Chapter 112: The Growing Guard (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 112: The Growing Guard (2)
I tightened my core and took a high-stance. I stomped the ground, swinging my wooden sword down with enough force to create a sonic boom.
"One million and twenty-one!"
As I shouted the battle cry, my abdominal muscles tensed. The core is the center of the body. Naturally, vitality surged through my entire frame.
"One million and twenty-two!"
I repeated the same motion like a machine, observing my internal state. I noted the movement of muscles according to the change in motion, and the difference between when I followed the set path and when I strayed from it.
"One million and twenty-three!"
My overworked body throbbed, my muscles screaming in protest. I ignored the pain and kept moving. Due to the grueling training, a sweet, metallic tang rose in my mouth and my arms trembled, but I stubbornly continued the downward strikes.
I did this because it hurt even if I stayed still. That fucking bitch Rainie really laid into me. Even after using a potion, my skin was bruised blue in several places.
"Are you alright?"
Rena, who was training beside me, cast a worried glance my way. Unlike the guard uniform, which resembled a coat, she wore heavy plate armor, looking more like a knight than anyone else.
"I'm fine."
It wasn't just empty talk. Because this body’s performance was so exceptional, I could endure the pain and continue training. Besides, whining about being hit by a woman didn't sit right with me. A man has his pride, after all.
And it wasn't just me who got thrashed. Rena was in a similar boat. Rainie didn't go easy on her beloved disciple either; she’d beaten her black and blue.
The only thing that annoyed me was that she gave me a Low-Grade Potion while treating Rena with a Mid-Grade Potion.
"Please don't overdo it. It makes me sad when you get hurt, Senior."
"I feel the same way. I'd rather be hurt than see you in pain."
"Senior..."
"Stop the idle chatter."
Rainie cut in between us. She gave us an exasperated look.
"I turn my back for one second and you're on a date instead of training. You must have plenty of stamina left."
"No! Your precious disciple is going to die at this rate...!"
"If you want to make up for the training you skipped to play at the inn, you'll have to work harder. And Sma, what on earth is that bizarre battle cry?"
"What do you mean, bizarre?"
I didn't know what she was talking about. Was I not allowed to count the number of strikes?
"That 'one million' whatever cry. I've only been gone a short while, so you couldn't have done more than a hundred at most. Your exaggeration is excessive."
"It's my personal mantra to boost my motivation."
A mantra to become a strong and long-lasting Sma. Rainie seemed to accept that, more or less.
"...Fine. If you say so. Take this."
Rainie tossed a towel at me. It was fluffy and soft. The towels at my place were stiff and fraying. She showed off her wealth in the smallest ways.
"You've sweated a lot, so wipe yourself off. Now that I've gauged your level and your body is sufficiently warmed up, we'll begin the formal instruction."
"Yes, ma'am."
I wiped the sweat dripping down my bare torso with the towel. As I wiped from my shoulders down to the sweat pooling in my collarbones, I heard the sound of someone swallowing hard.
It was Rena, without a doubt.
"Master..."
"You, drink this."
"It's a Stamina Potion. Senior is exhausted too, aren't you going to give him one?"
"I was going to give it to him once he finished wiping off."
"Mmm. Then... Senior! You drink this first!"
Rena shoved the Stamina Potion into my hand and snatched the towel away.
"I'll wipe the sweat for you."
"Is that really okay?"
Rainie was glaring at me like she wanted to kill me; was it really okay?
"Of course! Supporting her man is a girlfriend's duty!"
At the mention of being a girlfriend, Rainie’s intensity softened. Surely she wouldn't kill her disciple's boyfriend right in front of her. At most, she’d just rough me up a bit under the guise of a duel.
Who was it that said you get tougher the more you get hit? As I swung the sword while enduring the pain, the ache actually started to feel duller.
And I realized I had grown since this morning. There was evidence more certain than my muscles still having strength despite the grueling training, or my wooden sword accurately tracing the path Rainie had shown me.
My dick had been sore every time I moved because I’d had so much sex, but now it didn't hurt. I felt confident that even if I had sex right now, I could easily make three women faint.
Was there a myth that exercise increases virility? Perhaps it was a logic that only applied in a fantasy world.
While I was focusing on the state of my cock, Rena finished wiping my sweat. The Stamina Potion I drank late surged through my body with vitality.
"...I thought I’d never need a man in my life. Perhaps I should get a lover too."
