Published at 25th of March 2019 11:40 pm

Chapter 41 - Thirst of Tiger

We repelled all bandits who attacked us, several hours later.

The day was getting dark, so the Trader Group stopped moving, and set up tents in the wide-open plains.

Naturally, there was no need to keep the carriages in line at this time, so even taking the point of view of the escorts, they tried to settle as many people as possible in a single place.

The tents were put up surrounding those carriages. It was decided that the people would take turns for the night-watch, and pass the whole night like that. It’s not like everyone has the night-watch duty for every night, but rather the rotation was set to be once every three days, so it can be said the people have quite a lot of time to spare.

Incidentally, we didn’t have the duty of tonight’s night-watch, so we slept without problems today.

And if a great danger came near us and if we didn’t wake up, it would be damned hell, because Alva would wake everyone up by itself. After all his crisis management ability works all time irrelevant of being awake or sleeping.

Or rather, recently it has been following the early to bed and early to rise routine.

Let it be in an inn or anywhere else, by the time Elk and I sleep it is always sleeping from before, and it would always be awake when we wake from our sleeps.

By the way, when me and Elk『do that sort of thing』it just……disappears completely somewhere, so I got no idea about that time. It can be said, it is a good bird which can read the mood.

However just how long does it sleep every day? Or does it sleep at all?

Tomorrow it’s my turn for sleepless vigil, so I will try to check that up at that time……as long as I don’t forget about it.

That day, from around after putting up the tents, the people who tagged along with Trader Group started making the dinner, but I had heard that they would cook for you if you brought the ingredients.

And so, just like that time in『Crimson Forest』, I would gather the ingredients via local procurement, or so had I thought but there were no demons suitable for that, so it went as a failure today.

I thought of paying attention to that in morning, and even go for a lookout in the surroundings. It’s only natural to eat until the stomach’s full after working hard.

I took my portion of this meal made in haste -it was a soup of vegetables, jerky and bread- and talked with my friends like Elk, Zari and Sherry-san while eating.

The feeling was like of an excursion or school trip, but well isn’t it fine to just steel myself at the important points, so I relaxed and enjoyed sitting together.

After some while, some adventurer opened up a bottle of alcohol, with that as beginning other people are threw their reserved attitudes down the drain and became less formal.

Among them there were some who got drunk and tried woo female adventurers and women traders from the Trader Group, they even came to Elk and Sherry-san, but all of their ships sank.

Elk and Sherry-san had been near me since start……or rather they were sitting on my both sides, so every time they brushed aside others, their glare of jealousy would only concentrate on me.

Then they offered us alcohol as service to make us drunk and do whatever they wanted, however after some minutes, they hoped to get a service of just running away from us.

But, it is only natural that nothing goes greatly in this world.

It would be rude for refusing them, so partook their offer and chug the alcohol down as if no tomorrow, and Elk and Zari drank moderately, so they didn’t faint from drunkenness……

I am quite strong against alcohol, but the alcohol, the people who wanted to drag the drunken-me away from two beautie, brought, was completely chugged down by me. I think this is already the fourth bottle that I have opened……neither do I get drunk nor feel unpleasant, but the taste of this is truly bad so I want to stop it already.

And the left Sherry-san, apparently also was strong against liquor, moreover she loved it unlike me.

And so, she’s is drinking all the liquor handed to her in high spirits and her mood seems to get better, more or less she seems drunk but it’s not like her judgment power has gone. She has precisely slapped down the hands trying to touch her.

In the end, after a hour and half since the start, the small party on the first day came to an end, and the painful work of those bastards ended up in vain. THE END.

☆☆☆

Next morning,

I woke up early because I wasn’t used to this sort of environment. I was inside the tent supplied by the Trader Group.

I get out of this highly-efficient-comfortable-for-sleeping sort of sleeping bag, which I purchased from sister and look around the surroundings, there was still Elk sleeping besides, so I get out of sleeping bag quietly as I could.

