Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Quick Draw

A little while later, Alto said that he had something he wanted to discuss with L’Arc, so he left us and went off on his own.
“How’s progress?”
We went to the castle courtyard where . . . okay, so they were doing the same thing that we’d done back in Melromarc—training.
We were in a completely new world, but we were still training as hard as ever. There was no time to rest. When Rishia had the time, she joined Raphtalia and the others.
“It’s been going very well, I think.”
“Sounds like you’re pretty confident.”
“I am.”
After Raphtalia was chosen by the katana of the vassal weapons, she was forced to flee from her pursuers with L’Arc and Glass. They had seen to her training during that time. During that same period, I spent all of my time making money and raising my levels. I hadn’t done any real training to speak of. I hope she hadn’t gotten good enough to embarrass me.
“I was just showing Rishia all that I’ve learned about how to control energy.”
Yeah, I was pretty sure she’d pulled ahead of me.
“I just want to make sure we’re on the same page. You’re talking about the same thing that the old Hengen Muso lady was talking about, right?”
 
“Yes. Should I have avoided the topic?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Anyway, Rishia and Filo were . . .”
“Feh ?! ”
When I turned and looked at Rishia, she jumped as if I had startled her. Her eyes darted anxiously around the courtyard. Had I said anything that deserved a reaction like that? Maybe she was just afraid of me. Whatever the reason, I don’t think I’d ever seen her calm and relaxed.
“How’s Filo?”
“Excellent question, Mr. Naofumi. Filo seems to have completely mastered energy control.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. Raphtalia glanced over at Filo.
“Filo.”
“Whaaat?”
“Show us how you control that power that Fitoria taught you about.”
“I don’t wanna! I’m tired . . .”
Filo seemed to have lost a good deal of her previously impressive stamina when we crossed over to this new world. Now she tired very quickly.
She lost some stamina, but now she could fly. It wasn’t a bad trade, but she focused mainly on magic during battle nowadays.
“Just show us a little. Mr. Naofumi will be really impressed!”
“Okay!”
Filo snapped to attention and started to focus her power.
I wanted to see it, but I never agreed to be impressed or say anything nice. Oh well.
 
After Fitoria taught Filo how to fight, she became very quick on her feet. Her attacks were sharper too.
“Whew. I’m too tired, so I have to get some power first.”
She started gathering magic power around herself. It looked like the technique she’d used during our battle with the Spirit Tortoise’s heart.
“Glass also knew of a technique that uses energy in a similar way, so we shared our ideas with each other,” Raphtalia explained.
“Yes, the technique reminded me of my training in prana, a technique we use to gather, increase, and store our energy.”
The techniques sounded similar. But, I wasn’t sure to what extent the technique would line up with the energy theory the old lady had taught us. I guess we would find out.
“And yet, I have never seen such things performed so effectively. Therefore, I also have much to learn on this topic, and so, I have been training with Ms. Raphtalia for the last few days,” Glass informed me.
If that meant that Glass was going to get even more powerful than she already was, I almost felt like I didn’t want to teach her anything. She even said that after training with Raphtalia she had developed the ability to actually see energy. She was a force to be reckoned with. She watched Filo and analyzed her technique.
“This young girl has incredible potential.”
“So she’s using the same kind of energy?”

I’d had Filo assist Rishia with her training for a while now, but now that I think back on it, I’d never had Filo train with the old lady. Actually, I think the old lady had said that Filo didn’t need training.

I was starting to understand why she’d said that.
“It’s likely that we use the same kind of energy, though there may be some differences. With more training, I believe we can all improve.”
“Sounds good to me. Hear that, Filo?”
“Yup!”
I shot another glance at Rishia and said, “Raphtalia, Glass, how’s Rishia doing?”
“Not all that well, honestly.”
I should have assumed as much. From what I could tell she was making a concerted effort, but the training didn’t seem to be having much effect.
“The old lady says that she has potential—that a great strength slumbers within her. I’ve seen her.” I turned to Rishia, “I’ve seen glimpses of it myself. I’m still expecting a lot from you.”
“Feh . . .”
I wish Glass would teach her something.
“She has . . . talent? Really?” Glass looked her over with disbelief. “She can use energy? To my eyes, she seems to have less prana than normal.”
“So you’re saying she has no ability?”
“Mr. Naofumi, can’t you phrase that a bit more kindly?”
Rishia had plenty of use outside of battle. And besides, I’d seen her fight as if her abilities were suddenly awakened. I wasn’t ready to give up on her just yet.
 
