Chapter 65: The First Letter (65)
Chapter 65: The First Letter (65)
A silver flash split the moment and surged forward. The hand axe in my grip traced a path that was ruthlessly, almost ignorantly, simple. It was a move designed to maximize the advantage of a surprise attack.
Senior Olmar looked somewhat flustered. Nevertheless, his reaction was swift.
One of the hand axes spinning through the air landed in his palm. He followed up with a powerful downward slash; though it lacked full power due to the lack of height, it was incredibly fast.
It was the best possible response to stop my already-launched strike—grabbing the weapon nearest to the trajectory of my axe.
Boom! An explosive sound erupted. It was a terrifying collision. Senior Elsie, standing beside me, stood agape in shock.
Her sapphire-blue eyes stared at me blankly. Her gaze seemed to ask:
Is he insane?
But if we were going to compete with hand axes, this was the only answer. Honestly, what kind of skill was juggling hand axes supposed to be?
Senior Olmar boasted a physique so robust it did justice to his dense muscles. Despite my strike being delivered with the force of a projectile, he barely budged. It meant the impact hadn't done much.
As expected, I was inferior in terms of mana capacity. That left only one option: to aim for the element of surprise through a short-term burst.
Fortunately, Senior Olmar hadn't fully regained his composure. I seized the moment, pouring out a whirlwind of chain attacks.
Clang, clang, clang! The sound of clashing metal, the flying sparks—it all sharpened my senses. The exchange ended after only a few passes, as Senior Olmar managed to catch his second axe.
I stepped back nimbly, dodging the second axe as it naturally joined the fray.
Whoosh! A sharp sonic boom pierced my ears. The mere afterpressure was enough to make my skin crawl. If I took a direct hit, I’d be the one rolling on the ground.
Senior Olmar regained the initiative. He took a step forward with one axe, and as I dodged or parried, another followed.
Only a brief moment had passed, but the dynamic had already shifted. As I retreated, Senior Olmar pressed forward. A deluge of axe strikes hammered down on me like a torrential rain.
But I wasn't about to just take it. Using my retreating foot as a pivot, I twisted my ankle to generate momentum.
Then, I launched.
Not the hand axe, but my own body. I dove into a microscopic opening in Senior Olmar’s chain of attacks. In an instant, I was within arm's reach of him.
He was a giant, standing over two meters tall. Naturally, his arms were long, which meant he was at a disadvantage the closer I got. He had no immediate way to strike me.
However, Senior Olmar was a veteran mercenary. He showed his experience by quickly pulling back his swinging axe and taking a step back.
I took a step forward to exploit that gap, and he took another step back. Every time I swung my axe, his blocked me by a hair’s breadth. With every step, steel clashed, and the axe handles hummed with vibration.
It was almost like a dance. A series of attacks that flowed and locked together smoothly as I advanced. If only my partner hadn't been a bald, muscular man.
But it couldn't be helped. Life is a path one must walk while enduring all sorts of indignities. Still, if that indignity involved a dance-like exchange of blows with a man, I’d rather pass.
My body, which had been steadily eating away at Senior Olmar’s space, suddenly lunged backward. Expecting me to keep pressing in, Olmar stepped back as well, widening the distance between us even further.
As he stepped forward to close the gap, I threw my hand axe.
It moved at a terrifying speed. Even at close range, the wind-up for the throw gave Senior Olmar enough time to react. While he parried the axe, my hand reached for my sword.
That was it. In terms of reach, the sword was superior to the hand axe. Senior Olmar faltered as he retreated, then faltered again as he swatted the thrown axe away.
He couldn't build momentum, and I, confident in my footwork, wasn't about to give him room to close the distance.
The blade came to a dead stop. It rested right in front of Senior Olmar’s tensed forearm muscles.
I couldn't bring myself to aim for his heart or throat. Doing so would have been a total victory, but Senior Olmar would never have surrendered his vitals so easily. It meant my skills weren't yet at the level where I could penetrate that deep.
Only a few minutes had passed, but countless blows had been exchanged in that short time. Silence had fallen over the area, and I could feel the stunned gazes fixed on us.
It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the opponent in front of me.
I stared at Senior Olmar without a word. In his eyes, as he planned a counterattack while parrying my axe, a flicker of conflict passed.
He seemed to be debating whether to put his strength into a swing. But with so many eyes watching, and the Hunting Festival right around the corner, he likely didn't want to waste any more energy.
Soon, a heavy sigh escaped Senior Olmar’s lips.
"…Your ability to measure distance is no joke."
"I'm quite confident in my footwork."
"It's not just footwork. Your ability to read space is exceptional. Have you studied something related to it?"
Study, huh? Well, I am taking a Topology class lately.
I considered cracking a lame joke like that but decided against it. Among warriors, 'study' was synonymous with training. He was asking if I had undergone specific training to read space.
