[Reberu] ga Arunara Agerudesho? Mobukyara ni Tensei Shita Ore wa Gēmu Chishiki o Ikashi, Hitasura Reberu o Age Tsudzukeru - CH 93

[Surprising Truth]

I think most people don’t know this, but having your arm cut off is quite painful.

“To think that this body still have a sense of pain, it opens this Sakurai’s eyes.” (Sakurai)

After escaping from the inn, I go to an empty back-alley and use ‘Shishu’ skill to quickly reconnect my left hand and sprinkle some potions on it.

The wound is still fresh and cut off cleanly, so I manage to reconnect my left hand easier than I expected, although it’s a bit stiff to move.

For now, let’s hang it using a suitable cloth instead a triangular bandage.

I’ve proved in the practical training with Uncle that if potions seep in a cut off arm properly, it will be able to move perfectly again.

But still, although I surprisingly managed to tide over the battle, it made me realize the difference in our pure strength.

Each of his slash, although not at Uncle’s level, was fast and heavy.

If I devote myself to defense without thinking about counterattacking, I should be able to last quite a while, but defeating him would be a different matter altogether.

Additionally, the opponent still hadn’t use ‘cheat’ using ‘System Command’, so honestly speaking, he is not an opponent that I can defeat by myself.

“Well, if something comes up, I’ll just have to team up with Uncle and Amanai and beat him to death. It’s not like I have to go out of my way to defeat him by myself, anyway.” (Sakurai)

Although a boss character’s experience points are attractive, he’s an unsuitable target to turn into experience points ’cause it’s unclear whether I can defeat him, to begin with.

The most important rule in leveling is to fight opponents you can easily beat only.

No matter how high the experience points of a boss character is, if I were to devote the time and effort necessary to defeat him to hunt other monsters, I can comparatively gain a larger amount of experience points.

Moreover, if it’s a lower ranking opponent, I can continue hunting them unilaterally, so I can immerse myself in leveling for a longer time. Just imagining it makes me wanting to leak out a weird laugh.

“Fuhi.” (Sakurai)

It leaked.

Well, anyways, although he seemed to be planning something, unless it’s something major, I won’t be willing to be involved with neither Nanashino nor the Black Sword in the future.

More importantly, now I should focus on the immediate profit, or rather the Fool’s Necklace.

I can’t forget my purpose of participating in the academy festival.

“However, I wonder how it would turn out. If the lot from the military academy come back, they’d definitely find out the fight at the inn and the dead knights; the academy festival won’t be canceled… right? (Sakurai)

If that happens, I’ll have to resort to robbery, but in that case, I may end up fighting the academy director.

I know the scope of the academy director’s power from the settings, but he never fought in the game.

Because he was treated as an object like Anubis, when it comes to actually fighting him, it seems it will be difficult even if I have prepared some measures. When the time comes, I will attack him without a doubt, though.

Anyway, let’s go back home for the time being.

Thinking back on the result of the chariot race, I ended up leaving Iris alone in the race track, didn’t I? A slight bit of my conscience is worried about her.

Although it seems that she has become much more mentally calmer than before, there’s still a twinge of insecurity left inside her.

Or rather, the longer we are parted, the clingier she’ll be when we get to meet up again, won’t she…?

It’s not like I hate it or anything, but I don’t have enough tact to not say “You’re heavy,” when she clings to me while I’m doing muscle training, so I wish she stops doing it.

I walk around the city while buying potions to replenish the ones I had used along the way.

Perhaps because the academy festival is a big event, the clerk of the stalls and shops are energetically active, and the main street is full of people attracted by the festival.

Maybe I’m also swept away by the atmosphere, as I unintentionally buy various costumes and outfits, repeatedly disguise into this and that, and walk while raising the level of my Disguise skill.

“Hm? That’s Luisina and… Julia? Why’re they there?” (Sakurai)

Ahead my line of sight are Luisina, who has been moving around as she likes in the academy festival, and Julia, who probably has finished the race.

Luisina is leaning her back against the wall of a building and boredly eating an apple candy, while Julia, a royalty, is leaning on the corner of the building and peeking at the other side from behind it— what a strange sight to behold.

As I’m wondering what they’re doing, Luisina notices me, pokes at Julia, and points at me. Julia then beckons me over.

I smell trouble for some reason, so I turn around and run away, but unfortunately, I can’t escape from the boss character. Luisina, stretching out her arm, grabs my neck and pull me in like a fish.

