Not a barbarian warrior.

Lorena’s excitement was short-lived. Soon, she became worried that she might have used too much force and quietly approached Eugene.

He was grimacing in pain while clutching his solar plexus. Lorena casually averted her gaze as she spoke to him.

“We-Well, that’s what happens when you tease me… Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

“Ugh…”

Eugene nodded with a painful groan. Although it was unlikely, Lorena lifted Eugene’s top to check if any bones were broken, just in case.

“Let me see… I’ll, I’ll just check for a moment…”

As she carefully removed his tunic, a muscular body was revealed. The scars etched here and there on his skin added to his wild charm. Lorena unconsciously parted her lips slightly and then swallowed.

“It doesn’t seem like any bones are damaged… But why are you covered in bruises…? Su-Surely you’re not getting beaten up at the swordsmanship guild..? Is someone bullying you?”

Eugene shook his head, finding it difficult to breathe due to the strong impact on his vital point. Only after taking a moment to catch his breath and calm the pain could he speak. His brow was still slightly furrowed.

“Huu… That’s not it. This is from intensifying my training for the tournament.”

“To-Tournament…? Don’t tell me you’re participating too?”

When Lorena asked with wide eyes, Eugene nodded. When he said that a team competition was scheduled in the square two weeks from now, she tried to dissuade him with a worried face.

“Ca-Can’t you just not participate? What if you get seriously injured…”

“It’s okay. We’ll be using blunted swords for the competition. At worst, I might get some muscle damage.”

“Still…”

She tried to hold Eugene back a few more times, but he was adamant. Lorena let out a deep sigh and seemed to make a decision.

“Then there’s no helping it… Si-Since it’s come to this, you have to win…?”

“Of course I do.”

Eugene looked at Lorena with a smile. She also raised the corners of her mouth and then spoke as if she had thought of something.

“No, no. That’s not enough! I want Eugene to be considered the best player in the tournament… I’ll help you make that happen…!”

“…How? Don’t tell me with magic? Isn’t that cheating?”

She grinned while gripping her staff.

“It’s not like someone else is casting magic on you, you’ll be using it yourself, right? Ho-How is this cheating…? It’s clearly skill…!”

“Hmm… Still, when everyone else is using swords, for me alone to use a staff is a bit…”

Seeing Eugene’s reluctant face, Lorena spoke with burning passion.

“You can use magic sufficiently without a staff…! Two, two weeks is more than enough time to learn, so just trust me. I’ll make you the star of the tournament!”

Eugene couldn’t bring himself to refuse when she put it like that. As he nodded and asked her to teach him well, Lorena opened her mouth.

“Bu-But you know…”

“…?”

“Before learning magic, could you clean up the house first…? The, the house is a mess because of you…”

“…”

Eugene was about to retort that how was this because of him, but he held back. He felt like his solar plexus would hurt again if he did.

The next day. Eugene stopped by the square pulling a cart loaded with luggage and Lorena on top, just like yesterday, before heading to the swordsmanship guild.

When he arrived at the training ground outside the guild, there were more comrades than usual. Everyone was swinging their swords with fire in their eyes. Despite the cool weather of the early morning, the training ground felt hot with enthusiasm.

Clea, who was the first to spot Eugene, immediately threw a practice sword at him and said:

“What are you doing standing there blankly? Hurry and prepare. We’ll continue where we left off yesterday.”

Beads of sweat were forming on Clea’s forehead. She was more passionate than anyone else here.

After warming up briefly, Eugene began dueling with her, crossing swords like yesterday. Before long, rough breathing could be heard from both of them.

“Huu… The Indomitable Strike is a powerful technique, but that doesn’t mean it’s omnipotent. Watch your opponent’s feet carefully.”

She was revealing all the weaknesses of the secret technique. Eugene grabbed his head, which was becoming complicated as he realized that using the technique was more difficult than he thought.

“You must check their feet when the opponent attacks with a downward slash. If they step diagonally forward, you’ll end up being countered instead. The same goes for stepping diagonally backward. This technique isn’t something you can use recklessly like you think.”