On the other side was a perch which can be made compact upon dissembling, on which Alva was sitting on. As usual, it was awake.

While thanking Alva for understanding my intentions and keeping quiet, I got out of the tent to wash my face, as there was not much I could while remaining in the tent.

It has gotten somewhat bright now, judging from time it would be somewhere around 4 o’clock.

Just in case I nod as morning greeting to people sitting besides the bonfire for doing sleepless vigil work.

I hold my hands out, making a diamond shape with my thumb and index finger of both hands, towards the top of tub borrowed from Trader Group. Then I used all the moisture present in the air to make water, and accumulated enough quantity to wash my face. The moisture sucked in from the top of diamond shape agglomerate inside it and is shot as liquid water from the below of diamond shape.

While I am washing my face from that water……the clothed entrance of the tent in front of me opens and a Sherry-san who seems to have just woken up comes out. Ah, did I wake her?

「Good morning, did I wake you up?」

「It’s fine, I wake up around this always. You too are quite early in mornings」

「Well my parent instilled early to sleep early to rise routine into me」

Though she has just woken up yet she, who came out with her sword hanging from her waist, stretched her body and combed her hair with hands, and pretty much arranged her appearance.

But, apparently Sherry-san went in the sleeping bag without changing her clothes yesterday, after getting drunk, and so her clothes are wrinkled at several places. Though, she seems not at all concerned by that.

Well, the clothes of adventurers are made by taking in heed that they might not be washed for many days, there are clothes which are hard to get dirty and clothes in which the wrinkles get cured quickly.

……It’s good and all being sturdy clothes, but with a cloth having this much exposure and moreover for females, just what does she do about the armor……I thought.

Then, after completing the calisthenics (?) Sherry-san, as if remembered suddenly, came to my side and hit my shoulder saying “Hey hey”. What?

「Judging from the fight I saw yesterday, your, Minato-kun’s martial arts is self-learned, right?」

「Ah, so you truly can understand that after just looking at it」

「Well yeah. It’s not like that I was made to learn martial arts since I was five just a joke」

Sherr-san said while grinning. Truly she hit the right parts.

Within just 1 fight of yesterday -she watched me sometimes while in between her severe fights- she understood that my close combat techniques are self-learned, are an imitation made by referencing someone else’s movement and the movement which became the origin of it aren’t suited for battles.

She’s truly sharp. Though the close combat techniques are what I learnt from mom, but I was basically more of a self-training person, so other than being taught about the fundamental bodybuilding and efficient movements, I learnt all by myself.

The teaching materials too, other than the movements taught by mom, are all referenced on the transforming heroes who appeared on the telly, well their movement are completely different from real martial arts.

After that in my own way, I chipped off the useless movements, joined them all and trained, then use my tempered body’s basic spec for removing the gaps in them and that’s how I use it in real battles.

If others found out that I became strong with this, well, frankly said half-hearted process, then people who love the true martial arts would truly yell at me『You tryin’ to underestimate martial arts!』, but it’s all good if I am able to fight like this in battles, and like that I am persuading myself.

Well no wonder martial arts which treasure kata would be strong, but this is the result of me pursuing the martial art which seemed to be perfectly in coordination with me both physically and mentally.

I think it’s better to think more at the time some problem occurs in way.

Like that, my pet theory became the topic of talk, we both talked, both had gaps in our movements, and talking about our training periods we both had fun, however I……didn’t realize Sherry-san’s eyes shining with a dangerous light.

Before I knew it her eyes were already 『shining』or rather『blazing』so intently that some sound effects would eventually occur……and she was already too close to me now compared to the place she was sitting before.

“……Sheet, did I stimulate her that much”, by the time I thought that it was already too late.

「Hey, Minato-kun?」

「……Yes, what happened?」

Sherry-san’s face was blushing red, and was revealing a smile that somewhat seemed bewitching.

