Hi, I’m the Hero’s Father ～I’m Sorry For All The Trouble My Foolish Son Has Caused You～ - Chapter 82

Chapter 82   The Fishman Apprentice is Stunned

◆Dipsea Kingdom Army – Barracks◆

“Damn it! What the hell is going on?”

The usual three had gathered in one of the barracks’ rooms.

They had reported Dona to the battalion commander, but no rumors had emerged about Dona being punished.

If any disciplinary action had been taken, it would typically be posted on the notice board in the barracks.

The fact that nothing had appeared suggested that no particular action had been taken.

One of the three kicked a chair in the room to pieces.

“Hey! If you break stuff in the barracks, we’re the ones who’ll get punished!”

“Shut up!”

Despite being warned, frustration won out, and the chair was smashed further.

No matter how much they vented their anger on objects, their mood didn’t improve. In fact, their frustration only grew.

“But, you know, there was that surface dweller at the time. That woman’s power was abnormal, and we were taken down by her. We should just wait until Dona is alone.”

“…That’s true.”

Upon reflection, they realized they hadn’t been defeated by Dona but by the surface dweller Mion.

It was hard to imagine Mion being around all the time. If they were to act, it would have to be when Dona was alone.

One of them smirked, and the other two joined in with malicious grins.

“We’ll kill Dona. Acting all high and mighty despite being a weakling.”

“He’s just a fish in a bowl. If he’s alone, we can make him a punching bag again.”

“This time, let’s use a real weapon instead of a blunt training tool. We’ll make sure he never dares to stand up to us again.”

“““Hahaha, hahaha!”””

◆Royal Castle – Courtyard◆

“All right, that’s it for today.”

““Ah, thank you very much…””

It was the third week of training. With only one week remaining until the deadline, they still hadn’t managed to land a single hit on Croix, let alone come close.

They felt they were making progress, but the gap in power between them and Croix was so vast that it didn’t feel like they were advancing at all.

Whether they were truly improving or stagnating, Dona felt a hint of anxiety growing within.

Lying on the ground, he glanced sideways at Mion, who was sleeping next to him.

“Sis, do you think we’re getting stronger?”

“Yeah. …I think so, but…”

Even Mion, who had been training with Croix for a considerable time, was feeling uncertain.

It was unclear if they were actually getting stronger, and they didn’t know how to confirm their improvement.

Seeing the slightly disheartened pair, Neptune approached Croix.

“Croix, it seems like their motivation is waning. Is everything all right?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“What is?”

“It’s probably just about time.”

Not understanding Croix’s meaning, Neptune tilted her head. She also couldn’t grasp where his confidence in saying everything was fine came from.

“Wiel, do you understand what he means?”

“Well, I’m not sure, but… if my husband says it’s fine, then as his wife, I will just trust him.”

“…Indeed. I also trust him.”

“Who are you calling a concubine?”

Ignoring the battle of glances between Wiel and Neptune, Croix approached the pair.

“Both of you, rest for today. Resting is also part of training. Dona, you should go back to the barracks and relax in your room. You might catch a hint or two.”

“A hint?”

“I won’t say anything more. Just rest. That’s all.”

Croix returned to the castle, with Wiel and Neptune following behind.

Mion and Dona, left behind, looked at each other and tilted their heads.

“Well, if Croix says so, let’s head back without a debriefing today.”

“Yeah, let’s do that. See you tomorrow, sis.”

“Yes. Good night.”

Mion was seen entering the castle, and Dona trudged heavily toward the barracks.

The exhaustion from continuous training had left his feeling sluggish and unable to move as he wanted.

However, over the past three weeks, it seemed like his physique had changed quite a bit. He had been fighting almost forcibly, eating large amounts of food, and recovering with Wiel’s magic.

It had been an intense three weeks. Clearly, he was in much better shape than he had been before.

“But I still can’t beat Croix… sigh.”

He was anxious about whether he could truly win. He couldn’t even gauge how far Croix was above him.

No, dwelling on it here wouldn’t help. Being tired only made him think unnecessary thoughts. So, he decided it would be better to follow Croix’s advice and rest.

As he tried to shift his mindset and head to his room… at that moment.

“Hm?”

From around the corner of the dark corridor, a foot was extended. It was clearly a malicious foot meant to trip him.

Moreover, Dona recognized this foot. It was the same one that had stomped on him repeatedly—an annoying foot.

Dona let out a quiet sigh. He had experienced this scenario many times before. If he tripped without noticing, he would be beaten up by those three. If he noticed and avoided it, he would still be beaten up by the angry trio.

Either way, he would be hurt. Therefore, it was better to avoid angering them as much as possible.

Determined, Dona decided to pretend not to notice and walked toward the foot.

And the moment Dona’s foot touched the extended foot—

—Crunch!

The outstretched foot was easily broken.

“Ah!? Gyaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!?”

“…Huh?”

Dona’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected sight.

He hadn’t used any force. In fact, he had intended to just take a defensive posture without using strength.

Yet, it was the other’s foot that had broken, and he hadn’t sustained any damage at all.

Confused and dumbfounded, Dona stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened.