Chapter 36: A Busy Morning

“Ah, bad.”

By the time I thought that, I had already taken a good hit to my flank. Spaan! With a satisfying sound echoing through the dojo, Chiba-senpai’s Kodachi swung through.

“Ow-ow-ow…!”

The Kodachi we use are practice swords made from the branches of the Babrulu tree that grows in the Great Sea of Trees, which are soft like sponge, but getting hit still hurts decently. Not enough to bruise, but it might swell up red.

“You’re letting your consciousness get caught up on your dominant hand too much. You can defend faster with your left, so why do you try to block with your right?”

“Reflexively, just…”

“No good. You have to reach a point where your left comes out reflexively there. Come on, one more time.”

“Yes.”

It’s been a week since I started morning training with Chiba-senpai like this. I’ve gotten slightly used to the movements of the dual Kodachi style. If I treat the swords not as weapons but as extensions of my limbs, it’s not that different from fighting bare-handed. Thrust like punching with a fist, slash like striking with a knife-hand. Well, even so, I haven’t managed to score a single point off Chiba-senpai yet.

“Alright, that’s it for today. You’re improving rapidly. Keep it up.”

“Thank you very much…”

Maybe because I’m the one moving around all the time, only I’m exhausted after morning practice. Hmm, I haven’t trained at all since winter due to entrance exams and preparations… My stamina might have dropped. If Master found out, it would be the hellish special training course…

“Ah, right, right. About the Kodachi for Frame Gears I mentioned before. If you’re okay with the ones I used, I’ll let you have them cheap. What do you say?”

“I’d be grateful, but… for how much?”

I received quite a bit of Gs from the Principal’s part-time job, but it’s not like I’m swimming in money. If I don’t pinch pennies where I can, I might regret it later.

“For two of them, how about around here…”

“Cheap?! Is this really okay?!”

“I can’t rip off my lifesaver, after all.”

At this price, I might be able to buy additional boosters with the remainder. I’ll consult Lara and have her pick out something good. I thanked Chiba-senpai and left the dojo. I headed straight to the dormitory cafeteria for breakfast. I’m still in my jersey, but I don’t care.

“Good morning, Nero. Training again today?”

“Well, yeah. Good morning, Sherry.”

Since I happened to run into Sherry, we decided to eat together. While lining up at the ticket machine, I noticed Carrol wasn’t there.

“Where’s Carrol?”

“Seems she’s still sleeping. She was reading books until late last night. Well, she doesn’t seem to have morning lectures, so isn’t it fine?”

Carrol and Sherry are roommates. Or rather, since there are only five students from each country, if you’re from the same place, it inevitably ends up that way. Lirisha and I are the same.

“What about Lirisha on your end?”

“Didn’t she eat already? Don’t know though.”

She seemed to be sleeping when I left the room for training. In the first place, Lirisha and I don’t particularly meet up to eat together. What should I have today… Let’s go with the Roast Beef Baguette, Salad, and Onion Soup set. While having breakfast with Sherry, someone stood next to our table. Looking up, a girl with shoulder-length blonde hair in loose waves was looking down at us. Blue ribbon… a second-year.

“Nero Silhoueska. Why are you ignoring my duel request?”

“Hah?”

What is this lady saying?

“Ignoring or not, accepting or declining is my freedom, right?”

“What sleep-talking nonsense…! If you are technically Zelda-sama’s little sister, then accept the challenge thrown at you!”

Again… Fed up, I bit into my Roast Beef Baguette gaburi and moved my mouth mogu-mogu.

“Don’t ignore me!”

“No, look, people like you come almost every day… I decide who I fight. I’m doing random matches, so why don’t you apply too, Senpai? If fate allows, we might match…”

“I am E-Rank! We won’t match!”

Ah, random matches are matching within the same rank. Or rather, E-Rank? A higher rank shouldn’t challenge a lower rank. It looks like bullying the weak. …Not that I’m weak!

“Honestly, why did Zelda-sama form a Sisters’ Vow with such a cowardly commoner…”

“Okay, that’s enough~.”

Just as I, getting ticked off, was about to retort to this rude senior, a familiar drawling voice interrupted. Turning around, there was Sharon-senpai with her hands on her hips and eyebrows slightly raised.

“Who Zel-chan decides to make her little sister is up to her~. You don’t have the right to say anything about Nero-chan, you know~?”

“Sha-Sharon-sama…?! Umm, I, well, e-excuse me!”

The second-year who was harassing me zoomed out of the cafeteria pyuu. Amazing, as expected of the words of Rank 3.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you very much.”

