Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Lilia
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
My apologies, I was preparing for the upcoming battle scene so this one is shorter.
Chapter 20 – Preparing For the Day of Direct Confrontation
I made a clear promise with the madam of the SwordX family to decide who would be more suitable to raise Erin.
As for the method… It would be decided at a later date.
I would visit the main family of SwordX.
I would ride into the enemy stronghold and return home, dignified and victorious, like a true hero.
With that, I would earn the right to raise Erin.
Although I ended up boldly declaring that without consulting Erin at all, I think it will be fine.
That madam said, [“I will send a letter to Erin herself tomorrow. She will request to withdraw on her own.”]
The way she said it was as if the SwordX family had the power to seriously interfere with Erin’s decision making abilities.
To put it simply, I think they raised their children in a way that they wouldn’t rebel too much.
I did remember that in the sequel’s scenario, they mostly allowed Erin to do as she liked, and she felt like she was left alone because she didn’t matter to the family. Her running away to adventure school was because of a sense of abandonment, and not because of a quarrel.
It felt like an unbalanced system that imposed strict demands on disciples, yet was tolerant of dropouts… but well, it was also a terrible system that would make sure competent people were unable to escape.
But if they did it this way, the moment they let go of someone who was actually competent, the system would become meaningless.
Even in the game, their traditional system felt pointless since they couldn’t see Erin’s talent…… they seemed astonished when they found out.
But in the game version, Erin was more like a talented yet whimsical person, so she was treated like a failure.
It was almost like a plot hole. I guess they never thought she truly possessed the world’s highest level of talent.
“Excuse me.”
The madam spoke with a stiff voice and the carriage carrying her gradually became smaller as it disappeared into the distance.
The only ones left there were me and the smiling Zanba.
“Is it okay? She left ahead of you.”
“Well, I can just catch up with her later.”
Aah… I guess he was right.
“So does that mean you still have something to talk about?”
“Yes.”
He looked at me without breaking his smile.
Seeing his expression──I clicked my tongue and looked up at the sky.
It was definitely the expression used to force a troublesome matter.
◇
After making arrangements regarding Erin, now I had to raise her properly.
Since then, I was making her swing [Vertical Flash Slash!] at me for several days.
“That’s the thirtieth time, Erin, let’s take a break.”
“Haah, haah… O-oka~y…”
After blocking her last blow, I declared a break.
It felt like her accuracy was gradually improving. She was becoming less easy to predict as well.
I think that was good progress being made.
“Ah, Erin.”
“Hm?”
“About your elder brothers… I mean, the first and second sons of the family, have you ever met them?”
When I asked her, Erin let her gaze wander as she was lost in thought.
“U-u~hn…… I sometimes saw them from afar, I guess. But I never talked to them.”
“I see.”
I guess it was like the original scenario then.
The reason the eldest and second son didn’t show themselves was because they weren’t interested.
They truly believe that they were THE SwordX and everything of that name had value because of them.
That was convenient for this time.
What if the decision was made by measuring one’s ability through direct combat?
No matter how quickly Erin mowed down the teaching unit, both the first and second son wouldn’t get involved.
In fact, they would even say the teaching unit was at fault since they lost.
In fact, both the eldest and second son of the SwordX family only appeared briefly in the main story of the sequel.
Although we players knew that these two were the greatest swordsmen representing Tail Kingdom, we never got to see their abilities.
It was because… after their bodies were taken over by monsters, they were killed by Zanba.
In the end, the SwordX family was almost completely destroyed, and it was up to Erin to do her best to rebuild it.
“Ah, but both of them rarely come home and are currently in other nations…”
“Aah, I guess they won’t show their faces this time.”
In response to my words, Erin tilted her head in confusion.
“……Teach’ is, well, you are going to accompany me for that, right?”
The main SwordX family had told me to bring Erin along.
So I also told Erin that if she won the match, I would become her guardian.
“Are you going… to fight those people?”
“I wonder about that. They will decide the method of competition, after all.”
“W-we won’t lose, right?”
Erin looked at me anxiously.
Perhaps because of the training and treatment she received from a young age, she was under the impression that her elder brothers were extremely competent in comparison to her.
I smiled to dispel her anxiety.
“Aah, I will wrnn.”
I bit my tongue.
“…………”
“…………”
Erin clapped her hands over her mouth, silently stepped back, and Sharon stepped up to replace her.
Sharon, who took over Erin’s place, switched her assault spear into bombardment mode and took a deep breath.
“Sensei, I’m going to shred your defense magic to pieces today!”
“Yea… I’m just an insect who can’t even be comforting to my students… I deserve to be shredded into pieces…”
“……Why is your pride already shredded into pieces when I haven’t done anything yet?”
Sharon tilted her head curiously.
Normal humans have off-days like this. I guess that could be next week’s lesson?
◇
Then came the day of direct confrontation.
“The method is simple. All you have to do is to prove how strong that child has become under your teaching.”
I wasn’t the one who would be fighting.
It would be Erin, who gripped her long sword with a trembling hand and stood pale-faced like a corpse with her teeth chattering.
More than a dozen SwordX teaching units were lined up in front of her.
“If she can defeat them on her own, then you must be as excellent of a teacher as you claim to be.”
The madam of the family sat on the upper row of the spectator seats. She looked down at me and her lips rose up in a smug smile.
……There were many things I wanted to say, but I just told her one thing.
“Um, madam.”
“What is it?”
“Erin managed to hit me with [Vertical Flash Slash!] just yesterday.”
“Haah…?”
The opening gunshot rang out.
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