“Don’t you think it’s strange to push someone over and then say it was just a little push?”
Huh?
Kimijima, who’s been placing her hand on my chest and casting a recovery spell, asks with a voice full of anger. I can’t help but look at her profile.
“Nah, even if it’s something that could bring down a Celestial Rank…”
“Isn’t it not about Celestial Ranks or things like that?”
“Wha—what? He grabbed my shoulder, you know!”
“That’s because you grabbed my hand first.”
“Huh? That’s between you and me. He has nothing to do with—what the?!”
Kimijima silently lifted my left hand with her right, showing off the bracelet on my wrist. At the same time, she displayed the ring on her left hand’s ring finger to Sid. Seeing this, Sid froze completely.
Nishina and Sakuragi also stepped behind us, staring at Sid as if to say, “What do you think about this?”
“Damn… but… no…”
“Another argument?”
At that voice, Sid’s gaze shifted stiffly, like a broken mechanical doll. Standing there was Pardomikhov, his face as expressionless as a Noh mask.
“No… it’s just… the Celestial Rank…”
“Can’t you listen to what I say, you idiot?!”
“No, no! I just gave him a little push, and he fell on his own! This has nothing to do with Celestial Ranks!”
As Sid desperately tried to explain, Pardomikhov walked over, grabbed his ear, and yanked it upward.
“Ow, ow, ow!”
“You’re such a fool. When did Shigeto-san come to this world?”
“A… a few weeks ago…”
“Then what do you think happened to the Ranking Ladder?”
“Huh? Oh…”
“Sigh… How am I supposed to deal with a fool who doesn’t understand unless it’s spelled out for him? Right? Shigeto-san is a special case—someone with abilities under unique conditions… Idiots like you won’t see him in his full powere.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“Even without that, he’s capable of bringing down Celestial Ranks. If his Ranking Ladder goes up… do you understand?”
“Yes…”
“He’s a treasure of the Federation. If you try anything stupid again, I’ll cut you into sashimi.”
“I-I’ll be careful!”
I see… Looking at the reactions of the onlookers, I realized that Pardomikhov had deliberately spoken loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Finally releasing Sid’s ear, Pardomikhov approached me, who was still on the ground, and extended a hand to help me up.
“I apologize for my troublesome disciple.”
“Hahaha…”
So he was his disciple after all…
After that, Kimijima and the others showed their joy at finally meeting Miree again. In this world where we had few acquaintances, meeting Miree, who had taken care of us at the Sky Temple, must have been a relief.
Since we were going to show them my abilities, we headed deep into the wilderness on a Sebek, a riding beast. Kimijima and the others wanted to come along but were told to wait.
As things calmed down and we walked toward the village gate to depart, I felt a strong gaze on me. Turning around, I saw Kimijima staring intently at me.
“Sensei… is Miree-san really okay with…?”
“Huh? Well, Pardomikhov-san said it’s fine, so it should be alright.”
“I’m fine too, you know?”
“Huh? …No, I’m just going for a bit. Okay?”
“…Understood.”
“Ah, yeah…”
Feeling an indescribable pressure, I forced a wry smile, but then Sid started causing a fuss.
“Wha—what?! Are you trying to make a move on Miree-san too?!”
“Hey, hey! No one’s doing anything like that!”
“But still—ugh!”
Just as things were settling down, Sid blurted out something unnecessary, and Pardomikhov’s fist came down on his head.
“Who said you could speak?”
“Y-yes, sir…”
With that one hit, the conversation finally ended.
The Sebek, the riding beast, had a mane-like horn that swept back. I had been worried that it might stab me while riding, but it turned out to be a soft material, not the hard horn I had imagined.
Its temperament was also quite docile, making it easy for even beginners to ride. However, once it started running, the ride was much bumpier than expected, causing my body to sway dramatically.
“Shigeto-san, please hold on tighter.”
“Ah, oh, yes…”
Indeed, if I swayed too much behind, it seemed to make it harder for the Sebek to run. While Miree didn’t seem to mind at all, my worrying might have been counterproductive.
I focused my mind, entering a state of selflessness, and held onto Miree’s slender waist.
“Whoa. Bro, that’s kinda pervy—”
“Sid.”
“Never mind!”
I was gradually getting used to Sid’s offhand remarks. It seemed like this guy just said whatever came to mind without any filter. After ten years as a teacher, I’d seen all kinds of students. I wasn’t unfamiliar with this type.
The key was not to pay it any mind.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
After riding the Sebek for about an hour, I started to get the hang of it. Watching this, Pardomikhov gradually increased the Sebek’s speed.
“How far are we going?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead… but I’d like to see you take on some stronger monsters. Reports say you defeated several high-level ones while moving from Gallar Blue.”
“I don’t even know the names of the monsters, so I’m not sure if they were really high-level…”
“No doubt they were high-level. Even seeing you defeat mid-level monsters would be enough. I’d like to see something akin to your racial traits.”
