Chapter 39 – 39. Training
A heart-wrenching love story.
After hearing the story of the paladin who had loved one person for hundreds of years, Master looked at me with earnest eyes.
It was as if he had become a paladin. Master often showed a strangely strong sense of immersion in this area.
‘Not too long ago, I read a children’s book and cried…….’
Recalling Master sobbing in my room, I carefully looked at the man.
I couldn’t believe the words of a man whose name I didn’t even know yet.
“How can you believe what you say?”
“…… There is no way to prove it. However, it is certain that the magic of immortality is cast on me.”
“So, in fact, I don’t even love immortal witches, I just hate them——what if they trick us with lies because they get a chance to die?”
“Probably not, John.”
Master, who was listening to my words, stepped forward and defended the man. As I looked at her carefully, Master began to explain one by one why the man’s words could only be true.
“Because the Immortal Witch is quite famous even among us. Everyone has shared a story at least once or twice.”
“Ah, I’ve talked about it by writing too.”
“And of course—I’ve heard of her magic.”
Tears welled up in Master’s mind as she remembered the distant past, probably hundreds of years from now.
“The magic possessed by the immortal witch is not something that can be used on just anyone. It is magic that can only be used on one person.”
“…… You can only use it on one person?”
“Yes. Right. Killing her doesn’t transfer the magic, and even who to use magic on is all a witch’s choice.”
Immortality magic could only be used on one person. Even the witch herself was no exception to that condition.
So, if the man in front of me had that magic, it would be the will of a completely dead witch, and it would be impossible to blackmail or deceive a witch who would not even be tortured to receive the magic of immortality.
In other words, it means that the immortal witch treasured this paladin even to the point of giving up her own life, and it is not easy for a witch to sacrifice her life for someone unless they are close to each other.
“So, there is no chance that this man is cheating on us. I’m sure it’s because I’ve met the Immortal Witch myself.”
“…… If Master says so-.”
I quickly approached the man and took the weapon from his hand. The words that he was going to die were probably true, but the man took the weapon without any resistance.
The man’s hand, which he touched while taking his weapon, had a lot of terrible scars and calluses on his hand. How much effort do you have to work to become like this?
I thought about how much time I had to devote to training——and carefully stuck my sword into the ground.
“—You asked to be killed?”
“Okay. Hurry up and let me meet her.”
“Before that, I have a request for you.”
“What?”
“Please give me some training.”
“…… John?”
At that, the man frowned. Master, who was quietly watching the man’s death behind his back, was slightly surprised and called me out.
However, if I have something to use, I am a modern person who is an extreme profiteer who needs to scrape the floor to use it.
You can’t get rid of the master of martial arts you’ve found so quickly.
“I won’t hold on for very long. About two or three months, please tell me everything you know.”
“…… Tell me, if those witches were there, there would be no reason to fight? Why?”
“To protect Master in times of emergency.”
The man looked down at me without a change in expression. When a muscular man over 190 looked at me, I was a little scared to be honest.
But he did not avert his eyes. If you show fear here, you are not a man. Master is right behind me…….
Fortunately, the man seemed to like that spirit, and he told me with a smirk.
“Yes, I’ve already waited hundreds of years. Waiting a few more months won’t change anything.”
“Then…”
“It is one month instead. Just one month I will teach you only for one month. And if a month passes—you must kill me. Got it?”
“Well, that’s about it…….”
Although the time to learn was cut in half, it was not a bad offer. After all, all I did properly in this cabin was preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and most of the time I just played.
Looking at the man who would become my second teacher, I held out my hand lightly and spoke.
“This is John. Take good care of me.”
“Ludwig. I’m counting on you.”
* * *
Right after exchanging loud statements with Ludwig, he said that it was a waste of time to start training right away.
However, upon hearing the story, I realized that I forgot to ask Master’s permission. Since I was always a disciple, I should have gotten Master’s permission for everything I did…….
“Okay, it’s okay. Go.”
“Really… Are you okay?”
“How is it, I’ve been doing everything by myself for hundreds of years, so why is it difficult to do it again for about a month? Aren’t you supposed to be out there all month?”
“It should be, but…….”
Fortunately, Master gave permission right away. I even said that I would throw away all housework for a month and focus on training, but for some reason, he even looked at me with eyes filled with emotion.
I didn’t know why, but good was good—I looked at Ludwig, wondering if I could focus on my training after being exempted from housework for a month.
He pointed straight to the forest and spoke.
“Then, run. Time is wasted.”
“Yep! Master!”
“Master? What an embarrassing nickname… Call me Instructor.”
“Yep! Instructor!”
