---

Practice Battle

---

The next day.

I had almost completely recovered from my wounds and was just about to leave the medical office to return to the room that had been assigned to me.

It’s amazing that I have recovered so quickly.

There is only one major school in the country, it seems that the healers of this school are incredibly skilled.

I’m relieved that I will be able to attend class once again.

As I left the medical office, Luluna was waiting for me.

“Are you doing okay?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Both Tsurugi and Patricia gave me a short greeting.

And so, a few minutes passed.

“Good morning! Hahaha, the weather is quite nice today!”

Bagiran appeared next to us saying this.

This guy’s voice is loud as usual….

“Lute, how are you doing? Are you able to participate in the practical training today?”

“Ah, yes. There should be no problems.”

I respond to Bagiran’s question with a serious face.

Bagiran can be surprisingly considerate sometimes.

It’s a common saying not to judge someone based on their appearance.

“Alright, that’s good….That’s good.”

“Uwaa!”

I accidently let out a surprised yell.

It does make me happy that he seems to be concerned about my well being, but it’s still strange…

“Haa…!”

Tsurugi is impressed like usual.

I honestly don’t understand why she seems impressed.

***

We followed Bagiran into the forest.

Bagiran began explaining the training we would do today as we walked through the forest.

“Today we will have some practical lessons. We’ll be pairing up…..The pairs will be Tsurugi and Patricia, then Lute and Luluna.”

“Pairs kero?”

“Adventurers will often quarrel with people unexpectedly. You will come across many fake adventurers and many people that will try to steal your contracts in this world. If you do not have experience fighting human opponents, you will all be in trouble. And so, that’s why we will have one-on-one battles in the forest.”

Then, Bagiran stopped walking.

I guess we’ll be fighting here.

Tsurugi and Patricia were going to start first.

“Bagiran Sensei, isn’t their a risk of being attacked by demons here?”

“There is. It can happen in real world scenarios as well. If it were to happen the best strategy is to use the demon against your opponent.”

Uwaa, that’s an evil smile he’s showing.

“Of course, there is no chance we will encounter a demon like the one from yesterday. The teachers spent all night surveying the area to be sure there were no more. Honestly, I didn’t get enough sleep.”

Bagiran rubs his eyes.

I’m impressed he went to such efforts to make sure we’d be safe.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Well, this is a part of my job. It’s the responsibility of the teacher to make sure his students are safe.”

Tsurugi’s eyes sparkle at his words and she raises her hand.

“Sensei, I would like to engrave those words on the note pad of my heart! I would like to ask your permission!”

“I see, have it your way.”

“Of course!”

After Tsurugi received his permission, she closed her eyes and began to hum, “Mu~”

She continued doing this for a little while and then opened her eyes.

“Input completed!”

“Kero….Tsurugi-san is a strange person kero.”

“I am!? I’ve lost to Peti-dono!”

“No, I think you are both pretty strange….”

Luluna says this as she looks at the two arguing.

“Haha, that’s true.”

Compared to Luluna and I, Patricia and Tsurugi are definitely strange.

“You guys, where did the enthusiasm you all had yesterday go….”

Bagiran showed an angry expression as he looked at the two arguing.

“Tsurugi-san, let’s start soon. I’ll be scared if Sensei gets angry. I hate it when people get angry kero –”

“I also hate that. Then, we can begin at anytime, Peti-dono.”

And finally, the battle between the two will begin.

I’ve never really had the opportunity to see the others fight. I’m excited for this.

***

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

Tsurugi places her hand on the sword that’s on her lower back.

Patricia’s face is usually covered by the frog hood, but now the hood is pulled back.

The previously casual appearance of the two has now completely disappeared. There was suddenly a savage pressure emitting from them.

***

Tsurugi was the first to move.

“Don’t hold anything back!”

The sword is controlled by magic as it floats in the air. Tsurugi begins by throwing it towards Patricia.

“Kerokero”

Patricia used her alteration magic to raise the earth at her feet, lifting her into the sky.

The sword is unable to change its trajectory and stabs harmlessly into the soil.

“Keroro~n”

Patricia leaps from the pillar of soil and touches the sword. The touched swords changes into a large frog due to Patricia’s alteration magic.

“Wha-…!?”

“Tsurugi-san can’t control it if it’s not metal kero. Now, it’s my turn kero.”

Then, Patricia placed her hand on the ground.

She’s…..pouring magic into the ground.

An arm formed from the magical power poured into the soil and it grabbed onto Tsurugi’s ankle.

“With this, you’re completely immobilized kero.”

Patricia says this and creates a cannon out of the soil near her feet.

It seems she plans on ending the fight now.

However, I doubt Tsurugi plans on letting it end so soon.

Tsurugi brilliantly cut through the arm restraining her.

“You’ll be in trouble if you underestimate my swords.”

Tsurugi rushed towards Patricia, and in a flash her sword was pressed against Patricia’s neck.

“I…I surrender kero~….”

Patricia weakly raised both of her hands.

“Fumu, that’s the end.”

Bagiran declared the end of the battle.

The defeated Patricia returns the frog sword back to normal and returns it to Tsurugi.

“Tsurugi-san is strong kero. Geroppa, I can feel it kero.”

“Peti-dono was also strong. I need to become more diligent.”

“Both of your movements were good, but you both froze up when you were met with an unexpected situation. I have nothing specific to say, other than it was a good fight.”

Bagiran noted his observations from the fight.

“Sensei, can you say that again? I want to record it.”

“Record it? I don’t want to, that’s embarrassing.”

“T-that’s~……”

After hearing Bagiran’s words, Tsurugi looked as if she had lost the will to live.

Did she really want to record it that badly?

Patricia and Luluna try to comfort the depressed Tsurugi.

“Tsurugi-san, geroppa kero!”

“Tsurugi, geroppa.”

…..I guess I’ll also go along with them.

“Tsurugi, geroppa.”

“I’m not sure if you’re comforting me or trying to annoy me….”

***

The first pair’s fight has ended and now Luluna and I were up.

“You may still be weak, but I don’t plan on holding back at all, Lute!”

“I want you to come at me with everything you’ve got, Luluna!”

Luluna and I face each other.

Luluna was my first friend, but that doesn’t matter here.

I must get some experience before the fight with Elgil……this fight, I definitely can’t lose!

“Alright…..begin!”

At Bagiran’s words, our battle began.

---

Previous Chapter                                                                                      Next Chapter