Seigrat had been forced to say good-bye to a lot of soldiers in his time. The girls caught a glimpse of the sorrow and regret in his face. Homura remembered how Seigrat had come to see them off before their first mission.
“You remember the names and faces of all the soldiers you send off, don’t you?” she asked.
“Of course. After all, any of us could die at any moment. That’s why I want to help you girls get stronger. I don’t want to mourn you.”
If all Seigrat cared about was not feeling sad, it would be enough to stop caring about the other soldiers. The fact that he still made an effort to remember everyone’s name and face was evidence that he wasn’t willing to let the soldiers who had fought for Galdorssia fade into obscurity.
Seigrat might look like a bit of a rogue, but his desire to protect people, and the feelings he held for others who did, were true gold. Homura felt genuine respect for his way of thinking.
Seigrat was right, they needed to grow stronger.
“By the way, how strong is a Protectorate of the Shield like you supposed to be?”
“A protectorate? I suppose strong enough to beat a gargantuan monstrous beast all on their own.”
Meaning with energy to spare, of course.
“You did take down that massive dragon with a single blow, didn’t you…?”
“Exactly. Something like that would be the minimum, I guess, in order to become a Holy Protectorate.”
Apparently Ieskha, who was watching them quietly, was at the same level of strength.
“Of course, these are just the benchmarks for offensive power. There are different standards for soldiers who are oriented toward support,” Seigrat said, glancing briefly toward the stands. “Furthermore, building up a list of achievements is how soldiers prove they can fight reliably. It’s not all just about strength. This has extra meaning when it comes to the Phalanx of Blades.”
“I think I get what you’re trying to say…”
There was a difference between the Phalanx of Blades and the Aegis Guard.
“I think you know this already, but there are some pretty rowdy individuals in the Phalanx. Like the ones you met back there in the tavern. It may not be fair, but Galdorssia doesn’t want to promote people like that too quickly.”
Being a soldier brought with it a fair share of preferential treatment all on its own, and increased rank only added more privileges. The Phalanx was rife with good soldiers with bad attitudes, which was why the Phalanx’s reputation among the general populace was none too stellar. Once you added a heavy dose of privilege into the mix, dislike could quickly become downright animosity.
“So in the Phalanx’s case, achievements work like a kind of stamp of approval showing that a soldier is working for Galdorssia’s sake and fighting for the benefit of all.”
“So you’re saying that we need to work hard and amass more accomplishments so that our image among the people will improve.”
“Exactly. But in Proto and Tsutsumi’s case, it’s probably going to be difficult at first to make enough of a splash to be seen as honorable soldiers.”
Behavior aside, Proto and Tsutsumi weren’t even human. It was more than just an image problem for them. For some people, it was reason enough to single them out as enemies.
That was how the soldier in the tavern had reacted. But Homura was hardly surprised. Ares and his friends had said they didn’t mind what the girls were, so long as they fought for other people’s sake. But most people here weren’t like that.
“By the way…,” Seigrat said, lowering his voice slightly, “Ieskha lacked the necessary achievements and had an attitude problem, but she was so strong, they selected her as a Holy Protectorate of the Shield anyway. She used to be in the Phalanx, just like you girls, and let me tell you, she was a real nightmare.”
“Umm, you know she’s staring straight at you…”
Ieskha’s eyes, behind her glasses, were terrifying.
“Ieskha is a beautiful woman who is very strong, and she also has an excellent personality!” Seigrat said loudly, trying to cover for himself.
The energy from the stands remained frosty.
“In any case, that’s why I’m here today, to lend you girls a hand!” Seigrat said, getting back to the topic of their training. “Speaking of which, if you do manage to defeat me, I’ll put in a good word during your assessments. After all, if you’re that strong, I’m sure they’d be willing to consider promoting you even without the right achievements.”
Fat chance of actually doing that, though.
“You’re gonna regret saying that, playboy! I’m gonna rub your face in the dirt and snatch that protectorate position right out from under your feet!” Psycho shouted.
“That’s not how it works at all!” Seigrat retorted.
Falmeyr joined in, seemingly amused. “If you can defeat Seigrat all on your own, you really might be considered for a position as Holy Protectorate. If, that is! Ah-ha-ha! Seigrat isn’t called the Dragon Render for nothing! Dragons are considered one of the strongest monsters in existence and can easily level entire cities. But Seigrat has slain more than his share. Don’t worry, though…we expect as much from you girls in the future as well!”
“People keep saying we’ve got what it takes to defeat the Dark Lord,” said Homura, “but nothing you’re saying right now is exactly inspiring confidence…”
Their goal still seemed light-years away. If only someone would pop out and tell them it had all been a prank.
“In any case, unless you resort to dirty tricks, there’s no way I can lose, so come at me with every—”
Jin attacked suddenly, before Seigrat had even finished talking, aiming straight for Seigrat’s neck.
“—thing you’ve got…is what I was going to say. Striking before I was ready! Well done!”
Homura had no idea what had just happened. It looked like Jin had disappeared, but the next thing she knew, Jin was standing in front of Seigrat again, muscles tensed, while Seigrat held her blade between the tips of his fingers.
A moment later Homura put two and two together. Jin had moved too fast for Homura to see, attempting to chop off Seigrat’s head before the fight had even begun. As unbelievable as it seemed, however, Seigrat had caught the blade between his bare fingertips, without even breaking a sweat. At least, that was the best explanation that Homura could come up with.
Proto immediately followed on Jin’s heels with her war hammer. There was no need for words; the coordination between Proto and Jin was exquisite. They struck at the same time, coming at Seigrat from different directions.
“That’s right. Give your enemy no leeway.”
Seigrat, however, was able to check Proto’s heavy swing with the tip of his staff.