Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Encourage yourself that only now can you make changes, starting with your daily life.

"Too slow!"

"Ugh!?"

Therefore, the training with Bert began on the very day it was proposed.

This is the central courtyard of the "Twilight Pavilion." In this space, which seems to surround the central tower, Lefia took a merciless kick from a werewolf.

"Cough! Pfft! Cough cough...!?"

"How many times do I have to explain before this slow-witted woman understands?! Don't get too distracted by the chanting!"

It has been seven days since the first workout.

The practical training, which begins after breakfast, sometimes continues until dinner time. The reason it doesn't start early in the morning seems to be that "it would be too inconvenient to have to interrupt breakfast."

The sun is now past its zenith, in the afternoon.

"You couldn't defend yourself, and you couldn't dodge! Then you might as well not have sung such a terrible song in the first place!"

"Cough cough... Ugh...!?"

"You'd better realize this quickly! Your parallel chanting is just last-minute cramming! You're chanting like an idiot who only remembers one thing!"

Rafia was punched in the stomach and collapsed on the spot. As she lay on the ground struggling in pain, Bert continued to curse at her.

Although he didn't continue the attack after the man fell to the ground, Bert showed absolutely no mercy based on gender, physique, or race.

The intense pain forced Lefia to release her short sword and staff.

"Ha! You want to imitate the fighting style of that woman who died earlier, but your incantation is even slower than hers—what good is that!"

"...!!"

Lefia's almond-shaped eyes widened in anger.

His eyes blazed with fury.

Unfortunately, Bert's words made sense, leaving her with no way to refute them.

Raphia sought Bert's advice on close combat techniques—a fighting style that relies on a short sword—while also actively practicing "parallel chanting" during her training.

She held her deceased friend's short sword in her right hand and a short staff that looked just like the one her friend had used in her left hand, hoping to learn the fighting style of a "magic swordsman".

—Are you trying to imitate that woman who's already dead? That will only make you look foolish.

No matter how much Bert mocked her with similar words, Rafia remained resolute on this one point.

Lefia's biggest wish right now is to learn how to fight alone.

She doesn't despise or look down on her past self—the quintessential "backup mage." If needed, she's happy to continue playing the role of a fixed turret.

However, even if she learns the fighting style of a "magic swordsman," Lefia should still be able to perform her previous duties effectively. In fact, with a deeper understanding of the movements of forwards and centers, she will be able to provide better cover. The so-called "magic swordsman" is derived from the "magician" who is proficient in magic, so learning this fighting style will only benefit her.

Lefia was tired of being constantly protected.

The forward's job is to protect the defenders, and the defenders' job is to rescue the forwards.

Therefore, Lefia wants to become someone who can protect herself and help others.

He wanted to gain the strength to fight alone.

But—

"What do you mean by 'wanting to be able to fight alone'?! Right now, you're nothing but an ambitious insect who can't even fly!! You don't even deserve to be called trash!"

The werewolf, like the embodiment of malice, scoffed at Lefia's "target".

She rebuked her, saying it was a "naive dream" with absolutely no chance of being realized.

Bert showed no mercy even in this regard.

He wantonly trampled on Lefia's naive thoughts, not only forcing her to face reality but also verbally abusing her.

Above the insults inflicted upon her were kicks and punches.

Bert, through his own strength, used a far more persuasive method than constant cursing to torment Lefia, making her realize how unattainable her own desires were.

Bert Roca was indeed more demanding than anyone else.

Just as Lefia expected... no, it was beyond her imagination.

(—As expected… I'm so glad I asked him for help back then.)

Therefore, Lefia was very happy.

Despite her tearful eyes, the saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth with a silvery thread, and her body being dominated by pain, coughing incessantly, and having no energy to show a smile, she was still smiling happily in her heart.

Bert will make Rafia face reality.

It will make Lefia realize how cruel her choice was.

Wolves understand the principle of "survival of the fittest" better than anyone else.

Lefia didn't have any embarrassing or shameful behavior to offer anyone to laugh at.

She did not feel humiliated.

The dignity that was lost from the very beginning never existed.

Because Lefia had already lost her most precious thing.

So no matter how embarrassing it is now, it doesn't matter.

If this level of humiliation could motivate her to take a step forward, she would feel that her wish had been fulfilled.

And this is the price I have to pay; I have to pour all the time I wasted in the past into this moment.

By accepting Bert's almost abusive and rigorous training with equanimity until the moment of success, Lefia will be stronger tomorrow than she is now.

"...Again!...Thank you...!"

"..."

After watching the girl push herself up from the ground and stand up straight, Bert fell silent for a moment.

At present, Rafia is practically worthless, but there is one thing that Bert agrees with.

That is "determination".

You can call it an obsession.

No matter how badly her body was injured, or how deeply she was wounded by ridicule, Lefia would immediately get back up. Clenching her fists, she would whip her trembling legs to support herself, roughly wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and return to Bert's storm of torture.

Faced with the girl's attitude, which was enough to make any third party worry, Bert had no intention of stopping her.

