The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

I was in the middle of my spearmanship training. Murasame's blade was visible at my waist as its pommel peeked out.

After turning around using the left foot as axis, I jumped towards the upper right.

While ascertaining of my step work technique called 『Single-Cut Wing』… alright, let's summon those guys for a practise match.

I touched Prison of Darkness Skeletal Knights (Dark Hell Bone Knights), "Come ― Burning Knights."

Given that I had visitors over, I summoned the Burning Knights while posing a bit.

"Oh, so you're summoning the Burning Knights."

"I saw them the other day. Skeletal knights enslaved by guildmaster."

Rebecca and Veronica muttered.

Hearing that, Viine explained, "Veronica, those are atypical beings called Burning Knights."

"They're also different from the first-class warriors of the spirit world."

"Yes, they are special skeletal, no, Burning Knights serving only Master."

"You already saw them, Veronica, but it's actually rare for Shuuya to use them."

"Really? Previously, when we fought against the vampires, Shuuya put them to use."

"Oh, I heard about that as well! It was an attack by the Valmask family, right?"

"Yep."

Even as such a conversation was going on, magic rays flew out into the air from the ring, as usual. After those rays touched the ground, a seething sound could be heard, and the Burning Knights made their appearance alongside a load of smoke.

"――Your Excellency, Black Burning Zemetas is here."

"Red Burning Adomos has arrived!"

Upon those voices, Rollo suddenly sat up with her attention drawn. It was a boss sitting posture, also called Buddha pose. She lifted her tail and one paw, and after tapping the floor with both, she meowed, "N, nyaa."

"Nyaa."

"Nyao."

Rollo's army corps, which had been resting nearby, also reacted to the Burning Knights' voices, greeting them.

Is it the first time for Alray and Hueremy to see the Burning Knights?

"Oh my, Rollo-sama, you've become a mother!"

"Oooohhh, no, wait Zemetas, don't be rash…they might be her relatives or sisters."

Thereupon Alray and Hueremy moved over towards the Burning Knights as cute cats. They stopped in front of them, and put both forelegs together. As they were staring up to them, seemingly curious about the armor with its leaking smoke, they suddenly transformed into big tigers. The two tigers pounced on the Burning Knights.

Are they going to eat them?

"Nuuoooooohh."

"Ugooohhh."

They hadn't been eaten. While having their heads pinned down with one paw, Alray and Hueremy were licking the eye sockets in the bone helmets. Given that the Burning Knights had handsome appearances, it looked somewhat surreal.

"Zeme, Ado, the big tiger with the yellow fur and black eyes is Alray, and the one with the black and white fur and the light purple eyes is Hueremy."

"――Alray-sama and Hueremy-sama!"

"So they were your new servants, Your Excellency."

Zemetas and Adomos stood up. And then looked at Alray and Hueremy in front of them.

"Those two…"

"Don't tell me…"

Zeme and Ado nodded at each other after an eerie gleam lit up in their eye sockets, and got on top of Alray and Hueremy.

"Ooohh, with this we can also aim for being riders like His Excellency."

"You're right about that. Do I look like a spirit world knight?"

"You do, Adomos! Alray-sama moves faster than a sonlissa!"

As Alray and Hueremy didn't hate it either, they raced across the courtyard with the Burning Knights on top.

"I guess from now on they can also fight while mounted."

"There are not reins or tentacles, but the Burning Knights seem to be capable of handling the big tigers without falling off."

"I think they have actually ridden sonlissa in the spirit world."

"…Whaaa, I wanna get on as well."

"You're always riding a blood sword, so there's no point, is there?"

"No, I wanna ride those big tiger cuties."

"I want to try mounting them as well."

While the girls were chatting amongst themselves, the Burning Knights & big tiger combi returned after making a full lap around the courtyard. The Burning Knights dismounted, and immediately genuflected.

""Your Excellency, excuse us for getting carried away.""

"Nyaa."

"Nyao."

"It looks like Alray and Hueremy had their share of fun, so I don't really mind. By the way, I was in the middle of training just now. Become my sparring partners."

"Ooohh, that's a matter of course!"

"…My bones are getting excited after a long time! Zemetas, let us humor His Excellency!"

