Chapter 52 The Reason Why I Became This Strong, What Do You Think?
Silence...
"..."
Fiona stared at me with a questioning gaze.
Seems like she's doubting whether making wooden swords can really make her stronger.
I can understand that feeling. I was once the same. Actually, I never even thought about making wooden swords to become stronger.
But through honing my skills in making wooden swords, I accidentally discovered an efficient way to become stronger.
By chance, I stumbled upon a truth of this world that no one else knew.
It's such an advanced concept that often goes unrecognized by those around me.
Scholars who have made groundbreaking discoveries that leave their mark in history might have felt the same way as I do now.
But even so, I should make an effort to convey my understanding through words.
I nodded thoughtfully and opened my mouth with a solemn expression.
"I must say, as an explorer, I consider myself quite strong."
"...Well, I won't argue with you on that. Otherwise, I wouldn't rely on you to get stronger, right?"
"I see. Well then, let's get straight to the point."
Surprisingly... or maybe not, Fiona agreed, so I continued the conversation.
"Hey, what do you think is the reason why I became this strong?"
"...?"
"That's right, it's the wooden swords."
"...I haven't said anything yet."
She doesn't need to say it. It's a skeptical look that says it all. Even without words, Fiona probably guessed what I was going to say from the flow of the conversation.
"Fiona, it's time to reveal to you the astonishing truth that being a wooden swordsmith is the fastest way to become the strongest in this world..."
"..."
I told Fiona.
The methodology of how to become stronger by making wooden swords.
In my case, I use my aura to shape the wood with my fingertips. But since Fiona doesn't have the [Hand Blade] skill, she would start by using a bladeless knife and projecting an [Aura Blade] onto it to shape the wood.
However, by continuing to do so, not only will [Aura Blade] become more experienced, but the control of Aura itself should also be trained. If she become proficient to a certain extent, the effects of training should likely extend to skills other than [Aura Blade].
And in the case of me and Fiona, the premises are different.
The reason is, I only have the [Slash] skill, so I have come up with various combat techniques by varying it, but Fiona has already mastered many skills in the first place.
In other words, Fiona doesn't need to vary her skills like me. Just by strengthening the skills she already has, a considerable increase in combat power can be expected.
In my case, it took quite a long time to come up with combat techniques from [Slash], but Fiona doesn't have that need. Therefore, I expect the effects of training to appear faster for her than for me.
I carefully explained these things along with the training methods.
As the conversation progressed, Fiona's expression, filled with doubts, began to change. "No way..." "Is that really possible..." "I can't believe it..." Her face was enlightened by the shocking truth revealed one after another, and the glimmer of hope that had been lost in Fiona's eyes――――it didn't exist at all.
Until the conversation ended, her gaze remained unwavering.
I was a little puzzled, thinking that maybe the conversation was difficult. I had explained so earnestly.
"Hmm... You still can't accept it, huh. Well then, let me include an episode that you can accept and explain it again..."
"No, it's fine."
Fiona interrupted me.
Was she still reluctant to make a wooden sword? I felt a little sadness and was about to argue when she said.
"It's not like I doubt your words. I know you're not the type to lie about something like this."
"Hmm... I see..."
Fiona chuckled. Looking helpless.
To that expression, I... Well, anyway, Fiona chuckled and then picked up the wood and knife placed on the table.
"So, what should I do?"
"Huh?"
"You're going to teach me, right? How to make a wooden sword."
"Ah, um... so, are we starting now?"
It's already quite late today.
Fiona stopped her hands, as if remembering something when I spoke.
"Oh, right, you just got back, didn't you? If you're tired, can we do this tomorrow?"
"No, I'm okay."
Actually, even when I came back from Hellem Wilderness, I didn't run all night, and I wasn't particularly tired physically. I didn't fight many monsters either.
So, it was surprising that Fiona seemed strangely motivated.
I asked her honestly.
"You seem... unusually motivated?"
"Strike while the iron is hot, right? Besides..."
She looked at me with a serious expression.
"I think I'll be called to help suppress the 'Great Outbreak' starting the day after tomorrow, and there might be more attacks. So, there might not be much time for training, you know?"
That was certainly true.
Even if the attacks stopped, we would definitely spend a lot of time suppressing the 'Great Outbreak'.
"So, I want to do it while there's any time available."
"...I see. Got it. Well then, shall we start right away?"
"Yeah."
I nodded and decided to teach Fiona how to make wooden swords.
Of course, it wasn't the usual way of making them; it was a way to become stronger.
