith’s sword came to a stop a hair’s breadth from my throat. The tip of his sword didn’t waver in the slightest. He still had plenty of fight left in him.
The redhead grinned at me, looking pleased. “Damn, you were really something. Your dodging was real impressive. I can’t believe you’re barely out of breath after all that.”
Despite his comment, I panted as I tried to catch my breath. “Coming from you...” I said, “as you’re not winded at all... That doesn’t feel very impressive...”
“But you can still go for another round, right? Let’s start round two, c’mon!”
“Apologies...but I am respectfully...going to have to refuse,” I joked with a faux air of propriety to underscore my objection. “Let me take a breather...”
Amid the burst of clapping and cheering from the spectators for the battle, I made my way back to the prince with wobbling footsteps. He was waiting for me with a cup filled with water. Wal was always so kind.
Taking the proffered water, I gulped it down in a single breath, then sat down on the spot.
Agh, I was pooped!
“I didn’t think you’d lose,” Wal murmured. A slight smile tugged at his lips.
“I’m not very strong, you know.”
Keith approached us, the rest of his party in tow. “Your name was Al, right?” he asked. “Your brother’s not a swordsman, but he managed to keep up with me. That makes him pretty damn skilled in his own way,” he explained before turning to me with a smile of his own. “Right?”
I smiled back, although it was a little strained on my part.
“Maybe. I’m actually an archer, so if I’d gotten thirty meters on you...” I replied as I grasped the bow that’d been leaning against our tent. Nocking an arrow, I pointed it overhead into the sky to fire three times in rapid succession. “I might’ve won with more space.”
The loosed arrows came plunging back to the earth, having pierced through... One, two...three large fowl that had been flying overhead.
“Holy shit!” Keith exclaimed as other members of the adventurer party likewise shouted in amazement.
“Um, I use a bow too. Could you give me some tips?!” cried their party’s young archer.
Dogs kept by the merchants of the caravan excitedly picked up the fallen game and were now prancing about with them in delight.
As the ranger, the two spellcasters, and the cute, freckled girl begged for more demonstrations, the scene devolved into sheer chaos.
Paying no heed to the fuss, the dogs proudly brought the birds to their masters. I let them—the caravan had invited me and Wal to dine with them tonight, so that was our contribution to the coming repast.
I agreed to teach the party’s archer. In exchange, I decided to ask Keith to give Wal some lessons on swordplay.
When I brought that up, Keith was confused. “Huh? Wasn’t your brother a mage?” he asked.
“Yes, but unlike me, he has some experience training under a proper swordsman—I’m only self-taught,” I explained. “There’s no harm in his learning from a professional. So, please.”
“Well, if he can only use water magic, then his offensive options will be limited in a fight,” Keith mused to himself for a moment. “All right. He’d be better off knowing his way around a sword as well.”
Tapping his wooden sword over his shoulder, the redhead walked up to the younger man.
“Al, right? Well, Al, since your brother will be in the rearguard as a ranged attacker, will you protect him with your sword to fend off any attacking enemies?”
“I swear it,” Wal said firmly.
“Excellent!”
Keith grinned broadly and then strode off toward the open spot in the rest area with Wal in tow.
Wal’s skill with the sword was C-tier. I’d been his mentor and practice partner since Tachyrinn. Whenever we had the time, we still sparred together. We’d been evenly matched in our bouts as of late.
I’m glad to see that running him through boot camp has paid off.
Knowing that he was going to surpass me in the future was a little bittersweet, but I couldn’t be sour about it—he had royal blood running through his veins, after all. In this world that mirrored a video game so closely, royalty and their generals were expected to stand on the front lines during times of strife—just as they would in vaunted stories of heroism.
Having once been a Japanese man, I wanted to insist that he, in his exalted position, stay back where it was safe and focus on issuing commands to others. But in this world, it was only common sense that leaders would take to the field themselves.
That was what was expected of people who stood above all others. Of heroes.
They would always cut a forward path, rallying their allies. If they were to show fear before their enemies, their armies would become disillusioned and desert. The heroes must always be the ones to cast the first stone in battle and last to retreat and abandon the field.
I’d been impressed that the late king and crown prince of Tiuccia had often stood on the front lines despite having been mages—but that had simply been part and parcel of their roles as royalty.
To make matters worse for them, the authority of their royal family had fractured and crumbled six years ago. If they were to commit another crime of the highest order, their subjects would abandon them, and the kingdom would fall from the inside out. To restore their lost influence, they had been compelled to stand at the forefront of battle, no matter the cost.
This youth would follow in their footsteps. Once he returned to his kingdom, his fate as king would be one full of battle and strife.
All I could do for him now was teach him what I knew and find opportunities for him to train. It was so he wouldn’t die the moment he had to set foot on the battlefield.
Keith and Wal had begun to cross their wooden blades. Pulling my gaze from them, I set about giving the young archer her lesson.