The Fifth Inquisition Office (6)
The Fifth Inquisition Office (6)
Beatrice's spirit lightly twirled the spear.
【Before I teach you anything, there's something I need to ask.】
"What is it?"
【Is it my Holy Arts that you want?】
The spear pointed at me.
【Or is it all of me?】
"Obviously..."
It was late at night. The sun had set, and the training grounds were empty.
The Fifth Inquisition Office lay deep in slumber. I was the only one here.
I drew a breath. I looked ahead.
Effort.
Grinding myself down.
No matter how caked in cheats I might be, I couldn't rule that out. To survive, I had to struggle. To stand above someone, to achieve my goal, I had to drive myself forward.
One thing?
That wouldn't satisfy me.
I wanted everything. If I'd only wanted one thing, I never would have started in the first place.
Yeah.
I'm greedy. Same as always.
"I want all of it."
【Then don't fall by the wayside halfway through. I'm not standing here intending to teach you lightly. If you say you're giving up, I'll stop at any time. But when that happens...】
Beatrice's spirit caught fire. Sacred Flame streamed down her entire body.
【The 'repaying the favor' ends too.】
"You're the one who should be careful, Beatrice."
I picked up a practice spear.
"Because I'm going to bleed you dry, down to your last coin."
. . .
【My Holy Arts are mainly contained in weapon techniques.】
After the concise explanation, my body moved. I followed Beatrice's movements.
【The weapon I mainly wielded was Brionac, but in truth, there was no weapon in the world I couldn't handle.】
"As expected of the Whore of Fire."
【Could you save the jokes for after we're done?】
Beatrice spoke seriously. Flames were burning in her eyes.
【Get serious, Zahard. If you want to learn, then act like someone who wants to learn.】
"Posture?"
Beatrice's body flew. She moved like lightning, tearing through the air ahead.
【Can you keep up?】
I followed immediately. But my steps tangled. I went rolling across the floor.
"...Of course."
This was on a completely different level from any weapon technique I'd learned so far.
Beatrice had been one of the people at the pinnacle of the Golden Age. A paladin who had fought Vagueness with a wounded body and still plunged that monster into centuries of sleep.
Even by level alone, she was clearly over 90. Considering that those called the strong in this era were around 70, it was an absurd level.
The higher the level, the wider the gap. The difference between 80 and 90 was incomparably greater than the difference between 1 and 10.
【You can give up if it's too hard.】
This was a martial art that a level 90 character could execute effortlessly.
Someone around 50 obviously couldn't follow along casually. Its subtleties weren't shallow enough to grasp in one go, either.
But that didn't mean it was completely impossible.
I moved my body. I walked. I pushed myself up again and gripped the spear.
Thrust, fly, stab.
I repeated those three things. Repeated them endlessly. Beatrice's sharp commands continued.
【Step more precisely! Precisely enough to leave clear footprints on the ground!】
I drove my foot down. I wrapped my whole body in Sacred Power.
I compensated for my lacking stats with Sacred Power. My foot slammed down.
I extended the spear.
BANG!
I could feel the air being pushed away in all directions against my hands. But this still wasn't enough. Just imitating the movements was draining an enormous amount of stamina.
It reminded me of that time—when I had pushed my body to its limit inside Vagueness.
Muscles that couldn't keep up tore. Flesh ripped from the inside, and skin split in every direction.
I hastily activated Healing. To think the recoil alone would do this much.
As expected of a high-rank skill.
【Tired?】
"No way."
It was hard.
Which was exactly why I smiled.
"I'm having fun, actually."
A skill of such high grade that learning it in one go was nearly impossible.
But that was exactly why it was fun. There was a skill right in front of me that I could obtain if I scrabbled for it, and I was supposed to skip it because it was hard?
That's not the attitude of a player!
"Let's keep going."
I gripped the spear. The night was fading. Dawn arrived, and dim light wrapped around the windows.
Sweat streaming from my whole body filled the floor. I drew a breath.
I was standing.
Still standing.
. . .
Beatrice clicked her tongue. Something absurd was unfolding before her eyes.
A priest. A person who had just become a priest, at that. She had thought his talent and power were so different from everyone else's as to be far removed from them, but this crossed a line.
Astounding learning speed.
Teach him one thing, and he knows two. Teach him two, and he catches up to ten.
The thrusting spear was more stable than before. Beatrice's voice trembled without her realizing it.
【F-faster, a little faster!】
He danced. The spear's edge cut even the scattering sweat. A spinning body. A foot descending.
