Stranger's Handbook

Chapter 39: Sparring at the Training Ground

“I’ll accept your apology, however you should hurry to the side.”

The commanding officer did what my master told him to, and ran to the side.

The other soldiers followed his example and kept their distance.

It was only natural, since I was already enhancing my entire body with magical power, preparing for battle.

The ‘thrown away’ armored guy was the only one approaching me.

He’s either stupid or thickheaded….Or is it that he’s surprisingly strong?

If so, let’s just test how strong he is?….

“Come now, Lord Zest, draw your sword! And fight me prop-tpgjamg”

The thrown away armor guy tumbled down, spouting nonsense.

Oh yeah, since this armored guy got thrown away by the spirit, I’ll just call him ‘thrown away armor guy’.

“Zest, there must be something wrong with you for hitting him before he could finish his speech…”

Murmured my master, smiling bitterly towards me.

“I’m sorry. I thought he was strong so I just wanted to test him….”

“Right, and your attack was foolishly honest, coming from the front. It was his fault for not dodging it.”

“Yeah, I agree, father.”

The soldiers were following our conversation, all of them dumbfounded.

Was it the first time they saw how people from the Frontier Count’s Household train? What you just saw, I’m seeing it every day, you know?

The thrown away armor guy went flying again then tumbled down to the ground. I approached him and started to treat his wounds.

“You idiot, why didn’t you dodge that? Once you stand in front of your enemy, the battle has already started, don’t be distracted! I fixed you up with healing magic, so, stand up!”

I told him and moved away a bit, and the thrown away armor guy started to rise to his feet, in a clumsy manner.

“Good. Unpreparedness is one’s greatest enemy, got it? Well now, you’ll better dodge it this time.”

Just like before, I enhanced myself with magical power and knocked him off his feet. A frontal attack again.

Oh! He flew more this time. And I was just starting to warm up.

I approached him quickly and started to apply healing magic.

“Good, you’re fine now. Let’s continue….Stand!”

The thrown away armor guy was unsteadily trying to stand up.

Ooh! You do have guts, don’t you?

I don’t dislike it.

“Gah, you are so powerful. I never im-rd6vaj.jmtad”

The armor guy was collapsing to the ground, his mouth making strange noises.

This time I caught hold of his shoulder and hit him in the stomach, therefore he wasn’t sent flying like before.

Walking to him each and every time is too bothersome, so I changed my method.

“As I was saying, move your body rather than your mouth, you idiot!”

I healed him and for once, the armor guy stood up and readied his stance.

“Good. It seems you CAN do it if you try. Come now, I’ll let you attack me this time.”

Without saying a word, he attacked me with his sword.

A clean cut from above….His aim is my left shoulder, it seems.

I rushed towards his left side, countered the hand in which he had his sword with a side swing of my right arm, and changed its direction.

The armor guy was sent back a little, his body feeling heavy, but I jumped to his back and kicked him.

“What the hell was that? Observe your enemy closely. You’re fighting someone who, despite being unarmed, is looking pretty confident. Suspect them of being able to use martial arts! If you do that, you won’t get beaten into a pulp like this.”

I healed him and sent him flying.

I healed him again and slammed him into the ground.

All the other soldiers were watching dumbfounded.

They were watching the training, trying to imprint this fight into their memories and never forget it.

“As I was saying, when you stab at me, you have to quickly retire right after that!”

“You give in after you’ve lost a leg? Does a war have rules, you idiot?”

“Is that armor just a decoration? Hit me with it. Use anything you can and keep on fighting!”

“Ha? Is your sword broken? So what? They’re plenty of other men holding swords to the side, go steal one.”

I gave him some guidance, and he was polishing his movements gradually.

Really now, my guidance is several tens of times nicer than my master’s.

I’ll have you improve yourself a little faster.

“Whoa! The armored guy started to dodge.”

“Leaving that aside, he keeps on attacking even after he got beaten up to such an extent…He has guts.”

“Yeah, some awesome guts.”

“Still, the black clothed guy from the Frontier Count’s Army sure is a monster.”

“ “ “It’s the Frontier Count’s Army after all……” “ “

……Such harsh words.

If I’m a monster, then what are my master and my foster father?

Even now, I still can’t win against any of those two.

He improved a bit, so maybe I should stop.

He turned out to be a great target for my outburst; I also feel somewhat refreshed.

“All right, we’ll stop here. The training has ended. You did your best though and improved considerably. Since you were improving very fast, I got excited and ended up using more power than I actually wanted to….Are you ok?”

After all I did, coming with excuses now is kind of cruel.

However, the soldiers watching all this were so moved that some of them started crying.

I managed to deceive them.

The thrown away armor guy was looking at me, his body trembling.

Is he all right? Did I overdo it…..?

I have no idea who he is, but if the armor guy is a noble and he ends up broken apart at my hand, it might turn into something ugly.

I was worried, so I went to check him up, but he started talking, with some difficulties, to be precise.

“Lord Zest…..I……..I……”

Ah! It seems I’ve broken him…..

I looked at my master and he sent me back the ‘you did it this time’ look.

Master? My guidance was way nicer than yours, right?

You were even more severe, remember?

Master was coming closer to me and I asked him in a low voice.

“Master…..Did I really break him?”

“Zest, no one will break this easily from what you did.”

Master, don’t say such scary words…..

This was no big deal for you? Well, knowing you, you would’ve pushed it even further…..

“However, he’s acting strangely….Should we go back?”

“What should we do….Maybe if you fight him one more time, he’ll be fixed…..Hahaha”

…..Master, as I thought, you never show mercy. Too scary!

He might have felt that his body was yet again in danger, so the armor guy rebooted himself.

Oh, good, I feel relieved! Don’t die, armor guy, hang in there!

My rooting seemed to have reached him and he started to talk.

“Being able to fight such a strong person….No, all I received from you was guidance, and for that I am very grateful. Lord Zest….how can I return this favor?”

You sure hit the wrong spot.

For some reason, the words of gratitude this armor guy uttered disturbed even my master.

“Zest, maybe you DID break him….What should we do?”

“Master, this is starting to freak me out too. Should we leave him alone?”

The two of us were troubled about which was the right way to deal with our broken toy, but the armor guy didn’t seem to perceive it like this.

“Damn it! I still haven’t introduced myself. Sorry about that.”

He started to take off his armor.

Well, maybe it’d be better to let him do what he wants…..

Shut…..Or I could put the blame on someone else and go back home.

But who and how?….

We should do this, we should do that….Master and I were discussing the matter when the armor guy finished taking his armor off.

He saluted for the first time.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Cain, a mercenary who likes to wander from place to place. Nice to meet ya’!”

“A….mercenary? …..Not a noble?”

I asked in a cracking voice.

“Ha? I am a commoner. Is that a problem?”

“A…trespasser! Arrest him!!”

The commanding officer and the other soldiers beat him senseless and took him away…..

What the hell was that idiot trying to do?……