I collapsed onto my bed, letting out a heavy sigh of relief as the adrenaline finally began to ebb. I had practically been in turbo mode running back to my room.
"Harvi will absolutely be out for blood this time," I muttered, catching my breath.
I had let my emotions dictate my actions, but those guys had crossed the absolute line of my patience. I need to take action. They were threatening a classmate, a person I cared about. Were they truly still human?
I must distance myself from Rei. I won't give her any more trouble or make her a target.
The next day, I trained until I practically dropped. I rarely joined the main group, preferring to practice alone. When Rei occasionally visited my room, I'd feign illness or preoccupation.
For the past three days, I kept up my relentless Ki manipulation practice, finally gaining a breakthrough. I could feel a subtle but undeniable change within me. Eagerly, I checked my status:
Andre Crux
Condition:
Healthy
Mana:
20/20 (Very Low)
Physical Proficiency:
38 (After Ki activation)
Physical Power:
19
Magical Proficiency:
5
Magical Power:
5
Inborn Skills:
Armamentalist Level 1 (Upgrade Locked)
Acquired Skills:
Swordsmanship Level 3
Spearmanship Level 1
Bowmanship Level 1
Ki Manipulation Level 1 - Upon activation, boosts the user's base strength by twofold. The user circulates Ki to any part of the body to boost its power.
Title:
Summoned Hero
Finally, a skill I could harness! I immediately activated Ki Manipulation and felt a surge of vitality; my Physical Power instantly rose to 38. I tested it by throwing a punch into the air. A faint sonic boomwhooshed as my fist cut the wind. I circulated Ki to my feet and legs, testing kicks and various applications of the new ability. I practiced until my entire body ached and I finally collapsed from utter exhaustion.
The Painful Rift
The next morning, Rei burst into my room, her eyes visibly glistening with unshed tears.
"Are you avoiding me, Andre-kun?" she demanded, her voice low and dangerous, giving me a glare that could silence a wild beast.
"O-of course not," I stammered, consciously looking away.
"See! You are lying!" She took a step closer, her voice cracking with pain. "You always look away when you lie!"
I continued to avoid her gaze. This is for her own good. The more she interferes with Harvi on my behalf, the bigger target she becomes. If anything bad happened to her because of my weakness, I wouldn't forgive myself.
We stood in silence for a tense moment until I heard a soft sound. I looked up and saw tears rolling down her cheeks.
She was crying. I panicked. In all the years we had known each other, I had never seen her cry. Not once.
"W-why are you crying?" I asked, my own voice rough with shock.
"Hik B-because y—hik you're avoiding me. I—I don't hik know why. D-did I hik do something wrong?" she wailed, wiping furiously at her eyes with the back of her hands.
Guilt flooded me, seeing her so distressed. "Of course not," I insisted, shaking my head fiercely.
"T-then what's the problem?" Her tone escalated, and her tears flowed even faster.
I took a deep breath and sighed, finally whispering the painful truth while still avoiding her eyes. "I just don't want to cause you any more trouble."
"Trouble?" Reina stared at me, genuine concern etched onto her tear-streaked face. "Why would you think that? I have never thought of you as trouble."
"I know. Don't worry about it." I forced a reassuring smile that felt hollow.
"Is this about Harvi? Is he harassing you again? I'll go talk to him. That bully..."
There she goes again. She's trying to save me, again and again. Every time I faced a challenge, she swooped in. As a man who wanted to protect her, it felt incredibly degrading.
"Please stop!" I heard my voice crack, slightly raising it in anger.
"W-why?" Reina looked completely shocked by my sudden outburst.
"It's not helping! So please stop. Don't meddle in this anymore. I don't need your help, so just leave me alone!" Even though the words ripped at me, I had to say them. I couldn't risk her safety.
"W-why would you say that? Do you hate me? Hik." Her weeping intensified.
"Yes! I hate being saved by you!" I shouted, clenching my fists until my knuckles turned white.
"I-I'm sorry... hik."
Reina turned abruptly and ran out of the room, her sobs fading down the hall. I wanted to chase her, to hold her, but for her sake, I couldn't. I didn't know what expression was currently on my face, only that I had just made the person most important to me believe I hated her.
Expedition to Arsibal Canyon
Three agonizing days passed. I trained alone, the self-inflicted distance a constant, dull ache. Reina and I didn't speak. I saw her glance at me once, but I forced myself to look away. It pained me deeply, but I was resolved not to endanger her again.
Finally, the day of the training expedition arrived. We were heading to the canyon near the Empire, an area known to harbor demonic beasts. It was our practical test: gain experience fighting real monsters.
Evangeline's POV
The day of the expedition was here. We rode the Imperial carriages toward Arsibal Canyon, a deep cleft filled with low-level demonic monsters. We organized this expedition so the heroes could gain real-world combat experience.
With their current phenomenal growth, killing these monsters would be trivial, but our mission was to supervise and observe them from a hidden vantage point.
The kingdom was safe for now, but the Demon Lord's forces were displaying abnormal activity. They had already occupied several northern kingdoms. Training the heroes now was our best assurance.
'The Demon Lord's forces are regenerating at an unnatural rate. It's been 300 years since their last defeat, yet another Lord has appeared, and their almost eradicated forces have been replenished. How did this happen right under the noses of all the kingdoms?'
My thoughts were interrupted as the carriage came to a halt. The door opened, and one of the Royal Knights saluted.
"Imperial Court Magician Evangeline, we have arrived at the venue."
"Very well. Tell the Captain to set up camp here. We will begin the Arsibal Canyon expedition tomorrow. Also, gather the heroes for me; I have instructions to discuss. Thank you. You are dismissed."
"Yes, Ma'am!" The soldier saluted again and departed. I tidied my elegant violet court magician robe, embroidered with gold lining and the kingdom's crest, before exiting the carriage.
Andre's POV
We stood at the entrance of the Arsibal Canyon.
'So this is what a canyon looks like.' If this were back on Earth, this place, with its magnificent, gate-like entrance, would be a tourist spot.
"Andre, this looks exactly like a dungeon gate from that fantasy novel we both read," said Mario Delmundo, one of my closest anime buddies. I called him "Fatty" because of his substantial build, but he was a good friend.
"Yeah, it does. This is my first time seeing a canyon, though. I'm excited, but a little nervous being here now, Fatty."
"Oh, that's rare, Skinny Bones. You're talking to me again. You've practically ignored me this whole time," he said, letting out a laugh that sounded a bit like a pig snorting.
His words stung. It was true. I had distanced myself from everyone.
"Well, I've been busy training myself and trying to cope with being useless," I deflected.
"If it's about stats, I'm no worse than you. I can barely keep up with that hellish training, and I'm only good for being a meat shield with my garbage stats." He burst into another hearty, pig-like laugh.
"Welcome to the group, my friend. Even in Isekai, we're on the same wavelength. We're both trash," I told him, laughing genuinely for the first time in days. We laughed together to our heart's content.
Instructor Eve arrived then, looking regal in her violet robe.
"Hello, everyone! Please gather up. I will now give you the instructions for this expedition. First, you must group yourselves into five teams. Since there are 29 of you, four teams will consist of six people, and the last team will have five. Now, find your groups."