Published: August 2, 2025
Simultaneous release of episode 10 today.
This is episode 10.
“Good job—”
As expected, the tunnel ants came out from the last nest deep inside. Including the sentries, there were 15 in total. I took down five first, so Beck and the others fought the remaining ten.
I entrusted nearly double the number I thought they could handle safely, but they managed to defeat them all. They had been knocked down or bitten a few times, but no one suffered any serious injuries.
“Do you need water or healing magic?”
“No… just water to wash the wounds. We have drinking water prepared.”
Wise choice. I conjured water with magic into a stone vessel.
“Oh, don’t use the same water. Prepare enough for everyone.”
“Huh? It’s still clean and feels wasteful…”
“No, if you keep using the same water, it gets dirtier and dirtier. Even a small scrape can be dangerous if nasty bacteria get in.”
“Saikin? Recently?”
“Ah, think of it as a kind of disease demon.”
“…Wist. Since you said you’re okay with it, stop complaining and just use it.”
“Y-yeah… okay then…”
Following Beck, who went to wash the wounds and collect the corpses, Wist also helped with washing wounds and gathering bodies. After the remaining four took turns washing their wounds, I called the slime and limule birds together and headed inside the dimension home.
However, on the way back to town…
“Hey Ryoma-kun. Why are you so strong?”
Luce suddenly asked me that.
“What brought this up all of a sudden?”
“Just like with the goblins, today you easily defeated the tunnel ants.”
“You didn’t stand a chance…”
“You probably would have been faster going alone, right?”
Were they feeling the difference in power, having fought the same magical beasts themselves?
From my perspective, it’s natural—I’ve had a lifetime’s worth of training. If they were on the same level, that would sting a bit. Since we look about the same, maybe they feel the same way?
In that case…
“Well… maybe because I had a master.”
I gave a safe answer, saying that having a proper instructor with real skills and receiving support to balance training with daily life was a big factor.
“Did you learn that slender dual-sword technique from him?”
“That’s not a sword, it’s a katana. And I was training to use one sword single-handedly for the other.”
“Will that make you stronger?”
Beck was curious, but swinging a sword with one hand alone doesn’t mean much.
That training aims to strengthen grip and muscle power, but more importantly, it’s preparation in case one arm becomes unusable.
In combat, injury is always a risk. You can’t always fight at full strength. If you get wounded and can’t use one arm, and can’t swing your weapon, you’re as good as dead. Even if you can barely swing it, how effective is it against an enemy who’s at full strength but dealing you a deep wound? You’d be at a huge disadvantage.
That’s why you train to handle a weapon with one hand. Earlier I used two swords single-handedly—one in each hand, swinging freely. It’s more accurate to call it single-handed swordsmanship than dual-wielding.
Of course, this requires a solid foundation first. Forcing a weapon you can’t control well with both hands into one hand only makes a mess. It’s best to train properly somewhere like the Guild.
Come to think of it, do Beck and the others have a master?
When I asked, they said they learned the basics from seniors in the slum, but since those seniors are busy, most of their training is self-directed. They could request instruction at the Guild, but they worry about the fees until they get proficient.
“Gotta save money first…”
“C-can I ask too?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Ryoma-kun, when you fight… what do you think about? Are you not scared?”
I see… Wist is shy and had trouble attacking aggressively during the fight.
From what I saw, Beck used his agility with daggers and close combat to keep enemies at bay. Marta supported with wood magic while Luce and Loomil held enemies down with sword and spear. Strong Fina and Wist delivered finishing blows with hammers. That was their basic strategy.