38. Apprenticeship Request

†

“Got it. Let me see what you can do.”

Perfect timing—the training grounds.

No issue with thrashing around here.

The girl sprang to her feet and took her stance across from Reet.

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“I’m sorry! I haven’t introduced myself yet! My name is Charlotte!”

“Charlotte, then. And what weapon do you use?”

When Reet asked, Charlotte shook her head.

“I have no weapon! I’ll fight with my fists!”

So her Class was “Brawler,” then.

It wasn’t common, but it wasn’t a weak Class either.

The problem is that it doesn’t suit a dwarf very well.

After all, Brawlers rely on raw power and physique. A dwarf would likely be stronger as a Mage.

At this point, her combat ability was cause for serious concern.

“All right, let’s get started then. You can attack whenever—”

But before Reet could finish, Charlotte kicked off the ground.

She’s eager!

Reet lightly dodged her straightforward punch while smiling wryly to himself.

But wait, I did tell her she could attack whenever.

“Ha!”

After the surprise attack was evaded, Charlotte began stepping rapidly and throwing successive punches. But every single one missed—if Reet wanted to counterattack, he could knock her out anytime.

Frustrated already?

Frustrated that her punches weren’t landing, Charlotte pulled out her strongest technique.

“Burning Knuckle!”

A flaming punch. One of the basic techniques of the Brawler Class.

But Reet caught it easily.

“Fire Wall!”

A wall of flame materialized as a shield, blocking Charlotte’s attack. Her fist was completely cut off, and in that moment Reet calmly leaped backward.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Reet thrust his palm forward and chanted his Skill.

“Fire Lance!”

A lance of flame shot toward Charlotte. Charlotte’s Physical Enhancement couldn’t allow her to catch Reet’s magic barehanded, so she answered with her strongest counter.

“Burning Knuckle!”

The lance of flame and the flaming fist collided.

The power was perfectly equal.

They each knocked the other’s flames flying. But Reet immediately pressed with an advanced attack.

“Fire Lance Rain!”

Three lances appeared simultaneously. Reet deliberately released them with slight delays between each.

This should do it.

Charlotte managed to strike down the first and second with Burning Knuckle, but the timing of her next technique didn’t make it in time. So she jumped at full speed to avoid—

She barely dodged it!

But the very next moment, Reet’s fist came flying at Charlotte mid-air. He’d closed the distance in an instant. His fist struck her solar plexus directly.

“—Ugh!!”

Charlotte was sent flying along with her protection barrier.

That wasn’t even a fight.

That was Reet’s honest assessment. He could actually understand a little why the knight named Rand would call her dead weight.

[You have acquired the Skill ‘Burning Knuckle’]

Then, belatedly, came the goddess’s voice. With that, he understood she possessed only a single Skill.

“…!”

Charlotte’s expression twisted with frustration, and she clenched her teeth against the emotion, struggling to push her body up and stand.

Reet walked over to her and offered his hand. Looking at Charlotte as she stood, he said one thing:

“To be honest, I think you’re nowhere near being a knight.”

He stated his frank opinion.

Charlotte’s voice rose in protest. “That can’t be—!”

But Reet’s words weren’t finished.

“—Yet if you still have the resolve to become a knight and the courage to prove wrong every fool who said you couldn’t, then fight alongside me.”

At his words, Charlotte’s expression went blank. Her mouth hung open for several seconds, and then—she finally understood what he meant.

And at that moment—

“Y-Yes, thank you so much!”

A loud voice echoed across the training grounds.