Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Hero's Circumstances (2)
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'Heard my story and this is the reaction?'
Of course, Kalt's tale might sound objectively unfair, unreasonable, and enough to stir pity if one listened objectively.
But Nellis and Aria's reactions were so explosively intense that Kalt couldn't help but be flustered.
Nellis clenched her fists tight, trembling with rage.
"Fastest Hero Mabel... I respected her! But from what I heard, she's just a spoiled brat who doesn't even appreciate Kalt's gratitude! I don't want to lose to someone like that!"
"I feel the same. And her other party members didn't even try to stop Kalt from being exiled? What do they even think party bonds mean... I can't understand it!"
"Uh, y-yeah."
It was touching to have them get angry on his behalf.
But seeing such a heated response made Kalt feel a bit awkward.
'...Well, they seem to know gratitude a little more than those Mabel bitches.'
Of course, that didn't mean he could skip the conditioning.
People could change at any moment.
Kalt had no desire to suffer the same humiliation from Mabel again.
That's why, especially now that they felt gratitude and sympathy toward him...
'I've got to condition them thoroughly.'
To the point where he'd be absolutely sure they'd never betray him and knew their place.
Of course, conditioning would come after resolving all three of their issues first.
Then, one by one, in turn.
Kalt already had a rough plan mapped out.
But first.
He should express his gratitude to these two kind souls who empathized with his plight.
"Thanks for saying that. I'll do my best so you two never end up like that."
"Yes!"
"Let's do our best together!"
"Um... everyone? Why are you all suddenly like this?"
Lunia, unaware of the situation, tilted her head at the sight of Nellis's party bonding.
"Ah, it's just our party bonds getting even stronger, Lunia."
After brushing Lunia off appropriately.
Nellis's party finished breakfast and headed straight out of the village.
On the way, Kalt checked with Nellis just to confirm.
"Nellis, your muscle soreness is all gone, right?"
"Yes! Thanks to the potion you gave me, Kalt, it's completely better now!"
"Good. From now on, be careful not to overdo it. Even when fighting monsters."
"Ugh... Okay."
"You remember the key points about the stance I taught you, right?"
"Yes!"
"Then try catching a kobold while recalling that motion. You've got Blessing too, so you can tank most attacks and just swing your sword. Let's give it a shot."
"I'll do my best!"
After advising Nellis, Kalt turned to Scarlet and Aria.
"Scarlet and Aria, make sure to keep what I taught you fresh in your minds."
"Got it, Kalt."
"Okay."
Fifteen minutes into scouting for kobolds around the village.
Nellis's party encountered four kobolds.
"Aria, Blessing please. I'll take two, Nellis one. Scarlet, handle the last one."
"God above! Grant them strength!"
The moment Kalt gave the order, Aria immediately cast her Blessing to boost strength and speed.
As Scarlet focused on her spell, Kalt and Nellis closed in on the kobold pack simultaneously.
-Grrr!
The kobolds spotted their foes and lunged with claws bared at Kalt and Nellis.
Slash!
But one was already swiftly decapitated by Kalt's sword, lifeless before it knew what hit it.
As Kalt moved to finish the remaining one.
Nellis faced off against her assigned kobold.
'Just like Kalt taught me yesterday.'
Recalling his advice, Nellis swung her sword from low to high in a diagonal slash.
Without twisting her waist too much, keeping her feet properly spaced, channeling power into the swing.
'Ah, this is it.'
She felt it the moment her sword began its arc.
That she was swinging correctly.
And as if proving that sensation, the feedback from slicing the kobold felt entirely different.
Usually, her swings would catch midway and require extra force to cut through, but now the initial power was enough.
With less strength than usual, she inflicted a deeper wound on the monster.
It was a sword feel she could never get just from air swings.
Nellis's blade carved deeper into the kobold's body, felling it in a single, effortless strike.
'This is the sword feel Kalt always gets! Amazing!'
She'd felt it during their first lesson, but fixing these seemingly minor points—hard to notice alone—yielded results beyond her imagination.
