Chapter 41: The Princess Sisters
“Hmm, being able to use multiple [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ suddenly was amazing, but becoming a sitting duck is a bit of a problem~.”
“No, well, if I concentrate on the [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’, I can’t pilot the machine… Conversely, if I try to move the machine, the [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ stop!”
I was receiving guidance on the [Floating Sword] ‘Fragarach’ from Sharon-senpai in a training room with Frame Units. At first, I started by moving a single [Floating Sword] ‘Fragarach’, and then I was able to move two. And even move those two as I wished. However, when it came to attacking with two [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ while fighting, the hurdle suddenly rose. Using the [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ makes piloting the machine clumsy, and conversely, concentrating on piloting the machine silences the [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’. What am I supposed to do?!
“Well, if it’s just a means of long-range attack, this might be fine, but… In that case, maybe attaching a cannon to the shoulder would be better~?”
“I guess so.”
As Sharon-senpai says, if I’m just going to stand still and fire [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ at the enemy, it’s obviously better to just equip normal long-range weapons. I’m not utilizing the advantages of the precious [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’.
“Hmm… Wait a sec~.”
Sharon-senpai brought two papers and two pens from the training room.
“Try drawing a circle with your right hand and a triangle with your left hand. Simultaneously, okay~?”
“Eh?”
Made to hold pens in both hands, I tried as told, but I couldn’t do it at all. Dragged by the circle in my right hand, the triangle in my left became squiggly. Conversely, when I concentrated on drawing the triangle with my left, the circle in my right became wobbly. Isn’t drawing these simultaneously impossible? As if reading my thoughts, Sharon-senpai smoothly drew a circle and a triangle simultaneously with her right and left hands. Amaz… ing…!
“How is it~? Doesn’t that feeling of not being able to draw resemble the sensation of the [Floating Sword] ‘Fragarach’~?”
“Ah! True! The sensation of only being able to do one or the other is similar.”
This is that thing. I had a similar feeling during training with Chiba-senpai. Moving the left and right hands separately. The sensation when I unintentionally get dragged by my dominant right hand, but need to make a different movement with my left. Doing separate things simultaneously… Is that what I need to be able to master the [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’?
“Zel-chan was like that at first too~. Want to try the special training I did back then, Nero-chan~?”
“Special training…! I’ll do it! Please let me do it!”
Unless I acquire this, my Gear Spell [Zero Gravity] will be beaten by a counter. [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ can be used for attack, but also for defense. It can be used to deflect counters. Moreover, [Zero Gravity] also affects [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’. Swords with their weight reduced to nearly zero are probably faster than Lucifer due to less air resistance. If I can perform a coordinated attack with those [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ and Lucifer accelerated by [Zero Gravity], that would be a powerful weapon. I can’t miss the chance to master that. Without properly asking about the content of the special training, I gave Sharon-senpai my answer of acceptance. Jumping immediately when delicious bait hangs in front of me is my bad habit…
◇ ◇ ◇
“Okay, one more time from the beginning~. Match the rhythm properly~.”
“Uugh…”
Following Sharon-senpai’s teaching, I was playing the piano poron poron in the music room. Why piano…?
“This is a venerable [Floating Sword] ‘Fragarach’ training method that even the First Sovereign King practiced, you know~. If you continue this, I think you’ll be able to manipulate [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ freely too, Nero-chan~.”
Really…? No, it’s true the sensation of having to move right and left hands separately is similar… But is this really effective…?
“Actually, there is data showing that those of noble origin learn multiple [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ faster~. Since those of noble birth often learn piano from childhood~.”
I see. Then is there credibility…? But I don’t feel like I can do it at all… First, play with just the right hand. Since it’s a simple song, this wasn’t that difficult. Next, play with just the left. It was a bass line so a bit hard to grasp, but I managed to become able to play this too. However, when it comes to both hands simultaneously, I become surprisingly unable to do it. My right hand gets dragged by the left, my left gets dragged by the right, getting all tangled up and confusing. Can this really be done…?
“You’re doing something interesting.”
After Sharon-senpai left for a lecture, and I had been silently doing this special training alone for three hours, Principal Quun suddenly appeared with her Bear Golem, Parla. No, it’s not interesting, though…
“I assume it’s training for [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’?”
