The training of the brave Dan and the innocent young boy Will starts early in the morning. This training, which only happens once every seven days, inevitably got Will all fired up.

“Hah!!”

“…Slow. Be quicker.”

“Ye-Yes!!!”

He was moving so hard that he started to hyperventilate, his responses became slow. However, in contrast, Dan, with a cool expression on his face, was swinging his sword leisurely. More accurately, his face was not visible, but he was swinging his sword casually.

“Don’t put your entire foot on the ground, it slows down your movements. Stand on your toes.”

“…Ye-Yes!!”

He was drilled so hard by the brave Dan that he became dizzy. He coughed, tasting a bit of blood in his mouth. As he sat down on the ground, a water bottle was handed to him from the hero. Before he could say thank you, he put it to his mouth and drank it all down in gulps.

“Hah, hah, th-thank you…”

“Eat this too.”

The hero handed him a lunchbox filled with sweet and salty chicken meat marinated in honey. He had brought it prepared from the breast meat of a bird-like monster called a Barbird for bodybuilding.

“Th-thank you.”

“…Forget about manners, just eat. It’s Golden Time.”

“Go-Golden Time?”

“Don’t you know?”

“I don’t know. What is Golden Time?”

“Just eat. I’ll explain while you eat.”

Knowledge about bodybuilding that was common in his previous life seemed unknown to Will. It’s only natural. The knowledge that the hero Dan possesses is from a world where the science of another world has developed. It’s impossible for Will to understand.

Golden Time, he roughly explained that the 30 minutes after exercising is a time when you can efficiently gain nutrition from food.

“Am-amazing, I’ve never heard of such knowledge!”

“Just eat.”

Dan urged him to quickly eat the chicken that was still left. To Will, it was a revelation, but to Dan, it was something he’d been doing daily. It’s something he had been building up since he was a kid.

Besides, Dan is used to being praised. It’s not that he doesn’t feel happy when he is told that he’s amazing, but the knowledge is not something he has created himself, so it doesn’t resonate much.

When he finished eating, Will started to speak, his face a bit gloomy.

“Um, am I really suitable to be the successor of the hero?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, I’ve been training with the hero for a month… but I don’t feel like I’ve grown much… I have a childhood friend named Dya, he can use magic up to the third level and he says he’s going to be a hero in the future.”

“And?”

“There are so many people who are more amazing than me… So, I…”

“Lack of confidence?”

“Yes…”

Will lacked confidence. Moreover, he had severe stage fright. That’s why he had the habit of immediately comparing himself to others around him. Despite receiving training from the hero, he still couldn’t feel his growth, and this caused him to criticize himself even more.

Even though he’s being trained by the hero, he doesn’t feel like he’s growing much. Could it be because he lacks talent? There can’t be anything wrong with the teaching.

After all, it’s Hero Dan who’s teaching him.

Again and again, he had this thought. Moreover, recently, even when the hero wasn’t there, Will was working hard on his training. However, when the entourage of his childhood friend, Dya, who had seen his efforts, told him,

“It’s pointless.”

“You can’t beat Dya.”

Those words stuck in his heart like a thorn.

“I’m the one who saw potential in you. I can’t be wrong. There’s no doubt you’ll grow.”

“…Really?”

“You’re persistent. I’m telling you I see potential in you. Or do you trust your insecurity more than my words?”

“N-no! That’s not…”

“You’re definitely growing. Everything is going as calculated.”

(Calculated? Really…?)

Will couldn’t help but doubt the hero a little. Then, after finishing the early morning training, he went to help out at home in the village. As it was nearing winter, he spent his time chopping firewood for his family.

“Will.”

“Ah, Menmen.”

“Why the long face?”

While Will was splitting firewood, his childhood friend Menmen called out to him. She was a cute girl with yellow hair and pale blue eyes. She noticed that the usually expressive Will looked strange, so she approached him.

“Um, it’s nothing.”

“Did someone say something mean to you again? That you can’t become a hero?”

“…No, it’s not that.”

“Liar, your face says it all.”

“No, really. It’s just that…”

(It’s just that… I can’t feel my growth, and I hate myself for doubting Hero.)

“You’ll surely succeed, Will. I believe in you.”

