Chapter 93: New winter collection

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I’ve started training with the wooden sword Cecily made me.

For my Light Blade skill, the length of the blade may come out varying, with 200 cm as maximum length, but the wooden sword that I was using for training now is about 120 cm long.

“Shirou, you’re using this as a one-handed sword, right?”

“Yes.”

I’m planning to keep my left hand open so I could use the beam attack.

“Now that I think about it, you don’t actually need to train with a sword, do you? It’s be better if you practice using the beam attack, to improve the accuracy and become more proficient in using it. It would be more effective in battle, don’t you think?”

“No no no, Cecily, you don’t get it. To fight with a sword in his right hand and a gun in his left is every boy’s dream, you know?” [1]

Even if I’m somewhat half-assed, I’m still a man after all. I want to stick to my ideal fighting style, no matter what.

“That’s not… Usually, a man would hate any kind fighting, you know?”

“That may be so, but I’m different than them. Now, come on, let’s start training!”

“Gotcha. Alright, let’s start with how you hold a sword. Try to get a feeling for grasping the hilt with your ring and pinky finger.”

Following her instruction, I held the wooden sword with great enthusiasm.

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30 Minutes later…

“Haa… Haa… Huff… Haahh…”

“Shirou, you okay?”

I was too out of breath to reply. The surface of my palm was scraped so much that blood seeped out.

“Okami-san, use this wound medicine.” Miina offered help.

I felt really pathetic; I feel like I’m just moving my body a little and yet I’ve already become this exhausted. [2] I think it really shows how weak my cardiovascular system is.

Now that I think about it, I’ve never been good at marathon running.

“I think we should stop here for today…”

“Not yet… Huff…Haah… I can still… do it…” I managed to answer while applying some wound medicine.

“I don’t think you need to push yourself so hard during your first day of training… is what I’d like to say, but, I’m not sure how to break this to you…”

“Haah… haah… it’s fine… just tell it straight to me…”

“Alright. Shirou, you’re hopelessly inept at combat.”

I guess I’m just that terrible, huh.

After spending some time to calm myself down, I finally got my breath back.

“I see. So in the end, the only thing I’m good at is cooking.”

“Don’t worry, Shirou-san, that’s not the only thing you’re good at. Don’t forget that your eroticism is also your good point.”

Really, Rouge? That’s not really comforting, you know.

 It’s not like I’m particularly aiming to be exceptionally good at combat, but to be told that I’m terrible at something really sucks.

“Hey, Shirou?” Cecily softly spoke to me. “Shirou, do you really want to be a strong warrior?”

“No, not really. I don’t like fighting anyway.”

“Then, there’s no need to push yourself so hard. If you just continue it little by little, and keep doing it day by day, you will surely become stronger. I’m sure your swing will become faster, and your movements more agile.”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Of course. Have I ever lied to you before?”

That’s right. Cecily is honest to a fault. There’s no way she would ever lie to me.

 “Got it… I think I was a bit too impatient.”

“That’s alright. What’s important is to keep going and never give up training. And don’t worry too much about it, I will be there for you.” Cecily declared with a blush on her cheeks.

“I’ll help you too, Okami-san.”

“I also can teach you a thing or two, either for fighting or for some more private occasion, fufufu…”

Wow, three beautiful ladies are offering to help me with training. I think this is the best, most powerful motivation a man can have. If it’s like this, even a weakling like me would surely be able to overcome anything.

Alright, I’m all fired up now! I’ll do my best for tomorrow’s training!

But let’s limit it for 30 minutes duration only…

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After having modified the carriage with suspension and rubber tires, our journey has become much more comfortable. Now, my butt no longer hurts like before. Rouge and Miina seemed disappointed that they couldn’t apply the medicine, but I don’t care. If it’s only an hour or two I can still endure it, but since we usually spend more than 10 hours on the road, my butt really did take a beating.

For today, I’m planning to install a spring-loaded seat. And speaking about seating arrangement, it’s best to just make a bench seat, right? Look, traveling is more fun when everyone is sitting together, you know!

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We traveled by the carriage until evening and decided to camp in the open before dark. It seemed that we would not always be able to conveniently reach a village with an inn.

We slept on mats laid out in the carriage, so it was not that inconvenient. Rouge had placed a thin barrier magic around the carriage, so the wind wouldn’t blow in. It was winter and there were no insects, so it was a comfortable place to spend the night.

…

Before having dinner, we did our training exercises again.

First Cecily would check and correct my posture, and then I would try to attack her by using the wooden sword. She said mock battles are important, because I wouldn’t be able grasp the concept of distance just by swinging the sword. [3]

“Hey Cecily, don’t you think I need to train on receiving attack too?”

“I’m planning to do so, but a regular weapon won’t be able to withstand your blade, right?”

Certainly, the moment an enemy weapon clashes against my Light Blade, it would get sliced apart. And if I recklessly tried to block a sword that came my way, who knows where the debris might go flying and it might cause injury.

“For now, just focus on improving the speed of your swing.”

