CH 96.2

Or at least that’s what I thought……when I told them about it on the practice field the next day, Tashiba and Mamu reacted characteristically dramatic.

「If that’s what master has said, there’s no doubt about it!」

「Why? Isn’t he a catcher?」

「Master was the very first pitcher! Master was the one who taught Vongo-san about the magic ball that doesn’t use magic. Whatever he says about baseball, it is absolutely correct!」

「I think so too. Master was the one who invented baseball in the first place.」

I had heard that he had taken the initiative in establishing the rules but……I had no idea that he was the inventor of baseball.

「Robos-dono, it’s worth a try, isn’t it?」

「You think so? Well, let’s give it a try.」

However, I have never tried the rotation elimination technique.

The ball naturally spins when you throw it so I have to make the wind blow in a direction where it will be canceled out.

「Here it goes!」

「Roger!」

Pow! The ball goes into the mitt.

East shook his head and threw it toward me.

「It’s spinning!」

I threw it as I thought but it just seemed to be spinning loosely in the opposite direction of its natural rotation.

If it stayed like this, it was just an easy ball and anyone from the zarkudo style would be able to hit it to a homerun.

「One more time!」

「Yes!」

There was nothing we could do. This is our first attempt.

We’ll just have to keep adjusting. Today’s practice is going to be a long one.

-0-

The practice began in the morning and the sun is now setting, turning the city red.

「Robos-dono! I think you made it just now!」

「Really!?」

「Yes! You did it!」

「I’m going to throw it again!」

When I threw the ball he threw at me the same way as before, I heard an “ah!” shout.

「It’s spinning again!」

「Let’s throw more and get a feel for it!」

Perhaps it’s because I successfully did it before……

At this point, we had no idea of the power of this magic ball but from that day on, we began to practice the no rotation magic ball every day.

-0-

From morning till night, we practiced, practiced, and practiced more.

I could manipulate the rotation of the ball, which was smaller than the palm of our hand, just as I wanted it to spin, with wind magic.

However, controlling it perfectly is much more difficult and interesting than I had imagined.

Above all, I felt that my wind magic itself was clearly becoming more sophisticated through this practice.

Baseball is a competition that can also be used as magic training. I should write that down in my report.

If there had been such training when I was in military school, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it so much that I would have done it from morning till night just like what I’m currently doing.

No, perhaps everyone would want to play pitcher and would have a fistfight first.

「Robos-sama～, how long are you going to do this? It’s already night～」

「I already told you that you can go home.」

「That doesn’t work that way, you know that～」

I know I’ve put her through a lot of trouble.

However, I’m enjoying myself right now that I just couldn’t help but linger.

I glanced at Tashiba’s face, then threw a ball toward the wall of the practice field and picked it up again when it bounced back.

「I mean, can you even tell if the ball you’re throwing is not spinning with how dim this place is?」

「If my attempt is correct, the magic ball would change its trajectory erratically. If I throw it to the same place and it doesn’t come back to me, it’s a success.」

「Normally, you can’t throw it at the same place that easily….but, why are men like this? When they find something they wanted to do, they go in a straight line toward it……」

「It’s not really something I wanted to do, it’s more of something I must do.」

Yes, this is something I must do as a mission.

I know I have the quality of putting too much effort into my work but I’m not doing it just because I enjoy it.

It’s true.

「From an outsider’s perspective, it probably doesn’t make much difference.」

「You think so? Maa, men are like this. If there’s something you can do with your life, you can’t help but do it. Wasn’t that the case with your father and brother?」

At least my own father and brother were like that.

I am sure that their master, Sawadi Slayra, was the same.

Too much that he was suspected of treason because of it.

「I don’t have parents or siblings or anything similar～. I came from a wheat field.」

「Wheat field…..ah, an orphanage.」

「That’s right～」

「Then, leaving father and brother aside, do you have anything you want to do?」

「Me?」