It’s a Tragedy Up Close, But It’ll Be a Tragedy Even From Afar

What is a skin?

It was a thought that suddenly occurred to me while re-examining and rebuilding future plans after returning from the underwater kingdom.

‘This current appearance is the state of wearing a skin.’

Until now, I had been fighting while wearing a skin, in other words, in an outfit that clearly revealed my arms and legs.

In short, this means that if an enemy attacks, unless I block with my sword or dodge, my body will be hit directly.

Of course, I had basic defense so ordinary attacks wouldn’t even leave a scratch, but attacks from enemies on the level of the Demon King or Idea would inevitably leave wounds on my body.

And the ones I’ll be fighting from now on are probably around that level. So I needed a countermeasure, and that’s where I fell into thoughts about skins.

‘If I remove the skin, what I’m originally wearing is armor, so…’

As with all MMORPG games, the final equipment for the swordsman class is usually armor. And armor that gives the impression of being strong at first glance.

I too was originally wearing armor as I was wearing the final equipment, and I remembered it looked quite cool.

It’s just that I bought and equipped a skin because I liked the light look of cloth armor rather than metal armor.

But what I need now is armor that can cover my body.

And this was a problem that could be sufficiently solved with the armor I was originally wearing. The armor I was originally wearing was close to full plate armor that covered the entire body.

Then if I take off the skin and bring out the armor that my original avatar was wearing, I should be able to cover my bare arms and legs now.

Having thought that far, I immediately wanted to test it, so I put down the plan I was writing for a moment and took off the skin, and at the same time, I was able to obtain a valuable reward at the sacrifice of rolling Isolde on the floor with the strong wind that occurred.

‘If I take off the skin, armor covers my body.’

If I remove the cloth armor I’m wearing as a skin, the metal armor covering my original body is revealed.

And after discovering this, I was testing it the next day at lunchtime in my laboratory in the basement of the temple.

“Release.”

As I softly muttered while looking at my appearance, Aria’s appearance, displayed in the status window, the cloth armor covering my body disappeared and pitch-black armor wrapped around my body.

A strong wind rises at the same time.

As the distant desks and the beakers on them flew into the air and created dust clumps, I swung my sword to clear away the dust.

“Mu, please bring a mirror.”

“Yes, Mother.”

And I asked Mu, who was standing next to me, to create a large mirror in front of me.

Then my figure wearing pitch-black armor appeared in the mirror.

The armor with gold and red accents was worn tightly fitting my body, wrapping around my entire body, and on my head was a metal band in the form of a headband rather than a helmet, like Son Goku’s Jingou, encircling my forehead.

Aria’s characteristic reddish hair flowing down from under that headband.

Satisfied with the warrior’s aura that seemed to come out of a legend, I smiled contentedly and spun around, then stopped my feet and swung my sword down on my left arm with force.

“Hup!”

Kaang───!!

With a light shout, as I swung the sword down, the blade bounced off immediately upon hitting the gauntlet.

Considering that the sword slightly cut my arm when I was wearing the skin, I could see how big the difference was between my usual appearance and my current appearance.

“The difference between cloth armor and original armor is truly heaven and earth.”

I almost regret having fought wearing such a skin with weak defense until now.

Of course, compared to the cloth armor skin, there was a feeling of tightness as if the body was constricted, but not to the extent that it would interfere with combat. It might even give more tension and allow for better concentration in battle.

So I self-deprecated, thinking how good it would have been if I had been wearing this armor in fights until now, but regretting what had already passed wouldn’t change anything.

“It’s good that I know now at least. From now on, I must wear this armor essentially when facing strong enemies.”

Since even I would hesitate for a moment when changing into armor, it could be used to stun the enemy’s movements if possible.

I put aside my regretful feelings and muttered to myself while thinking about how to use the armor in the future, and Mu, who had been watching me from the side, approached.

“Mother looks cool in armor too.”

“Mu, you can probably change too. Why don’t you try it sometime later? I’ll help you.”