"You got it, Adomos!"

"Cute cats, come over here~"

"Nyaa."

"Nyao."

Being called by Veronica, Alray and Hueremy ran over to her. However, on the way they changed their direction, heading towards Rollo who was laying on the ground.

"Guh, I lost to Rollo-sama's charm."

"Naturally, Rollo-chan is their boss after all."

"Rather than that, the training is going to start, you two. Let's watch how long the Burning Knights are going to last with Master as opponent."

"Oh, yeah."

My < Head Servant Leaders > switched over to being spectators. I bent my body while turning my face towards the Burning Knights.

While shifting towards a stance of my legs forming an L-shape, I circled Magic Halberd Baldok in my right hand towards my back, and held up Divine Spear Ganghis diagonally in front of my chest with my left hand.

"…Zeme, Ado, come."

I invited them by faintly jerking my chin up.

"Your Excellency!"

"――Zemetas, I shall make the first move."

Adomos charged at me with his tower shield at the ready in his left hand. He extended the point of the longsword in his right towards me.

I also stepped forward, charging in a forward-bent posture after kicking off the ground. With an image of piercing through Adomos' shield, I unleashed a < Thrust > with my halberd after twisting my waist.

My halberd's spearhead repelled Adomos' approaching longsword, and then the red spear violently impacted on his tower shield.

――A metallic clank reverberated.

Adomos had fully blocked my < Thrust >. However, seemingly unable to kill the force behind it, he tumbled backwards. As if covering for him, Zemetas targeted me with his longsword while bringing his own tower shield to the front.

At the same time as he repelled my extended halberd, I performed an evasive rotation, using the toes of my right foot as axis. I avoided the sword thrust unleashed by Zemetas at hair's breadth. And then I scythed at him with Ganghis from the side.

The spearhead of Ganghis, which followed a horizontal semi-circle trajectory, clashed against Zemetas' shield.

Nothing less of a shield user.

"――Guuooo."

Zemetas shouted out in pain, but he fully blocked Ganghis' spearhead with his shield nonetheless. At that moment, Adomos closed in on me from Zemetas' flank.

I stepped to the side. A dry, rhythmic ta-tap-tap-tap-tap played back from the stone paving as I carried out my dance-like movements, allowing me to leave the range of Adomos' approaching longsword.

It was still within my spears' range, though. At that moment, with the image of pushing out my halberd alongside the right hand that had pulled back while accumulating power, I released a < Thrust > at Adomos.

The red spear collided against Adomos who was in a posture as if meeting it together with his shield.

"Guaaa――"

Once again Adomos was blown away by the red spear. He crashed against Zemetas who was behind him. Both rolled across the stone paving while entangled. Their longswords stabbed deeply into each other's skeletal bellies. A part of the tower shields sank into their heads.

However, the Burning Knights were strong enough for me to know that I had grown. They had shown me their impregnable defense skills by receiving my halberd's < Thrust > several times. Their bone tower shields were punctured, though…

"Sorry, Adomos."

"Don't mind it. His Excellency is great…I shall go ahead."

"Wait, me too…"

As the Burning Knights departed to the spirit world…I took a short breath.

My breathing wasn't messed up, but imagining that I would harmonize with my surroundings, I performed a dance as if drawing a perfect circle in midair with the halberd in my right and the divine spear in my left. It was already autumn, but it was the height of summer with it being still quite hot.

I'm wearing Hal'Konk's sleeveless version, but hot temperatures are still hot. It might also be a matter of its color being dark green, and not white.

The shoulder dragon glittered in the sunlight. The small belts, clasps, and silver-colored branch patterns at my chest might also look as if they're shining.

"The Burning Knights were skilled with the shield, but…"

"Yep. As expected they've been no match for Master's dual-spear technique."

"…"

The looks of Rebecca and Viine flickered. Veronica remained silent.

It's not that I wanna show off my good side, but I tried a combination of < Thrusts > after stabbing with Ganghis. Each time I repeated that series of movements, I felt how the hooded cape on my back swayed.

Okay, I guess I'm going to switch to the next training.

