Chapter 902: After the impromptu training session
As far as I can tell, the Holy Warrior Alliance was by no means weak. Neither Faimand, who was completely shut down by Anzeros, nor the other Holy Warriors who failed to land a single effective blow on Herman, were mere paper tigers who hadn’t even reached the level of a Sword Saint. Even if they had let Fiona challenge him as things stood, she surely wouldn’t have been able to break through Faimand’s defenses. Even if Fiona’s physique had become comparable to that of a Sword Saint, that alone would not have been enough to defeat the 「Elite」 warriors who hone their skills through fierce competition across the nations. Conversely, it could also be said that Anzeros and Herman are such exceptional figures that they can now effortlessly brush aside even that level of opposition.
“Kuu……who is this man……?”
“If it were Berga-dono, known as the Northern Wall of Arcas, that would be one thing, but to be so utterly outmatched by a nameless knight……everyone, you’re a disgrace!”
Name, even though he’s been called Herman nonstop since a moment ago, he’s still being treated as 「Nameless」. But that’s probably not the point. Whether someone is famous or not is what matters to them.
“Both of you have decent swordplay. But……I’m in too good of shape right now to let you guys beat me”
Contrary to his seemingly relaxed words, Herman shows no sign of letting his guard down……no, with an emotionless face, he lets his wooden sword hang loosely as he waits for the next challenger.
“I haven’t just spent the night fighting monsters. This isn’t a chaotic free-for-all where outnumbering me is the goal. I’m not standing on a cliff where it’s hard to even stay upright, and your swords aren’t spewing fire. ……This is too easy”
That last part is a special condition just for Anzeros, right? Well, I’ve actually made a sword-like thing that spews fire myself.
“Above all, I’m in a bad mood right now”
Saying that, Herman hooked the Holy Warrior’s wooden sword, which had been swung at him as if seeking revenge for all the times he’d been defeated and flung it high into the air. Several seconds later, the sword landed on the wall with a dry thud.
“I’ve always been the type whose concentration spikes at times like this. I don’t feel like I’m going to lose”
With a sharp hyu, he pressed the wooden sword against the Holy Warrior, forcing him to raise both hands. Knight Chief Spike and several other Black Arms whistled or looked impressed. ……Though he had been soundly defeated by Anzeros back then, Herman hadn’t remained the same. Having trained under Berga and interacted with many of Renfangas’s fierce warriors and still a rookie with room to grow as a hero, he had added a whole new level of depth to his abilities.
“He’s quite a promising disciple, isn’t he, Berga?”
Knight Chief Spike teased, but Berga shook his head lightly.
“He’s no disciple. There’s nothing I could teach him”
“Not even how to pick up women?”
“That’s exactly what I can’t teach him. I’ve never been so desperate for women that I’d have to buy them”
“……Hmph. What a cocky bastard”
Ah……he’s just plain strong, and he’s an elf, too. I bet he’s really popular with the ladies. Renfangas is a particularly striking example, but men with physical strength are generally well-liked everywhere, to a greater or lesser extent. Of course, there are girls who aren’t into that sort of thing, but there’s always a demand for men you can rely on. On top of that, if he’s handsome and has both money and status, it’s only natural that he’d look like a great catch, even to women who aren’t just after his money. It’s just that I’m such an anomaly, somehow popular thanks to a strange twist of fate, and then becoming even more popular because of the connections that brought me here……at least, that’s how it looks to the outside world.
“Given the nature of this country, you’d think Knight Chief Spike or Herman would be popular too……”
“Well, they are popular, I suppose……”
Tetes gave a wry smile.
“Is there a problem with that?”
“No, no, it’s a simple matter. ……If there are plenty of women who love strong men, then naturally the cream of the crop gets picked by the strongest guys……so the women who end up with the guys who aren’t number one are, well, of a certain quality, you know?”
“……A competitive society, huh”
Now that you mention it, that’s true. If they have the freedom to pick from the top down, then those of us in the middle ranks get what’s left after the best ones have been taken. My circle is full of beauties, led by dragons and elves, and on top of that, we have a spiritual spring with incredible effects on beauty and health, so there aren’t any 「Mediocre women」 to begin with. That’s why I’d gotten a bit numb to it, but I guess there’s also the scenario where even if you’re popular with the 「Leftovers」, you’re not really happy about it because they’re not your type.
“Man, I really am blessed”
As I muttered that, Naris made a displeased face and gave a half-smile.
“Not only do you have no trouble with women, but you’re also quite the expert at shopping for them, aren’t you?”
“I, I’m not that knowledgeable! Besides, Cosmos and Isabel end up taking care of everything as a favor anyway!”
“Yeah, yeah. All the more reason to be grateful for your good fortune, then”
“Gunuu……”
That Naris. Seizing the moment. Does she really dislike the fact that I’ve even gone so far as to involve them as prostitutes? Well, I’m sure you don’t like it, but try to calm down and think about it, I hardly ever took the initiative to keep them around, you know?
“It’s ridiculous. I wonder if even Herman, who was so reluctant back then, just wants to be fawned over by women that much”
“Beatrice. We decided not to bring up the past anymore, didn’t we?”
Hearing his former colleagues’ whispers, Herman trembled slightly, his face expressionless. ……Herman. Hang in there.
After calming things down for a while and leaving the training grounds, Laila was there, looking as if she’d just happened to wander by.
“Laila”
“Ho. ……I figured you’d be finishing up soon. Leave that woman to me”
“Ah……”
Sharon and Almeida were supporting Fiona, who’d been toyed with until she was completely exhausted, and dragging her along. Laila accepted this as a matter of course, effortlessly scooping her up in a princess carry and heading back toward the Celesta mansion.
“Laila’s quite the stickler for duty. Maybe because she took it upon herself to be the retrieval officer in Polka, she’s doing it even here”
Dianne gave a wry smile. ……Just as Laila’s back disappeared around the corner, Berga spoke up as if he’d been waiting for that moment.
“So……who is that woman, anyway? She looks like she’s from Saint Gardo”
“Well, it’s a long story……a series of coincidences, really”
Wondering how best to explain it, I began recounting the events to Berga, starting with the Hot Spring Labyrinth expedition.
By the time I’d finished telling him the gist of it, we’d made our way to the tavern. Glancing sideways at Herman being teased by his former colleague and Naris and Anzeros trying to mediate, Berga spoke up.
“……I see. So you’re about to stick your neck into something outrageous, is that it?”
“It’s not quite that outrageous……”
“If you think meddling with the heart of a nation and potentially jeopardizing its very existence, isn’t 『Outrageous』, you’d better think again”
“…………Yes”
That’s right. Yeah. It’s definitely a huge mess.
“……I don’t really want to get involved either, but let me know if anything comes up. We might be able to lend a hand from the Arcus side”
Berga said this as if he were spitting it out, looking genuinely weighed down by the burden.
“Is that okay?”
“Sharon is involved too. If Sharon comes to harm, Felios will die”
……I’m really sorry, Berga. You’ve got a lot on your plate.