“Hee… Then I’ll ask for your help next time.”

Mu said that with a relaxed smile after hearing my words.

Since returning from the underwater kingdom, I had been treating her with sincere affection as my daughter every day, so Mu was showing a more relaxed appearance than ever.

Unfortunately, she only showed this appearance when alone with me, but I was satisfied that she had become this lively and smiled back at Mu.

However, this happy atmosphere was brief, as Mu slightly flicked her head as if she had remembered something and took out a small envelope from inside her robe.

“Come to think of it, Mother, a letter came from Dean Mira.”

“A letter?”

I received the letter from Mu, who nodded and handed it over.

The sealing wax was clean, as if it had never been opened. I neatly cut it off with my sword and then took out the letter inside.

“Let’s see…”

The contents inside appear as I unfold the letter.

Unexpectedly, there wasn’t much written on the letter. And to summarize the contents of the not-so-long letter in one line, it was simple.

“So she wants me to train the students even harder than usual to successfully complete the observational class?”

In fact, if you think about it, the success rate is thought to be only fifty-fifty, but it seems they thought we should also come on strong since the people coming to the observational class are those with strong personal power or authority.

Rather than training normally, showing them difficult training that can respond to such incidents is better since they’ve experienced such things.

Thinking about it, it was a plan that made perfect sense, and besides, Mira would know better about this, so it would be better to trust and follow her.

So I hummed a tune and put on a faint smile.

“It’s easy to train them hard.”

Since it’s simple to train them to the point of being sick of it, why don’t I consider the classes to be held at the academy with the goal of training them half to death while we’re at it?

I entered the temple, still humming a tune with happy thoughts after a long time.

---

The outskirts of the Puhara Kingdom. The road entering through the castle walls.

In an antique wooden carriage running on that road, a woman frowned while looking outside.

No, to describe her more accurately, it would be an elven woman with long ears.

“To think Riana is attending an academy in a place like this… It’s truly unpleasant even thinking about it now. And to think such unsavory incidents would occur one after another.”

And the woman who was muttering like that while frowning inside the carriage touched her face while recalling her lovely daughter in her mind.

She had barely sent her to the academy while enduring her disgust towards humans, yet they say dangerous incidents involving demons occurred twice. How could a mother not be worried?

Therefore, the woman who initiated and held this observational class and traveled for three days on a long journey, the Queen of the Elves, Rimia Sel Moonsgard, observed the sight of humans moving about outside while holding onto her worried heart.

Merchants pulling carts loaded with goods and adventurers defeating weakened monsters in the distance.

Rimia had been observing the appearance of humans, all of the same race, but before her observation could continue for long, the neat-looking male elf sitting next to her opened his mouth and turned Rimia’s gaze towards him.

“Your Majesty the Queen, we will soon be entering the Puhara Kingdom, but shall I send word to Her Highness the Princess?”

“No, don’t tell her. I plan to just lightly greet Riana at the academy tomorrow.”

“Understood. Then I shall act according to your orders.”

The reason Rimia came to the academy was not only to check the level of the academy through the observational class but also to see her daughter Riana after a long time, as she was a mother before being a queen.

So when a negative answer came to his question, the man bowed his head and answered.

Soon, the man was writing something down on the paper he was holding.

“Sigh…”

At the irregular sound of carriage wheels that started to be heard again, Rimia turned her head to look out the window.

As the man had said, they will soon be entering the human kingdom.

Then they will probably rest at the lodgings and be able to see Riana at the academy tomorrow.

But now, unable to see Riana, Rimia muttered in a voice so small that the man couldn’t hear, recalling the contents written in the letter that had come from Riana in the past.

“Kama, was it?”

The name of the person Riana had written about in her letter as a human she respects.

She doesn’t know how great they must be to receive Riana’s respect, but if they don’t meet her standards…

Rimia cut off her thoughts and clicked her tongue softly, and soon her carriage slowly entered the Puhara Kingdom.