But time is time, and it looks like I'll have to teach her in this room. ...Since wood chips will fly around, I guess I'll have to lay down some sheets on the floor and work on top of them.
It'll make the room messy, but I'll apologize to Lady Eva later.
* * *
――Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door of the guest room.
Then Eva called into the room.
"Fiona, are you awake? Breakfast is ready, so let's go to the dining hall together."
It was the morning after Aaron Gale, who had gone missing, returned.
Since the clan members began to be attacked and Fiona started staying at the mansion as a guard, Eva had been spending a lot of time with Fiona.
It was, of course, partly because Fiona was serving as a bodyguard, but more than that, it was a fresh experience for Eva to spend time with a friend like this at her own house.
Having breakfast together with a friend.
While it may seem like a trivial act, for Eva, who is one of the top-class ladies in the world, it is not something she can easily experience. Considering the circumstances, it might have been inappropriate, but she was enjoying the situation of having a friend stay at her house.
So for the past few days, it had become a routine for Eva to have breakfast with Fiona... Even though it was already time for Fiona to be awake, there was no response coming from her room.
"...How unusual. Is she still sleeping?"
Tilting her head, Eva knocked on the door again.
"Fiona, are you sleeping?"
She asked, but there was still no response.
She gently tried the doorknob and found that it wasn't locked.
"...Fiona, I'm coming in, okay?"
After calling out once more, she opened the door and went inside.
The guest room, which would be spacious enough for normal sensibilities, felt eerily quiet and cold to Eva.
She looked around the room, but Fiona was nowhere to be seen.
In that case, she must have already woken up and gone somewhere.
"...I wonder if Fiona is practicing somewhere?"
If it was her friend, it wouldn't be strange for her to be training early in the morning. In fact, ever since she started staying here, she had been training alone early in the morning every day. She often used the backyard of the mansion or the training grounds of the Demon Hawk Knights.
However, normally she would have returned to the room by this time.
"...I guess there's no choice. I'll ask someone to go and call Fiona."
Deciding to ask one of the servants to fetch Fiona, Eva left the room.
And as she closed the door, she suddenly remembered.
"By the way, Mr. Aaron is also staying here today, isn't he?"
That friend of hers, who is quite stubborn, it's easy to see what kind of feelings she has for her master, Aaron. But despite her personality, she's quite shy when it comes to love. The relationship hasn't progressed at all.
Or perhaps, if left alone, it will never progress?
She couldn't help but think that way, considering how harsh Fiona's attitude is towards men in general. At one point, she thought she hated men.
"Oh, that's right. Let's invite Mr. Aaron as well."
Thinking that she should take the initiative, she decided to invite Aaron to breakfast just like this. Luckily, his rooms aren't that far apart. It's on the same floor.
Eva walk down the corridor, heading towards Aaron's assigned room.
And soon enough, when she got close to the room she was aiming for...
Click, and the door to Aaron's room opened from the inside.
Just in time, she was about to call out to him, but the next moment, her voice retreated when she saw the scene before her.
(Huh?)
Instead of Aaron, Fiona came out of Aaron's room. And, for some reason, she was dressed in a thin negligee with a gown draped over it――basically in sleepwear. It's not appropriate for a lady to visit a man's room dressed like that.
(...Well, in a way, it might be appropriate?)
With a slightly confused mind, she gazes at Fiona, who doesn't seem to notice her.
That was also one of the reasons why it felt strange. It's impossible for Fiona not to notice someone's presence at this distance. They said she has sharp intuition as a solo explorer, and when she was with her, she encountered many situations that proved it. There shouldn't be any mistake about that.
But Fiona doesn't notice her.
Is it because she look somewhat tired or sleepy?
"Hey, are you okay?"
Naturally, Aaron, who came out after Fiona, supports her wobbling body.
"Mm... I'm fine."
Fiona weakly replies.
(What is this? What's going on!?)
Startled by the unfamiliar atmosphere surrounding the conversation, Eva froze in horror and remained unable to move.
"I guess we worked a bit too hard yesterday. And here we are, it's already morning..."
"It's fine... I was the one who asked, so don't worry about it."
"I see... But you should get some rest. You're exhausted, aren't you?"
"Well... Yeah. Obviously, after all that..."
Apparently, the 2 of them had been engaging in a tiring activity. And the conversation suggested that they had been doing it all night.
(W-What were they actually doing!?)
Eva, a well-bred young woman who was now a candidate for succession to the family estate, had never had any experience with the opposite sex. However, she was not entirely naive about such matters.
