CH 61

4-5 minutes 25.07.2022

{Serge}

Just as I was sleeping, I got suddenly kicked.

“Giv-!”

Thinking it was bro, I was about to complain…

“Hey, I told you yesterday we’re goin’ before dawn, so how long do you plan to stay asleep?”

…just to spot 【Thunderclap Whitefang】 looking down at me.

U-…Umm, where am I…?

Oh right! Yesterday I cried out of frustration. 【Thunderclap Whitefang】 and that guy were so mean to me, but I felt scared about going down the mountains by myself. Then I was told that it’d surely cause a huge uproar in town…

【Thunderclap Whitefang】 sighed deeply.

“In my eyes, your nothin’ but a spoilt crybaby. It’s nothin’ unusual for folks to try leechin’ off me, but your lookin’ down on Indra, aren’t you? Moreover, your obviously regardin’ her as your rival for some odd reason. But, I got a big problem with you treatin’ my precious partner as equal or below a lil’ shit like you. …Come, I’ll show you the difference between you n’ her.”

He urged me along.

“By the way, she’s already gotten up several hours ago. Since I said we’d leave before dawn, she woke up early and finished all breakfast preparations. What did you actually do ever since comin’ here? Indra is ’round your age, you know? And yet Indra had prepared various things ’round the camp yesterday and today, but you haven’t lifted a single finger to help, have you? How ’bout realizin’ that difference between you two for starters? …In the first place, somethin’ like chowin’ down some food and then goin’ sleep is usually impossible for adventurers! Settin’ up night watches in shifts in light of possible monster attacks is common sense. On top of that, it’s usually the young, inexperienced rookies who take the initiative in handlin’ such tasks! And yet you’ve been sleepin’ in without a care, snorin’ as loudly as a boar grunts.”

On the way, he continuously showered me with sermons. 【Thunderclap Whitefang】 was super pissed and scary.

…After walking for a while, I could hear a sound. Just when I wondered what it might be, I spotted that guy swinging a wooden sword at a terrifying speed.

“…She’s been doin’ this kind of trainin’ before breakfast ever since she was five. Even after she partnered up with me, she’s been continuin’ it all the time. Did you do any practice swings yesterday? That or muscle trainin’, did you do any of it? She might have a knack for it, but her strength bein’ equal to mine comes mostly from her hard trainin’. I don’t want her to be lumped together with some ordinary bum like you. After all, she’s the partner I approve of.” 【Thunderclap Whitefang】 declared powerfully.

When I timidly looked at his face, he wasn’t angry nor did he look at me. He was staring at that guy. I followed his line of sight.

……Somehow he looks incredibly cool. He’s brandishing his sword as if performing a dance.

After we watched for a while, he apparently finished his training, and came over.

“Your stoppin’ already?”

“Let’s have breakfast now that you’re awake.” He said over his shoulder and started to walk off.

Despite having moved around so much just moments ago, not a single drop of sweat could be seen on him. His breathing was calm and orderly, too.

…This guy is truly strong.

At last I had also understood.

【Thunderclap Whitefang】 walked up next to him with a puzzled expression.

“What? Was it wrong of me to have shown him?”

“It distracted me, and my training is unique anyway. If you wanted to show him something, your training would be much more of a reference, wouldn’t it?”

“No, that wasn’t my intent here.” 【Thunderclap Whitefang】 scratched his head. “Sorry for disturbin’ you.”

I was startled. For him to apologize to someone my age…

“Don’t mind it. You followed your own way of thinking, right? Just…”

At that point, he grinned broadly.

“Don’t you think this could become an exhibition? If he were to memorize and imitate it, it’d lower one of our sources of income.”

“Wow, your quite the cheapskate, aren’t you?”

Then both laughed.

…Watching from behind, I finally realized that these two were partners in the truest sense.