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I return my sword to my sheath and fix my breathing.

Training from early morning through all morning really did require a small pause for me in terms of stamina.

“Boru-jii, let’s go eat.”

“R-Right…” (Boru)

It may have been an order from His Majesty, but everyone from the Ragudo Division is tagging along well.

Even though they are not young anymore… Saying that would be rude, but there’s really nothing I can do about the difference in stamina.

“What, so pathetic, Boru. If the other ones are like this as well, it won’t even serve as warm-up for Ilias, you know?” (Cara)

“Shut up, Cara! You are the only one getting rest the whole time! You should originally be someone who is convulsing by my side while holding your waist. Don’t get ahead of yourself!” (Boru)

“Fuafuafuafua! The ragged dust cloth should just continue barking while trembling!” (Cara)

Cara-jii was heavily injured in the fight against the Scarlet Demon Lord.

He now can energetically banter with Boru-jii and the others, but he hasn’t been given the permission to return to his duties.

For His Majesty, Cara-jii was one of the reasons for that man to go wild, so he most likely doesn’t want Cara-jii to push himself.

The members of the Ragudo Division just go back to being reckless once they recover, so I don’t think this is an issue you can do something about though…

“Cara-jii, everyone is whipping their bodies to tag along with my training. Please don’t go dealing the final blow on them too much…” (Ilias)

“Your instincts will dull instead if they were to fight while not pulling their fullest. If they are seriously going to help you in getting stronger, they can’t use their age as an excuse. Even if it is a warm-up.” (Cara)

The training given to me by Lord Ragudo was to consistently repeat one-on-one battles.

But it is different from the sparring I have done until now.

The ones I am fighting against are all striking at me with the serious intention to kill me.

—“Ilias, you are the most outstanding knight in Taizu when it comes to pure strength. But that strength of yours didn’t work on the Scarlet Demon Lord, and me and Caragyujesta managed to put up a better fight than you. The reason for that is the difference in actual combat experience.”

I am simply displaying in actual combat what I have learned in training. It is of course important to do your very best, but it is not like the battles you have trained to get ready for will be happening all the time.

You have to match the enemy in  front of you and bring about results that are better than your very best.

“I would seriously die if I were to let my guard down. As if that can be called a warm-up. There’s no lies to the killing intent I feel from everyone. They are all believing in my growth and facing me with everything they have. Every single one of those fights is without doubt valuable combat experience for me.” (Ilias)

The reality is that I was cornered to a degree where I had to prepare for death when I had begun this training.

They all displayed techniques that surpassed their best which they never showed in the spars.

“…I am happy to hear that, but we did more than our best, and you are finally able to deal with us to this degree. I can’t help but feel the age.” (Boru)

“Fuafuafua! You are feeling that every day anyways. Stop escaping reality!” (Cara)

“Shut up! You go back to your house with a clean body, so your wife has been telling you ‘You haven’t been working properly, have you?! So pathetic!’.” (Boru)

“Wa?! How do you know that?!” (Cara)

It must have been a conversation in the Dog’s Bone. The wife of Boru-jii is also working there after all.

The arguing of these two gets long, so let’s take a break first.

Supper had already been prepared once I returned to the barracks, and I could see Wolfe and Gradona eating.

Wolfe is eating energetically, but Gradona seems to be awfully exhausted.

“Ah, Ilias, good work!” (Wolfe)

“Judging from the exhaustion of Gradona, it seems like you are really letting loose right from the morning.” (Ilias)

“She is really working an old man with not much left in life… I seriously think I am gonna die here in Taizu.” (Gradona)

Wolfe is also training with actual combat mainly.

There aren’t many knights with their main fighting style being hand-to-hand combat, so we are having people from other divisions help out, but they lack compared to the Holy Fist Gradona.

Everyone from the Ragudo Division can help out if it is training against enemies with weapons, but there really is a lot more to learn against someone with a similar fighting style.

“Gradona-sensei won’t die for another 100 years!” (Wolfe)

“I would be dead by that time even if I were to be the absolute pristine figure of health! Even though you are above me when it comes to pure strength a long time ago! I can only drink booze at night thanks to that!” (Gradona)

“Shishou told me that it is only okay to drink in the morning on holidays. That’s why it is fine!” (Wolfe)

“Damn it… Telling me to shave my beard, telling me to properly take baths; since when did Lass Wol become my momma?! Are you her reincarnation?!” (Gradona)

Gradona has become awfully hygienic since the training began.

He shaved his beard, fixed his hair, and he looks younger than normal.

“It is because I end up wanting to grab the long hair or beard of Gradona-sensei! Also, you smell!” (Wolfe)

“Please spare me from withering away even more! Even though the ruffled hair is more like a hermit and gives off the vibe of the Holy Fist…” (Gradona)

“I am fine with the smell of age. But I don’t like the stench of alcohol and several days of not cleaning your body!” (Wolfe)

“I can’t sleep without reeking of alcohol~.” (Gradona)

Wolfe has been able to say things straight on since the matter of the Green Demon Lord.

Something happened between her and that man, and I can tell that she has grown in a good direction, but…there are times when I would miss the days when she was innocent.

Well, there’s no doubt she is still cute though.

“By the way, Gradona, I will ask you straight here, but how much has Wolfe grown?” (Ilias)

“Even if you ask me that…I think she has already surpassed you.” (Gradona)

Gradona said it nonchalantly, but his eyes were serious.

