Chapter 5: Level Up? Don’t Be Naive!
“From here, we will head to the Kingdom of Andreia.”
“…Right.”
It had been a day since they escaped from that village and the wyvern army led by ‘Black Heavens’. Confirming there was no enemy pursuit, Schutz told Solo their destination.
Having escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs, without even horses, they had nothing. They would have to travel on foot until they reached a large town.
The blue land of Azul was vast.
And the great power, the Kingdom of Andreia, was far away.
“…Is, is he really just a thief?”
“You could rephrase it as a skilled one.”
“…Why do you boast of your misdeeds?”
Since they had free time on the road, they talked about various things. Thinking that claiming to be a Hero forever wouldn’t work on him, Solo gave a brief explanation to Schutz, his fellow escapee.
That he was just a thief.
“In that case, that swordsmanship…”
“That’s the power of the Holy Sword, you see. Not to brag, but I’ve never used anything other than a kitchen knife.”
“…Princess…”
That he was a complete amateur with the sword.
However, he kept hidden the fact that this sword was not the Holy Sword Saintroll, but the Demonic Sword Sein Troll—or more correctly, a sword named Demonic Sword Troll.
He had to maintain that at least the weapon wasn’t a lie—
“D-Don’t look so down, Pops.”
“…”
“I’ll treat you to a drink when we get to town.”
“…Do you have Oro?”
“I’ll procure that sort of thing quickly once we’re there.”
“Absolutely not! How can a knight partake in a crime!”
“So stiff.”
Schutz looked like he was about to collapse from shock. Their worlds, their environments were already too different, so nothing meshed well.
Solo’s looseness and Schutz’s stiffness; their temperaments were like oil and water.
『Hey, hey, let’s ditch him soon.』
(That’s all you ever say, Toro-suke.)
『That dragon is one of the stronger monsters, you know. But even so, there are guys stronger than that. And quite a few… humans can’t win.』
(…Waiting for Goddess-sama to descend?)
『That’s how a smart guy operates.』
(…Well, I guess that’s true.)
Toro was always thinking about running away. Well, Solo had seen that monster up close too. Honestly, he no longer thought they could win if they just tried hard.
Normally, he would be running for the hills.
Saying, “Not my problem.”
But—
(I made a promise.)
『You’re lying, right? She’s not expecting anything either.』
(…I know that.)
He lied. A grand, frivolous tall tale. Both he and she surely knew that. Even so, the fact that she smiled at that lie was real—
“…I wonder how I can get strong?”
Solo muttered softly. At night, while surrounding the campfire at their camp.
『Idiot!』
(Huh?)
He had muttered it out loud.
“…I am deeply moved!”
He had intended to say it to himself, but of all things, he said it in front of this man.
“Just a thief, I should not expect anything. I thought that would become a burden.”
(Exactly right.)
『Exactly right.』
“However! There was a burning passion in your heart!”
(…No, um.)
『Contractor, you really messed up.』
The ‘Iron Knight’ Schutz was shedding tears of emotion. The lying Hero whom his beloved Princess Knight Luna had protected with her body was trying to become the real deal.
At least, that was how Schutz interpreted it.
“Ask me anything. Even like this, I have made a name for myself as a knight. If it is about fighting, I will answer anything.”
His eyes were shining passionately with intensity.
The excuse “I was just saying it” didn’t seem like it would work.
“…Then, um, how do you think I can get strong?”
“Actual combat!”
An immediate answer.
“…If I accumulate combat experience, will I get strong?”
“Of course!”
『Contractor, you better change coaches.』
Ignoring Toro’s retort, a lightbulb went off in Solo’s head. Actual combat. Actually fighting is scary. Scary, but—
(I can just throw it all onto Toro-suke, right?)
『Hey, we’re back to square one.』
If all he needed was to accumulate experience points, he could just leave it to Toro.
“Is fighting weaker enemies okay?”
“That would be good for the beginning.”
“Then, if I keep doing that… won’t I become super strong!?”
Solo, a stroke of genius. Have Toro infinitely farm small fry. That way he’d gain combat experience, become super strong, and—
“Hmm? That would be meaningless.”
“…Why?”
Accumulate combat experience, get stronger, accumulate, get stronger, accumulate, get stronger.
That was the walkthrough, the leveling up method he was told.
“Combat experience is about getting used to it, and about the load. No matter how much you train, without the experience of killing and wounding, you cannot fully exert your power. Therefore, in the beginning, even small fry will be good experience. But the moment it becomes a habit, it is meaningless; there is nothing to be gained.”
『Obviously. Is your brain made of play-dough?』
“…Eh, then, how do I get strong?”
“Death matches with strong enemies! That alone polishes a warrior into a true warrior! Those who survive battles of life or death transform! Next is a death match with an even stronger opponent! It is the same with muscles; unless you continue to exceed your limits, growth will not come! MUSCLE!”
Schutz showed off his muscles.
“…”
Solo was dumbfounded, stupefied, screaming internally. I thought I could become strong easily, but the hot-blooded man in front of him presented a path like hell.
