Chapter 115 – Practice
The lengthy spring’s warm sunlight and air have already changed into blazing ones.
If I weren’t using a parasol, my skin would probably be already burnt black.
The season is already the final stage of summer.
Although clouds usually don’t show up during the hot summer season of Ovent, it’s unusually raining today.
Practice during the summer is usually done at indoor training facilities.
Although the summer season in Ovent is short, the direct rays of the sun are intense and those training outside might collapse.
Because that can happen to adults, it’s even more dangerous to Theo and Ellie who are children.
Besides, they are the children of the Christophe House. You don’t have to take the trouble to exercise outside during the summer.
During such usual summer practice, a slightly different figure was mixed in today.
Even though I said different, I generally see the figure about once every five days.
A big person practice swinging in a similar way as the little two people.
His height is bigger than that of the Knight who usually accompanies Theo and Ellie, his shortly cut hair ignoring the speed of the swings.
His facial features look like the enlarged scale of our elder brother’s Theo’s…… rather, it’s only natural that Theo’s are the reduced ones.
Right, that person is our Otousama――Aleksander.
He who works as the Vice Commander of the Ovent Kingdom’s 2nd Knights Order is truly busy.
It can’t be helped because of the activities of the 2nd Knights Order, but he’s quite busy even when he comes home.
The 2nd Knights Order of the Ovent Kingdom is mainly a nearby dungeon’s monster subjugation unit.
They occasionally leave afar, but they generally subjugate monsters in the surrounding areas.
But, there are many dungeons in the Ovent’s surroundings.
It’s possible to obtain many magic fragments which can be obtained only in the dungeons, but there are naturally many demerits on the other hand as well.
Monsters will overflow if dungeons are left alone.
The overflowing monsters will take actions that can’t be taken in the dungeons.
For example, they will breed.
Within the dungeons, they are monsters who won’t multiply by any means, but once outside, their instincts lift the ban.
I don’t know how it works in detail, but there’s apparently a rule within dungeons that only the dungeons which are the mothers of monsters can create life.
There’s no race exception for this, pregnancy isn’t possible within dungeons.
I understand that there are no fools that would do something like that in a place rampant with monsters, but a space which restricts the mysteries of life, that is a dungeon.
In addition, magic fragments can’t be obtained from monsters who appeared outside of the dungeon.
I don’t understand the reason behind that yet.
The common opinion seems to be that the magic fragments are impurities discharged in the process of the dungeon’s absorption after the monster’s death.
Sani sensei apparently doesn’t know the details either.
The monsters who leave the dungeons will not leave behind any magic fragments, they will just multiply, and they will only bring death just like in the dungeon. They are only harmful.
Because it would be problematic to leave them as they are, the subjugations of the dungeon’s monsters are carried out regularly.
The subjugation is proactively performed by the 2nd Knights Order, adventurers and explorers, mercenaries and other people with such dangerous trade.
At any rate, monsters defeated within the dungeon will drop magic fragments without a fail.
Those fortunate will also obtain various materials.
And those even more fortunate will obtain the legacy of those who perished in the dungeon.
Those even more fortunate than the even more fortunate could have that legacy strengthened in the very dungeon.
However, if the monsters are outside, you can’t get your hands on the largest source of income, the magic fragments.
The monsters who die outside crumble away in the same way like those in the dungeons, but except magic fragments, they will occasionally leave materials behind.
Furthermore, they could form a territory outside the dungeon and it would be possible to obtain a legacy from their preys occasionally, but that doesn’t happen often.
Since it’s outside the dungeon, it’s obviously not possible to strengthen the legacies.
The monsters outside of dungeons bring only harm.
That’s why monsters who appear outside of dungeons are detested so much.
Who is going to hunt such detested existences willingly?
It’s so severe that they would never be proactively hunted without the Adventurer’s Guild who is active across many countries.
The Adventurer’s Guild proactively endorses hunting the monsters who come outside.
Moreover, they even pay remuneration according to the subjugated monsters.
Identification of monsters is very simple because there is a special magic tool.
This also serves as the identification papers and the so-called guild card.
Because of that, the overflown monsters will be exterminated in the blink of an eye, but they will increase in numbers if they survive, form a community and destroy a village or even a town or two.
It’s a very important task to subjugate the monsters in the dungeons, as they will never get out on the field if they are thinned out before overflowing.
Dungeons are the most wondrous, the most valuable, and most frightening places on Auriol.
The 2nd Knights Order who throws itself in such place on a daily basis is the Ovent Kingdom’s guardian deity and a target of reverence and awe of many people.
The man who acts as the Vice Commander of such Knights Order is our Otousama, who is currently practicing swinging together with my siblings.
His shadow is thin being a foolish parent, but he’s a great person.
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「Alright, way to go, Theodore. Yes, step in more, do it more powerfully. That’s right. Good, twist your wrists a little bit more next time. Right, like that」
Alek’s voice of coaching echoes around the practice hall.
