The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

I thoroughly enjoy the morning scenery, and walk to the open plaza.

There Achilles-san is swinging a black spear around in the plaza, training.

Every time the black spear moves, a faint swishing sound is made.

“–Oh? It’s early.”

“Achilles-san is early too.”

“It’s my daily routine. Recently I go to the 【Training Course】, like this, it’s practicing the art of the spear before dawn-Humph!”

Achilles-san swings the black spear which is a long metal rod around, repeating the movement of stabbing with the tip.

“Does Shuya also train? There’s a rod and spear there.”

Urged by Achilles-san I look where his eyes pointed.

There are several black spears and iron rods propped up.

A spear. I’ll try it.

“Well then, it’s the first time, for me.”

I picked up the leaning black spear.

Taking a suitable fighting stance, I thrust, and brandish it–

Mimicking Achilles-san’s movement, I move the black spear.

“Ho, amazing. You really are of the vampire lineage; your physical ability isn’t ordinary. The spear is made with heavy tanza steal, yet you’re so “lightly” swinging it around.”

Mm? It’s light.

“This is a heavy metal?”

While I ask a question about my doubt, I brandish the black spear, and thrust several times. My physical ability reinforcement contributes to the fact that it feels light.

“It’s heavy? It’s heavy but this much, it’s stronger than the normal spear. The metal rod and blade are one piece? But, the sharpness isn’t very good……”

Achilles-san points the spear tip here, and talks.

“Certainly……”

The tip is sharp but it’s a flat impression.

The tip of the metal was dulled from use.

Normally, the rod is different from the tip of the spear.

I can’t see a part where the blade was joined to the handle.

I move my eyes from the black spear point to the hand grip. That way I light the black spear with one hand and swing it around to the left and right, extending both arms moving the black spear.

“U?mu, that speed is enough, but if it’s that, it’s only stabbing.”

“Something is insufficient?”

“That’s so. First of all, the movement that transfers from the lower back to the spear head, look.”

Achilles-san is deliberately making it easy to understand and demonstrates, showing the movements of the stab slowly.

His waist sinks slightly–the action begins.

At first glance…….

It’s a casual movement, but therein was a certain expertise.

Power flows from the lower back with a twist in the waste to transmit the power from the feet firmly planted on the ground. The flow of power passes through midline of the abdomen, from the shoulder to the arm, the power was surely transmitted to the fingers grasping the spear.

The black spear is “twisted” being struck forward with a swish.

It’s definitely entirely different.

The movement of the body I was aware of, was the “twisting” of the spear.

“The ‘twist’ is important to thrust. It’s the basic of the spear school.”

“……”Twist” I understand.”

This way, Achille-san first performs the movement striking with the spear, and I imitate tracing the movement–

It’s repeated over and over again.

Being aware of the “twisting” movement permeating the whole body, I understood that the thrust of the spear changed.

Achilles-san conducted the movement of the spear little by little, but I’m firmly making it my own.

To the extent that I forgot the time, while and concentrated and training, results are immediately produced.

I understood the feeling–

※Pikon※ ※Condition for Spear User Met※

※Pikon※ ※<Thrusting> Skill Acquired※

“Oh, I seem to have become a spear user. I learned the skill <Thrusting>.”

To what I said Achilles-san face showed surprise, stopping the movement of the spear midway, he stared at my face.

“–What? In these few hours? In addition, together with a skill? To change one in ten, if there’s talent and luck, I heard that you can get the skill and Battle Occupation with slight training, but……Never, in front of my own eyes……”

It seems to be unusual.

“Is it that unusual?”

“Ah, it’s unusual. Shuya’s talent is rare, somehow or other, do you have inborn skill?”

“Eh, well……”

It was easy to learn the battle occupation with the permanent skill <Natural Demon Ability>……

“I see. If it’s that I can understand. Mimicking my movement, carried out autolysis by slight practice.”

“That’s so. Is it the feeling understood by mimicking the sensation?”

“Humu. Splendid……a class up will also probably come quickly…… Let alone full mastership of the wind spear style, even emperor class may be easily passed.”

Class up to wind spear style?

For now, I’ll ask about the details of class up.

“Class Up? What is that?”

Achilles-san in response to my question, slightly moves his eyebrows, and then began explaining with a feeling that it can’t be helped.

