Vera and Arslan went back and forth, discussing which moment was the highlight of the match between Rio and Sara’s group. Apparently, they both had a particular instance in mind they weren’t willing to give up on.
“Hmph! What do you think, Latifa?” Vera asked.
“Huh? All of it, I think. Onii-chan was super cool. Ehehe,” Latifa replied, smiling happily. Prompted by Vera, Latifa smiled happily as she answered.
Arslan sighed. “There’s no point in asking Latifa — she has a brother complex. What about you, Masato?” he asked.
“...Hm? Me? ...I think the most impactful moment was when Rio clashed his weapon with Alma head-on.” Masato seemed to be distracted with his thoughts, but had been listening enough to answer with a quiet tone of excitement in his voice.
“You mean when he spun around and slashed sideways?” Vera specified.
“Yeah, that was amazing. I never imagined he’d face Alma in a test of strength.” Arslan said keenly.
Alma turned her cool gaze to Arslan. “Why is that unimaginable to you?” She was aware her race had monstrous strength, but it left her maiden heart with mixed feelings.
“Huh? U-Uhh, no, I didn’t mean it that way!” Arslan’s voice cracked as he shook his head. Just then, Rio and the others returned to the living room with trays of tea and snacks.
“Here, food’s ready. Were you talking about the match just now?” Orphia asked with a grin.
“Yeah, we were,” Arslan said, then eagerly changed the subject. “Oh, that’s right... Hey, Rio. Please teach me how to fight later!”
“Yeah, sure,” Rio agreed readily.
“H-Hey, umm. Could you... Could you teach me how to use a sword, too, Haruto?” Masato asked nervously.
“...Teach you swordcraft?” Rio’s eyes widened faintly.
“...Yeah. Can you?” Masato asked, watching Rio’s expression.
“Hmm... I don’t think that’s something I can decide on my own,” Rio answered ambiguously in a guilty tone, looking at Miharu and Aki.
“Ah, umm. I don’t really like dangerous things, but I want to respect Masato’s choices. Aki also agreed that it’s fine as long as it’s not dangerous...” Miharu explained timidly.
“I see. So the two of you have discussed it already,” Rio said with a slightly unsettled expression.
“Yes. Back when Sara was giving us a tour of the house, we were talking about what we wanted to do during our stay in the village,” Miharu said, watching Rio’s face.
“Shouldn’t it be okay, then? He really wants to do it. There’s no man that wouldn’t feel fired up after seeing that fight,” Arslan said casually.
“Quiet, you,” Sara scolded. “Rio has his own thoughts. He’s a guardian of Masato’s, too.”
“Ah, no, I was just thinking a little. Umm... If you asked me if it was dangerous or not, I’d have to say it’s dangerous. It’s not like sports.” Rio looked at Miharu and Aki with a troubled expression, then turned to Masato with a serious look on his face. “Could I ask why you want to learn swordcraft, Masato? If you want to do it as a sport, I can’t recommend it.”
“I...” Masato was faintly taken aback and was rendered speechless.
“There are children in the village like Arslan and Vera that have been handling weapons from a young age in order to become warriors. Everyone’s learning in preparation for a real battle. Right?” Rio said to Masato, turning to Sara for confirmation.
“...Yes, that’s right. In order to show that the lessons are real and not a game, the instructor usually beats the understanding of a warrior into the children through real combat first. Many of them give up on being warriors at that point.” Sara nodded slowly.
“Aah, yeah, that. That was scary...” Arslan muttered with a faraway look in his eyes.
“Scary...” Vera nodded in agreement.
“Masato, the children of the village are... No, the people of this world pick up their weapons knowing that a battle is a fight for one’s life. That’s what weapons exist for. If you want to pick up a weapon, you have to be prepared for that. It’d be even more dangerous if you were to take up a weapon without knowing that,” Rio said to Masato, carefully choosing his words.
“...” Masato gulped, falling silent with a contemplative expression on his face as he pondered Rio’s words.