“Um, I think I’ll, uh, pass on that.”
“No need to hold back! I will take responsibility and raise you into a full-fledged warrior! And then Solo-dono will inherit the Princess’s will, and as a Hero… sniff!”
“Auau.”
Schutz weeping with emotion. At this point, he couldn’t say “Just kidding, my motivation is playing peek-a-boo.” Or rather, there was no way he could say it.
He was allowed to win in the first practice match, but seeing him fight monsters, he had held back considerably back then. Rather than holding back, he was trying not to kill him.
Probably, if he got serious, he was stronger than Solo.
If he said “It was a lie,” he might be killed before even facing actual combat with monsters.
『Correct.』
(Sob.)
Toro also gave his stamp of approval to Solo’s good judgment.
It was a desperate situation.
“U-Umm.”
“Mm, what is it?”
Solo sighed and asked.
***
Early in the morning, Solo sat up abruptly and stealthily left the camp.
『Oh, finally feel like running away?』
“…”
He sat down a little distance away.
『Hey, hey. Don’t tell me, stop it. It’s not your character.』
Ignoring Toro’s retort,
“…Proc.”
He held out both hands and created a small fire in the space between them. Furrowing his brow, he maintained it, trying to strengthen the fire as much as possible.
Creating a spark like this, dampening the eaves, fanning oneself—no one did that because it consumed too much energy—but almost everyone could use magic for daily life. mostly out of necessity; Solo also learned how to start a fire to survive the cold when he was young.
However—
To refine magic into combat magic requires long practice. There are no shortcuts for this. Daily training, and results will sprout beyond that.
He never thought of learning beyond that. He didn’t think it was necessary.
But now—
『It’s not like you. You’ve always run away, haven’t you? I know, because I made a contract with you.』
(Shut up. I’m concentrating.)
『Whatever you do from now on, it’s wasted effort, you know? Do you really think you can become a Hero?』
(Impossible.)
『Immediate answer, huh. Then, why…?』
Solo grimaced, staring at the fire between his hands that was just burning small and showed no sign of getting bigger.
Meaningless, wasted effort, not his style, not cut out for it.
He knew that.
He knew it better than anyone.
He had lived alone. Even supporting just himself was hard. Even if he thought about helping someone, he had never helped anyone even once.
Always spinning his wheels; the only thing he accumulated was pickpocketing skills.
There was nothing else.
That was him. That was the petty thief, the human named Solo.
“…I’m the one who wants to ask.”
But, Luna’s smile wouldn’t leave his head. That fleeting, frail smile of that girl who was stronger and cooler than anyone, who made him think she could defeat such a huge dragon. And the sensation of the small girl’s innocent wish remaining in his left hand—wouldn’t disappear.
It wouldn’t disappear, and he couldn’t escape.
Those various, overlapping emotions flowed into Toro.
Because they were contractors, he understood.
So—
『Ah, dammit. I chose the wrong partner.』
“…Sorry.”
『Don’t worry about it. We’re in the same boat. Let’s go as far as we can, Partner.』
“…Partner?”
『Calling you Contractor forever is too pompous, right?』
“Aren’t you getting a little too close?”
『You’re calling me Toro-suke, so it’s fine! If you don’t like it, drop the -suke!』
“…Then Partner is fine.”
『Whaaaat.』
The Demonic Sword Troll decided to make him, a mere liar, his partner. Truth be told, he had only intended to use him as a vehicle for his escape, but he was already on the ship.
Let’s see how far it goes.
『By the way, just so you know, leveling up my Partner itself isn’t meaningless. My power is to draw out the contractor’s potential to a certain point. In free-to-play mode, that is.』
“You mentioned it before, but what is this ‘pay up’ thing?”
『Not necessary right now. For now, if you train your body and magic, the power I can put out will increase accordingly. Day by day, the stronger Partner becomes, the higher the ceiling goes. So, well, why not give it a shot?』
“Yeah, yeah.”
With that, Solo returned to his training to enhance his magic. The basic training Schutz had mentioned, increasing magic endurance and output.
Mages, knights, everyone accumulated this basic training from childhood, becoming able to handle higher-grade, high-output, massive magic.
There are no shortcuts.
The world isn’t that sweet.
“Th-This is pretty tough.”
『Go, go!』
Only blood-sweating effort will take a person to the ceiling of their talent. Most people abandon that effort before opening the door to their talent. Almost no one reaches the ceiling. Most of those who lament their lack of talent are just people who gave up before even opening the door.
They don’t even have the right to lament talent.
Betting ten years, betting twenty years, everything starts from there—
Watching that scene,
“…”
Schutz was watching from the shadows. He had assumed Solo would run away. He thought that would be fine, even that it might be better.
But, he didn’t choose that path.
In the future, a day might come when he regrets today, regrets that choice. The battlefield is not kind. Especially against monsters.
Hellish scenery will follow him.
Even so, Schutz thought,
“…Then, I shall steel myself as well.”
He was happy that Solo chose the path of resistance.
