第８０４堀：海の訓練 (Part2)
"Creatures of this sort keep watch from beneath the surface. Well, it’s obvious if you give it a moment’s thought, but given their sheer size, you can spot them in the water if you look closely. Though, I suppose that changes depending on the waves and the weather. The point is: stay away from the water’s edge at night or when the rain is heavy."
"Hmm, I see. That is perfectly logical."
"And yet, we failed to do even that. It’s quite difficult, isn't it?"
The two generals were quick on the uptake.
"Well, it’s common enough to find yourself unable to do the obvious when the environment shifts. Many adventurers lose their lives because they push themselves too hard in unfamiliar territory. Especially on beaches like this—the sand makes it easy to lose your footing. Dodging must have been a struggle, right?"
"Yes. My body simply wouldn't move the way I wanted it to."
"To be honest, Mikos-chan took a spectacular tumble, too."
"I was panicking, so I tripped."
Kagura and her group don’t bother putting on airs, which makes things easier for me. Or perhaps there’s simply no reason for them to posture; they’ve seen Yuki and the others in action enough to know that a single slip-up can cost you your life. In that sense, this is far less taxing than teaching at the academy. The boys there, in particular, always want to show off. I understand the sentiment, but in real combat, you need the grit and the decisiveness to know when to run.
"Alright. You understand the danger well enough now. The rest is just a matter of getting used to it. You’ll likely get hurt from here on out, so stay sharp."
"?"
"Don't look so puzzled. Today is for combat training."
As Raiya said this, the sea began to churn, independent of the waves...
"We’ll start with smaller monsters. The ones you faced earlier were subordinates of Yuki—or rather, Aslin—so they were holding back. From here on, you might actually die if you aren't careful, so I suggest you give it everything you've got."
"Wait, what!? That’s—"
"Don't worry, you won't die. Even if you’re sliced in two, an elixir will put you back together."
Besides, I’ve received a fair amount of sacred sake from Luna; it would be a waste not to use it. It’s not like I can just drink it all as booze. As I was thinking this, small, predatory fish-type monsters began leaping from the sea one after another.
"Small, carnivorous fish. If they sink their teeth into you, they’ll take a chunk of flesh with them."
"Their weakness is that after they attack, they just flop around on the land. So, you do this..."
"Just strike them while they’re vulnerable, and they’re easily defeated."
We deftly dodged their lunges and finished off the monsters that had flopped onto the sand.
"My, my. To think such monsters exist. How fascinating."
"They actually look quite delicious, don't they?"
As expected, the two generals dodged with ease and finished off the monsters, even finding the leisure to chat in between...
"Ouch—!? Get it off, get it off!?"
"Kagura, stop moving! I’m not joking, it’s going to tear your flesh right off!"
"Get away from our senior!"
Kagura’s girls are still lacking in experience, after all. Had it not been for this training, they might have been gobbled up by sea monsters and that would have been the end of it. I suppose that’s why Yuki insisted on this drill.
"Solo, no! Don't pull so hard!"
*Rip!*
"Aaaahhh!?"
The fish monster cleanly bit off a piece of her thigh. Well, Solo pulling on it was the direct cause, but there’s no doubt the monster would have bitten it off eventually anyway.
"It hurts, it hurts..."
"I-I’m so sorry!"
"Yes, yes, stay calm. Enora, heal her. Mikos-chan, go finish off that fish."
"Understood. Leave it to me."
"Now then, Stasia and I will provide cover until Kagura is healed."
"Indeed. We won't let them get close."
Well, they have their shortcomings, but as a party, their coordination is improving. Mikos is keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings, Enora is handling the healing, and Generals Agil and Stasia are providing support. Kagura and Solo’s movements are sluggish for now, but they’ll learn soon enough.
"Alright, next up is..."
And so, we drilled Kagura and the others relentlessly until General Lake and the rest returned to the Seasipho Kingdom. Still, the Seasipho Kingdom’s firearms worry me more than the sea monsters. I’m providing this support to gather intelligence, but I hope it doesn't lead to any troublesome complications. Then again, at this point, it’s probably already a headache. Well, if this old man can still be of use, I’ll cooperate.
Mauve makes a long-awaited return. When it comes to dealing with monsters, you need adventurers like Mauve. And so, Kagura and her group would be whipped into shape, one lesson at a time.