Chapter 135: Magnus Academy (7)
Chapter 135: Magnus Academy (7)
The place we arrived after eating was the training ground.
Although it was indoors, the large space, like a playground, had several spaces divided by translucent membranes. From the silhouettes moving around behind the curtain, I could tell that several students were already training inside.
Sometimes the inside of the curtain shines brightly, and sometimes it trembles from the shock of an explosion inside. It really felt like an 'academy'.
Asil, who had been timid and concerned about what others thought since she reluctantly took out her student ID card at the cafeteria, let out an admiration at this sight.
"And... "
"Hehe. Awesome, right? This is the training ground that our academy is proud of. The magically created curtain is stronger than it looks and is impervious, so you can experiment with new technologies to your heart's content, and it even calculates the amount of impact. Moreover, because it is translucent, it is a very delicate facility where you don't have to worry about your skills being exposed to other students."
The facilities at the training center were so great that Nora could say with confidence.
Even if you have these facilities, if you don't use them, you'll be losing half of your life at the academy. In fact, many students were using the training center even though it was free time.
While we were touring the training grounds, Nora tampered with something by holding her student ID card against a magic device near the entrance.
"Ruler. Would you be satisfied just by looking at it? I applied for a training room in my name, so let's go in. "You will only know how good it is when you try it yourself."
"Uh. "We don't have any equipment right now?"
"Do not worry. Because most types of equipment are prepared for training. Can you see it piled up over there? "As long as you don't take it with you, you can use it however you want, so just bring something suitable."
As I followed Nora's hand gestures, I saw that various equipment had been arranged in a corner of the training ground. There were swords, spears, and batons, as well as axes, bows, and even whips, although I'm not sure who was using them.
I took a suitable sword and shield. To begin with, the equipment I was using wasn't particularly great, so I didn't feel uncomfortable just because it was equipment for training purposes.
However, Asil's weapon, gauntlets that reach up to the elbows, was not prepared. Asil had to be satisfied with leather gloves of moderate quality.
Flora was a wizard, so she didn't need any special equipment. If it was there, the magic's efficiency would increase, but since the purpose was training anyway, it wasn't a big problem if it wasn't there.
"Oh. "You use quite a unique weapon."
As Nora said this after looking at the equipment we brought, there was a sword in her hand that seemed to have been Nora's own equipment and that she had taken good care of it.
"You are standard."
"Hehe. This also means that the sword's performance has been proven."
Nora was quite proud of his own sword skills. Since there was nothing wrong with her pride in not putting others down, I didn't add anything to Nora's words.
In the first place, I also used a two-handed holy sword in the last episode.
"So? "What are you going to do with all the equipment?"
"Do you remember what we said in class?"
"In the classroom? Ah. "Can you come along to the lecture?"
"Yes. It may have been unpleasant to hear, but those words were necessary for all of us. If you do not have the skills to follow the lecture, you will have a hard time throughout the lecture and will continue to be ignored by your classmates."
"So?"
"I'm just a class president, and I don't have the right to test you. But, for your sake, I will test it now."
As Nora said that and adjusted the sword in her hand, the marks of a trained warrior were evident. Contrary to her appearance as a blonde drill, she was not a character who was simply satisfied with her status as an aristocrat.
The more I look at it, the more I wonder why this character is behind the front lines, but when I think about James and the students who showed hostility towards us in class, it seems that Nora is closer to a mutant.
"Good. Then, let's stick with me first."
Since I needed to spar with many opponents to gain proficiency anyway, there was no reason to refuse Nora's offer.
I stepped into the training room, swinging the sword lightly and checking its weight and length.
The training room was quite spacious. I guess they applied for the training room for this purpose from the beginning. The size was different from the other training rooms visible through the translucent membrane.
Asil and Flora watched from a corner of the training room, while Nora and I faced each other at a slight distance in the center of the training room.
"Win or lose?"
"It's not specifically about winning or losing. "I'll finish it in moderation and leave it to the people watching."
"Not bad."
With those words, I took my stance.
Even looking at it again, it was an excellent posture that showed that he had been trained.
I put my shield forward and gradually narrowed the distance.
The moment I crossed the line, a quick sword strike flew towards my head.
Although it is said to be sheathed for sparring, it is a piece of iron weighing more than several kilograms. It was clear that if you were hit without any defense, it would not end in pain.
Of course, I honestly had no intention of meeting the attack coming in a straight line.
He raised his shield to protect his head and stabbed it straight with his training sword.
My sword was originally for training purposes, so it was a blunt sword with no edge. There was no need to worry about Nora getting hurt.
A combination of simple movements of blocking and stabbing. However, not many people can move their arms differently when a sword is approaching right in front of them.
Nora hurriedly retrieved the sword and removed the tip of the stabbed sword.
Then I took a step back and began to explore carefully.
Nora must be thinking this right now.
As long as you have a shield, if you attack hastily, you will only be counterattacked. You have to carefully look for gaps.
It's not wrong. It is also a standard response.
However, in a situation where there was a difference in skill, a standard response also meant an expected defeat.
Of course, I was the one with the best skills in this situation.
