Chapter 14 - Animal Running Amok

「Hah hah, why is it so fast?!」

「Gugugugu!」

From behind, a black furball is charging right at me. I somehow managed to dodge it, but the furball managed to change its trajectory by jumping off a tree and continued to chase after me.

I continue running around the unfamiliar mountain slope. Densely grown weeds block my way, occasionally the black furball charges at me, If you ask how it came to this, we'll have to go back to a week ago when I started learning sword styles.

「In that case, can I learn all the sword styles like Mistrea-san?」

Mistrea-san's eyes turn sharp when I say that. Helen-san is also looking at me with a cold gaze, I asked knowing that it was a ridiculous favor though.

The pioneers of every style had to risk their lives to pa.s.s down their techniques, it's something that took their all just to create. For an amateur like me who doesn't know anything about swordsmans.h.i.+p to say that he wants to learn all of the sword styles, it's nothing short of insulting.

Even then……

「I know that both of you are thinking 'stop messing around', but, for me to become strong, one isn't enough.」

I respond to Mistrea-san who continues to glare at me.

「Redius, do you understand how absurd the thing you're asking for is? It even took ME 10 years to learn them, who was labelled as a prodigy. Do you really think you could learn it in 4 years?」

If I'm asked if I think I'd be able to learn it, it would be hard to say yes, but even then.

「I'll learn even at the cost of my life, If I don't, founding my own country would just be a dream within a dream.」

I smile towards Mistrea-san, and in response, Mistrea-san looks back at me with a conflicted, yet also somewhat happy expression.

「Seriously, what a troublesome disciple. I understand, In that case, I'll make sure to drive in everything I can teach, you better be prepared!」

「Yes, I'm in your care!」

From that day on, training started but….

「Gugugugugugu」

Ever since that day, Mistrea-san brought me to this mountain slope every morning and had me run away from Ropo. The reason being, firstly, before you can learn any martial arts, you need to train your body.

And the best way to do that is to run around on a mountain. I hear a few years ago, Helen-san also often got chased around by Ropo.

About Ropo, originally I thought it was a different colored white rabbit or something, but apparently it's a completely different type of magic beast.

According to Mistrea-san, Ropo's species is known as 'Phantom Rabbit', they can change their own size and shape as they please apparently.

They're also a rank B magic beast, so they're pretty strong. So strong I'd get killed in 1 hit… ..I'm being chased around by something like that right now.

Mistrea-san thinks that, once your life's on the line, you'll experience greater growth. Since that's the case, she had Ropo transform and chase me all over the mountain.

Right now, Ropo is around 2 meters tall with a strong build, all of its hairs are sharp like hedgehog needles, and around its mouth, there are 2 large fangs protruding on the top and bottom, 4 in total.

……At this point, none of Ropo's previous cute appearance is left. If there is anything, at most its just his call.

「Gugugugugu!」

「s.h.i.+t! Since I can heal any injuries with a potion, he's relentlessly chasing after me without holding back!」

While I scream so, I look over my shoulder, and what I see is a black Ropo, opening its mouth as if to bite at me.

「Whoa!」

I tried to get out of the way quickly, but I ended up tripping over something. Still that's good, at that rate, I would have been bit by those sharp fangs.

*Rip* *Crunch*

…..Something was making noise, so I look over towards that direction and see a tree falling over. He bit the tree and broke it huh. Ropo looks around restlessly and then turns around towards me.

「Guu!」

He releases a happy sounding cry and then jumps towards me. s.h.i.+t! If that's how you want to play, I'll have entertain you!

After that, 2 hours pa.s.s. Until Mistrea-san came to where we were, we were running around the entire mountain.

*Splash*

「Whoa! Freezing!」

When I return home, because I was so exhausted and couldn't move, I decided to just lay there on the floor. Right at that moment, something cold a.s.saulted my face. I was surprised and tried to get up, when I noticed that Ropo was lying on top of me.

It looks so adorable at times like this, and yet it looks so frightening when he's chasing me around the mountain, that's what I felt as I turned around.

「Obaba-sama says you can move onto the next training method.」

Behind me, Helen-san was standing there with a wooden tub in her hands. She had her face turned the other way though. Ever since that day a week ago, it's been like this.

I know why, It's because I said something rash like 'I'll learn every sword style'. Apparently, Helen-san is turning 12 years old this year. (LOLI!)

Since she was 4 years old, she's held an interest towards swords, and last year, she finally gained full mastery of the Fierce Flame Style. It took her a full 7 years, and even then, it seems that was pretty fast.

Normally speaking, 10 years is already fast, at worst, you might never reach full mastery. To say I'd learn 3 sword styles of similar difficulty, and in 4 years at that, I'm sure she's angry with me. She must be thinking 'Swords aren't something you can casually learn like that'.

「Helen-san.」

「……What?」

I wanted to say something to Helen-san, but I'm not sure what I could say to make her forgive me. No, It's probably not possible for her to forgive me. I guess there's no choice but to leave it then.

「I'll definitely learn how to use all of the sword styles.」

「….! Just do whatever you want!」

Helen-san goes back to the house while being angry at me. ….For now, this is fine. No matter what I say, she won't be able to understand, so I can only show her through my actions.

While thinking that, I pick up Ropo and head towards Mistrea-san.