Adventures of Fake Glasses Part 1
***---***
(AN: When I was thinking about how to sell my books, I couldn't make any sense.
Therefore, starting tonight, we will be holding a four-night Fake Glasses Festival.
Well then, let's get started, Wasshoi!)(End)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have an adventure. No, I have to go on an adventure.
When I found out that I had been summoned to another world, I imagined a bright future for myself.
I thought that if I returned safely to Japan and published humanity's first report on another world, I would definitely win the Pulitzer Prize.
I was proud that the only person in our grade who could present a detailed report was me, a talented reported in the newspaper club.
However, the fickle goddess of fate decided to have an affair with me.
That Kizawa guy managed to return to Japan first, stealing my attention.
Then, she took full advantage of her family connections and stole all the credit from me.
Kizawa's autobiography sold so well that it was reprinted many times, and it seemed that the translated version also sold like wildfire overseas.
It was even said that it was approaching that world-famous fantasy novel.
Wait a minute, that should be my spot.
Why is Kizawa sitting there.
That place, it's mine ... it belongs to this me ...(TN:He calls himself with Ore the first time, and Ore-sama the second. He basically uses Ore-sama almost all the time. It's a very arrogant way of saying I/me.)
Freshness is the key to articles.
People lose interest in topics that have passed their time.
As a journalist at heart, this was a matter of course for me, but now I'm keenly aware of it.
When it became certain that I would be able to return to Japan, I made the decision to remain in Volzard.
This is because I wanted to send out to the world a solid report with roots in another world, rather than the kind of report that Kizawa wrote that just scratched the surface.
Maa, wealth and fame are like byproducts, so I have no intention of refusing them.
Above all, Kokubu, who is making traffic between Volzard and Japan possible, is this me's close friend.
With bases in both Japan and Volzard, I thought that I was the only one who could make a long-term report possible
However, the Japanese government had come up with a policy of not allowing people to travel to Volzard again.
On top of that, the idiot Kokubu did the government's bidding and refused to cooperate with me.
Maa, I was still determined to remain in Volzard, and if I achieved worldwide success as a reporter, the Japanese government and Kokubu would have no choice but to cooperate with me.
As a first step, I tried to sell my report to various publishers, but almost none of them responded.
The biggest reason was Tayama's death.
Making use of attack magic, he defeated monsters from the top of the ramparts.
The online broadcast conducted by Tayama and his friends attracted so many viewers that the website's lines were blown out, and the tragedy occurred while people all over the world were watching.
The video of Tayama being hit in the head by an Orc's stone still exists on the internet.
From a publisher's perspective, if they sign a contract with a junior high school student as a reporter and an accident occurs during the interview, they are bound to be criticized by the public.
If you win, you will make a lot of money, but I guess people though it was too risky.
Also, although I am sure to win the Pulitzer Prize in the future, it is true that I have no track record at the moment.
And, there is another reason.
That is, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff started reporting on Volzard.
One of Kokubu's wife candidates, the daughter of the Lord of Volzard, tells the story, and she is traveling around the city reporting on it, with Furudate-sensei as her interpreter.
The report itself is amateurish, but it was recorded with cameras running, edited and made public by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
With the firm backing of the Japanese government, the videos, which have undergone professional editing, were highly praised for their reliability and quality.
It must be said that is is difficult for a junior high school student to compete against this.
That's why I have to go on an adventure.
An area that no human on Earth has ever set foot on ... No, more precisely, a place that only Kokubu has ever been to.
I decided to head to the dungeon.
Dungeon, such a captivating word.
A fantasy without a dungeon is like a beef bowl without meat.
Can you understand the excitement we felt when we were forced to participate in our first actual battle and when Kokubu informed us of the dungeon's existence.
However, it is unbecoming of a journalist to not approach something just because it's dangerous.
That said, I won't be allowed to enter the dungeon alone.
In order to enter the dungeon alone, it is necessary to complete the Guild's combat course, but even Kondo and the old and new duo of brains and muscles have not been able to clear it.
Maa, if I put my mind to it, I'm sure I'll be able to clear it, but since I can only take the course once a week, I'll need at least six weeks.
Unfortunately, I don't have that much time left.
So, I thought about it.
For now, just report on the atmosphere of the dungeon and get the job.
According to what I heard from Kokubu, the villages near the dungeon are building buildings deep underground in preparation for monster attacks.