“That’s not what I mean, it’s just difficult to explain. As far as ability, or potential, is concerned, I think you’re correct that she may have a propensity.”
“I’m getting confused.”
“Me too,” Kizuna said. “What do you mean?”
Glass scratched her chin and tried to explain. “It’s confusing for me too, but I’ve seen flashes of brilliance in her as well. Short flashes that quickly vanish.”
“Hm . . .”
“To be more specific, it’s a bit like what Filo was just doing, where she supplements her own prana with prana from her surroundings. As far as I understand it, she . . .”
Glass went on blabbing for a while. She used a lot of specialized vocabulary I’d never heard before, so most of it went right over my head.
The gist of it seemed to be that Rishia had far less prana than most people do, but that she had an exceptional gift for gathering and absorbing prana from her surroundings. That made sense to me, because of what had happened when she used a bottle of life-force water on herself back in Melromarc. She’d grown incredibly powerful and lost control over herself.
Glass had seen Rishia’s battle ability skyrocket during the fight with Kyo. Her theory was that this phenomenon occurred as Rishia became more emotional, and then she was able to better control her power.
“So she gets stronger the more effort she makes?”
“In a sense, yes.”
 
“You could have just said that. I didn’t need to hear the whole speech.”
“Don’t say that,” Kizuna said. “That’s mean.”
I wondered if Kizuna saw Glass’s face scrunch up when she defended her.
Anyway, if Glass agreed that Rishia had some kind of unrealized potential, then it must have been true. I still expected her to prove herself useful with her bookish knowledge.
“I’m almost jealous,” Ethnobalt said, entering the conversation.
What now? Why did he have to throw in his two cents?
Ethnobalt was always relegated to supporting the rest of us in battle. Even though he possessed a vassal weapon, he didn’t seem to be all that powerful—maybe that’s why he was jealous.
He had only muttered softly to himself, but Kizuna and Glass seemed to deflate upon hearing him.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Oh right,” Kizuna said. “You don’t know why Ethnobalt has to avoid the front lines, do you, Naofumi?”
“No.”
When I thought about it, I realized he did always support the group from a distance, and he hadn’t come with us when we went searching for Glass and the others.
I’d just assumed that he was the intellectual, magic-using type, and that he used the ship vassal weapon to get around. But, maybe it was more complicated than that. Because I don’t think he had really done anything during the wave battle either.
 
I thought maybe he was just taking it easy, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
The vassal weapons typically conferred a duty in battle on those that held them. I’m not sure I’d ever really seen Ethnobalt fight. He always went out of his way to avoid battle, and no one ever asked him about it. There must have been an explanation for all of this.
Maybe the ship vassal weapon had limitations, like my shield, or Kizuna’s hunting tools.
“Members of my race generally do not gain power when their levels increase.”
What?
I stared at him in silence. Then I looked over at Rishia, but no one was paying any attention.
“That’s right. Back when I first got here, Ethnobalt used to go on adventures with me just like anyone else. He gained plenty of levels too, but . . .”
“I was shocked by how quickly Kizuna’s stats outpaced my own. It didn’t matter how many levels I gained, my stats only grew by insignificant amounts. The power difference between us grew and grew.”
“Can you make up for it by powering up your weapon?”
“A little bit. But it isn’t enough, not even close.”
He must have survived by status bonuses granted when new abilities are unlocked. But it wasn’t enough—he wasn’t strong enough to battle in this world. Admittedly, the monsters, people, and waves in this world were powerful by Melromarc standards. Little status bonuses could only take him so far.
 
