Ch.225Chapter 225 – Special Training (1)

The very next morning after calling Lorona and relaying the team’s requests to her.

Beatrice and I were out in an open space near our lodgings, which served as a training ground.

“I wonder if everyone will be alright.”

“They’ll be fine. If anything happens outside, I’ll be notified immediately.”

Beatrice said, showing me a round disc-like object.

“If Rubrum or Lorona make any suspicious moves, we can stop immediately and rush over, so don’t worry.”

“I’ve also set up surveillance barriers,” Beatrice added casually.

“They’re weaker than usual since we’re dealing with a dragon, but they’re better than nothing.”

“So, you just need to focus on what you asked for.”

What I had asked for.

She was referring to my request for her to help me become stronger.

I nodded slightly, and Beatrice took off her hat and reached inside it.

After rummaging around for a moment…

She began pulling out a long rope.

“…Have you been carrying that in your hat the whole time?”

“This hat may not look like much, but it contains a magically created space inside. Similar principle to the carriage we ride in. By the way, it’s extremely expensive.”

Beatrice explained with a confident smile, as if showing off her hat.

After pulling out the long rope, Beatrice arranged it in a circle around me.

“So, what’s this rope for?”

“It’s a kind of illusion barrier. Togu.”

Beatrice explained with a fierce smile.

“Seeing is believing. Close your eyes and sit comfortably. You can lie down if you want.”

“Alright.”

Following Beatrice’s instructions, I lay down.

I had considered sitting, but if lying down was an option, that seemed better.

“You’re actually lying down.”

“Humans are creatures that prefer to lie down first. What’s next?”

“…Inside that circle, think about your opponent.”

Beatrice said quietly.

“Opponent?”

“The strong ones you’ve seen. The ones you want to defeat.”

Hearing Beatrice’s words, I quietly thought of an opponent.

The first one that came to mind was, of course, him.

“Before we start, let me tell you something. If you feel magic seeping into you, don’t resist it.”

“Why?”

“You need to be under the spell, but knowing you, I think you might successfully resist it. I’m telling you not to resist so it doesn’t fail. I’ll start now.”

Right after I heard Beatrice’s voice,

As she said, magic began to seep into my body.

‘…She said not to resist.’

Even though it felt slightly unpleasant and uncomfortable, I endured it and remained still. Soon, I could feel the magic covering my entire body.

‘…I’m getting sleepy.’

Gradually, my consciousness began to fade.

Feeling like I was about to lose my grip on consciousness, I deliberately didn’t resist the drowsiness and remained still.

And a moment later.

A pitch-black space appeared, and burning trees began to materialize around me.

“What the?”

As I was startled by the suddenly changed scenery, I felt a killing intent from behind.

I quickly rolled on the ground and got up.

When I saw the source of the killing intent, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“…Is this for real?”

I certainly had thought about him, but I didn’t expect him to actually appear.

The powerful figure that appeared before me.

The being I had wanted to defeat.

“This is crazy.”

I muttered involuntarily as I saw the Demon Lord I had fought in Albheim.

The Demon Lord suddenly kicked off the ground and began to launch a kick at me. I quickly crossed my arms to block the attack.

As a result, I was sent flying backward and had to roll on the ground several times, but I managed to block it somehow.

‘That’s heavy.’

My arms were tingling, incomparably more than when I fought Lorona.

But before I could calm that shock, the Demon Lord was already drawing his sword.

As the Demon Lord began to swing his sword, I quickly drew the sword at my waist to receive it, but…

-Clang!

‘Damn it!’

With just two attacks, my sword began to fly through the air.

Having lost my weapon, the Demon Lord’s sword began to pierce my body.

A moment later, I was split in half.

+

“Huh…?”

Unpleasant sweat was running down my head.

I realized the scenery had changed again after the Demon Lord’s sword had cut my body in half.

“…This is.”

“Looks like you were taken down instantly by your opponent.”

After saying that, Beatrice looked down at me and smiled.

“To die so quickly. How pathetic, isn’t it?”

“Shut up.”

Although I complained to her for mocking me, she was right.

Back then, I was able to respond because I was wearing the dragon armor. Without the armor, I couldn’t even put up a proper fight and was defeated easily, so her assessment wasn’t wrong.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, I got up.

“Ouch?”

A sharp pain shot through my body.

My arms were very sore, and I felt a slight heat along the path where the Demon Lord’s sword had cut through my body.

And as if I had just exercised at full strength, all the muscles in my body began to tingle slightly.

“What is this?”

“It’s an illusion that deeply penetrates the subject’s mind.”

Beatrice explained with a smile.

“Togu, have you heard of such cases? Like someone who burned their hand in hot water, then put it in cold water and still got a burn? Or cases of people freezing to death in places that aren’t actually cold?”

“I think I get it.”

