Chapter 168

The meeting of the four kingdoms was held in Lukvis.

The first day of the meeting came to an end, and I was quite tired mentally.

It was because of the presence of the representatives including Lucas-sama, and more importantly, because I, who was not used to such an important discussion, was constantly nervous.

“——And so, Usato has to show off that disturbing technique.”

“A disturbing technique ……yeah I guess you can say that?”

After the meeting, I was about to go to the training grounds we used earlier in the day to get some sleep when I ran into Amako, who was about to visit the inn we were staying at, so we went straight to talking about the meeting and a bit of complaining.

“We were talking about the meeting and complaining a bit. We’re going to see how powerful it is, right?”

“How do I do that? I just aim it at the …… target and fire it normally.”

“I wonder if a normal target can withstand …….”

“I-I mean at the time I will use a weaker version of it?”

If I really hit them in succession, I’ll lose my magic in no time.

I’m going to take it easy, that’s for sure.

“But first, I’ll probably be questioned by everyone today.”

“That’s Usato’s fault for hiding it.”

“That’s true, but ……”

It’s easy to imagine senpai’s pursuit, but the problem is Welsey-san, who understands the danger of system enhancing.

She was looking at me with her eyes during the meeting.

I’m sure she’ll have a lot of questions for me later. ……! She looked at me as if she was having an auditory hallucination.

“But I think it was a good opportunity.”

“What?”

“To be aware of the gap between you and the people around you. Well, I’m just reopening the door.”

Yes, I learned to reopen my mind at today’s meeting.

I was allowed to be stubborn and not admit that I’m not human, because I’m from the rescue squad, but as the vice commander of the rescue squad, I can’t be so selfish.

“When you change your position, your consciousness changes. As Norn-sama said, that’s exactly right.”

I think of Norn-sama, who protected the place called Mia Rak as a queen despite being tormented by sleep and fatigue.

“But if Usato were to reopen the door, I think that would be a bit scary.”

“Wait, what do you mean by that?”

“I’ve always been a bit of a self-effacing person, but if I don’t, I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with some new tricks.”

This little fox, what does she think I am?

“No, as expected, I won’t make a technique worse than the rapid healing fist just because I’ve reopened my mind. Besides, I’ve been all about healing punches lately, so I’ve been thinking of some application techniques for healing magic bullets.”

“Hmm, like what?”

“Healing Accelerated Bullet, a speed-oriented healing magic bullet combined with Accelerated Fist. A healing magic bullet that bends by applying the magic manipulation of the basket, or a healing remote bullet. It’s a technique only possible with the gauntlet, but I think it’s quite useful. Oh, that’s right! I’m also thinking of practicing rapid-fire magic bullets like the Leader used to do.”

“……”

As for its use, the healing acceleration bullet is a magic bullet that can be used to instantly heal an injured person at a distance.

The healing remote bullet is a magic bullet to accurately heal an ally in a crowded battle.

Both of these techniques are based on gauntlet’s power, but they seem to be moderately useful.

“Even though it’s a healing magic bullet that bends, it can only bend once at best. It’s not a bad idea to use the gauntlet to compensate for the fact that I originally didn’t have the talent to release magic bullets, but if I think that I can freely change the direction of something that’s going straight for once, it’s quite different.”

As expected, it’s impossible to bend a healing flying fist in principle, so it’s safe to say that I’ll be able to use it in the form of a healing flying fist for power and a healing magic bullet for hit power and speed.

“Yes. So it’s a technique to take the opponent by surprise and a technique to make a direct hit even from through the shield.”

“Huh?”

Hold on.

No, I did think that it could be used like that in combat, right? But it never occurred to me to think of that first.

As my cheeks twitched at the discrepancy between me and Amako, I heard the sound of someone’s footsteps approaching from behind me.

“Oh, there you are.”

“Hmm?”

I turned around to see Kara-san, the teacher I met here before, and Halfa-san, whom I met again yesterday.

I’m not sure why the teacher Kara is here,……, but the school is closed for talks today, so she’s not lecturing or anything.

