Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

“Why are those two suddenly fighting over there?”

“Ha, ha. Fighting?”

Christian, who was lifting the exhausted Aira after she had expended all her mana, looked bewilderedly at the man and woman bickering a short distance away.

***

“What, what? How should I know?”

“Oh, I see, I’ve made a mistake. You’re forgetting that Sir Garcia has no memory of that day, aren’t you? Hence, the shameless remarks you’ve been tossing around. By the way, how is the spot where our young master hit you?”

“Hey! Watch it! What year are you!”

“We are not that different in terms of years, my dear. However, there is a significant age difference. You must be glad to be so old.”

***

Aira also frowned as she turned her head and discovered the two shouting at each other.

“… What’s their deal?”

“They’re probably fighting over who has the more brilliant nephew or niece, typical behavior for an uncle and aunt.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

It made no sense at all to her, but it didn’t really matter. Aira smiled as she looked at Christian.

However, Christian’s attention had already shifted to the carcass of an owlbear. She cautiously inquired of Christian, who was carefully examining the body.

“Rather than that, how was it?”

“How was what?”

“You saw my wave just now, didn’t you?”

“Oh, that?”

Christian snorted as he confirmed Aira’s boastful demeanor.

“What’s there to see in something as basic as taking first steps? Want me to clap for you?”

“…”

“I can’t believe it. You’re really this happy and satisfied over a simple wave? Just a wave?”

“Would you like to have a taste of my wave?”

Aira was quite annoyed with Christian’s dismissive replies.

But since he was seriously observing the owlbear’s carcass, Aira found it was best to keep her mouth shut.

‘The wounds were inflicted at different times. However, judging by the scars, they all seem to have been caused by a sharp object.’

The owlbear’s body bore many wounds. It wasn’t as if Garcia and Melissa had exhausted their strength to fend off potential threats, either.

‘Did those who were driven out from territorial disputes chase all the way to Flamme?’

The wounds looked like they were inflicted by something even thinner and sharper than a sword. Compared to the marks left by Aira on the hide, the difference was clear.

‘And it’s been underfed, making it emaciated. That would explain its sluggish movements.’

Though the size was still formidable, the density of the muscles felt in the carcass was remarkably low. It was as if it had suffered from malnutrition.

‘Monsters like these formed groups?’

This felt more like… refugees, didn’t it?

While Christian was solemnly gazing at the owlbear’s body, an unfamiliar sound reached his ears.

Whoosh— Whooosh.

It resembled the sound of a whistle or perhaps the gentle rustle of the wind.

However, the lingering trace of mana brushing past his nose interrupted Christian from savoring the sound.

『Barrier!』

Christian sent a sound transmission to Garcia and Melissa, who were arguing a distance away, and to Masaya, surveying the battlefield.

Others had also sensed the strange mana and quickly erected mana barriers following Christian’s warning.

Wave Technique – Barrier

Purple, red, and gray-white mana barriers were erected one after another. Christian also created a greenish barrier toward the direction from which hostility was sensed.

Though a basic application of mana embodying a tangible form, it was highly resistant to physical force.

And then…

Thud, thud, thud—!

Something began striking the barriers, like raindrops hitting a window. Christian frowned slightly as he discovered whatever it was falling powerlessly to the ground, unable to penetrate the barriers.

“Feather?”

Christian examined the long feather, which was about two finger joints in length, and noted its quill, sharp as a spike. He murmured while gazing up at the sky.

“It was a trap, after all.”

The sky was dim, with clouds obscuring the moon and only a few stars flickering between them. But Christian did not miss that peculiar sense of dissonance.

“We were the prey.”

***

The world from the sky was filled with all sorts of prey. However, its preferred meals were few and far between, always leaving it dissatisfied.

‘Looks delicious…’

Suddenly, it turned its gaze to its surroundings. Far in the distance, it noticed prey that glowed in vibrant colors, gathered closely together.

It knew very well that those radiant prey were incredibly dangerous. In its eyes, that was the most perilous place in the world.

‘I want to eat…’

Yet, the more it observed, the greater its hunger grew, and it began to ponder how it could feast on them.

If eating its desired prey was dangerous, what if the prey came to it instead? It realized this wisdom and grew in real-time.

If those delicious prey left their nests and came on their own…

No, how could it make them come?

‘Hungry, hungry, hungry.’

It meticulously watched the behavior of the target. Observed what prey the target hunted and when it left its nest.

In its opinion, the prey had no threat and no value. Yet, the target continuously left the nest to protect them.

‘Use… worthless prey… as bait.’

It decided to lure the target by scattering valueless prey around the dangerous nest. Immediate hunger was not a concern.

‘Something better, something tastier…’

With wisdom to think and intelligence to judge.

It believed that this patience would yield the best prey and finally, after a long wait, the best prey walked out on their own.

Its eyes captured a target emitting a magnificent glow, surpassing the entire dangerous nest.

‘I will eat, I will eat. I cannot lose that one.’

The gentle breeze soon turned into a whirlwind. As the feathers increasingly battered the mana barrier, both in number and force, everyone grew anxious.

