I thought it would be rude to be the only one who knew the other person’s background, so I introduced myself to Lyall-san.
We were in a coffee shop. Standing around and chatting in the street wouldn’t do, after all.
“Tim’s disciple…?! Then tell me! Where is he, where is he now?!”
And these were Lyall-san’s first words. Without a doubt, he’s probably planning to go fight Grandpa…
It seems he remembered Grandpa quite well.
“I can’t do that; I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?! He disappeared before I could ever land a blow on him. Isn’t that running away with a win?!”
I understood now why, as I’d heard before, Grandpa had left this person’s presence without saying anything. If he’s this competitive, he might have followed Grandpa around until he won.
That would be a problem for Grandpa, who was planning to live hidden away by himself. Especially since this person is someone of considerable standing.
He’s extremely conspicuous.
“Grandpa has a bad back. He’s in no condition to fight at full strength.”
“Hm… His back? …Is it that bad?”
Oh, he cooled down all at once. Judging from that worried expression, maybe he’s not such a selfish person after all.
It’s a little different from what I heard from Grandpa, but that was almost twenty years ago.
“It doesn’t interfere with his daily life. Don’t worry, as long as he doesn’t overdo it, he’ll be fine.”
“I see… Hmm, no, no, I’m not worried. It’s still running away with a win! It’s so frustrating, hey!”
He’s not being honest. He clearly looked relieved.
Carried by the momentum, Lyall-san tried to gulp down his tea… and stopped.
Ah, he’s blowing on it furiously to cool it down. Does he have a cat tongue?
Translator’s Note
Cat tongue or nekoshita (猫舌) is a Japanese term for someone who is sensitive to hot food and drinks.
“For that reason, please give up on a rematch with Grandpa.”
“Damn it! Right now, I could beat him even if he was at full strength!”
…He just said something I can’t ignore.
I can feel the blood rushing to my head, but I can’t stop it.
Who can beat who?
“No matter how strong you are, there’s no way Grandpa would lose.”
As long as his back isn’t a problem, no matter who his opponent is, that Grandpa cannot be defeated.
I’ve seen that up close more than anyone.
“Huh? Then do you want to experience it firsthand? Just how strong I am!”
“No, thank you. Somehow, I suddenly don’t feel like listening to anything you say.”
The tension in the room suddenly rose.
Lyall-san’s and my aura swelled, and the cups on the table rattled.
Some of the customers in the shop screamed.
“Hey, hey, Katia-chan, calm down! What’s wrong? This isn’t like you.”
Fina-san pulled me to the edge of the shop. From behind, I could hear Neil-san apologizing to Lyall-san for something.
My head is cooling down.
“I know you weren’t insulting Grandpa, but…”
“You really like the Sword Saint, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“But what you did just now wasn’t good. You’ve calmed down now, right?”
“…Yes.”
I apologized to the other customers and returned to my seat, where Lyall-san was sitting with an awkward expression.
I was the one who overreacted first. It’s only right that I apologize first.
“I’m sorry, Lyall-san. When it comes to Grandpa, I tend to…”
“No, I was wrong too. Tim is the best swordsman I know, I had no intention of belittling him, and he’s not an opponent I can easily beat. But, it’s just… it’s lonely that he can’t fight anymore…”
“Lyall-san…”
I wonder if Lyall-san feels like he’s been left behind. Maybe for this person, fighting is a means of communication. Though it’s a nuisance to those around him.
“That aside.”
“Yes?”
“Katia, will you fight me?”
“I knew it would come to this…”
“You bet! Even aside from being Tim’s disciple, you have an aura that’s anything but ordinary!”
We’re back to where we started. That was the reason this person called out to me in the first place.
I hope he’s not overestimating me too much.
“I’m not that great of a person…”
“How do you two see Katia?”
Huh, ignoring me? It seems he wants to hear the Raza siblings’ assessment of me.
It’s true that I’m not confident in my self-analysis, but…
“If Katia-san is weak, then I’m weaker than a puppy you’d find on the street. Humility taken too far is just sarcasm, you know?”
“Katia-chan isn’t just strong, she’s cool! The way she fights is so beautiful.”
“See?”
“See? Don’t ‘see?’ me. What is it?”
“I thought you’d definitely downplay yourself to avoid fighting. Tim did the same thing at first.”
Ouch.
It seems I was acting similarly to Grandpa. So he immediately countered my attempt to set up a defensive line.
It’s not that I’m avoiding the fight, but when someone pushes so hard, I tend to take a step back.
“If you’re not too keen on it, let’s make it an exchange.”
“An exchange?”
“Yeah. If you agree to fight, I’ll do anything I can for you. Of course, I’ll do it in advance.”
“Eh? Um…”
Even if you suddenly propose something like that, I can’t think of anything. The moment the topic of an exchange came up, I felt Fina-san’s eyes light up.
“Mane-ossan! Can we have a quick consultation?”
Translator’s Note
“Mane-ossan” is a very informal and somewhat rude way of addressing Lyall, combining “mane” (referring to his hair) and “ossan” a casual term for an older man.
“Sure. I’m looking forward to a positive response.”
“Raza family gathering! Come on, Katia-chan, too.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Ah, yes.”
Come to think of it, I was included in the Raza family for convenience’s sake by Fina-san’s declaration.
I’m not used to it.
We told the staff we’d be right back and went outside the shop.
Even so, Fina-san’s way of calling Lyall-san is terrible. Lyall-san, who doesn’t seem to mind it, is magnanimous, or something.
“Hey, how about having that ossan teach you aura control?”
“Me? But Katia-san won’t get anything out of it.”
“Don’t worry about that. If Neil-san gets stronger, that’s a benefit for me.”
“Katia-san…”
“Yes, yes, you’re welcome. So, what do you think, Katia-chan? If you don’t want to, you don’t have to accept. Personally, I’d like to see you fight that person. And there’s no danger to your life.”
Hmm. It’s not a bad condition.
Lyall-san is one of the top warriors in this country. Rather, even in terms of my experience, it’s the best possible condition for Neil-san.
It’s much better than just fighting.
Besides, the aura that Lyall-san released for a moment earlier. It somehow felt like it had a similar quality to Neil-san’s. It’s possible that the training method Lyall-san suggests might be a good fit.
“I’ll accept. That’s what we came to this town for in the first place.”
“All right, all right. Shall we go back?”
When we returned to the shop, Lyall-san was sitting there looking restless.
His tea was already empty. I wonder if we kept him waiting?
“You’re back. So?”
“I’ll agree to the fight.”
“Great, great! My body’s itching for a fight, it feels like I can go all out for the first time in a while!”
Lyall-san cracks his knuckles. Wow, that’s kind of intimidating. Someone with a weak will might shrink back just from this.
“So, about the exchange condition…”
Fina-san gave a brief explanation.
Lyall-san crossed his arms and nodded, saying, “Hmm, hmm.”
“I see. Aura control, huh? I also struggled with that when I was young.”
“What kind of training did you do, Lyall-san?”
“Well, it’s faster to explain that while we’re actually doing it. It’s rough, but there’s a method that definitely produces results. All right, you guys, let’s leave the shop.”
“Eh, rough? I-Is it going to be okay…?”
“Neil… Good luck!”
“It doesn’t sound like a gentle method…”
Judging by Lyall-san’s tone, he seems to be planning to start training immediately.
We left the shop after paying for the food and drinks, and leaving a little extra as a tip for the disturbance caused by the fight.