「Why are turning your face away……well it’s fine. Hey, I got a small proposal, you are free right now, right?」

Saying that, as if not having any intention of letting me go; she grabbed my arm with both her hands. Just like a girl walking around the city holding her boyfriend’s arm.

At that moment, two soft things touched my arm and deformed.

「Hey, don’t you think it’s good to move the body before eating breakfast? The food would seem tastier and your body would move more flexibly, so it is good for the escort work after we depart from here」

「Err, umm, yeah……if we do some intense exercise then it would give the negative effects, right? It’s morning, and we have just woke up」

「If it were normal people. People with bodies at our level wouldn’t feel anything like that, right? I don’t have any problem with it, and Minato-kun’s body is already a tempered one」

“So please?” Sherry-san even winked, her actions eloquently said『You know what I mean to say, right?』.

No, I know, yes is truly because I know that I’m having this problem of doing exercise……

「Well it’s natural that you are perplexed on being suddenly asked this……but it’s quite common in this industry. I think it would be good if you experience it right here and now, it’s for you future……please?」

Saying that her both hands left my arm, -though the two soft things are still touching it- , and she stroked my cheeks.

This invitation by this bewitching Sherry-san is something that 9 out of 10 people would truly nod yes though while hesitating.

As to why I am nodding yes to this sort of attack is because……

That is because the other hand of Sherry-san is trying to reach out to the sword hanging from her waist……as if wanting to say『I want to take it out!』.

……I had forgotten due to the sleepy head of mine and the fresh feeling of morning.

That……this person happens to be a Battle Maniac.

That is to say, the next words coming out of her mouth would be……

「Hey? How about before the breakfast……we spar for a bit?」

*Klang* By the time the sword made a sword of coming out of sheath, finally the sun came out.

Frankly speaking, it’s not like I hate her invitation, but I only have a bad premonition and so I hesitate.

I’m doing it every day with Elk, so it’s not like I hate sparring.

In fact, that near-true-battle sparring can be said as a part of training. Even when I was with mom in that western house, the sparring near the end was really deadly,

And Sherry-san is an『A』ranker, the only person, among all people present here, with the same rank as me. She is the only person with ability near mine ever since I’ve left the house, the other people, let it be adventurers or guards were all at most B.

The only person going above that would be Irene-san, but……in that person’s case, she’s just too above me to be compared, that sort of feeling I sense from her.

I don’t want to say something wrong about Elk, who is always sparring with me, but this is a great chance to gain experience.

Even so the only reason I hesitate from taking her invitation is none other than her being a『Battle Maniac』.

The people loving fighting are, well, types of people who love it more than the other people, aside from that reason, they, not necessarily have much difference with other people『in the middle』of fights.

But, the problem comes in later……

It might be an image I made on my own after watching too much fantasy stuff in the previous world, but these sort of people, after the fight ends, keep on demanding the same thing over and over again.

If it’s once per day, it won’t get past the limits of training, but they want it several times per day just to kill time……

Moreover she’s a person I will be together with for 2 weeks, so if she actually challenged me to a spar many times then……

Though I can’t say that for sure, after all I don’t know how much of a『Battle Maniac』she is.

And this is just my intuition but maybe she also is thinking that same as me -that it would be a great experience because our ranks are same-.

But well, I concentrate all too much just because Sherry-san might be faking with that thinking, and it’s also true that this will be good experience for both of us.

After getting out of the house, the fights where I had some resistance would be『Naga』and『Exceed Hopper』, in that case sparring against an A ranker does seem fascinating.

Moreover, because the opponent is a human, I think I can learn something, surely.

I also feel it would be good if I just refuse her invitations if she kept on challenging me in future to an irritating extent.

While calculating the pros and cons, I think about what to do, well, it will surely turn into a good experience, with that pretext I let out my decision.

「……Then a simple and light spar」

At this moment, Sherry-san’s eyes held a light that……would even scare a carnivore with the prey in front its eyes.