The split air let out a sharp sound. Without meaning to, Beatrice found herself unable to take her eyes off the spearpoint.
Still clumsy.
Still pathetic.
But why.
This strange feeling that he'd catch up soon?
Something filled Beatrice's heart. Watching the faint dawn light and Zahard pressing forward, something welled up from deep inside her.
It was clearly hard. His effort was visible. Muscles were rupturing and flesh was tearing as he tried to follow postures he couldn't yet match. He was healing it with Sacred Power and desperately enduring.
Why?
It must hurt. So why was he enduring?
【...Ah.】
Suddenly, Beatrice felt a gaze watching from beyond the training ground door. Austin.
A pitiful apprentice paladin with no talent.
Beatrice flinched in surprise. Her body trembled.
C-could it be...
To teach them the path forward? To show them with his own body not to give up?
【Th-that can't be. You're a hopeless, worthless person. On top of that, a heretic with the Serpent's Sacred Power... that... that kind of thing, surely...】
「Show them with actions, not words, Beatrice.」
Beatrice flinched. An old memory surfaced. Her predecessor. The words of the previous Saintess of Fire, who had kindly taught her when she became a Day Priestess.
【Not with lip service... with actions...】
He was a man who often spouted frivolous words.
She'd assumed his nature was the same.
But... looking back, wasn't it strange?
Why would a man like that help orphans?
How did a man like that build such a reputation?
His words were light, so how did they carry such weight?
Question after question. Beatrice wandered in search of the answers.
The spear moved, and the empty air exploded. First form. His disheveled hair scattered droplets of sweat.
"...First stage."
Beatrice stole a glance at him without realizing it. The sweat-soaked boy was beautiful. He was smiling more brightly than any smile he'd ever shown.
"This is right, isn't it? Beatrice."
Flinch.
Beatrice nodded without meaning to. The next moment, she hastily corrected herself.
【N-no, it's still lacking! Practice it once more!】
"So picky."
No.
This isn't it.
Surely... surely... I didn't take an interest in such a frivolous man...
That's ridiculous! This is just... this is...
Curiosity!
That's all it is!
. . .
Time passed. Austin kept watching him from beyond the dawn training ground door.
For a week now. He had come out to the training grounds without missing a single day. From late at night until early dawn, he never once let go of his spear.
Beautiful. Wondrous.
Austin found within him the ideal image of himself he had been searching for. The fervor boiling in his heart pulled him along of its own accord.
He opened the door. For the first time in a week, he stood squarely before him.
"...Austin?"
The spear stopped.
Austin asked.
"Zahard. May I stand at your side?"
He didn't know why. He simply asked, saying whatever his heart told him to.
His voice trembled. But instead, he gripped his spear harder.
He wanted to become strong.
He wanted to show something to the people who mocked him.
"Even someone like me... may stand at your side?"
Zahard was looking at him. A falling drop of sweat hit the floor. The gaze that had been staring blankly turned away.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"......"
"You already made up your mind, didn't you? That's why you came all the way to me."
The spear was leveled. Unlike before, it didn't move violently; it settled quietly.
"Austin."
Zahard spoke. He grinned.
"Can you keep up?"
".....!"
Austin gripped his spear tightly. No. It's impossible. He clearly couldn't follow that back.
If he took one step forward, that person would take two. He'd spend his whole life chasing from behind.
But.
But even so.
"...I'll follow."
Even if it's just a handful of that shining flame!
"Don't fall behind."
"Yes!"
Austin gripped his spear.
He no longer hesitated.
. . .
One more person joined the dawn training ground. I didn't mind. I'd planned to teach Austin after learning everything from Beatrice anyway.
But how long had he been standing there?
Setting the question aside, I swung my spear. Proficiency was gradually building. It felt close, as if I'd grasp it before long.
Cut, thrust, and withdraw.
Deflect, then knock aside and spin.
Spiral Spear.
The coiling fire Sacred Power was sucked in like a whirlpool.
【What the hell?!】
Beatrice was appalled.
【You've already built the foundation?! Th-that's impossible! That's way too fast! D-do you know how I made this?!】
"I've been telling you all along."
I swung the flame-wreathed spear. The training ground wall, reinforced with Holy Arts, warped entirely.
BOOM!!
Amid the flames, I straightened my body.
[You have tasted the essence of fire.]
[You have partially grasped Beatrice's secret spear art.]
[You have acquired 'Light-Devouring Fire - Luin (A)'.]
"I'm a genius, you know?"