If I could report on that unique atmosphere, I was sure to win a contract.
What was needed for that purpose was information and interview fees, but another problem arose here.
Even though I applied for a loan to pay for the important report, that bastard Kokubu refused, as expected.
It's suspicious, he must have some sort of secret agreement with the Japanese government.
That being said, reporters cannot succumb to the great evil.
Unfortunately, I had no choice but to earn money for reporting by doing something other than being a reporter.
Obtaining funding for interviews was difficult.
In the first place, I am not suited for manual labor as I mainly do mental labor.
However, in the ranks of a Guild that doesn't understand my value, there are no other options.
A day's work will earn you at most 500 Helts, or about 5,000 Yen in Japanese Yen.
Maa, since I don't have to pay for my daily expenses, I can use all of the money for interview expenses, but this alone doesn't make me feel at ease.
However, my superior brain cells figured out where to get the interview money.
That is, the people who are returning to Japan.
Those who wished to return to Japan had no intention of working at Volzard in the first place, but they had no choice but to earn the money for things other than daily life, in other words, money for playing around.
Even those who wished to return home had earned some money.
And, as the repatriation process progressed, there were no longer any people who needed to be sent home first, and those who returned were selected by lottery.
In other words, those returning home suddenly had to return to Japan, leaving behind the money they had earned to play around.
I decided to extort that money ... No, I decided to ask for accommodation.
When my report was published, I asked them to write their names as collaborators, and most of them cooperated.
Truly, Maejima and his friends are all modest and good people.
Even though I said I would write their names, they said I didn't have to write their names and willingly provided the interview fee.
Maa, I guess it's just something they do every day ...
Although I had obtained the funding fo the interviews, there were still problems.
How do I get to the dungeon.
The dungeon is located about half a day's walk from Volzard in the opposite direction from the Devil's Forest.
The path is not as dangerous as the Devil's Forest, but that doesn't mean there aren't any monsters.
It's risky to act alone, but there's no point in taking my classmates with me.
Therefore, I decided to have someone around the same age as me in Volzard guide me.
The place I chose for scouting was the Guild's combat training course.
In Volzard, the beginning of the year was also the start of a new year.(TN:Meaning the start of a new year for various things started on Jan 1 as opposed to a later time.)
With the new year, those who have graduated from school and aspire to become adventurers were beginning to take courses.
It seemed that the number of people taking the course was increasing more than ever, so I should be able to find a suitable person.
I attended a combat class on water day, and last time there were only six participants, but this time there were twenty.
In reality, there were more, but the event was closed once 20 people had gathered.
It was a great decision to visit the Guild early, thinking something like this might happen.
The water day training course was, so to speak, the second stage.
The participants gathered in the training area behind the Guild and were first made to practice swinging with wooden swords.
Here, those who couldn't even practice properly would be asked to leave.
Lately, I almost got sent off for slacking off on my training, but the one who remains even if it's just barely is my true essence.
Immediately after the practice swing check, matches took place.
While I was practicing, I was trying to figure out who was going to be a tough opponent, but the one who stood out the most among the participants that day was a woman with a good physique.
She was nearly 180 centimeters tall, had a sturdy physique, and had a strong-looking face with a sturdy jaw.
I could tell that she was a woman because of the bulge in her chest, but other than that, she carried herself like a man.
Her head of dark brown hair with rounded ears springing out looked extremely ill-matched.
Even an amateur like me when it came to swords had been paying attention to her, so it seemed natural that that Ossan, Donovan, who was the instructor, was paying attention to her.
"We'll start the matches now. If you can win against three people in a row, you can participate in the class on the wind day of the week. Mariede, step forward and choose your opponent."
Mesugori ... No, the name of the girl with a good physique was apparently Mariede.(TN:Mesugori = female gorilla.)
Just when I was thinking that this was a cute name that didn't suit her, my eyes met with those of Mariede, who was looking around at the participants in search of a partner.
"That black-haired man over there, it's you."
"Yuusuke, you are nominated. Come to the front and stand with us."
Tch, that Donovan-ossan, I thought he wouldn't remember anything about me, but that's why that bastard Kokubu is no match for me.(TN:This may not be quite right ... something about Kokubu's head/brain being no match for Yagi's.)
Normally, I would choose to withdraw, but today's purpose was to scout a guide to the dungeon.
