Sword Training
Swish swish
The training grounds of the Royal Guard Knights rang with the sound of sword swings early in the morning for the first time in a while.
Standing alone in the center of the grassy field, Subaru was swinging a wooden sword.
While others might find this kind of thing irritating, Subaru felt extremely comfortable—after all, he didn't want others to see his unsightly performance.
"Your form is a bit messy."
The short time of solitude was suddenly broken by a familiar voice from behind, startling Subaru.
His body stiffened, and as he slowly turned his head, he saw—
As expected, it was Reinhild standing at the entrance.
"Reinhild! What are you doing here?"
Subaru greeted her awkwardly.
"I had some matters to deal with in the royal capital and thought I'd check on you.
Don't overdo your training, Subaru.
Even with healing magic, overexertion can leave lasting damage."
"I'll be careful. Someone else told me the same thing a few days ago."
"…."
"So, uh, did you need something else?"
Suppressing his urge to back away, Subaru asked Reinhild, who had walked up to him.
"Keep swinging your sword."
???
Reinhild's words left Subaru full of question marks.
Maybe noticing Subaru's confusion, the girl explained:
"I promised to help you get stronger, remember?"
"Oh, right. I thought becoming a knight fulfilled that."
"That was just a favor from Lady Felt. My promise to you still stands."
Swish~~
"Focus, Subaru."
Even without Reinhild's reminder, Subaru noticed how terrible his swing just now was.
—— Calm down, calm down...
Subaru took a deep breath and, recalling the movements Marcos had taught him, swung the wooden sword again.
"Is there something wrong?"
After a few swings, Subaru noticed Reinhild's thoughtful expression and nervously stopped.
"It's very standard. You've been instructed already, haven't you? But when I watched just now, it looked like random flailing."
"That's probably because I learned Japanese kendo before. My posture is a bit rigid—I'm working on fixing that."
Subaru said as he swung the wooden sword in his old habitual style.
It was fairly standard Japanese kendo.
"It's a very gentle sword technique. Looks like your homeland was really peaceful.
But this place isn't as safe. Habits are indeed hard to change, but…"
Subaru was surprised as Reinhild walked over and grabbed his hand.
—— Sweat, scent, smooth, soft...
After prolonged exercise and the sudden stimulation, Subaru's mind was thrown into chaos.
"…"
"Subaru, swing slowly. I'll help correct your form."
The moment Subaru met Reinhild's sky-blue eyes, he understood she wasn't thinking about anything else—her only focus was on instructing him.
"Give me a second to compose myself."
Subaru said, then gave his cheeks a firm slap.
He felt like he had finally calmed down.
Subaru started swinging under Reinhild's guidance.
Her instruction was very direct, teaching one posture at a time.
But for some reason, Subaru felt both his body and mind were absorbing it unusually quickly.
Swish swish swish~~
Subaru felt as if he had entered a state of enlightenment.
He could sense his sword technique subtly improving, and external distractions no longer reached his focus.
"Let's stop here for today."
"Eh…"
Subaru looked at his now-empty hand.
The omnipotent feeling he had just a moment ago vanished instantly, and only then did he notice the wave of exhaustion rising through his body.
As he moved reflexively, he slipped on some water and his body could no longer react to the situation.
"Are you alright?"
The expected impact didn't come.
Subaru wanted to thank Reinhild for catching him, only to find his throat dry and painful.
"Here, have some."
Subaru took small sips from the bottle Reinhild handed him—it was like a sports drink from another world.
Or rather, in this Western-style fantasy world, it might be better called a stamina potion. Subaru found his mind drifting into random thoughts again.
"Thanks. By the way, did you do something to help me 'level up' just now? Like that state of calmness I felt?"
Now recovered, Subaru declined Reinhild's offer to walk him back to his dorm.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, he asked while recalling the earlier sensation.
"It's the Divine Blessing of Training. It brings out your potential."
"Potential, huh? Does that mean I can feel that surge every time until I reach my potential limit?"
Subaru asked reflexively.
"No, it worked this time because you already had a foundation in swordsmanship.
It just helped you transfer your old experience over more effectively.
From now on, it'll just be a bit more effective than normal training."
"I figured as much."
Subaru stretched and then slowly took a step forward.
"I think I'm okay now. Reinhild, you go take care of your business—I'll head back and wash up."
"I finished all my business yesterday.
Today I planned to train you, but your body needs rest.
How about I show you around the capital instead? I even got you a day off."
"Eh!??"
.
.
.
That afternoon, Subaru, wearing his rarely-used workout clothes, walked through the royal capital with Reinhild.
First, they awkwardly visited his designated doctor (Rem), and after apologizing, they began to stroll.
Perhaps because it was still the same person guiding him, their route was almost identical to the one from the fourth loop.
For example, after discovering Subaru had only a few outfits, Reinhild took him to that familiar store to buy clothes.
But this time, Subaru didn't end up carrying the heavy shopping bags until he was exhausted.
Of course, since the stated purpose was to show Subaru around the capital, they also visited some different places.
They left the dragon stables.
"That one was bred by Diana. They're known for their proud personalities and high energy. Looks like a female dragon. Do you like her, Subaru?"
"I don't know why, but it felt like I was meeting a lifesaver or something."
Subaru said, puzzled, as he recalled the black, bipedal ground dragon he had just seen.
But he chalked up the feeling to having encountered something familiar.
As he continued walking with Reinhild, the strange sensation gradually faded.
"Hey, customer, a bit of advice—keep your mind focused."
The grim-faced fruit stall owner whispered a warning.
"That brown-haired one, the blue-haired one from yesterday, and now this green-haired one today—none of them are easy to deal with.
Just be careful, I don't want to lose a rare customer."
Subaru realized he couldn't explain this.
He couldn't exactly say the first and third were both Reinhild.
He could only look at Reinhild with a helpless expression.
Subaru suddenly had a thought about the future—
Was he destined to become a man juggling multiple relationships?
—— Speaking of which, when hit by Rein-chan's sword, wouldn't there be not even ash left?