I seemed to vaguely remember hearing about such things in my past memories.

I wonder if similar cases have been observed here too?

“After collecting such cases, magicians concluded after research that the mind has a greater effect on the body than previously thought.”

“So this magic is an application of that?”

“That’s right.”

Beatrice said with a smile.

“The point is this: it deeply interferes with your mind, making your mind recreate a fight with a strong opponent you remember.”

“And that feedback is directly applied to my body, right?”

“Exactly. You understand surprisingly well?”

Beatrice added that most people don’t believe her so readily.

“So it’s simple, Togu. You’ll fight the strong ones you remember in your mind. And regardless of whether you win or lose, you’ll accumulate that experience in your body.”

Beatrice declared lightly.

“Well, this is a more complicated spell than it looks. It has spatial constraints, so to actually cast the spell, you need a closed yet spacious area… Anyway, since it puts a lot of strain on the body, there’s a limit to how many times you can do it in a day.”

“Roughly how many times?”

“Maximum 10 times?”

Beatrice said, pointing to herself.

“I’ve experimented on myself, so that should be about right.”

“…Why did you experiment?”

“Obviously because I wanted to become stronger.”

It seemed this magic was created by Beatrice through trial and error to train herself.

“I never imagined I’d end up using it on someone else though.”

“Isn’t this a widely used training method in the magic tower?”

“Would those magic tower folks bother to get stronger this way? They’d rather read one more line in a book.”

Beatrice answered lightly.

“To put it simply, this is my original magic, okay? For now, only Asam and I know how to use it.”

“Asam too?”

“Yes. I taught her because she needed to assist me.”

After that, she also helped improve this magic, Beatrice said.

“Still, impressive, right?”

“Yeah.”

My body definitely hurt as if I had actually been moving until just now.

It felt like what happened in my mind had been applied to my body to some extent.

“But if that’s the case, wouldn’t the opponent’s strength be arbitrary depending on my memory?”

People’s memories constantly change in perspective and thought.

Something might seem incredibly strong at one point, but upon reflection today, it might seem not so impressive.

Fortunately, Beatrice seemed to understand this point and nodded as she spoke.

“That’s why before activating the magic, I have you think about the opponent, and there’s also a spell to reduce the discrepancy with their actual strength… but that explanation would be too long, so I’ll skip it.”

Beatrice cleared her throat slightly and said:

“It may not be perfect, but they’ll appear at a strength level similar to what you know. I can guarantee that.”

“I understand.”

There was no reason not to believe her after she explained it like that.

However, if what she said was true…

‘So even the Demon Lord only appears at the level I know.’

Considering that the Demon Lord I met in Albheim was definitely not in normal condition, I should acknowledge there are limitations.

Still, it seems like it will be quite helpful.

“Then right away…”

“Ah, once it’s activated, you need to rest for 20 minutes.”

Beatrice stopped me, saying, “I told you it puts a tremendous burden on the body, didn’t I?”

“Be patient even if you feel time is being wasted. It’s a minimum safety measure.”

“Understood.”

Still, I wondered if this was too much of a waste of time.

Since I’m forced to take a break, it would be good to find something I can do during that time.

But I couldn’t think of anything immediately.

‘…Maybe I’ll select the strong ones to recall.’

For now, Rudger and Yuto, the Demon Lord and Rubrum…

Since the targets are only opponents I’ve fought, the Dragon Slayer from the Emiris Order would be impossible, but there were quite a few strong ones I could recall.

‘Wait.’

As I was thinking about the strong ones, I remembered when I fought Rubrum.

Perhaps because it was so recent, a scene I had clearly seen came to mind.

‘…Is that possible too?’

I remembered how Rubrum’s gauntlet had transformed into a whip-like form during the fight.

Since Rubrum did it, I thought I might be able to do it too…

“Beatrice. There’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

I sat up and looked at Beatrice.

Then I told her what I had just thought of.

After thinking for a moment with her hand on her chin, Beatrice soon answered.

“…It should be possible.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The dragon armor you wear is formed from the dragon’s magic power you possess.”

Beatrice said quietly.

“If you can intentionally control the flow as you wish, what you just mentioned might be possible. Of course, you’ll have to make the actual adjustments yourself.”

At Beatrice’s words, the corners of my mouth quietly turned up.

“I see.”

If that’s the case, there’s only one answer.

“Beatrice.”

“…Alright. I’ll help you.”

Beatrice looked at me.

“Because it’s you.”

She said quietly as she searched for a cigarette and put it in her mouth.

+

A few hours after Kei and Beatrice entered the training ground.

The sounds of explosions and clashing weapons began to be heard from inside.

“I thought they were just using magic, but are they sparring too?”

“From the sound of it, it seems so.”

Asam and Mask, who were standing right near the training ground, exchanged some casual conversation.

