Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

『Sir Garcia.』
『……?!』

The voice that echoed in his mind made Sir Garcia suddenly widen his eyes and look back at Christian.

『Your presence has completely faltered. Are you trying to alert the monsters that we’re here?』
『Ah, no, young master Christian. How on earth did you use Sound transmission…?』

Sound transmission involved utilizing mana waves to create subtle vibrations to convey one’s voice to another.

It was a type of applied skill, but a very difficult one to master. Even knights with strong mana struggled to use Sound transmission effectively.

Sir Garcia’s astonishment at Christian’s adept use of Sound transmission was understandable.

‘Why is he like that?’

Unaware of this, Aira simply found it odd that Sir Garcia, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped and looked back with a surprised expression.

But upon realizing Garcia’s gaze was fixed on Christian, she dismissed it thinking, ‘He’s probably up to something strange again.’

『I have a favor to ask.』
『A favor?』

Fortunately, Sir Garcia regained his composure as he resumed walking forward and responded to Christian’s query.

『Please approach the monster hunt with a bit more leisure.』
『What do you mean? Isn’t our goal to deal with it as quickly as possible?』
『Of course. But we can’t miss this great opportunity, right?』
『A great opportunity?』
『Are you really asking because you don’t know? We need to allow Aira to gain practical experience.』
『Huh, young master. Didn’t I clearly tell you that it’s not allowed?』

Only then did Sir Garcia understand the meaning behind Christian’s words and sighed. While he respected Christian’s intentions, he found the suggestion perilous.

『The hunt will proceed as planned. You and Masaya should stay back.』
『Of course, if Aira faces danger, I will step in, but with Masaya here, Sir Garcia’s concerns are unwarranted.』

Christian’s abilities had already been assessed. Despite the lack of overwhelming mana quantity and strength, his pure swordsmanship skills were far beyond his age group.

Moreover, alongside him was Masaya Rio, the deputy manager of the Rangar branch of the Logia Magic Tower. There was no situation where they would face danger even with a few monsters approaching.

『Granted, but young master, there is no absolute certainty in battle. Should an unforeseen threat arise…』
『This is a great opportunity. As Aira’s mentor, aren’t you curious about how much she has grown?』

Today, when they confirmed Aira utilizing not only a mana reservoir but also body activation, Sir Garcia was thoroughly impressed.

Given that he had instructed Aira over time, curiosity about her current growth was natural.

Objectively, this was too good an opportunity. Yet, Garcia hesitated because it was only a good opportunity for Aira.

『But young master, why do you wish to give the lady this opportunity? Is it perhaps…』

Sir Garcia could not finish his sentence, but Christian discerned his concern and shook his head to alleviate his worries.

『Sir Garcia, I am not foolish. Any competition should be among equals, right? Aira is currently not a match for me.』
『Hmm…』
『If Aira grows through this practical experience, it will all be thanks to you, Sir Garcia.』
『Hmm…』
『Aunt seems to trust and rely heavily on you, Sir Garcia…』

When Christian involved not only Aira but also Liana in the conversation, Garcia’s mind started racing.

‘Certainly, blatant schemes are impossible.’

Aira’s experience and the contributions in the monster hunt would positively influence her standing as a successor. This would undoubtedly delight Lady Liana, whom he served.

Moreover…

‘This would also be favorable for the Viscount.’

Concluding his thoughts, Sir Garcia quietly nodded in agreement.

『Very well. However, if I detect even the slightest hint of danger, I will unleash my full power immediately.』
『Yes. Don’t worry. Please inform Lady Melissa as well. The two of you should hold them off for just a little while longer. We’ll handle them by luring them away one by one.』

Christian surveyed the battlefield with satisfaction. Now he needed to lure in those hovering around and attach them to Aira one by one.

『It’s almost time for real combat. Are you ready?』

Aira, surprised by Christian’s sudden words, widened her eyes in astonishment.

But that quickly passed. After taking a deep breath to perfectly calm her nerves, Aira quietly nodded without a word.

