NOVEL NEXT vol. 18 chapter 14
Chapter 481
After the Training with Rose and Nagi
After receiving guidance from two seasoned warriors—Rose and Nagi—I decided to continue with the usual training of the Rescue Team.
At first, I had been training under Rose's instruction, but now, we generally train based on individual and collective judgments, with group and solo sessions taking place.
And today———
"Nack, Keela, are you both keeping up?"
" "Yes!" "
I was running through the streets of Ringul with the youngest members of the Rescue Team, Nack and Keela.
"Gruhh~"
By the way, Bururin, who was carrying on my back, was also enjoying a nap.
The reason I ended up running with these two is simple: after finishing my sparring session in the morning, I went outside to run, and by chance, I met up with them. So, we ended up training together.
"Sorry for making you adjust to our pace."
Nack apologized with an embarrassed expression as I ran at a slower pace than usual. I smiled and shook my head.
"Don't worry about it. The morning session was incredibly intense, so this pace is actually just right."
"Honestly, I wanted to see it right there."
"I would’ve liked to see it too."
Due to the nature of the fights, I can somewhat match Rose in terms of tactics, but against Rose’s basic skill level, I would just get beaten up.
"It wasn’t anything exciting to watch."
"Haha, you’re joking."
"Heh heh."
Nack seemed to genuinely believe I was joking, while Keela let out a small chuckle.
"Oh, by the way, I have some business at the castle, so I’ll have to split off from you soon. Is that okay?"
"Do you have something to do at the castle?"
"Yeah. I need to talk to Kazuki. It’s probably hard to meet him without an appointment, but I’ll try to arrange a meeting in advance."
It would be troublesome to just show up at the castle unannounced.
As for the sparring, it’s not something urgent, so I should arrange it based on Kazuki’s schedule.
"…"
For a little while, we continued running in silence along the forest road near Ringul’s castle town.
It’s rare to run at such a relaxed pace, and I found it refreshing. As I was running, Nack suddenly spoke in a nostalgic tone.
"This brings back memories."
"Hmm? Memories of what?"
"When you were training me back in Lukvis."
"Ah, right."
It was when I trained Nack for the fight against Mina.
At that time, I was chasing Nack through the streets of Lukvis, carrying Bururin on my back.
Thinking back on it, Nack has grown a lot since then.
"Back then, it was a series of surprises. You, who said you’d train me, were chasing me around the streets while carrying Bururin on your back and throwing magic bullets at me with incredible force..."
"Hahaha."
"I can laugh about it now, but at the time, I really thought I was going to die."
Such nostalgia.
It was my first time outside the Kingdom of Ringul, so I was also stumbling my way through everything.
During the training, I was running through the streets with Bururin on my back, and I got scolded by the headmaster, Gladys, too.
"Training someone was a first for me. It’s a memorable experience for me too."
"It’s the same for me. If it wasn’t for that experience, I probably wouldn’t be here today."
I’m happy to hear that.
"Mmm..."
"Hmm?"
What’s up, Keela?
I turned around when I heard her dissatisfied voice, but Keela, running alongside Nack, was looking up at me with a smile on her face.
"...I’m reminded of the time when I helped with your training, Usato."
"Hmm? Oh, you mean when you helped train the unit. You helped a lot back then."
It was when we were training the demon kin we recruited in the Demon Lord’s territory.
When teaching them how to circulate magic, I needed Keela’s help with the magic exercises.
Thanks to Keela watching over the training, I was able to do things much more smoothly.
"That training helped me understand what the Rescue Team training is like. And Usato, you helped me a lot with my dark magic."
"That wasn’t just me during the ruins. It’s because you faced your dark magic with your own will that we got through it."
"...Hehe."
I wonder if we’re getting nostalgic now?
If so, should I share a similar story? ...Nah, that would end up being a dramatic tale of my grueling entry into the Rescue Team, so I’ll skip it.
" "..." "
"Why are you two glaring at each other?"
" "It’s nothing." "
"Is that so?"
They were glaring at each other with such intensity, but is everything really okay?
As I was getting a little uneasy about the tension between them, we finally entered the castle town of Ringul.
As usual, I greeted the people we passed and returned their salutations while continuing to jog casually.
"We’re almost at the castle."
It’s not bad to run while chatting occasionally... but.
"...Hmm."
I glanced at Nack, running slightly behind me, and thought for a moment.
Since reuniting with his sister, Nack has definitely become brighter.
That’s probably a good thing for him... but right now, he’s pushing himself too hard.
Of course, it’s not that he dislikes reuniting with Milia—it’s something else... something like a sense of guilt about her.
On the surface, Nack seems to be hiding it, but it’s obvious to me and the other Rescue Team members.
In fact, just last night———
"Hey, Usato. You need to talk to Nack, got it?"
"Is that really what you’re focusing on, vice-captain?"