There was no way I could have self-taught such an advanced technique without a master. But since there was no need to give an enemy too much information, I remained silent.
As if he had expected as much, Senior Olmar nodded heavily. He slowly lowered his hand axes. His bulging muscles began to relax.
I let out a sigh of relief and sheathed my sword. I bowed my head instinctively. it was the proper etiquette for a senior.
"Thank you for the lesson."
"I didn't intend for it to be one, but you're quite the headstrong fellow…"
Senior Olmar’s reaction was lukewarm at best. It seemed he hadn't actually intended to have a real duel with axes.
I didn't understand. Had he really just intended to perform tricks?
I was feeling rather puzzled, but before I could voice my question, someone slapped Senior Olmar hard on the back.
Thwack! The sound was like hitting a sandbag. I could tell just by the noise—it wouldn't have hurt him at all.
Sure enough, Senior Olmar merely turned his head slowly, like a moving statue. Behind him stood a woman with sky-blue hair, giggling. She had a lollipop in her mouth.
She looked energetic. She had a slender figure and a pretty face; she seemed like the type who would be popular anywhere. She was likely another member of Senior Delphine’s team.
"Olmar, how could you lose! You ruined our chance to intimidate them."
"No, I was just trying to talk about the possibilities of the hand axe…"
Senior Olmar looked incredibly wronged, but the woman didn't even listen. She just kept playfully thumping his solid back and snickering.
Beside her stood a gaunt man. Though it wasn't obvious, his muscles were well-developed. Judging by the scabbard at his waist, he was definitely a swordsman. For some reason, however, his face looked particularly hollow.
"Aisia, Olmar. It is time to go."
"I know, I know, Fermin. We're going now, okay? Ah!"
The woman called 'Aisia' trotted over to me. As I looked at her with a questioning gaze, she suddenly pulled the lollipop out of her mouth.
Then, she blew a breath toward me. A sweet scent wafted out, but more than that, the air was freezing. Startled, I stepped back and shook my head.
The chill in her breath seeped into my body instantly. It was cold enough to make me shiver. Was this revenge? Just as my hand moved toward my waist again—
Senior Aisia winked.
"A reward for beating Olmar. How is it? Does the cold help with the fatigue?"
Now that she mentioned it, it did. My body felt significantly lighter. I looked at Senior Aisia with bewildered eyes, but she only burst into a peal of laughter.
"The details are a secret. Well then, see you later."
"…Goodbye."
Senior Aisia and the gaunt man called 'Fermin' departed. Senior Olmar remained silent for a moment before shaking his head as if he had no choice.
He glared at me with a stern gaze and said, "…Next time, I won't go easy on you."
That was likely the last of Senior Olmar’s pride talking. Once the three of them left, Celine finally approached me.
Surprisingly, she didn't seem worried about me. I expected her to nag me again, as she usually did whenever I caused a conflict.
Instead, Celine just gave me a hard smack on the back with an exasperated expression.
It hurt. A short cry of pain escaped my lips.
"Ian, you really are a 'Mad Dog'…"
"What did I do?"
I looked toward Seria as if pleading my innocence, but she avoided my gaze without a word. It meant even she had nothing to say in my defense.
Unbelievable. To treat the hero who successfully intimidated Senior Delphine’s team like this.
Was there truly no one who recognized the strategic value of my actions? My eyes turned to the last remaining person, Senior Elsie. And Senior Elsie was…
"Hic, uuuugh… P-please spare me. I-I won't mess around anymore… sniff, uuuugh, I'll be Elsie the Bedwetter…"
Perhaps due to the shock of seeing the hand axes, she was crouched down, trembling violently. I worried she might just collapse like this in front of a demonic beast.
A heavy sigh escaped me. In the end, Senior Elsie only calmed down after I spent some time patting her head.
Even afterward, she kept stealing glances at me. She seemed genuinely terrified of me.
According to her, the sight of me drawing and swinging the hand axes without a moment's hesitation was particularly frightening.
I couldn't understand it, but I tried to soothe her. I started with a trivial question.
"By the way, Senior Elsie."
"Y-yes! I mean… u-uh, yeah?"
Perhaps because she was still so tense, she gave a formal, loyal-sounding response before immediately correcting herself. Neither I, Celine, nor Seria pointed it out.
It was to protect what little pride Senior Elsie had left. Celine and Seria busied themselves with their personal gear, pretending not to see us.
"Senior Olmar said he wanted to talk about the 'possibilities of the hand axe.' Do you know anything about that?"
"A-ah! That! Right!"
Seeing that Senior Elsie actually seemed to know something, I felt a spark of anticipation. Senior Olmar was a master who had handled hand axes much longer than I had, and he must have invested significant time and effort into them.
What if there were more diverse ways to use a hand axe? Even if it was just a sub-weapon, the hand axe was now one of my favored tools. Naturally, I was interested.