“I have learned a large variety of magic spells, but my power didn’t grow with my knowledge, and it got to the point where I was clearly holding everyone back.”
He was saying that he wasn’t even good at supporting others in battle.
No doubt about it, he reminded me of Rishia.
“Everyone tried to protect me. If I was on the front lines, I would likely end up getting killed. It fell to others to protect me. But I’m a holder of a vassal weapon! I didn’t want to hold the others back.”
That’s why he was jealous. He wanted to protect others, not to be protected by them.
“That all sounds well and fine, but I don’t think your actions are as impressive as your intentions.”
“Mr. Naofumi, can’t you say something nicer than that?”
But it was true.
He wasn’t like me. I didn’t want to battle at all, but I was forced to protect other people. He had a choice in this. He could attack monsters and people if he wanted. He just hadn’t found a way to make it work.
He had the ship vassal weapon, after all. When we used it to fly through the sky, I noticed that it was equipped with cannons. If he could fire all those cannons at once, then he could probably do plenty of damage if he wanted to. Unless the cannon damage was dependent on his stats, which I suppose was actually a possibility.
 
But if he was convinced that everything came down to his stats, then he should stop asking for sympathy and being so dependent on them!
“Take a look at Rishia! Her stats are so low it’s not even funny! And you have the ship vassal weapon! What are you whining about?”
“Fehhh ?! ” Rishia yelped.
“Naofumi, isn’t that a little rude? Not just to Ethnobalt, but to Rishia?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m talking about their motivation, about their effort.”
I waved Kizuna over and whispered Rishia’s stats in her ear, starting with the best ones.
Rishia had technically become my slave to gain the benefits of my slave maturation adjustment skill. That’s why I knew what her stats were. The more stats I listed, the more color drained from Kizuna’s face.
“No way! They’re really that low?”
“Yeah, normally. Aside from the battle with Kyo, that’s what her stats are like.”
“Wh . . . What do you mean?” Glass asked Kizuna, bewildered.
Then Glass dropped to her knees before Rishia and bowed until her head was on the floor.
“Forgive me. I hadn’t realized that you were so unfit for battle. I should never have put you in danger by bringing you into the battle against the wave.”
“Fehh ?! ”
 
“I don’t think you need to bow to her . . .”
Kizuna turned on me next, “Naofumi! We’ve brought Rishia into battle without a second thought, but knowing what I know now, we never should have done that! We put her in real danger!” she shouted angrily. Was it really that bad?
When you really think about it, wasn’t their reaction worse than anything I had done? Raphtalia looked troubled, like she wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Well, Rishia has always said that she wanted to get stronger, so isn’t it okay if she joins us in battle? I don’t see a problem with it.”
“Raphtalia, there is a difference between bravery and recklessness! With stats like that, Rishia’s going to get herself killed!”
What was going on? The conversation was clearly derailed. All I’d wanted to say to Ethnobalt was that he had no right to be jealous of Rishia, if he wasn’t going to make a real effort. Why was everyone mad at me?
“I see what you are driving at. I lack the level of decisiveness, or courage, that Ms. Rishia has. Is that it?” Ethnobalt said after realizing how devoted to battle Rishia was, in spite of her stats and abilities.
“There’s no way to know when talent will show itself, when your true strength will be revealed. You think you can wait for levels to do it for you? You can’t slack off and hope that everything will just change for you some day.”
He held a vassal weapon, after all.
I understand how discouraging it can be when you don’t seem to be making any progress. But, if Ethnobalt had enough free time to sit around lamenting how weak he was in comparison to others, then he should devote that time to training and self-improvement. That’s what Rishia did.
 
“If you’re satisfied with playing a back-up role, then that’s fine. But if you want to be stronger, then you have to put in the work. There’s more to power than stats, you know? If you think there’s nothing you can do, you’re just wrong.”
“Mr. Naofumi . . . ”
“You sound so cool, Naofumi. You talk a big game, especially considering that you’re subject to the same sort of limitations in battle that I am,” Kizuna said.
“Shut up.”
I’d attack if I could, I really would. But I was cursed with this stupid shield, so being an offensive fighter wasn’t an option—but I wasn’t giving up.
If Ethnobalt’s weapon allowed him to attack, then there was still hope for him.
And everyone kept saying that Rishia had potential. I believed it too, considering what she’d done in the battle with Kyo. She’d prove herself eventually, and she’d get there because she never gave up trying.
It’s better to regret trying and failing than to regret not trying at all.
As far as I was concerned, Ethnobalt didn’t have the right to complain until he had really made an effort.