“Hmm… This is too difficult. It seems unrealistic to perfectly master this in two weeks and use it in the tournament.”

When Eugene expressed his honest feelings, Clea flared up. How could he say such dispiriting things when she was dedicating her precious time to teach him?

“You can do it! No, you must do it! Don’t make excuses! You have talent!”

Seeing her overflowing with excessive passion, Eugene thought to himself. At this rate, his body would be worn out before the competition. What use would talent be if his body broke down first?

“If you’re done resting, pick up your sword again.”

Just as Eugene was about to grip his sword at her urging, someone approached the two of them.

“Clea, such an intricate sword doesn’t suit Eugene. There’s not much time left, how long do you think it will take him to master your secret technique?”

“Mind your own business and focus on your own training, Ruben. With Eugene’s talent, he can definitely master it perfectly before the tournament.”

Ignoring Clea’s words, the man called Ruben looked at Eugene and said:

“In my opinion, now is not the time to learn such a high-level technique. Hey, Brother Eugene, I’ll teach you a technique that’s easy and quick to learn, and can fully utilize your strengths.”

“Hey…! What are you doing!”

“Clea, this isn’t the time to be stubborn. What Eugene needs isn’t such delicate techniques, but rather crude techniques that make full use of his strength.”

“What? Are you done talking?”

Clea and Ruben engaged in a battle of nerves over Eugene. As a rough current flowed between the two, nearby comrades rushed to intervene. Amidst the chaotic situation, Eugene naturally felt fatigue.

When the situation calmed down somewhat, Ruben said to wait and see, and began teaching Eugene.

“Brother Eugene, you must have felt like your head was splitting while learning under Clea, right? People like us don’t fight with such complicated thoughts during battle, do we? It’s all done with instinctive senses ingrained in our bodies.”

“…!”

Eugene nodded at Ruben’s words. Seeing this, Clea, who had been sitting down, tried to stand up abruptly, but her comrades desperately held her down.

Ruben, regardless of whether she was angry or not, taught Eugene a new technique.

“When you’re fighting chaotically in the square, there will inevitably come a moment when you’re in close contact with your opponent. What would you do in a situation where there’s not even enough space to swing your sword?”

“Hmm…”

As Eugene was about to open his mouth after a moment’s thought, Ruben quickly spoke first.

“That’s right! Exactly! It would naturally lead to a grappling match. What if you had a grappling technique that could fully utilize your monstrous strength at that time? Imagine it. Don’t you feel a thrill already?”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say I feel a thrill…”

Despite Eugene’s lukewarm response, Ruben shook his head, showing his abundant enthusiasm.

“No. You’re saying that because you don’t know the true value of grappling. Once you experience it, you’ll change your mind. Now, I’m going to try to subdue you, so try to stop me.”

Ruben spread his legs and lowered his upper body to take a stance. He instantly closed the distance and rushed straight at Eugene.

He avoided Eugene’s arm trying to stop him, crouched even lower, and then grabbed Eugene’s thigh with his shoulder pushing forward.

“Now! In this situation, you’ll have no choice but to fall without being able to resist… Hey… What’s going on…?”

“…”

Ruben, who had planned to mount Eugene’s body as he lost his balance and fell backwards, was greatly confused.

Eugene’s two legs were standing firmly without shaking, supporting his body. Ruben felt as if he was trying to push a large boulder.

“Huh…? Wh-Why isn’t he falling…”

As Ruben became flustered seeing Eugene not budging no matter how much he pushed, the comrades watching from around burst into laughter. Then one person stepped forward in front of Eugene.

“Hahaha! How can you try to teach when you can’t even do that properly? Hey, Eugene. I’ll teach you properly.”

“Kuk… Randolph, the technique seemed to go in well… You try it. Something’s off.”

Randolph, who came forward mocking Ruben, was a large man. He was taller and bigger than not only Ruben but also Eugene. Just by appearance, it seemed like he could easily subdue Eugene without even needing to use techniques.

“What do you mean something’s off. Forget about that fool. I’ll teach you properly. Come on, try to resist with all your might.”

