Chapter 11
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 11
First Opponent (1)
"Move faster! With this level of skill, you'll die as soon as you enter a dungeon!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Ku, kugh!"
Classes at the Academy were still tough.
I was sick and tired of doing extremely grueling training here right now, which I hadn't even experienced in the army in my past life.
Of course, I understood. With demons overflowing in the world now, one had to drag their stamina to the limit to survive somehow.
The survival rate of dungeons formed by demons everywhere was extremely low.
It is said that nearly half of the graduated batch meets death during dungeon raids not long after.
Even after that, people continued to die one after another, so the number of those who could be called surviving veterans or core members was very small.
So the recent trend of the Academy was towards raising the survival rate.
If you die, everything is useless. Just by surviving, one can pass on their experience intact to others or future generations.
That alone leads directly to valuable help in annihilating demons.
For me, whose goal is simply to graduate from the Academy, this doesn't apply.
Not only do I not particularly want to raid dungeons just because I graduate, but I also didn't want to stand in the work of fighting demons.
Still, I did my best because I didn't want to drag them down and cause them to die later because of me.
The problem is these damn stats though.
The hell training with Aniel is clearly showing effects.
Compared to when I first encountered training and only fell behind not long after starting, I was still persistently following at their heels.
However, my stats are still trash. Just when I was biting my lip feeling pathetic at the thought that I wouldn't be able to finish today either.
"Match my pace."
"G-Grand...."
"Don't speak. It's harder if you speak."
I came to my senses at the voice heard from the side.
The person who became my master and started teaching me. It was Aniel.
Why is she here? She is someone who should have reached the goal long ago.
In the midst of wonder springing up wildly, Aniel spoke.
"I've already run a few laps and come back."
Unlike me, she is monster-like. A person like this must be the one jumping into dungeons to save the world.
I thought she would pass me and go forward before long.
Since training to become strong would be the same for her too.
But contrary to expectations, no matter how much I waited, Aniel didn't go forward first.
"Match my pace."
Match her pace.
Is she trying to help me right now? I tried to refuse.
I intended to drop out around here anyway. Since my stamina has already reached its limit.
And also, I didn't want to disturb her training. As if reading these thoughts of mine, Aniel clicked her tongue and said.
"Training like this, it's the same for me even if I do it for a hundred days."
"Ah."
"So concentrate on the pace."
For her who is already strong, all this is meaningless work.
I didn't think she was arrogant. She was already established as the Empire's strongest both in name and reality.
But I couldn't understand. Then she could just finish quickly and rest; why is she trying to help me.
My head became hot from the long run.
Thinking that it would be right to just do as told for now, I stared at Aniel running a little ahead.
Fine velvet-like ashen hair scattered in the air. Her physique with small muscles attached little by little felt beautiful.
If I listened closely, I could hear her small breaths. As I started running matching those breaths, I became a little comfortable.
In the midst of concentrating on everything about Aniel like that.
"We arrived."
"Huh?"
We had arrived at the goal point before I knew it.
"Oh, Allen. Did you really receive personal training or something? You passed without falling behind for the first time."
The professor approached and praised me.
Even the surroundings were sending gazes that seemed a little flustered seeing me not falling behind.
"Did you have basic stamina?"
"To say that, everything was terrible from the first day of training."
"It was strange that he couldn't even do this much. Just stop caring. He'll probably fall behind again next time anyway."
My evaluation was still not very good, but I didn't have any particular thoughts about their words.
More than that, the side I was concerned about was Aniel.
I looked towards Aniel. I wanted to ask her.
How I was able to succeed.
"Don't be satisfied with the situation."
Reading these thoughts of mine, she left just one sentence.
It was difficult to know what that meant, but still, I felt like I knew one thing.
At least that she helped me so I wouldn't give up.
"Thank you. Grand Duchess."
I conveyed my thanks towards Aniel who started smoking a cigarette far away.
Although I don't know if it reached the opponent.
I don't know why.
My gaze just kept going to Allen.
Whether during training, when eating, or when passing by coincidentally, if he entered my view, my eyes were chasing him before I knew it.
I don't know why I am doing this.
Although accepting a disciple itself would be something to make others faint if they heard.
Anyway, Aniel chased Allen with her eyes continuously in this running training as well.
It was something she felt while training, but he always did his best.
Because of that, he tried to obtain what she taught as much as possible, and now he had improved considerably compared to when they first encountered.
So she thought he would complete training like this sufficiently now.
But Aniel knew looking at Allen. That he is the type who loses confidence when it becomes actual practice, even though he tries his best.
To become strong, one must try to cross the boundary. Unless fainting from exhaustion, giving up made no sense.
Looking at such people, Aniel didn't ridicule them or anything.
She just passed by as if seeing nothing. But this time was different.
He kept stepping on her eyes. His appearance of smiling bitterly while being satisfied here.
Arriving at the place set as the goal, Aniel put down her confused mind and smoked a cigarette.
With a cigarette made of herbs containing purification functions, not nicotine and tar.
"Since your basic stamina is also improving, we must become active in earnest now."
Meanwhile, as soon as the professor confirmed everyone had come, he spoke with a resonant voice.
"We will start 1-on-1 sparring, so everyone gather in pairs!"
At that moment, Aniel's gaze naturally headed towards Allen.
Thinking that she should step up since there would be no one trying to do it with him anyway.
"Allen Wiesent! Let's spar with me!"
However, sadly, that thought missed spectacularly.
Dropping even the cigarette she was holding in her mouth, Aniel looked at the face of the woman who appeared next to Allen.
When he said let's spar, I thought of Aniel, but I shook my head.
Before, I chose her because of the perception that it's natural to lose to Aniel, but now it was quite different.
In that sense, I wanted to try competing once with someone other than Aniel.
Although everyone avoids me, thinking that surely I could find at least one person, I looked around.
"How dare! A guy like that eating together with our Grand Duchess!"
"E, endure it, Iris."
"Right. You know nothing good comes from getting involved anyway, Iris!"
Someone who looked troublesome appeared in front of me.
"Allen Wiesent! Spar with me!"
A woman with bright red hair was glaring at me with a face full of grumpiness for some reason.
"If I win, you must not even come near the Grand Duchess's side anymore!"
What kind of novel bullshit is this again. Thinking such thoughts, I looked at the opponent.
She was a figure famous enough that even I knew.
Iris Teira. From the Teira family that has produced the Imperial Royal Guard Captain for generations.
She was also the figure who expressed the most disgust towards me.
Looking at her like this, I opened my mouth and spoke.
"Why should I."
It's a matter I have absolutely no reason to listen to.
No matter how much I want to test my skills, I declined an opponent whose eyes were rolled back right now.
So I tried to turn my head without lingering attachment and deal with someone else.
"Are you running away! Fight like a man!"
Yeah, does gender feed you? If only I could live, I could bow my head servilely throwing away pride.
In the first place, what on earth do I gain. There was absolutely no merit enough to throw away the excellent master I barely obtained, though not with difficulty.
Feeling no value in dealing with her, I tried to move away from the spot as is.
But what on earth.
"Hmm, are the remaining people only two students?"
"Yes, that is correct! Professor!"
"Ah...."
To think there wouldn't be a single person willing to deal with me.