“Mizuki, are you alright?”
Seeing her pale and breathing heavily, Reiji called out to her in a worried voice. Mizuki, who was still rattled by the lingering sensations of the battlefield, barely managed to squeeze out an answer.
“Y-Yeah. Somehow. But...”
“But?”
“This was a battle, right? With a real enemy...”
“Yeah.”
Reiji answered Mizuki with a great weight in his voice. Before this, Reiji’s party had fought monsters on multiple occasions, but Mizuki hadn’t participated in any of the fighting. Based on the judgment of the knights accompanying them and Titania, they deemed it necessary for Mizuki to get somewhat accustomed to the scene of a battle first. This was why, up until now, she had only been looking on from the sidelines. It was a fact that Mizuki’s skill with magic was comparable to Titania’s and Reiji’s, but with the time it had taken her to acclimate herself to the very idea of battle, this was the first time she’d actually gotten a chance to use it in combat.
“Mizuki. Like I thought, it’s better for you not to unreasonably...”
“I know... But in the end, I can’t just stand by and watch. Sure it was my first fight and the demons were really scary, but since I’m coming along, I want to help everyone.”
“Mizuki...”
“I’ve said this a lot already, but... Yeah, you’re amazing, Reiji-kun. You looked totally calm even the first time you did this.”
“No, that’s not true. Even I got scared during the first fight. Even though I’ve gotten a little used to it now, my heart still won’t stop pounding.”
Reiji flashed a smile to try and lighten Mizuki’s mood. Even though he was telling her all this with the intent of consoling her, it was also the truth. Much like Mizuki, Reiji still couldn’t completely shake off the lingering sense of fear. Despite saying that he would go and defeat the Demon Lord, just fighting the Demon Lord’s regular soldiers left him on edge. It was far too late for such thoughts, but Reiji could now see how little thought he’d put into agreeing to this venture.
Suimei...
An image of his absent friend flashed through Reiji’s mind. It was the friend he’d parted ways with at the castle, Yakagi Suimei, that had told him undertaking all this was unreasonable. That there was no way they could do it. The very same friend that would shoot down his idealistic arguments one by one. Reiji finally realized just how right Suimei had been to say all those things. Compared to Reiji who attained power and thought himself almighty... No, it was precisely because Suimei hadn’t been granted any power that he was capable of seeing the situation objectively.
When Reiji had agreed to this mission, he was swept away in optimism and idealism. His everyday life had suddenly become extraordinary. He had come to a fantasy world completely unlike the one he knew. So when the people earnestly implored him to save them, when they baselessly assured him that he was a hero and would be able to do it easily... Reiji had mistakenly believed them. He had made light of the gravity of the real situation. Only one word came to mind now: foolish. There was no other way Reiji could think of to describe his actions.
Certainly it was possible for them to actually wipe out the demons depending on how things went. A plan had been put in place, after all. Yet even then, he couldn’t change or even deny the fact that he’d dragged one of his precious friends along—a girl, no less—just because of his stubborn ego.
Sorry...
Reiji hung his head down and looked over at Mizuki, who was still visibly breathing roughly. He had apologized to her more times than he could count already, and added one more to the tally in his heart. Really, he was simply deceiving himself by apologizing silently to the people around him over his guilty conscience.
“Let’s go somewhere else...”
“Yeah...”
Mizuki nodded to Reiji’s suggestion, and they distanced themselves from the demon corpses that littered the battlefield.
“Mizuki! Are you safe?!”
A girl’s voice called out to them from ahead. It was their other companion, Titania. It seemed that she had also taken out her share of the demons. Accompanied by a knight in the prime of his life, she was headed towards the two of them. Mizuki then raised her face and forced as smile as she replied.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Thank goodness... It seems that nothing serious happened.”
“Reiji-kun was with me, after all.”
After their short exchange, Mizuki and Titania shared a hug. With a stouthearted smile on one girl and a relieved smile on the other, the tension in the air finally seemed to dissipate.