“Yeah. Thanks. But I’m sure Dya is…”

“Enough! You’re you, and Dya is Dya! It doesn’t matter!”

“…You’re right.”

(Not feeling it… Am I doubting Menmen, who is so concerned and caring about me?)

Just as he started to sink into his thoughts and blame himself, a loud voice echoed through the village.

“It’s terrible!! Monsters have appeared!!”

The voice of the village shepherd rang out, causing a commotion throughout the village.

“What should we do, Will?”

“I, I’ll go to subdue them immediately.”

“Will! What are you talking about! You’ve never fought monsters before! We have to hide.”

Her voice could be heard. Indeed, he had never fought a monster before, and given his extreme stage fright, it was predictable that he would be useless if he went.

“Dya is going to go out and subdue them!”

“He’s going with the adults!”

“That’s Dya for you!”

Voices could be heard. The voices echoed in his head.

“Hero…”

“Will?”

“Hide first!”

He ran. Surely the hero was still there. Today was the day to build up his confidence, so he had made a promise to train even after lunch was over.

So, he would ask him for help. To protect the village.

Running and running, he arrived where the hero in an iron mask was.

“Um, well――”

“――Are you expecting me to do it?”

That was the definition of one’s hair standing on end. He felt as though he was being tested.

“If I go, I won’t be of any use anyway… and if harm comes to anyone because of me…”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I’ll be watching from a distance. If anything happens, I’ll turn them to dust in an instant, so there will be no harm.”

――The hero doesn’t allow for excuses to run away.

“…Can I really do it?”

“You can. You were trained by me. Not just for a month, but a whole month.”

(If I can’t move well at all in this, would this person give up on me?)

“If I end up being completely useless…”

“Then we’ll just train again.”

“……”

“I’ll wait for you for ten years. Even if no sprouts appear. No matter how weak you are, you must always come here until you gain confidence and become stronger. So, fight.”

“――!”

(Ten years, is he willing to give me ten years!? This pressure, this spirit, it’s not a lie.)

“Fight,” the hero said, tossing him an old sword. The grip was wrapped in red cloth, which was torn in places, and the blade was chipped. However, he recognized that sword.

There are swords similar to this one, but the sword passed from the hero is only one.

“Is this… the Sword of Beginning?”

“Never mind that, hurry up and go. Show me. Your growth. Rest assured. I’m standing behind you, you’re practically invincible.”

(Indeed, if he, if Hero Dan is behind me… it’s not a mistake to say I’m invincible.)

The hero firmly pushed Will’s back.

“Go, and fight.”

“Yes, I’ll give it a try!”

Although he was trembling with tension, he began to run. After Will ran off, Dan let out a sigh of relief.

“He finally left… Well, I guess I should praise him as if he did a great job defeating a couple of goblins.”

“You should have more confidence. You’re pretty good in your own way.”

+-+

The scent of scorched earth filled the battlefield. The smell came from fire magic and burning monsters, and it wafted into the village. On the outskirts of the village, about a hundred goblins were battling with the adults of the village, among whom was a boy named Dya. They were fighting using magic while a group of adults and children, around Will’s age and somewhat capable of fighting, watched from a distance. They were the last line of defense for the village.

The small children and women in the village were hiding. However, only Menmen was out, not hiding, searching for Will.

“Um, do you know where Will is?”

“Menmen, hide!”

“But, Will…”

“Will is probably hiding somewhere, scared.”

A young man said so. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t find the words to retort. However, her gaze suddenly went to a particular place. At the very edge of the battle with the goblins, there was a boy with familiar black hair.

“Will!? What are you doing!?”

She knew he was weak, and she raised her voice to call him back. However, it didn’t reach him. She rushed out from the village towards him.

Because she knew Will didn’t have the strength to fight a goblin. She could see him shaking, although he was at a distance. She knew he was timid and prone to stage fright. She couldn’t leave him alone.

At the edge of the battlefield, Will was there, trying to suppress his trembling body and drawing his sword.

(Calm down, calm down, first of all, calm down!!)

An oddly shaped mass of green, the same number of limbs and where they grow, but with a strangely creepy look on its face. Its fangs are sharp and its nose is dirty. It was simply weird and scary, he thinks.

