Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle

70 – The Weapon of the Untalented Black Sorcerer, the Orc Lord’s Invitation, and the Centaur Maid’s Answer

It would be too late to avoid her after she moves.

Just look at her stance.

A delicate girl with white hair. She’s holding a spear. It’s a Magic Tool. Her race is unknown, but she looks like a Human. The Reaper Knight Furcus. She is a reliable Big Four who usually wears black armor to fight, but now she is my swordmaster and opponent.

She readied her spear and gathered herself, she’s coming.

While sprinting, I took a forward-bent posture and continued to move forward.

While feeling the piercing pressure of the famous spear above my head, I succeeded in getting closer to the user.

I swing the sword in my right hand while maintaining a low stance-huh?

「Good movements.」

The tip of the spear, which should have swung over my head just now, had seized me.

「But slow.」

The speed of the spear from thrusting to returning back is too fast.

This is the spear version of Godspeed. The attacks are not visible.

「Hmm.」

I couldn’t see it.

But, her thrust never touched my body.

That’s because I promptly held up my sword and stopped the thrust using the back of the sword.

「Ugh…?!」

「Mm.」

She looked disgruntled, but I didn’t have time to look longer at her expression.

I couldn’t stop the impact of the thrust, so my body was blown away backward.

I stabbed my sword into the ground and tried to decelerate, but it failed.

Along with such a seemingly sad sound, ting, the sword snapped in half.

Just like that, I rolled on the ground and finally stopped after I got covered in mud.

「It’s over.」

She caught up with me and pointed the tip of the spear at the base of my throat, although the tip of the spear had fallen off during the training.

「…I give up.」

「Mm.」

Furcus, who was nodding, reached out her hand to me, so I grasped it and stood up.

「Lem is smart after all. After seeing it several times, you’re already thinking about counter-measures.」

I was able to avoid the first thrust because I was beaten by it a dozen times in the past. I noticed a pattern from it and thought that I could get closer at that timing and with that movement.

「But I only have one chance in a real battle.」

「You’re doing this training in order to grasp that one chance. Right?」

Furcus’s words are short and accurate.

「You’re right. Uhm, can we do this one more time?」

「Sword.」

I approached a wooden box with swords made out of Magical Energy, equipment of the Dungeon, stuck disorderly in it. I brought the whole box with me for this training, so I should have had dozens of swords, but I only have two more left.

This training room is inside the Dungeon for Elementary Levels – Beginner’s Dungeon.

Although it is called a training room, it seems to have the image of a forest, there are trees growing here and the grass is also thick.

After drawing a sword, I adjusted my breath and stood in front of her.

「Please treat me well.」

「Okay.」

◇

The training was done with a real physical body.

If it was with an Avatar, since I won’t feel any pain, it would be difficult to get feedback on the experience.

For example, muscle pain and numbness would make me realize that I used those parts of my body, but if there’s no pain, I won’t be able to notice it.

「Aa-…」

I laid down and spread my limbs out on the ground. As I looked upward, a false blue sky made out of Magical Energy spread across my field of vision. It’s fake, but it’s beautiful.

I’m covered in sweat and out of breath, right on the verge of total exhaustion.

But Furcus sat next to me with a nonchalant face. She quietly held her knees.

In the end, I was unable to land a single attack on her, not even once.

If I used Black Magic, the result might have changed, but this is for sword training.

「Furcus, you’re not tired?」

I noticed it after using my physical body to fight, she won’t run out of breath. No matter how intensely she moves, she still breathes, but it’s only to that extent. It’s just a matter of breathing and it won’t get disordered by fatigue.

「There are also times when I get tired.」

「When?」

「When I’m hungry, I get tired doing anything.」

「I see…」

So other than that, you’re completely fine…

By the way, she was the one who played around with Fenix for the longest time when they competed in spearmanship and swordsmanship.

She bought some time while facing that guy with the Holy Sword covered in flames. Even at that time, she safely accomplished that role and I’m certain of her ability.

「Somehow, I hadn’t heard about it until now, but what is Furcus’s race?」

「Secret.」

「I guess that’s right.」

「If you guess it correctly, I’ll say that that’s the correct answer.」

「What if I’m wrong?」

「Meal, for one year.」

「…For the time being, I will refrain from answering.」

「Too bad.」

Extraordinary endurance, speed, sturdy body, arm strength, and leg strength.

I can more or less guess it, but I can’t casually guess and get it wrong, due to that penalty.

Let’s be satisfied just by thinking that it should be that race. For now.

Time passed by without us doing anything for a while.

When my stamina recovered a little bit, Furcus opened her mouth.

「Lem, is not talented after all.」

「Eh, ah, yeah…」

I’m shocked, but it’s probably not an insult since Furcus is the one saying it.

「But, you have good eyes.」

「Really?」

「It’s not something like Aptitude though.」

「…I, I see.」

It is said that the combination of Aptitudes becomes a【Job】.

It’s like if a person has Mobility, Combat Perception, Swordsmanship, then that person will be a Warrior.

So, for example, there may also be people that have Mobility but don’t have the other two, so he can’t become a Warrior, instead, he would become a Chef.

Even if they can’t have the 【Job】they wanted, they might have some useful『Aptitude』.

Of course, it’s not that I didn’t have any expectations in that area.

But sadly, the result is, none.

I was hoping that Furcus would praise my eyes, but in the first place, my eyes are not that excellent.

