The next day, I had a break from my lessons so I went to the training grounds for the first time in a while.

Naturally, I was dressed up as Mel.

"Huh? Mel, it"s been a while!"

"Shurei-san! Long time no see! …….huh, there"s only this many people today?"

After looking around the surroundings, I tilted my head.

Usually this place had a large number of people, but today it was quite quiet.

"Ahh, it"s because today the training grounds are open only to the Guard Corps…….when he finds out that Mel came today, I"m sure Kuroitsu will feel vexed. He was complaining that he wanted to have a match against you to show how he"s improved, but you haven"t come by lately so he couldn"t."

"Fufufu. Lately I"ve been skipping out on training, so right now I wouldn"t be a match for him."

"Skipping out on training, you say……have you been feeling unwell?"

"No, it"s not like that but……"

It wasn"t like I could say that I got engaged, so I muddled my words.

"Well, if it"s not because of that then it"s fine…….I"ll work that weakened body of yours hard, so prepare yourself."

"With pleasure!"

The long-awaited training caused my body scream early on.

By the time I had finished the foundational training, my body had become heavy with exhaustion, and my breathing was rapid.

On top of that, my body that had previously been able to easily move as I imagined, now was reacting a few seconds late.

Even though those few seconds of error would be fatal in a real battle.

Since my body had gotten bigger, there was a slight difference between my mental image and reality, which may have also played a factor in it.

"As expected, this is no good. Just by not training for a little bit, my instincts become dull, and more importantly, it becomes harder to move my body."

I involuntarily muttered thus as I wiped my sweat.

Since Rui has allowed me to train, then I could increase my training time bit by bit in the future……at the time when I had decided on that-

"……oi oi. Are you seriously saying that?"

Hearing a shocked voice from behind me together with a sigh, I reflexively whirled around.

"Kuroitsu-san! ……huh, I thought that the training grounds were only open to the Guard Corps today……?

"I had some business with the General. When I was just about to head back, I dropped by to invite Shurei out to drink but……to think that you"d be here too."

"It has been a while since we last talked, Kuroitsu-san."

"Yeah, long time no see…….wait, I"m not saying that. Has it really been a while since you last trained?"

"Yes. Is Kuroitsu-san not aware of that too? I haven"t come here lately, right?"

"That"s true……that is indeed the case. Then, what"s with that?"

Kuroitsu-san pointed at the mountain of corpses behind me.

Shurei-san was amongst them.

"Um, those are the people that acted as my sparring opponents but……"

"Your skills haven"t gone down at all!"

"That"s not true. I am sure that those that I fought against will understand, but each of my individual attacks were light, and my reactions were also slow. I was accustomed to fighting everyone from before so I somehow managed to fight against them, but I"m sure it would be hard to fight against a first-time opponent."

"……no, you. If you are able to react when fighting against members of the Guard Corps from the Anderson Marquis House, then I think that"s more than enough."

"By no means. In reality, amongst the troops during the previous serial child kidnappings, there were some exceptionally strong people……the world is vast. If I become too prideful in my own strength, eventually I will have the rug pulled out from underneath me."

"Just where are you aiming at……"

He seemed rather amazed at my words……and a rather tired air surrounded Kuroitsu-san as he made a bitter smile.

"My wish has not changed from the past……and before that, in order to wield the sword one needs an appropriate resolve, right? If I hold my sword with some half-hearted skills and resolve, then I"ll instead be exposing the people around me to danger. That is why, when I pick up my sword, I will not allow myself to have half-hearted skills or resolve. If I want to continue wielding it, then I think that it is required that I continue to temper myself accordingly."

I think I finally understood after those serial child kidnappings.

I knew……I believed that I had comprehended it.

That a sword that was meant to protect those without power must never break.

However, I had not truly understood it.

Because the people that were standing behind me……those who were fighting together with me, were strong people in their own right.

……during that incident, it was different.

Behind me were people that could not even protect their own bodies by themselves.

Though it was joint operation with the Army, at that place there wasn"t anyone from the Army there except for me, so I had no choice but to defend those girls on my own.

……if at that time, I was unable to protect those girls and collapsed?

I am sure that they would not have been able to stay safe.

Rather, it is possible that because of my resistance, they would have faced an even more disastrous situation.

That is precisely why.

