“……?”
“What’s wrong, Sensei?”
“Tiara, did you just call me earlier?”
“That must’ve been a hallucination from an overworked Sensei losing his mind.”
Harsh.
This girl is as merciless as ever…
“Even now, instead of resting, you’re going out of your way to check on us. It’s ridiculous.”
“Well, I can’t exactly ignore it either.”
I rubbed the back of my neck.
“Especially when Rigin is finally motivated like this.”
We were currently at the training grounds.
In the center of the indoor area, Rigin and Almoa were engaged in a mock battle. A little distance away, Fiole was standing by with a spear in hand.
――Six days since leaving Wigarlus.
With our destination, Ella Amo, just a day away, Rigin’s special training had entered its final stages.
“Don’t let your focus slip for a moment. Your sharp awareness of your surroundings is your weapon. Use your skills fully and stay alert in all directions.”
“No way! That’s impossible, Almoa!”
“…I see.”
“Ah, no, sorry, sorry! I’ll do my best, no problem at all! So please don’t lower your mood like that!”
Rigin apologized frantically for complaining.
Almoa, undoubtedly, had that look—the one that says, Was my teaching wrong? Regretful.
Clapping my hands, I called out to everyone, “Alright, let’s take a little break.”
Almoa walked toward me dejectedly. When I handed her a towel, she muttered softly.
“I just can’t get along with that kid…”
“You and Rigin don’t seem to be on the same wavelength. But you’re doing great. Both of you. Thanks to your thorough teaching over the past six days, Rigin has improved remarkably.”
“…”
“Thanks, Almoa. Having you here has been a big help.”
“…Geez.”
The silver-haired girl wiped her face and left the training grounds. Her contracted spirit, Avril, kept peeking at her face, and Almoa shooed it away repeatedly with her hand.
Now, how’s Rigin doing?
What I told Almoa was my honest opinion. That carefree boy had been taking this seriously over the past six days, to an impressive degree.
He wanted to pass the exam. He wanted to become an adventurer. That desire was genuine, and everyone here could see it.
――That said, he might’ve overdone it a bit.
Tiara was sitting beside the utterly exhausted Rigin.
At first, I thought she might be tending to his injuries, but no.
“Rigin, about that mock battle earlier, you made the same mistake on your fourth and seventh attacks. Fix it properly.”
“Ugh…”
“The Ranger Explorer exam evaluates how many monsters you can defeat while avoiding traps. You need to be more precise.”
“Ughhh…”
“Did you read the materials Ist-sensei brought? Pages 45 to 52, and page 101! I told you they were essential information to drill into your head!”
Wow. She’s really laying into him.
If I remember right, those pages covered the basic rules and tips for the exam held in Ella Amo.
“Ughhhh! How come you remember all that, Tiara?!”
“Obviously. Ist-sensei said my skill is 【Memory Organization】. It’d be a waste not to use it.”
“Ahhh! So unfair! All I’ve got is 【Danger Sense】! How am I supposed to make use of that?!”
Rigin wailed, and I chuckled.
From prior monitoring, I knew his skill, 【Danger Sense】, was a persistent one.
It was clearly useful, as even Almoa had mentioned.
Though Rigin himself seemed dissatisfied.
Tiara looked exasperated.
“If anything, that skill is perfect for this exam. You keep longing for what others have, and it makes you careless.”
“Even if you say that—”
Suddenly.
Rigin cut himself off and turned around.
Behind him, Fiole was about to launch a surprise attack.
The sound of wooden spear and wooden sword clashing rang out.
Rigin exhaled deeply.
“Phew! That was close. Hey, Fiole, that’s cruel, attacking me out of nowhere while I’m resting!”
“Sorry. But you see, your 【Danger Sense】 worked perfectly.”
Fiole hugged her wooden spear and smiled warmly.
“And Almoa’s teaching on body movement? You’re doing much better with it.”
“R-really?”
“Yep.”
“Alright!”
Rigin pumped his fist in the air. Tiara shrugged her shoulders, muttering, “What a simpleton.”
――At some point, Almoa had returned to my side.
“If Tiara and Fiole are around, do I even need to be here?”
“Don’t say things like that.”
I lightly tapped her shoulder.
“Come on, head back to those kids and give them more guidance, Teacher Almoa. This is all part of the experience. You’re doing fine. Trust me.”
“…Hmm.”
“You’re worried about them, right?”
When I asked, Almoa pouted and walked back toward Rigin and the others.
The children were lively and laughing.
Watching them like that, my own fatigue seemed to lift.
Compiling test materials, cooking in Gloza’s stead, treating wounds, doing laundry, checking the route to Ella Amo, keeping watch day and night.
I had taken on as much of the work as possible so they could focus on training.
Maybe I’d pushed myself a bit too hard.
Well, I’ll manage somehow.
Tomorrow, we finally reach Ella Amo.
For their sake, I can’t afford to show any weakness.