Yet, they couldn’t just stand idly by.

Garcia, as the head of the southern gate, made a firm resolve to break the current predicament.

『”Young master Christian, please stay put. This is an issue that Dame Melissa and I must resolve.”』

Most important now was ensuring the safety of Christian and Melissa. Even if he had to sacrifice his life, Garcia was determined to protect them!

“Then, I will draw its attention. You both find an opportunity to assist.”

“Wait! Young master Chris… keh-heh?!”

As if to override Garcia’s determination, Christian started to slowly cloak his body with the mana barrier he had positioned in front of him. He then charged into the whirlwind.

Garcia, astounded by Christian’s impulsive action, coughed violently, feeling as though the magnificent speech he intended to deliver had been robbed.

But Christian was already facing the whirlwind and the feather-like daggers shooting through it.

『Aira. You don’t hide or dodge from the wind…』

As if Christian saw the perilous scenario as just another training opportunity, he smiled while swinging his sword.

He rapidly adjusted the mana barrier to perfectly fit and form around his body. All the while, reading the wind and continually modifying and altering the mana patterns.

『You ride it.』

Christian swung his sword as he felt the raging gust. From his sword, a wave emanated, transforming into a whirlwind that swept through feathers.

Wind and wind.

The meeting of gusts.

The mana, bearing the same properties, mixed and then vanished in an instant, leaving calm in its wake.

Watching the feathers fall with a flurry, Garcia and Melissa widened their eyes in disbelief.

The shock experienced by Masaya, the mage, was even greater.

Living a life dedicated to handling mana and observing such phenomena, she understood better than anyone just how remarkable Christian’s feat had been.

“Did he intentionally cause wave cancellation?”

Wave cancellation was not an exceedingly rare occurrence.

It occasionally happened among those who shared the same magic school, testing each other’s skills. It was possible because they shared the same roots.

However, the phenomenon of wave cancellation that Christian had demonstrated before them was different in many ways.

“Moreover, he created mana patterns identical to those mixed in the wind and distributed them with absolute precision. Is that even possible?”

It was something only a master of illusion magic from the Magic Tower of Logia, famous for its discerning eye, could recognize.

The wave cancellation Christian had shown was literally akin to creating a wind identical to the one coming at him and returning it.

A mana pattern with not a single error. And mana sensitivity capable of detecting and immediately responding to the mana within the irregular wind.

This was an act beyond his imagination, an impossible miracle even for the master of the Magic Tower of Logia.

As Masaya Rio was thoroughly appalled, Christian swung his sword once more. Although the feathers were hard and sharp, without the aid of mana, they posed no threat.

“Even though I neutralized the whirlwind, it seems powerless. Is it farther away than I thought?”

Whoosh—! Whooosh—!

In response to a whistling sound that came from somewhere, feathers that had been feebly deflected by Christian’s sword seemingly developed a will of their own and flew toward him again.

No, all the banners that were being indiscriminately scattered suddenly focused on Christian.

Wave Technique – Willow Stream

If the sweeping was the whirlwind, the Willow Stream was like a willow swaying in the wind as it deflected the feathers with unique elasticity, just about to tip over.

Clang— Clang-clang— Clang—

As soon as Christian confirmed that all the feathers had been safely struck down, he quickly rolled forward.

A black object fell from the sky precisely where Christian had been standing moments ago, pressing down on the ground with force.

Boom!

Christian, who looked up to identify the black object that had tried to crush him, showed a subtle smile.

“Hmm.”

Covered with giant wings and parts of its upper and lower body in feathers, a monstrous being stood.

It had the legs of a raptor, and its face, resembling a human woman’s, had blood-red eyes that shone like those of a feline creature.

“It’s rather large for a harpy.”

It was an unusually large harpy compared to the standard ones.

Its size surpassed that of a normal harpy by at least double, and its feathers were so sharp and menacingly dark red that each seemed like the blade of a knife.

-Ahah… Haha, ha!

Whoooosh—!

The harpy spread its enormous wings, expanding its size, and unleashed a gale toward Christian.

Simultaneously, Christian swung his sword once more, creating a sweeping movement to neutralize the oncoming wind as if to calm it.

Yet this time, the result was slightly different. Although the wind subsided, something charged fiercely towards Christian.

Noticing the sudden change, Christian quickly lifted his sword. The force was so strong that even with using Adhesion to anchor himself firmly to the ground, he was pushed back more than half a step.

Despite employing astounding agility to deflect slightly, Christian still ended up at a disadvantage, realizing the discrepancy in power at the moment of impact.

‘The feathers were invisible before the sword could reach.’

Instinctively sensing danger and blocking it, it was a rather chilling attack for Christian as well.

『Sir Garcia, Dame Melissa. Miss Masaya, please assist me.』

While keeping his focus on the harpy’s movements, Christian sent a sound transmission to the three behind him.

The harpy, having had her attack blocked by Christian, licked her lips with a long tongue as she watched him intently.

『That creature is a demon beast.』