It was certain that I would lose, but I had no intention of showing my pathetic defeat.
Wearing protective gear and facing each other from a distance of about five meters, Mariede spoke to me.
"You, are you associated with the Monster User?"
"Monster User? Aahh, Kokubu is my friend, but I'm not that strong. I'm an expert at using things like this."
When I pointed to my head with my right index finger, Mariede looked surprised.
"Why is someone like that participating in combat training?"
"Come on, if you beat me, I'll let you know."
"Hou, interesting ..."
I thought I would get even more frightened if Mariede and I faced each other, but I've been matched with that stupid mutt Gilik, and I watched the old and new duo and Kondo subdue the Orcs, so I was able to talk more calmly than I expected.
Mariede casually tried to walk up to me with the wooden sword hanging loosely in her right hand, but I held mine in an upper right stance, as if carrying the wooden sword with my left shoulder forward.
I was in a bluff stance, imitating Kokubu, but Mariede stopped in her tracks and grinned.
Mariede held the wooden sword that had been hanging loosely in an upper position with her right hand and slowly closed the distance.
She may have some kind of plan, but I had no idea, and I had no intention of making any predictions.
I couldn't win anyway, so there was no point in thinking about it.
When I thought I was within range, I just stepped forward and swung the wooden sword as hard as I could.
Seeing that this me showed no reaction at all, Mariede stopped in her tracks again.
Was she timing her attack.
As I looked at Mariede, who was watching the situation, I suddenly thought of something.
That is, a magical chant.
That Kokubu idiot says he just tried it and it worked, and he uses magic at will without chanting, but no matter how hard I visualized or changed my pose, I couldn't use magic unless I chanted.
However, there was one thing I hadn't tried.
The way to do it was to chant it in my head without saying it out loud.
As a test, while glaring at Mariede, I imagined the native pronunciation and chanted the chant to strengthen my body in my head.
"Mana, oh mana, oh mana that governs the world, gather, gather, gather in my body, return, return, return and become my power, strengthen!"
As soon as I finished chanting in my head, Mariede stepped in, but she was still a long way off.
Stepping in a moment late, I swung the wooden sword down without thinking.
Immediately after my wooden sword caught Mariede's left shoulder, a shock ran through my right side.
Mariede used the wooden sword as a feint, and her main goal was a body blow with her left fist.
"Gahah ..."
Even through the armor, I was unable to breathe, and I stepped back and got down on one knee.
"Winner, Yuusuke!"
Donovan-ossan's declaration caused an uproar from the other participants, but the one who was most surprised was myself.
I don't think it was as strong as when I chanted it out loud, but I was definitely able to use physical strengthening.
Since she was almost on par with me who used body strengthening, I'm sure Mariede's ability was not bad either.
"Kuu, I guess I fell for your plan ..."
Mariede muttered in frustration, then held her left shoulder and withdrew.
Donovan-ossan would nominate my next opponent.
"Next, Edberg, come forward!"
The man who came out was about the same height as me.
He was probably a year younger than me, his face looked young, but his physique was more solid than mine.
However, perhaps he was scared, he looked like he was restless.
I felt like he was about two steps lower than Mariede.
Fortunately, Mariede's body blow also went through the armor, so no damage remained.
"Start!"
At the starting signal, I slowly took the same stance and glared at Edberg.
Edberg slowly came around to my left, holding his wooden sword in front of his eyes.
I pretended to be a samurai, and without taking my eyes off Edberg, I turned my body while sliding my legs, and once again, I chanted body strengthening in my head.
"Y, yah!"
Edberg stepped in while raising his wooden sword in the air, but it was much slower than Mariede.
I stepped in furiously, hitting him hard on the torso.
"Winner, Yuusuke!"
Whoops, dangerous, it looks like my overflowing talent has blossomed once again.
Edberg would probably be even stronger if he was at his best, but it felt like he got scared and self-destructed.
Rather than that, that Donovan-ossan's judging gaze is dangerous, isn't it.(TN:He probably noticed you're cheating by using body strengthening lol.)
"Next, Mariede, come forward!"
I thought it would be easy to take down three in a row, but I guess that was just my thoughts.
Mariede was grinning and baring her teeth as she rotated her left shoulder, which was hit by this me.
It was like a bear who was just happy to have found prey.
"Yuusuke, let me thank you. You did a great job breaking
"It's not like I need to be thanked."
