Chapter 98

The three instructors from Ludansha were led away by the recovery mage and the doctor. Mikhail followed them.

Ryuka seemed to want to stay, but it wasn't a good idea for the Ludansha instructors to know about her relationship with Claude at this stage, so she followed Mikhail.

"...So, how was it?"

Claude asked with a confident look.

"Yeah, the movements didn't seem like those of the student who was trembling before the start."

"Wh-what!? Ah, that's because Hikaru suddenly did something strange..."

"Anyway, your sword handling has improved remarkably."

It seems that raising the "Weapon Proficiency" in the Soul Board really does make you better at handling weapons. However, this is not the same as the weapon's power. The strength of the weapon, your muscle power, and explosive power all affect it.

(I guess I'm just not cut out for it.)

Hikaru's specialty is "Stealth." Even if he gets better at handling weapons, it's not very useful for surprise attacks.

"Y-yeah, that's right! I was aware of it, but it really hit me when Hikaru said it!"

"Damn, is Claude's 'job' that amazing?"

"It's just that he made up for all the bad luck he had before. It's not like it's an incredibly amazing 'job.' So, Claude, don't get too cocky."

Technically, Claude's improvement is attributed to his 'job,' and they believe it.

"But you beat the instructor! It's okay to be a little cocky, right?"

"About the battle just now, you were deflecting Kilnenko Instructor's spear strikes with your sword, right?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah... I did, right?"

"Your feet were rooted to the ground. You would have been easily taken down by a surprise attack."

"Ugh!"

"You were so focused on the sword that you neglected your body movements. It's common for someone who suddenly gets better."

Incidentally, this is also Hikaru's real experience. He had times when his body couldn't keep up after suddenly raising his "Throwing" skill.

"Until you get used to that 'job,' you can't afford to be cocky, can you?"

"Ugh..."

"Right, Claude. Mikhail Instructor's view of you has changed. You'll be drilled from tomorrow!"

"More ghosts like Hikaru? Spare me!"

"Hey, why are you casually calling me a ghost too?"

Hikaru said, but Ivan replied, "Of course, what are you talking about now?"

"But... I didn't directly accompany Claude's training, right?"

"That's the thing..."

According to Claude, while Hikaru was away in Forestyard, Claude repeatedly engaged in mock battles with Ivan and the students from Jalarzak. During that time, he was constantly told, "Hikaru is way more ruthless."

"...Ivan"

"Wait, hold on! Anyway, let's have a victory party!"

"Huh?"

"That way, even Mikhail Instructor won't complain. Besides, he had a look in his eyes like, 'I can't wait to fight him.' So, a victory party! Right?"

"Sure. I'm a bit tired too. Let's have a drink."

"You guys..."

"This is important too, Hikaru! For maintaining motivation!"

Hikaru was convinced by Ivan and was dragged to "Cheers to Alcohol."

"To Claude's victory, cheers!"

The three tumblers clinked together. "Cheers to Alcohol" was busy during lunchtime, and many customers were drinking lightly. Today's lunch menu was pasta with a tomato sauce, cooked with a lot of meat and vegetables. The pasta was not long like spaghetti but cut into chunks, which made it even more satisfying to eat.

(...Huh?)

Hikaru suddenly felt something off about the familiar taste of "Cheers to Alcohol." Of course, it was delicious as usual.

(Ah, right. Garlic.)

He recalled that the "Pasta Magic" in Pound lacked garlic, making the dish seem a bit bland. Still, it was delicious thanks to the bear-like owner's skills. But "Cheers to Alcohol" used garlic normally.

Is it a regional thing?

"I'll go talk to the master for a moment—"

"Hikaru! Is that just water?"

Ivan grabbed Hikaru's shoulder as he was about to ask where the garlic came from.

"It hurts."

"Have some ale too."

"Let go. ...Seriously. I'm weak against alcohol. Don't push it."

"Drinking makes you stronger, you know."

"Don't be so obvious. Anyway, I was going to talk to the master—"

"Oh, Hikaru?"

Lavia and Ekaterina entered the shop.

"It's rare to see Lavia here."

"Ekaterina wanted to come again."

"Wait, Lavia! It's not like that! It's just that I remembered how good the tea you made was."