"I can do it, you know?"
"Don’t tell me you’re only worried about your own training?"
"That sounds like neglect of duty, doesn’t it?"
After dinner, I was surrounded by the intimidating members of the team, led by Tong, and this was what they said.
Trying to be as calm as possible, I responded to the intimidating team members who surrounded me.
"Huh? I don’t need you guys to tell me, I know, you bandits."
" "What did you say!?" "
From the outside, it probably looked like a bunch of bandits bullying a helpless civilian.
However, their concerns weren’t unfounded, and I had been worried about this too, so I agreed to talk to Nack.
"...I need to talk to him."
I wanted to wait for the right time when I could talk to him calmly. But talking to him while Milia is around would be inconsiderate.
This seems like the right moment.
"Nack, Keela, let’s stop for a moment."
"Eh? What’s up?"
"Are we taking a break?"
After asking a nearby stall owner for permission, I borrowed a wooden crate for them to sit on.
I lowered Bururin from my back, leaned against him, and began talking to Nack.
"Nack, I think I should talk to you now."
"Yes?"
Nack tilted his head as he sat on the crate.
"You probably already know this, but... you need to talk things out with Milia, okay?"
"...Ah, yes."
"You know what you need to talk about, right?"
A Moment of Conversation with Nack and Keela
I sighed with relief as Nack nodded in understanding.
Milia may seem more mature than her age, but she's still just a child.
For a ten-year-old girl to come all the way from a distant land to the Ringul Kingdom, even with a servant, is no small feat. No matter how many times she says she’s fine, that doesn’t mean it’s true.
"I understand... Milia says she’s fine, but I know she’s probably lonely. Also... my parents have placed too much pressure on her and pushed her to try harder than she should."
From what I’ve heard from Nack, I can’t completely blame his parents. But it wouldn’t be surprising if they, with their excessive expectations, forced Milia to take on more than she could handle, especially since she has the potential they desire.
"But... I don’t know what to do. I’m not part of the Argales family anymore... and more than that, I ran away from that house."
"…"
"I’m in no position to tell Milia what to do, especially after I ran away. I’ve left her alone, shouldered the role of a noble, and now... what can I, as her brother, possibly do for her?"
The hand Nack had placed on his knee was trembling.
"I... I’ve only been thinking about myself. I left my little sister behind and forced the burden of being a noble on her. Now, I don’t know what I should do as her brother."
The guilt of having escaped the shadow of his parents weighed heavily on Nack. This was the torment that had been bothering him.
I knew what I needed to say.
Just as I was about to express it clearly, Keela, who had been sitting on the crate beside us, flared the dark magic cloak she had been wearing and slapped Nack’s back with a strong hit.
"Ouch!? W-what are you doing!?"
"Nack, stop being so mopey. It’s annoying."
"M-Mopey!? You’re the one saying that!?"
Keela shot back, not even looking at Nack, and continued.
"You need to talk, don’t you? You and Milia aren’t fighting, so there’s no reason to avoid each other."
"...I know that."
"You wouldn’t be moping around like this if you really understood, would you?"
Nack groaned, unable to argue back.
"I think it would be worse if you distance yourself out of guilt, making Milia feel like you’re avoiding her."
Keela gave Nack a quick glance before turning her gaze back to me.
I think she’s remembering the time when she couldn’t control her dark magic properly and was trying to distance herself from her family out of fear. Now, seeing Nack struggle with a similar issue, she’s giving him this advice. I decided not to interfere and just watched.
"I’ll make sure to set up a meeting with Milia when we get back."
"Huh!? No, I’m not ready for that yet!!"
"You’ll never be ready if you keep waiting. You don’t know when Milia’s going back, do you?"
It’s a bit forceful, but it’s not the kind of forcefulness that would cause any harm. After all, Nack and Milia aren’t fighting or estranged, so it’s probably not a bad kind of push.
Nack seemed to realize this as well. After exhaling a deep sigh, he stood up.
"...Alright! Fine, I’ll talk to her today! Ugh, seriously... Usato, let’s resume training!"
"Hahaha... Alright, let’s do that."
Both Keela and I stood up, and Nack, now determined, started running ahead.
As I watched his back, Keela looked up at me proudly.
"So, what do you think, Usato?"
"Seeing the Nack you’ve grown into, I’m sure Greff would be happy too."
I said this from the heart, and Keela tilted her head towards me with a proud look.
With her grayish hair, similar to Ferum's, and small horns, she looked quite proud.
Seeing her silently lean her head towards me, I remembered something Keela had asked of me a while ago. I nodded once before gently placing my hand on her head and patting her lightly.
"Hehe."
Both Nack and Keela have grown since coming to the Ringul Kingdom and joining the Rescue Team.
I was genuinely happy about that fact, and with that thought in mind, I resumed running to catch up with Nack.