Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Whereabouts of the Prayer (4)
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'Sparring with Mr. Kalt? Me?'
Nellis was utterly baffled by Kalt's suggestion.
She had only come to watch his training, and now suddenly it was a spar?
"You want to use Mana Blade, right, Nellis?"
"Yes."
"To use Mana Blade, you need more than just mana control—you need a certain level of skill backing it up. When activating Mana Blade, it draws not only on the mana used for body enhancement but also on the user's pure prowess."
"Really?"
"Yes. Think about it. In terms of mana control alone, mages outclass warriors, don't they?"
"Yes."
"So, wouldn't that mean all mages could use Mana Blade?"
"...Ah!"
"That's why Mana Blade serves as proof that a warrior has reached a certain realm."
"I see!"
Learning this new fact about Mana Blade—something she'd only vaguely desired before—made Nellis lean in even closer to Kalt's words.
Everything he said felt incredibly valuable.
Because even among Hero parties, no one casually shared such specific insights.
Especially not to the notoriously lazy Nellis Party, whom no one expected much from anyway.
"This is a good chance to properly check your swordsmanship too. Then I can give you better advice."
His kind, senior-like smile sent waves of crashing through Nellis's heart.
"Mr. Kalt...! Thank you!"
"No big deal. We're in the same party, after all."
'Mr. Kalt is so kind! That gentle smile is so handsome!'
Watching from the side, Lunia melted at the sight of the kind handsome man's smile.
"Then draw your sword and step up."
"My... sword?"
The word "sword" made Nellis flinch, her body trembling.
"You mean real swords, right?"
"Yes."
"No wooden ones?"
"We don't have any."
"Ah..."
"What's wrong?"
"N-No, nothing!"
Nellis hurriedly drew her sword and faced Kalt in the backyard.
'What do I do? Sparring with Mr. Kalt out of nowhere! No, I'm grateful he's even thinking about it. But if he figures out my issue so easily...!'
Nellis worried inwardly, breaking into a cold sweat.
"No need to be too tense. It's just a spar. And you can use your Blessing if you want, Nellis."
"N-No! No Blessing!"
"Really?"
"Using Blessing would make it hard to gauge your sword skills properly! Ahaha..."
'I might not even be able to use Blessing against Mr. Kalt anyway! Better not to try!'
'She's hiding something.'
"Got it. In that case... you come at me first, Nellis. With everything you've got."
"Yes! Hiyah!"
Clang!
Kalt's sword clashed with Nellis's.
Nellis pulled back for a moment, then swung again, while Kalt blocked and observed.
'What's this?'
Right from the start, Kalt sensed something off about Nellis.
'Her momentum is weaker than when she fought the kobolds. And...'
As she swung at him, it looked like Nellis was holding something back.
Her face was like someone forcing herself to challenge something terrifying.
The longer their swords met, the sloppier and more forced her swings became.
'This must be the key to her problem. Let's observe a bit more.'
Kalt stopped just blocking and swung his sword.
Clang!
Nellis's sword bounced off Kalt's.
"...Ugh!"
"Nellis, now I'll attack too—try to handle it."
"Y-Yes!"
Kalt swung at Nellis.
Not aggressively.
At a speed she could definitely block, he swung while watching her reactions.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Haa, ugh! Hauk! Urgh!"
Nellis desperately blocked Kalt's swings.
She wasn't stupid.
She knew Kalt was matching her level.
Even so.
'No, no, I can't let Mr. Kalt find out now...!'
Her sword hand trembled more and more.
Her heart pounded fiercely.
Cold sweat dripped down her back.
Like a lamb facing a wolf.
In front of the stronger Kalt, Nellis desperately parried, trying not to reveal her issue right then.
While Nellis grew anxious and desperate.
'Is it the clash of steel and people? No, if so, it would've shown when I suggested the spar. Maybe...'
Kalt watched her reactions, suspecting a certain condition in his mind.
After narrowing down candidates in his head, Kalt stopped and spoke to her.
"You okay, Nellis?"
"Haa. Huh? W-What's wrong?"
"Your face suddenly looks pale."
"R-Really? That's just...!"
'What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? Did he figure it out? My problem? I was gonna tell him later! If it comes out like this, he'll be really disappointed!'
Her heart raced wildly with anxiety and nervousness.
"Looks like resting today was the right call after all. Must be built-up fatigue."
"...Huh?"
"It happens sometimes. You don't realize the fatigue piling up, and then during a rare recovery period, moving your body triggers it all at once. Better skip the spar and rest fully today."
'Phew, he didn't notice!'
"Ah~ Yeah, guess so? I suddenly felt wiped out..."