After all, the cutting power of the Light Blade is indeed incredible. We’ve tried experimenting on it, and it can even easily cut through Rouge’s barrier magic… And she’s still sulking about it.

Right now, I’m wearing a T-shirt I’ve made by magic, but I feel like I need to wear something easier to move in. No way I could practice in my saint clothes though, we’re constantly on the road, so there’s no way to properly do laundry.

Combat clothes, huh… If it comes down to a real fight, I’ll have to equip Eminence Rock anyway, but since I’m getting into cosplay, I’d like to have a costume that looks the part.

What should I do? Let’s see what the options that I have.

A military-like combat uniform. This has the advantage of being easy to wear.A regular adventurer’s leather armor. That way it wouldn’t stand out wherever we go. Oh wait, I guess being a man wearing adventurer’s armor would already draw a lot attention, huh.Bikini armor. ‘I’ve come to answer everyone’s expectation!’ …naah, I can’t really say that, though. Well the question is whether to just put on the lower part, or do I need to wear the top part also. As a Japanese boy, I feel like I’m more embarrassed to cover up my chest than to let them get exposed, though, since it would feel like I’m wearing a bra.

I guess the right thing to do here would be to pursue functionality, but Rouge’s words were still ringing in my ears.

(Don’t worry, Shirou-san’s eroticism is also your good point)

I was angry the first time when I heard it, but I also felt it contained some truth. I felt there was a hint of the costume I should aim for hidden here.

Uuuuuuuuuughhhhh…… I’m feeling really conflicted here…

That night, I stayed awake until midnight working on my new costume…

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“Shirou, we’re all set here. Let’s start the training.” Cecily called me from outside of the carriage.

Today, we’re camping in an empty space near the stream.

“Got it. I’m coming right over.” I called out to her while changing into my newly made outfit.

I’ve been thinking over it really hard but I’ve finally decided that my new winter work collection will be fusion of Combat Versatility and Erotiscism. And hence, the answer to my new combat outfit was obvious. [4]

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Cecily.”

“!!!”

When the three of them saw my new costume, they were completely still, as if time had stopped for them.

“W,what the hell is even that?” Rouge asked while coming over trying to touch it.

Hey, no touching, okay? Keep your hands to yourself.

“This is, my new battle outfit!”

I’ve made a cat suit out of black faux leather; it’s sometimes called a rubber suit. The material was black latex, shiny and glossy, and the whole thing was a skin-tight, top-to-bottom garment. Of course, it had a zipper from the neck to the crotch, which was now open to the navel. [5]

“So? Do you think I can make the enemy let down their guard with this?”

Everyone continued to stare at my outfit.

“C-certainly. If it were me, I would try my best to restrain you unharmed so I could… cough, ahem…”

Rouge, I think you’re overboard with your fantasy.

“W-w-w-w-well then, s-s-s-s-should we start training?”

Uwah, Cecily seemed to be quite shaken

I think since this world doesn’t have a lot of erotically revealing clothing, the costume that I’m wearing is giving them some overwhelming stimulation. Fufufu, today, I’m going to distract her with this outfit and land a hit during the mock battle.

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10 minutes later

“Haah… Haah…”

“Shirou, are you alright?” Cecily worriedly asked.

Right now, I’m sweating like a waterfall from my head. Turns out that latex is not breathable at all and hard to move in.

Shit, it feels like I’m trapped in this suit.

I was sweating so much that I couldn’t get the suit off by myself. Seeing that I’m having the trouble with it, both Rouge and Miina happily helped me by ripping off the catsuit off of me.

Oh no, you beasts. [6]

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1 I never play DMC, but is this a Dante reference? ((MoWNPC: Naw man, it’s a reference back to pirates and swash-buckling days. The idea of a dashing figure with a gun in one hand and a sword in the other, that’s classic cinema. Check these out!))

Whoa. Amazing reference. Thanks!

2 I once tried swinging iron pole for 15 minutes and already feels like my arms were about to fall, so I don’t think it’s pathetic to feel exhausted after swinging sword for 30 minutes for the first time.

3 I’m not an expert in combat, but I think distancing is important because you need to keep yourself in a position that’s easy to both attach and defend, while making it hard for the enemy to do the same.

Wikipedia: [Distancing is the appropriate selection of distance between oneself and a combatant throughout an encounter. Distancing is significant in an altercation as it determines both attack and defence options for all parties involved. Timing and tactics are also important elements of combat which are often used in conjunction with distancing by experienced martial artists.

Distancing is an important concept in all combative sports and arts. It applies to both un-armed and armed combat. In a martial sense, armed combat takes the form of traditional weapons practice. Given the enormous variety of martial arts weapons in addition to the various ranges of un-armed combat, it is possible to divide distancing up into many sub-distances or ranges. Indeed, many martial arts have their own uniques expressions for various distances or ranges derived from those they specialise in.]

4 A theme for winter collection? What is this, Project Runway? LOL.

5 So basically a male version of Catwoman. Must be a really tantalizing view for Cecily and co, then.

6 The author uses the word いやん (Iyan), which I think is the expression of mock refusal (like noo, I don’t wanna, but also somewhat yes). I could be wrong tho.