"If I can defeat you, can I at least put a scratch on the Monster User?"
"Aahh, if there's no magic, far from winning, you might not even scratch him."
"Hee ... Then, what if magic is allowed?"
"Then you won't be able to do anything."
"Amazing! S-rank has to be like that!"
"We're running out of time. You guys, start now!"
At the same time as Donovan-ossan signaled, Mariede took her stance.
When it came to the left side of the body, she laid her wooden sword down sideways.
If my stance was to aim for the shoulder with a down-diagonal slash, Mariede seemed to be thinking only of swinging sideways at my torso.
Mariede moved around to my right side and gradually closed the distance.
I didn't feel the slightest hint of letting her guard down that I glimpsed during the match earlier.
While taking the same stance again, I started chanting body strengthening in my head while rotating my body on my sliding legs.
As she moved around to the right of me, Mariede lowered her posture as if gathering her power.
I could read the timing of Mariede's attack.
The moment I caught the sunlight from right in front of me and narrowed my eyes, Mariede stepped in as expected.
"Yaahh!" "Tsu~a!"
This time, I stepped in at the same time as Mariede, and swung the wooden sword down towards the right side of her head.
I predicted that Mariede would try to slip through to the right side of me while swinging her wooden sword.
Just before I thought my wooden sword would hit Mariede in the head, a tremendous impact hit me directly in the torso and I was literally blown away.
"Guheeee ..."
"Winner, Mariede."
I writhed around the training ground while listening to the voice of Donovan-ossan announcing Mariede's victory.
I had often heard that when your brain is shaken during boxing, you go down like a stone while feeling good, but if you got knocked down by a body blow, you would experience hellish agony, I never thought the day would come when I would taste that myself.
"Sorry, Yuusuke. Are you okay?"
Hearing Mariede's concerned voice, I didn't have time to respond to her, and just raised my right hand to show her that I was okay.
Using the wooden sword as a cane, I forced myself to sit up and returned to the line so as not to interfere with the matches.
Honestly, I just wanted to scream and roll around, but right now I was just trying to keep looking cool.
There was no way I could run away from getting the guide to the dungeon I had taken such pains to find.
Adventures of Fake Glasses Part 1
***---***
(AN: When I was thinking about how to sell my books, I couldn't make any sense.
Therefore, starting tonight, we will be holding a four-night Fake Glasses Festival.
Well then, let's get started, Wasshoi!)(End)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's have an adventure. No, I have to go on an adventure.
When I found out that I had been summoned to another world, I imagined a bright future for myself.
I thought that if I returned safely to Japan and published humanity's first report on another world, I would definitely win the Pulitzer Prize.
I was proud that the only person in our grade who could present a detailed report was me, a talented reported in the newspaper club.
However, the fickle goddess of fate decided to have an affair with me.
That Kizawa guy managed to return to Japan first, stealing my attention.
Then, she took full advantage of her family connections and stole all the credit from me.
Kizawa's autobiography sold so well that it was reprinted many times, and it seemed that the translated version also sold like wildfire overseas.
It was even said that it was approaching that world-famous fantasy novel.
Wait a minute, that should be my spot.
Why is Kizawa sitting there.
That place, it's mine ... it belongs to this me ...(TN:He calls himself with Ore the first time, and Ore-sama the second. He basically uses Ore-sama almost all the time. It's a very arrogant way of saying I/me.)
Freshness is the key to articles.
People lose interest in topics that have passed their time.
As a journalist at heart, this was a matter of course for me, but now I'm keenly aware of it.
When it became certain that I would be able to return to Japan, I made the decision to remain in Volzard.
This is because I wanted to send out to the world a solid report with roots in another world, rather than the kind of report that Kizawa wrote that just scratched the surface.
Maa, wealth and fame are like byproducts, so I have no intention of refusing them.
Above all, Kokubu, who is making traffic between Volzard and Japan possible, is this me's close friend.
With bases in both Japan and Volzard, I thought that I was the only one who could make a long-term report possible
However, the Japanese government had come up with a policy of not allowing people to travel to Volzard again.
On top of that, the idiot Kokubu did the government's bidding and refused to cooperate with me.
Maa, I was still determined to remain in Volzard, and if I achieved worldwide success as a reporter, the Japanese government and Kokubu would have no choice but to cooperate with me.
