Editor : Amethyst00



The next morning.

Aru, still curled up in her sleeping bag, began sniffing instinctively.

A moment later—

Her eyes snapped open as she let out a wild scream and sprang up.

"Wuyaaaaah!"

Still yelling, Aru wriggled to get out of the sleeping bag.

"What's going on?" Eliana, who had been sleeping next to her, asked groggily.

"Something smells delicious!"

Ever since the search began, they had been eating simple rations like jerky and bread.

That's why Aru was desperate for a proper meal.

"Aren't you coming?"

"The leader said we could sleep as much as we want. Sleep comes first for me."

Eliana burrowed deeper into her sleeping bag.

The other girls also didn't seem inclined to move.

They had been minimizing their sleep throughout the search.

While all the hero candidates had strong stamina and mental resilience, a couple of sleepless nights hadn't exhausted them.

Still, the natural human desire to sleep well when possible was irresistible.

"Lazy bums!"

"Who are you calling lazy, you gluttonous cat?"

"Leave her be. She's an animal."

Eliana muttered, and Drianna chimed in.

Regardless, Aru stepped outside the tent.

"Even with all her noise, those three are sleeping like logs."

Eliana glanced at Chelsea, Eliza, and Aina, still fast asleep with their eyes shut, and muttered mischievously.

"Chelsea and Eliza. Dumb idiots. Personality wrecks."

Just as she finished her sentence, Chelsea and Eliza's hands emerged from their sleeping bags—

Chelsea's hand was flat, and Eliza's was clenched in a fist.

Eliza, having lost at rock-paper-scissors, emerged with an irritated face and approached Eliana with her fist raised.

"Wa-wait! I wasn't talking about you— No… Aaaaack!"

Eliza delivered her punishment and then returned to her sleeping bag.

At that moment, Aru came back into the tent.

Without warning, she scooped up Drianna and Eliana, still inside their sleeping bags, under each arm and headed outside the tent.

bl

"You beast! Put us down this instant!"

"What the hell! Can't even sleep in peace?!"

Despite their protests, Aru didn't listen and threw them both to the ground outside.

"Got them! Black Rabbit!"

"Yep, good work. Here's your food."

"Yay!"

Aru grinned from ear to ear as she took the stew bowl from Leo.

"You young folks really have so much energy in the morning."

"Wow, you're good at cooking."

"Gasp! Lord Dweno! Teacher!"

Startled, Drianna scrambled out of her sleeping bag.

"Wha—! Leader?!"

Eliana panicked and tried to crawl back inside.

Drianna reached into her sleeping bag and tried to forcibly drag her out.

"How dare you! In front of Lord Dweno and the teacher!"

"Wait! Just let me wipe off the drool— Aaaaah! Let go! Hey! Let go, you muscle-brained dwarf!"

"Ahahahahaha!"

Enniha clutched her stomach, laughing at the two girls bickering.

Then she formed a rectangle with her index fingers and thumbs, framing Eliana with it.

"Hm~ looking at it like this, Eliana, you've got great proportions. Wanna be my model?"

"Model? Should I strip her down now?"

"Let go of me, you perverted dwarf!"

Eliana shrieked as Drianna clung to her clothes.

Watching the scene, Leo rested his chin in his hand.

'So that nude model obsession… was learned from this elf?'

"Well, it'd be nice if she did strip, but if she doesn't want to, that's that."

Enniha shook her head.

Leo gave Dweno a long stare.

"What's with that unpleasant look?"

Dweno frowned.

"There's a dwarf I know who insisted he was an artist."

"So?"

"He kept ranting about needing nude models… and I was starting to wonder if he was just a pervert."

"Then why are you looking at me?"

"No reason."

Leo shrugged.

"So, why was I dragged out here?"

"Dweno wanted Drianna. Black Rabbit wanted you."

"The leader did? Why?"

"Nothing major. But let's eat first."

Leo smiled gently and offered some stew.

Eliana nodded and took the bowl.

"Mmm! This is delicious! It's just the flavor I like!"

"I made it to your taste."

"Really? Leader! You even remembered my preferences? I'm so touched!"

Eliana bounced with joy.

"Want some of this too?"

He added some grilled sausages from a skewer into her bowl, and Eliana eagerly stabbed one with her fork.

She cupped her cheeks and smiled in bliss.

"So good."

"Eat a lot."

"Mm-hmm!"

Watching from the side, Aru subtly scooted away from Leo.

'Suspicious.'

Her instincts told her to stay as far away from Leo as possible.