“Did you forget even that? When oneself accomplishes growth by acquiring experience and various abilities the class up, that indicate the battle occupation can change to a new one. The next for spear use will probably be around ‘Spear Dancer’ or ‘Spear Warrior.’ By the way, there are cases where the name of the battle occupations I mentioned may change subtly according to the individual. It’s said if one becomes strong it will change.”

Hoa?, there’s a time when the name of the battle occupation changes because of the individual.

“Having done that, after all there are other ones? Battle Occupations.”

Of course I felt what Achilles-san said, and turning the black spear in hand, he left the butt of the black spear on the surface of the hard stone and answered.

“–You know that? It changes even learning various weapons and magic like the Sword, Axe, Short Sword, Dual Swords. An enormous number of battle occupations are confirmed. One theory is they might exist endlessly. It is said.”

Wow.

“Well, infinite……”

“That’s right. In addition to magic related jobs there battle occupations with names that change depending on race as well. The names of jobs are different in various ways amongst humans themselves. There are many jobs that I don’t know. This seems to be a blessing from the god of jobs but the details aren’t understood.”

God of Jobs. If I remember correctly his name was Refoto.

“God……Infinity is profound.”

When I say I really learned the sensation of battle occupation, there should be a relationship, I imagine. It would be part of this world.

“Ah, certainly. It’s also the indicator to feel growth. The way of the world, I receive it without know the benefit of the great gods.”

Gods, when old people such as Achilles-san say it, I can strangely understand it.

“Even so, you learned the <Thrusting> skill, but I’ve heard that to learn a skill talent requires luck. Even if the battle occupation does class up, the people who can’t learn the skill exist. I may acquire the occupation at the same time as Shuya, and I may “suddenly” learn it concerning growth and heredity. Accumulation of experience and teaching the student the ‘significance of the skill is understood for the first time.’ The circumstances are multifarious and it depends on individual differences.”

While hearing what he said, I stare at the tip of the black spear in my hands.

“Indeed. When I learned <Thrusting>, it was a strange sensation. The movement that I practiced even more sublimated and was acquired by my body, the sensation that I remembered from before……”

Now I see my ability from how I carry the black spear.

“It will be a sensation that Shuya himself doesn’t understand. If you can understand the skill immediately, even if the skill is acquired, it’s not the kind of thing that may be understood. At last I’ve begun to understand the meaning of the skill through special training. There is such a case.”

I see. Unexpectedly.

Surely I myself, even if I acquire the skill, there are times where I don’t understand the significance of the skill.

“I see. Well, this <Thrusting>, it’s the simple feeling to thrust.”

When I say so, Achilles-san’s expression becomes stern.

It’s a serious look.

“It’s surely simple, it’s the most basic of the basics of ‘One of the Great Spear Techniques.’ Such things are said in the world of the spear. Is it profound that ‘It starts with <Thrusting> and ends with <Thrusting>’? Well, even I didn’t understand the significance at first……”

For example, even if going to the world championship the boxer must first conquer the left jab……that feeling?

“<Thrusting> in the end……I remember it happening.”

I take in the morning sun while talking about expanding the ability, and an expression as if remembering something floats of Achilles-san’s face.

“–D, damn! I forgot to feed the livestock, I was too absorbed in teaching Shuya and was immersed……we’re late for breakfast, but will you help me?”

Feeding. Of course I’ll help.

“I’ll do it. It’s my fault too.”

“Then, this way.”

Achilles-san goes to the foot of the cliff with the ladder in a hurried state.

A ladder led to the bottom from the foot of the cliff of the steep slope.

I see a little plateau area spread out at the bottom.

“I’ll go first.”

I’m urged on by Achilles-san.

I follow too, and placing my foot on the ladder I go down.

Before I climbed down to ladder, Mm? It’s a door.

Next to the ladder, the side of the wall, there’s an old wooden door.

When Achilles-san gets off the ladder, without taking notice of the door, he goes along the right side of the wall.

However, I’m interested in where the door leads.

Does it lead underground?

I’m curious, I open it.

I whom is won over by curiosity.

To look inside a little, I pull the door nob.

I set foot in the entrance.

Cold air penetrates my whole body–I unintentionally tremble with excitement.

The dark damp underground was filled with cold air.

The dark brown wood is piled up just before the underground. I can see mushrooms growing on the wood.

Are they being cultivated?

There was passage that went deeper into the open space.

I’m curious about the interior, but I’ll return for now.

Achilles-san will be waiting too.