I learned this on the way back from the part-time job the other day, but Sharon-senpai is also in the Black Tortoise Dormitory. Sharon-senpai is from the Pallerius Kingdom in the north of the Eastern Continent. As her name Sharon Pallerius suggests, she is a noble with royal blood. Was it a Duke? She doesn’t seem very noble-like, though… No, maybe this laid-back nature could be called noble-like too…

“Wait a sec, Nero! Why do you know even Sharon-sama?!”

“Umm, part-time job colleague…?”

When I answered Sherry who asked in a panic, she made a face saying ‘What are you talking about?’. No, that’s the only way I can say it.

“Ahaha, I’m Sharon, the part-time job colleague~. Nice to meet you~.”

“Ah, umm, I’m Nero’s friend, Sheryl Gaspar! I came from Regulus!”

Sherry hurriedly introduced herself to Sharon-senpai while bowing. Even Sherry seems to get nervous in front of Rank 3.

“Sheryl-chan, huh~. As a fellow dorm resident, if you have any trouble, let me know~. Technically, I’m the Dorm Head~.”

“Eh, is that so?”

Sharon-senpai is the Dorm Head? It’s rude to say, but is that okay…? Sensing my thoughts, Sherry whispered to me.

“Basically, the Dorm Head and Vice Dorm Head of each dorm are chosen from the S-Ranks.”

“Haa, I see…”

She is Rank 3, so I guess that makes sense.

“By the way, Zel-chan is the Dorm Head of the Azure Dragon Dormitory~. We’ll be enemies in the ‘Great Dorm War’~.”

Great Dorm War. The festival battle of the ‘Academy’ held in autumn. The four dorms fight each other to decide supremacy. Incidentally, last year’s ranking was Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird. My Black Tortoise Dormitory was apparently third. Well, if we become enemies, I’ll just face her with all my might.

“Sharon, let’s go.”

“Ah, wait~. Nero-chan, Sheryl-chan, see you later~.”

Sharon-senpai was called by a friend and left. Sherry sat in her chair looking exhausted.

“Following Zelda-sama, even Sharon-sama… To know two S-Ranks, Nero’s social circle is a bit weird. Don’t tell me there are more?”

“Umm, there is one more S-Rank acquaintance, maybe?”

“You’re kidding…?”

Rank 4, [Hundred Thunder] Rimiera Limitecus-senpai is also an acquaintance, in a way. Rimiera-senpai is from the Roadmare Union, right? In that case, she belongs to the Azure Dragon Dormitory… same as Zelda Onee-sama. This looks a bit tough.

“Or rather, are there no S-Ranks in the Black Tortoise Dormitory other than Sharon-senpai?”

“There is. Rank 8, fifth-year [Iron Hammer] Yuna Blitz-senpai.”

“[Iron Hammer]?”

Another stern alias.

“Yuna-senpai’s Frame Gear is a Titan Frame. She fights with a large Battle Hammer.”

“I see, so that’s why [Iron Hammer].”

Titan Frames are slow but boast overwhelming power and defense. You could say it’s truly a one-hit-kill machine. However, no matter how much power you have, it’s useless if you don’t hit. Being S-Rank with a Titan Frame forces one to think she possesses exceptional ability to overcome that. I wonder what kind of fighting style she uses. I’m a bit interested.

“Currently, there are three S-Ranks in the White Tiger Dormitory, and two in the rest. Isn’t it relatively well-distributed? Two years ago, they say there were five S-Ranks just in the Azure Dragon Dormitory.”

“Eh, that many concentrated in one dorm? Wouldn’t that create a huge difference in the ‘Great Dorm War’?”

“Naturally. The story goes that the Azure Dragon Dormitory won with an overwhelming difference in war potential. Apparently, there were many A-Ranks too, not just S-Ranks.”

Hmm, this kind of imbalance can’t be helped, I guess. S-Rank is from Rank 1 to 9. From there to Rank 50 are the forty-nine A-Ranks. Lower A-Ranks are one thing, but when it comes to the upper ones, the difference in ability isn’t that different from S-Ranks. There is no doubt that the key to the ‘Great Dorm War’ is how many S-Ranks and A-Ranks a dorm possesses. Of course, there must be those with ability whose ranks are still low. The autumn ‘Great Dorm War’, huh. Well, before that, there’s the ‘Inter-School Match’ with the ‘School’. I want to raise my rank as much as possible before then. It’s about time to challenge E-Rank. Seems some first-years have already ascended. Alright, let’s give it a shot.