Chapter 42

Chapter 42 – It seems to be the school’s arena

Kukrika’s National Adventurer Training School has been built in a location furthest outside the residential area.As building, which is located within the city, it possesses vast grounds ranking next to the military authorities, which are situated in the central ward. For some reason it is enclosed by a high wall and a deep moat. In order to enter the grounds there’s no other way but to pass through the main gate.Being guided by Az, the impressions of Renya, at the time he looked at the school from outside, gave him a vague image of it being like a prison, but once he looked around after entering inside, he got the impression that he had entered a fortress instead.Once he mentioned it to Az, he received the answer that the adventurer school has been built in order to function as fortress with simple military installations in case something happened within the city.

“Allowing soldiers as students, isn’t that the true state of affairs?” (Renya)

Az turns around with a slightly surprised face towards Renya, who spit out these words in a murmur.Renya wondered whether he had said anything strange, but he somehow understood after listening to Az’ words.

“No, that’s because it’s you, Renya. It’s just that they will use anyone, if they are usable.” (Az)

“Ah, well, basically that’s right, but… I wonder why? I also have the common sense that a student’s duty is to study after all, you know?” (Renya)

“I become uneasy, if you talk about something like common sense, Renya.” (Az)

“I believe to be the one with the most common sense, except in regards to knowledge, in our party though.” (Renya)

“That’s a problem in itself though”, Renya grumbled and Frau in maid form, being next to him, raised her voice in a small giggling laughter.At the time of this time’s job, Renya tentatively asked for Shion’s and Rona’s opinion at the moment he received Az’ call, but when the two heard of the adventurer training school being the destination, they insisted on not wanting to accompany him on the job.Even when he tried to ask for a reason, they persisted that they don’t want to go, without giving a clear answer. Renya ended up wonderingwhat the heck is it with that school, but Rona secretly told him the reason afterwards.In this school, where many noble sons and daughters are attending, it’s likely that there’s someone knowing Shion’s and Rona’s background. That’s the reason for the mutual refusal of both.Once he assesses after being told so, Shion is certainly a daughter of some unknown high-class family and Rona accompanied her as knight. Renya had a feeling that he heard that story quite some time ago.

“Please don’t forget. It’s a quite important matter.” (Rona)

Rona displays an extremely dissatisfied expression due to Renya remembering only after being told.However, Renya readily said the following,

“Even if I remember it, there is no benefit.” (Renya)

“No matter whether you are nobles or not, we are already comrades of the same party”, once Renya said that, Rona’s expression changed from a dissatisfied one to a delighted one and then to a quite complicated one.

“Those are pleasant words, but… please remember it properly after all, okay?” (Rona)

“I will do my best.” (Renya)

The amount of memories, his brain remembers, is fixed. It’s not an inexhaustible quantity.Since such a condition has been placed on the brain of people in order to forget trivial knowledge, he can’t give a definite promise. Once Renya told her that, Rona smiled bitterly.Given that his two fellow comrades turned him down at this point, Frau, who heard the story, requested to go with him at the time Renya wondered whether he should finally proceed towards the school. Everyone was surprised.They thought that there’s no way for Frau, who is a fairy possessing a house, to go out, however according to Frau “It’s possible to go out to the degree of walking alongside the house’s owner”, they were informed.If that’s the case, it will also be possible to show the townscape to Frau, who has been continuing to always protect the deserted house until now.Renya agreed with an immediate reply to Frau accompanying him and that’s how they have reached the current state.Frau, who didn’t leave the grounds of that house from the day she came into existence until this day, showed an appearance of great delight looking at the townscape for the first time.Renya and Az, who watched that, naturally smiled, but, leaving aside the people concerned, due to the scene of a little girl in maid outfit with an age of obviously around 10 years being surrounded and lead around by two men being a lot older, they get surrounded from a distance. While only watching them with a tendency of slowly getting attracted without coming close, some people apparently went to report to the office of the city’s guard.The reason for Renya’s group not getting taken into custody by the guards was because Rona, who somehow expected that to happen, secretly made the necessary preparations in advance. However, that was something that Az and Renya got to know in a distant future.Although Renya resented the people’s quite deplorable way of judging by appearance, he felt that he would have reported it as well, if he had seen the same scene himself. But, that was a secret he can’t tell anyone.