I look at Amako, who has her hood pulled up tightly over her eyes, and then I look at Kara-san and Halfa-san.

“It’s been a while, Kara-san. Halfa-san hasn’t seen you since yesterday, right?”

“Ah. It’s ……, and it hasn’t even been half a year since then, but you’ve grown up so much you look different. I don’t have to let Halfa-san’s magical eye check you out to see that.”

“Oh, I see. ……”

I wonder if he has the same “muscle eyes” as Hyde-san?

I’m not sure how much I’ve changed my appearance from before the trip to now.

I’m not sure if it’s just me thinking that, or if I’m growing taller or something. I’m a little bit happy if that’s the case.

“I was going to come and see you, but I didn’t expect you to come to me.”

“I’ve been hearing about your activities since we left Lukvis. Since you’re here, I thought we should meet and talk. Halfa also apologizes for making you show us around on your day off.”

Halfa-san shook his head when Kara-san told him that.

“No, no, there’s nothing to do but self-discipline even on a holiday anyway. Rather, talking with Usato-san is a good stimulus for me.”

“I think you……, should look at something other than training a little.”

“Selfishly, I have this kind of nature. ……”

What can I say, the more we talk, the more I think I’m going to hit it off with Halfa-san.

After sighing at Halfa’s annoyed smile, Kara turns to me.

“I heard that you became the vice commander of the rescue squad. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Well, there are still some things I’m not used to, but I’m trying to act like a vice commander.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine without being so conscious. From the time you were in Lukvis before, you had an atmosphere that reminded me of …… something, or should I say …… Rose.”

“Oh, is that so?”

I don’t know if I should be somewhat embarrassed or make a subtle expression.

I’m not sure what to make of this.

Kara-san shows a pretense of concern for the time as I have an ambiguous expression on my face.

“At any rate, it’s good to see your face.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“With the meeting, we teachers have a lot of work to do. We have to get back soon. What about you, Halfa?”

“I think I’d like to talk to Usato-san for a little while longer.”

“All right. …… Just to let you know, as a teacher, don’t bother him too much.”

“Of course.”

Seeing Halfa-san nod, Kara-san said her goodbyes and then left the training grounds.

The only ones left are me, Halfa-san, and Amako, who has been mute since just now. …… What is this annoyance that Kara-san mentioned just now?

After seeing Karla off, I sat down on the grass again and Halfa, who was also sitting next to me, called out to me.

“Oh, Usato-san. How is Nack-kun doing?”

“Nack? He’s doing well as a rescue squad.”

“That’s good to hear. As a matter of fact, I’m a little relieved that he’s safely in the Rescue Squad, because I’ve been wondering about Nack-kun myself.”

Perhaps Nack was struggling to complete his training right now.

As I thought about Nack, I suddenly thought about the girl who would still be in Lukvis.

“Meena, what is she doing now?”

“Meena Liarsia? She’s …… what should I say, hmm.”

“Did something happen to …… that girl?”

“No, not really. ……”

Halfa-san looks somewhat uncomfortable to say.

She doesn’t seem to feel like she’s involved in anything.

“Are you saying that she’s become even rougher than before because she lost the match with Nack?”

“No, if anything, she’s become unthinkably more serious than she used to be.”

“What?”

I remembered her as a girl with a piercing personality, but I wondered if she had changed her mind after the battle with Nack.

Or is she trying her best to get revenge on him like Nack said before we left?

“I’ve often seen you practicing magic and running after school. I couldn’t believe my eyes at first, but after thinking about it again, she herself, like Nack-kun, may have finally moved on.”

“Forward, huh?”

So the events in Lukvis had affected not only Nack, but Meena as well.

My first impression of her was terrible, but there might have been circumstances between Nack and Meena that I didn’t know about.

“I’ve seen Meena training quite a bit, so if you’re lucky, you might run into her, Usato-san.”

“Hmm, even if I did meet her, I wouldn’t know how to talk to her. From Meena’s point of view, I’m the one who sent Nack to the rescue squad.”

