Chapter 31 – Prediction
Speed reading changed my perspective on things.
More than ever, I became more conscious of ‘seeing with my eyes’, and the results my efforts were tangible.
「I see…」
A giant orc appears in the world of 【Vier】, swinging its huge arms at me.
If you eat this raw, you’ll definitely get sick.
But……
「Everything seems to stop.」
I’ve been sparring with Tre’ainar.
Agility acquired.
Furthermore, the magic technique that dramatically raises physical ability……
「Of course. Small fry are no match, dispatch the rabble, and parade yourself!」
I dive into the bosom of the giant orc and slam my fist into its liver.
The orc reacts in agony as it goes down.
The next is a skeleton warrior, and then a great serpent. In addition, Gremlins.
Even though it was a dream, it was my first time fighting monsters, but I’ve already sparred with the Great Demon King many times, and I’m not afraid of anything.
「Well, all that has been generated is equal to lower-rank human level warriors. As your skills were intermediate level even before my guidance, you ought not to find them a challenge.」
Certainly there is no struggle.
After all, just as Tre’ainar said, if I only spar with superior partners, I’d be unable to realize the image of defeating my opponent.
In this way, by fighting an opponent without struggle, you have more flexibility during the battle, more options at every moment, and the leeway to experiment and attempt fighting styles you haven’t tried before.
「Huh. Pay attention to your footwork, from no guard… tilt the upper body with [Great Demon Swayback]…… then with [Great Demon Parrying] strike and throw off the opponent’s fist…… I believe this improves your defense.」
As usual, the naming is shit, but I don’t care anymore.
Right now, I’m probably improving enough to absorb a lot of things.
「Well, next, I bait the opponent’s attack and at the last minute…. here!」
Jump into the opponent’s linear attack and drive your fist to cross it.
「…… [Great Demon Cross Counter]…… tis quite sharp I suppose.」
This is a dream. However, the feeling left in the fist, the feeling of shell being broken is real.
Simply, I felt that I was getting stronger.
「All right, tis still rough, but the [Great Demon Fighting Art] is gradually improving.」
「I see. …… Phew…… But my eyes are tired….」
A compliment from Tre’ainar.
He is not one to flatter or say anything eccentric.
He speaks only the truth.
That’s why, because he praised me, I had ‘such a feeling’, I was genuinely happy.
However, the sensation of the eyes becoming tired even in the dream is mysterious.
「But the results are apparent. The combination of Speed Reading and 【Canonicon】 allows the six muscles that control the functions of the eye…. the superior rectus muscle, the inferior rectus, the external rectus, the internal rectus, the superior oblique, and the inferior oblique, to be trained…… this sparring after improving dynamic vision, peripheral vision, and brain processing.」
「Oh… ‘Magical Shutter Eye’…… I didn’t think it would be so tiring.」
Yes, I trained my eyes with speed reading, and even with sparring, I did eye-conscious training.
That is sparring while using 【Canonicon】 continuously.
「Precisely. 【Canonicon】stores the viewpoint into the brain as a picture after observing it once. However, the scenery before you is seen in the paused state for that moment alone. Therefore, if you use 【Canonicon】 during combat, even if the scenery seems paused, it actually is moving, so at the next moment you will be aware the world after a split second.」
「At first, I didn’t understand the explanation very well, but… in the middle of battle, the moment the opponent’s punch is about to be released, I close my eyes with a blink and shut off all visual information, and the next moment I open my eyes, it feels like the fist already in front of me. It makes it difficult to catch movement…」
Sparring opponent is not Tre’ainar, but lower-level monsters.
Against them, I can blink and cut off visual information over and over again.
「So dynamic vision and reaction speed that may act immediately after the shutter opens. In addition, from the picture of the moment you turn off the shutter, the opponent’s movement, line of sight, position, state of the entire body in the peripheral field of view, and the world in the next split second can be predicted and appropriate action taken…. Reading Power…… Not only simple reflexes, but also dynamic vision, peripheral vision, and the power of prediction. That is crucial.」
In combat, taking your eyes off your opponent or letting your guard down for a moment can lead to defeat.
That’s why Magical Shutter Eye, the uses of this 【Canonicon】 continuously while sparring, is meant to train it.
