Chapter 17: To Know

I don’t remember what happened afterwards.

However, in the fight against the insubstantial ghost, I was instilled a vision.

The image of my neck twisted with a hand sword.

The image of my heart being pierced with one finger.

The image of being punched in the face with a counter against my fist attack.

The image of every bone in my body being broken.

The image of being kicked in the knee and then the face.

All my martial art was put out, I was killed, and the image of being destroyed was imprinted.

I tried to fight back, but it was in vain.

His movements seem to be the final form of the steps from the ladder training, and sometimes he’s able to set counters against my attacks.

At the end, I ignored all the basics and the body techniques I had learned in the academy, and I simply lost myself to a child-like tantrum which left me ridiculously exposed.

“Haa, ha… the heck…… What’s going on….”

Not much time has passed.

The evening light is still in the sky, not yet night.

Well, after a few hours, Sadiz should come to get me .

However, that she’s not coming means it has not been that long.

And yet, I felt intense fatigue as if he had been fighting for hours.

『Hmm, have you been killed too much as expected? Well, was this little enough to revise your opinion of me?』

Tre’ainar looks down at me with a cool face.

『However, it seems the basic of basics in martial art have been imprinted. Later, add a shadow into your daily routine while looking into a mirror, all other physical training is just a matter of sparring.』

To be honest, I can’t make a fool of him anymore.

For me, it’s like “Even if you die and become a ghost, you can easily kill them.”

Even though I didn’t actually die, I was able to experience the feeling of actually dying.

『Okay? We will also spar like this every day from now on. If you experience my movement and overwhelming strength every day, there will be nothing to fear from those children there.』

I’m fighting him every day… Somehow, my senses will change in various ways.

“It’s pretty… hard master.”

『Did you think you could become stronger so easily? In order to become stronger in a short period of time, the duration of frustration must also be denser.』

“I guess… that’s right.”

With such a wide range of contents, I was worn out and started to fall asleep on the spot.

Still, there must have been a curse, but… I don’t know.

『What happened? Could it be, did disappointment in your ability lead you to lose your fighting spirit?』

“Well…… I’m so weak, I’ve never thought that till today…And, It’s as if…”

I was killed many times, was aware of my weakness many times, and I was reminded of his mercy many times.

But the more I knew about the greatness of the Demon King Tre’ainar, the more I thought of another thing.

“Hey, Tre’ainar.”

『What?』

“You… said my father he was obscene and couldn’t read the mood.”

What I thought while being beaten… it was about my father.

『Hmm? Yes. If it was one-on-one, I would have won the battle, but that man…』

As always, Tre’ainar looks irritated, as he still thinks my father is abhorrent.

Well, there’s no foul or fair in war, but I understand his feelings enough to call it a grudge.

But on the other hand…

“It’s just… even if it’s so… even if my father was cowardly and couldn’t read the mood… still, you and my father fought.”

『…… Oh…… Perhaps, but…』

“Unlike me now, if I fight, I’ll be killed… I’ll be hurt… I’ll be destroyed… against you, if your form actually existed.”

The reason I was still facing him was because Tre’ainar was a ghost.

The reason that there was only a feeling and not actually been killed, injured and destroyed in the true sense.

But, I’m still such a mess.

Then what about my father?

“My father… stood up to a ridiculous monster, like you, and survived?”

It is not a question of whether father defeated the Great Demon King, or whether his means to do so were obscene and he couldn’t read the mood.

He stood up to something like this.

At the risk of his life.

“Why… would he face?”

For what?

For humanity?

For the world?

Why……

『You really… you know nothing of Hiro.』

That’s what Tre’ainar said to me.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know how strong my father really is, in fact…”

『Not at all.』

Yes, I don’t know.

About my father.

Father’s power.

And……

『The first thing you should do is… rather than knowing the power of Hiro as a hero, rather than surpassing Hiro as a hero…. first of all, comprehend the path that Hiro took to become a hero.』

He is not a father called a hero, but a life that has been accumulated by walking it until the father became a hero.

『People ask you to be ‘the Son of the Hero’, but… he himself, while abominable to me, would not have walked a smooth route, at least, to be a ‘Hero’. If they believe your ‘Hero’ father could always face it without fear, they are mistaken.』

Yes, I don’t know the process because I only know the result of my father defeating the Great Demon King.

That’s why, as I currently am against such overwhelming difference in power, ‘Why did I face it?’ I don’t know.

“Whatever you say…… My father is just busy, and that’s what…”

『Did you not even try to find out? Did you investigate it yourself?』

”…… T-That’s…”

『I understand you do not face the man often … but did you not, in one way or another, get acquainted with your father?』

I never tried to find out for myself. I didn’t want to know that much.

So I had said things like, ‘Well, teach me the sword, give me your sword’, but as soon as I was told that it was no good, I pulled away.

Above all, I hated being told, ‘Our era was…’

『In the old days, if it was said that it would not be helpful because the times are different from the present, then will the old story be helpful, or perhaps tis simply a boast, or do you want to learn what can be learned from it in the present age…that is, it may change depending on the attitude of the listener.』

I was made to think about Tre’ainar’s words, who can tell that I dislike preaching related to old stories.

“You, about my father…will you tell me?”

『Do not be silly. You should inquire about your father yourself.』

”…… Ha, you’re right.”

No way, I never thought I’d be interested in my father in this way.

Well, but right now he’s so busy, he doesn’t have time, my father… even if I met him on occasion, I could only say that he had been uncooperative. If he had a little time… then I’ll ask.

Also……

“You too…”

『What? 』

“You too… tell me if you feel like it…”

It’s also about the guy who’s looking at me now.

The history of the battles between these two people. I simply wanted to know that.

Author’s Note:

Everyone, I am always indebted to you.

This time, I got a nice review.

Thank you very much.

I want to update it more and more in the tension explosion.