Volume 6 Chapter 4 The White Fox's Dilemma
"..."
Inside the Mercenary Guild building, there are several training facilities rented out to mercenaries. These are used for new teams to get in sync, or for experienced mercenaries to check on their own performance
Mikage, who visited this place, belonged to the latter category.
Having reserved the spacious training ground, she knelt in the center, closed her eyes, regulated her breathing, and sat in seiza position. Even though she calmly placed the sword beside her, the air felt tense, like it was warning others not to approach.
In front of her were three straw dummies used to test the sharpness of swords. Made at a height close to that of a person, Mikage focused her consciousness on them.
"────!"
Just as the tension peaked, she swiftly grabbed the sheath of the sword, took a step forward, and drew it so fast it gleamed three times with silver light, quicker than a breath.
"...Phewwww"
She took a deep breath to calm the heat in her chest, slowly exhaling as she sheathed her sword after the final strike. The sound of the sword sliding into its scabbard echoed sharply, followed by the sound of straw being cut halfway and falling to the floor.
However, Mikage's expression was not impressive.
"...Tch."
In front of her stern gaze lay one of the three straw bundles. Despite being mostly cut in half, it was barely hanging by a thread, with the upper half dangling.
"It's hard to face your own immaturity at this point."
Mikage muttered like she had swallowed a bitter pill, swinging her sword once more. This time, the straw bundle was completely severed, but it felt more like a venting of frustration.
──Mikage was currently grappling with her own troubles.
Yukina, whom she greatly respects as her lord, has shown remarkable growth. He's reached a level where he can defeat Reed, a 2nd rank mercenary known to rival even those in the 1st rank, in sheer combat ability.
Maybe Reed seemed on the brink of losing her sanity, but she managed to regain control just in time. Yet, even if that were true, Reed wasn't someone she could beat with luck alone. Watching him climb higher every day was a source of constant joy.
As Yukina's progress remained steady, Mikage started to feel impatient. She wondered if her own progress had hit a standstill, relying so much on Yukina.
The trigger was the incident at Eubarest. That was the battle where Yukina and Reed clashed in the climax of their involvement in a mafia conflict.
When Reed went out of control and attacked Yukina, Mikage was injured due to a momentary lapse of attention, forcing her to withdraw from the front lines. Thanks to that, she ended up exposing her clumsiness at the most crucial moment and was taken care of by the main (Yukina).
Originally part of the ally faction, it's difficult to deny there wasn't some carelessness involved. Yet, Mikage firmly believed that being careless, regardless of the opponent, showed immaturity.
Although the injury on her leg had completely healed without leaving a scar, thanks to Kyunei's healing, a dull ache still lingered within Mikage.
This dull ache brought back long-forgotten memories.
Unwelcome memories resurfaced in her mind, memories that had been buried for a long time.
"Surprisingly, I haven't completely shaken it off. It's quite surprising even to myself."
Since looking up to Yukina as her lord and becoming a subordinate, Mikage had never experienced such meaningful days in her life. Therefore, she had almost forgotten about it. However, something would inevitably leak out on occasion, making it unforgettable for better or for worse.
Once upon a time, Mikage was born into a warrior family, but was forced to give up the sword and live as a woman. She grew tired of it and came to Arcus to join the Brave in order to make a name for herself.
But fate works in mysterious ways. Before she knew it, she unexpectedly met Yukina and saw him become the future Hero (Eiyuu) with his sword. He accepted all of Mikage, both as a woman and as a swordsman, without reservation. She has never regretted that decision.
Although this is just a story, She is confident that she is still fulfilled as a 'woman'. In that aspect, she should not be inferior to Kyunei, Aina, or even Reed.
And lately, she has been studying under Kyunei and learning various things.
However, Kyunei always cares for her comrades as a healer. Without her doctor techniques and healing magic, Yukina and Mikage wouldn't be able to move freely and work as mercenaries as they do now.
Even Aina is like that. Her royal upbringing remains intact even after being demoted. She possesses the ability to analyze situations objectively, a wealth of knowledge to understand the national situation, and is a skilled user of attack magic that is on par with a frontline mercenary.
Furthermore, Reed, who has newly become Yukina's lover, stands out. Currently, she is escorting a corrupt merchant (Narinki) to a neighboring country, but she plans to come to Arcus (here) later to reunite with Yukina and the others.
What stands out here is her commanding ability. She leads subordinates as the head of Reed's mercenary group, excelling not only in individual combat but also in group battles. If Yukina faces requests or battles that require a large number of people in the future, the most reliable support would be Reed and her men.
The other three also support Yukina not only as women but also with some other elements.
"But, is my 'sword' really up to the task?"
Mikage had doubts about the sword she had always been proud of. The doubt confused the tip and distorted the blade's path. The result was a half-cut straw rope.
"Am I truly just a mediocre swordsman? What would that person think if they saw me now..."
Thinking of someone far away, Mikage let out a small sigh.
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