Chapter 143 - Chapter 142: Practice Session
Day of Wind, Week 5, Month 3 of Fire.
The distortion in Nerisfeene's body, who had started living with Mika, had improved dramatically over this one week.
Even so, since the original state was impossible to be normal, she is still so twisted it could be called a critical condition, but she has recovered enough that if she tries hard, she can get up by herself.
If she puts her hands on the wall, she can even walk.
However, it is still dangerous, so I am telling her to rest in bed as much as possible.
Her face, which at first had one eye wide open and was twisted in agony, is no longer like that now.
She is a cute girl with a well-proportioned small face.
One eye is still twitching a little, but that should heal soon.
"It seems to be getting better and better, so don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"Yes, Mika-sama."
Nerisfeene worships Mika to the point where I want to say, "Does she think you are God or something?"
I could even say she worships and adores him.
Well, I can understand that she feels respect for Mika, who saved her from such a terrible situation, but I want to retort, "Isn't that a bit over the top?"
Since there is an active Saintess right here, Mika asked a question he had been wondering about for a while.
If you are a Saintess, you must be very familiar with the contents of the scriptures, right?
"Son of God, you say?"
"Yes. The difference between a Son of God and a Lost Child. Is there any?"
I thought I would ask Radi or Kifrod when I returned to Rish Village, but since there were church officials here, I decided to ask Nerisfeene as well.
"...There is not much difference between the two. If taken in a broad sense, they can be said to have almost the same meaning."
"In a broad sense? Then what about in a narrow sense?"
Mika tilts his head while asking.
Nerisfeene seems to be organizing things in her head as she murmurs, "Well... yes."
"A Lost Child is a word that represents all people. More strictly speaking, it refers to 'people created by the gods,' but since all people are created by the gods, the meaning is the same. If taken even more strictly, perhaps it means 'people who believe in the Church of Light'."
People who believe in the Church of Light = people who need the guidance of the gods, so that is why they are called "Lost Children."
"Are there no people other than those created by the gods?"
"Is that... a person...?"
A very sharp answer came back to Mika's casual question.
Well, if the scripture says "all people are created by the gods," then anyone outside of that "all" would not be a person.
That's scary.
"Then what about a Son of God?"
"A Son of God also represents 'people created by the gods,' so it has almost the same meaning as a Lost Child. But if I must say it, perhaps I should say 'those who are closer to the gods.' It is sometimes used as a term for saints."
"Saints..."
Saints, wasn't that a general term for holy men and women, including Saintesses?
"So, does that mean Nerisfeene, who was a Saintess, is a Son of God?"
"All people are Lost Children, and all people are Sons of God, Mika-sama."
Saying that, Nerisfeene smiles.
Hmm, I don't really get it.
Still, if "Son of God" is used with a special meaning, I understood that there seems to be a nuance like "a being closer to the gods."
"That's right. Have you heard of Filius Dei? I think it means Son of God."
"...Filius Dei?"
Murmuring that, Nerisfeene's face becomes thoughtful.
"Well... I feel like I've seen it somewhere... but I'm not quite sure. I apologize."
"No, it's fine. Thank you for telling me all sorts of things."
"No, this is nothing. I wish I could be of more help..."
Mika soothes Nerisfeene, who looks truly apologetic, and touches Nerisfeene's hand.
It is research on [Blessing].
"Mika-sama is very enthusiastic about research, isn't he?"
Nerisfeene always watches warmly as Mika plays with the [Blessing] inside her, happily.
"Sorry. I've been interested in what [Blessing] is like for a while."
"No, for something like this, I can do it as much as you want."
I thought I wanted to mess around with a Holy Sword before, but there is a much rarer [Blessing] right in front of me.
It is the [Blessing] said to be given by the gods, the very essence of magic.
Well, regardless of whether the gods are good or bad, it is certain that it houses a quite powerful [Blessing].
After all, it kept Nerisfeene alive for three months even without food.
The [Blessing] that resisted that powerful curse and kept Nerisfeene alive.
There is no way Mika's "bad illness" wouldn't activate.
Mika sends magic power and probes the [Blessing] residing inside Nerisfeene.
Nerisfeene possesses three [Blessings].
[Heal], [Purification], and the third one, which he doesn't quite understand, is a power to see something.