“Guaaaah!!”

“Uwaaaaah!!!”

(Huh? Is it slower than I thought…?)

He roared back at its roar and slashed. First, he cut off the goblin’s arm with his sword. It was the first time he saw blood on the battlefield. It certainly surprised him and was eerie. However, he felt more out of place with himself.

(What’s this?)

His body is tense, he’s aware of his stage fright, and his body is not moving as much as he thought.

――Yes, he was astonished that it was like this because it didn’t move as much as he thought.

“…Can I really do it?”

In response to his words, the worn, chipped blade of the sword reflected the sun’s light and shone for a moment.

“If I cut off its head…”

He cut off its head, and that was the end. Will had defeated a monster for the first time.

Physically and overall, he had become stronger than before. The only drawback was that he had not fought with anyone other than the Hero, so he had a first-time fear.

However, he realized that fear at this moment. He knew fear. And then, he understood.

(―― Compared to Hero Dan, it’s much slower……)

It was a natural conclusion. The man who could punch even the Demon King with one hand, albeit holding back, had taught him for a month. A goblin was not a big deal.

(Calm down, calm down, remember. Who taught me the sword? Who taught me?)

(―― Hero Dan, right…!! Then, such a minor enemy…!)

(Charge through the battlefield. Show it. To that person…)

(I will become the successor!!!!)

He ran, at that moment, he caught a glimpse of a man wearing an iron mask at the corner of his eyes. As if knowing that he should be able to reach higher heights, he was observing. “Please watch,” Will thought, and he swung his sword again.

“Dya, huh?”

Some fighting adult said that. He imagined the village’s strongest youth slashing the goblin. However, it was not Dya there, but Will who was still slashing goblins with a tense expression.

“It’s okay, I can do it, I can. I can, I can, I can. Cut it, cut, cut, cut. Show them, show them.”

He was fighting while constantly expressing tension, muttering to himself. Dya, the most talented young man in the village, doubted his eyes at his swordsmanship.

“Who are you…?”

No one answers that question. Without looking or paying attention to Dya, Will keeps running.

“Hah, hah, hah… I can still go, I can still go, can I still go… Any left?”

By the time he realized it, there were no more monsters. Will’s white clothes were dyed bright red, and he had slain twelve goblins.

A stunned silence hung in the air, and those who were watching from afar were looking at Will as if they had seen a ghost. Menmen, who had jumped out of the village to call him back, stood agape and frozen. She thought she would grill him later on what had happened after this.

Just as she thought everything was over, a goblin sprang from beneath her feet. It had been playing dead, waiting for someone to come along.

“Infernal decree, and blood to cleanse…”

The village’s most accomplished young man began to chant a spell. The distance between him and Menmen, the time it would take for the goblin to attack – no one would be able to make it in time. Even drawing, pulling, and firing an arrow would take too long.

Will saw it too. The moment when his childhood friend seemed about to be devoured…

At that moment, a memory sparked within him. In the heroic tale that Will had once read, it was written that there was a time when Hero Dan could not use magic at all. During those times, to save people out of his reach, he had used a certain secret technique. 

Without any arrows at his disposal, how he saved people from afar – that method was…

“Throwing Sword – Overflow!”

In a whisper, he, Will, was the first to throw his sword. And he reached out with his hand. 

Until a moment ago, Will had been nervous. He had been muttering and revealing his anxiety in order to maintain his own calm. Even when he had killed twelve goblins, his body had never fully unleashed its power.

But now, in the moment when someone was being attacked, his sense of justice surpassed his nervousness, anxiety, fear, and confusion. He had reached out as naturally as breathing.

Thud.

The sword was embedded in the goblin’s face. A dull sound rang out and blood sprayed everywhere, spattering onto Menmen’s face and clothes. In that moment, Menmen looked at Will’s face and was once again stunned.

It was a moment of twinkling, as if all masks had fallen. It was a face of his childhood friend he had never seen before.

Everyone seemed to have seen something unbelievable. Will drew salvation from the existence of the Hero Dan, whom he had seen, read about, and felt. It might just be an imitation, but they must have glimpsed a piece of what is commonly referred to as a heroic tale.

“Ah, huh? Did I…”

“Will! Will! Amazing! Amazing! Thank you!!”