When I return back and push the door open I am met with warm air.

After all, the difference in temperature is noticeable.

While feeling warm in my body as the door was behind me, I looked at the plateau outside once more.

A gentle slope spreads out, flowers growing here and there.

A lot of sheep seem to inhabit the plateau area.

The air feels delicious.

A young woman living in the alpines comes to mind. (TN: The Hills are alive…)

“Oi, where did you go? –This way.”

I hear Achilles-san’s voice calling. I go straight to the rock wall where I heard the voice come from.

–Wow.

The place was suddenly a stable pen.

The stables were made using the rock face.

In order to dig a cave, the rock is dug through. Reinforced with wood and building materials similar to mortar on the ceiling, the building was built to be considerably strong.

The entrance of the stable is surrounded by a fence; the inside is divided with a smaller fences.

I’m guided there.

“Eh! Dinosaur……”

A surprised voice comes out.

This is because there is an animal that resembled a dinosaur in the animal pen.

Resembling a dinosaur……but, it seems completely different.

The length is three to four meters. The flat head gives the impression of the reptile family.

It’s close to a lizard. The head has two triangular horns growing on the side, its entire body is cylindrical.

However, the eyes are small and pretty.

“Bubo, bubo.”

A cry. It’s a sound coming from the back fold of the nose.

It called while eating feed.

Not only the fodder but things like and meat and potatoes are included.

It seems omnivorous.

“This a dragon? Puhhaha. Shuya really doesn’t seem to have any memories.”

Achilles-san laughs while seeing my figure pull back.

“This is Popobum. It’s a demon beast. Its appearance may certainly be similar to a small dragon, but……isn’t it an important mount in these mountains?”

“Mount. Like a horse?”

“A horse is surely able, but there’s steep slopes here. You can go on a horse, but……there’s sometimes places where it’s hard for horses to carry things. In that respect Popobumu is a sturdy demon beast. You can look at its feet and understand. Also, it will eat anything you feed it. Well, it like grass growing on the plateau most.”

Surely……there are strangely six thick-legs.

“Now, I will teach you how to ride these fellows, the movement is like that of a horse, and its speed is faster.”

“Aah……well, I wonder if I’ll learn it.”

“It will be troublesome if you don’t learn it. Should I help you? It’s necessary to take care of the livestock. This plateau is vast.”

“I understand. I’ll do my best.”

In addition to there being a pig in this stable, a cow, there were also a lot of animals similar to the alpaca.

The animal similar to a pig has abnormally big hind legs, and a small tusk grows from the nose.

When I reached the cow, two utters were strangely formed and accompanied by a head so the amount of milk wasn’t normal.

As for the Alpacas there was one who had all of his hair shaved off and one who had hair left.

It’s a plateau area, I though the animals resembling sheep resided here, instead it’s this guy.

The food is mainly grass fodder, there’s also feed with something like mushrooms mixed in. Looking at the mushrooms put in the feed, I remember the space I found earlier.

Do hey cultivate mushrooms there?

“Achilles-san, this mushroom.”

“Ah, it’s cultivated in the store house. Did you see it?”

Leaving the stable, I’m lead to the store house by Achilles-san.

After all, the store house is where the old wooden door from before was.

They seem to cultivate a large number of the mushroom resembling shiitakes here.

Thoroughly, they resembled shiitake mushrooms.

The artificial cultivation of the shiitake I remember should be difficult.

Or rather, nowadays successful artificial cultivation is on track.

But, here is a different world.

There will be plenty of possibilities for cultivation methods.

The cave had many rooms that branched off going deeper.

In each side room, wooden barrels, curing meat, dried vegetables, were kept separately stored in wooden boxes.

The humidity is surprisingly different in each room.

Achilles-san gave a difficult explanation.

I return back to the area near the entrance.

While looking at the wood where mushrooms grew, I suddenly asked.

I’d like to see several kinds of mushrooms, how to ascertain poisonous mushrooms, I talk with Achilles-san for a long time.

Then, I heard a voice “Ojii cha?an.”

“Ah, after all you were here.”

“Refaa.”

“Yup. Good morning, it hasn’t come yet. Oka-san, was angry. Oto-san, is hunting. A tree also needs to be cut.”

And, the black cat Rollodinu is under Refaa’s feet.

Meeting my eyes, the black cat Rollo ran over.

For short, Rollo is good, “dinu” is attached for the feeling.