When Mika's magic power enters, it is clear that the [Blessing] activates.
The [Blessing] that had spread over Nerisfeene's entire body gathers as if pushing back Mika's magic power.
However, there is no resistance like the curse.
I am amazed that with just this amount of gathered magic power, it was able to counter that powerful curse.
Probably, besides the sheer amount of magic power, there must be some trick or key point.
As I thought, it's not something stiff like a curse, so it probably can't be released with the same method...
The curse is in a state as if it has solidified overall.
If you search its surface, there are spots with a different texture, and by interfering with them, you can peel off the layers like an onion and release them one by one.
But the [Blessing] is formless to begin with and moves around incredibly much.
Mika guesses that right now, it is probably running around repairing Nerisfeene's body.
In other words, Mika's interference is getting in the way.
Regarding the point of reacting to external interference, are Mika's magic power and the curse recognized in the same way?
It's the same mechanism as [God's Miracle], so I have no idea about [Blessing] either. What is this?
In terms of the situation, I guess it was the [Blessing] that kept Nerisfeene alive for three months, but regarding the mechanism, I am completely at a loss.
...Three months without even taking in water, yet keeping her alive? And with her body in such a mushy state? I don't think the [Blessing] currently inside Nerisfeene has enough magic power to do such a thing...
This is too far removed from the image of magic power Mika had been thinking of so far.
If [Blessing] alone cannot get that much power, did having the curse reside in it simultaneously create some sort of synergistic effect...?
Mika can feel the existence of the curse, but not its effects.
If neither [Blessing] alone nor the curse alone can explain the reason Nerisfeene continued to live, it might be a result obtained by chance because both were housed.
At that moment, Nerisfeene moved slightly.
"...U... gh..."
Nerisfeene groans as if in pain.
"Oh, sorry. I'll stop now."
"No, it's okay..."
It seems her body hurts when Mika interferes.
Still, Nerisfeene says, "Please investigate until you are satisfied, Mika-sama."
"Thank you. That's enough. I realized that interfering with [Blessing] is difficult no matter what."
"Please do not worry at all, Mika-sama. There is no greater joy than dedicating my life to an Apostle."
She says things Mika doesn't quite understand.
"Um... Nerisfeene-san?"
"Yes. What is it, Mika-sama? Ah, please call me Nerisfeene."
Nerisfeene looks at Mika with sparkling eyes.
"Why do you call me 'sama'?"
"Of course, because you are Mika-sama."
She brings up a reason I don't quite understand.
Anyway, Cleiria said something similar before.
"............I've asked this many times. Um, what is an Apostle?"
"Of course, you, Mika-sama."
The answer that comes back is always the same.
That doesn't help me understand.
Even receiving Mika's squinting gaze, Nerisfeene looks at Mika with sparkling eyes.
I can't talk to her... Is this girl a fanatic too?
For some reason, she smells a bit like Radi.
If you don't touch that, I think she is a very, very good person.
But if you touch that abyss...
If she finds out that I don't care about the Church of Light, what will happen? I'm scared I might accidentally slip my tongue in front of this girl.
Well, not just Nerisfeene, almost everyone in this country is a believer of the Church of Light.
If Mika talks about the "thoughts" he usually deliberately doesn't speak of, he might be put on trial for heresy.
It is best to leave it alone.
"Oh, Fee-sama."
Fee, who had casually floated in through the crack in the door with a floating motion, received a smile from Nerisfeene.
Fee floats around the room freely, doing who knows what.
"Nerisfeene. You don't need 'sama' for Fee."
Mika points at Fee with a dumbfounded face and says.
Really, what is this guy doing?
By the way, it is agreed between Kistil and Nerisfeene that they will not use honorifics for each other.
They are the same age, you know.
"But Fee-sama is Fee-sama. High spirits who follow an Apostle appear frequently in myths, you know."
"High spirits, huh..."
Exhaustion-type spirits, or spirits of fatigue?
Didn't something similar wander around that abandoned house?
Well, the fact that she wasn't affected by Nerisfeene's [Purification] means she is at least not an "unclean being."
But that doesn't guarantee she isn't a monster.
"Oof, heave-ho."
With a sound like an old man and a shout, she stands up and climbs onto the shoulder.