Capable of seeing far away, seeing the world slowly when concentrating, and grasping the surrounding situation just by looking at it for an instant. There are also…Aptitudes for the ability of the brain and the eyes.

「Don’t be disappointed. That of Lem’s is acquired.」

「Acquired?」

「Aptitude, is talent. It indicates the direction that person is suitable for.」

「That’s right. It’s possible to do it without having it, but if you have it, you’ll be able to improve faster and the limit will also be higher.」

「Aptitude is only limited to those that concern the body.」

「Yes. The manifestation of a Job that cannot be accepted emotionally is not rare, it does feel like it’s something that is suitable for the body, not the heart.」

「There are things that grow depending on your heart. Lem, has that.」

「Depending, on my heart.」

A long time ago, my master praised me for having a strong heart.

Even when I look back now, I still get energized. Somehow I even felt that it’s too convenient and I doubt that it might just be a dream.

「For example, consideration is not a talent. It’s not just for outward appearance, true consideration can be done by a person that has a kind heart. The heart is nurtured, not decided at birth.」

In that sense, it’s not a talent.

「Ah…somehow, I understand. Is the「Good eyes」that Furcus said, mean powers of observation or something like that?」

「Yeah, Lem has observed the party for years. You’ve always done that in order to win without feeling any discomfort. That’s why you’ve polished your powers of observation. That’s also why you’re skillful at the work of a Chief of Staff. You look closely and find a way to win. You are skillful at doing this.」

Furcus continued.

「Those eyes and Black Magic have good compatibility. Make the enemy slow, weak, fragile, avoid the enemy’s attack, and make your own attack hit the enemy.」

So far, for example, even my fan, Milla, hasn’t seen the possibility of me engaging in close quarters.

Of course, she cheered for me. Even in the Fenix match, she believed in my victory.

But she wouldn’t have imagined, for example, that I was capable of defeating Fenix with sword skills.

「Adjust your eyes for a one-on-one. If that’s possible, it’ll become a little better.」

Still, from the perspective of the expert, Furcus, it’s only on a degree that it’ll become a little better.

I don’t mind.

It would be a pleasure if I could take even one step towards improving.

「…Thank you! I will do my best.」

◇

I’m Thor. The Master of this Dungeon.

Recently, I’ve been asking Lem for the strategy aspects and Furcus for the guidance of my subordinates, so I feel that my dignity that wasn’t even there under normal circumstances has gotten even lower, but I’m energetic even today.

However, I am the Master of this Dungeon.

Lem has taken the responsibility for the full amount of the prize money. I plan to return it someday, but it’s not a trivial amount.

That’s why I knew he was serious about helping me out, but I should repay him as soon as possible and I should endeavor to do so.

In order to do that, I must first repay the money I owe to Fellow.

To be honest, I couldn’t think of doing this when I was in despair.

This is all thanks to Lem, Furcus, Cashew, the Demon King…and also Kei.

While this pathetic Master was being irresponsible, she received the call from the Demon King Castle, accepted the cooperation, and brought the three of them here.

I’ve known Kei since I was little, but I always get helped by her.

「Uhm…ah, there she is.」

I came to the dining room.

By the way, various seats are made to suit the Demi-Humans.

Short-legged chairs and short tables for the Goblins.

A table for Kei that fits her height.

A sturdy chair for Orcs like me.

If there are various Demi-Humans like in the Demon King Castle, it’ll probably be even more troublesome.

「Kei.」

「Ahh, pig…no, what is it, Master?」

Did you say pig just now?

「That’s so cruel of you, what you said just now.」

「Excuse me, pigs are cute.」

「Ah, I thought the statement was against pigs.」

「Do you want me to change my attitude towards you after all this time?」

Kei, a Centaur, stopped eating her salad and laughed as if she was teasing me.

「…No, it’s okay just as it is. If you suddenly became kind, it would be scary in its own way.」

「What a rude Orc. Even though I’m always kind.」

「That’s debatable, isn’t it?」

「Nope.」

「Ahh, okay…」

I gave up.

「Leaving that aside, what’s the matter? I still have a job to repel the fools who got enticed by the prize money.」

「Um, you see…about Fellow, do you know what a Tag Tournament is?」

「It’s held in groups of two without caring about a person’s race, an Avatar match tournament.」

「Yeah! So about that, I heard that there will be prize money in it.」

「Seems so. That man seemed to have money.」

If it’s the me from a little bit before, I wouldn’t have thought of actually doing it even if I came up with the idea.

「Would-would you please, join the tournament with me?」

Perhaps it was in order to attract attention, but the amount of prize money offered is several times bigger than the one in this Dungeon.

The idea is to aim to use Fellow’s money to repay the debt I owe to him.

If it’s her, despite what she says, I’m sure that she’ll be willing to cooperate with me―.

「I don’t want to though?」

「―Eh?」

「Ah, but rest assured, since I had the same idea.」

「You had the same…eh? Ah, did you already team up with someone else?」

「That’s right.」

「I-I’m curious, about who it is.」

「Fuu. Hear and be surprised, Master Pig.」

She mixed it. Pig and Master.

「I decided to participate with Furcus. I’ve also finished the registration.」

Ah, she’s more likely to win with her compared to teaming up with me.

It’s shameful, but I ended up thinking about something like that.

But, I didn’t even think about it at this time.

That Lem will also participate in the tournament with another person.