Rollo lifts her gaze, and appeals to me with round red eyes.

“Mm? What is it?”

“Nyaa?”

When I ask Rollo, she rubs her small head on my foot. Coming and going, the tail is entangled. Satisfied rubbing several times, she gets on my shoulder. (TN: Kawaii)

While resting dexterously on my shoulder, the feelers extend and touch my face.

『Uneasy』『Found you』『Play』

Ah, such strange feelings were conveyed.

She seems to have been lonely. Rollo is a cute fellow.

“A?h, Rollo-sama, hogging?. That, I want it too?”

Refaa seems to have watched the exchange between me and Rollo, and said such a thing.

I take another look at Rollodinu sitting on my shoulder,

“You’re so wanted?”

I speak quietly.

Rollo called “Nya” saying something like 『Been Found Nya』, and got down from my shoulder with a supple movement. Walking at a comfortable pace and stopping beside Refaa, turning red eyes to Refaa, feelers come from the scruff of the neck, and the feels brushed Refaa’s cheeks kindly.

Conveying a feeling, a strange look.

“Waa?, Rollo-sama, I want to play.”

“Nn, Nya.”

Achilles-san watches the exchange between Refaa and Rollo curiously. He turns to face me.

“Do you intend to let the Divine Beast-sama go around freely?”

“More freedom, some words me and everybody seem to understand.”

“I see. That explains why……”

Achilles-san looked at the black cat which was a Divine Beast.

“Besides, it’s said there it the treasure genju’s sake ball of light or the stone of wisdom, with which she can recover her true form.”

“Is that the story I heard yesterday? I think we can’t obtain the power ourselves, but the humans and different races which live in different areas, there may be a person who knows something.”

“When you mention humans, where is there a 【Town】 or 【City】?”

“That’s right. There’s that but by becoming an ‘adventurer,’ you can collect information fast.”

Adventurer, after all, there’s such a thing in a city.

“An adventurer. That’s good. It’s also more convenient for looking around the world. ……One day, I should able to become an adventurer too.”

Achilles-san hears my casual mutter, and shows a please look.

“You want to become one, there, there. Let’s return to the top, after slowly eating breakfast, we’ll talk.”

I went up the ladder and returned to house on top of the cliff.

I carry a late breakfast to the entrance with Achilles-san.

Breakfast is leftovers from yesterday and hard bread.

I eat it silently.

Refaa who had returned with us was being taught by Rabbi-san. Sitting down at a desk in the next room she wrote characters on a black board resembling a shiroishi. The stone looked like chalk but I didn’t ask about it. (TN: I think he’s saying the board is slanted up for easier writing)

When I finish the meal, I hear every little thing I have questions about.

“I have a question, but is it okay?”

“What is it?”

“First, how many hours are there in a day?”

Achilles-san raises a single eyebrow, with an expression of whether I had forgotten even such a thing.

“Ha? Did you forget something so commonplace? Generally, one day, has 28 or 30 hours, I don’t know how much exactly. Generally, it’s like that.”

“Is that so. 30 hours……”

About 30 hours, that explains long time between day and night.

Is the rotation of the habitable zones different from earth? Is the rotation slow?

Or is this planet big, the difference in temperature doesn’t change very much, but……

From such a thing, I’ve heard the familiar thing.

“Do you know the word Status?”

“What’s that?”

He doesn’t seem to know.

It must be true that other people can’t see my status.

“No, it’s nothing. Then, one own ability values, for example the skill this morning, I learned it, is there something which can check those skills I got?”

When Achilles-san hear what I say, tilting his head, hatena? In that way, with a questioning expression.

“Checking your Skill yourself? Do you mean to say an appraisal skill to feel around the soul of a person?”

After all, there’s such a skill.

It’s slightly different but let’s talk about it.

“Yeah. Would there be such a skill?”

“There is. Not only a specialized skill that appraises an item, but also a person having a skill which can appraise another person, there seem to be people having the skill present in this world. But I haven’t met any.”

“Appraisal, I know a little……”

There’s a person with an appraisal skill. It’s enviable.

I didn’t see anything like that among the four extra skills.

Satori is a skill which seemed convenient, but it might cause trouble.

“……From such a thing, there’s a room I haven’t shown Shuya yet. It’s a good time, come. So I’ll tell you about adventurers.”

Achilles-san talking with a proud air goes to the room next to where Refaa and Rabbi-san are and heads to the back room.