Their meeting nearby was purely coincidental.

“I’d like to spar too sometime.”

“Do it when you have time. By the way, who’s keeping watch now?”

“The nun and the silver-haired lady.”

Mask answered promptly.

And Asam asked with a slightly indifferent face.

“How effective is it for humans to keep watch inside a dragon’s lair?”

“Better than not having anyone, I suppose.”

Mask replied simply.

“It’s not meaningless if it allows for the quickest possible response when creatures like Lorona try to pull something strange.”

“I guess so.”

I think it won’t be of much use.

But since Asam didn’t want to debate on that topic, she ended the conversation with a light response.

“By the way, that mask, why do you wear it? For style?”

“Not really, it’s not like I have some romantic notion about wearing a mask.”

Mask said, seemingly embarrassed.

“Actually, I think there might be some trackers after me.”

“Debt collectors?”

“Not at all. Despite appearances, I’m the type to pay back borrowed money promptly.”

Mask replied lightly.

“Those trackers probably don’t know exactly who I am either. I just wear it just in case it might be helpful.”

“…You’re not wearing it because you think it looks cool, right?”

“I’m not.”

At Mask’s response, Asam’s eyes narrowed slightly.

There seems to be a story behind it, but contrary to the explanation, it really does seem like it’s worn for style.

“Come to think of it, you’re half-demon, right?”

“What?”

“Nothing, just something that came to mind. Nothing bad.”

Asam covered it up, but actually, a thought had just occurred to her.

If Mask is half-demon, they probably live longer than ordinary humans.

So, like Lorona, despite Mask’s youthful appearance, there’s a high possibility that they’re actually quite old.

And Asam, who was about to mention this fact without thinking, fortunately managed to avoid saying it out loud.

“Well, since I’ve lived longer than I look, my mask taste might be a bit old-fashioned.”

“Can you read minds or something?”

At Asam’s words, Mask just shrugged.

And just as she was about to make a joke, two people were walking from the corridor.

“So here you are.”

“The guild leader and the nun.”

At Asam’s words, Eve and Chris nodded lightly.

Asam thought they were probably taking a look around after keeping watch…

Soon she noticed that Chris was carrying something in her arms.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, Sera gave these out. She said she’s going to make all new healing potions this time, since the old ones have been around for a while.”

She probably could have kept them longer, but there’s a limit to how much she can carry around, so she’s disposing of the stock.

“Here you go, Mask.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes.”

Chris smiled and laid out those healing potions in front of Mask.

Seeing this, Mask scratched the back of her head, seemingly embarrassed.

“I appreciate it if you’re giving them to me… but why?”

“Because you need them.”

Chris’s eyes became a bit serious.

“Mask, please be honest. Your physical condition isn’t normal right now, is it?”

Mask didn’t answer immediately.

Though the mask hid her eyes, Asam thought she was probably narrowing them slightly.

Soon she quietly opened her mouth.

“…That’s true, but don’t worry. There’s no problem with using a sword…”

“I think there is.”

Chris spoke quietly and then extended her arm to Mask’s stomach.

And then she pressed firmly.

“Kup?! *cough*!!”

Mask immediately started coughing, and at the same time, a small amount of black blood came out.

Mask, slightly flustered, quickly said:

“…No, this is…”

“I had a feeling when I first saw you.”

Chris said, narrowing her eyes.

“The feeling of a severely injured patient trying with all their might to pretend they’re fine.”

“…You can sense that?”

“Because I’m a nun. I can’t help but notice people who are forcing themselves to endure.”

So, Chris quietly pointed to the medicines.

“I’ve heard all about how to take them from Sera. Please continue taking them while you’re with us. That’s how you’ll recover faster.”

“Understood.”

“And later, come to me for an examination. When I touched you earlier, it felt like your illness has progressed quite deeply.”

“…Understood.”

Mask answered, seeming a bit pressured by Chris’s words.

And with perfect timing, a slightly louder explosion sounded from inside, and Chris quietly said:

“…They’re working hard.”

“Kei too. He probably wants to become stronger.”

After saying that, Eve was lost in thought for a moment.

Soon she looked at Asam.

“Miss Asam.”

“Do you have business with me?”

“Yes.”

At Eve’s answer, Asam smiled brightly.

“If it’s from my sponsor, what can I do for you?”

“About that.”

Eve’s mouth opened quietly.

After hearing those words.

Asam pressed her hat down a bit deeper, looking troubled.

“Well, I think I’ll need to find a way to sneak out, so I might not have time…”

“Please, I’m asking you.”

Eve bowed her head as she spoke.

Seeing this, Asam’s eyes widened slightly.

Soon, sighing, she said:

“I’ll warn you in advance that I can’t do it exactly the same as what they’re doing over there.”

“That’s enough.”

Eve answered with a bright smile.