『Alright, let’s go.』

“Hyah!”

Kieeek!

As Sir Garcia swung his sword wildly, the monster in contact with the blade got torn apart, screaming in agony.

The sheer force of grinding rather than cutting intimidated the monster to the point it staggered backward. Observing this, Christian frowned slightly and clicked his tongue.

“Don’t overdo it. At this rate, all their forces will flee.”

“Aren’t you just leisurely watching?!”

“Aira, this isn’t a time for distraction, right?”

“What?! You bastard!”

Startled by Christian’s words, Aira glanced beside her to find a werewolf with its mouth wide open, rushing toward her.

Smack!

Aira focused mana in her leg and kicked its head directly. As the impact dazed the werewolf, causing it to stagger, she swung her sword, severing its body and head.

“Haa, haa.”

Though she swiftly dispatched the werewolf, Aira was breathless. Dumping a large amount of power at once had momentarily overwhelmed her with mild mana exhaustion.

“Deal with it calmly rather than brutishly. You can certainly handle it.”

“This, this is all because of you!”

“Oh, here comes another one. Oh, it’s a Forest Orc this time? Be careful, it’s armed.”

“You’re intentionally luring them, aren’t you?!”

“Me? No way. I’m just standing here.”

When Aira yelled, Christian merely responded with a mischievous grin. She longed to punch the annoying Christian, but she had to first deal with the Forest Orc charging at her throat.

“If that’s not the case, how are these things getting past Sir Garcia and Dame Melissa to reach here?!”

Even though Aira had hidden her presence using mana concealment, she yelled at the Forest Orc who precisely targeted only her.

“Masaya, what do you think?”

Christian subtly asked Masaya, who was beside him, in response to Aira’s outburst. Yet, her answer differed from what he had anticipated.

“I only did what Young master Christian instructed.”

“See, I knew it! And why would you do such a thing on his orders…? Eeek!”

Aira yelled as she wielded her sword at the Forest Orc.

Her strength seemed to have diminished since earlier, with speed and precision lacking, permitting the Forest Orc to dodge her attack easily.

“Ugh?!”

Roar!

The Forest Orc aggressively swung its club, pressuring Aira. She quickly stepped back, seemingly startled. Observing her, Masaya commented to Christian.

“Aren’t you really going to help her?”

“She’ll be fine. If she properly uses her ability, she can crush an orc barehanded like dough.”

“… I’ll be avoiding any dish made by her then.”

Amidst her struggling, Aira caught her breath, calmly severing the Forest Orc’s club and, harnessing centrifugal force, spun around, concentrating mana into her punch, striking the Orc’s face directly.

As Masaya watched Aira’s crisp movements with interest, she inquired Christian again.

“Does handling one seem easy?”

“Hmm, she’s managing better than expected, but…”

“This time, I’ll lure two. Is that fine?”

“Are you finding this amusing?”

“Seeing her fight so well piques my interest.”

Before Christian could respond, Masaya snapped her fingers, immediately casting an illusion spell.

Using illusion magic on a wandering Owlbear, she made it imagine a human clutching its offspring maliciously laughing. Consequently, the furious Owlbear charged toward Aira, foaming at the mouth.

“What on earth did you just do?”

“It’s a battle, after all. Shouldn’t it feel real to some degree?”

Laughing innocently as if denying any wrongdoing, Christian wiped the sweat which had anxiously accrued on his forehead.

“No matter what, having two crazed Owlbears charge… even ordinary knights would panic…”

However, Aira only hesitated momentarily before adopting a ferocious smile, readying herself. She waited until the Owlbear approached within striking distance, enveloping her entire body with mana.

“Alright, come on. I’ll utterly demolish you.”

“Did you cast an illusion spell on Aira too?”

“Nope, she seems naturally this spirited.”

Although Aira had yet to grasp the essence of the ‘wave’, her combat sense rivaled that of any knight.

Despite the imposing size and ferocity of the owlbears, Aira remained calm, skillfully dodging their attacks while maneuvering them into overlapping paths.