As a first step, I tried to sell my report to various publishers, but almost none of them responded.
The biggest reason was Tayama's death.
Making use of attack magic, he defeated monsters from the top of the ramparts.
The online broadcast conducted by Tayama and his friends attracted so many viewers that the website's lines were blown out, and the tragedy occurred while people all over the world were watching.
The video of Tayama being hit in the head by an Orc's stone still exists on the internet.
From a publisher's perspective, if they sign a contract with a junior high school student as a reporter and an accident occurs during the interview, they are bound to be criticized by the public.
If you win, you will make a lot of money, but I guess people though it was too risky.
Also, although I am sure to win the Pulitzer Prize in the future, it is true that I have no track record at the moment.
And, there is another reason.
That is, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff started reporting on Volzard.
One of Kokubu's wife candidates, the daughter of the Lord of Volzard, tells the story, and she is traveling around the city reporting on it, with Furudate-sensei as her interpreter.
The report itself is amateurish, but it was recorded with cameras running, edited and made public by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
With the firm backing of the Japanese government, the videos, which have undergone professional editing, were highly praised for their reliability and quality.
It must be said that is is difficult for a junior high school student to compete against this.
That's why I have to go on an adventure.
An area that no human on Earth has ever set foot on ... No, more precisely, a place that only Kokubu has ever been to.
I decided to head to the dungeon.
Dungeon, such a captivating word.
A fantasy without a dungeon is like a beef bowl without meat.
Can you understand the excitement we felt when we were forced to participate in our first actual battle and when Kokubu informed us of the dungeon's existence.
However, it is unbecoming of a journalist to not approach something just because it's dangerous.
That said, I won't be allowed to enter the dungeon alone.
In order to enter the dungeon alone, it is necessary to complete the Guild's combat course, but even Kondo and the old and new duo of brains and muscles have not been able to clear it.
Maa, if I put my mind to it, I'm sure I'll be able to clear it, but since I can only take the course once a week, I'll need at least six weeks.
Unfortunately, I don't have that much time left.
So, I thought about it.
For now, just report on the atmosphere of the dungeon and get the job.
According to what I heard from Kokubu, the villages near the dungeon are building buildings deep underground in preparation for monster attacks.
If I could report on that unique atmosphere, I was sure to win a contract.
What was needed for that purpose was information and interview fees, but another problem arose here.
Even though I applied for a loan to pay for the important report, that bastard Kokubu refused, as expected.
It's suspicious, he must have some sort of secret agreement with the Japanese government.
That being said, reporters cannot succumb to the great evil.
Unfortunately, I had no choice but to earn money for reporting by doing something other than being a reporter.
Obtaining funding for interviews was difficult.
In the first place, I am not suited for manual labor as I mainly do mental labor.
However, in the ranks of a Guild that doesn't understand my value, there are no other options.
A day's work will earn you at most 500 Helts, or about 5,000 Yen in Japanese Yen.
Maa, since I don't have to pay for my daily expenses, I can use all of the money for interview expenses, but this alone doesn't make me feel at ease.
However, my superior brain cells figured out where to get the interview money.
That is, the people who are returning to Japan.
Those who wished to return to Japan had no intention of working at Volzard in the first place, but they had no choice but to earn the money for things other than daily life, in other words, money for playing around.
Even those who wished to return home had earned some money.
And, as the repatriation process progressed, there were no longer any people who needed to be sent home first, and those who returned were selected by lottery.
In other words, those returning home suddenly had to return to Japan, leaving behind the money they had earned to play around.
I decided to extort that money ... No, I decided to ask for accommodation.
When my report was published, I asked them to write their names as collaborators, and most of them cooperated.
Truly, Maejima and his friends are all modest and good people.
Even though I said I would write their names, they said I didn't have to write their names and willingly provided the interview fee.
Maa, I guess it's just something they do every day ...
Although I had obtained the funding fo the interviews, there were still problems.
How do I get to the dungeon.
The dungeon is located about half a day's walk from Volzard in the opposite direction from the Devil's Forest.
The path is not as dangerous as the Devil's Forest, but that doesn't mean there aren't any monsters.
It's risky to act alone, but there's no point in taking my classmates with me.
Therefore, I decided to have someone around the same age as me in Volzard guide me.
The place I chose for scouting was the Guild's combat training course.