“Tia, thanks for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Reiji-sama.”
“No... Ah, thanks for your hard work as well, Gregory-san.”
Reiji turned towards the knight who had been accompanying Titania, Gregory. As usual, he replied with a very serious expression on his face.
“I was merely doing my duty. All I did was provide support for Her Highness. Your gratitude is more than I deserve.”
“That’s not true.”
“No, I cannot possibly even compare to Her Highness...”
Gregory deeply bowed his head.
“What?! G-Gregory!”
“Er, I, uh—Ahem! It was nothing. I only kept Her Highness safe.”
When Titania raised her voice, Gregory for some reason corrected himself.
“It’s fine as long as the two of you are safe... So, Tia, how did things go on your end?”
“Yes, well, everything has been cleaned up. We didn’t let even a single demon escape.”
“That’s our Tia. You’re so reliable.”
“No, I’m... Compared to Reiji-sama’s strength, I still have a long way to go. Also...”
“What’s wrong?”
“The demons have killed all of our horses. My apologies.”
“I see... I feel badly since they carried us all this way, but I’m happy as long as you’re all safe, Tia.”
“Reiji-sama...”
Titania seemed rather touched by Reiji’s words of encouragement. It was going to be difficult to proceed without their mounts, but even then, the fact that they hadn’t suffered a single human casualty was cause enough for Reiji to celebrate. But then a shaky voice spoke up from beside Reiji.
“Even Tia is okay with fighting, huh...?”
“Yes, I am more or less used to it. I have previous combat experience, after all.”
“Even though you’re a princess...? Why do you have that kind of experience?”
“Hueh?! Umm, that is...! That’s, umm...”
“...?”
Titania had suddenly gotten quite flustered and was clearly panicking. Mizuki and Reiji both cocked their heads to the side. They had no idea what had gotten her in a tizzy. It was the first time they had seen her like this. Eventually, she managed to calm herself down and cleared her throat.
“Wh-When it was decided that I was to attend the summoned hero, it was determined that this sort of training was necessary to prepare for our current situation.”
“Is that so...?”
“Yes! That is exactly right!”
Reiji slowly nodded. He came to realize that that was why she was so capable in a fight. Even in all their skirmishes with monsters up to this point, Titania had been quick on the draw. He had his doubts about a mage that was able to fight so hard, but he came to accept her explanation. Reiji turned to take a quick look at Mizuki. Somehow, she seemed far more frail. It was probably because her insecurity was showing on her face. She felt her friends with power were leaving her behind, but there was no helping that. Realizing how she must be feeling, Titania put on a smile and turned towards her as well.
“Mizuki, there is no need to pay it any mind. At first I was the same—no, in my case, I was far worse.”
“...Really?”
“Yes. Until I fully adjusted to combat, I think I felt much the same way you do n
ow. After my first fight, I dropped the sword in my hand and fell straight to my knees.”
“Even though you fight so calmly?”
“It is precisely because I have that kind of experience that I can do that now. For the sake of protecting everyone, I had to get stronger. Be confident in yourself, Mizuki. Things have only just begun. Let us go forth one step at a time.”
“...Yeah. Thanks, Tia.”
With Titania’s encouragement, Mizuki gave a confident nod. It seemed her anxieties were a thing of the past now. Reiji was standing to the side, smiling to see the two of them get along so well. If this was how things were going to be, he thought he could do it. He’d been torturing himself of the choices he’d made just moments ago, but after seeing these two girls show such courage, he was convinced that he’d made the right decision after all. Even though the mood had improved enough for Mizuki to finally relax, she suddenly frowned.
“I wonder if Suimei-kun is alright...”
“Suimei? If I remember correctly, he said he was going to leave the castle, but...”
“Yeah, he wanted to leave the city... Right outside of it should be safe, but the highway and its surroundings can be quite dangerous. If he heads for another town and runs into monsters, let alone these demons...”
