Chapter 2 The Hero and the Demon Lord”
1
I opened the door to my room and entered, then crawled into my bed.
I buried my face in the pillow and let out a deep sigh, releasing the fatigue from before. My consciousness became very relaxed.
“…I’m tired.”
The words came out naturally. It was a sincere expression of my feelings.
Yes, I am tired. I’m very tired.
” ………… “
I twisted my body and lay on my back,
gazing blankly at the ceiling, pondering.
Why is it that unexpected events always seem to happen around me? If I trace it back, it started when I asked Alfred to teach me the sword.
My knowledge of the original story is still vague, and I only have a rough idea of the characters. But I’m certain that Alfred was not the type to say, “Even if you turn to evil, I want to see what you, Lord Luke, will accomplish!”
Wasn’t he supposed to quit being a butler to teach Abel the sword?
Then there’s Alice.
She wasn’t the type to go around panting, “…Haa haa,” either.
I thought she would be more of a villainess-like character.
In any case, it was after that mock battle the day after the party
that Alice started acting strange.
And Yorand, who the heck is that?
I don’t recall such a character in the original story.
It’s hard to forget a character that strong.
“…Haa.”
I see.
So it seems that the root cause of all this is…me.
No, I can no longer deny it.
The people I’ve interacted with have strayed far from their original characters.
I’m curious about Freya’s odd behavior, but there’s no use thinking about it. Every rule has its exceptions, and Freya is Amelia’s sister, after all.
I see, so there are no exceptions either.
In the end, it’s all because of
the one change I made – my efforts.
That’s the only difference from the original story.
I quickly accepted Luke’s inherent arrogant nature, so I didn’t particularly act like a good person. And since my knowledge of the original story is vague, I haven’t been able to take preemptive measures against the upcoming events. I can’t even do that.
“…Haa.”
That’s all there is to it. Just my efforts.
With just that, why have these strange people been gathering around me so much?
…No, is it because they’ve become that way by interacting with me?
Losing would be my bad ending, the furthest thing from happiness.
If I fail even once, I won’t be able to recover from that defeat, and my life will surely become gloomy.
That’s why, from the moment I remembered my past life until now, I’ve been relentlessly honing my skills without any compromise.
I haven’t done anything wrong.
However, I must realize that the impact of my mere efforts is far greater than I imagined.
Luke, who was supposed to only appear in the academy arc, is now… Well, that’s about his extent,
so I underestimated the influence I would have on this story.
“…Well, nothing has changed.”
That’s right, nothing has changed.
Even if I continue my efforts, troublesome events will keep happening.
But I mustn’t lose sight of the priority.
-Continuing to win.
That is the most important thing for me. I will never waver on this, no matter what happens.
That’s why, no matter how much trouble arises, I must never stop pursuing strength.
…No matter what happens.
At that moment, Mia came to my mind.
I will never stop my efforts, no matter what happens… But I can’t let something like that happen again. Well, that was my own selfish mistake.
All the events so far have been teaching me about the “heart” of humans, which is still unknown.
…Thinking about it made my stomach hurt a little again.
It’s more of an unpleasant feeling than a painful one.
Maybe since coming to this academy, I’ve been unconsciously overstressing myself.
So many things have happened. No, too many things have happened.
The stress from all that must have led to this stomach issue, triggered by the Mia incident.
I’ll stop thinking about it and get some rest for now.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep trying my best after this.
2
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“Come on, Abel! Let’s go!”
“Yes, sir! I’m ready!”
As soon as Teacher Blood gave the signal, I wrapped my sword in magic power.
I’ve been devoting all my time, aside from sleeping, to this training. But it’s really difficult, and I just can’t…
“I’ve told you so many times! You’re focusing too much on the magic control!”
Ah,
the flaming arrow is closing in on me.
I barely managed to dodge to the side just in time.
If my reaction had been a bit slower, I would have been hit directly.
“The battle has already started! Keep your eyes on me at all times!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Hey! Let’s go! Don’t stop thinking!”
Look closely.
Observe well, think, and predict.
“──《Slashing Magic》!”
The technique of “slashing magic” that I first learned from Teacher Blood.
He said this is the most important skill for a swordsman who cannot use magic, when fighting against a mage.
By manipulating magical power or magic tools, it seems possible to imbue the sword with magical power.
……But, not just magical power…… it feels like I’m using a completely different power──
“──!”
I narrowly dodged the sphere of flames that was approaching through the gaps in my consciousness.
Am I an idiot?! I’m in the middle of a battle right now!
The relentless magic attacks from Teacher Blood.
Evade, evade, and then strike.
Little by little, I close the distance. Don’t hurry, don’t stop thinking.
Make sure my movements don’t become monotonous. What will Teacher Blood do next?
Observe the opponent carefully. Keep thinking.
“──[Body Strengthening]!”
First, a single stage.
When I fought with Luke, I immediately activated my limit, [Body Strengthening].
But that won’t do. It’s too slow.
For some reason, Luke waited for me, but it was too slow, leaving a clear opening.
“──[Body Strengthening]!”
So, one stage at a time. Don’t rush.
Alright, now two stages! I have much more room to dodge!
This is the limit of what I can fully control right now. But it’s enough.
Repeat the predictions, evade. And then slash with《Slashing Magic》. That’s all I need to focus on for now.
The distance between me and Teacher Blood is gradually closing. And then, as always, he──
“Hey! It’s [Flame Wall]!”
As expected……!
My only strengthening magic, [Body Strengthening], pairs well with the《Slashing Magic》.
The stronger the strike, the larger the magic that can be slashed.
“──《Slashing Magic》! ……Huh?”
“You’re still too soft, Abel.”
I slashed through Teacher Blood’s [Flame Wall].
And then, his fist was right in front of me──
§
“Ow…… “
“If it hurts this much, you should go see the Priest”
“I-I’m okay……”
I’ve challenged him many times since then, but I’ve never won even once. Teacher Blood comes from a knight family, so he’s not a swordsman, but he’s knowledgeable about swords.
That’s why his advice is always appropriate and easy to understand……Though his mouth is a bit foul.
But……it’s fun. The training with my master has focused on increasing my strength. But here, I’m being taught how to use that power. So no matter how painful and tough it is……it’s fresh and enjoyable.
But still, the reason I am where I am now is because of the days I spent with my master.
If it weren’t for my master, I wouldn’t even be at the starting line.
Thank you very much, Master.
“……You know, Abel, you sometimes get into a pretty dangerous situation.”
Teacher Blood’s voice brought me back to reality.
“I-Is that so?”
“Yeah. ……Not that I’m interested or anything, but don’t get too worked up, okay?”
“……Worked up.”
I felt a slight catch in the meaning of Teacher Blood’s words.
I didn’t have the self-awareness that I was “getting worked up”.
“Ah, you see, to me, it looks like you’re getting worked up. To put it more bluntly, you’re too obsessed with getting stronger.”
“I see……maybe that’s true.”
“Being passionate is good. But if you get too passionate and worked up, your vision narrows. Reckless choices are usually made by those who lack composure.”
“…………”
That’s true……maybe that’s the case.
I’m desperately craving [strength]. Hopelessly so.
“You know, do you understand why this academy only accepts a small number of students? ──It’s to train them with all our might. In other words, we teachers are serious about this too. So don’t take it all on yourself.”
Ah, I see. ──Truly, I’m blessed.
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