Even if I say back room, it has a feeling like a store-room.

Empty barrels are piled up and put in flax sacks along with salt barrels.

It looks like where food is put the ferment, a little smelly.

But, there were stairs leading down to the left.

Achilles-san quickly goes down the stairs.

Bright light was leaking from the basement where I come down the stairs.

It’s very bright.

The real nature of the brightness, wasn’t a lamp but a “furnace.”

The hot light from the furnace to the left of the inside lit up the room. The thing which seems to be a huge ventilation device made with a frame following the chimney is seen in the upper-left corner of the ceiling.

Near the furnace, there was an anvil as well as bellows and smithing tools. A number of metal rods are lined up. (TN: I think this fight translate better to forge, but I’m not sure.)

Is that a pedestal for grinding things in the right corner?

It seems like a mortar and appears to be a metal pedestal

As the small brush and pestle are assembled on the pedestal, I think medicinal herbs are ground hard here. A bottle similar to a flask is used for heating it, there are scales and a large pot too.

The large pot, if compared to a game is like alchemy in dragon quest eight.

In the cupboard near the pedestal, there’s ground ingredients, a bunch of grass and multicolored flowers and shining stones are piled up. Medicines with strange shades have been put in bottles so the liquid can be displayed.

Is it glass fiber? This is only glass.

Though all the other bottles are ceramics.

Elsewhere, there’s seems to be a shogi board.

There are pieces too, is it Achilles-san’s game?

“This furnace seems to be a thing made in ancient times by the dwarfs. It has existed since before I was born. It doesn’t exist in the village of other Goldiba. At present none may exist anywhere else. Same as the god tower, it’s technology that was only inherited.”

He explained the shining furnace.

“As for the furnace, does it have a name like god tower?”

“It doesn’t. It was probably forgotten with time. Otherwise completely hand-crafted, it’s the works of an excellent dwarf individual.”

The possibility seems high.

“The tanza steel and iron with similar properties are processed using this furnace.”

A furnace, you say that, but though it’s bright it isn’t hot.

“Heat doesn’t leak out, and isn’t it amazing technology?”

To my words, Achilles-san, in order to remember begins talking.

“This furnace is surely that. From the story I heard from my father and an old man, the technology of the dwarfs swept over the world in ancient times, the perspective of the world now, it’s difficult to talk about. But, eventually it may be very different. When I spent time with the humans……the story nearly 300 years ago, the world at that time, there were no furnaces identical to this.”

After all the technology of this guy is lost?

“It’s a mystery……”

“Ah, I hear there were many wars and disasters, and even now there is probably war. The lost technology and magic will probably exist in the mountains.”

The dwarf which made this……

Speaking of dwarfs, an image of a short figure and think hair, muscular, and, a plump impression.

It’s an image that comes from the famous movies and novels, The Lord of the Rings.

As for the figure of Loirr living underground, it was the actual figure of a dwarf.

For now, I’ll ask about it.

“It seem excellent, but what kind of race is the dwarf?”

“When I continued my trip in the past, I lived in a city for a long time where a lot of dwarfs lived, but I mostly lived with humans. Their characteristic is being short. And, strong, tough, and above all having a cheerful personality it’s a strange race that is fun to be with.”

Indeed, Loirr had such a feeling.

“They’re proud of their smithing and mining technology, but Dwarfs have abundant methods and unknown skill which strengthen unique metals. I’m confident to some extent too, but technology I didn’t know served as reference. ……But, this king of ‘technology to make the furnace,’ or ‘god tower,’ I was told about in the areas I traveled. I didn’t see all of Southern Maheim divided, but……at that time, there were probably ‘one of the lost technologies,’ I thought so and recognized it.”

I see. After all, lost technology.

I have a feeling it’s a fragment of the story I had heard from Loirr.

The journey……

“……was it a long journey?”

“Ah, I traveled about in various ways. I said a little while ago……the country of the dwarfs once called 【Mine City Tandart】, I lived there for many years, I went to the god of swordsmanship head temple. To the east there’s the 【Ancient Ruins of Rochemail】, while there I trained with others in the ‘wind spear style.'”

Oh, ancient ruins. A man’s romance.

“Are there monsters in the ancient ruins?”