“You’re right. Since he didn’t want to take part in the subjugation, I never dreamed he would leave the city on his own. But if he were to leave the city walls and have an encounter with a monster... With no combat training, Suimei would probably be helpless...”
It was just as Titania hypothesized. Suimei hadn’t received any divine protection from the hero summoning. Reiji understood why the girls would be worried, but he didn’t agree with them.
“No, if it’s Suimei we’re talking about, I’m sure he’ll be alright.”
“Truly...? What makes you say that, Reiji-sama?”
“Mark my words. Suimei knows his way around a sword, after all. Even if something attacks him, he should be able to handle it skillfully.”
“Wha—Suimei knows swordsmanship?!”
As Reiji nodded to confirm, the two girls exchanged glances. Contrary to Reiji’s expectations, Mizuki didn’t seem to know about this either. When Titania looked at her, she shook her head in return. Mizuki then furrowed her brow and turned to Reiji.
“But Reiji-kun, Suimei-kun wasn’t part of the kendo club or anything... He traveled abroad a lot so he said being part of a club would be impossible, right?”
“Suimei didn’t train with the club at school. He went to a dojo in his neighborhood.”
“Was... Was there even a kendo dojo in his neighborhood?”
“Yeah, the one that teaches self-defense.”
While Mizuki was trying to recall the layout of Suimei’s neighborhood, Reiji tried to jog her memory. When she seemed to recall the place he was talking about, she cocked her head to the side.
“That place? The one which teaches women’s self-defense classes? It’s certainly famous in the neighborhood, but it isn’t a kendo dojo right?”
“Well, yeah, the self-defense stuff is all they advertise. But originally it was a dojo for ancient martial arts. Apparently they teach all sorts of things to certain students.”
“Really?! It was that kinda place?!”
“Yeah. That’s what Suimei said.”
“You’re kidding... Even though I’ve been there with the girls from class... On top of that, ancient martial arts...”
Mizuki was greatly surprised by this news. Perhaps it was even more surprising because she had attended the very dojo in question herself before. That seemed to satisfy her for the moment, but Titania still had questions.
“So from what I’m gathering, Suimei attended a martial arts school?”
“Just what was typical for our world. It doesn’t compare to the martial arts people do here. But yeah, Suimei is a swordsman.”
“Is that so? At a glance, he seemed like the type who knew nothing of the sort.”
“Yeah, you’d never guess it looking at him, but he’s actually pretty skilled. From what I hear, anyway.”
“Truly?”
“Like I said, just by the standards of our world...”
“My goodness, to think I would misread someone like that...”
“What’s that?”
“O-Oh, nothing. Ohohohohoho...”
Titania forced an unnatural laugh like she was trying to hide something. Reiji had no clue what she was thinking. While he was looking at her curiously, Titania suddenly put on a serious expression.
“H-However, Reiji-sama, even if that is the case, I do not think that’s sufficient cause to assume he has the ability to escape trouble.”
“That’s true, but―”
It was just as Titania said. Reiji knew well enough that there was no real connection between just knowing how to use a sword and staying safe. It was also true that Suimei had no experience fighting monsters. But even then, Reiji wasn’t convinced that Suimei would be in any real danger.
“Suimei... Despite his appearance, he’s quite cunning. Once in a while, he’ll do something thoughtless that defies all logic, but he’s fundamentally a cautious person.”
“Even if he encountered a monster, you think he would stay composed? It is often said that just one leer from a monster is enough to freeze most people in place.”
“Yeah. And I know it sounds crazy, but I think Suimei would probably take it in stride.”
“Is that so...?”
Titania didn’t seem convinced as she scrunched up her face in skepticism. It was likely just emblematic of how familiar the people of this world were with danger. Reiji, however, knew that Suimei had an unexpected personality fairly devoid of cowardice. In the past, when they had been surrounded by delinquents or gangsters, he only ever said things like, “That’s all you’ve got?” He was practically fearless. Even when fighting, he never failed to have the same bored expression on his face.
