Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Qualifications of a Hero (3)
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"Hah!"
S slash!
It had been a week since Kalt began instructing her.
Maintaining the stance that had now become familiar, Nellis severed the kobold's neck in one swift motion.
'My body moves so much more freely!'
And every time she caught a kobold, Nellis could feel herself growing.
At the same time, she was coming to realize day by day that Kalt's teachings were spot on.
It hadn't even been a full week since they seriously started, but perhaps because she had been consistent.
Nellis felt her flexibility had increased, making it far easier to stretch and move her body than before.
'The flexibility training hurt like hell every time! But it was worth the pain! Now it's starting to hurt less, so Kalt's touch is getting a bit... distracting...'
Nellis was a woman in her prime.
She couldn't help but be conscious of a man's hands touching her body.
Especially since it was the handsome and gentle Kalt.
'No, I shouldn't think like that! Kalt is doing this for my sake!'
"Nellis."
"Y-yes! Kalt!"
"Come here. Time to extract the magic stone."
"Y-yes!"
Nellis wasn't just learning how to fight; lately, Kalt had also been teaching her the best angles to thrust her sword for easier magic stone extraction.
Meanwhile, Nellis wasn't the only one feeling her growth.
"Nellis! Kalt! If a bunch of kobolds come next, just hold their feet for a bit! This time, I'm definitely pulling off an intermediate spell!"
"What should we do, Kalt?"
"Challenges to advance are always welcome."
"Got it, Scarlet!"
Even with multiple monsters, Scarlet had succeeded in manifesting basic magic and was now eyeing the possibility of intermediate spells with a bit more focus.
Aria as well.
"O God. Please hear my prayer today for the sake of my companions."
Even if she rarely needed to use blessings directly against monsters at their current level, she prayed with the intent of casting them, actively working to overcome her trauma.
Of course, since she was seeing progress in overcoming it, Aria trained diligently every day.
And on the eighth day since Kalt began seriously teaching Nellis.
On the day off, by Kalt's suggestion.
During breakfast, Nellis hesitantly asked Kalt.
"Um... Kalt."
"What, Nellis?"
"C-could you tell us about what happened during your time with Mabel's party?"
"What?"
"Hey, you idiot!"
"Nellis, even so, that story is..."
"N-no! Not that painful time from back then! I mean...!"
Nellis shook her head frantically, trying to explain.
Kalt first calmed Scarlet and Aria.
"Scarlet, Aria, relax. So, Nellis, you want to hear about my time in Mabel's party? Why?"
"Well... In about a week, we'll have to leave this village too, right?"
"Yeah."
"So... Kalt has so much experience. Maybe stories about requests you took in other regions during Mabel's party days. Or the scenery of other places you've traveled, what kind of monsters you faced... I'd love to hear that."
"Ah, that's what you meant."
What Nellis wanted wasn't tales of hardship from Kalt's Mabel party days, but purely the experiences and achievements as a hero party.
Scarlet and Aria picked up on Nellis's intent.
"Couldn't you have phrased it more smoothly? Like, 'Have you fought any monsters before?' or 'What places have you passed through?'"
"But any talk of Kalt's past inevitably involves Mabel's party..."
"Scarlet, you know Nellis didn't mean any harm. But is Kalt okay talking about it?"
"O-of course, if Kalt doesn't want to, that's fine!"
Nellis's party glanced at him sidelong, looking like adorable chicks to Kalt.
"No, it's fine. I can share those stories anytime. My experience could help you all."
"K-Kalt...!"
"So, Nellis. What story do you want to hear most?"
"Monsters! Strong monsters you fought, Kalt!"
"Monsters, huh..."
After pondering, Kalt recalled one memory that surfaced in his mind.
"How about the time we fought an ogre?"
"An ogre!"
Ogre.
A giant about three times a person's size.
Its powerful grip could crush rocks, and wielding a massive axe, it was a monster that turned hero parties or adventurer groups trying to make a name for themselves into victims, costing them their lives.
In terms of difficulty, it was a B-rank monster.
Thus, ogres were sometimes treated as gatekeepers testing veterans.