When I thought about it, I was the one who created the reason for Nack to go to the Rescue Squad.

Furthermore, we both made a terrible first impression on each other, so I’m sure he wouldn’t take kindly to that.

I don’t think he’s going to attack me, but I’ve had enough of being abused by people in the Rescue Squad.

“Anyway, Usato-san.”

“Yes?”

As I was thinking about this, Halfa-san suddenly stood up and called out to us.

Me and Amako look up at him curiously, and he smiles the same childlike smile that Hyde-san did in the morning.

“If you have some time to spare, would you like to do a little sparring? No, you can turn me down if you can’t.”

“…… haha.”

I see, so that’s why you came to see me.

…….

I’m not going to have time to do anything but strength training when I get back to the inn, and if I go back to the inn and Welsey-san is there, she’s going to lecture me.

Okay, excuse over.

“Well then, let’s do it. But it’s only sparring, so make sure you don’t get hurt.”

“Of course. I don’t want to get angry with Kara-sensei or the headmaster, either.”

It was a proposal I could not have wished for.

I can learn from Halfa-san’s method of fighting that accurately exploits her opponent’s weaknesses. Now that I’ve understood through my travels that not all opponents can be penetrated only by strength, I might be able to gain something from fighting with him.

“Huh, we really are a lot alike, aren’t we?”

Amako smiled with a somewhat dumbfounded sigh.

While smiling at her, Halfa-san and I walked to a corner of the training grounds.

The teamwork with Halfa-san was a series of surprises for me.

I hadn’t underestimated the power of his growing magical eye, but I hadn’t expected him to be able to detect my new fighting style at first sight.

I was also taken aback by the new fighting techniques he used.

In the past, he had used his magical eye to read his opponent’s movements and always attack first, but what he used today was the opposite: he read his opponent’s movements, let him launch an attack, and then hit him with a powerful counter attack.

It was a technique that was only possible because Halfa-san was able to see his opponent’s initial movements completely, and he was unable to respond to it at first sight.

“Usato-sama, are you listening to me?”

“…… Yes.”

I’m not sure if I’m escaping reality, but the glaring voice of Welsey-san brings me back to my senses, and I raise my voice.

After finishing sparring with Halfa-san, I was scolded by Welsey-san in the inn in a normal way.

“I’m sure you can understand why I didn’t want to tell you, but I wish you had told me beforehand. Sigh….. you are in a way different from Kazuki-sama and Suzune-sama, you are developing new magical possibilities. And no, I’m not praising you.”

Pioneering new magic is …….

I’m sure that the technique of deliberately unleashing systemic enhancement was too dangerous and no one would have done it.

As I was reflecting on the fact that I hadn’t told him beforehand, Kazuki, who was listening to the sermon beside me, called out to me somewhat happily.

“Haha, you’re just like me. Usato.”

“Huh? Oh, I guess so.”

“Me too, me too!”

“You all are really too sharp. Suzune-sama is also …… sigh.”

As senpai raised her hands in agreement, Welshey-san sighed as if she couldn’t stand it.

“Kazuki-sama’s magic manipulation is only a technique that has mastered the basics, so it’s not necessarily dangerous, but Suzune-sama is in a way the same as Usato-sama. It is a technology that allows you to wear the properties of the lightning system itself like armor and use it to assist your movements and even attack. While it is powerful, it is a technique with many dangers that can even harm its own body if it is handled even slightly incorrectly.”

“Isn’t that what you’re training for, to prevent that from happening?”

“That’s not the point. …… I want you to have a little more of a sense of danger.”

I’ve seen it before, for a brief moment, but it was still a dangerous technique.

I’ve heard that the former army commander that Arc-san fought in Hinomoto used a similar technique, so I know it’s something that requires a lot of skill and experience.

Welshey-san’s shoulders dropped at the swallowing senpai.

Sigurd-san, who had been watching our exchange quietly, opened his mouth to her.

“Calm down, Welsey. It’s true that Suzune-sama and Usato-sama’s techniques have a dangerous side to them. However, if you make them completely your own, the two of you will become even stronger.”