“Well, that’s why I’m not particularly worried.”
“If you say so, Reiji-sama...”
Titania gave up on arguing and decided to believe in what Reiji was saying. As the conversation wound down, Mizuki suddenly thought of something and turned towards him.
“Hey, Reiji-kun, does Suimei-kun say things like ‘I am a something-or-other style swordsman, Yakagi Suimei?’ Can he use some amazing kenjutsu or something?”
“Huh? No matter how you look at it, that’s a little... Wait, Mizuki...!”
“Awwww, what the heck? Suimei-kun is totally chuunibyou, isn’t he?! Hiding his true identity and going to some ancient martial arts school, that’s just... It’s unfair! Unfair, unfair, unfair! Super unfair!”
“Ahaha...”
Now that she was starting to get angry, Mizuki couldn’t even hear Reiji. She seemed far more upset that Suimei knew an ancient martial art than the fact that he’d hidden it.
“But it’s not like Suimei ever said chuuni stuff like you did. I don’t think you can really call him a chuunibyou... Oops.”
Reiji stopped himself as he realized he had just spoken the taboo word. It was too late to turn back. As he turned slowly towards Mizuki, she was staring him down with a strange smile on her face.
“Oh, Reiji-kuuun...”
“S-S-Sorry! I just...!”
“You promised! You’re not allowed to forget! Absolutely! It’s A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E!”
“R-Right!”
Reiji had promised to never speak of Mizuki’s sealed past. It was her secret garden, though Reiji didn’t actually know what she meant when she said that. Titania then cutely put her finger on her mouth and tilted her head to the side.
“Mizuki, what is this ‘chuunibyou?’”
“Huh?! Um, that’s...”
“What is it? Could it be that it’s some kind of horrible illness?”
“Uhhhhh, yeah! Yes! That’s right! Chuunibyou is a sickness from our world that infects the majority of children in their early teens. Even if they are cur
ed afterwards, there are dreadful after-effects that scar them for life! It’s a truly terrible disease!”
Mizuki stammered through a reply to Titania’s question. While waving both of her hands in front of her wildly, she tried her best to fib her way out of this. It was painfully obvious that her flustered actions were intended to misdirect Titania. In a way, she was getting her just deserts. But nevertheless, it seemed Titania would let it go. Her expression then turned grim.
“Setting that aside, about the demons just now...”
“Y-Yeah... Now that you mention it, why did they appear in a place like this?”
“The demons, huh?”
“Yes...”
Titania nodded. Just like Mizuki had guessed, the sudden attack from the demons was what was on her mind. Recalling the fight they’d just had, Mizuki started to look anxious again. Reiji then stated his own opinion on the matter.
“The demons are pushing into the Nelferian Empire... Is that a possibility?”
“I-Is that what it is...?”
“I think so. If you think about it, it’s the most likely scenario. If the demons are out here, that’s the only real possibility, isn’t it?”
As Reiji explained his theory, Mizuki’s expression reflexively stiffened up. She still wasn’t accustomed to battle, yet they were thrust into a situation where another battle with demons was very likely on the horizon. On top of that, the demons were extremely powerful. If they were just monsters, the magic that Mizuki had used earlier would have been enough to defeat them. And there were even stronger demons that could survive her fire unharmed. The very last of the demons they’d defeated today had demonstrated that. However, Titania raised an objection to Reiji’s conjecture.
“No, I do not believe that is yet the case.”
“Why’s that, Tia?”
“Well, as you said, Reiji-sama, this is the Empire’s territory. If there are demons appearing here, then it’s only rational to assume they’ve begun their invasion here. But in reality, after the demons took down Noshias, they have yet to make any large movements. To get this far, there are still two countries and a mountain range to pass through. And if they took the long way around, they would have to pass through the Saadias Alliance to reach this point. No matter how you look at it, that sort of reckless forced march is simply out of the question even for the demons.”
The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! Volume 2 Page 10