"By the way, Eliana."

"Yeah?"

"During this last mission, Duran caught up to you in speed."

"Oh, that?"

Eliana casually continued eating.

"Duran's so intense. I think he didn't like losing to me in speed and trained like crazy. Not just him—Chelsea and Eliza have nearly caught up with me too."

"Hmm. You haven't been training the unique magic Luna made for you?"

"I did… but to make Lightning SwiftBlade faster, I need a stronger body."

A unique magic created by Luna and named by Eliana.

Since it accelerates the body, it puts extreme strain on the user.

To increase its speed, her body had to grow stronger.

"So you're lacking in fundamentals?"

"Yup! But it'll work out with time! I'm still growing!"

Eliana laughed and stabbed another sausage with her fork.

"So, basically… you slacked off during break?"

"Exactly! Huh?"

She answered too casually and then paused, sensing something off.

Leo was smiling ever so kindly at her.

'Wait… can the leader smile that warmly?'

She thought positively anyway.

'Hehehe. He looks even more handsome when he smiles like that!'

If Chelsea had seen the expression Leo wore, she would've screamed and told her to run.

But Eliana noticed nothing.

'…Is her danger sense completely broken?'

Aru shivered in a cold sweat.

"Eliana."

"Yeah?"

"You'll be doing special training with me starting today."

"Okay— Wait, what?!"

Her eyes shot open.

"The Poet of the Star was so impressed with your talent that she created a unique magic just for you."

Leo's expression turned emotionless.

Eliana turned pale.

"And you're wasting it. How dare you. That's like putting a pearl necklace on a pig. I'll turn you into a proper human."

"I-I'll be the pig!"

"Nope. Finish your food and training begins immediately."

"……"

Eliana trembled and slowly put down her spoon.

A petty tactic to delay the training.

"Oh, you're done eating? Then let's start—"

"Not yet!"

She scrambled to resume eating with a near-crying face.

"And Drianna."

"Yes?"

"I was going to train you myself…"

Leo glanced at Dweno.

"I spoke with Leo earlier this morning. We decided I'll take charge of your training."

"Really?!"

Drianna's face lit up.

"Indeed. Apparently, he was planning to help you handle powerful flames. I was going to teach you blacksmithing, which requires that ability. Since his training aligns well with mine, I'll take over."

Drianna looked touched.

"I'll do my best!"

Dweno nodded with satisfaction.

Aru came over to Leo.

"What kind of training is Dweno going to give Drianna?"

"Remember that howling technique Aaron and I made you do?"

"How could I forget?! You drowned me in water torture!"

"It was training. And look—water was the answer, didn't it?"

"Ugh…"

Aru shuddered.

"This is the opposite version."

"What?! That's so unfair!"

Aru exploded in protest.

Leo replied calmly.

"You were lucky, Aru."

"Huh?"

bl

Aru came to observe Drianna's training and mumbled in a daze.

"…What the hell is this hell?"

FWOOSH!

"KYAAAAAAH! It's too hot, Lord Dweno!"

"Endure it! The longer you withstand the heat, the stronger the steel—and your body!"

"AAAAH! I'm going to die!"

"Dwarves don't die that easily! Stay inside!"

Inside a giant forge, Drianna was literally burning.

Dweno forcibly shoved her back in whenever she tried to escape.

"Now lift the hammer!"

"How am I supposed to do that in this—AAAGH!"

Her desperate screams rang out.

'So the opposite of water torture… is fire torture?!'

They were at Dweno's workshop.

Outside, in the open training ground—

"Aaaaaah!"

A giant golem wielded a massive sword and swung it at Eliana at blinding speed.

Screaming, Eliana barely dodged.

"Black Rabbit. What happens if she doesn't dodge?"

"She dies."

With magic weight cuffs on her wrists and ankles, Eliana frantically ran to avoid the golem's attacks.

Leo shouted, "Move if you want to live!"

"Leo Plov, I swear I'll get you for this! Hiiiii!"

Eliana screamed his full name for once and dove again to evade.

'Yep, that's hell too.'

Aru dripped cold sweat and tried to sneak away.

Somehow, she felt staying here would get her dragged into that hell.

"Aru."

A voice called from behind, and Aru froze, turning slowly.

"Come here."

Leo beckoned.

Aru hesitated and slowly walked over.

"Try bringing out Brave."

"Oh…!"

Aru's ears perked up, and she quickly retrieved the sword from subspace.

"Dweno."

"Mm? What is it?"

Leo pointed at the sword.

"Can you fix this one?"