Menmen ran over to him, both of them covered in blood. And the surrounding crowd wore a hundred different expressions in response to his leap.

“Hey, hey, is that Will?”

“No way…”

“There’s no way…”

“What was that last thrown sword about!?”

“Wow! You did it!!!”

“I’ve changed my mind about you!!”

“How could that guy…!”

Some were impressed, some were shocked, some were in awe, and some were jealous. The voices that filled the area enveloped Will. However, Will didn’t hear any of those voices.

Will was looking at a man in an iron mask at a certain location, and likewise, the man in the iron mask was looking at Will. The Hero said nothing. He was just watching him.

Yet, despite this, Will felt a strange sensation, as if he and the man were the only ones in the world.

He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t make any gestures. Still, Will somehow understood that the Hero was praising him. Then, as if realizing he’d felt it, the Hero turned his back and walked somewhere.

(Could it be… I won’t see him again?)

Will thought of that in a flash. He felt like it was a permanent farewell to the Hero who was going somewhere.

Avoiding Menmen and the adults of the village, he ran. He ran and ran, and when no one was in sight anymore, he caught up to the Hero’s back. Breathing heavily, Will stopped, and in response, the Hero’s footsteps also stopped.

“Um, well…”

“You did well.”

“-!”

“Everything went as calculated… I told you, didn’t I? That I saw potential in you.”

For the first time, he was praised by Hero Dan.

He chuckled as he cried, clenching his fist.

“Um, can you continue to teach me from now on?”

“Of course. But, you should rest today.”

“Ye, yes!”

“…and yeah. I’ll give you some sort of reward. What do you want?”

“Um… can we increase our training to once every seven days―”

“―That’s impossible. Choose something else.”

“Then, this sword, can I, can I, have it!?”

“Sure. Use it as you wish.”

“Ye, yes! Thank you! Also, I doubted you, Hero-san…”

“Oh? You doubted me… Just like a believer doubting their god.”

“That’s, that’s right! I’m really sorry. I look forward to working with you from now on!”

“Ah, understood.”

As Will bowed his head, the Hero began to walk away again. Perhaps this was the true beginning of the story between him and Will.

+-+

Wow, Will turned out to be way more incredible than I expected… Huh? I only expected him to take down one or two, and give him a pat on the back, tell him to keep up the good work… But he took out thirteen!

And doesn’t he usually get stage fright? 

What happened in the second half? Wasn’t he super cool? And that last move where he threw his sword, what was that? Who taught him that? 

I was planning to join in at some point and support him because he was doing so well, but it turned out that wasn’t necessary at all.

And the sword I gave to Will, it’s not actually mine. I just bought it from an antique store and had it remodeled to look the part. After all, I gave the real Beginning Sword to my father. It’s like how pro baseball players give their first ball to their mentor.

So, yeah, that’s not the real “Beginning Sword.” I intentionally made a fake one by hitting it against a rock to dull the blade, wrapping the grip, and practicing a few swings. I thought maybe Will would get motivated if I gave it to him since he seems to be my fan…

“Oh, uh…” After contemplating various things, Will caught up with me.

“Well done.”

“Huh?”

“It went just as planned… I told you before. I saw potential in you.”

Will’s performance was far beyond what I expected, and he was even more amazing than I thought, but I’ll act like I knew it all along…

I have to maintain the image of a respected mentor, after all. At first, it was just a joke, and even recently, it was just a joke, but I did say he had talent. Well, saying “It went just as planned” also implies that it’s just as expected for the future.

But really, he’s something else. I’ll grant him a wish as a reward.

“…And, yeah. I’ll give you a reward. What do you want?”

“Um… can we increase our training to once every seven days―”

“–That’s impossible. Choose something else.”

That’s way beyond my capabilities, give it up. I’ve asked others besides you, you know. It’s not gonna happen.

Huh? You want a sword? Sure, sure, I don’t mind, but I don’t really like second-hand stuff, you know? Who knows who used it before, it might be dirty.

“Wow, so this is the ‘Beginning Sword.’ Looking at it again, it has quite some history… I wonder if it’s okay to give it a lick…”

“Stop it.”

I don’t know what kind of old man used that, so don’t even think about it.