Randolph, like Ruben, spread his legs to lower his center of gravity and then immediately dove into Eugene’s embrace.

With movements much more agile than his size suggested, Randolph inserted his arm into Eugene’s armpit, grabbed his opposite arm, hooked one leg, and then twisted his body.

“Now, in this state, if I just turn my waist, you’ll have no choice but to fall…! Hngh…!”

Randolph tried to flip Eugene with all his might, not holding back. However, even as his face turned red and veins popped on his temples from exertion, Eugene didn’t move an inch.

“Wh-Why isn’t he falling…?”

“…?”

“Ju-Just a moment, let me try again… Hnngh!!”

“…”

He tried again to throw Eugene over his shoulder, but Eugene didn’t budge at all.

Unlike Randolph, whose face was all scrunched up, Eugene had a calm expression. The comrades watching this contrasting scene were astonished.

“What the…? The technique was applied correctly, wasn’t it?”

“Th-That’s just pure strength he’s using to resist, right?”

“Impossible!”

When even Randolph, who was acknowledged as the strongest in the guild, couldn’t do anything to Eugene, everyone applauded in admiration.

Eugene stood there with an embarrassed face, feeling as if he had become a rare spectacle.

Regardless of whether grappling worked well on him or not, Eugene diligently learned techniques from his comrades.

The setting sun was now dyeing the training ground red. Eugene, drenched in sweat, pushed back his wet and disheveled hair. It was time to finish training and go home.

“Good work. See you tomorrow then, Eugene.”

Ruben and Randolph, who had engaged in plenty of physical exchanges with Eugene, said goodbye, and Eugene lightly waved back. Just as he was about to leave the training ground, Clea suddenly appeared and stuck to his side.

“Wait a moment. I have something to ask.”

“…What is it? If you’re going to tell me to learn your secret technique from you again starting tomorrow-”

“No, that’s not what I was going to say. Watching you train, I think it’s right for you to learn grappling or other techniques first. It would be better to postpone my secret technique for later.”

Inwardly relieved at Clea’s words, Eugene asked:

“Then what is it?”

“Do you have armor to wear for the tournament?”

“Well… I do have some…”

When he mentioned his thick gambeson and leather gauntlets and boots lined with iron plates, Clea shook her head.

“That’s not enough. Even though the swords used in the tournament are blunted, if you get hit with full force, bones could break. Besides, you don’t even have a helmet.”

“Hmm, is it really necessary?”

“Haah… Since we’re on the topic, let’s go to the blacksmith right now. We need to hurry before they close. Oh, do you have money? … Ah, nevermind, it doesn’t matter if you don’t.”

“…Are you planning to buy it for me?”

“What? Do you think I’m rich? I don’t have money either.”

“Then how?”

“There’s always a way. Just trust me and follow along.”

“…?”

Clea grabbed Eugene’s wrist and dragged him towards the blacksmith street.

Soon after entering a shop, she shouted at the shop owner:

“Ah! I’m telling you we’ll return it after winning the tournament! Of course we’ll pay the rental fee, and if there are any scratches, we’ll even add repair costs! What’s with that look? Surely you don’t think our Brotherhood of the Sword will lose, do you?”

Despite having come to borrow equipment without money, Clea glared and yelled instead. The shop owner sweated profusely and averted his gaze downward.

“N-No… Of, of course I think the Brotherhood of the Sword will win… Yes… Of course… But if by any chance… Really, just in case you happen to lose…”

They would have their equipment taken as ransom. The shop owner was worried about this point. They had lost last time, so what guarantee was there that they wouldn’t lose this time?

“That possibility doesn’t exist, I tell you! We’ll definitely win! So hurry up and lend it to us! Don’t say strange things!”

Without even waiting for the owner’s permission, she examined the armor displayed in the shop and threw pieces that looked good to Eugene.

“Here, try these on quickly. We need to check if they fit your body.”

How could she be so brazen? Eugene muttered quietly while putting on the received items.

“This is nothing short of being a complete thug…”