“It’d be one thing if you were to spend the rest of your life living safely within the village, but you’re going to return to Strahl someday, right? That place is more dangerous than the village. When you fight for your life, you also risk other people’s lives. By picking up a weapon, you have to be prepared to treat even children as fighters,” Rio said with a conflicted look, telling the unfortunate truth.
The atmosphere in the room was heavy; while Sara and the spirit folk girls could understand what Rio was saying, Miharu and Aki felt like Rio’s words were directed at them, making them feel extremely uncomfortable.
“But... that being said, not being a fighter means you’ll have to resign yourself to being attacked. Being a non-combatant doesn’t always mean one will be treated gently. There may come a time when you’ll regret not having the power to fight,” Rio said in a somewhat affirmative tone.
“...Huh?” Masato noticed that the nuance of Rio’s remarks had changed, making a confused expression appear on his face.
“That’s why I’ll respect your decision, Masato. It sounded like a lecture, but if you still want to learn swordcraft after everything you just heard, I’ll teach you. In other words... I’m of the same opinion as Miharu,” Rio said with a strained smile, then looked at Masato in question. What do you want to do? his gaze asked.
“I-I... I want to learn swordcraft. I’m scared, but I don’t want to regret anything. I want to have the power to protect people!” Masato insisted earnestly.
“...I see — you truly want to learn. Then, I’ll teach you in the spirit folk style of learning through a real battle first. It’ll be harsh, okay? If you give up here, then we won’t go any further,” Rio said in a somewhat intimidating tone.
“J... Just what I wanted!” Masato agreed with determination.
“Well, you wouldn’t be a man if you backed down here. Do your best.” Arslan grinned, thumping Masato on the shoulder.
“Yeah!” Masato nodded with a smile, but a gloomy look fell over Arslan’s face.
“Well, I do believe it’ll be mentally tough as well.”
“I-Is it really that harsh?”
“Ah... Rio is kind, but... hmm. I wonder? Even the normally gentle warriors of the village do a complete one-eighty sometimes. I guess all you can do is fight to the best of your ability against a better opponent?”
“F-Fight? ...Me?” Masato tilted his head, his eyes wide.
“Yeah, with Rio. We said it was real combat, didn’t we? In the village, we use that to determine whether or not you have the aptitude to become a warrior,” Arslan explained.
“Oh, so that’s how it is. But, me against Haruto...” Masato recalled the strength Rio showed in the earlier mock battle and gulped nervously.
“That’s how things are here, so why don’t we get to it right away after this? Okay?” Rio asked Masato.
“S-Sure!” Masato nodded, his expression stiff.
◇ ◇ ◇
A short time later, Rio stood in the square before the town hall, prepared to spar with Masato. There had been a huge crowd of observers for the earlier match, but after the break, it was only Rio’s group that remained.
Masato was equipped in a full set of the village children’s training gear he borrowed: a one-handed sword and shield, as well as leather armor.
“While there wouldn’t be time to do so in a real match, let’s make sure we warm up properly.”
Obeying Rio’s words, Masato focused on loosening his body carefully. At the same time, Rio was silently checking his movements with a one-handed sword and shield — a combination he rarely used — while he silently practiced stances as he tested his grip. Now that he had agr
eed to teach Masato, a tense air surrounded Rio; it was as though he was telling people not to approach him recklessly with his whole body.
“Onii-chan...” Latifa watched Rio worriedly. No, it wasn’t only Latifa — both Miharu and Aki, as well as Sara, Orphia, and Alma were shrinking back a little at the side of Rio they didn’t usually see. However, they were unable to do anything but watch over Rio and Masato from afar.
“Umm, this is like a practical test in order for Masato to learn swordcraft, right? What exactly is involved in the teaching of understanding through real combat?” Aki asked Sara and the others, seemingly worried for her stepbrother’s well-being.
“It’s a reenactment of a battle for your life. Of course, the gap in ability means it won’t be much of a match, but the instructor acts as though it’s real combat by using a killing intent and real hostility toward their opponent. That way, we can ascertain who has the heart to keep fighting without fearing death,” Sara explained.
“H-He won’t get injured, though... right?”
“He probably will. But Rio wouldn’t hurt him intentionally and we have spirit arts to heal with, so there’s no need to worry about injuries with long-lasting effects.”
