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

Chapter 83 The Fishman Apprentice Awakens

(What is this… ? I didn’t feel like I was kicking a person. It felt like I was kicking a piece of dead coral or something…)

Dona clenched and opened his hands.

He bent and stretched his knees.

Focusing his awareness from the top of his head to his toes, he realized something. An unfathomable strength surging through his body.

No, he had always had the sensation. The feeling of growing stronger… the sensation of accumulating power.

But he had been unaware of this growth until now.

The one who had hindered his awareness was undoubtedly Croix.

Fighting Croix, who possessed a hopelessly absolute power, every day had made him believe that his own strength wasn’t growing…

Of course, from Croix’s perspective, this was intentional.

By making him believe that he wasn’t growing, Croix forced him to act more, think more, and accumulate only experience points in his body.

Naturally, it was crucial not to let his spirit break. Croix had taken great care to ensure he didn’t believe he wasn’t growing or lacked talent.

However, Dona had become aware of his growth after easily inflicting damage on those who had previously tormented him.

Recognizing one’s growth versus not recognizing it could mean a vast difference in the speed of that growth.

Additionally, the experience points accumulated within Dona until now—had caused him to grow rapidly.

The strength rising from deep within his body.

It transformed into fighting spirit, bursting out from Dona’s body.

“Damn it…! Shit, it hurts…!”

“W-what… What are you…!”

“Don’t mess with me, you weakling!”

The three who instinctively sensed Dona’s transformation roared.

But they only roared, not daring to attack Dona.

It was instinctual. If they tried to lay a hand on Dona now, they would be the ones getting hurt.

At worst, they would die.

Dona felt the same.

If he put a little more force into it, these three would die.

That was why Dona was now weighing his options.

He could do as he pleased with those who had mocked him until now. Whether to kill or spare them was entirely up to him.

Dona balanced these options.

“I won’t kill you. But… I’m going to beat you until I’m satisfied.”

“““Eek…!?”””

◆

“──Hmm. As expected.”

“Yeah. It’s helpful that those three are making it so easy to see what they’re up to.”

Croix, Wiel, and Mion were watching Dona’s movements from atop the castle roof.

The distance was no less than three kilometers. Yet the three were clearly observing Dona.

“Ah… I’m exhausted.”

“Heh. Good work, Mion.”

Naturally, Mion was also involved in this matter.

Unlike Dona, Mion was experiencing steady growth through combat.

So why did Dona’s training involve such a roundabout method?

“To be frank, Dona has an overwhelmingly low sense of self-worth. Even if he grows under such conditions, explosive growth like what we’re seeing now wouldn’t be possible. First, he needed to accumulate experience points. Then, create a trigger to stimulate his growth. I thought this would also boost his self-worth… And it worked out well.”

For Croix, it was a gamble.

Ensuring Dona’s mental state didn’t crumble was a delicate balancing act during the training period.

But Croix won the gamble.

“Mion, we’re increasing the intensity of the training starting tomorrow. For the remaining week, push yourselves as if your lives depend on it.”

“Yes!”

──That day, the three fish-people were discovered battered and bruised at the training ground.

They had complex fractures in both legs and internal injuries, but thanks to the fish-people’s durability and recovery abilities, they were not fatal.

The Army Commander concluded it was Dona’s work but imposed no direct punishment on him, ending the matter with a stern warning.

The next day, however, the three disappeared from the underwater nation of Dipsea.