Exploration, Training, and...
After leaving Zinor's mansion, I headed straight home.
There was only one reason I had asked for a week's time.
It was because of something that had happened during the recent regular council meeting.
"An auspicious energy can be felt within Valharat's territory. Exploring the castle and the lands within wouldn't be a bad idea."
My Intelligence 100 brain had judged that opinion the most reasonable one.
The one who had offered that opinion was Zinor. But the sovereign, Yuuri, had sided with Emma instead of him. She was probably busy preparing for war right about now.
In that case? All I had to do was quickly search the territory in the meantime, since I hadn't been assigned any mission. I would likely discover either a talent or a treasure — one of the two.
What I was after was treasure. There were plenty of useless ones, but there were also treasures that were genuinely helpful. If I discovered a talent, it might end up meaning I'd gone out of my way to do something good for the Asius Army — but considering that even B- and C-class generals counted as "talents" simply for being buried out in the countryside rather than as S-Class Generals, it wouldn't be too much of a loss. I'd leave this place someday. Until then, I could just count a few good deeds as a wash.
And so, for the first time since Zeiland Castle, I conducted a search of the surrounding area.
And what I realized not long after starting was—
"Hah... hah..."
—that my Martial was absurdly low.
Right. Back at Zeiland Castle, the first mission I'd been given had been exploration, too. Even then, I'd been gasping for breath after barely walking around.
No progress at all...
I sat down on a suitable rock and took a drink while I thought. If there was any gain to speak of, it was that I could walk a little longer than before. It wasn't visible to the eye, but my stamina seemed to have improved somewhat.
Come to think of it, when I'd first met Luna, there had been a time she'd carried me on her back. She'd been surprisingly strong for how she looked. Even though I was a grown man — weak as I was — she'd carried me all that long way without any trouble. Those days already felt like a distant memory.
I hope she's doing well.
As I rested, lost in the past, something caught my eye. A little girl, crying.
Hmm...?
If a child was crying, it was only proper as an adult to go ask what was wrong. I got up from the rock I'd been sitting on and approached her.
And then...
"Thank you so much, Lord Swen... Truly, truly, thank you."
"It's nothing. I only did what I ought to have done."
I waved off the woman's continuous stream of thanks with a gesture that said it was fine.
The crying little girl. The story of how she had come all alone from the village she lived in to this distant Valharat Castle. The plot of a bandit gang operating in the area, and the girl's father who had set out alone to stop them. The girl who had followed out of worry for her father, and through the keywords I'd obtained while helping her, finally finding her mother as well...
It had been an epic of truly absurd proportions.
It was so epic I almost regretted not being able to recount the whole thing.
"Big brother, thank you so much...!"
I patted the head of the child thanking me and said,
"It's a good thing we found your mother before it got dark. From now on, don't force yourself into dangerous situations like this. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"...As soon as your father's wounds heal, I'll see that he's sent back to the village. As for the bandits, I'll personally petition our lord to have them wiped out, so you needn't worry too much."
"Thank you, thank you so much. We will never forget the kindness of Lord Swen and Lady Yuuri."
This would improve the Asius Army's reputation. Whatever the reason, I owed them for taking in Irene and me, so this much was fine.
"Ah, right. This..."
I accepted the item the child's mother held out to me.
"This is...?"
"It's a treasured sword passed down through our family for generations. I had meant to give it to the child's father, but as I said, it would be better for us to return to the village... I believe Lord Swen would put it to better use than we could."
I took it. Something long and heavy was wrapped in what seemed to be a cloth.
So this was what Zinor had predicted.
Just as I'd expected, I'd somehow managed to obtain an item. In the game, you just pressed the "Search" button and got a message saying you'd discovered an item. I'd never known how it actually worked — but apparently it was something like this.
"I'll gratefully accept it."
"Yes. Then we'll take our leave. We will never forget the kindness you showed us today, and the thought you gave to my husband. Thank you so much...!"
"See you again, big brother!"
After parting with them, I finally unwrapped the cloth and examined the blade.
This is...!
A slender rapier with a distinctive green hilt. No doubt about it. This was definitely one of the treasures — the Rapier of the Green Forest.
Its stats weren't particularly good, but it came with a flavor text about looking extremely cool. It was closer to a treasure than a sword, and I remembered that when I'd obtained it in the game, I'd just used it as a gift for raising affection. If it had been a good sword, I would have given it to Irene... but at a glance, it didn't look like it would be of much use in actual combat.
Even so.
It's cool.
Looking at the icon, I hadn't thought much of it — but seeing the real thing, it was incredibly stylish. I took the sword and lightly thrust it forward a few times. Even someone as weak as me could handle it without difficulty. Considering that, it would probably be a limp attack in real combat — but for wearing at the hip as a ceremonial piece, nothing could beat it.