“I see…”
Come to think of it, they had mentioned racial traits earlier in Doodle Valley.
“What exactly are racial traits? In my case, I think it’s more of a skill I brought from another world rather than something racial.”
“Ah, yes… For example, do you know General Camilla?”
“Ah, yes.”
“The general is a descendant of a transfer from the world of Morrison. She’s a rare pureblood, born in this world, but she possesses a racial trait.”
“Really…?”
“Simply put, she has a skill called Oni Transformation.”
“Oh, demonization? ”
“The Morrison people are a race that can perform a transformation called Oni Transformation by sacrificing their own life force. This transformation dramatically enhances their physical abilities, but this power isn’t reflected in the rankings, making them a race known to possess strength beyond their rank.”
“The founder of the Huger Duchy on the new continent was a Morrison, which is why many Morrison people in this world live in the duchy.”
“That’s… impressive.”
People gather from various other worlds. It made sense that there would be so many different races.
Eventually, the road became unpaved, but the Sebek continued without hesitation. Amid this, a faint, unpleasant presence began to mix in. Pardomikhov seemed to notice it too and stopped the Sebek.
“…This should be a good spot.”
“A monster… right?”
“Oh, you can sense it…”
The feeling of something lurking, waiting to pounce. It reminded me of the wolf-like monster from before. Perhaps it’s the nature of predatory animals. That wolf monster had surrounded us in a group. I tensed up slightly, gripping the scabbard with my left hand and focusing.
Hmm. This time, it seemed to be just one monster. The Sebek also seemed to sense something, starting to fidget.
…Guess it’s up to me.
Dismounting the Sebek, I glanced at Pardomikhov, who nodded as if to say, “Show me.” I walked forward, my right hand resting on the hilt, toward the direction of the monster’s presence. The monster seemed to sense my movement, intensifying its killing intent.
……
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Iaido isn’t a spectacle, but… I want my allies to understand it.
The monster moved through the bushes with minimal sound. Impressive. But its glaring killing intent was impossible to hide.
While it’s not uncommon to take the initiative, the style passed down in the Kusu-no-ki family emphasizes reacting to the opponent’s move. As I cut through the opening, I slightly lift my right foot and then step forward forcefully.
Thud!
The sound cut through the tension like a thread. The bushes rustled, and a massive, pitch-black cat-like monster burst out like a bullet. To my focused eyes, it appeared in slow motion. All that was left was to gauge the distance, pull it in…
And cut.
The monster, still in mid-air, was sliced in two, its body falling to the ground in a heap of flesh. I avoided the slowly falling blood spray and took a moment to compose myself.
Hmm. I pulled out a piece of paper from my pocket and wiped the grease off the blade.
“Wh-what… just happened?”
Did Sid see the draw? During Iaido, there’s a time lag between me and my surroundings. The faster the draw, the harder it is to see, especially with the added time distortion.
“No wonder Carton was killed… That was fast… too fast.”
“Honestly, I couldn’t see the movement at all…”
Pardomikhov’s expression darkened slightly, and Miree looked at me in surprise.
“It’s my trait, or rather, my otherworldly skill. During Iaido, all elements—magic, strength, senses—are concentrated at once.”
“Concentration of power…?”
“Yes. But… my magic isn’t enough. The magic I concentrate on the blade is all I have, so…”
“I see… How many times can you perform that draw?”
“Five times. The sixth would probably leave me out of magic and collapse.”
“Hmm… I see. That’s enough for now.”
“That’s enough?”
“Yes. It’s a double-edged sword, so to speak. Still, it’s quite a sharp skill… but that also makes it dangerous.”
“I’m aware. If someone wants to kill me, it’s easy. That’s the kind of Celestial Rank I am.”
“…Even though we’ve just arrived, let’s head back to town. We need to plan how to handle Shigeto-sama from now on.”
“Please take care of it.”
“Leave it to me… But first… Sid!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Collect the magic stone.”
“Huh…”
We had only defeated one monster, but Pardomikhov seemed satisfied and led us back to town. Sid, who had been chatting non-stop on the way, was now quiet, following along. Feeling the heavy atmosphere, I was a bit troubled when Miree turned around.
“It’s mentioned something earlier. Is that technique part of Shigeto-sama’s school?”
Come to think of it, Miree had seen my skills when we first registered for the Divine Record.
“Yes, and I think it synergizes with my Concentration skill.”
“Hmm. So it’s not related to Guardian Spirits?”
“I’m not sure about that either. I was in a daze back in Gallar Blue.”
“I see… Still, it’s amazing!”
“Ah, thank you.”
Miree seemed happy, but the closeness made my heart race a little. Holding onto Miree’s waist, I felt an indescribable guilt, and Kimijima’s face floated into my mind.
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