Chapter 49

Somehow or another, five days had passed since Tiamat’s training began.

“Oraaa!”

I was sparring with Tiamat again today.

『Your fists have become quite impressive. Now then, I shall increase my output a little more.』

This was the pace we kept, and I hadn’t managed to beat her even once. Just when I thought I’d finally closed the distance, she would pull away again. The cycle repeated over and over.

Seriously, this woman was too strong.

Even if I attacked from long range with magic discharge, it didn’t faze her at all, and even when I landed a direct punch, her scales were so hard that I couldn’t deal any visible damage. Apparently, I was starting to master the art of the “efficient fist,” but I had absolutely no sense of it myself.

Still, I felt like I’d gotten stronger to some degree, considering I wasn’t collapsing from exhaustion like I did in the beginning.

『Hah!』

In the process, I’d also started to figure out how to parry attacks from a massive opponent. It required strength, but the method was surprisingly consistent: you just had to align yourself with the opponent’s movements.

That said, I honestly felt like it would be better to just dodge quickly and land a blow while she was leaning forward.

“Chesto!”¹

At any rate, I was doing my best again today.

“That is enough for today.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Fufu, it seems you have grown even more today.”

“You… think so?”

“Indeed. Compared to the first day, your fists are getting heavier by the day. To be honest, there were moments just now when my hands actually went numb.”

“Really?!”

“It is the truth.”

All right, all right! That meant the results of my training were steadily showing! At this rate, I might actually be able to land a solid hit on Azi Dahaka, right?

“Furthermore, I am giving you a special day off tomorrow.”

“Eh, are you sure?”

“Yes. Your growth rate is remarkable, and resting properly is also a form of training.”

When Tiamat said it, it sounded convincing, but I hoped I wouldn’t get rusty all at once.

“Well then, Mr. Ryu, please have a relaxing rest tomorrow.”

…In that case… maybe I’ll go do some sightseeing?

The next day—my first day off during the training period—I woke up at sunrise, just like always.

I’d been waking up at this time before, but my mind hadn’t been this clear until this training started. Since breakfast time hadn’t changed, I decided to head out for a walk in the meantime.

The town, which I usually ran through while fearing I’d be trampled by Tiamat, was surprisingly quiet. It seemed I hadn’t looked at the town properly because I’d been running for my life.

There were various shops: bakeries, butcher shops, weapon shops, and more. For now, since it was my day off, I made a mental note of the places I wanted to stop by. I wanted to buy some souvenirs for Ril and Karin, too.

Thinking about that, I made a loop around the town and returned to the castle.

After breakfast, just as I was about to head into town, a bit of trouble occurred. Something incredibly troublesome for me happened. It was so important that I felt the need to say it twice.

And as for what was so troublesome…

“…………”

For some reason, the Princess was with me.

This morning, Tiamat had asked a rare favor of me. Apparently, she had been called in as an advisor for a meeting regarding countermeasures for Azi Dahaka. So, I was chosen to act as a “stopper” in case of an emergency.

Well, since she looks after me with food and training every day, I couldn’t exactly say no.

“So, what do you want to do? Do you have a goal or something?”

She was sitting in a chair in my room, acting surprisingly quiet.

“…Then tell me. Why do you seek power to such an extent?”

…That was sudden.

“Well, you know, I told an acquaintance a long time ago. That I’d get strong.”

“But why?”

“A lot happened back then. Two of my friends got combat-oriented professions, and I was the only normal one… No, rather, I had an ‘unlucky’ profession. To be blunt, it’s safe, but ‘boring’ might be a better word for it.”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t asked about your profession. What is it?”

“Tamer.”

“Eh?”

“I said I’m a Tamer.”

“There’s no way! How could a Tamer possibly beat me…”

What happened? She suddenly lost her momentum.

“Is it true? Are you really a Tamer?”

“Why the sudden belief?”

“Fuh, I can at least tell if someone is lying or telling the truth. So, did you have some kind of longing for a combat profession?”

“Not particularly. It probably just ties back to that ‘boring’ thing I mentioned earlier. But it’s different now. I have a wife, so I’ve decided to get strong to protect her.”

“A wife?! You are married?!”

“Well, just recently.”

“I… see.”

“Is it really that surprising?”

Was it that bad for me to have a wife?

“Umu. Grandmother told me that—well, you know. She said that if you became my husband, this country would be secure. So I was under the impression you were single…”

“Huh?! What’s that about? I haven’t heard a single word about that!”

To think Tiamat was plotting something like that behind the scenes… She really is a terrifying person!

“Anyway! If you have a wife, then the talk should naturally disappear. Probably.”

“Probably,” huh… Tiamat does some pretty intense things when it comes to the country’s affairs.

“Well, whatever. I’m going to go buy some souvenirs in town. What are you going to do?”

“I am coming with you, obviously!”

And so, we headed out to go shopping together.