Perhaps because monsters lacked the concept of teamwork, the owlbears collided, hindered each other’s movements, and became easier to deal with.

‘Not bad. This exceeds my expectations.’

Christian, who had assumed Aira would rely solely on brute strength, was impressed by her clever tactics.

However, while it had become easier to handle the situation, victory was not yet secured.

“Damn it!”

Aira’s sword failed to cut through the thick, tough hide of the owlbear and bounced back instead.

At the same time, another owlbear swung a forepaw at Aira. With her current level of attack power, Aira couldn’t deliver a ‘decisive blow’. The longer the fight dragged on, the more unfavorable it became for her.

“Hoo!”

To improve her chances, Aira swiftly redirected the mana she had concentrated in her upper body to her lower half.

Then, she launched herself off the ground, rolling away as the owlbear’s paw struck where she had just been, leaving a scar on the ground.

Having quickly moved several paces away, Aira steadied her breathing and prepared for the owlbears’ next move.

‘If only I had mastered the wave…’

She knew that with a wave-imbued sword, even that tough hide could be penetrated, allowing her to deal internal damage, if not cut through it entirely.

‘But this is a battle. Instead of fixating on what I can’t do, I must focus on what I can.’

Aira calmed herself, carefully assessing the battlefield. The enemies outnumbered her, and their tough hides neutralized most of her sword strikes lacking the wave’s power.

‘If the hide can’t be cut, then…’

Attacking recklessly would only tire her out first. As she concentrated on the owlbear’s movements, Christian’s words echoed in her mind.

-Is your body strong? Is the hide tough? Aim for the unprotected spots. Gouge the eyes, shove your sword into its mouth. Forget about appearances. Survival is what matters.

Christian had stated what knights would seldom utter aloud, as if it were the most natural thing.

‘Survival over appearances.’

Exploiting weaknesses wasn’t cowardly, but efficient. If you found the opponent’s weak spot, attack it without hesitation.

In fact, Christian attacked critical and vulnerable areas mercilessly, even during sparring matches, engraving such lessons into Aira’s body.

The thought of those terrifying sparring matches made Aira frown slightly.

‘All right, so where is the owlbear’s weak spot?’

As she pondered, one of the owlbears rushed forward, swinging its massive paw. The other, perhaps learning from the battle, was coiled tightly, ready to pounce depending on Aira’s reaction.

-Kreeeaaaargh!

Aira dodged the swinging paw and leaped as if to embrace the owlbear. The beast lunged forward to bite her, and Aira, seemingly waiting for this moment, thrust her sword directly.

“Haah!”

-CRUNCH!

“Kreaargh?!”

Her sword pierced through the roof of the owlbear’s mouth, reaching the brain before halting against the tough skull.

The massive creature toppled over with a thud, removing the shield that had obscured Aira’s form and protected her from the other owlbear’s attack.

Seeing its opportunity, the remaining owlbear charged viciously at Aira with a roar.

Aira planted her foot on the fallen owlbear’s chest, withdrew her sword from its skull, and turned to face the charging creature.

“Kraaa!”

In the instant she locked eyes with the owlbear, Aira thrust her sword into its eye without hesitation.

‘Too shallow!’

However, the sword failed to penetrate deeply. Hanging precariously from the sword embedded in the owlbear’s eye, Aira wanted to drive it deeper but was hindered as the owlbear thrashed about wildly in pain.

Falling meant death. Remembering this, Aira focused her mana into her arms to hold on.

“Young master, don’t you think it’s time to move?”

“Just a bit longer. Let’s watch a little more. But Masaya, don’t you feel something odd?”

“No, at this rate, the lady is going to be devoured!”

While Masaya watched anxiously, Christian’s gaze was directed skyward. The serene night sky glimmered with gentle moonlight, revealing nothing particularly unusual.

‘There’s nothing there, and yet?’

It was a peculiar night sky that exuded an inexplicable sense of unease.