Lower your posture, hold your shield forward, and quickly close the distance. It was a short period of time, but Nora, who was absorbed in the idea of ??breaking through the defense and never thought that she would be in a defensive position, missed the timing to react.
"... Sigh!"
The tip of the sword he swung reflexively was helplessly blocked by the shield he had put up, and in an instant, the shield struck the tip of his chin.
Because her brain was shaking, she didn't miss the moment of stumbling and swung her sword and struck Nora's wrist.
– Taaak!
The training sword, which was more like a blunt stick than a sword, hit her wrist hard with a dull sound.
The plan was to make him drop the sword, but Nora gritted her teeth, endured the pain, and did not let go of his handle.
As soon as he regained his stance, he left Nora widening the distance.
If we keep the offense like this, we can easily win, but as I said, the current sparring was not one where winning or losing was important.
"How is it? Is this enough to pass?"
"... I was arrogant. "I never thought I would be defeated so easily."
"Because we are here in the name of the dukedom. It means you have that level of skill."
Nora could be evaluated as a well-trained warrior, but to put it another way, it was just that. A rookie who has never experienced actual combat, who settles behind the front lines.
It wasn't Nora's fault. Most of the academy's students are in their early 20s, and in this world where life expectancy is high due to the existence of mana, a noble daughter who has just entered her 20s does not have much authority to make her own decisions.
Even if she wanted to go to the front, her family would have blocked her.
"How is it. Do you want to do more?"
"Hehe. I never thought it would end up like this, so I'll ask you to help me."
Nora changed the way she held her sword and adjusted her posture.
It was different from her basic posture that she had been doing so far. It seems like she has a swordsmanship passed down in her family.
"Huh!"
With a short cheer, she used her shield to block the attack coming towards the top like she did the first time. Up to this point, she was no different from when she first mixed up her weapons... Huh?
No, it was different. The weight of the attack was incomparably light.
It was a mistake that had no intention of hitting this attack from the beginning.
Of course, that didn't really change the situation. The only weapon was blocked by the shield, and I was stranded, and the sword in my right hand was free.
I was curious about how they would attack, so I thrust my sword in the same trajectory as the first time.
Since he even brought out his family's sword technique, of course he wouldn't get caught by the same method twice, right?
– Understand!
From that position, Nora raised her knee and hit my wrist exactly as it was stabbed. It wasn't enough to make him miss the sword, but he couldn't hit the target and let it go astray in the air.
The sight of him attacking regardless of weapon was worthy of praise. However, if it stopped here, at best it would be a tie with neither side gaining anything.
And something surprising happened there.
Flick, blame!
Nora didn't lose the momentum that raised his knee, but spun around and threw a kick!
With a booming sound, legs wearing stockings befitting a noblewoman passed before my eyes. I was surprised that the momentum of her knee attack wasn't going away and stopped my legs for a moment. If I had taken the chance and pushed forward, I would have been hit directly.
It wasn't a very practical technology. A moment when you turn your back to kick. There are many talented people who can land a critical hit without missing that moment.
But that made it an even more surprising technique.
Even from Nora's point of view, it was probably a gamble, and when the technique failed, she clearly admitted defeat and said.
"Are Ms. Asil and Ms. Flora as skilled as Ms. Soira? Then I don't need to test it."
"Ah. That's not it."
Asil and Florana are the type where the character's performance is good, but the main character's skills are mediocre.
Flora simply lacks practical experience, but since she has accumulated skills on her own, her magic skills are at a level that would make it shameful to call her a wizard.
Asil doesn't know how deceptive his body is. No, he probably knows it in his head, but he can't use it at all.
He said that he couldn't even try the method of attacking himself as if he were destructing himself by taking advantage of his immunity to elemental attacks because he was scared until the boss battle with the succubus, and even when fighting the fishmen, even the minor mobs were too much for him without Flora's support.
If Asil was an ordinary main character with one or two abilities at most, that would have been satisfactory, but isn't he a fraud character with five abilities?
That had to be dealt with lightly. No, even if you fight me, you have to be a certain level of opponent based on simple specifications.
Like Wirdi, who didn't know anything about combat, but acted like a gangster based solely on his abilities.
Considering that, you might realize that it's not me who needs skill work the most, right?
"They really need a test? Nora. "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Yes? Yes... That's what I thought at first, and it's okay, but... "
Nora seemed a little taken aback by me suddenly and actively asking for a test.
"No, what is it? Soira. Are you ignoring us?"
"Wait. You know, I'm fine... "
"Just stay still. Flora. "It doesn't mean that we are unreliable."
Asil reacted violently. Fortunately, it wasn't a furious fight.
'You think you can break this? 'Really?' Was the reaction of a gamer.
Asil continued to spar with Nora, switching places with her and me. For safety reasons, she did not use elemental magic.
The game is a draw. She was a good fighter, and Nora said with a smile that she would have no problem taking the advanced class' lectures as long as she competed on equal terms with herself, the class president.
... Of course, in my opinion, even if she didn't use elemental magic, the fact that she was only at the same level as Nora meant that Asil wasn't very good at fighting.
You know, I should tell you to learn something at this academy.
For reference, Flora ended up simply shooting magic at the wall of the training room to measure its power.
There is no need to talk about the result.