“Um, it’s like a duel between young people from the village… it’s my fault though.”
“I see, it just started. The fact that they didn’t tell me when it began means they were nervous and forgot—that’s just like them.”
“…Ah! The suspicious traveler from before!”
“Hello there, I’m Ban, the suspicious traveler.”
(This person is definitely suspicious… and he wasn’t here just a moment ago, right? When exactly did he…)
“Hmm, a duel…”
The suspicious traveler watched the duel with interest. From the movement of his eyes and his unique atmosphere, she realized something.
(Can this person see that battle perfectly…? Honestly, I can’t see it.)
“Um, does the black-haired boy have a chance of winning?”
“Hmm, he’s definitely going to lose.”
“Ah… eh, but the black-haired one—his name is Will—he’s become incredibly strong compared to before.”
“He has gotten stronger, but the years of accumulated training are different. No matter how you look at it, he’s at a disadvantage. Well, it’s only been a month.”
“I-I see.”
“What’s the other one’s name again?”
“Dia.”
“I see. Well, he’ll probably surpass him eventually, right? In like two years or so. He doesn’t look that strong anyway.”
“B-but Dia is famous for being incredibly strong…”
“I can sort of tell there’s a difference in ability between those two. But is he really that strong? I understand there are levels of strength, but… from my perspective, both of them are beginners among beginners.”
(Beginners among beginners… is he being serious? From my perspective, both of them are way too amazing. Maybe it’s because I’m too weak, but they’re so incredible that I can’t understand what’s happening. Could this person be the opposite of me? So strong that everything else looks inferior to him?)
The traveler Ban made his hands into a megaphone shape and put it to his mouth. He then called out to Will, who was gradually starting to accept defeat.
“Do your best! You can still go on! Don’t you still have something you haven’t brought out yet!?”
The crowd stirred. Who was that spiky-haired young man over there, and where the hell did he come from, they began to say. But Will alone noticed who that voice belonged to.
It was Ban, the suspicious traveler from the other day. He didn’t know why he was here, but he realized that he was cheering him on.
(Strangely, his cheering gives me strength… I have to think. Ending with ‘I could fight somewhat’ is something I, as the successor of the hero Dan, cannot allow!)
A sensation like electricity running through his head—yes, he remembered.
(Spinal cord, reflex… familiarity of movement, his movements, thinking and responding after seeing with the eyes… my movements are slow… I see—this is it.)
Making his resolve, he leaped forward once more. Gripping his sword tightly, he challenged the strong enemy.
However, everyone’s eyes widened at his action.
“Huh…?”
It was a word that spilled from one of the watchers. But it was also speaking for everyone’s thoughts except one person. Because Will had closed his eyes.
(Fool, there’s no way you can beat me like that. Did you give up?)
Dia thought he had realized the end of the match this time too—but from there, before he had time to blink, he noticed that a sword was beginning to head toward his neck, and he hurriedly tried to deal with it.
Up, down, right, left—he swung his sword while keeping his eyes closed.
(If I’m slow because I see with my eyes, then think and respond, then I don’t need eyes either.)
(When I try to swing my sword, there’s already a sword placed there!)
The weak Will was closing in on the strong Dia. Step by step, move by move, everyone felt the offense and defense switching.
“No way, me, losing—”
—The wooden sword that Dia swung carelessly at the very end hit Will on the head.
At the very last moment, he misread, and furthermore, Will, who had reached his limit in both physical strength and willpower, collapsed. The reproduction of limited foresight had put that much burden on his brain.
Dia won. However, no one cheered for that victory. Dia himself didn’t even think he had won.
“…What the hell, what the hell is this! Coming right next to me all of a sudden!”
Will didn’t answer Dia’s words. He was simply swallowed by the whirlpool of fatigue and closed his eyes. Just before falling asleep, he had a dream.
Far ahead, an existence so far beyond Dia that there was no comparison. At the peak of strength that seemed to reach even the heavens, he felt like he caught a glimpse of the hero’s back.
[—I will definitely become a hero like you.]
In his dream, he felt like the hero Dan, wearing an iron mask, was smiling.
I lost to Dia. When I noticed, the area was dyed in the sunset, and I woke up on the bed in my house.
“Will!”
“Men, Men.”
When I woke up, my childhood friend Menmen was right beside me, looking at me with a face about to cry. I realized she was probably worried about that duel.
“Um—”
“—Don’t say you’re sorry.”
I knew what she was going to say. So I stopped her.
“That was a good experience for me! Originally, I could have stopped a fight that could be stopped, but I didn’t stop it! So don’t apologize!”
“Ah, okay.”
After I said that much, she finally stopped trying to apologize.
“Um, you hit your head, but are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“I see, then I’m glad… How did you know I was going to say sorry first?”
“Eh? Sort of a feeling? We’re childhood friends, so I feel like I can generally tell.”
“…Will, you’ve always been like that.”
“Like what?”
“Hmm, well. The way you try to understand someone’s feelings, their pain. Thinking about people’s feelings and trying not to hurt them as much as possible, or helping them because they’re probably troubled or about to be troubled—you did that a lot.”
