Clack, clack! The sound of wooden swords echoed across the training ground.

…No, let me rephrase that.

It didn’t echo at all.

“…Guh-nuh-nuh-nuh!”

Once again, I thrust my wooden sword, only for Liesel to stop it dead in its tracks with ease.

Why is it that no matter how much I try to thrust with my wooden sword, it gets blocked so effortlessly?

Normally, when hard wood clashes against hard wood, both sides should be repelled. Yet whether I slash or thrust, it’s stopped dead.

And then…

“Hnnngh… Ah!?”

When I tried to create some distance by jumping back, Liesel mirrored me perfectly, maintaining the same speed and distance while keeping her wooden sword locked against mine.

There’s no way around this…

I’m left with no choice but to toss the wooden sword and aim a kick at her, or so I thought. But as if she predicted my shift in stance, she released her wooden sword and lightly tapped me on the neck.

“Ugh…”

Another new way to lose.

“Shall we call it a day? You must be tired, Sera.”

“…Yeah.”

It’s true; I’m drenched in sweat. Meanwhile, Liesel hasn’t even broken a sweat.

The way she added “must be” in her words showed her kindness…

We lowered our swords and headed back to where everyone was gathered.

“Are you done already?”

“Yeah. My instincts are back. The rest is for them,” Liesel said in response to Seriana’s question, gesturing toward the guards.

I see… So this was just her warm-up.

If that’s the case, maybe it was fine for me to keep it light as well…

“What did you think of Sera from your perspective?”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s see…”

Liesel paused to think.

Normally, he’s the type to give immediate answers, so for him to hesitate… not that it bothers me or anything!

While drinking the refreshment Teresa handed me, Liesel seemed to have gathered his thoughts and looked up.

“I think Sera’s judgment was good. He didn’t attack recklessly and observed my whole body, moving accordingly. He also factored in the height difference and avoided meaningless exchanges, focusing on thrusts, which wasn’t a bad strategy…”

He trailed off and accepted a drink, taking a sip.

He seemed surprised by the unexpected taste. Well, it’s good, isn’t it?

That’s Fiora’s special drink—a mixture of lemon, sugar, and salt. It’s like a tangy sports drink.

“Ah, I see.”

But then, he hesitated again.

What’s this? I was being praised, wasn’t I?

“You can be honest. Just say it—my physical ability is too low.”

“Ugh…”

At some point, Seriana had crept behind me and placed her hand on my head while making her biting remark.

“Hehe… That’s true. Sera’s small stature does make close combat challenging. But with his blessed items and divine protection, that can be compensated for. Plus, there are the snakes, right? His offense is already solid. For defense… doesn’t he also have the 【Amber Shield】? Combined with wind, he should be able to defend himself adequately. Once he blocks a hit, he can create some distance.”

“Defense is the problem… Apparently, he freezes up after taking a hit.”

“Ah… That’s no good.”

They started having a conversation over my head.

Since Seriana’s hand was pressing down on me, I couldn’t lift my head… How annoying.

Still, listening to their conversation, it seemed like my judgment during training wasn’t bad.

It’s true I’ve never had proper training, nor am I from a family of adventurers or mercenaries. So my knowledge is limited.

When it comes to defeating monsters, brute force has always worked, but I’ve occasionally wondered how my battle instincts and decision-making held up. Knowing they’re not bad is a relief.

Though I’m not thrilled about how their discussion is now veering toward what kinds of attacks I need to endure next.

◇

“This place is becoming more well-equipped… I thought it was fine as it was before, but…”

“Things can become inadequate as you use them more. Besides, this year, we invited many guests, didn’t we? Upgrades were made to ensure their satisfaction.”

In the shower room of the underground training area, a sauna had been added.

They even built one for both genders.

The original facilities had showers and massage areas that catered to aristocratic guests, but now they’ve evolved.

Seriana and I don’t use it, but they even added a cold bath. Those who enjoy such things must find it useful.

Of course, only a limited number of people can use these facilities.

Such luxury…

“Madam… Shall we handle it for you?”

One of the maids from the main building offered cautiously.

Since I mostly stay around the south wing, I’m not very familiar with the staff from the main building.

“No need,” Seriana replied, rejecting the offer with a single word as she resumed using the hair dryer.

Ah, I wish I could use it as skillfully as she does…

This magic is tricky.

“So, did you gain anything from today’s training?”

“Uh… Well, I think I got used to being attacked. That’s not something I can try against monsters, after all.”

In the end, after the earlier sparring session, I spent time testing how to escape various attacks.

Although it wasn’t real combat, as it excluded blessed items and divine protections, the experience of being attacked felt valuable.

“I see. You don’t go to dungeons daily, so try joining the women’s training sessions once a month.”

The female soldiers train here under Teresa and Elena’s guidance.

It’s not an intense battle, but swinging swords and spears is still a good workout.

“I’ll think about it… Ow!?”

Seriana smacked the back of my head lightly from behind.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera: 【Hideout】 +1, 【Prayer】, 【Mira’s Blessing】, 【Clothing of Wind】, 【Floating Orb】 +1, 【Shadow Sword】, 【Scarlet Bee Needle】, 【Fairy’s Eye】, 【Dragon’s Lung】, 【Amber Sword】, 【Danrem’s Thread】, 【Snake Tail】, 【Ankle Bracelet】, 【Amber Shield】, 【Purple Wings】 ・ 7 cards

Seriana: 【Range Identification】, 【】 ・ 28 cards

Elena: 【】, 【Green Fang】, 【Amber Sword】 ・ 3 cards

Alec: 【Strong Strike】, 【Red Shield】, 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・ 7 cards