Rainie muttered bitterly. Instead of being apologetic, Rena puffed out her chest proudly.
"I'll introduce you to someone good!"
"Yes, yes. Anyway, I shall now impart the swordsmanship. Watch me closely."
Taking her starting stance, Rainie drew her sword. The pure white blade traced a beautiful arc. At a glance, it looked ordinary, but I could read the murderous intent within the strike.
If a person had been standing there, their heart would have been pierced and their throat slit already. It was truly a terrifying killing sword.
I pushed aside all other feelings about Rainie and became absorbed in the swordsmanship. Reaching a state of focus for the first time since I killed the Mandrake, I was able to learn not just the form of the sword, but its underlying principles.
I couldn't show the same seasoned skill as Rainie yet, but I was certain that after a few practices, I could mimic it closely. And it struck me again.
This body is a total natural. I felt like the protagonist of a webnovel I used to enjoy back in the modern world.
As expected of the world's greatest Isekai Eroge Creator... You gave me not just the system and the guard position, but the perk of being a genius as well. I'll offer you my thanks whenever I happen to think of it.
While I was sending my gratitude to the Creator, Rainie’s sword stopped. She looked down at me with a haughty air.
"How was it? This is the Hugo Kingdom's 2nd Sword Art that you will be learning."
"But that's the swordsmanship you can only learn if you join Master's knight order!"
"Normally, yes, but I have the authority to teach the order's swordsmanship to my disciple. I tried to teach you as well, but you couldn't learn it because it wasn't a fit, remember?"
So that was the story. I picked up my wooden sword.
"Anyway, since one demonstration won't be enough..."
"No, it's fine."
"What?"
I perfectly mimicked the starting stance Rainie had shown. I held the sword at an angle to ensure there were no blind spots in my vision. I spread my feet but kept the stride narrow enough to transition into footwork for any situation.
Then, I swung the sword diagonally. Not just the feeling of cutting through air, but with the sensation of blocking an attack from an imaginary foe.
When the sword path reached its end, I applied pressure to my wrist to slightly deflect the blade. I hadn't realized it when just performing the stance Rainie taught, but seeing it and then demonstrating it myself, I understood the hidden meaning in this single move.
It was to parry the opponent's sword and forcibly create an opening. This made the flow from a slash to a thrust natural.
The imaginary enemy used footwork to dodge the tip of the blade. Hugo's 2nd Sword Stance didn't aggressively follow him but returned to the initial position.
Hugo's 2nd Sword Art wasn't an aggressive style. It was a defensive swordsmanship that aimed for openings revealed while parrying or deflecting an opponent's attack. However, it was a killing sword that targeted only human vulnerabilities.
There were many movements difficult to reproduce with a human body, but I demonstrated them by forcibly squeezing my muscles. Rainie’s analysis was correct. An ordinary person would have needed the help of Aura, but I succeeded through sheer physical strength alone.
After that, as I reproduced Rainie’s sword dance while contemplating the true intent behind the technique, the end naturally arrived.
After piercing the throat of the imaginary enemy, sweat poured off me like rain. I was short of breath and my muscles screamed. I wanted to collapse right then and there, but I endured with superhuman patience.
This was nothing compared to having my cum squeezed out of me at dawn. I am the Sex Master, whose brain is ruled by his cock. As long as my dick is fine, I will never fall.
After finally catching my breath, I looked at Rainie and asked.
"How was it?"
"..."
A stunned Rainie couldn't answer. Rena, her eyes sparkling, flailed her arms about.
"That was amazing! I knew you could do it, Senior! You looked just like the knights I saw when I followed Master to the knight order!"
"It wasn't that much."
"No! It really was! If you're this good after learning it for the first time, I can't imagine what will happen once you formally master the sword and learn Aura...! Oh my god, I have goosebumps!"
Rena, making such a fuss, was pretty. People really do need to be good-looking. I was enjoying the praise that I could never get tired of hearing when Rainie finally spoke.
"Why are you working as a guard?"
"What's wrong with being a guard!"
Rainie ignored her disciple's words.
"Won't you become a knight? I will be your master and your patron."
"I appreciate the offer, but I must refuse."
As I’d said before, being a knight came with too many restrictions. Knights in an eroge world also had the lifespan of a fly. Why would I quit a 'God-tier' job to enter a 3D industry? I’d refuse even if she offered me millions.
"I happen to like being a guard."