Chapter 6

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Swordsmanship Instructor - 3

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Due to the dizziness clouding my head, I couldn't tell which direction the voice came from, but one adventurer spoke up.

"Did that guy just... beat the instructor?"

Another adventurer chimed in.

"Is he a ranker? Does anyone know who he is?"

Most of them pegged me as some mid-tier officer from a major guild, or maybe a ranker who wasn't quite famous enough.

My skills were too impressive to believe I'd entered the tower at the same time as them, but I was too obscure for anyone to recognize my face if I'd been here longer.

"Probably here to advertise his guild."

"Well, he was pretty impressive."

The world was so pragmatic. Once the spar ended, the onlookers turned away as if nothing had happened.

It had been enough to draw their attention for a moment, but no one lingered on the afterglow.

They figured it was better to spend that time swinging their swords at the straw dummies.

And so, the spar that had gathered every adventurer's gaze came to an end.

"No, seriously... with skills like that, why are you still on the first floor?"

Rien was the only one who kept showing interest in me and striking up conversation right to the end.

"That's exactly why I'm on the first floor—with skills like these."

"I'm not joking. You could probably take on the Sword Saint and win."

"Everyone's exaggerating today. Comparing me to the tower's top swordsman."

Rien pointed at my side with her finger.

"And how is the first-floor instructor that strong?"

"Because she's the instructor."

It was only natural that someone teaching others had to be on that level.

There was no room to argue that Swordsmanship Instructor Tiana had deep knowledge of the sword.

"That's not what I mean! I'd believe she was an instructor on the 30th floor—no, the 50th!"

The doubt Rien was raising wasn't about the "instructor" part, but the "first floor."

Unlike the early days, adventurers these days cleared the first floor in a matter of days.

A week at most, three days at the least before they left this place.

She was saying it made more sense for an instructor of Tiana's caliber to be dozens of floors higher than passing through on the first.

"I agree to some extent. You won't find an instructor who can match Tiana below the 90th floor."

"Huh? The current record is only the 60th floor."

"That's probably how it'll be."

Even beginner adventurers just starting to grip a sword could only pick up the basics from Tiana's teachings.

No matter how talented, they couldn't master advanced swordsmanship in a few days.

It was like a kindergarten kid not becoming a college student just because a professor tutored them for a few days.

You had to be around the 50th floor—middle school level—for a professor's knowledge to provide meaningful instruction.

"But swordsmanship is different. The basics are what make it meaningful."

Laying the foundation—that was the first floor's purpose.

In that sense, no one fit the role of first-floor instructor better than Tiana.

"Ahem."

Tiana, who had been sprawled on the ground, had somehow moved next to Rien.

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped saying such embarrassing things in front ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the person involved."

"You were so quiet, I thought you'd fallen asleep."

"With all these people here to learn the sword, how could I relax and lie down?"

"And someone like that jumps into a spar without a thought for what comes after?"

"The spar doesn't count."

Her standards were completely arbitrary.

Which made it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all the more like Tiana.

"Thanks to you, I had a great time. I'd love it if you came by again tomorrow, if possible."

"Are you insane? Doing this again tomorrow?"

This insane sparring session again tomorrow?

My limbs would go numb from muscle pain. For sure.

"Fatigue like this vanishes after a good night's sleep. Or... do you lack the confidence to go another round and win?"

"I won, so no more spars with you until I drop dead, Instructor. I'll spend the rest of my life bragging that I beat Swordsmanship Instructor Tiana."

"You've only got one win so far. I've beaten you hundreds of times already."

"The last one is what matters most."

"You cheeky brat."

She'd been praising me as someone on her level just moments ago, but a few teasing words and Tiana was pouting.

Yesterday's bustling scene had vanished somewhere, leaving the request office wrapped in quiet.

Pick up a request from Ellie, hunt slimes, collect the reward.

Just like always, and the same tomorrow.

I used the idle time to tell her about what happened at the training grounds.

"You looked so drained today, and sure enough, Instructor Tiana was the culprit."

"I knew she wouldn't skip a spar just because she was busy. I underestimated her."

"But aren't you proud? Your first win against an instructor."

I wasn't sure if I should be happy about this.

The last spar had ended in defeat, and she wasn't the type to accept that result calmly.

She'd definitely keep recklessly challenging me to spars until the final one was her victory.

"I'll have to sneak around starting tomorrow."

"Do you really need to avoid her that much?"

"Absolutely. The moment our eyes meet, she'll drag me straight to the training grounds."

Had I gotten too caught up in the thrill of victory? Talking with Tiana, I must have picked up her childishness and provoked her needlessly...

"Anyway... um, that was everything that happened at the training grounds, right?"

"Yeah? We just sparred for a few hours."

"Thaaat... wasn't there an adventurer who went with you?"