“Ah, yes. Sharon-senpai told me to…”
If the Principal knows about it too, I guess this is a correct training method. The First Sovereign King is the Principal’s father, after all.
“At a glance, it seems like a detour, but it might be the shortest way to master [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’. Once you grasp the sensation, you can manipulate about two immediately. Well, from there, increasing precision of movement or the number of swords becomes a struggle, though.”
According to the Principal, Zelda Onee-sama is actually not suited for [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’. She can manipulate two or more, but beyond that, the machine’s movements apparently become neglected, making it inefficient.
“That child is a Knight type, for better or worse. A type that fights by incorporating swordsmanship and body movements honed in the flesh into the Frame Gear. We technicians call it ‘Possession Type’. You’re probably that type too.”
Now that she mentions it, that might be true. When controlling a Frame Gear, there are times it feels like my own body.
“Umm, does that mean I’m not suited for [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ either?”
“Eh? Ah, no. You are the opposite. While being a ‘Possession Type’, you possess large magic capacity, high adaptability, and sharp senses. Those are necessary for a [Floating Sword] ‘Fragarach’ user. Whether you can utilize the characteristics of both, or end up being half-baked… I’m looking forward to it.”
I don’t really get it… But apparently, I’m suited to use [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’. Then there’s no reason not to do it. It has the Principal’s seal of approval. Facing the piano again, I play the assignment song with both hands. Gunuu. Can’t play at all…
“First is becoming able to play with one hand.”
“No, I can play it technically…”
“Technically isn’t good enough. You have to practice repeatedly until your fingers move naturally without thinking in your head. When you’re about to be punched by someone, doesn’t your body move naturally? Reflexively dodging or punching back. You have to bring it to that state.”
I see… Not playing by thinking with the head, but hammering it into the body. Hmph, bring it on. I’m good at that kind of thing.
“Ah, come to think of it… if it’s piano, there was a girl perfect for teaching it.”
“Eh?”
While I turned around and gave a suspicious look, the Principal was calling somewhere on her smartphone.
“Ah, hello? It’s me. Can you come over a bit right now? Is it okay? Then please. Umm, the ‘Academy’ music room. Yeah, right. Where you did a special performance before. You know it? Okay, thanks.”
Pip, the Principal ended the call. Seems she called someone…? Eh?! In the next instant, a girl with cherry blossom-colored hair appeared next to Principal Quun in a flash. Eh, who is this girl?! Where on earth did she come from?!
“Quun-neesama, long time no see~.”
“Long time no see, Yoshino. Sorry for calling you so suddenly.”
The girl who suddenly appeared spoke familiarly with the Principal. The girl with semi-long cherry blossom-colored hair looks a little older than Principal Quun. Around eighteen maybe? A girl wearing a white blouse and black corset skirt, looking like a young lady from somewhere. Huh? Are her ears slightly pointed? Elf… no, right? Maybe a Demon? Was appearing suddenly magic…? Teleportation magic?
“Let me introduce you. This child is Yoshino. My little sister.”
“I’m Yoshino Brunhild. Nice to meet you~.”
“Haaah?!”
The Principal’s little sister means…! In other words, this person is also a daughter of the First Grand Duke?! Wait a minute, wait a minute…! Umm, that means, that’s it, this person is the princess born to one of the Nine Duchesses, Lady Sakura! I heard Duchess Sakura is also a long-lived species like Principal Quun’s mother, Duchess Leen. So her daughter, Yoshino-san, is also…! Like hundreds of years old…?!
“I can kind of tell what you’re thinking, but if you touch on that, you’ll get burned, you know?”
“I’m not thinking anythiing…!”
I could only answer that to the Principal whose eyes weren’t smiling even though she was smiling. Regarding unnecessary things: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil!
“Yoshino, this child is Nero.”
“Nero? Umm… Ah! Elna and Linne’s?! Wah! So it’s this child~!”
“Eh?!”
Suddenly picked up by a smiling Yoshino-san, I was swung around high up takai-takai. What are you doing suddenly, this person?! I wish you’d stop treating me like a child…! Put down ston, I was then stared at intently jiro-jiro with a grin nima-nima from various angles.
“I see, I see… This is certainly… Just as Quun-neesama said, interesting!”
“Right?”
So what exactly is interesting…? I feel like I’m starting to understand well that they are sisters with the Principal…