"I was asked by Kistil to run an errand, so I'm going now. You, Fee, stay behind."
Saying that and brushing off the shoulder, Fee floats around the room again.
Mika sighs at that utterly relaxed, floating appearance.
Watching Mika and Fee like that, Nerisfeene chuckled.
■■■■■■
The next day, Day of Saturday, Week 5, Month 3 of Fire.
Fifth Knights Order, Quarters.
"Thank you very much!"
Mika and the others had come for practice.
It is a special training session on the usual Saturday, and sometimes we visit the Fifth Knights Order.
At one point,
"There is someone incredibly strong."
When Mika said that, Basal bit on it, saying he really wanted to practice with them.
Well, I told the story expecting he would bite.
When Mika asked Ozendorwa right away, he agreed surprisingly easily, surprising us.
It was so easy it made me suspect they were plotting something, but it seems Ozendorwa just wants to maintain a connection with Mika.
Considering the matter of the young man with reddish-brown hair, he apparently thought it would be good to strengthen the connection a bit.
I haven't seen Ozendorwa's sword skills, but according to Gaeras's information, he is a master-class swordsman.
And during the play with Mika, he showed strength worthy of being called a monster.
Probably, even with a five-fold Physical Enhancement, Mika cannot beat a serious Ozendorwa right now.
He is almost on par with Mika who has a five-fold Physical Enhancement in his base state.
What if Ozendorwa uses [Physical Enhancement] and uses a sword?
If he seriously displays that attack from outside consciousness, it could lead to a situation where he realizes his head has been cut off.
No, he might be dead before he even realizes it.
He is the first person I met who could casually say, "You are already dead."
Currently, Ozendorwa is firmly in second place on Mika's list of "People I absolutely do not want to fight seriously."
First place is, needless to say, Yaroibarov.
Speaking of which, there are too many monsters around...
"Gwaaaaaaah!?"
While receiving short sword instruction from a knight of the Fifth Knights, Basal's voice was heard.
Looking in the direction of the voice, Basal was being thrown by Ozendorwa.
"As always, merciless..."
"Ahahaha. Well, the Commander likes Basal-kun."
Right now, Basal was being played with by Ozendorwa.
What they are doing is similar to the game with Mika.
There are no flags or anything, simply crossing the line on the other side of Ozendorwa.
However, the rule is that if you are rolled over by Ozendorwa, you go back to the start.
Ozendorwa is busy, so he can't play every time, but sometimes he plays like this.
When I first came for practice, Basal challenged Ozendorwa with a sword, but as expected, he couldn't stand a chance.
Mika also saw Ozendorwa's sword for the first time, and honestly, from the outside, it looked like he was doing nothing.
He simply entered Basal's range and placed his sword against Basal's neck or elbow.
Watching from the side,
"Why doesn't Basal dodge?"
I tilted my head, as he naturally entered Basal's range and placed his sword.
Basal, who had no idea what happened, tried to attack first next.
But after easily dodging Basal's sword, the match was over again in no time.
This time, he took the sword from Basal's hand as they passed each other.
Basal didn't seem to notice immediately that his sword had been taken.
Mika could only be dumbfounded by this.
Steal the opponent's sword while fighting? And make them not realize it was stolen...
How much of a gap in consciousness must there be to perform such a feat?
It was a level where it was difficult to even measure his strength.
Ozendorwa's playtime was also allowed for Rimliche.
Rimliche, finding it funny that she was rolled over without understanding why, challenged him many times.
However, it seems Ozendorwa is more careful when dealing with Rimliche.
It seemed more tiring than dealing with Mika or Basal.
Mika also does not use [Physical Enhancement] during this practice session, just like the usual special training.
The goal is not to win, but to have strong people teach him swordsmanship and body handling.
The purpose of raising the base level in his base state remains unchanged.
"I still can't win."
Mika rolls on the ground and pouts.
"Darn it! Why can't I win!"
"Um, Mika-kun? We are professionals, after all?"
The knight who was instructing Mika smiles bitterly.
Normally, it is strange for a mage to challenge a knight with a short sword and try to win.
"Maybe the short sword isn't good enough. Should I switch to a sword?"
The range is too different.
The power when swinging down is too different.
