The Strongest Female Masters, Who Are Trying to Raise Me Up, Are in Shambles Over Their Training Policy - V2Ch14: Entrenched Swordsmanship and the Initial Goal

 Episode 14 – Entrenched Swordsmanship and the Initial Goal

Stunned by the mansion’s grandeur, I swiftly changed into training gear in the dressing room attached to the bathroom, as instructed by Ms. Leone.

Surprisingly, my adventurer school-issued equipment, cherished since then, was neatly laid out in the dressing room. Ms. Leone, aware that using familiar gear in practice is beneficial, had convinced Headmistress Sariela to bring it. Did she use some clever persuasion, or does she simply have the headmistress wrapped around her finger?

Equipped with my well-worn leather armor and training shortsword, I felt a surge of tension as I changed. Surveying the lavishly decorated dressing room, I realized I had truly become an apprentice to remarkable individuals.

“S-class adventurer’s rigorous training… It’s bound to be challenging, but I’ll overcome any hardship to become an adventurer like Elysia!”

A different excitement, distinct from the one surrounded by the soft and sweet sensation, pulsed through my heart for a different reason.

I sprinted to the courtyard where the world’s strongest adventurer awaited.

“Ah, you’re here.”

Heading towards the courtyard, Leone greeted me with crossed arms and a rough smile. However, that smile turned hostile upon seeing a certain person accompanying me.

“…Why the hell is she coming with you? Telemia.”

“Eh~? Well, I was bored, you know?”

Telemia, who had been waiting for me in the hallway, placed her hands on my shoulders.

“Rudmila-chan seems to have various preparations, but I don’t have anything else to do. So, I thought, why not keep an eye on Leone-chan and make sure she doesn’t do anything suspicious during training?”

“You’re not pulling anything weird, okay!?”

Leone’s face turned as red as her hair the moment she noticed the person coming with me.

Surprisingly unexpected.

“Well, whatever. Your skills can be useful for training, I guess.”

Leone, avoiding eye contact with Telemia and me, picked up the training shortsword that had been prepared.

“Alright, ignore Telemia’s nonsense and let’s get started. First, come at me with everything you’ve got. Hit me.”

“Yes!”

Following Leone’s instructions, I gripped the training shortsword with both hands. While Telemia observed from a distance, I swung the sword with a shout.

“Ha! Hyah!”

Clang! Thud! Naturally, Leone effortlessly parried my sword.

After four or five exchanges, when the sound of our swordplay echoed in the courtyard, Leone suddenly called a halt.

“Well, I’ve got the gist of it. You were pretty much bullied at the adventurer school, huh?”

“What…!?”

“Well, anyone aiming to be an adventurer in that kind of school would face some bullying sooner or later. If you were weak in that environment, it’s only natural.”

“How did you know!?”

“Your strikes were full of hesitation.”

Answering my surprised question, Leone continued, “The reason for that hesitation is the ingrained belief that ‘I am weak.’ Those who think of themselves as weak, who’ve been made aware of it, unconsciously hesitate to attack because they fear retaliation. Your sword was tainted with that fear.”

“…!”

Facing Leone’s observation, I, who had a clear understanding of the issue, was left speechless. Could she really discern so much from just a few strikes!?

“Now, about this hesitation issue. The problem is that it hinders you from performing at your best during crucial moments. If it affects you in practice, it’ll be even worse in a real fight. If you can’t produce results when it matters, training feels pointless, and motivation dwindles. Plus, if you’re hesitant in close combat, training with me, focused on simulated battles, won’t be effective either. So…”

Leone, having laid out my current issue, chuckled and continued, “The initial goal is to reach a point where you find joy in physical fights. That’s the first step in overcoming your hesitations. Can you find joy in brawling?”

“B-Bring joy to brawling…?”

“Well, you did charge at that hydra. Your environment might have been bad, but if you adapt properly, you should be able to confront anyone with full force.”

Leone, with her excessively rough adventurer-like goal, had me switch my training shortsword to a real one without a dull blade.

“Alright, this is the first step in the training to find joy in brawling. Attack me with that sword as much as you can, full force, of course.”

Afterward, Leone discarded her sword, and unarmored, she encouraged me to attack with everything I had.

“Eh…? W-Wait, I can’t do that! You might get injured!”

Concerned, I protested to Leone, who was not only unarmed but also reduced her defense.

“Hmm? Ah, right, that’s true.”

Leone easily accepted my opinion.

“Indeed, with your current strength, the impact from striking me might hurt your own hand more than it does anything to me. Hey, Telemia, can’t you use your skill to lower my defense?”

“Sure thing!”

“No, not like that!”

What is she doing!? Why is she tossing aside her sword, not wearing any armor, and then having her defense lowered by Telemia!?

“…Huh? Cross, are you perhaps worried about me getting injured?”

Looking at me, who was gaping in disbelief, Leone finally understood my intention. But instead of acknowledging it, she called out towards the mansion.

“Hey, Rudmila! Give me a good punch!”

“What on earth…”

Leone called out to Rudmila, who had been indoors for various tasks, and she promptly responded by showing her face through a first-floor window.

“…What is it?”

“Just give me a solid punch!”

“Advanced Earth Magic: Edge Stone.”

In an instant, Rudmila unleashed a tremendously powerful earth magic with no hesitation, directly at Leone’s face- something that shouldn’t be possible without an incantation. 

It was an attack clearly far beyond what one would consider responsible. And in response to this seemingly dangerous assault…

“Le-Leone-san!”

Caught in a whirlwind of rapid rotations and speed, a pointed stone pillar, which could easily blow away several stone buildings, directly struck Leone’s face. The impact was so powerful that it carved up the courtyard, creating a large dust cloud.

“Le-Leone-san!?”

Incredibly, instead of moving an inch from where she stood, unharmed and without a scratch, Leone was there when the dust settled.

“…Huh?”

“Le-Leone-san!? Are you really okay!?”

Leone, who directly took the full force of advanced earth magic to the face without even attempting to evade or defend, reassured me while waving her hand in front of her.

“It’s fine. This house has the soundproofing blessing from an ‘Advanced High Priest,’ so even if it gets a bit loud, people won’t notice.”

“No, that’s not the point!”

I retorted to Telemia’s absurd explanation.

“Le-Leone-san… Are you okay?”

To prove she was unharmed, Leone, with a serious expression, began to cut herself on the arm and neck.

But to my astonishment, not a single drop of blood flowed from these self-inflicted wounds. 

“…Huh?”

“Well, there’s no need to worry about injuries now,” Leone confidently declared.

Witnessing this abnormal and resilient physique without a drop of blood, I was left utterly speechless. I finally understood why I was the one worrying about injuries. After all, when you cut into rocks or steel, the hand holding the sword is usually the one worse off. …What was normal again?

“Get used to ‘attacking with all your might a vastly superior unarmed woman’ using ‘real weapons’ and ‘unilaterally beating her.’ Once you get accustomed to this, you won’t hesitate to attack any opponent in this world. Now, come at me!”

As I marveled at the defense of an S-rank adventurer that defied common sense, Leone, with a rough laugh, declared the beginning of our training.

Translator’s note:

Are you relishing the enchanting escapades? If you fancy aiding this magical translation endeavor (and fueling my caffeine-powered incantations), you can contribute by buying me a virtual elixir on my Kofi account! Your support ensures the enchantment persists. ☕✨

https://ko-fi.com/senna_