And it was a monster utterly beyond the power of Nellis's party without Kalt.
"I want to hear it!"
Seeing Nellis's sparkling eyes, Kalt naturally smiled.
"Pfft. Alright, I'll tell you. After we finish eating first."
After breakfast, Kalt felt the gazes of Nellis, who was most excited, and Scarlet and Aria, who watched with intrigued anticipation, as he began.
"Back then, the party's issues were all resolved. We'd built up achievements and made a name for ourselves."
It was the time after Kalt's hypnosis had fixed Mabel, Ianna, and Marti's problems, when they seriously ramped up requests and grew stronger.
"Could you use Mana Blade back then too?"
"No. Neither Mabel nor I could yet. Ianna struggled with advanced magic, and Marti had just started properly supporting the party and learning various blessings."
Like any hero party, Mabel's was in the midst of rapid growth, making a name for itself.
It started with Mabel's tantrum.
Now that their skills had improved, Mabel pushed aggressively to hunt an ogre.
After hypnosis cured her monster phobia, Mabel was like a horse off the reins, aggressively hunting monsters.
Kalt had suggested they build more skill first to hold her back.
But.
"I wanna! I wanna! I wanna! Our skills won't fail against some ogre!"
Mabel's tantrum showed no signs of stopping.
"It's not about failing; even if it works, we need to win decisively. Ogre skin is tough and thick. At least after you and I master Mana Blade..."
"When are you gonna master Mana Blade? I kinda hate seeing you swing your sword every morning all sweaty... Ah! D-don't pull my cheeks!"
"That's why you spray perfume. You brat!"
"Mabel, don't you know good Kalt gets mad if you interfere with his training?"
"You've spent the most time with Kalt, so you should know."
At that time, even Ianna and Marti sided more with Kalt.
"Even without Mana Blade, with Ianna's magic and Marti's support, we can take it! We're a rising hero party now; we have to shine!"
Knowing opposition would just lead to three days of tantrums, Kalt offered a compromise.
"Then let's scout near its habitat first. If it looks unbeatable, we retreat immediately. Got it?"
"Yay! That ogre won't keep up with my speed anyway!"
"Sigh..."
And so Mabel's party prepared and headed to the cave marked on the request.
They smoothly dispatched monsters encountered en route and arrived at the cave.
"I'll scout first, so you all stay here."
Kalt cautiously minimized his footsteps and ventured inside.
Inside, he found the ogre chomping on a wild boar.
The first ogre he saw exuded immense pressure; it was clearly no easy foe.
Kalt quietly exited and told Mabel.
"It's there. One. It caught a wild boar and was eating."
"Great! It's there, right? Let's charge in now!"
"From what I saw, it looks really strong. Honestly, I think retreating is better."
"Hmph! Kalt's scared!"
"What?"
"We came this far; how can we back off? Embarrassing! If it gets caught by us, an ogre's no match!"
"Where does that pointless confidence come from?"
'Did fixing her monster phobia make her suppressed personality rebound too hard?'
"Kalt, how about giving it a try?"
"Ianna?"
"If it's dangerous, we retreat fast. Like Mabel said, we've come this far for once."
"Even Marti... Sigh. If you two say so, no choice."
"Kalt, you! Why listen when they say it!"
"They're more reliable than you."
"What!"
It was just as Mabel's party decided to enter the cave.
A heavy thud thud echoed from inside.
"Looks like we don't need to go in."
"Mabel, your voice was the loudest, so it probably heard us all the way inside."
"Ah, stop nagging already!"
"Draw swords! Everyone prepare! Marti! You learned speed boost and strength enhancement last time, right? Please."
"Got it! O God, grant these ones sturdy strength and nimble feet!"
"Hehehe, I'll slice that ogre up with my speed in no time!"
"I've always said: always fight cautiously, without letting your guard down..."
"La la la~."
'Agh, that girl...'
-GRROOOOARRR!
The moment Mabel's party was ready.
The ogre emerged from the cave.
"Give me your head!"
The Fastest Hero Mabel kicked off the ground first, with her blessing active.