“I understand. Very well then, Glass, may I participate in these training exercises?”

“Are . . . Are you sure?”
“Yes. I want to protect you all, so I must work as hard as I can to get to that point, just like Ms. Rishia.”
“We can do it!” Rishia chirped. They were really hitting it off.
Glass looked over at them and smiled, “I’m a tough teacher!”
Glass appeared to be filled with fresh determination. She looked tougher, taller than normal. “We’ll start by training the body! Let’s get going!”
“Okay!”
“Understood!”
The three of them took off running. Then Ethnobalt and Rishia tripped and fell.
They had a lot in common, those two. They were both so clumsy.
“Now then, Mr. Naofumi. Why did you come to see us today?”
“That’s right, I’d nearly forgotten.”
I got so wrapped up in talking about Rishia’s stats and strengths that I’d neglected the reason I came. I pulled out the katana sheath I’d made and gave it to Raphtalia.
“Thank you very much!” She smiled warmly. That was the face I’d come to see.

I had put a cheap sword into the sheath for the time being, but with the actual katana in it, the design was a perfect match. It made the katana look even more beautiful. When she slid the blade in, it sealed with a satisfying clack.

When the blade slipped all the way in, I thought I saw the sheath’s gemstone flash.
I turned to Kizuna, “You said that special effects can be triggered when vassal weapons, or one of the four holy weapons, are equipped with accessories, right?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know what sort of effects they are.”
“I asked for the accessories to be imbued with effects that would increase Raphtalia’s agility, so she can move around the battlefield easier.”
That’s what I asked the official imbuing specialists to do. When the accessories came back, I checked them over, and from what I could tell, they appeared to have been imbued with the effects I requested.
I guess there was a chance that they had snuck something troublesome in there, but successfully imbuing a vassal weapon at all was difficult enough already, so I highly doubt they could have pulled that off.
“I wonder if it worked?” Raphtalia asked.
“Doesn’t it look like the sheath’s gemstone is shining?”
“Yeah. It actually looks like it’s slowly filling with light.”
“Hmm . . . I wonder what will happen when it’s full?”
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“I don’t even know what the sheath would do, never mind the shining gemstone.”
“Me neither.”

“Maybe you should try to draw the katana and see what happens?”

Kizuna asked.

She had a point. An effect might trigger when certain conditions are met. The accessory I got from the old guy at the weapon shop in Melromarc had been like that. Its effect might have triggered because I’d been blocking so many attacks at once. Something had triggered it, and it made a defensive barrier like the shooting star shield skill I have. It might have even been better than shooting star shield, because it had actually damaged enemies that touched it.
I hoped that the accessories I’d made would function the same way. Anyway . . . I was getting distracted. Back to the topic at hand.
“Good idea. Raphtalia, try drawing the sword.”
“Alright.”
She slid the blade out of the sheath, and the light drained out of the gemstone.
“The light went out.”
“Maybe you can’t draw the sword until the light is fully charged?”
“That might be it,” Raphtalia said, reinserting the sword. We waited until the gemstone was filled with light.
“Maybe you have to fight with the sword still in the sheath? Should I pull the blade out some?”
“Then what’s the point of the sheath?”
“That is a problem. We’ll need to try using it in all sorts of ways.”
“It takes a while for the gemstone to charge up, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe you should carry another, secondary sword to use while this one is charging.”
 
“I’m pretty sure that Glass’s fan can split into two separate fans. She dances with them, but it’s similar to fighting with two swords.”
“So you think if she learns a technique or a skill, she’ll be able to use more than one?”
“Maybe.”
“Um . . . Could you please stop staring at my sword and analyzing me?” Raphtalia muttered uncomfortably.
It wasn’t my fault that her accessory was finished first. We had to figure out how they worked somehow.
“It’s so shiny and pretty!”
“Rafu!”
Filo turned into her humming falcon form and perched on my shoulder while I inspected the katana sheath.
It was turning into a pretty weird scene.
Anyway, it felt like three minutes or so had passed by the time the gemstone was fully charged. A bright light flashed, and there was a sound like dropping coins into a piggy bank. The meaning was unmistakable.
“Great. Raphtalia, try drawing the katana again.”
“Alright.”
She held the sheath in her left hand, and used her right hand to slowly draw the blade.