Nellis latched onto Kalt's excuse.
"You should head to your room and sleep. Go on."
"Sorry, Mr. Kalt. You were kind enough to check my skills..."
"Health comes first. Our bodies are our most important asset. Now, go."
"Y-Yes!"
Nellis hurried back into the inn.
'Sorry, Mr. Kalt!'
Feeling a pang of guilt toward him deep inside.
"Mr. Kalt, will Nellis be okay?"
"A good night's sleep should fix her."
'She hasn't even built up that much fatigue to begin with.'
The level of accumulated fatigue Kalt meant was skipping days and nights of sleep on grueling quests.
Not the same as leisurely hunting kobolds like a daily chore after a full night's rest.
Even after Nellis left, Kalt drew Mana Blade and continued his training.
Then he washed up, returned to his room for a 30-minute nap.
After the short sleep, Kalt went downstairs, helped Nadia move a box of ingredients while confirming Lunia wasn't nearby,
then grabbed her plump hips and whispered in her ear.
"Tonight, I'll teach you about cowgirl."
Leaving Nadia with ears red as beets, Kalt stepped out of the inn.
'Time to find Aria.'
According to Nadia while moving luggage, Aria still hadn't returned.
Kalt walked, searching for Aria's whereabouts.
But no sign of her outside the buildings.
"Hey, handsome over there!"
A man called out to Kalt from in front of his shop while wandering.
A plump-faced man with a slight belly.
"What can I do for you?"
Kalt approached with a smile, and the man beamed brightly too.
"You're that guy, right? The new member of Nellis Party who took down the kobolds in our village."
"Yes."
"Thanks for helping our village! Here, take this!"
The man handed Kalt some steaming hot bread.
"Freshly baked! Our shop's bread is delicious!"
Glancing at the sign, Kalt saw the plump man was the bakery owner.
Genuinely showing goodwill to the one who'd joined Nellis Party and hunted kobolds.
"Thank you. Looks delicious."
Kalt bit into it right away.
The fresh bread was indeed hot and tasty, just as the man said.
Watching Kalt devour it quickly, the bakery owner smiled warmly, pleased.
"Good, right? Our bread's the best!"
"Yes. I'd love to share with my comrades. I'll take three."
"Oh, thank you!"
As the owner went inside to bag them, Kalt asked,
"By chance, seen our party's nun?"
"The party's nun? Oh, she went to the church in the village."
"I see. Thanks."
"No problem! Here, three loaves!"
After paying and taking the bag, Kalt left for the church.
The village church wasn't large.
About the size of a normal house, with the symbol of the God of Light—this world's deity—on the roof.
The Light symbol was a circle overlapping a cross, with a horizontal bar attached to the lower part of the cross near the circle's bottom.
Inside, a larger version hung on the wall, and long benches lined up for villagers to pray.
The village was small, so no priest managed it.
It served only as a place to offer prayers to the God of Light.
On the frontmost bench.
Kalt spotted Aria sitting there.
He approached her steadily.
"God... God of Light..."
Even as Kalt neared, Aria kept her hands clasped, praying intently as if pleading for something.
Kalt sat beside her without speaking, gently setting the bread bag on the bench.
He waited silently until her prayer ended.
A minute later.
"Hoo..."
Aria finished praying.
"Prayer over?"
"...!"
She whipped her head around in surprise, looking at Kalt.
"K-Kalt!? W-When did you...?"
"You were so focused you didn't notice me enter the church."
"S-Sorry. I didn't realize."
"No. Can't interrupt devout prayer."
"Devout..."
Aria bowed her head slightly.
Not shy, but like she was tormented or feeling guilty.
"Want some bread? Fresh from the village bakery. Tasty."
"Th-Thank you."
Aria took the bread Kalt offered and bit in hurriedly.
As Kalt said, it was still warm and good.
Slowly, bite by bite.
Kalt waited patiently until she finished.
"It was delicious."
"Right? Doesn't good food ease a troubled heart a bit?"
"...! Mr. Kalt, you mean..."
"Told you, right? Mental counseling's my specialty. I know a worried face when I see one."
Kalt leaned back, gazing warmly at her.
"I don't know your worries, Aria. But sometimes, sharing them is easier than bottling up. And I might even advise on solving them."
His soft, soothing voice reached her ears.
"We've only been in the party a short time. But we're comrades. I want to help you, Aria. So, can you tell me your worries?"
Asking with genuine concern.
If she dodged again, Kalt planned to use hypnosis.
A brief silence fell.
"Mr. Kalt..."
Aria opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry."
'Guess I need hypnosis after all...'
"For hiding it all this time."