Instead, Bert had to suppress the urge to smile and was actually happy to see it happen.

It was as if he would not allow anyone to disturb the moment when the "small fish" he spoke of made up his mind to "change himself".

Bert narrowed his eyes, changing his previous overly aggressive wording.

"Listen, you need to think carefully about the differences in cognition between forwards and defenders, your own position, and the tedious work that the mage profession must face."

"……!yes!"

Bert, who had never offered any advice until now, suddenly spoke up and gave guidance, much to Raphia's surprise, and she quickly nodded in response.

"For me, the 'easiest opponent' is the magic swordsman; in my eyes, he's just a fat duck waiting to be slaughtered. Do you know why?"

"……have no idea."

"Because this kind of person is only half-baked in both singing skills and how to respond to challenges, and half-baked people are the most useless, which is exactly what you are right now."

"!!"

The implication of these words was that she was gradually becoming a negative representation of the "magic swordsman," which made Lefia open her azure eyes wide.

"Since I know my opponent is inferior to me in close combat, I can simply challenge them head-on. After all, whenever a magic swordsman gains the slightest advantage, he worries about ignis fatuus (magic power exploding) and starts to lose his composure. In that case, he'll naturally become a fat duck waiting to be slaughtered."

“B-But…”

"The magic swordsman's 'parallel chanting' is not threatening at all."

Lefia received this harsh criticism, which she herself found quite touching.

In her training with Bert so far, Lefia has repeatedly found herself being led by the nose by the issue of "manipulating magic." Bert's cynical insights into "magic swordsmen" have ultimately been proven true by Lefia herself.

The thought of her own resolve and the existence of her friend (Philwis) being completely negated made Lefia grip her short sword and staff tightly.

However──

"The most terrifying thing about a magic swordsman... no, a mage is not 'parallel chanting,' but 'their eyes.'"

"...Eyes?"

Bert's remarks had further developments.

"It's the 'gaze' that insists on completing the incantation even if it results in mutual destruction... It's the 'gaze' that insists on casting the 'magic' no matter what, like a wild beast."

Lefia suddenly realized.

She completely understood what Bert was trying to say.

"So the most troublesome opponent is a mage who is willing to risk a magical explosion to perish together with the enemy...?"

"Any method is acceptable. A so-called mage is equivalent to a 'bomb.' It's already very troublesome to deal with someone who wants to unleash their firepower in any situation. If you reach the level of an old woman, you might even use the 'bomb' effectively in combat."

By chanting, the enemy is shaken and lured to approach.

This is similar to the "decoy attack" technique that Riveria once taught.

She used the "bait attack" in her cooperation with Finn and others, and eventually used a "counterattack method" that made the monster (Rivess) suffer a defeat.

After hearing Bert mention the city's strongest mage, Lefia gained a more concrete understanding.

"If you back down, you will fail; if you are cowardly, you will also fail. I don't understand 'magic,' but I at least understand this principle."

—At least that woman (Philwines) was the same.

The moment Lefia heard those words, her fighting spirit was ignited.

"Your 'reckless' mentality isn't strong enough."

Bert offers this concise and succinct conclusion.

Lefia felt quite ashamed because it was too concise and to the point.

She thought she was prepared, but it turns out that her willpower still needs to be strengthened.

When wielding a sword or chanting, one must possess the spirit of "not caring about death," as the words themselves suggest.

"I've said everything I needed to say. If you remain unchanged, I won't exercise with you anymore. It's just a waste of time."

"Yes!!"

Seeing Bert's sharp eyes return, Rafia nodded in response.

Then she raised her short sword and staff and assumed a fighting stance, this time taking the initiative to attack.

"[Unleashing a beam of light, the bow of the sacred tree] --!!"

Rafia continued to clash with Bert as the song played, getting knocked away repeatedly, but she kept fighting even when she was covered in dust and dirt.

*

"Lefia is really going all out!"

"That's right... but that stinky wolf really showed absolutely no mercy."

Inside the Twilight Pavilion is a bridge made of several stone pillars—an aerial corridor from which Tiona and Tione overlook the central courtyard.

Because the two were quite curious about how Rafia and Bert's training had progressed, they came to watch the match without even having lunch.

"I also wanted to think about how a forward who doesn't use magic at all would train mages..."

"So far, it seems to be more effective than I expected... Whether as a swordsman or a mage, at least Lefia's movements are much more agile than at the beginning."

Tiona, leaning against the railing, pouted and complained, while the Second Army members, Navi and Alicia, standing nearby, shared their thoughts.

Alicia and the others initially shared the same opinion as Tiona, who is still sulking, and opposed the two's training. However, after the results were announced, Lefia's progress in skills and singing techniques was obvious to all.

As an elf herself, Alicia clearly understood that these were essential "skills" and "combat methods" for the girl (Lefia).

"Bert seems to have his own way of conceiving the training content."

"That can't be happening! Angel! Bert definitely didn't think that far ahead!"