Nellis truly understood why adventurers grumbled that if only they had a great teacher, they'd be stronger too.
Meanwhile, having dispatched his second kobold, Kalt glanced back.
Scarlet had already finished her spell and was poised to fire.
Confirming the two had taken out three kobolds, Scarlet shouted.
"Fall back!"
Kalt and Nellis kicked off the ground, creating space.
Scarlet unleashed her readied spell.
Fireball.
The blazing orb streaked forward, engulfing the kobold.
The charred creature collapsed to the ground.
"Nellis, that was perfect."
"Really?"
"Of course. You swung just like I taught you. Keep that in mind from now on."
"Hehe, yes!"
"Next time kobolds show up, try handling multiple ones, Nellis. Use your Blessing this time."
"Yes, Kalt!"
After recovering the magic stones and resuming their patrol, Nellis's party ran into another kobold pack.
"Three this time. Nellis, handle them solo. With Blessing, you can do it."
"Yes!"
'It's fine. Kobolds are weaker than me anyway. And now I've got Kalt's teachings. Kobolds are way weaker than me!'
Pumping herself up, Nellis activated her Blessing.
She charged in with Blessing active.
Slash!
A surprise strike before the kobold could react.
The remaining two kobolds finally noticed her.
By the time they did, Nellis swiftly swung again, dispatching one more.
But she deliberately held back on the last two, waiting for their attack.
'Kalt said to use Blessing this time.'
The kobolds slashed at her with claws.
Claws that could easily shred civilian flesh and leave deep gashes.
But against the Barrier unfurled by Nellis's Blessing, they were useless.
"Haaah!"
Unaltered by the assault, Nellis bellowed and drew a horizontal line with her sword.
Not quite bisecting like Kalt, but enough to end kobolds in one blow.
The deeply gutted kobolds bled out and collapsed simultaneously.
"Haa, haa."
Not from exhaustion, but excitement—Nellis's breaths came quick.
Panting rapidly, she stared at her sword-gripping hand.
She'd taken out kobolds in sequence before, but never two in a single strike.
The thrill and joy felt like taking a true step toward mastery.
And gratitude toward Kalt, who enabled this growth, swirled within her.
"Kalt! Did you see? I took out two at once!"
Like a puppy begging for praise, Nellis bounced over to Kalt.
"Yeah, I saw. You're doing great. But you deliberately delayed on that last attack, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes. You said to use Blessing, so I took the hit on purpose. Um... was that wrong?"
"No, if it's an attack you can tank, it's actually better. Good judgment."
"...!"
Kalt's praise made Nellis's heart race.
Having lazed in a lax party for so long, genuine praise for her skills was rare—so his words soaked her heart like rain on parched soil.
That's why.
'I want more praise! I want to show Kalt more of my prowess!'
A torrent of desire for approval welled up in Nellis.
"Kalt! Let me handle the next ones solo too! Four, five, whatever! Kobold attacks can't touch me!"
She huffed determinedly, nostrils flaring.
"Nellis."
"Yes!"
"Calm down. We're a party, after all. And if you fight alone nonstop, you could tire out—or get sore like yesterday."
"Ah."
"I said not to overdo it, right?"
Nellis's shoulders slumped.
"Ugh... S-sorry, Kalt. I got cocky again."
"No, your enthusiasm is good. If four or more show up, I'll let you take more. When you start tiring, I'll pick up the slack. I'll keep watching your performance closely."
"...! Yes!"
The hypnosis on Aria and Scarlet needed three more days to fully take hold anyway.
So Kalt decided to focus on Nellis's growth for now and confirm her issues from her own mouth.
Meanwhile, Nellis yearned to show an even cooler side to the watching Kalt.
'Alright! I'll show Kalt more of my improved self! Then he'll teach me even cooler stuff, right?'
Harboring such hopes, the next thing they encountered was.
-Grrrrr!
"Huh?"
A Kobold Warrior.