It is great to hear that Wolfe is steadily getting stronger.

“So the past me can’t match her anymore, huh. That’s reassuring.” (Ilias)

“You are impressive yourself for being able to say that.” (Gradona)

“It is not like I don’t feel the pressure of her catching up to me, but what I have to overcome is the limit of my present self. I will move forward without looking back.” (Ilias)

“That’s Ilias! Wolfe will also work even harder!” (Wolfe)

I had supper and began the afternoon training.

Lord Ragudo and the other captains of the other divisions were in the training grounds.

That’s right, the ones I will be facing in the afternoon are the peak of the knights in Taizu.

“What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you are shaking in your boots at this point.” (Ragudo)

“This sight is enthralling even without being scared.” (Ilias)

I of course will have to fight these people.

Their pressure is far bigger than that of the members of the Ragudo Division.

It goes without saying that they have more experience than me as knights, and the captains here are all at the height of their prime. They can all show their talent, effort, and experience as knights without any drop of it being wasted.

“Now then, continuing on from the other day, I will be the first one fighting you.” (Leano)

“—Yes, please do, Lord Leano.” (Ilias)

I unsheathe my sword and take a battle stance.

Lord Leano took a stance as if waiting for me, contrasting mine that was ready to jump at any moment.

It was one week ago that I fought the serious Lord Leano for the first time.

I didn’t expect I wouldn’t be able to break through that sturdy defense of his even when the sun sunk.

The other captains also have things that I don’t, and I have been single-mindedly learning it all.

“Now then…begin!”

I doubt there has been anyone aiming to reach the peak of a knight who has had an environment more blessed than mine.

Me becoming strong is necessary for the country and for the sake of the world, and everyone is supporting me.

I am trying to answer this as a knight. I doubt I will be able to feel as fulfilled as this in the future.

That’s why I must answer the people in front of me.

◇◇

“To think things had become interesting in the short time this one wasn’t present. The past Ser, huh. I wanted to meet him~.” (Gold)

I was investigating a variety of things in the bases of Leitis located in Torin, and Gold came to hang out again.

It is truly fortunate that she didn’t come at the time when a certain someone’s memories had been returned to the past.

“I think you are fortunate to have not met me. I would have simply been taking a colder attitude than normal.”

“It is not a bad thing to want to see the past appearance of the man that I like, right?” (Gold)

“I looked the exact same. And so, you coming here again means that a problem happened?”

“I am doing well over here. I was thinking about talking with the king of Torin as a part of this, ya see.” (Gold)

The king of Torin, huh…

Speaking of which, I haven’t really greeted him since coming to Torin…

We did go decently wild inside the country, so it might be better to go explain to him.

“Then, want to go together? I can ask Odyus as early as tomorrow and schedule an apo.”

“Apo… I can understand what yer trying to say, but ya sometimes use weird words.” (Gold)

“There are times when the abbreviations are not translated correctly. It means Spirit-sans are not all-powerful.”

Well, not like I can talk all big as someone who is relying on the Spirit-san the whole time and haven’t finished learning the language though.

But you know, it is seriously not progressing well when there’s no opportunities to learn by hearing.

“By the way, I was planning on going with ya from the very beginning. Going there with just my clone would be questionable, ya see. If I were to go meet him with my real body from Gahne, the king might have changed by the time I return. Going as an extra works just fine.” (Gold)

“Is the situation that bad?”

“Nfufufu! I have a plan that can do something about it despite that, so that’s why I am here.” (Gold)

I don’t feel the laugh of Gold is a bluff.

I do feel exhaustion from her, but it is like she has thought of a good plan after thinking thoroughly about it.

Then, it should be okay to observe for a bit more.

“I shall see what the king of Gahne can do then. Do your best so that Marito doesn’t laugh at you.”

“Umu. I will return my consciousness to the other side then. It is a pain to send the clone every time after all. I will leave the body here for a bit. I leave the safekeeping of it in yer hands.” (Gold)

“You can’t create a clone far away?”

“I can carry the clone this far because I am maintaining the clone. It may be possible to bring it all the way here with just mana, but creating a clone in this location would be pushing it.” (Gold)

So it is like assembling a radio controlled car and driving it, huh.

It would be impossible to put together the parts from afar. Normal radio controlled cars can’t be disassembled remotely though.

By the way, she apparently created a clone in Gahne, put it inside a box, and had a merchant transport it.

Depending on the situation, this could be seen as human trafficking.

“What are you going to do about the preservation of mana?”

“It won’t be a problem for a few days. You can just have Blue replenish the mana if needed.” (Gold)

I don’t think she would accept it obediently. Well, I feel like she would agree despite all said though.

But she left the clone in Gahne at the time when she went to hang out at Taizu, and yet, this time around she sent the clone.

If I remember correctly, she said that she can’t properly taste the happiness of having her tail brushed.

Should I be praising her here for being more aware as a king?

“—Right. I should go to Gahne once before going back to Taizu. I have to put a brush in the tail of the real body.”

“Nfufufu, so ya get it! I shall let ya play with this body as you please as a reward for your laudable attitude!” (Gold)

“I see. Then, let’s get the scissors.”

“Stop!” (Gold)

In the end, the clone of Gold was used as a body pillow of Rakura.

Rakura has slept with her a number of times in Taizu, but according to her ‘it is addicting, or like, so comfy that I would end up trembling at night for a while when not there’.

I was curious about it, so I wanted to try cutting off the tail alone, but she refused in tears.

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