As a result, even though the opponent is such a low-level monster, defeating it in this way is considerably tiring. But in this way, being able to defeat them without taking damage leads to confidence. Well, this is just a dream…
「All right, you have been training in your sleep. After today’s academy sessions, we shall perform ‘Magical Shutter Eye Phantom Sparring’ as well as 【Vier】 battle simulations.」
「Osu! 」
「Sparring in 【Vier】 in addition to monsters like now… Well, considering the situation… Hmm, to embody the sword, and do so by imitating the swordsman of the seven heroes of the past?」
「Osu! Wha…… you don’t mean, to say it without hesitation, but that’s Rebal’s father!? What can I possibly do?!」
「Tis possible. Emulating the skills and movements of the opponent after observing them once was among powers of the six-gate eye. Well, if you get accustomed to the Sword Saint’s power from those days, your childhood friend, ‘The Sword Saint’s Successor’, will not prove much of an opponent.」
「Hey, really, to you… anything is an ant. As long as I can count on you…」
「Of course. However, that will be after school. Now tis time you return to reality, perform some stretches and light shadow spar before heading for the academy.」
For a while, the effect after sparring with lower-level monsters felt very satisfying.
When I’m here, I want to do more. I want to fight more. The desire to become stronger also grows.
But there is a limit to things.
There might be such a meaning, too. With Tre’ainar, anything he does has purpose, nothing seems pointless.
I still have time, but now I guess it’s all right.
「Phew~… Even so, something like a style is emerging.」
「At last, you have come to understand how to use your body, and even began to follow what you envision in your mind.」
「Ah. I now understand how to use my fist. Even though it’s a reality in my imagination, it gives me confidence that I can defeat orcs with just my fists as a handicap.」
After that, I woke up in the morning, stretched and shadowed lightly and went to the academy.
I was growing, and I was curious about something.
「Speaking of, Tre’ainar.」
『What?』
「You’ve been providing orcs and a lot of other things for me to beat up, but… as the Great Demon King, this is what human beings do, does it upset you?」
It just fought the monsters embodied by Tre’ainar’s imagination, but they were demons, those who once followed Tre’ainar, so to speak.
I wondered if I should ask after beating them, but I was a little curious, so I asked him….
『Hmm… Not really.』
Oh! And Tre’ainar replied.
『As a human, do you still not witness killing and confrontations amongst yourselves? Tis a similar matter to the upcoming game.』
「Sure…」
『Much less, tis more exhilarating to beat up those you dislike, is it not? Same as that. After being bundled under the same category as ‘Demons’, once the lid is opened you will find tis finely diversified. That the entirety of demonic races are considered as one tribe is detestable.』
Even if formally, the previous ruler was quite pragmatic on the matter, rather unsentimental…
『But…』
「What?」
『Well, I as well… if someone I cared for got hurt or killed, I doubt I would remain silent.』
But that’s not all.
In this way, he’s the kind of guy who’s willing to keep up my discipline.
I guess in some parts we are not so different.
「I see…」
『In that sense, the demon world after my death… tis probably a lawless zone, but I am a little concerned.』
As Tre’ainar was staring a little into the distance, I felt his heartrending feelings were conveyed at that instance…
I felt it, and I naturally…
「Someday… would you like to go?」
『What?』
「Not really. I’ve been taught a little bit, and… maybe I’d like to see it too… Including the demon world…… various places.」
A little bit, I felt like I wanted to do what I could, and I put it into words.
Tre’ainar also rolled his eyes for a moment, but laughed immediately.
『Fuhahahaha. I am very grateful to have you just to turn the pages of a book I could not read while alive, but is that not a considerable sense of a duty.』
「Is that what you want to say?」
『But once you become an Imperial Knight, do you believe you will be afforded that kind of freedom?』
As Tre’ainar says, if you become an Imperial Knight, you will certainly be given a lot of duties in the capital and as a candidate for executive officers.
If you consider my father who usually can’t come home, you’ll understand that.
So, but still, for me to see various places…. That’s what it’s all about.
「I already… It’s okay. For me…… the Imperial Knights. After talking with the princesses, my father, and you, this is how I feel after all.」
That’s how I feel right now.
「I don’t want to be an imperial knight. Right now I’m… I want to be a man who can go anywhere.」
『Ho』
「I haven’t decided how to go about it yet, but… about my parents, about the empire, about the warriors… I want the power to go anywhere and not be swayed by such things anymore.」
I’ve been on a predetermined route, but it’s always been frustrating.
But now, because I said it myself out loud, somehow I felt refreshed.
『Ho. The little boy, is in his own way…. showing a man’s expression, is he not?』
「Is that right?」
『And, for that I am grateful. For now, it would be my pleasure, to see the world as it stands today.』
「Do our interests align?」
『Hmm. Thus, you must get stronger. I will not have you perish the moment you embark on your journey.』
「Yeah true. I ask that you please take care of me, Master.」
Saying that, we laughed at each other.
Author’s Note
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Beyond thirty chapters, we have received a lot of reviews and evaluation,
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Thank you very much. Thank you very much, I am now naked.
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