“Guee!?” (Sakurai)

“Luisina, aren’t you a little rough?” (Julia)

“If you want to call Tōru, you need to do this much at least. You saw how he immediately ran away, didn’t you?” (Luisina)

“Fumu… then it can’t be helped.” (Julia)

I don’t think you’re allowed to fish someone without their consent, though?

The body of the demon-kin Luisina, who has adopted the vampire monster ‘Fluid Vampire’, is close to liquid. To give you a better idea, think of slime.

She can expand and contract her body, and also change the shape her body, so she can do things that a certain rubber man* can. (*A.K.A Luffy)

“Cough… so, can I ask what kind of business Princess have for a low birth like me?” (Sakurai)

“Sorry for that. There is something I like you to watch with me, you see.” (Julia)

“Something you like me to watch?” (Sakurai)

“Look over there.” (Julia)

As told, I poke my head out from behind the building.

There are stairs there with a plaza down them, and I’m able to overlook the crowd that gathers there for some reason.

Most of the them are armored knight apprentices from the military academy, and students from the adventurer academy are also visible among them.

They gather so as to make a circle, in the middle of which two people are fighting.

“That’s Amanai and… the one with a green cloak is Baldasare, right?” (Sakurai)

“Sakurai-kun is unexpectedly familiar with the students from our academy. As you know, he is Baldasare-kun, a boy famous for being a master of the spear.” (Julia)

Which means, what’s going on now is the scene where knight apprentices of the military academy are venting their discontent because the duel event with Julia.

Characters who the protagonist didn’t know came attacking the protagonist as a result of finding out the information that the protagonist, a mere commoner, was recognized by Julia and would be having a duel with her… so is the gist of it.

In the original storyline, after defeating opponents who were well-known even among the knight apprentices of the military academy, the protagonist was recognized by the surroundings, and finally got to have a duel with Julia.

(Due to Amanai’s improvisation, the duel has changed to a contest in the academy festival, so this event, which was divided into several days, may or may not occur, but it occurs, in the end.)

Baldasare, who has the spirit of a true warrior, was someone who challenged the protagonist to a duel in order to determine not only his ability but also his personality.

Because of his lack of ability, he couldn’t become Julia’s ‘playmate’, so he thought that he could entrust his feelings to the protagonist. He didn’t give that much experience points.

However, among the knight apprentices who fought the protagonist, Baldasare was a character who appeared in the final stage.

Before fighting him, the protagonist fought many characters such as the three delinquents, the twin sisters who worship Julia, as well as their stalker.

As far as I know, this should be the first time that Amanai has been attacked by a knight apprentice, but does the fact that Baldasare is fighting him means that the event has been partially compressed and omitted?

(Well, if the one going on right now is that event, then as long as he wins, the surroundings’ evaluation of him will go up, and I will be saved from some troubles, so this is a good thing, I guess.)

“Sakurai-kun. How does that battle look to you?” (Julia)

Even if you ask me how it looks to me, it’s just a battle between two guys, one with a spear and the other bare hands, isn’t it?

Anyhow, there is a clear difference in range between the spear and bare hands; the range of the spear is several times longer than that of bare hands.

It means that with it, you can unilaterally attack the opponent while maintaining a distance that bare hands attacks cannot reach, which will lead you to keep the initiative throughout the battle.

For the guy with bare hands to narrow the distance, take back the initiative, and defeat the opponent, it requires a high level of proficiency.

If that’s the case, the battle between a guy with a spear and a guy with bare hands shouldn’t last long.

Either the guy with the spear one-sidedly beats the opponent, or the guy with bare hands closes their distance and finishes the battle in an instant.

Although I only ever experienced fighting bare-handed against a long-range weapon in mock battles with Iris, still, that’s enough for me to conclude that range is a decisive factor in a battle.

“…Eh, why’s the battle dragged out so long?” (Sakurai)

That’s why, I unintentionally spill out the question that come to my mind while watching Amanai’s fight.

And perhaps hearing that, Julia smiles with a ‘that’s exactly like what I feel’ expression. I realize my error of giving her a favorable impression of me.

“Ah, I mean, are you kidding me! How can I know! I don’t follow the battle at all! They’re seriously going at it, I guess! Amanai keeps moving around, amazing! So cool!” (Sakurai)

“Yes, it’s as you said, Sakurai-kun. It’s strange that the battle between the two is dragged out.” (Sakurai)

“Iyaa! What a close fight! They’re evenly-matched, aren’t they! There’s no doubt about it since my eyes are telling me so!” (Sakurai)

“Tōru. I don’t know why you’re trying to lie, but can you not try in vain?” (Luisina)

Why don’t you ignore me as usual, but point that out instead, Luisina?

I don’t want Julia to set her sight on me, especially in combat-related areas.