Yikes, did I just make a damn mistake in choosing options?

☆☆☆

Not long after morning sun rose up in sky, though it’s still dark and visibility is also not good, in that sort of situation,

We came to an open place somewhat away from the place members from the Trader Group and escorts are sleeping, and here the already regretting me and heavily motivated Sherry-san started our mock battle.

In the surrounding, standing somewhat far to not get dragged into the battle, some adventurers who rose early -of course there is no one who is on sleepless vigil duty- are observing our fight for some reason.

They are all who somehow sniffed something is happening when I was preparing the metal fake swords for mock battle.

There are also people who came here to just kill time because they woke up too early, and also who came to appraise us both. They have even started betting on who is going to win……this is just a mock battle for training and not a battle for deciding who wins and who loses.

Well, it’s not hindering us so I left them alone doing their antics.

It was just right good for them to be here, so I asked one of those onlookers to give out the signal for the start of battle.

Speaking of conclusions, Sherry-san was truly severe through-and-through.

As soon as the signal for start of battle was given, she rushed forward at me with the speed of an arrow, and without any hesitation, pushed her sword forward aiming at my heart. At that time, though I knew it was a metal fake sword, I got scared.

No, seriously, her high spirits is just too unnatural.

Of course my body is strong enough that if I put power in my pectoral muscles and abdominal muscles nothing would pass into my body, let it be fake sword or a real sword, but still there is a thing called instinct, yeah that is what let me become scared.

As for Sherry-san, I sensed that from the first strike.

And that turned into conviction within the n-th minutes long fight.

At the first attack she might have assumed I would evade, so she started a rapid counter attack by swinging the sword.

After that was a true rush of raging billows.

From above, below, right, left, she just kept on rapidly attacking without letting me catch my breath.

And each and every of those attacks used not only the arm but also the trunk of body and the movement of lower half of body, they were sword attacks holding enough power and speed, moreover there were no useless movement and the gaps too were none.

If I evade she would promptly connect it to a different attack and pursue me, if I took the blow head-on she would let the sword flow in way to not kill the momentum and again pursues.

Looking from the sidelines, it would either look like a wild fighting or bewitching sword dance, but in truth they are attacks with tremendous precision and level of completion, and that stuff just keep on coming at me at a great speed and high pace.

“So this is a true powerful person who had completed the『basics』, eh”. I was impressed even during the fight.

Due to that, for around 10 seconds, I only evaded or blocked but didn’t attack. Maybe because of that, Sherry-san’s eyes seemed to be filled with displeasure.

I thought that it would be rude if I didn’t take this mock battle seriously, so I clenched my fists, seeing that she showed a smile saying『Yes that’s the way!』.

……It’s not like I didn’t predict it, but still I’ve got no damn idea how to react to her actions.

As expected of an A ranker, she was truly strong. Her ability was the best by far against all demons and others whom I’ve fought after leaving the house.

It was a fight against an opponent with high and fast thinking, the thing which didn’t exist against a fight with demons. Moreover the feeling is different from mom’s, hence there is a lot I can learn from this.

I also got somewhat happy, though I didn’t use『Magic Arts』, but by the end of fight I too was fighting without any restraint. Of course I didn’t use my whole arm strength, but still it had quite a lot of speed and power.

It was to the extent that I realized Sherry-san’s face becoming too happy, and I was like『Sheet, I did it』.

However, if I returned back to the previous power Sherry-san’s mood would become bad, so I continued on like this, after all it was still a good battle.

As a result, most probably the limit came.

Sherry-san used the sword to ward off my fist but the sword was not able to bear the power of it and broke into pieces, hence this mock battle came to an end.

☆☆☆

While watching the onlookers doing the settlement of betting, we both got rid of sweat and were cooling down.

Maybe because she was able to fight against me and got resistance than what she had expected, Sherry-san showed a truly satisfied smile.

