Rohan was the first to arrive at the fitness training room.
Unlike the chilly air outside, the room was pleasantly warm with purified air flowing steadily. It was perfect for exercising.
“Ughhh!”
Stretching his stiff neck muscles, Rohan picked up the thread of thoughts that had been cut off the previous night.
Next, it’s those bastards… but when?
There had been no further contact from the Yard-Pound brothers.
Rohan had already predicted how the elf elders might respond.
In Abyss City, even the protagonist had eventually severed contact with those beings. Though Rohan’s methods had been rougher, the end result was the same.
This is where the real problem begins.
He knew the events that would take place from here.
However, trying to predict or calculate the exact timing of those events was a mistake.
In Abyss City, most quests ultimately depended on the player’s choices.
Until the protagonist interacted with an NPC bearing an exclamation mark, it was as though the world itself stood still.
And so, what required his focus moving forward were the signs.
Like a single word escaping the protagonist’s lips, he had to be careful not to miss the signs that foreshadowed an upcoming event.
What’s equally important is the sudden quests and special quests that occur without warning.
Rohan was deeply conscious of the incidents that lay ahead.
Since he knew what the future held, it was impossible for him to just turn away and enjoy his school life.
The fiery nature of his heart would not allow such complacency.
Dirty scum targeting the people I care about?
Just thinking about it made Rohan feel like a fishbone was stuck in his throat.
The girls he had cherished with all his might were too delicate and pure to endure the crushing weight of injustice or the mental erosion that came with it.
Those bastards. As long as I’m alive, I’ll never allow it.
So he resolved to prepare with everything he had.
But when he tried to lay out a detailed plan, there were far too many uncertain factors.
There was so much to consider. It was overwhelming. His already less-than-ideal brain felt like it was overloading.
Run. Just run until you drop.
Rohan knew that in moments like this, moving his body was the best solution.
After finishing his stretches, he stepped onto the treadmill.
“Whew!”
It was a treadmill designed for those who had magical power.
They said it could handle speeds faster than a car, which was similar to the machines hunters used for training.
Whiiirrr!
Rohan began running. The machine responded to the force of his feet hitting the ground, gradually increasing its speed.
It didn’t feel bad.
He decided to keep running until the stiffness of dawn melted away.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
His heart pounded as if it were lodged in his head, his throat grew parched to the point of stinging, and his lungs protested with groans begging for relief.
This was what a proper morning should feel like. A morning that snapped his mind fully into focus.
As expected, I’ll need Clara more as time goes on.
How long would it take to recruit Clara if he started working on it now?
Could he bring her over to his side before a major incident, one too large for him to handle alone, erupted?
Relying on someone else’s help…
He mulled over the faces that came to mind.
Noah’s not an option. Not for this.
In this story, the target of their efforts was Noah, and she couldn’t be counted on to lend a hand.
It wasn’t because Noah lacked ability. With her current skills, she could resolve the situation the moment she stepped in.
Even the elder elves who rarely praised anyone acknowledged that Noah was an unprecedented monster among her peers. The reason they hesitated stemmed from precisely that fact.
They had even gone to the extent of thoroughly studying Noah Frozenheart’s usual routes, actions, and whether or not she had hidden bodyguards. They invested significant time to understand her.
But the biggest reason Noah couldn’t be included, despite meeting all the conditions, was simple.
The condition for failing this quest and resetting everything to the start… was Noah becoming aware of the incident, wasn’t it?
Even the mighty Snow Tiger Emperor, who once sought to shelter the elves living in the coniferous forests of Tigrova, would not hesitate to personally annihilate an entire tribe if those elves dared to touch Noah.
Rohan wanted to avoid such a situation at all costs.
Regardless of how worthless the rest of them might be, there was one elf she wanted to save.
“……”
For that reason, Noah was excluded.
What about someone else?
Gilbert…
The chances of controlling this guy, no matter how persuasive the approach, were slim.
Wasn’t he the type who seemed like he might suddenly start screaming and throwing a fit?
The fact that he didn’t even realize how loud his own voice was remained one of his most serious flaws.
Dick Wikitree?
Even killing a single F-class monster made his hands tremble uncontrollably; real battle was out of the question for that guy.
Right now, he was the kind of guy who would just flail helplessly if thrown into water.
Beeeeep!
How long had he been running? The treadmill automatically came to a stop.
Rohan stepped off the machine. His breathing was so ragged that his body instinctively hunched forward.
Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, he stretched his leg muscles before moving on to the next machine.
He pushed his body harder and harder.
“Grrraaaahhh!”
He strained against a crazy machine that adjusted its weight in response to his magical power, all while trying to piece together a solution amidst his swirling thoughts.
