Chapter 899: Behind the Scenes of the Heroes
Since there’s a risk of getting into serious trouble if you just show up for training without warning, we deliberately disarm everyone and have Sharon lead us to the training grounds.
From a civilian’s perspective, military training can seem extreme and even unsightly at times, so it’s usually conducted in a dedicated training area. However, the training for elite units like the Gauntlet Knights is a different story. More than just appearances, the main concern is that training in the wrong location could cause damage. They channel terrifying power into even the simplest step. If they go all out, they could shatter flimsy cobblestones. This is particularly evident with the physically imposing Ogres and the Beastmen with their powerful legs; moreover, if a fight breaks out, it’s not uncommon for people to be physically blown back several meters. No matter how cramped Rennesto is, we simply can’t conduct rough training in just any back alley. Well, needless to say, the same goes for the Sword Saint and the Ace Knight, which is why the capital of Trot has a magnificent grand arena, and our garrison also has a large training ground. And within those isolated spaces, just as in that grand arena, a unique set of values has taken shape……I suppose that’s probably what Tetes and the others are worried about, I thought.
So.
“Uoraaaaaa!!”
“Hmph!! Is that all you’ve got!?”
Shouting at each other at the top of their lungs, the Black Arm and the knight in white armor clash. As we file into the scene……or rather, as a group consisting entirely of young beauties and pretty girls, except for me, the sweaty men’s gazes all turn toward us at once.
“As always, it’s tough being a woman here, isn’t it?”
Tetes gave a wry smile.
“Is that the problem?”
“Well, it’s part of it. Basically, female knights don’t come here, you know. They tend to get into embarrassing situations in the heat of the moment”
“Embarrassing situations……?”
“Like being deliberately drawn into a grapple and pinned down, or having their clothes or armor targeted so they end up half-naked. ……You might have forgotten, but both the Renfangas Army and the Gauntlet Knights are troops where anyone with skill, no matter how shady, can get hired. You shouldn’t expect the same level of decorum as you’d find in other knight orders”
“Ah……”
That’s true, I suppose……. And besides, a training ground is, by definition, a place where those with lower skill levels should be. In other words, there are more rough-and-tumble newcomers than well-mannered, seasoned veterans. Rather than trying to make this a facility where female knights feel comfortable, it’s more realistic for them to find other ways to hone their skills.
“Well, even so, it’d be better if Grand Knight Annette were here in Rennesto. ……But since we’re in the midst of the Great Invasion, she’s constantly out on the front lines”
Tetes let out a sigh. Almeida, with her arms crossed, followed suit.
“……So, now that the Holy Warrior Alliance is here”
Even without being told, it’s clear that both the Gauntlet Knights and the Holy Warrior Alliance are on edge. With their gauntlets and white armor, both groups have distinctive appearances, making them easy to tell apart. The Gauntlet Knights number roughly fifty, while the Holy Warrior Alliance has fewer than twenty. At a glance, there don’t seem to be any female knights in the Holy Warrior Alliance either. It was the same the last time I saw them, so I suppose they’re not the kind of group that typically selects female knights. And I sense a strong hostility from them……no, that’s not quite right. A sense of condescension is closer to the mark. I can feel them projecting that kind of attitude toward the Gauntlet side.
“They’re a pretty unpleasant bunch……”
Naris says with a weary expression. Her overly honest remark causes several of the white-armored knights to glare at us, but Sharon steps forward to block their gaze, wearing an expression she hasn’t shown in a long time, the same one she had back when she used to pick fights with us all the time.
“My companion’s been rude. ……That said, I don’t think that attitude of yours is something you should be directing at the Gauntlet Knights, the guardians of this city of Rennesto”
“……Black Arm. The elven female knight……the younger sister of Felios-dono, one of the Golden Four Fangs?”