There was no way that I, at that time and place, could have been allowed to collapse.

That was the responsibility of me, who had taken up the sword, and my duty, having been the one to take action.

……during that incident, I learned for the first time the weight and difficulty of protecting people.

"……well, I do know about the strength of Mel"s resolve. Even so, I"m still sometimes taken aback by your words."

"That is so. As expected, training"s more stringent with you around."

Ow ow ow, Shurei-san went as he said that while getting up.

"You guys! This is what happens when you"re lacking in training! Training"s gonna be doubled for the next while!"

And then those who were still rolling around behind us wailed out.

"No way……"

"Come on! Shurei-san!"

Though he heard their screams, Shurei-san grinned broadly and ignored them.

"Now that I think about it, Kuroitsu-san. That person behind you is……"

Suddenly, I noticed the youth that was standing behind Kuroitsu-san.

He had black hair and well-ordered facial features, as well as a well-proportioned body.

Just by seeing him suddenly in the pa.s.sing in town, he was the sort to catch one"s eye. Here, he was the youngest person other than myself.

He was probably around the same age as elder brother.

"Ahh, he"s one of the matters I had to handle today. Earlier when I was giving my report, I wanted to introduce him to the General at the same time but……"

"Nice to meet you. My name is Abel. I am attached to the First Division of the Army. Do excuse me, but you are……"

"My name is Mel. I am working as a guard for the Anderson Marquis House"s young lady, Mellice. Please treat me favourably."

"He"s someone who was recently enlisted in the Army. He was originally doing office work, but this year we received notice from above that each Army division must accept at least one apprentice for a set period of time. So Kuroitsu-san decided to put me under the division"s supervision. Naturally, my skills are still not up to par as I am still in training, so I will probably be showing up to the training here for a while."

Speaking of the Army, they had the image of a group that was strong at fighting, but at least had couple people a.s.signed to doing office work.

That itself was necessary when you had a single group, for things such as budget control, management of each person"s individual equipment, goods control, etc.

However, even if you were a.s.signed to office work, it was still ultimately a military position.

A certain degree of fighting strength was demanded, and it was necessary for them to both know how to make use of the corps and have an understanding of those fighting on the front lines. As such, for a fixed period of time annually, each division had to accept someone a.s.signed to office work and do training and other tasks with them.

"Heh…….if you"re a member of Kuroitsu-san"s unit, then you must be quite skilled."

A member of the unit under the direct control of the vice chief……if it was judged that he did not have any promise, then there was no way that he would have been given such an a.s.signment.

Father and Kuroitsu-san had that sort of personality.

At my words, Abel-san appeared a bit embarra.s.sed as his face turned red and he hastily waved his hand left and right.

That expression gave off the impression of him being a friendly person……it was that gentle.

"No no, I still have a ways to go…….um, I simply cannot compare to Mel-san who is capable of suppressing the famous elites amongst elites, the Anderson Marquis House"s Guard Corps like this…….."

"I also have a ways to go. In reality, today I can"t fight any more than this."

I understood the condition of my body the best.

Fighting any more than this today would be impossible.

"Thus, I am thinking of popping my head in to training here in the future……..there may be more opportunities to meet again in the future, so please take care of me."

"Thank you for being so polite. It is I who should ask you to take care of me."

"We"re planning on heading out to eat after this, but what"re you planning on doing Mel?"

After I finished exchanging greetings with Abel-san, Kuroitsu-san called out to me.

"My apologies, but I must excuse myself with this. Well then everyone, thank you very much for today."

As I declined, I left the place. And then I returned to my room, immediately wiped my sweat and changed my clothes.

Like that, I sat on my bed.

My body was already being tormented by exhaustion from my first training session in a while.

"……thank goodness."

However, a sense of satisfaction was filling my heart.

As expected, training is good.

Both the ability to move my body, and that sense of tension every time I swung my sword is great.

Since I thought that I would no longer be able to do it anymore, I was genuinely happy.

……if.

If Rui was attacked in the future, I will draw my sword without hesitation.

I"m sure that he will have countless guards underneath him but……that was not absolute.

…….like that time with my mother.

And precisely because I learned the grief of losing an important person from that case, I absolutely did not want to have to taste that pain again……I didn"t want to lose him. Thus, falling into a half-conscious state, I once again resolved myself to continue tempering myself in the future as well.