After helping Miss Reina with her housework, I go to the back yard with my training sword.
Mister Sirius’ training was always part of my daily routine.
“Then… Let’s start by doing the usual basic movement check with the target.”
“Yes.”
So I grab the sword hanging from my waist and face the straw man.
(…Now let’s see how well this body can swing a sword.)
It’s a good idea to check that before tonight’s calamity anyway.
Time magic is classified as support magic, so it in itself doesn’t really have a way to attack. It’s all about just changing the time flow of my targets.
Because of this, my main weapon is a sword, even in the future.
“…Ahh.”
I close my eyes, focus, and draw.
And then I go with the flow and test my movements and sword techniques.
What I learned in my youth, what I mastered during battle in the future…
I keep attacking the straw man while picturing an enemy.
(This body moves better than I expected.)
I was unsure because my height and muscles are different, but I feel like I can take it up a notch.
(Then…)
I gradually increase the speed of my slashes, until…
“Ah!”
I deliver the last slash, and a moment later the straw man falls to the ground, cut to pieces.
After seeing this, I suddenly come to my senses.
I got too immersed in my testing, and forgot Mister Sirius is right here watching me.
“Hum… How was it?”
I hesitantly turn around.
“…”
Mister Sirius is frozen with his mouth half open.
“W-well, I mean… At the very least, I can say it’s much different than yesterday… Yes.”
His face is twitching.
“Unlike before, you are not straining your shoulders and wrists, and you use your lower body properly. There is no axial deviation either. I can see your own style mixed in there, but the way you shaved off unnecessary movements is good enough to become its own style. I never thought it was possible to reach this stage at that age…”
“Ha, haha. Thank you.”
I think I went a bit too far.
Up until yesterday, I was behind everyone else when it comes to using the sword too.
Still, I’m relieved to hear Mister Sirius’ approval. My style is mostly self-taught.
“But… What kind of training did you do? This feels less like your talent bloomed overnight and more like a hundred years worth of experience in battle.”
“Eh…”
I’m startled by how he got it exactly right.
(H-he really does have good eyes.)
No wonder they called him Holy Sword.
I guess to the trained eye, it’s obvious that this growth couldn’t have happened overnight.
(Well, even if I don’t have any talent, I did spend all that time swinging a sword.)
Yes, my talent with a sword wouldn’t just bloom even after a hundred years.
But I did spend a hundred years swinging my sword every day, even on days where I didn’t fight.
I swung a sword and fought in battles many times more than even Mister Sirius.
“Anyway, I have nothing more to teach you when it comes to the basics. Now I would like to see how you move during a mock battle, but…”
I hear him whispering.
“Good morning Master Sirius.”
I hear a girl’s voice.
When I turn around, I see a girl my age holding two swords.
She has light-pink twintails, and her clothes were tailored with high-quality fabric.
Her standoffish face kind of reminds me of a bunny that won’t take to anybody.
“I thank you for your instruction again today.”
“Oh, Labrys. You came in just in time.”
“I have?”
Mister Sirius welcomes her with a smile, but I just stand in place with my eyes wide open.
“L-Labrys?”
“…Hmph.”
She looks at me, and turns away, looking displeased.
This gesture feels nostalgic to me.
Labrys Scarlet.
The daughter of the fourth duke of Scarlet, here in the Kingdom of Historia. She aspires to one day be an imperial knight, so she became Mister Sirius’ pupil not long after I did.
But if I remember correctly, she runs for one hour every day to get here from the capital.
“…What? Stop staring. I don’t want a failure like you to infect me.”
She says with a cold stare, but it doesn’t matter to me.
“La-La…”
“La?”
“Labrys, you’re alive!!”
“…Eh?”
I hug Labrys without thinking.
“Hahaha! Wow, I can touch you! I can touch you!”
“W-w-wha…!?”
The first time around, it didn’t take long for Labrys to die.
Obviously, I knew she would still be alive now, but I can’t help but get excited after seeing her again.
“Uwa! And you’re still kind of small! It’s so nostalgic!”
“Wai, let go…”
“Up up!”
“W-what!? What is this!?”
I’m happy with all my heart after seeing Labrys again, but then I relax and…
“W-wha…”
Labrys’ eyes are spinning and her face is bright red.
(…Oh no. That’s the second time I acted like a perv without thinking.)
Of course, we never touched each other this much.
In fact, the feeling that I get is that Labrys didn’t even like me at this time.
“S-sorry. I was so happy about meeting you, that…”
I quickly try to explain what happened, and Labrys just stares at me with surprise in her eyes.
“…Hmph.”
And after all that, she turns away again.
Well, it’s not like I blame her for being mad.
“Hum, are you done?”
Says Mister Sirius with an awkward smile.
“So, about today’s training. I was thinking you two could have a mock battle for the first time in a while and…”
“I refuse.”
Guehehhe
Hahahahaha!!! New heroine who received a big dose of love.