With a short sword, you cannot block a sword.
"It is not admirable to blame your weapon for your own immaturity."
Ozendorwa, who finished playing with Rimliche, walks over with her.
"Your fighting style relies too much on the sword. What do you plan to do by blocking a sword head-on with a short sword?"
"Ugh..."
Receiving a very obvious criticism, Mika makes a bitter face.
Stop with the common sense punches.
"You have [Physical Enhancement] if things get serious, so your movements are too rough. If you continue like that, you will end up like Shesbarno."
"Eww, that's bad."
It is a rude thing to say.
Although he seems quite strong for his own reasons.
"Physically, it is a bit strict to use a sword... Rather, don't you think you should learn knife techniques?"
"Knife techniques?"
Mika sits up and looks up at Ozendorwa while sitting cross-legged.
Indeed, I had been wanting to know how to fight with a knife.
"I think you are dissatisfied with the short sword because you think the sword has become shorter. If you think the knife has become longer, your mind will be at ease."
"Well, that might be true..."
But isn't the fighting style completely different?
"The secret of the knife is how to sneak into the opponent's inner range. Even you wouldn't try to block a sword with a knife, right?"
"............"
Could this be an insult?
Listening to Ozendorwa's words, even Rimliche smiled bitterly.
Do they think I can't do it?
"How to take range with a knife, how to sneak into the opponent's inner range. Once you understand these, I think your fighting style with the short sword will naturally change."
Indeed, Mika's fighting style with the short sword is based on what was taught in class.
The short sword class at the academy is only about learning basic handling and fighting styles on that extension.
It focuses only on "what I use," and does not consider much what weapon the opponent has.
It is just doing this to deflect an attack from above, and this to block.
If you say it is not practical, it is not practical, but in class, that is all they can do.
Or rather, the class does not aim to win in the first place.
It is only handling close-range weapons as a last desperate struggle to survive.
"If you seriously consider close-range combat, it is a technique worth learning."
"Can Ozendorwa-san do knife techniques too?"
"I don't need knife techniques (such things)."
He fell off.
Recommending it to people.
"I have learned the technique of entering the opponent's inner range by another method. I do not need to use a knife."
That's right.
Even if I stand face-to-face, Basal easily entered my inner range.
"However, for the same reason, I have a question as to whether you need knife techniques or short swords?"
Saying that, Ozendorwa smiles bitterly.
"I don't think someone who can fight so well with [God's Miracle] needs such close-range weapons."
The premise of handling weapons assumes "when magic power runs out."
If asked if it is necessary for Mika, it might indeed be questionable.
"Well, if you are interested in knife techniques, just say so. There are quite a few people in the Knight Order who handle knives."
So, Ozendorwa proposed it.
Then, he looks at Basal, who is receiving instruction from a knight at a slightly distant place.
"Basal-kun is doing quite well, but he is still rough."
Saying that, he sighs once.
"I sympathize with his parents. They had a son born with talent, and he was taken away just as they were about to polish him up."
Saying this with a slightly clouded expression.
"Does Basal have talent for the sword?"
"Yes. Whether it is a gift from heaven or a result of effort, I don't know. Judging from his training so far, he seems to have built a solid foundation."
Ozendorwa looks at Basal with a serious face.
"But unfortunately, everything has become half-hearted. Well, considering his age, it is natural. He probably intended to sharpen it from now on. ...His parents must have been very frustrated."
Ozendorwa murmurs with a tone that seems to resent the "system" that took Basal away.
As someone walking the path of the sword, he must have something to say.
"............Please bring him here again in the future. If it is about swords, I can be a beacon for the path he should take."
"Thank you."
Mika smiles brightly and offers his thanks.
If I become a swordsman on par with Ozendorwa in my base state, can Basal win overwhelmingly with a different level of [Physical Enhancement]?
Thinking such things, without showing it at all.
I don't know how much Ozendorwa can use [Physical Enhancement], but if Basal is chosen as a mage, he might be able to fight with three to four times the power.
...If I'm unlucky, he might be able to defeat a hundred people alone? Aim for one man against a thousand?
Mika indulges in such delusions alone.
Anyway, I asked for knife technique training.
After all, the destination being Shesbarno (that place) makes me feel something.