Confronted with the sudden possibility that her friend, who she had always thought to be even more reserved than herself, had suddenly ascended to the stage of adulthood, she was greatly perplexed.
(Ack! I-If I stay here, they'll find me!!)
For some reason, such a fear gripped Eva that she hurriedly jumped into the nearby guest room before Fiona could turn around. The room was empty, so the door was open. Eva hurriedly closed the door, but as quietly as possible.
"..."
She held her breath for a while and listened intently.
Fiona exchanged a few words with Aaron and started walking towards her own room. Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief when the sound of her footsteps grew faint.
"Who would've thought... I'd encounter such a scene..."
But her emotions were still mixed.
On the one hand, she was embarrassed to have witnessed such an intimate moment between her friends. On the other, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of loneliness at the thought that her friend had already had such an experience.
"More than that, it'll be a bit awkward to face Fiona..."
Deciding it would be best not to invite Fiona to breakfast for now since she seemed tired (implied), Eva jumped when the door suddenly opened with a creak.
"So, Lady Eva, what are you doing?"
Aaron was standing at the door.
He looks down at her with a slightly exasperated expression.
It seems that he had noticed her presence after all.
Eva answers in a flustered, thoughtless manner.
"N-n-n-nothing!? I, I was just inspecting the room~!"
"...Lady Eva, is it your job to inspect the rooms...?"
Aaron is suspicious. Of course, he would be. Eva couldn't think of any other words to say in that situation. As she panics, Aaron asks.
"Did you need something from Fiona or me?"
"Well, that..."
She gives up and tells the truth.
"I was going to ask if you wanted to have breakfast..."
"Then why didn't you just say so? Why were you hiding?"
It's a fair question. However, Lady Eva isn't satisfied with Aaron saying it.
"C-could I have called out to you in that situation!?"
"Huh?"
"B-besides... Fiona looked so... tired."
"Yeah, well, that's true. She's been up for a while, so she must be exhausted. Let her sleep."
"Oh, I see..." she nods and looks at Aaron's face again. Something about Fiona's demeanor felt strange, but she also realized that Aaron's attitude is different from usual. He seems much more concerned about Fiona than he usually is.
"Um, excuse me, Mr. Aaron?"
"What's up?"
Her guess had practically become a certainty, but there was still a chance that she was wrong. To verify it, Eva decides to ask him.
However, she can't just bluntly ask "What were you doing?" and expect him to give a straightforward answer like "We were doing ✕✕✕". So, she decides to ask in a roundabout way.
"Did... you 2 do something?"
"Do what...?"
Aaron looks puzzled for a moment, but then he seems to understand the meaning of the question. He nods as if to say "Oh, that's what you mean" and says,
"Oh, you noticed?"
He admitted it.
"Well, uh... there's no way I didn't notice, right?"
She implied, just by the atmosphere.
"Oh... could it be that the sound was, uh, leaking out pretty bad?"
"S-sound!?"
Aaron's apologetic words made Eva react a bit too much.
(What sound!? Ah, are you talking about that voice thing!? Or the creaking of the bed!?)
"Since it's night, I figured I'd try to keep it quiet... but if you had a complaint, I'm sorry."
"N-no!? I-I don't have a complaint!? Why would I!?"
"Oh, okay, that's a relief... oh, and sorry about this, too, Lady Eva."
"Huh!? What for!?"
"We cleaned up after ourselves, but we got the room a little dirty."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!?"
She couldn't take it anymore.
She didn't want to hear any more graphic details about what her friends had done.
"Y-you don't have to tell me about it!! I bet the bed's all messed up, right!?"
"Bed? No, it's not like that――on the floor――"
"I'm telling you to stop talking about it!!"
"Whoa!"
Eva pushed Aaron away and went out to the hallway.
Her face flushed red with embarrassment as she started to run――but then she stopped dead in her tracks. Before she left, there was something she had to say.
"...I congratulate you both... but what were you 2 doing at someone's house like that!? How shamelesssss~!!"
Lady Eva shouted those words and ran off down the hallway.
Meanwhile, the remaining Aaron tilted his head as he saw Eva's back disappearing.
"Shameless...? I was just making a wooden sword."
He wondered about it but decided not to think about it anymore, concluding that "that's one funny girl."
He let out a big yawn. He hadn't slept and was getting really sleepy.
"I guess I'll take a quick nap."
Aaron muttered to himself and returned to his room to sleep.
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