Chapter 43
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Interior (7)
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When Arsvald was admiring his photo.
"Hmm...."
Yeon-hwa, who had been focused on the camera Arsvald had taken out, clapped her hands with a clap!
"How about we take a commemorative photo!"
"A commemorative photo?"
"A commemorative photo, you say?"
"A-a commemorative photo?"
"That's right! Today! Is the first founding day of our Fortis group! Let's take a group commemorative photo of the founding members!"
"Founding members...! Hmph, a good idea. A historical moment must be recorded and seen."
"But who will take the picture?"
"E-even if someone like me is in the picture, it will surely just be an eyesore. So I'll take it...."
"You foolish girl! A commemorative photo is only meaningful if all the members are in it! I refuse to answer any troublesome questions later about why there are only 3 people when there were 4 founding members!"
"Eek! I-I'm sorry!"
"Oh ho ho ho ho! Don't worry! In times like these, we help each other! Let's ask a student nearby!"
Yeon-hwa, who had proposed the idea first, immediately went outside the club room, and a little while later.
"You there~! I have a favor to ask~!"
Yeon-hwa was a woman with not only confidence but also excellent initiative.
A little while later, Yeon-hwa brought back an academy student.
"A favor? What is it...?"
"We've created a group and are going to take a commemorative photo! Please press the camera button!"
"Ah, really?"
At the simple request, the tension on the face of the student Yeon-hwa had brought eased.
First, we folded the dark curtain and stood in a row against the club room wall.
The order was Arsvald, me, Pamela, and Yeon-hwa.
"Now! Let's all strike a pose!"
"Hmph! Take a cool picture!"
"A p-p-pose? What should I do...!"
Yeon-hwa struck a pose with her outstretched hand next to her mouth, just as she did when she usually smiled.
As for Arsvald, it was similar to the pose he had struck for his picture earlier.
Pamela was fidgeting, and I struck a plausible pose with my right hand on my hip.
"Then I'll take it."
Click!
As the photo came out of the camera, Arsvald immediately approached it and shook it with a flap, flap.
You like to flap photos, don't you?
"It's out!"
At Arsvald's notification that the photo had appeared, we checked it.
"Oh ho ho ho ho! I'm beautiful even in the photo!"
"W-was I slouching like that!?"
"Hmph, a cool pose even when I see it again."
"It came out well. Thank you."
"No problem. Then, I'll be on my way... ah."
The student who had taken the picture was about to leave when he looked around the club room once and asked.
"What kind of group is this?"
It was a reasonable question.
The curtains were half thick and half thin, there was a carpet with a magic circle drawn on the floor, and a double bed in the corner.
Since there was no unity at all yet, it would be confusing what kind of group it was.
"It's called the Fortis group. We mainly focus on external activities for training, and the club room will be used as a place to have conversations or rest."
"Ah... really?"
The student, whose curiosity seemed to have been satisfied, left the club room.
"If I had known this, I would have bought a frame in advance. I never thought Mr. Arsvald would have a camera."
"A camera is a must to capture this coolness of mine!"
"I thought that since I have my own natural beauty, there was no need to take a picture. But... it wouldn't be bad to leave it as a photo from now on! Oh ho ho ho ho!"
We had also created a club room and installed the furniture to be placed in it.
For now, the group's tasks were finished.
"Arsvald."
"Huh? What is it?"
"We're done with all the group's tasks for today. You said you had something to do, right? You can go now."
"I'll take care of my own business! It's none of your business! More importantly, what are you going to do now!"
"That's right. What are you going to do, Ishihan? If you're free, how about a drink at a cafe together?"
"I'm sorry, but I also have plans with Pamela."
"With Ms. Pamela?"
"W-with me?"
Arsvald asked Pamela, who was also expressing her confusion along with Yeon-hwa.
"Why don't you know?"
"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being a stupid witch with a bad memory!"
"N-no, I didn't say that much! Don't just over-interpret it!"
"Pamela and I have to do our stamina training."
"Ah... t-t-today too...?"
"Because we can't skip a day of training. But you've improved a lot compared to the beginning, so let's do our best."
"Y-yes...."
"Does the training take a long time?"
"No, I'm planning on about an hour."
"Hmm~ in that case, I'll join that training too! Let's sweat it out healthily together! And have a meal together!"
"I'm fine with that. What about you, Pamela?"
"I-I'm fine with it too."
"Then let's go train! Where are you going?"
"The gym. We'll change into our training clothes there and run to train our stamina."
"Hmph! If you're going to do it, go do it quickly! It's a waste of time!"
"Are you planning to follow along?"
"I'll decide where I go!"
You want to come along, huh? Alright.
We went to the gym, changed our clothes, and did our stamina training by running.
And.