“D-did I?”
“You did… Will, that side of you… understanding someone’s heart and staying one step ahead, I really like that about you.”
Menmen said this and blushed, looking down. She had unintentionally revealed feelings she had kept hidden in her heart.
“Eh? Sorry. I couldn’t hear you well?”
“Eh, no way.”
“Ah, eh!? I’m really sorry!?”
“Geez, then try to guess? What I’m thinking right now.”
Menmen looked up at Will with upturned eyes. A beautiful girl with lovely yellow hair, gem-like beautiful eyes, and refined features—when such a girl blushes and creates an atmosphere, the answer is already decided.
“You want to eat fried chicken?”
“…Geez, this is exactly what’s good about you, Will!”
“Thank you!”
“That was sarcasm.”
Sighing, Menmen stood up and smiled brightly again.
“Thank you for worrying about me too! Also, today’s Will was really cool!”
“Eh? Really!? Thank you! Wait, aaaahhh!?”
“What’s wrong, suddenly shouting!?”
“I forgot! Sorry! I have to go!”
“Wait, Will!?”
Will remembered something and ran out of the house. Menmen was left wondering what in the world was going on, tilting her head.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
Morning practice was over, and when I took my eyes off him for a bit, I heard that Will had started a duel, so I’m changing clothes and infiltrating the village. Tell me before it starts.
It had already begun, and when I asked about the situation, apparently a boy named Will and a boy named Dia were dueling. Ooh, do your best! Will!
But he looks like he’s going to lose… Well, Will’s still at the “from now on” stage…
But don’t lose in a way you’ll regret.
You know, I’m teaching you once a week!!
Even if you lose, there has to be something to gain. Even if you lose.
Ah, I’m a failure as a teacher. I’m thinking on the premise that he’ll lose.
“Do your best! You can still go on! Don’t you still have something you haven’t brought out yet!?”
When I said that, Will seemed to get fired up again too. Actually, isn’t he doing pretty well…? Eh? Wait a minute.
Is he going to win…?
Even I couldn’t help but feel a slight expectation. However, Will made a misreading at the very last moment and lost anticlimactically. But it was certainly movement that made me feel his potential.
I should praise him for this, I thought, so I decided to go home and bring the Beginning Shield. Well, I gave the real one to my father, so it’s just a fake.
I was waiting to give it to him when he woke up… but I ended up overhearing Will talking with his childhood friend, a girl who seems to be named Menmen.
Even so, Will might be a mass of potential. He might be the one who can become a true hero… Among my current disciples, Will might be number one in the potential ranking!!
“D-did I?”
“You did… Will, that side of you… understanding someone’s heart and staying one step ahead, I really like that about you.”
“Eh? Sorry. I couldn’t hear you well?”
Ugh, I’m bad with these hard-of-hearing types… Also, watching people flirt pisses me off. My disciples shouldn’t flirt until their teacher—me—gets married.
While I, a non-popular average guy, am struggling, don’t go having romantic comedies.
Should I make a rule that disciples of the hero Dan can’t flirt with the opposite sex? Even so, what’s with Will—I thought he was living the grayest youth closest to mine, but he’s a normie? Go explode like a supernova.
Well, then, if he’s flirting with a girl, he doesn’t need the Beginning Shield, right?
Thinking that, I was walking on the way home when Will came running.
“Um! I’m sorry I forgot to greet you before the fight!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Ah, um… that shield you’re holding.”
Ah, damn. I left it out… Can’t be helped, I’ll give it to him.
“I’ll give it to you. It’s the Beginning Shield.”
“Ah, thank you very much! And thanks to the hero-sama’s advice, I was able to grow one step further!”
“I see. Keep working hard.”
“Yes!”
I have no idea which advice led to that movement. I’m just saying various things thinking that if I speak with modern knowledge, I’ll get decent effects and trust, so I don’t know.
But if I interpret it broadly, it’s thanks to me… Then I’ll fold my arms and put on an “I knew it all along” vibe.
Will is very moved and has a face like “As expected, you understood everything!” More than that, I want to become a normie too…
Huh? But come to think of it, long ago… there was a similar situation to Will’s. What was it again? Ah, right. It was when I lost to a swordsman called [Dalda].
I was depressed and sitting on the inn bed… and Lin came to comfort me.
“What are you moping about?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Liar. You’re worried about losing to that guy, aren’t you?”
“…”
“See… Just win next time.”
“…Right.”
“…If you ask me, both of you are still nowhere near ready…”
“…”
[—But, um… you were… c-c-cooler!]
“Did you say something?”
“I-I didn’t say anything! Idiot!”
At that time, a swordsman named Dalda had hit my iron mask hard with his iron sword, and the impact and metallic sound had done something to my eardrums. At that time, what was Lin saying…
“Um, please continue to take care of me!”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll make this shield a family heirloom for life!”
“Do that.”
Saying that, I parted with Will. Well then, if Will continues to work hard, maybe next time I’ll give him the Gauntlets of Beginning as a present?
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