Right. A strategist ought to carry at least one decent-looking weapon.
Strapping the rapier to my waist, I felt like I'd become someone of consequence, and I rather liked it. It might sound a little silly, but for someone like me who could only predict how I appeared to others, that was the most powerful weapon of all. The only way to keep my life safe was how convincingly I could present myself.
Good. Time to head back.
I'd go home, finish my duties, and have tea with Irene when she returned. Just having someone at home was enough to make a person feel this much belonging. I found myself thinking that anew.
Time passed.
The first day of training with Reika.
"Now. Focus, and feel the sounds of nature. Cast off your worldly troubles, until you reach a state where you no longer feel that you are yourself... Slowly, without rushing... Good."
We meditated all day long. After meditation, we lay on our backs looking at the sky, tracking how far the clouds drifted, and spent the time productively.
And the next day.
"D-Do I just hit this...?"
"That's right. By making sound, the mana floating in the air gathers. It may not have any effect yet, but if you continue the training, you'll surely be able to sense it."
We beat drums together. Since there wasn't much else to do anyway, drumming was quite useful for killing time.
After that, the two of us lightly did a burpee test. She collapsed after only a few, and at the same time... I also exhausted all my stamina and collapsed. When I'd done the search recently, I'd thought my stamina had improved a little, so I'd tried the exercise hoping it might help me too — since the training was meaningless anyway — but it was so hard I simply couldn't endure it. If I gritted my teeth and kept going, it might help, but with this frail body of mine, it was an exercise so grueling I simply couldn't hold out.
The day after that, and the day after that, were much the same. We were doing things that looked extremely impressive to outside observers but were, in fact, completely useless.
"Now! Thrust your fist forward with force! Think, 'I am cutting through the mana'!"
"Y-Yes!"
She thrust her fist forward.
"Now, follow me! I!"
"I!"
"Am cutting!"
"A-Am cutting!"
"Through the mana!"
"Th-Through the manaaa...!"
What was increasing wasn't her ability to sense mana, but her stamina. Well, there was nothing wrong with building stamina, was there? I wasn't being shameless — it was genuinely true, wasn't it?
And so that day's training ended without incident.
"You've worked hard today."
"N-No...! Lord Swen is the one who worked hard."
There was no real need for her to use the honorific, but it didn't sound bad, so I decided to leave it.
Then Reika asked me in an extremely cautious tone.
"Um... Is it really all right like this? I mean, I... I don't seem to feel any results from the training... I-I'm not blaming you, Lord Swen, it's just... I mean... m-my talent is, um... what I mean is, it's m-my fault... th-that is..."
"Miss Reika. You don't need to worry."
Given time, she would definitely grow stronger. I spoke with conviction.
"It took me roughly five years before I saw any effect from training myself. Miss Reika seems far more talented than I am, so you'll see results much sooner. Besides, as you continue training... opportunities to go outside will come as well, so there's no need to be impatient."
"What? I can go outside?!"
Reika got excited at my words and suddenly leaned in close to me. I felt her soft flesh brush against my arm. They were fairly large. ...I just wasn't registering it because I faced an out-of-spec size every single day.
Before long, as if realizing she'd done something embarrassing, she flushed red and pulled her waist back.
"Ah, um... s-sorry. That is, um... I..."
"I know. You want to go outside, don't you? I'll try persuading Lord Zinor."
"...B-But... because of m-me..."
"Not at all. True training must be done in nature. This garden is quite spacious and has a decent amount of mana, but compared to the vast mana flowing through nature, it's child's play. To maximize Miss Reika's abilities quickly, going out is the right call, so please don't feel burdened."
"I... Is that so? If you would do that for me, th-then... th-thank..."
She still couldn't forget how she'd excitedly leaned in earlier, and was so embarrassed she couldn't even speak properly. Seeing her like this, she seemed rather cute in her own way. Like looking at a little sister who was fond of you, perhaps.
"I look forward to working with you going forward."
"What? Ah... Y-Yes...! I'll do my best!"
Perhaps the prospect of going outside had given her motivation. She said that and offered me a faint smile. It was the first natural smile I'd seen from her since taking charge of her at this mansion.
In that fashion, I spent my time doing useless things with Reika.
How many days passed like that?
On a rare day off, while I was resting, Irene — who had been out on a mission — returned home a little earlier than usual.
"Irene? You're back already?"
I checked Irene's expression. She looked far more serious than usual.
"Swen. Our lord has summoned us. We need to go to the royal castle with me immediately."
"Has something happened?"
"...An invasion."
"...!"
And when I heard what she said next, I think the first thought that came to me was, So it's finally here.
"The Brans Army is advancing on the fortress west of Valharat Castle with some fifty thousand troops."