In Volzard, the beginning of the year was also the start of a new year.(TN:Meaning the start of a new year for various things started on Jan 1 as opposed to a later time.)
With the new year, those who have graduated from school and aspire to become adventurers were beginning to take courses.
It seemed that the number of people taking the course was increasing more than ever, so I should be able to find a suitable person.
I attended a combat class on water day, and last time there were only six participants, but this time there were twenty.
In reality, there were more, but the event was closed once 20 people had gathered.
It was a great decision to visit the Guild early, thinking something like this might happen.
The water day training course was, so to speak, the second stage.
The participants gathered in the training area behind the Guild and were first made to practice swinging with wooden swords.
Here, those who couldn't even practice properly would be asked to leave.
Lately, I almost got sent off for slacking off on my training, but the one who remains even if it's just barely is my true essence.
Immediately after the practice swing check, matches took place.
While I was practicing, I was trying to figure out who was going to be a tough opponent, but the one who stood out the most among the participants that day was a woman with a good physique.
She was nearly 180 centimeters tall, had a sturdy physique, and had a strong-looking face with a sturdy jaw.
I could tell that she was a woman because of the bulge in her chest, but other than that, she carried herself like a man.
Her head of dark brown hair with rounded ears springing out looked extremely ill-matched.
Even an amateur like me when it came to swords had been paying attention to her, so it seemed natural that that Ossan, Donovan, who was the instructor, was paying attention to her.
"We'll start the matches now. If you can win against three people in a row, you can participate in the class on the wind day of the week. Mariede, step forward and choose your opponent."
Mesugori ... No, the name of the girl with a good physique was apparently Mariede.(TN:Mesugori = female gorilla.)
Just when I was thinking that this was a cute name that didn't suit her, my eyes met with those of Mariede, who was looking around at the participants in search of a partner.
"That black-haired man over there, it's you."
"Yuusuke, you are nominated. Come to the front and stand with us."
Tch, that Donovan-ossan, I thought he wouldn't remember anything about me, but that's why that bastard Kokubu is no match for me.(TN:This may not be quite right ... something about Kokubu's head/brain being no match for Yagi's.)
Normally, I would choose to withdraw, but today's purpose was to scout a guide to the dungeon.
It was certain that I would lose, but I had no intention of showing my pathetic defeat.
Wearing protective gear and facing each other from a distance of about five meters, Mariede spoke to me.
"You, are you associated with the Monster User?"
"Monster User? Aahh, Kokubu is my friend, but I'm not that strong. I'm an expert at using things like this."
When I pointed to my head with my right index finger, Mariede looked surprised.
"Why is someone like that participating in combat training?"
"Come on, if you beat me, I'll let you know."
"Hou, interesting ..."
I thought I would get even more frightened if Mariede and I faced each other, but I've been matched with that stupid mutt Gilik, and I watched the old and new duo and Kondo subdue the Orcs, so I was able to talk more calmly than I expected.
Mariede casually tried to walk up to me with the wooden sword hanging loosely in her right hand, but I held mine in an upper right stance, as if carrying the wooden sword with my left shoulder forward.
I was in a bluff stance, imitating Kokubu, but Mariede stopped in her tracks and grinned.
Mariede held the wooden sword that had been hanging loosely in an upper position with her right hand and slowly closed the distance.
She may have some kind of plan, but I had no idea, and I had no intention of making any predictions.
I couldn't win anyway, so there was no point in thinking about it.
When I thought I was within range, I just stepped forward and swung the wooden sword as hard as I could.
Seeing that this me showed no reaction at all, Mariede stopped in her tracks again.
Was she timing her attack.
As I looked at Mariede, who was watching the situation, I suddenly thought of something.
That is, a magical chant.
That Kokubu idiot says he just tried it and it worked, and he uses magic at will without chanting, but no matter how hard I visualized or changed my pose, I couldn't use magic unless I chanted.
However, there was one thing I hadn't tried.
The way to do it was to chant it in my head without saying it out loud.
As a test, while glaring at Mariede, I imagined the native pronunciation and chanted the chant to strengthen my body in my head.
"Mana, oh mana, oh mana that governs the world, gather, gather, gather in my body, return, return, return and become my power, strengthen!"
As soon as I finished chanting in my head, Mariede stepped in, but she was still a long way off.
Stepping in a moment late, I swung the wooden sword down without thinking.