So, if I can’t recruit Clara in time, persuading Ichinose would be the next best option.
It was an ideal plan.
But even that had its complications.
While Ichinose was more than capable, Rohan wasn’t sure if he could steer the situation in the desired direction with her present.
Thud!
One set down. He let go of the machine and took a moment to catch his breath.
“Ichinose, huh…”
He muttered the name out of frustration.
It was nothing more than a fleeting whisper, barely a speck of sound meant to disappear into the air.
Yet, that sound flew into the void and returned with an unexpected answer.
“Did you sense my presence? You’re not ordinary, after all.”
“!?”
Startled, Rohan whipped his head around to see Ichinose standing there, dressed in gym clothes.
“Good morning. You’re up early, aren’t you?”
“Uh… yeah, training.”
Rohan felt a surge of energy returning as he looked at Ichinose.
In the game, he had only ever seen her in her academy uniform, but seeing her casually dressed in gym clothes made her look far more cute than any fan art ever could.
“Such a model of diligence. Hard work is truly an inspiration to everyone.”
“But Ichinose is out here too. I haven’t been here long myself.”
“For someone who just got here, you seem to have worked up quite a sweat.”
Ichinose continued her conversation with Rohan while doing some light stretching.
Her petite figure and the way she sipped water in small, careful gulps gave her a playful charm.
“Well, I’ll be off to exercise now. Sorry if I interrupted you.”
“Running?”
“Yes. I only run in the mornings.”
“I was planning to run again anyway. Let’s do it together.”
Ichinose’s eyes opened slightly in surprise.
The girl, who had been quietly observing Rohan with sweat dripping from his bangs, gave a small nod.
“Sure. I guess it won’t be boring that way.”
··
··
Ichinose’s pace was astonishing.
Her jogging speed alone easily outmatched Rohan’s full sprint.
Since she had built up her stamina from a young age, it was clear that her level of endurance was beyond anything that sheer determination could bridge. If she used magical power, it was obvious that her strength would far exceed his.
“Huff! Huff…!”
Rohan ran until the machine automatically shut off, before collapsing onto the floor of the training room as soon as he finished.
Ichinose, who got off the machine without a single bead of sweat on her, looked at him with a surprised expression.
“Rohan, is your condition not good?”
“Haah… ugh, I feel like I’m dying.”
“Here, some water.”
Rohan took the water she offered, gulped down a few sips, then slumped down to catch his breath.
“Seriously, this is no joke. I didn’t think the gap would be this big.”
“……?”
Ichinose tilted her head. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him.
His expression didn’t seem like he was joking, which made her curious.
His running form is good, though.
For someone who swung a sword so fiercely, it was strange to think his basic stamina could be so low.
Even if he didn’t belong to a particular swordsmanship school, he must have trained and swung his blade countless times in the past. From Ichinose’s perspective, there was no reason for him to collapse like this after running at this pace.
“Rohan, may I ask you something?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
He lifted his head from where it was buried in a towel and replied.
“Where are you from, by chance? For someone who handles a sword that well, the fact that I didn’t know about you makes me think… my information gathering might have some gaps.”
Rohan paused briefly at the question, but there wasn’t much to hide.
He had always been ready to answer whenever asked.
“If I answer, you’ll buy me a drink, right?”
“Of course, I’ll even get you two.”
Rohan simply enjoyed having these conversations with Ichinose.
Even if she hadn’t offered to buy him a drink, he would have answered anyway.
Just looking at her makes my heart weak.
After savoring the curious expression on Ichinose’s face for a moment, he finally revealed the answer.
“The Southern Ruins.”
“..….!”
Ichinose’s pupils trembled as if she realized she had touched on something she shouldn’t have or had struck a sensitive chord.
Rohan chuckled softly at her gentle reaction and reacted without letting Ichinose apologize.
“Pretty impressive, right? Making it all the way from the South to Orion Academy.”
Ichinose realized the meaning behind Rohan’s words and fell silent.
For a moment, she bit her lip, then nodded with a faint smile.
“…You’re right. It really is impressive.”
“The theory part is a bit of a hurdle, but I’ll just have to work harder.”
Rohan stood up and began massaging his legs.
Ichinose watched him and added in a soft voice,
“Rohan.”
“What?”
“Theory is the one thing I’m at least confident in, so… feel free to ask me anytime.”
“Anytime?”
“Yes. Teaching is the best form of review, so it helps me too.”
At her words, Rohan rummaged through his bag in the corner after telling her to wait for a moment.
He handed her his smartphone.
“Give me your number. I’ll ask you if anything comes up.”
Leave a Reply