"Rien?"

Ellie's expression hardened coldly.

A little scary.

"...Did you like her?"

"Huh? What?"

"Of course. A cute young girl, going to the training grounds alone together..."

The training grounds had been packed with adventurers, so not exactly alone.

"It's only natural for adventurers to hang out together. I'm just a mere receptionist, and Earthbound Spirit only comes here for requests, so I'd be the one causing needless misunderstandings..."

"W-Wait a sec, Ellie. Calm down."

"She's obviously younger and cuter than me... but I've got more up top—!"

"Stop! Right there! Where are you grabbing?!"

I blocked Ellie as she reached for her chest.

"My hips and waist are fuller too—!"

"Please calm down, Ellie!"

Ellie poured out whatever words bubbled up.

This was the first time I'd seen her so emotional.

Lately, I kept seeing new sides to the people around me.

"How could you go on a date alone with some girl you just met?!"

"Who dates at the training grounds! It wasn't a date to begin with!"

"But! You were too close! Calling you 'senior' all friendly after not even a day! I'm jealous!"

Hmm.

Rien did approach without any shyness, that was true.

New adventurers entering the first floor didn't know the tower's ways and were generally innocent, so everyone brushed off Rien's behavior.

But Ellie clearly didn't like it.

"If I'd even considered dating, would I be here instead of with Rien?"

"What has Rien the adventurer been up to?"

"Probably... repeating vertical slashes 200 times right now?"

I didn't know what misunderstanding Ellie had, but it was far from our actual relationship.

I wasn't climbing the tower, and she would be.

"Rien will head to the second floor soon enough."

"R-Right?"

"Adventurers who go up rarely come back to the first floor except when new ones flood in like now. Think we'll see her face again in a few days?"

"Ah."

Ellie's face turned bright red.

She realized the worries filling her head had been pointless nonsense.

I absolutely wasn't going to the second floor.

"Then what was that about hunting slimes together?"

"There were only five slimes left in the forest when we ran into each other. We both had requests, so we took them down together."

"But you both turned in exactly five slime cores each."

"...Mine were from slimes I caught earlier."

If I had to phrase it nicely, I'd exploited a system loophole.

"From Rien's perspective, she got some help, so she's acting friendly."

"Even so, I can't get past her sweetly calling you Earthbound Spirit."

"What's sweet about calling me 'senior'..."

Funny, getting senior treatment as a straggler.

"Then I'll stick by your side tomorrow. All day."

"Wh-Wha— What?!"

"You said no dates with girls you just met. Dating a girl you see every day should be fine, right?"

"..."

Ellie's face, which I'd barely calmed, turned even redder than before.

To the point where I worried it might burst.

"What are you scheming! You think that'll make me less mad?"

"I was planning to stick by Ellie to avoid Tiana's eyes, but if you don't want that, oh well."

"N-No! I didn't say I didn't want it!"

I shouldn't keep teasing her like this, but it was too fun to stop.

"You have to come starting tomorrow morning. No wandering around and showing up late like today."

"Got it."

And so, we made plans for tomorrow.

The misunderstanding about Rien seemed sorted out nicely too.

The next topic Ellie brought up was something I never expected.

"But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are you really planning to hide?"

"Huh?"

"From Instructor Tiana."

I was grateful for the sword techniques and teachings she'd shared so far, but honestly, those grueling spars weren't welcome.

Occasionally was fine, but Tiana's face screamed she'd demand another one tomorrow.

"No one else can spar with her on equal footing except you, Earthbound Spirit. She'll be disappointed if you don't show."

"Disappointed? The training grounds are packed with beginner adventurers she can teach."

"That's exactly why she's been upset lately."

"Huh? Tiana's been upset?"

Ellie pulled out a familiar item from under her desk.

It was a strategy guide handed out to new adventurers by a guild.

Not Crimson Flame Guild, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Moonlight Guild, centered around swordsman rankers.

"Raymond brought it over. Have you read it by any chance?"

I shook my head.

There was no benefit for me in reading it. Strategy guides were for adventurers climbing the tower.

"He said it helps track when adventurers swarm in and out."

"What's that got to do with Tiana being upset?"

"The contents are a bit..."

Ellie figured it was faster to show me than explain, so she opened the problematic page and handed it over.

"That's why she wanted to spar."

The training grounds were packed with adventurers, but none sought out Tiana.

They only needed straw dummies to swing at, not an instructor.

For Tiana...

"She wasn't busy after all."

Today had been no different from usual for Tiana.

That's why.

That's why she'd sought me out like always.

Looking for her one and only disciple who would spar with her.

"Haa..."

"E-Earthbound Spirit?"

"Ellie. See you tomorrow."

I bid farewell to Ellie,

and headed to my one and only master.