"Heuk! Pant! Pant!"
"Heet... heuk! Hmph!"
"Hmph, that was a good sweat!"
Pamela and Arsvald were completely drenched in sweat and had collapsed on the floor, while Yeon-hwa was sweating and had a refreshed expression on her face.
"You had more stamina than I thought."
"Hehe, not as much as the vanguard, but! I am also a young lady of a prestigious family! The Shu family is not called the Iron Wall just by casting a protective talisman! Hii-yat!"
Yeon-hwa showed off a roundhouse kick as if to show off.
"Like this. I also learned how to forge my own path with just my body when necessary!"
"Excellent."
[You have pierced through praise resistance.]
"Oh ho ho ho ho! This is nothing! But please praise me more!"
"You have both an excellent mindset and beauty."
[You have pierced through praise resistance.]
"Uuuuuugh~! I'll show you more of my beautiful kicks! Hii, hii, hii-yat!"
Perhaps to release the joy that was welling up from being praised, Yeon-hwa showed off a three-hit roundhouse kick.
A kick shown while wearing training clothes, with beads of sweat on her.
It was very pleasing to the eye.
By the way.
"Arsvald, I never thought you'd have this little stamina."
"Q-quiet... damn it! Heek! Heek!"
I never thought he'd be on the same level as Pamela.
He looked a little muscular, but it seemed it was just for show and had no substance.
"I-I'm... not the type to just move around or run foolishly! I'm the type to eliminate enemies with dazzling magic!"
"There's nothing less cool than running out of stamina on the way to a battle before you can even use your magic, Arsvald."
"Hmph! Don't just call me by my name! And don't get all cocky just because you have a good sense!"
To suddenly say that, you must really like the bandage and the chain.
"I wasn't being cocky. It's just... a shame."
"A shame?"
"For you, who have such outstanding skills... for your magic, which was so flashy and grand, to be unusable when it counts, there would be nothing more regrettable."
[You have pierced through praise resistance.]
It was true that Arsvald's skill effects were cool.
"...! You, don't tell me you were thinking that...! Hmph!"
Arsvald forced his trembling legs to stand up.
"As an academy student, I need to have a certain amount of stamina. I already knew that, even if you didn't point it out! I'm not tired from just this! I'll run some more!"
"No, that's enough training for today."
"Why!"
"Pamela is at her limit."
"Heup! Ugh, I-I'm sorry...."
Since we had been repeating this for a few days, Pamela was at least able to keep up at the same level as Arsvald.
Considering that, Pamela, who had run so hard, was worthy of praise, not an apology.
"You're working hard. Let's continue to do our best, Pamela."
I took a water bottle out of my inventory and handed it to Pamela.
"Th-thank you, Mr. Shih-han.... Gulp, gulp!"
"Arsvald, you drink some too."
"Hmph!"
Even though he said "hmph," Arsvald took the water bottle and rehydrated.
"Ishihan! Could you give me some too?"
"Here you go."
After rehydrating, we took a light shower, changed our clothes, and then followed Yeon-hwa to the Ruong district for a meal.
"Oh ho ho ho ho! These are famous dishes from Ruong! Everyone, please try them!"
"Munch, munch, it's a bit greasy, but... it's delicious!"
"Oh ho ho ho ho! Because we ran a lot! Let's replenish our energy with a meal full of nutrients!"
"Ugh! What is this! This mapo tofu! It's spicy!"
"Oh my, didn't you know when you ordered it? That's a moderately spicy level."
"This is moderately spicy...!?"
"Arsvald, if you really can't eat it, I'll trade with you. My dish isn't spicy."
"Hmph...!"
Arsvald hesitated for a moment because of his pride, but then he gently pushed the mapo tofu towards me.
"I'm trading because I'm curious about that dish!"
Yes. If you say so, then it must be so.
"Hmph."
Oh, it's moderately spicy and not bad.
During our nutritious meal, Yeon-hwa asked me.
"Ishihan, what will Fortis do now? Will we be training for a while?"
"No, you won't get better just by training."
"Then are we going to spar?"
"Hmph, if it's a spar, I'll overwhelm you! This...!"
Arsvald gently put down his spoon and raised his right hand.
"With my magic, which has gained a new power!"
He deliberately twisted his wrist to make the chains jingle.
He must really like it.
"No, it's not a spar either. I assume none of you have taken any classes other than the common classes, right?"
"Y-yes!"
"That's right."
"Hmph. None!"
"Good. Then the next activity for our Fortis will be to take on quests around Valendia. We'll raise our practical experience and coordinate with each other while doing quests."
And as a bonus, the first stage of the main story, which was set in the country where Valendia was located.
I had to build up my fame to receive the first chain quest of the European medieval-style country, Laden.