Though there was no guarantee for his mental state, Sara added to herself.
“So that’s why everything seems so tense. I’ve never seen Haruto like that before,” Aki said, her gaze fearfully pinned on Rio.
Sara and the rest of the group nodded, their expressions stiff. “...That goes for us, too.”
Then, Rio finished his preparations and approached Miharu and the others. “Miharu, Aki... Sara and the rest of you, too. It might not be very pleasant to watch, so feel free to go home and rest. There’s no need to force yourself to stay, okay?” Rio said somewhat darkly.
“Ah, no... Umm, that’s...” They exchanged glances with each other, awkwardly mumbling under their breath.
Meanwhile, Miharu slowly raised her hand and expressed her desire to observe. “Umm, please allow me watch you.”
“It may be a little extreme. Are you going to be all right?” Rio asked while watching Miharu’s face.
“I’ll be fine. Umm, since I’ll be entrusting Masato to you with this, I wanted to bear my share of the responsibility. I feel like I have a duty to see things through, too... so please allow me to observe.” Miharu spoke quietly, showing a glimpse of her firm resolve as she bowed her head at Rio.
Rio’s eyes widened faintly as he nodded, showing some surprise. “...I understand.”
“U-Umm! Then please let me watch, too! Because Masato is my little brother!” Aki asked, following suit with Miharu.
“I see... All right.” Rio nodded in agreement.
“Naturally, I’ll be watching too, Onii-chan.” Latifa declared resolutely.
“Yeah, I know,” Rio acknowledged with a faint smile. Sara, Orphia, and Alma all looked at each other and nodded.
“Please let us watch, too,” they requested.
“I’m watching. Masato’s my friend, after all.”
“Me too!” Arslan and Vera chimed in.
“So, in the end, everyone wants to watch. All right.” Rio gave up with a bitter smile and turned on his heel. If it was going to be like this, then he couldn’t afford to hesitate anymore; he had to be prepared to reveal his cold-hearted side. With that, Rio took a small breath and walked toward Masato.
“Shall we begin soon, Masato?”
“Y-Yeah!” Masato nodded nervously.
“You should relax your muscles. Your movements will be too stiff otherwise.”
“O-Okay! Got it... All right!” Masato nodded, taking a deep breath. He braced his one-handed sword and shield as well as he could; he hadn’t been taught any techniques yet, so his form was a little awkward and misshapen.
Rio readied his sword and shield, too. His left foot was in front, while his right foot was behind; this left the shield on his left side inevitably in the front. It was the standard sparring stance for a sword and shield combination taught in the Kingdom of Beltrum — he had learned during his school days.
“The sword and shield combination is the most common sword style in the Strahl region. In terms of combat against humans, it has excellent balance between offense and defense. That’s why I was thinking of teaching you this sword style too, Masato... But you can just consider any technical instruction today as a bonus,” Rio explained, standing roughly ten meters away from the other boy. “The rest... I’ll teach you as we fight for real. The match starts now — feel free to attack me whenever.”
He looked up at the sky. With a small inhale of breath, Rio quietly adjusted his concentration.
“...Huh?” Was that the signal to begin the fight? Masato wondered in confusion. However, even if he wasn’t aware of it, the battle had already long begun.
“What’s wrong? You’re not going to come at me?” Rio asked in a cold voice that was tinged with clear hostility and murderous intent.
“?!” That was enough to make Masato feel a dense aura of death; a shudder running through his body. It wasn’t only Masato — the others who were watching from the side were involuntarily shaking, too.
What... was that just now? Miharu didn’t even understand why she was shaking, but the aura just now was of a type she had never glimpsed before. She couldn’t even believe it was being released by the person in front of her... Perhaps that was why her pounding heart wouldn’t stop.
However, the amount of discomfort Miharu felt was nothing compared to Masato, who was the one actually on the receiving end of that hostility and malice. His chest ached as though his heart was being squeezed.
Come at me quickly, Rio’s gaze was demanding the entire time, but Masato’s feet wouldn’t budge.
“I’ll wait another thirty seconds. If you can’t attack me in that time, you fail,” Rio declared plainly.