I erased Baldok and Ganghis while rotating diagonally to the right with my left feet as an axis. I put my empty hands on the chest strap carrying daggers and other items, and retrieved Ancient Dragon Daggers from there. Then I adopted a stance of holding them in both hands.

The aim was ― the slightly bulging lawn on the right side. While sharpening my look, I initiated < Throwing > with the daggers. In an instant, one, two, three, and in the end, five daggers were stuck in the lawn.

Afterwards, I began to train my kicking. While running across the paving, I tried to reproduce the kick techniques of Evil Domain Monk Kire ― focusing on a right kick, a left roundhouse kick, a right upper turning kick, a left lower turning kick, and Rolling Savate.

However, it's still not there. As expected, Kire isn't enough.

Let's go with spearmanship again.

I summoned Ganghis into my left hand again. Beginning with delicate movements as if to cut the hot sun, I thrust it, and then swept it sideways. After attempting a combination of kicking and sweeping strike, I wrapped up the spearmanship training early.

"…Your training today has been kinda short." Rebecca called out to me in her charming, sleeveless Muntomi dress.

Her platinum-golden hair and the summer clothing suited each other in a strange manner. It makes me want to have her wear a Japanese yukata…

A light brown cloth is neatly coiled around her waist.

She held a fork-type spoon in her left hand, and a plate with sherbet that had black sweet water added to it in her right. She had been happily enjoying the sherbet I had made before. It's the one I put away in the refrigerator and an application of the ice creation from the other day.

After looking at her, I went to pick up the daggers I had thrown.

"…There's times when my training is short, too."

"I see. But, I must say, this is really delicious." Rebecca kept eating with blue flames dwelling in her eyes. "When I walked through the kitchen coming from the living room, I had a premonition about sweets, and once I opened the refrigerator, I found this. Oh, I remember, it's the sweet you talked about some time ago――"

Rebecca-chan stuffed her cheeks with another spoon-fill. It looks like a sweets sensor is built into her head.

"It's no wonder that you're being called Sweets Empress."

"Don't take Eva's words seriously."

"Haha, anyway, all that matters is you enjoying it. By the way, that ice's tastiness is also thanks to Viine."

Viine nodded at my words. "Recently I bought a magic tool for preservation."

"I see. So that's why all those differently shaped jars. The kitchen of this place has become more luxurious than the one at Eva's restaurant."

"…Rebecca, gimme a bite?"

"Fufu, pulling such a pleading face. Say aaahh."

"Aaahh."

Rebecca held out a spoon filled with ice towards Veronica's mouth.

"Sweeet?"

"Right?"

Rebecca looked as if she had made the ice. Even though it's my creation.

Well, whatever. Now then…I guess I'll go help out at the mansion across the street now.

"…It looks like our neighbors are doing charity work today, so I thought about going over to help them out. What about you girls?"

"Oh, I'll come as well."

"I shall also accompany you."

Viine agreed, too.

"Ah, damn it. Since I was close to your place, I just dropped in, guildmaster. See you, I'm going to have a look at Amelie-chan."

Without waiting for a reply from us, Veronica got on a blood sword, and swiftly flew away. It seems she's going to observe Amelie from the shadows.

"…Rollo, you coming too?"

I addressed Rollo who was resting on the stone paving together with Alray and Hueremy. Balmint was in the middle of a midday nap together with Popobumu.

"Nya――"

Rollo got up and jumped on my shoulder. Seems like Rollo is coming along as well. Well, Rollo has no intention to help with the charity work, though…I'm pretty sure she just wants to observe and prank the people that will be moving around busily.

"Nyaaa."

"Nyaaao."

Alray and Hueremy drew close to me, seemingly wanting to tag along as well.

"You guys coming too? Make sure to not get in the way, okay?"

"Nyaa."

"Nyao."

Just like that I left my residence, taking everyone along. We walked across the street which powerfully reflected the summerly sun rays. Passing through the gate of Mr. Ivanovic's mansion, which was located across mine, we headed towards the courtyard.

Alray and Hueremy walked in the direction of a corner, seemingly curious about the different mansion. It appears their whimsical nature is no different from usual.

"Alray, Hueremy, it's someone else's home, so don't do anything weird, got it?"

"Nyaaaaa."

"Nyaoo."