……When I thought that, her mood changed and she showed a disappointed face as if pondering over something.

「As expected, a normal fake sword is truly bad. It broke with just this little sparring……I wanted to fight for a little bit longer」

She said. No, you still ain’t fucking satisfied, eh!

In fact, we fought for enough time. When we started the fight it was still dark, but now the surroundings are becoming brighter, 30 minutes have easily passed.

And, though it’s a normal cheap sword but it is made from pure and true iron, if that broke after 30 minutes means we fought that harshly, yet you are not satisfied?

Sherry-san, while remembering the fight from before, showed an expression of ecstasy and faced me……I only feel a bad premonition.

「Hey, how about one more time just now?」

「Rejected」

「Eh, why!? Do you want to fight after the breakfast?」

「No, not that. Didn’t we fight because it would be a good experience, the fight even longed for 30 minutes, isn’t that enough?」

Sherry-san thinks of fighting as the best sports out there, but the reason I fought was truly because of gaining experience and not for a sports like battle.

And that is something I told her various times before agreeing to the mock battle.

But, as expected, after savoring the taste once, she has completely locked on me as the target.

……Well, it’s not like I didn’t expect this, so now is the time for refusing her every time until she gives up.

「And also, you don’t have the spare metal fake sword right? Even I don’t have it, so we don’t have any means of continuing」

「It’s this chance, how about with this. This is more sturdy than those metal swords and won’t break in between the fights too」

「It’s too dangerous! The sword and your thoughts, both!」

This damn dark brown beauty just said those words with a fucking serious face,

No well, I have a body which can block a iron sword even if I’m not serious, but there is obligation for me to go out of my way to accompany her.

Or rather the sword Sherry-san always keeps -The one always hanging from her waist, we weren’t going to use it, so left in Alva’s care- is not iron, right?

If that is true, then it is more f’ing dangerous. This body of mine……ain’t something that will never be cut at all. Even more if someone with her strength attacks at me, it gets more dangerous.

Sherry-san keeps on persuading me saying『Weren’t we holding back before』and『I will just use the back of sword』, however soon she realizes she is not at all persuading me. Just for information, her sword is a double-edged sword, so the back of sword does not exist.

Seeing that she still is not stopping, but even using seductive techniques to persuade me, I ignored and started to leave her……and finally she grabbed my arm and started to swing on it saying『NO! NO!』, holy sheet are you a child now!

「If you want to fight that much, then just exterminate the demons that come attacking while we are on the move」

「Those small fries cannot satisfy me. This area is said to be more dangerous than the surroundings of Volka, but the demons are of at most E or D Rank」

「Then try to hold back your urges」

「Having the best meal in front of me, I possibly cannot bear to wait」

Who the fuck is the meal here! Don’t go fucking eating it!!

「And……」

「And?」

「……You weren’t serious before, right?」

…………

「……Well I won’t refuse that, but aren’t you the same?」

She didn’t use the magic, which she said she could use and it seemed like she was hiding various trump cards too……though it’s all my intuition.

The moment I pointed that out……Sherry-san’s hand went out for the sword on her waist just for a second. Is her seriousness something related to that not-normal sword? In that case she will not be able to show it out at all.

「That’s why! Don’t you think it’s a waste to not fight against an opponent who is just suitable for you? we might get more serious than before」

「Nope, not at all. Well, it was worthwhile as a training stuff, but that is already over」

「So you actually cast me aside after using all of me……Sniffle, cold person……」

「I knew that it would come to this……for both of us……」

「But, aren’t there things once can’t back off on! If you’re truly a human with warm-blood flowing inside then you should know, just what sort of feeling I have……I, seriously……」

「I had nothing with you since the start……right? Well then I’m outta here」

「……I will never give up on you……never……!」

「Don’t do your 2 people comedy act and come fast here you two idiots. It’s time for breakfast」

Ah, it’s Elk.

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