“That’s right. The place is the remains of an ancient battleground. A large number of dead monster souls are collected there. Well, on the other hand isn’t it a good place for adventurers? Furthermore, there’s a legend, it’s said that there exists an ‘underground kingdom’ built by the survivors of the ancient dwarfs, ‘a secret underground passage way exists there,’ I have heard such a rumor.” f𝚛e𝚎𝘄𝒆𝚋𝚗𝚘ѵ𝑒𝚕.𝑐𝘰𝑚

An Underground Kingdom……

Is it the Langur Empire which Loirr spoke of?

Such a question passes through my head, but it’s not related to me.

Apart from that, I’m curious about the furnace in front of me said to have been made by the ancient dwarfs.

This, is probably full of lost technology.

How can something so small contain so much heat?

I can see unusual steel like lead surrounding around it and understand that. Maybe the steal uses magic to suppress the heat, or……

“……The ancient technology of the dwarfs, the furnace is still active?”

“Humu. I occasionally use it even now. As the way it’s used isn’t different from an ordinary furnace it’s easy to use. In addition to weapons and armor displayed here, I also make the horseshoes for Popbumu and farming tools here. It’s the skill ?”

Achilles-san turns his gaze to the shelf.

“I made pieces such as the chair and table with <Greater Woodworking>. The flowers in the cupboard, the magic crystal stones, and medicinal herb are used in my alchemy. There’s also the “initial skill” <Second Alchemy> I’ve mastered.”

It’s such a skill name.

There’s also a sewing kit like thing.

“Amazing. Can you sew too?”

“I can sew. Rabbi uses the superior sewing skill using the hair of reme, though in my case because I acquired from experience I can sew a little. Even then, repairing the cuirass and gauntlet Shuya had equipped, it’s put there.”

I armor I was equipped with was put on the desk.

Still, there are production skills as well.

Can I learn it if I do my best……

“……Ah, yes. Than you.”

This old man, seems to be able to do anything.

“Sorry, when I finished carrying Shuya, I took off everything other than the necklace.”

“–It’s fine. This equipment……is something which I picked up underground.”

And, I put on the cuirass he had repaired.

“Ho, however, didn’t you pick up a good thing? the cuirass is made from serpent family scales. The gauntlet is a splendid gem as well. Most of the armor is made of landtide ore. Leather from the zerdotaiga which appears frequently in labyrinths was used for the lining. It’s unfortunate there’s only one, but.”

Mm, I picked it up and profited. Well, scales.

I don’t know the name of the monster.

“……the serpent cuirass is made from sea dragons? ……I don’t understand anything……”

“Oh? The sea dragon is right, but you don’t understand. More importantly, I’ll explain the detailed reasons. I said for a time that I worked with humans, as for I talk about my days as an adventurer……”

“Achilles-san is an adventurer? Aren’t you an Armed Priest?”

To my question, Achilles-san calmly nodded and answered.

“Now. I wasn’t a priest in the old days. It’s because I had too a perverse nature for a priest and had grown tired of the 【Training Course】……besides, in those days the Goldiba clan had another Armed Priest.”

Achilles-san closed his eyes to remember something, then nodded and talked.

“So, Shuya. If you become an adventurer, while you live here for a while, why don’t you learn from me the spear of ‘wind spear style,’ and my ‘unique’ martial arts?”

Martial arts and Wind Spear Style.

He showed me earlier.

If I can become strong, I want to learn.

“Is that separate from magic skills?”

“Umu. In order to obtain the sacred stone liquor for Lohs-pardon me-Rollodinu-sama, it’s for the sake of Shuya. To live with humans in the future, with just the power of Dhampir, might it cause misunderstanding you don’t need?…… Also, I don’t need to protect the Divine Beast-sama statue as a priest anymore. So, I want to be of even a little use to Shuya and the Divine beast Rollodinu-sama.”

Achilles-san is desperate.

“Will I become able to use such wonderful martial arts?”

A little, I hesitate to talk.

“What to say. It’s because I saw your spear handling this morning. Shuya has a talent to handle spear arms. More than that I thought it was ‘fate.’ If it’s wasn’t important, would I not say such a thing? Besides, now that I take an apprentice, I bear the responsibility to train you properly in “martial arts” until you’ve mastered it.”

Achilles-san, it’s a somewhat faithful expression……

At this chance. I’ll be taken care of in various ways. It’s decided!

Meaning, I’m an apprentice. Achilles-san becomes the master.