Hm? Was I seeing double? It looked like there were two Raphtalias standing in front of me.
 
Kizuna cocked her head and blinked. She must have been seeing the same thing that I was.
It’s hard to explain what it looked like. If I tried really hard I could follow her with my eyes, but it was like she was moving faster than her body could keep up with. It looked just like Filo’s haikuikku attack, actually. Like she was moving so fast she was a flickering blur.
I was impressed that Kizuna and I were able to keep track of her.
Never mind Therese, who had been standing off to the side silently and watching with stars in her eyes.
A few seconds went by and then Raphtalia’s speed returned to normal.
“Huh? Mr. Naofumi?”
“What happened?”
“When I unsheathed the katana you all started moving in slow motion.”
“I bet. You started moving so fast that I could hardly tell where you were. It was like Filo’s haikuikku move.”
“If you attacked us at that speed, I don’t think I’d be able to block it.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
I’d have to be really lucky to block an attack that fast.
“It appears that if you keep the katana sheathed until the gemstone is charged, it will activate haikuikku upon drawing the blade.”
“That’s pretty amazing. You can slay monsters the moment you draw your sword! That’s so cool!”

“I’ve seen you kill monsters with one swipe of that tuna knife, so you must know what you’re talking about. I agree that it’s pretty cool.”
 
I had to mention that, because even if Raphtalia could fell monsters with one swipe, Kizuna could do the same thing. That much hadn’t changed. Actually, Kizuna’s attack was probably better, because Raphtalia’s skill only activated the first time she drew her sword. If she missed her chance the first time, she’d have to wait another three minutes or so without attacking to get another shot.
She could probably go after enemies with her bare hands in the meantime, but she wouldn’t be able to use her sword to fight, because then it wouldn’t charge the gemstone. Some of that could probably be mitigated with support magic, but it wouldn’t be wise to plan our battle strategy around those initial attacks of hers.
Anyway, the move had limitations, but I was certainly glad to have it.
“Again, I really wish you would stop inspecting me like that . . .”
“If she could learn to fight with two swords, like that technique that Glass uses, then maybe she could fight with one while the other one charges.”
“It could be limited to this one weapon though.”
“Maybe. It’s still pretty good.”
“Are you listening to me?”
“Oh, right—sorry. When Kizuna and I get talking, it’s hard to stop.”
Raphtalia looked irritated by our nonstop commentary.
Maybe she was . . . jealous?
I was sort of a father figure to her, so maybe she didn’t like that I was talking with another woman so much. Maybe she felt like she was going to lose her parent.
 
“I feel weird with you looking at me like that!”
“Alright already. Anyway, that ability is sure to come in handy when we are out hunting monsters.”
“Good point. We can probably end a lot of battles before they ever begin.”
Getting the first attack in was always an advantage.
Filo could move quickly too, but it was obvious when she was charging up for the attack, and that made the enemy extra cautious. But Raphtalia’s katana would retain the element of surprise, so the enemy would fall before they knew what hit them.
With any luck, this new attack would prove very useful.
“I wonder if there is a way that the stone can retain its charge. It’s a shame to lose all that progress just because you had to draw the sword.”
“I’ll ask the imbuing specialist about it. They’ll know more about those subtle particulars.”
“Good point. Let’s see what we can find out.”
Raphtalia frowned, “Enough already! Now you’re already trying to alter my weapon without asking me? What about your accessory, Mr. Naofumi?”
“It isn’t ready yet.”
I’d worked on it with a firm idea of how I wanted it to come out, but I wasn’t very confident that I was going to be successful.
“What about yours, Kizuna?”

“Thanks for asking! Check it out! Ta-da!” Kizuna smiled and pulled out the tacky lure that I’d made for her.
 