Besides that and the sound of rain hitting the roof, only Theo’s sharp swings resound.
Ellie’s instructions this time were to observe Theo. Observing is an important part of training.
As one would expect, Alek’s coaching is that of a Vice Commander, truly precise and easy to understand.
He watches Theo’s based on demonstration movements and accurately points out where the faults are.
Currently, Theo is using a long wooden sword――a hand-and-a-half sword.
He is already familiar with it to a degree it is visible at first glance.
Alek, with the same model――matching Theo’s sword’s size――slowly uses the wooden sword to show examples of the swings.
It’s supposed to be slow, but the sharp sound of the air being cut doesn’t make it seem like a sword technique for a 10-year-old.
He must feel nice watching Theo absorb his instructions like a sponge absorbing water.
I can clearly tell that Alek is in a very good mood seeing the growth of the son whom he is proud of.
However, even though passionate, he doesn’t change the manner of coaching from the beginning to the end either.
Sincere, but careful.
The two-year-old me observes the Vice Commander of the 2nd Knights Order who maintains his dignity while making sure his precious child doesn’t injure himself.
Of course, the former is on the outside, the latter is in the flow of his magical power.
After Theo’s coaching finished, it was Ellie’s turn next.
Changing the instructions from fitting Theo to Ellie, they start practicing.
Ellie equipped gauntlets and greaves reaching up to her knees.
They are completely different weapons from what Theo used.
But, Alek handles such extremely out of his expertise weapons without a problem.
Alek who equipped the same equipment started demonstrating and Ellie watched him with a serious expression.
The fluent movements and gliding-like fists are suitable to be called dancing.
Hit, kick, grab, throw, and repeat.
Alek demonstrates movements for interpersonal use and against smaller monsters and Ellie repeats the same moves.
He carefully instructs just like with Theo and Ellie who was gulping down the instructions and improving at an even faster rate than Theo showed that she truly is a lump of talent.
Theo watched such wonderful Ellie with a serious expression. The flow of his magical power seems to be very happy though.
I can sense the unwillingness to lose to Ellie, but in terms of talent, he might be a step behind Ellie.
It can be said that rate of Ellie’s improvement is that abnormal.
Sharp fists that I can’t imagine belonging to an 8-year-old.
Perfectly controlled body movements that can’t be done by ordinary people.
I thought so about Theo as well, but they are not movements of someone who started training just a year ago.
Alek who is instructing the two is great too, but he can do even better.
It’s only natural for someone who regularly battles with powerful enemies in the dungeons though.
And, he can also obtain the best honor called the dignity of a father at the same time.
The gazes of the two who are receiving Alek’s guidance are always pouring with respect.
He doesn’t usually stand out, but he definitely won over the respect of my siblings.
By the way, the respect he receives from me is in a delicate place.
I think he’s amazing, but I wonder if it’s the problem of the existence that is too close to me?
That existence is currently manipulating the distorted three with a terrific offense and defense.
It was Alek doll, Theo doll, and Ellie doll just a little while ago, but before I noticed, Ellie was betrayed and Theo was in disadvantage.
But, the Theo doll who was at a disadvantage suddenly made a warped grin and brandished a sword in his hands.
Then, the typical monsters appeared.
It was strangely distorted and extraordinarily cute act.
「…… Is Theo a dungeon or something?」
【I wonder…… wouldn’t he be a Demon Lord in this case?】
「Demon Lord, huh…… Theo is pitiful, isn’t he……」
The existence called Demon Lord doesn’t exist on Auriol.
The one producing the monsters are dungeons, but they can’t control them.
The monsters get out when they overflow and there are cases where they go out even without overflowing, but that happens only rarely.
Monsters take actions according to monster’s instincts.
The monsters who get out on their own are very intelligent, but they won’t become a Demon Lord like existences.
In most cases, it’s just one wolf who will soon get exterminated.
They seldom escape and settle in places far from people such as deep in the forest, but they won’t become Demon Lords. At most, they become large monsters.
But, Demon Lords exist in the literature.
They are pitiful existences which get defeated every time in stories that were read to me.
In such meaning, the Demon Lords exist.
In the meaning of being defeated every time.
Alek doll getting squashed was a cutely grotesque scene as always, but the awakened Ellie doll ended up destroying everything in an instant with a beat firing from her eyes.
The finishing blow was the usual elbow to the side.
The Demon Lord Theo doll who got magnificently defeated in one blow left with a parting threat.
【Kuti…… Theo wouldn’t say anything like that……】
「『I will see it if you spread your legs that much』…… the clothes you made for Ellie are trousers though」
「Tehepero」
The Ellie doll which changed into a dress before I noticed started dancing and Fairy-sama who joined in with her tongue cutely sticking out was spinning without stopping.