However, Senior Elsie’s answer defied my expectations in several ways.
"Actually, Olmar comes from a commoner background, and I think he said his father was a circus clown? So I heard he practices doing tricks with hand axes. He said he wants to help out with his father's circus someday… honestly, commoners. Tsk… I heard he even joined a club for it…"
I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat upon hearing that.
Senior Olmar had simply wanted to show me his hand axe tricks and get some advice. He wanted to know how to make his tricks look cooler.
It was a misunderstanding born from the fact that there were so few hand axe practitioners. I could only offer a silent apology to Senior Olmar.
I'm sorry, Senior Olmar. But I'm sure your father will be happy with whatever you do.
While Senior Elsie and I were talking, Celine suddenly asked me a question.
"By the way, Ian, how much drinking water should we pack?"
"A lot."
The answer didn't come from me. Senior Elsie, who had more field experience, was right beside me.
Her tone was remarkably firm. She finally looked a bit like a senior.
"You never know what might happen. Even if it makes your pack a bit heavy, you have to pack plenty of water. In an emergency, you can just ditch it and run. Besides, in this vast forest, even if they released demonic beasts, how long do you think it'll take to find one?"
She was right. The Southern Forest was vast, and there was only one specific beast I was targeting. Searching for it would undoubtedly take a long time.
Of course, my teammates didn't yet fully grasp the danger, but I had warned them repeatedly, so I could only hope their mindset had shifted even slightly.
I patted Senior Elsie’s head. Her eyes immediately went glassy.
"Well said, Senior Elsie. You're finally acting like a senior."
"He-hehe… I was always like this!"
I was glad I had included Senior Elsie in the team. With a bitter smile, I prepared for our departure.
All that remained was the battle.
"…So you're saying you forgot your canteen?"
Three hours after the grand declaration of the festival's start and our entry into the forest, Senior Elsie stood before me, fidgeting. Her face was flushed with shame.
Celine looked incredulous, and Seria let out a deep sigh.
"I-I couldn't help it! Y-you kept threatening me with that h-hand axe, so I was completely out of it!"
Senior Elsie raised her voice as if it were all my fault, but it didn't work.
Once we entered the forest, we were effectively in a real combat situation. In the field, a lack of preparation—even if it was a mistake—offered no room for excuses. It was something Professor Derek had emphasized repeatedly during our training.
I shook my head and said, "Then drink your own pee."
"I told you I'm not a bedwetter! Hey, you. I'm still your senior, you know…"
Senior Elsie flared up and balled her fists, but as soon as I pulled back my cloak to reveal the axes at my waist, she gasped.
My gaze toward her turned cold. I asked in a chilling voice, "Shall I help you with my hand axe?"
"Hieeeek! I-I'm sorry… I-I won't talk back. P-please, just spare my life!"
I looked at Senior Elsie with a somewhat bewildered expression, but there was no other way. I silently handed her a spare canteen I had brought.
Senior Elsie, who had been clutching her pointed hat and trembling, stared blankly at the canteen offered to her.
"Here."
"…U-uh. Thanks."
As she took it, a blush crept onto her face as if she were embarrassed. She stole a glance at me. But I was no longer paying attention to her.
Instead, as I stood up, a faint line suddenly caught my senses.
Yes, a line. Could I even call it that? It felt like a thread connected to my nerves was being pulled taut, calling out to me.
In the next moment, a strange scent brushed against the tip of my nose.
It was fishy. And smelled of iron. There was only one liquid in the world that smelled like that.
"…Senior Elsie."
"U-uh? What is it?"
Senior Elsie asked, fidgeting with her fingers. She looked quite cute, but my attention was entirely elsewhere.
"Are you on your period?"
Senior Elsie’s eyes widened at the question. Celine and Seria reacted the same way. It was such a rude question, one I would never normally ask.
But right now, I had no choice but to ask exactly what came to mind. Senior Elsie’s face turned beet red, and she finally couldn't hold back her scream.
"…You crazy bastard!"
I guess that's a no. Interpreting her shout as I pleased, I redirected the question.
"Celine? And Seria?"
Celine looked at me as if I were insane, while Seria’s face suddenly flushed, and she hung her head low.
Celine let out a hollow laugh and asked, "Ian, are you okay in the head?"
"Seria?"
Despite the criticism, I was persistent. Seria hesitated, unable to answer, before finally speaking with ears as red as her face.
It was less of a sentence and more of a sound barely escaping her lips. That’s how quiet it was.
"…N-no, I'm… uuu… I'm not."
"I see," I muttered blankly.
Only then did Celine realize I was acting differently than usual, and she gave me a questioning look. I had intended to explain my question anyway.
"Then get ready. I found it."
I spoke through gritted teeth, desperately hoping this scent wasn't the smell of human blood.
The prey is just ahead. Or perhaps, the hunter.