“That is certainly true, but ……”

“Your concern is painfully understandable to me as well. But isn’t the best thing we can do right now is to encourage you to move on, not to stop you?”

“…… Yes.”

Welsey-san nodded at Sigurd-san’s words and turned to me.

“I’m sorry for imposing my selfish consciousness on you. But I beg you, please do not use dangerous techniques alone. There is always a reasonable price for strong power.”

“…… I’m sorry too. I would like to consult with you as much as possible from now on.”

I knew from the start that Welsey-san was worried about our safety.

I’m not sure what to do, but I’m going to do it. It’s the same with my own power.

Just as in the case of the Kureha Fountain in Mia Rak, or the runaway Karon, there is a price to pay in order to gain powerful power. The same is true of my own power.

As I was thinking this, Welsey-san, relieved by my words, continued to speak.

“I’d like to change the subject, but while I’m at it, I’d like to tell you about our plans for tomorrow.”

“When you say tomorrow, do you mean about the meeting?”

“Yes. First of all, tomorrow’s meeting will be an in-depth discussion, unlike today’s, so Kazuki-sama, Suzune-sama and Usato-sama do not need to attend.”

…… Perhaps it will be a more in-depth discussion of the topics we discussed today.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to give a clear opinion if I’m there, so Welsey-san and Sigurd-san have taken care of that for me.

“Next, it has been decided that tomorrow afternoon, after the meeting, an exchange game will be held at the training grounds to both exchange information and ascertain our strength.”

“An exchange game? What’s that?”

“It’s a combat training session between the best players from each kingdom. They will be attacking targets made with magic, sparring, and doing joint exercises with their units.”

“…… Aren’t they taking their own sweet time? The battle against the Demon King’s army is imminent….”

Kazuki uttered this somewhat anxiously, but Welsey-san shook her head.

“It is necessary because it is now. Even if we fight together, we still don’t understand how other countries fight. If we can’t work together when the time comes, there is no point in these talks.”

“…… Indeed, the fighting style of the warriors of the Nirvana Kingdom was completely different from the knights of the Lingle Kingdom.”

I’m just as impressed as Kazuki.

Then, Welshey-san’s gaze turns to me.

“So, …… you all have to use your magic in front of the three kingdoms.”

“Does that mean me too?”

“Yes, you will be using Usato-sama’s healing …… technique called Rapid Healing Fist against a target.”

“Will the target hold?”

I remembered what Amako had said to me during the day, and I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

However, Welsey-san smiled at me as if to reassure me.

“Please don’t worry! They have prepared a target that is several times more powerful than the one that you all destroyed in Lukvis before! I heard that they have applied multiple layers of immobilization magic to prevent it from being pulled out easily, so please don’t worry!”

“Usato-kun! Now you can do it without hesitation!”

“Why do you look so happy, you ……?”

While I was troubled by senpai who gave me a thumbs-up, I felt a little more motivated.

I’m not trying to destroy it, but I’m curious to see how powerful the rapid healing fist is in its current state.

“Ah, well then, Usato-kun, Kazuki-kun.”

“Yes?”

“What is it?”

As if she suddenly thought of something, senpai called me and Kazuki.

She seemed to be in a good mood and said the following words.

“Tomorrow, if you don’t want to go to the meeting in the morning. Why don’t you and I do a little training? Like a rehearsal for this afternoon.”

“Training for the three of us, huh? We’ve only done magic-related training before, but it would be nice to do something different this time.”

Kazuki muttered, seeming to be on board with senpai’s suggestion.

I don’t mind training either, I don’t mind it at all, but what is it? I have a bad feeling about the way senpai is looking at me.

“Usato-kun, trusting in your reflexes, I have a request.”

“W-what is it?”

“Would you be willing to have a little mock battle with me tomorrow?”

“What’s ……?”

Mock battle with senpai?

Isn’t this the flow of the …… story where you have to have a mock battle with senpai in “magic armour ・ thunder beast mode”?