When she saw what it looked like, Raphtalia shot me a disappointed look.
“That’s what she wanted.”
“I’m going to bring it by the imbuing specialist to see what they can do, and then, I’ll use it to go fishing tonight!”
“You really enjoy fishing, don’t you Kizuna,” Raphtalia said.
“Of course I do! It’s my favorite pastime.”
It didn’t seem like anything to be proud of to me. That reminds me, a day or two ago Glass was whining about something related. When we got back to Kizuna’s house, we found the walls covered with gyotaku fish prints.
There were so many of them that it was hard to believe that Kizuna had really caught them all.
Some of them were strange looking creatures—I wasn’t even sure if they should be counted as fish.
“I’ll ask Ethnobalt to take me fishing on his boat!”
“We’ll be leaving in the morning, so don’t stay out too late.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
She’d probably be out until well past midnight.
“We’re going somewhere in the morning?”
“Yeah, we’re going through some monster hunting exercises with L’Arc. Try to take it easy tonight, will you?”
“Very well.”

I felt good about how the sheath had come out. Raphtalia would definitely benefit from that new attack.
 
“Hey! Rishiaaa!” I shouted to her as she ran. I’d completely forgotten something important.
“What is it?”
“This book is supposed to say something about the waves.”
Rishia started flipping through the book that I handed to her.
“I thought that you might be able to get some information out of it, since you’re so good with languages. Would you take a look at it for me?”
“Why me ?! ”
“Because you’re good with books and studying.”
“I like to read, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to understand it all.”
Humility was a good thing, but Rishia was starting to get on my nerves. She was naturally gifted when it came to books and studying, so it was kind of sad that she wanted to be an athletic warrior.
“Take it as an order, and do your best to see what you can get out of it. The more we figure out, the more weight we can take off of Itsuki’s shoulders.”
The book might detail the wave’s secrets. Rishia wasn’t usually much help at all, but this could be a great opportunity for her to contribute.
“I’ll see what I can do!” Rishia stuffed the book into her bag and ran off.
“Naofumi, what shall we do about today’s magic practice?” Therese asked. She’d been quiet this whole time, probably privately freaking out over accessories or something.

I forgot to mention that Therese was giving me lessons in magic use when I wasn’t busy crafting accessories .
 
I learned a new technique from Ost when I got the Spirit Tortoise Heart Shield. It was called the Way of the Dragon Vein. It seemed to be a new way to use magic, but I didn’t understand it very well.
At the time she had walked me through a sort of magical puzzle, but now I couldn’t even figure out how to access it. It was supposed to be a type of magic that let me borrow power from something outside of myself.
I didn’t have any ideas, and I’d seen Therese do something similar once, so one day I just asked her. She said that she was familiar with a different system, and that her techniques might work for me too. So she started to teach me how to use magic.
I’d learned a lot from her over the last few days, but honestly it was pretty difficult. A lot of it went over my head.
“Let’s do it. I want to learn that support magic too.”
Thanks to Ost’s help, I’d been able to cast a very powerful support magic spell called “All Liberation Aura.” It substantially raised everyone’s stats.
We were going to need it to survive what was coming. Besides, I had a responsibility to Ost. I had to learn to command the power she’d entrusted to me. There was no time to relax or slack off.
So, in return for her help with magic training, I agreed to let Therese watch me when I worked on crafting accessories. This agreement had been in place for a few days now.

To learn from Therese, we needed gemstones to work with, so I was crafting those too. Therese was a Jewel, and so she didn’t actually need to use the gemstones I made. I needed them so I could borrow their power during our training.

“Then let’s start our training for the day, shall we?”
“Sure.”
I stood in the castle courtyard with a gemstone in one hand, and our training session began.
“Do your best, Mr. Naofumi! I’ll be training with Glass!” Raphtalia shouted.
“Thanks, good luck, Raphtalia. I want to learn how to use energy too, so I’ll join your training session later.”
I had to focus on magic first.
I needed to find a way to fight against enemies that were able to use a terrible technique called “defense rating attacks.” But more than anything else, I wanted to learn how to use the power that Ost had given me.