“I understand. I’m honored to be able to learn martial arts from someone like you. By all means in the future. Please–”

Lowering my head, as best as I can, I do a polite bow.

Master, It’s Shifu in Chinese. I remember kung fu movies.

I place both arms before my chest, putting one fist in the opposite palm, and gesture lowering my head.

This, I yearned for it a little.

“……Is that so, Humu. It’s good, good.”

Raising my head, I look at master…….

Shisho for some reason, has tears collecting in his eyes. (TN: Shisho means master, as in a teacher type master. I’m going to leave this untranslated because I like how it sounds.)

……Is that so.

Achilles-shiso is an Armed Priest of Goldiba, from generation to generation, continuously protecting the Divine Beast statue.

For a certain “faith”……

I think there was something coming to his mind, I guess it on my own.

“Achilles-san…….I will call you shiso from now on.”

When Shiso is called so, he is surprised.

“I, is that so?”

“Eeh, I’ll have you teach me various things from now on. Achilles-san is a Shiso. I’ll be in your care, Shiso.”

Achilles-shiso watches at me.

“Yesterday, you said you would also like the learn magic skills. –It will probably be good.”

Shisho nods having understood. Somewhat happy looking.

Magic skills. I want to use them.

“……Magic skills, of yesterday.”

Well, that psychokinesis, aura, thought, force-like magic.

Unbelievable, I’m excited. (TN: I’m going to get a migraine.)

“That’s right. Assuming I’ll teach, you……of course even magic to mana rather than magi arts, (TN, this made no fucking sense, three different words for magic.) what do you know so far?”

“Yes. Maryoku, Maho, and Moji are completely……”

Achilles-san looks like a Shisho, crossing his arms lightly.

“First, we have to deal with your leaking Maryoku. We’ll start from the basics. It can be expected that acquiring Moji will take several months no matter how talented. From there, it may even take a life time?” (TN: I think Maryoku could be translated as mana but it’s confusing if I try to give it a meaning that might not hold up so I’m leaving it like this.)

“Life time……”

Achilles-san exhibits the dignity of a Shisho, until now he’s made very few facial expressions.

“Do you understand?”

Shisho creases the middle of his forehead and his eyes become sharp.

Strength is put into the end of his words.

“Yes!”

I have a fired up feeling too.

“Your spirit is good! We’ll start right away. First is the confirmation of Maryoku. Then with legs crossed in a comfortable position. Relax.”

Being told to, I sit on the floor, and sit lightly cross-legged.

“Close your eyes, breath deep. A calm mind, sink down inside your body……”

Can I relax?

“……”

I breathe out gently.

As I was told, I try to relax.

Taking out alpha waves from the brain, closing my eyes, I concentrate.

I practice zen, absorbed in meditation.

“Stare at the physical center……concentrate on it. Foundation of the mind–direct your eyes to the deep place of the heart ‘folds of the heart.’ The should be ‘something.'”

So that Shisho doesn’t disturb my concentration, he speaks in a quiet tender tone. As if to hypnotize me, he talked.

The “fold of the heart.”

…………

While taking a deep breath, the feel the fold of the heart, I’m aware of my abdomen.

Concentrate. Maryoku in the heart–

Mm? Now, something, suddenly overflowing.

Innermost depths of my heart, at the bottom of my abdomen–

It’s different from the sea. The surface of the water spreads out vigorously.

A strange sensation, I leak a small “……oh.”

“–Did you grasp something? That is Shuya. It is your maryoku source. This time, the “sensation” that comes is often one’s attribute–”

When I hear Shisho’s words, I remembered surprise and impatience and a change happens inside the consciousness.

This……is it maryoku?

That, on the surface of the water, I turn a stronger consciousness.

As soon as I turned to the consciousness, a drop of water falls on the surface of the water–I understood that a ripple spread across the surface of the water.

With a sense of letting the ripple spread across the water’s surface, power is put between in the middle of my forehead, I run after the sensation spreading out inside the abdomen.

And, the feeling of the water’s surface is pulled up–

“Oh……This is Maryoku! That means, my attribute is water?”

……It’s water. Did my memories from when I was a kid allow me to do so?

“Even if, the sensation is amazing–”

“Humu……Water.”

Achilles-shisho nods, and mutters calmly.

On one hand, I’m excited.

The feeling of another organ in my body……

This would be natural in this world, but it’s exciting……

Coming to my senses excitement naturally shows on my smiling face.