Immediately after my wooden sword caught Mariede's left shoulder, a shock ran through my right side.
Mariede used the wooden sword as a feint, and her main goal was a body blow with her left fist.
"Gahah ..."
Even through the armor, I was unable to breathe, and I stepped back and got down on one knee.
"Winner, Yuusuke!"
Donovan-ossan's declaration caused an uproar from the other participants, but the one who was most surprised was myself.
I don't think it was as strong as when I chanted it out loud, but I was definitely able to use physical strengthening.
Since she was almost on par with me who used body strengthening, I'm sure Mariede's ability was not bad either.
"Kuu, I guess I fell for your plan ..."
Mariede muttered in frustration, then held her left shoulder and withdrew.
Donovan-ossan would nominate my next opponent.
"Next, Edberg, come forward!"
The man who came out was about the same height as me.
He was probably a year younger than me, his face looked young, but his physique was more solid than mine.
However, perhaps he was scared, he looked like he was restless.
I felt like he was about two steps lower than Mariede.
Fortunately, Mariede's body blow also went through the armor, so no damage remained.
"Start!"
At the starting signal, I slowly took the same stance and glared at Edberg.
Edberg slowly came around to my left, holding his wooden sword in front of his eyes.
I pretended to be a samurai, and without taking my eyes off Edberg, I turned my body while sliding my legs, and once again, I chanted body strengthening in my head.
"Y, yah!"
Edberg stepped in while raising his wooden sword in the air, but it was much slower than Mariede.
I stepped in furiously, hitting him hard on the torso.
"Winner, Yuusuke!"
Whoops, dangerous, it looks like my overflowing talent has blossomed once again.
Edberg would probably be even stronger if he was at his best, but it felt like he got scared and self-destructed.
Rather than that, that Donovan-ossan's judging gaze is dangerous, isn't it.(TN:He probably noticed you're cheating by using body strengthening lol.)
"Next, Mariede, come forward!"
I thought it would be easy to take down three in a row, but I guess that was just my thoughts.
Mariede was grinning and baring her teeth as she rotated her left shoulder, which was hit by this me.
It was like a bear who was just happy to have found prey.
"Yuusuke, let me thank you. You did a great job breaking
"It's not like I need to be thanked."
"If I can defeat you, can I at least put a scratch on the Monster User?"
"Aahh, if there's no magic, far from winning, you might not even scratch him."
"Hee ... Then, what if magic is allowed?"
"Then you won't be able to do anything."
"Amazing! S-rank has to be like that!"
"We're running out of time. You guys, start now!"
At the same time as Donovan-ossan signaled, Mariede took her stance.
When it came to the left side of the body, she laid her wooden sword down sideways.
If my stance was to aim for the shoulder with a down-diagonal slash, Mariede seemed to be thinking only of swinging sideways at my torso.
Mariede moved around to my right side and gradually closed the distance.
I didn't feel the slightest hint of letting her guard down that I glimpsed during the match earlier.
While taking the same stance again, I started chanting body strengthening in my head while rotating my body on my sliding legs.
As she moved around to the right of me, Mariede lowered her posture as if gathering her power.
I could read the timing of Mariede's attack.
The moment I caught the sunlight from right in front of me and narrowed my eyes, Mariede stepped in as expected.
"Yaahh!" "Tsu~a!"
This time, I stepped in at the same time as Mariede, and swung the wooden sword down towards the right side of her head.
I predicted that Mariede would try to slip through to the right side of me while swinging her wooden sword.
Just before I thought my wooden sword would hit Mariede in the head, a tremendous impact hit me directly in the torso and I was literally blown away.
"Guheeee ..."
"Winner, Mariede."
I writhed around the training ground while listening to the voice of Donovan-ossan announcing Mariede's victory.
I had often heard that when your brain is shaken during boxing, you go down like a stone while feeling good, but if you got knocked down by a body blow, you would experience hellish agony, I never thought the day would come when I would taste that myself.
"Sorry, Yuusuke. Are you okay?"
Hearing Mariede's concerned voice, I didn't have time to respond to her, and just raised my right hand to show her that I was okay.
Using the wooden sword as a cane, I forced myself to sit up and returned to the line so as not to interfere with the matches.
Honestly, I just wanted to scream and roll around, but right now I was just trying to keep looking cool.
There was no way I could run away from getting the guide to the dungeon I had taken such pains to find.
