Master’s Smile

Chapter 9: At the Training Grounds, Part I

Having carried Laladi all the way to the bathroom, I resume my leisurely stride. I happen to be rather fond of a good morning walk.

I can't say that I'm adverse to the idea of watching over my guild members as they go about so clamorously as they tend to do, but I do find enjoyment in this sort of carefree silence. Even Sorglos had, without my noticing, hidden her presence.

There's no doubt about it; she's living up to the image as a ninja and hiding in the shadows, protecting me from afar. And Laladi, while usually stuck to me like glue, seems to be against the idea of having me wait for her to finish her business.

I had, in fact, even asked if she wanted me to wait for her. She had just gone beet red and said something to the effect of, "It… It's still too early for that…".

… Too early for what, exactly?

And, well, now that we'd gone our separate ways, here I am taking a stroll around the exceedingly large castle that serves as both a residence for the members of my guild and our main headquarters. A good while goes by, and I can suddenly hear the clanging of dull metal from far away.

Oh, is someone going through their morning training routine? Out of all the guild members, it would be… those two, I guess?

I finish my thought and begin walking again.

◆

This grandiose castle, our own personal headquarters, is equipped with just about every facility and material under the sun. To put it simply, if there's something someone wants to do, there's a good chance that the castle can provide for most of it.

Among the members of this guild, more than a few happen to favor warfare. These training grounds were created to their satisfaction. It's right in the middle of the courtyard, spacious and wide.

This place really is far too large for someone like me, but it looks like it's not close to large enough for the other members of the guild - much too small for them to give it their all, it seems.

Maybe I'll get around to expanding this place sometime…

Clang!

Deeply in thought and still looking about, I'm brought back to my senses by a remarkably loud clanging of metal.

Ah, it's definitely those two. I look at the two women fighting fiercely on the training grounds and affirm my suspicions.

"Die."

One of them is a girl that wears her black hair in a bob cut. That would be Ritter. She's covered in knightly armor from head to toe, and she's occupied with swinging her sword around at the moment.

It can't be called an official or proper set of armor, though; it's much more lightweight, and the color of her skin peeks through it here and there. Her strong, well-trained thighs are clearly visible, and are - sort of - tempting.

But I can handle it. I'm dried up, after all. Instead of calling her a knight, it might be better to call her an adventurer that had chosen to dress similarly.

Ritter has always had trouble expressing herself and, as a result, remains expressionless more often than not. But with the beauty of her features, she never comes across as gloomy. Beauty really is a benefit.

With a graceful dance, she moves to attack her opponent. I… I almost feel as if she just said something that no guild member should ever say to the other, but I guess it must have been my imagination.

"Hmph! You're not nearly strong enough to off me!"

The one fighting Ritter is Reese, her purple hair tied into twin-tails. Two splendid horns sprout from her head, almost as if they mean to stop her twin-tails from moving.

Reese is pretty lightweight herself. But unlike Ritter, she doesn't wear any kind of armor; her body is obscured by simple, plain old clothing.

Then again, with her choice of clothing, her plump breasts always tend to sway about, and… I'm fine. I'm all dried up, after all.

On that note, she has roots in a tribe whose fighting abilities are considered top-class throughout the world. I'd love to say that Ritter's combat skills are on par with Reese's own, but…

Unlike Ritter, who was wielding her own blade, Reese is holding absolutely nothing. She's engaging Ritter in hand-to-hand combat, completely unarmed.

If I didn't know about Reese's heritage, seeing her block a blade with those thin arms of hers and making those dull clangs would probably shock me enough to make me throw out my back. The thought of her arms managing to block the ever-stern Ritter's attacks without shattering would have been too much. Still, the fact that Ritter herself isn't getting injured in the slightest is a testament to her own power.

"Ah, Master."

"What?!"

Ritter suddenly points with her finger and calls my name. Reacting instantly, Reese follows her finger in a flash.

Um… Girls? That's the exact opposite of where I'm standing…

"You're wide open."

"Wah!"

With all her strength, Ritter slashes down at Reese. But Reese lives up to expectations. Even though she's disoriented, she succeeds in stopping her attack with her right arm alone.

Huh…? This… This is training, right? Is it just me, or did I just feel a massive amount of killing intent behind Ritter's attack…?

"Come on! That's not fair!"

"It's completely fair. You're to blame for falling for it."

And the two break out in a noisy quarrel. Well, I say that, but it's usually Reese who starts yelling and Ritter who just throws words back at her without even bothering to express an emotion.

That aside, Ritter really didn't play fair. I'm not saying that's bad thing, not at all; it's much more amazing that Ritter can start that kind of surprise attack without changing her demeanor in the slightest.

"Well, that's odd… My trusty nose definitely picked up on Master's succulent scent just then…"

Wait, what do you mean, I have a succulent scent? Reese's nose starts to twitch, and I feel like I want to ask her about that.

Reese's forte doesn't just lie with her skill in combat, but also with her sense of smell. That's definitely what one would expect from that tribe. After spinning around in circles looking for me, Reese finally spots me.

"Ah, Master!"

"…?!"

Having found me out, Reese grins widely and waves at me. While a little slower on the uptake, Ritter eventually turns to me as well. Her head spins around vigorously, rotating further than any human's could.

Is she alright…?

"Good morning, Master!"

While I'm worried about that, Reese pops into my field of vision, her face close to mine and still wearing a large grin. Whoa, that caught me off guard…

I'm standing quite far away from where she and Ritter were fighting, but it looks like she crossed that distance in a split second. Considering her physical capabilities, it's of no surprise that she can accomplish that kind of feat.

Anyways, I'd best get to returning her morning greeting. I tell her good morning and pat her head at the same time. My behavior's probably being spurred on by Sorglos's reaction from earlier.

"Wah! I-Is something wrong…?!"

Reese seems surprised as she looks up at me. Ah, did I just do something bad? I ask her that, and she just shakes her head in denial.

"It… It's not that at all! To tell the truth, I'm h-happy about it…! It's just that Master hasn't been petting anyone lately…"

Reese closes her eyes as if indulging in some kind of nostalgia. Well then… it looks like my thoughts were on point after all.

I'd thought that they were all grown up by now, but it seems that they're still children at heart. If Reese, the calmest and collected out of all the guild members, is this happy with it, does that mean that the others would be just as happy?

"Nnnh…"

Oh boy. I accidentally brushed Reese's elegant horns with my hand.

I grow uneasy and give her my apologies. The members of her species take great offense in having their horns touched by other people. I remember hearing that in some cases, doing so can even lead to one's death.

"Nnh… It's fine. It's true that my kind isn't fond of having their horns touched, but that's usually limited to rabble and riff-raff. Having the Master I idolize so much touch them is much more preferable…"

Reese says that while shooting fleeting glances my way, almost as if she's embarrassed. I find myself touched by her words.

Who'd have guessed it… Reese idolizes me, does she…?! I mean, I always wanted to hold on to the notion that she didn't hate me, but hearing it from her mouth makes me all the happier.

After all, it's normal for fathers to be hated by their daughters, right? The members of my guild are all good girls, so I never thought that they'd openly display their distaste, but I never had a way of knowing what was going on deep down in their minds.

Really, today can't get any better!

"You're in the way."

"Uwaaah!"

While I'm looking at Reese, head clearer than ever, she suddenly disappears from my sight as if she's been flattened by that detached voice.