Vol 1 Chapter 13 – The Scenery Ten Years Later【Vol 1: The Hero Awakens】 

Clang!

The dry sound echoed through the familiar dojo.

The full-powered slash I unleashed was casually deflected by Lilia.

The impact of the wooden swords clashing sent a numbing vibration through my arms.

“—Too soft, Fuyuya! That sword path is the same one I saw ten years ago!”

“Tch…!”

Without a moment’s rest, a sharp thrust came flying.

I dodged it by twisting my body and immediately counterattacked.

But before my sword could reach, Lilia’s wooden sword was already pressed firmly against my throat.

“…That’s enough!”

Master Glen’s solemn voice echoed from the corner of the dojo where he had been watching our training.

“…I yield.”

I steadied my breath and raised both hands with a wry smile.

With this, today’s mock battles ended with me on the losing side again.

(She’s gotten way too strong…)

I looked at Lilia, who was grinning mischievously in front of me.

Her chestnut ponytail and those straight eyes full of determination hadn’t changed at all from ten years ago.

Yeah, just her appearance.

Ten years had passed since the battle with the Orc Leader.

In the modern world I came from, it was just one week.

But in this world of Arks Ende, ten years had undeniably flowed by.

Neither I nor Lilia had changed much in appearance since then.

In this world, once your level and magic power exceed a certain threshold, physical aging almost stops.

(It’s like being locked in the best state of your growth period… Convenient world, huh?)

Thanks to that logic, both I and Lilia still looked like we were in our late teens.

But on the inside, we were incomparable to ten years ago.

“Fuyuya, that last step-in was a bit too tense. That’s why your counter was late.”

“…Yeah, I know. I’ll fix it next time.”

“Hehe, I’ve heard that line enough times to get tired of it!”

While bantering lightly, Lilia handed me a towel to wipe my sweat.

Her thoughtfulness hadn’t changed from before.

But her sword skills were no longer comparable to what I knew from the original story.

She was unbeatable in the village, and even searching the whole kingdom, there weren’t many swordsmen who could match her now.

It was the result of a ridiculous chemical reaction between my “game strategy knowledge”-based anti-monster tactics and her innate talent for Glen-Style Swordsmanship.

And the same went for me.

“Fuyuya.”

“Yes.”

Master Glen called me with a solemn expression.

I stepped forward and knelt in front of him.

“As of today, I grant you the ‘full mastery’ of Glen-Style Swordsmanship.”

“…! Master…!”

“There’s nothing more I can teach you. Over these ten years, you’ve done well. You’re my proud disciple.”

Master’s words soaked warmly into my chest.

Ten years ago, as a wandering nobody almost turned away at the door, Master accepted me as a disciple and raised me like his own son.

I could never repay that debt in a lifetime.

“Thank you…! I have nothing but gratitude for you, Master.”

“I’m the one who should thank you. Thanks to you, this dojo, Lilia, and this village were saved. …And teaching you and Lilia has allowed my own swordsmanship to reach another level.”

Saying that, Master showed a deep, powerful smile.

His face bore the old scar from the Orc Leader battle ten years ago, etched there proudly.

In that battle, unlike the original story, Master didn’t suffer injuries that left him unable to recover.

That was all because of my intervention.

(Good… I protected them.)

Lilia’s future, Master’s future.

My first vow had been fulfilled without a doubt.

And these ten years had changed me greatly as well.

(Status, open.)

In my mind, I opened my information window.

――――――――――――――――――――

Status

Name: Hiiragi Fuyuya

Race: Human (Human)

Level: 52

HP: 1850 / 1850

MP: 640 / 640

Strength: 280

Endurance: 260

Agility: 310

Magic Power: 150

Dexterity: 220

Luck: 13

Skills

Unique Skill: 【Edit】

――――――――――――――――――――

(Even I have to admit, these stats are insane.)

Level 52.

A huge leap from level 15 ten years ago.

It was the result of repeated high-efficiency leveling in hidden dungeons no one knew about and monopolizing status-up items that dropped under special conditions.

Of course, I didn’t neglect sword training.

Sparring with Lilia and Master had turned my stats into true “strength” in the real sense.

I’d also gotten pretty good at using my unique skill 【Edit】.

For example, the wooden swords we were using in this dojo.

Normally, they’d have broken long ago from the impacts, but I’d secretly used 【Edit】 to change their strength definition from “wood” to “steel.”

(Well, that’s just the basics, though.)

Over these ten years, I’d become convinced of this skill’s true terror—its infinite potential.

I received the certificate of full mastery and left the dojo.

The setting sun dyed the entire village orange.

A peaceful scene.

Just protecting this view made these ten years worthwhile.

(…It’s about time to go.)

Sera Village was like a second hometown to me.

Lilia and Master were like family.

But I couldn’t stay here.

(According to the original story knowledge, the next tragedy happens in the Blazing Labyrinth.)

The solitary genius witch, Elmina.

Unable to control her overflowing talent, she was fated to cause a magic power rampage and self-destruct in her own flames.

That event was coming up soon.

(I have to save her.)

It wasn’t just out of kindness.

To overcome the harsh fates ahead, I needed companions.

There would definitely come scenes that Lilia alone couldn’t handle.

At those times, Elmina’s power to wield powerful magic would be absolutely necessary.

(And I need to get stronger myself.

To protect Lilia and the companions I’ll meet from here on… this time, with my own power.)

That was the second vow I’d made in this world.

I wasn’t that powerless me who lost everything to NTR.

Now, I had the strength to defy fate.

Staring at the horizon where the night’s darkness approached, I quietly solidified my resolve.

To save the next heroine.

And to seek even greater power.

My true journey was about to begin.