“The princess of Arcas, is she? ……My apologies. However, this is a matter of pride between us and the Gauntlet Knights present here”
It seems they’ve been engaging in a friendly match, taunting and jabbing at each other, locked in this tense, quarrelsome standoff for quite some time. Normally, even with the Holy Warrior Alliance here, the Gauntlet Knights would be too busy dealing with the monsters outside to have time for this……but because of that breath attack the other day, the Gauntlet Knights suddenly found themselves with plenty of spare time. Consequently, they couldn’t very well ignore the challenge, leading to a spectacular head-on collision between the already rough-and-tumble Gauntlet Knights and the Holy Warrior Alliance, whose pride as the chosen ones runs too deep.
“Haahaa!! How’s that, you white-robed fools! We’re the ones risking our lives in battle year-round, we’re in a different league!”
“Gu……”
“Step aside, Kelvin. ……I’ll take him next. I never thought you’d gloat so much just because you wore down Kelvin, who took out two of us, Black Arm”
“What’s this? You’re saying I’m tired after just three straight fights, so you’re going to let me off the hook? That kind of whiny line won’t fly against monsters!”
Black Arm, with his rugged hero’s face, and the handsome Holy Warrior traded taunts. The surrounding Gauntlet Knights shouted jeers and cheers, further inflaming the Holy Warriors. ……Wait, what is this? The atmosphere is exactly like a back-alley brawl or gambling den.
“There’s nothing worth seeing here.”
Dianne summed it up, and even Aurora, a die-hard hero fan, nodded with a disappointed look. She must have been hoping that by coming to the Gauntlet Knights’ hangout, she might get to meet a hero she’d never seen before. ……But.
“Could you two wait a moment?”
Fiona strides not toward Dianne and the others, but toward the Black Arm and the Holy Warrior who are goading each other. Wait, you……!
“I heard this is a training ground. If you’re dueling, there must be a proper place for that. I want to train, so could you step aside?”
“Hey, they don’t understand you, Fiona!”
Southern dialect is different from Valerian language. It won’t work here, and besides, don’t try to join the circle with that attitude.
“No, I get it”
“Hmm. From the looks of it, you’re from Saint Gardo, aren’t you?”
Damn. There are surprisingly a lot of Southerners in the Gauntlet Knights, and since the shores of Lake Valery are pretty close to the Southern Great Plains, they understood her.
“You don’t look like you’re from the Gauntlet Knights, but training in a place like this takes some guts. Welcome, sister”
The rugged-looking Black Arm grins as he hoists a thick wooden spear. The handsome Holy Warrior glances at him with a look of contempt, but he glares at Fiona with an equally unfriendly gaze.
“I won’t let this end with someone spoiling a game for women and children, but I suppose this is a country that has female knights too. ……I’ll give you credit for not being intimidated by the battle here. I’ll grant you the honor of challenging me. You’re welcome to team up with that vulgar Black Arm if you like”
Hey. You’re handsome, but you’re lacking a bit of coolness there. Wait, hold on. It looks like Fiona’s about to be accepted as just another intruder.
“Haa. Don’t be ridiculous. It wouldn’t be any fun if she were on our side”
The rugged-looking Black Arm seems to want to have some 「Fun」 with Fiona. Is he planning to shove Fiona onto the handsome guy’s side? And Fiona.
“Someone lend me a wooden sword”
“No, wait, stop it! You’re out of here!”
“Why are you getting in the way when I’ve got a chance to fight him?”
“Why don’t you realize this whole situation is weird!?”
Even though we’ve got people like Dianne, Sharon and Neia, who could probably beat most opponents, standing behind us, this is way too reckless.
“Hey, Dianne, you should stop her too! Sharon, you as well!”
“No, this is fun. Let’s let them have a go”
“Wait a minute!?”
“What? If it comes down to it, we’ll figure something out”
That might be true, but isn’t it a bit much to pit a woman who just defeated her first monster a couple of days ago against a Black Arm and a presumed Black Arm-class Holy Warrior? ……My concerns were drowned out by the boisterous, raucous cheers of the rough-and-tumble Gauntlet Knights. Are they seriously going to do this……?