Following Ludwig’s instructions, I ran through the woods. Thanks to the experience of running through the forest for several months and the help of magical powers, I did not get tired even after running several kilometers.
However, Ludwig, who saw that, continued to add more subordinates.
“Hold your sword. I’m going to attack you from now on, block it every time.”
“…… Yes? What is that?”
“Noisy. Do what you are told to do Don’t even ask back.”
Perhaps because of the short training period, Ludwig did not become a very friendly instructor. After finishing his words, Ludwig immediately climbed up the surrounding trees and disappeared in an instant.
I didn’t know where he was, but I couldn’t stop looking for him. Because I always told you to run through the forest at full speed.
“Haha-!”
After running at full speed for several tens of minutes, I began to feel out of breath no matter how much I said it. Without even having time to care about where Ludwig was, he just ran aimlessly, and Ludwig jumped from the sky, be it a tree branch or something.
Pooh-! Ludwig, who struck me in the head in an instant, frowned as he saw that I couldn’t dodge or block him.
“Concentration!”
And then he disappeared again. I tried to chase after him, but it probably wouldn’t be possible to strengthen my body with magic, but like some kind of monkey monster, it disappeared into the trees in an instant.
He laughed and started running again. However, this time a little slower than before.
‘Stamina distribution, stamina distribution…….’
“100 million!?”
Then, Ludwig suddenly appeared from behind and kicked me down. I felt the pressure crushing my back, along with the feeling of my face grinding to the ground.
Ludwig, who trampled on me, whispered to me in a voice like a tiger growing.
“At full speed—even if you collapse from exhaustion, run at full speed. Got it?”
“Ah, I see!”
“If you goof around like this one more time, I will torture you and make you kill me. Got it?”
“Oh, torture. Master will not forgive…….”
“You fool, you just left your master at the cabin.”
Ludwig said that and started poking my cheek with a branch. The cheek was stabbed so hard that it started to tear slightly in the mouth.
But I couldn’t complain to him. It was pitiful that he cheated on the subject he asked for training, and that he pathetically tried to find Master whenever something happened while saying that he would protect Master.
“…… I see. Sorry. I will never do this again.”
“Huh. A guy like you, if he had entered as a paladin——I would have done the mental remodeling with my own hands. If you know, stop resting, get up and run!”
I immediately got up and ran forward. This time, without thinking ahead, at full speed.
Because he was so focused on running that he couldn’t see his surroundings, he couldn’t avoid Ludwig’s attack this time as well.
“Concentration!”
“Ouch!”
If you focus on attacking, you will be yelled at not to slow down your run. However, if I focus on running, I cannot block the attack that is aimed at me.
Trapped in this or that situation, I was unable to block or dodge Ludwig’s attack once until I finally returned home in the evening.
* * *
“…… John?”
When I returned to the cabin for dinner, Master, who had been waiting for me in the magically restored cabin, saw my mess and began to get restless.
It’s clear who made it this way. It was Ludwig. But…… I was the one who tried to be like this.
Thanks to this, no matter how much Master asked me, I was confused about what to say to Ludwig who made me look like this, or whether I should let go.
“Ahaha, Master…… I’m slightly injured, do you have any ointment?”
“I have! Hang in there!”
Seeing that I didn’t care about my wounds, Master quickly rushed to the storage room and brought out a bunch of medicines that were good for the wound.
Master came out with the medicine, immediately washed me with magic, and then began to apply the medicine to the open wound.
“Ah-!”
“Gwa, are you okay? Be patient…… Although it hurts a little, the effect is certain.”
“Cha, I’ll wait…….”
Every time the Master’s hand touched the wound, she flinched and groaned. On the topic that I said it hurts a little bit, it really hurts.
However, I couldn’t express my dissatisfaction with the master who applied the medicine, and I just bit my lip.
While applying the medicine to the wound, Master asked carefully.
“Until this…… Do you need to?”
“Yes?”
“John, even if you don’t protect me, I can protect you…… Until I got hurt like this…….”
“Yes, because I want to protect Master.”
At those words, Master stopped her fingers and looked down at me. Looking at such a master, I smiled slightly.
Oh, indeed. It was such an outrageous thing to say. I’m going to protect Master, who is treated as a great witch at least for a human being…….
“What- Even if you’re not Master, you can protect Margaret-san, and it’s good to have strength when protecting others, right?”
“…… Aha, is Yohan training to protect Margaret or anyone else?”
“Ah!? S, Master? It hurts, it hurts! Don’t press the wound! Aww!”
And suddenly I screamed in pain thanks to Master digging into the wound. Let the cabin leave like a girl…….