“It’s fine for me to lead you around the school, but since there isn’t much time this time, we will head directly to the arena.” (Az)

It’s just the time when the class, Az is in charge of, will start its combat ability training.The arena, mentioned by Az, has been built really simple with a structure similar to a dome and its interior consisting of nothing but the waiting rooms, a storage room and the arena, which is the main part.The arena has a circular shape with a diameter of around 25 meters. It is surrounded by eight pillars. Small character-like things have been carved in a tight formation into those pillars. All the pillars have the peculiarity of having magic gems embedded in them in a way that they can be exchanged.Those eight pillars deploy a barrier over the fighting grounds. That barrier has a function of reducing the effect of damage, in case it is one to the degree of killing, so that one won’t pass away from it, no matter what kind of combat is done, and afterwards it will eject the injured person outside the barrier.Renya, who was lead to the arena before the lesson began, carefully has examined those pillars on the way.

“If you got something this convenient, there won’t be any deaths, if you use it for wars or such, right?” (Renya)

“It’s not such a convenient item. In the first place, what do you think how many years it took to create one of those?” (Az)

Az, who knocked on the pillar, Renya was looking at, with his fist, stemmed his other hand against his waist and took a single breath through his nose.

“Only one of those took 10 years to be finished and it has cost 5 platinum coins.” (Az)

“Just one?” (Renya)

“Yea, and there are eight pillars to erect the barrier. In other words, this is a barrier that has consumed 40 platinum coins just to create it.” (Az)

On top of suffering such costs for just making it, the barrier’s size is almost close to its limit by covering the arena, Az says.In brief, it’s a barrier created for the sake of training and exhibitions. It apparently has no practical use in real combat.There isn’t such beneficial story in this world, Renya is thinking while touching the pillar. Once the area around the entrance of the arena became noisy, about 20 armed boys and girls entered.Although called armed, they possess swords with blades made for crushing and simple chest protectors and coverings for the back of their hands and wrists, which probably have been made out of steel.Once the entrance of the boys and girls finished, the one entering last was a single woman, who appears to be slightly older than Renya.Atop the linenjouge, this person is carrying the same armament as the students. Having her light brown hair in a drastic shortcut, the colour of her slightly largish pupils is reddish brown.She seemed to be that much of an attractive woman, if she were to laugh energetically, but currently her face is gloomy and clouded. There isn’t the slightest speck of cheerfulness in it either.

Renya understood the reason for that right away.The woman raises her voice in front of Renya’s group, who was slightly apart in order to not disturb the lesson.

“We will start the lesson! Everyone, please line up in 4 rows for starters!”

It was quite the loud voice, but there’s no one, who reacts to the voice of the woman.Each of them are irresponsibly prowling around the arena’s field while chatting. Occasionally they exchanged blows with the training weapons. Watching that, they once again come together to just talk with each other without even looking in the direction of the woman.

“Everyone! We are still in class! Please follow the instructions of the teacher!”

“Teacher? How ridiculous. An incompetent teacher, who was defeated by a student, has nothing to say.”

The one standing in front of the woman, who tries to somehow create an atmosphere of doing the class by raising her voice without getting discouraged, is a male student, who had quite the firm body build even looking from Renya’s point of view.

“That female teacher is Liaris(T/N: >> Riarisu > Oran = Shumaiza > Nataria=Fataru > Riarisu > Oran = Shumaiza > Nataria=Fataru <<). She is the eldest daughter of Marquis Fatal. Those two are the students, who defeated Liaris-sensei.” (Az)

“I see? By the way, how old are they?” (Renya)

“Both of them are 15.” (Az)

“That’s a period of being cheeky.” (Renya)

On top of being nobles, who are snobby, they are at an age, where they try to clash with adults one way or the other.Moreover, as it’s a fact they managed to win against a teacher as opponent, they likely ended up creating a situation of no restraints being effective, Renya conjectures.Even while Renya’s group has this talk, Liaris tries to gather the class of students somehow, however being surrounded by Olan and his followers, who are standing in the way, she finally isn’t able to raise her voice anymore.

