Chapter 20 — Training [2]
The magic arrows were flying straight toward him at an incredible speed, yet Alex blocked them all without fail.
Sara and Cedric couldn't help but be genuinely impressed.
"Hey, Cedric. That machine shooting the magic arrows—your family owns one of those, right?"
"Yeah, it's the same kind. We often train by dodging magic arrows to improve our reflexes and agility."
"I've used one before too… dodging those arrows is pretty tough, isn't it?"
"Of course it is. My family members can handle it easily, but most people can't."
"But that guy's blocking all of them right now."
"Exactly. That's what makes this insane. Dodging them is hard enough, but even for me, blocking every single one would be impossible."
Cedric had trained to dodge those arrows since childhood, so he knew exactly how incredible Alex's feat was.
"That machine… the highest setting is level ten, right?"
"Yeah, level ten's the maximum."
"And the arrows Alex's blocking right now…"
"They're level ten. I can tell—I've used that machine enough to know."
"…Ha."
Sara and Cedric both gave a short, disbelieving laugh at Alex's display.
"Sara, I think I get why you lost. How could anyone break through that kind of defense?"
"I told you earlier, I didn't lose—"
"Just admit it already. Losing to a guy like that isn't even embarrassing."
'Starting from level ten, it's getting tough.'
At this point, my body was barely managing to keep up.
Even so, I somehow managed to block all of the level ten magic arrows.
'The Attack Prediction Skill is honestly overpowered.'
A skill that told me when and where an attack would come from—
I'd have to make full use of this from now on.
In a way, my entire defensive swordsmanship worked only because of this skill.
And,
'My thoughts are slowly starting to catch up with my body's speed.'
There was still a long way to go, but progress was progress.
If I kept doing this kind of training, I'd probably get more used to actual combat.
[Training Complete.]
"..."
After blocking the last arrow, I sheathed my sword and exhaled heavily.
I still had a long road ahead of me.
My physical abilities were decent, but my limits were clear.
I needed to train to push those limits a little further each day.
'Anyway… when did so many people gather?'
I'd been so focused that I hadn't realized a large group of students had gathered to watch me.
'I should leave quickly.'
I didn't like being the center of attention and wanted to slip away as soon as possible.
But as I stepped out of the cage…
"Alex! That was amazing!"
"Huh? Y-Your Highness?"
A blonde-haired girl approached me.
"I-I greet Your Highness."
"Oh, no need to be so stiff. But really, how did you block all those arrows? They were insanely fast."
"As I refined my swordsmanship, it gradually became possible."
"You must've trained really hard, then."
"Hm? Ah, Lord Cedric."
When Cedric appeared, I greeted him.
"The more I see you, the more impressive you are. Now I really want to spar with you. My fast sword versus your ironclad defense—I can't help but wonder who'd win."
"If there's ever an opportunity, I'd be honored to request a duel with you, Lord Cedric. But for today, I'm afraid I'm too exhausted."
"Good call. A duel should only happen when both sides are in top form."
"Thank you. Your Highness, Lord Cedric, if it isn't rude, may I excuse myself now?"
I was starting to feel the heavy weight of everyone's stares.
The attention was uncomfortable, and I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Besides, I needed to start gathering materials for weapon enhancement.
"Ah, of course. Sorry for holding you up."
"Not at all, Your Highness. Then, I shall take my leave. Lord Cedric, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure. Take care."
"Thank you. And… Lady Sara, I'll see you tomorrow as well."
"..."
Sara simply looked at me quietly without a word.
After giving her a polite bow, I quickly left the training ground.
"Phew."
The moment I stepped outside, I inhaled the fresh air deeply, calming my tense body.
'Before or after being transmigrated… dealing with high-ranking people always makes me nervous.'
In this world, the powerful could literally decide my life with a single word.
As I'd thought before, it was good to build rapport—but boundaries were essential.
Getting too close could lead to quests disguised as "friendship," and that usually caused more trouble than it was worth.
'Anyway, it's almost dinner time. I'll eat something quick, then head out.'
My current goal was to strengthen my weapon, even just a little.
Fortunately, the initial enhancement materials could be found near the academy.
The only problem was… I had to hunt monsters myself.
'I think I needed Rock Lizard scales, right?'
I had a feeling this was going to be a hassle, but I started walking nonetheless.
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[To be Continue]