“They may seem to be evenly-matched, but if you look closely, Baldasare-kun’s spear never leads to a telling blow. Amanai-kun is perfectly handling it.” (Julia)

True, Amanai has been dealing with the spear that Baldasare wields by dodging and parrying it. But still, the battle is dragged out.

It may look like Amanai is looking his opponent and dragging out the battle intentionally, but I can see that whenever he spots an opening, Amanai boldly rushes in and hits the enemy with a punch or a kick.

Moreover, he seems to be impatient because Baldasare won’t fall down no matter how many times he hits him, so I don’t feel like he is deliberately pulling his punches, either.

“The difference in ability is clear and Amanai-kun is not pulling his punches. But Amanai-kun hasn’t been able to defeat Baldasare-kun. Now, why is that?” (Julia)

Julia happily asks me as if to test me.

I honestly don’t really care about that, but when I turn a sour face toward her, she just ignores it with a soft smile.

I wonder why the girls I know, no matter if it’s Julia, Luisina, or Higaki, are all self-willed people.

Seriously, there should be a limit to selfishness. I wish you all can be a little more cooperative and considerate of my feelings.

In line with this, there are star seeds in the royal treasury, right?

You understand what I mean, right?

“Don’t think about something stupid, and just give your answer, Tōru. I want to go back already.” (Luisina)

“Then you should just go… Ah, you’re afraid to go back alone! I’ll escort you!!” (Sakurai)

“Well, don’t say that, you two. You actually want to accompany me, right? Right?” (Julia)

Still with a smile on her face, Julia strongly squeezes Julia and my arms.

It’s easy to shake it off, but doing so would leave a bad impression on a royalty, and I don’t want Julia, who starts to have the atmosphere of a dog hot on a someone’s heels, to hold a grudge against me and get in my way in the future.

…Well, I’ve never seen Amanai’s strength clearly. If I have, it’ll be easier for the plans later.

“Can’t be helped.” (Sakurai)

“!” (Julia)

Perhaps because we’re at the back of a building with no one around, at my words, Julia leaks out a smile like a blooming flower, which is appropriate for her age.

Having remembered that she was originally a character with the settings of a lonely girl who had no friends because of her position, I decide to accompany Julia for a while more because of my conscience and sympathy.

If it was me from two months ago, I would have never gone along someone else’s request.

When I think so, I feel the certain growth of my humanity, and I’m hit by a feeling similar to moderate euphoria.

Although I’m still looking at Amanai’s battle, my mind has wandered somewhere else, or rather I increasingly feels like the fight doesn’t matter.

I mean, the joy of growth is so good~, so I’d like to digest it quietly alone without being conscious of unnecessary things~.

It’s one thing if I can get experience points by watching it, but since that’s not the case, isn’t just a waste of time?

……Not good, I can’t keep my concentration on something I’m not really interested in. I feel bad for Julia, but let’s honestly tell her my feelings and go back.

“Umm… how do I put it, the motivation is—” (Sakurai)

“I knew it, Sakurai-kun thinks so too!” (Julia) [TL: So, Sakurai wanted to say that he didn’t have the motivation to watch the battle but Julia misunderstood it thinking that he was talking about Amanai.]

“Yes?” (Sakurai)

As I’m trying to say that I want to go back, Julia cut my words and says something I don’t quite understand.

I don’t understand the meaning of her words and tilt my head, but I enjoy the feeling of having Julia putting her hands on my shoulders and her head above mine as she begins to happily explain about Amanai’s battle.

No, what’s there to enjoy about! I can’t escape anymore because she’s grabbed my shoulders, can I! Dammit!

“When I thought about why Baldasare-kun doesn’t fall to Amanai-kun’s precise attacks, I came to the same conclusion as you. Certainly, Amanai-kun swings his fist with all his might, but he’s not serious. That, too——” (Julia)

Having noticed Julia’s weight slightly increased, I give up and gently lift one leg and start muscle training while ignoring her, just responding with “I see.”

Then the load increases thanks to Luisina nonchalantly leaning on my back, and the experience points that I can obtain increases slightly.

“Hey, Julia.” (Sakurai)

“What is it?” (Julia)

“Lean more on me.” (Sakurai)

“Eh? Ah, err… like this?” (Julia)

“Yes, like that. Then, please do continue.” (Sakurai)

“You know that sounded like something that a pervert would say right, Tōru?” (Luisina)

The experience points that I can obtain right here right now is more important than society’s opinion of me! Or rather, if you say so, then stop leaning on me!

Like that, Luisina and I watch Amanai’s battle with a commentary from Julia.