“Say, that female teacher Liaris, up until what rank did she proceed in the adventurer’s guild?” (Renya)

“If I remember correctly… I heard that she went up to rank D before becoming a teacher.” (Az)

“I see. Well then, shall I start the job? Frau, wait next to Az, got it?” (Renya)

“It’s barely within the range. Thus I’d like you to finish quickly.” (Frau)

Frau, who is moving by possessing the house’s owner, apparently can’t be too far apart from Renya outside the house’s grounds.Once Renya gives a nod with a smile towards Frau’s remark, he unsheathes the training sword, he borrowed from Az, with his right hand and brandishes it with all his strength.

“Oy. The big one over there -” (Renya)

Renya calls out to Olan’s group, which is surrounding Liaris, with a not too loud voice.Even so, they heard it more or less? Olan shifted his sight towards Renya, but without confirming that, Renya threw the sword, held aloft, with all his power aiming at Olan’s group.

“That’s dangerous~”

“Haa?”

The students, who noticed Renya’s action, had leeway to avoid it.However, unluckily, a single student, who didn’t realize Renya’s deed, receives a crushing blow to his temporal region by the training sword, which came flying, as he continues to meddle with Liaris just as before. He collapses soundlessly.Due to the sudden trespassing, no one is able to speak up.Within that silence, Renya, who walked up to Liaris’ spot without caring at all, picks up his sword, not paying any attention to the fallen student, and lightly greets Liaris, who still isn’t able to grasp the situation.

“I’m Renya Kunugi, an F rank in the adventurer’s guild. I’ve heard the story from Az that D-rank-senpai is troubled. I visited to see whether it’s possible to help out a bit.” (Renya)

“Eh? Az-kun?” (Liaris)

Due to her unexpectedly calling him Az-kun, Renya turns around his sight trying to see what kind of face As is making, but Az faced away with an incredible momentum.Realizing the redness of his ears, which is at a level that you can even see it from a distance, Renya’s face breaks into a smile. Frau, who was on standby next to Az, has for some reason a awfully great smile while doing a thumbs up.

“Umm, how did you get to know Az-kun?” (Liaris)

“I have received a favour at work from him. I accompanied him at the time he went to the job, which caused him to work at this school.” (Renya)

Even while answering Liaris’ question, Renya doesn’t avert his sight from Az’ face.Although he deliberately looks at him repeatedly, Az absolutely won’t match his sight with Renya’s.Guess I will interrogate him tightly afterwards, eh?was what Renya decided for the time being. Then he released Az from the fetters of his look.

“Oy, bastard.” (Olan)

Awaiting that, Renya showed a smile of a different nature to the one he directed at Az due to the voice, that can only be depicted as arrogant.That’s not the smiling face of a light chat with a friend. It’s the smile of a hunter, who realized that his prey was caught in the trap.

“What do you want, big one?” (Renya)

Once Renya turns around his body their way while shouldering the training sword, Olan, whose expression was filled with anger as he lead his followers, is glaring at Renya.Seeing his state, Renya’s smile became even deeper.If Olan had the same level of danger perception ability as Liaris, there’s no doubt that he would have immediately left the scene.In fact, Liaris, who sensed some turbulent presence, at once vacated the location while being beckoned by Az.Once Liaris leaves the training field being ushered in by Az and Frau, they took refuge in a place similar to an audience seating, which is located right outside the barrier.It’s Renya, Olan and his followers who remained on the training field.And, there’s the students, who are watching them from a distance.

“You are a rude guy. It seems you don’t know about etiquette towards a high-class person.” (Olan)

The followers raise a laughter in order to follow up on Olan’s words.However, their laughter immediately vanished as it was painted out by an even louder laughter.Of course, the owner of the laughter is Renya.

“High-class? Don’t jest! At least that isn’t a word to be used for a brat, who just lost his head over a chance victory.” (Renya)

“You son of a bitch…” (Olan)

The eyes of Olan’s group start to be filled with a dangerous light.That’s also the same for Natalia and the female students in her surroundings, who were aggravated by hearing Renya’s statement.

“Show me proof if that’s not the case. Am I not a far lower rank than the D-ranked adventurer you guys defeated?” (Renya)

A sound of Az spouting out could be heard in the distance, but Renya is proud of not having told a lie.And, in the state of shouldering the sword, Renya provocatively beckoned the students as he held up the palm of his left hand.