Ekaterina seemed surprised to meet Hikaru, Ivan, and Claude and tried to cover it up.

"Is this place so bad?"

"It's a bar. Didn't you know?"

"Master, can we have two more lunches?"

Lavia, who sat next to Hikaru, spoke in a much softer voice than the noise in the shop, but the master, who was behind the counter, gave a thumbs up.

"How did he hear that?"

"He has ears that don't miss orders."

Lavia seemed to know this already. Hikaru thought about checking the master's Soul Board but decided against it. It's not right to invade someone's privacy.

(Come to think of it, we don't even know the master's real name.)

In this world, the only form of identification is the Guild Card. There's no official resident registration. Names are not that important.

"So... why are you drinking alcohol at lunch? Does Claude have that much free time?"

Ekaterina, sitting next to Lavia, gave Claude a cold look. Claude groaned and put the tumbler back on the table. Ivan muttered, "I don't know," and drank his ale.

Well, you could at least help a bit, Hikaru thought and spoke up.

"Just now, Claude defeated three Ludansha instructors in a row in mock battles. So we're having a victory party."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"By the way, I advised against having a victory party."

"Claude?"

Hikaru casually deflected the responsibility to Claude. The master brought the pasta for Lavia and Ekaterina.

"N-no, well, I... I've gotten stronger. It was just a confirmation..."

"Can you explain clearly? It's related to our alliance, right?"

"Ugh..."

Claude started to explain, stammering. Hikaru whispered to Lavia.

(I'm surprised. Ekaterina said 'our alliance.')

(Yes, she's working very hard. She's researching past founding ceremony records in the library, like what topics were discussed in meetings. She's preparing drafts for proposals.)

(Oh...)

I thought she would be indifferent, but surprisingly, she's actively involved.

"Ah... I see."

Claude's explanation seemed to be over.

"Thank Ryuka. She must have explained that you left the lecture because you didn't like the Ludansha instructors."

"Really?"

"Of course. It was also brave of you to follow Mikhail Instructor. With his help, she's likely guiding things so that your relationship isn't suspected. She's that kind of person."

"Sure, my Ryuka."

Claude started to drool, and Ekaterina's face stiffened.

"If you hadn't done something unnecessary, Ryuka wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble. Be more aware."

"Ugh... I'm sorry."

"Hikaru too."

"Me?"

"Didn't you know Kilnenko Instructor would cause trouble and just let it happen?"

Claude must have explained that much. Hikaru glared at Claude, who pretended to drink his ale.

"Well, I knew a conflict would happen at some point, so I wanted to nip it in the bud."

"It would have been better after the founding ceremony."

"I considered that, but we were in a hurry. The experience of fighting Mikhail Instructor was crucial for Claude."

"Hmm..."

"Didn't you have a more brutal option? Like, Kilnenko Instructor having an unfortunate accident last night... That might have been more to Ekaterina's liking?"

Hikaru said, and Claude's face turned pale.

"You were thinking about that... You really are the most ruthless."

"What, what do you mean? An unfortunate accident?"

Ivan didn't seem to understand, but it didn't need explaining. Ekaterina sighed.

"Ah... It seems true that the success of this alliance depends on you."

"Huh? On me, what?"

"Sylvester said that before he returned to Tsuvra. He was also worried. If your actions go in the wrong direction, the alliance could collapse."

"That's an exaggeration."

"I hope it doesn't come true..."

Ekaterina looked at Hikaru sharply. Lavia then leaned in and took Hikaru's arm.

"Even Ekaterina gets angry if you say bad things about Hikaru."

"I didn't say anything bad. Didn't 'The Paradise of Rose Knights' say, 'A strong knight is both a source of strength and a source of danger'?"

"What's this 'The Paradise of Rose Knights'?"

"The book that started the conversation between me and Ekaterina. Hikaru, you should read it too?"

"Sure. If I have time."

As they were talking, the door to "Cheers to Alcohol" opened, and a large man from Jalarzak appeared. The man—Mikhail—spotted Claude and loudly said, "Let's have a mock battle."

Hikaru thought, This is another step forward.

Thank you for the review.

Next time, we'll talk about League, who has been out of the spotlight recently, and Katie's research.