“Huh?!” Masato twitched faintly in an attempt to move his sword-wielding hand. He somehow managed to raise both elbows, assuming a fighting stance full of opportunities for Rio to land an attack. Several seconds passed, when suddenly, Masato charged at Rio with a roar.
“...Uuhh, uwaaaah!”
But the sword was heavy. The shield was heavy. His body was heavy. Masato couldn’t move as he wished, and he didn’t know how to move properly. He stopped just before Rio.
Was a sword really something that could be swung at a person? Though it was a training sword without a sharp edge, swinging it with all one’s might was still enough to bludgeon someone to death. When he realized such a dangerous weapon was in his grasp, Masato faltered.
“It’s all right. No matter how you swing that sword, you won’t hit me. There’s no need to hold back. Come — hit me. Or... have you had enough? We can quit if you want,” Rio said provokingly to Masato.
“Uh... R-Raargh!” There was still some fighting spirit left in Masato, as he managed to shake his sword with impatience.
“Guh?!” Rio purposefully stepped toward the incoming attack and deflected Masato’s sword with his shield. The impact blew Masato’s sword away.
“Don’t move!” Rio yelled.
Masato froze on the spot; he belatedly realized there was a sword tip pointed at his throat and gulped nervously. If they had been using real swords, the tip would have been a few millimeters from piercing his skin.
“Your swings are inadequate. Letting go of your sword is out of the question. Pick it up and attack again. Once more, from the start,” Rio stated, pulling his sword away as he widened his distance from Masato.
“Huh? Ah...” Masato remained standing in a daze.
“What’s wrong? Pick it up already. The battle resumes now.”
“Uh...” At Rio’s hostile tone, Masato timidly picked up the sword, but the fear of having the sword tip pointed at his throat still remained, making it hard for him to move.
“...Masato. If this were a real battle, I would have moved long ago.”
“R-Right...” Masato cowered with a nod, his usua
l good-humored manner of speech nowhere to be seen. Despite that, he still seemed to have some fighting spirit left in him, as he picked up the sword, trembling.
“You’re drawing back too much. Your grip is still off, too.” Rio walked up to him, then swung his sword harshly to send Masato’s sword flying. It spun through the air before stabbing into the ground.
“Again. One more time. Pick it up,” Rio ordered mercilessly.
“Ah... Uh...” Masato groaned in a voice that nearly vanished.
“Hurry,” Rio said, making Masato flinch in surprise and pick his sword up. With another careless swing, he knocked Masato’s sword away once again.
“Again. Pick it up,” Rio ordered flatly.
Every time Masato picked up his sword, Rio would send it flying, sometimes pointing his sword tip at his throat. He continuously tormented Masato with his demand to fight again and again.
As the onlookers, Miharu and the others watched on with pained expressions. Aki especially, whose body gradually trembled harder as her expression twisted with the desire to speak up. However, even as that was happening, a change was certainly occurring within Masato. Despite being knocked down again and again, Masato’s fighting spirit was stimulated and he slowly began to get worked up.
“Uraaargh!” He gradually started to yell as he swung his sword, but even then, he was scared — or maybe frustrated — as his face poured with snot and tears while he attacked Rio. His movements seemed to be getting slightly better from watching and copying Rio’s actions, at least.
“That’s right. Your shield can also be used as a blunt weapon, but don’t swing it recklessly. You’ll create a blind spot for yourself.” Rio drove his sword sharply into the blind spot Masato created by swinging his shield wildly.
The tip of his sword pointed at Masato’s throat. “Again,” Rio ordered in a short tone, and regrouped.
“Uugh,” Masato groaned in frustration.
“U-Umm, Haruto!” Aki yelled in a loud voice.
“...What?” Rio turned his gaze toward Aki, his tone devoid of all emotion.
Aki faltered for a moment, then stared directly back at Rio and answered. “Uh... Ah, no... Umm, isn’t that enough? I think Masato’s understood enough about the frame of mind needed for real combat at this point.” It showed how much she treasured Masato despite all their usual bickering and insults.
The Silver Bride Page 6