I had no clue whether they understood me or not, but the two cats headed towards a corner with weeds and a flower bed. Rollo didn't join them, remaining on my shoulder. She observed the other two cats while swinging her tail, though…

We're going to participate in the Martial Arts District's benefit society's charity work in this setup.

I saw Amelie doing her best in setting up a table. She turned her face in my direction.

Her senses are really amazing in this regard.

"…Oh, Shuuya-sama, hello."

"Yo. You doing charity work truly looks like the deeds of a saint."

"Saint, you say…"

"Amelin~, sheinto~?"

"Amely, let's play."

"Is it okay to eat this?"

There were children bustling around her.

"Ah, Shuuya-sama, I'm going to return to my job."

"Sure."

I also distributed food, played with the children, and gave free martial arts lessons. My bloodkin Rebecca and Viine helped me with all that. Since I also smelled Veronica's blood, she's probably watching while hiding somewhere.

By the way, Eva, Yui, and Kaldo took command of my combat slaves, and headed out not into the labyrinth, but the Great Prairie, to get new ingredients for the restaurant run by Dee and Lily. It was the prairie in the east, closer to Holkerbaum, and not the one in the west where the war was apparently raging.

I heard they would be hunting large birds and other monsters. Eva mentioned that Dee had got all fired up after eating a chicken meat dish in a restaurant located in the Flavor Street of 【Remains of the Moon】.

As I was thinking about Eva with a smile plastered on my face, "…Shuuya-san, good day."

"Oh, good day to you too."

"The recent festival was enjoyable. I see most recently you're participating in the charity work."

The one chatting me up was a woman with scaled skin. A karamnian like Zeeta.

Come to think of it, I caught sight of this woman when talking with Mr. Ivanovic during the party. She was that karamnian who didn't mind having a jellyfish on her head.

"…So have I been doing. I'm sorry, but what was your name again?"

I checked her figure while bowing lightly. She wore armored clothes that have been used for a long time and combined a half plate armor and leather clothes into a set. Unlike Zeeta, she had very clean scales, which were shining with a gloss. At her lower body she was wearing a skirt with small tassets attached to it. Since her fists were covered by cloths filled with mana, I think she's a light warrior type.

"Oh, my name is Sanya. I'm the daughter of Onta, who's running a small cloth store located on the street over there."

"Nyaa."

"Oh my, a cute kitty! Your eyes are big n' round boln, aren't they?"

Rollo greeted Sanya as well from my shoulder. I don't quite get the big n' round boln, though…

"This is my partner, Rollo. Her real name is Rollodeen."

"Rollo-chan. Her red eyes are looking at you, Shuuya-san. How adorable…"

Sanya's eyes sparkled with her light brown hair fluttering in the wind.

"By the way, you're practicing martial arts as well, Sanya-san?"

"Yes, I'm teaching the Kulbul Boxing Style in a corner of Tomas-san's courtyard."

Kulbul Style? I never heard of it. Is it a school of the karamnian?

"Boxing? One where you will learn a special killing move if you genuinely jab your fist for 10,000 times?"

"That's a story of Master Swordsman Kulbul's ritual training regimen. I've heard that he acquired some kind of skill from that."

Seriously? The world sure is big.

"…Hello. You're called Sanya-san, right? I'm Rebecca. I live together with this weirdo called Shuuya."

"Hello, my name is Viine. I'm Master's attendant. We're living together."

Having finished setting up a table, Rebecca and Viine came over to join the talk. Viine had tied her silver hair with a golden thread. It's her surekill ponytail.

If I remember correctly, that thread should be a defensive armor piece that's going to turn into a glove if you pour mana into it. I've never seen it in that state, though.

"…Ah, okay, hello you two beautiful ladies."

"Calling me beautiful or similar is… Ah, Sanya-san, as far as I've heard, you're a martial artist using your fists. I wanna learn that."

"We're always recruiting disciples for the Kulbul Style!" Sanya looked happy as she placed a hand on her chest.

"Yay, I wanna become a disciple. But, since I've also got to help out in Betty-san's store, it might be a tad impossible for me to take lessons everyday. Is that still okay?"

"Yes, no problem. Oh, that name, are you possibly talking about the tea seller at the Free Market?"

"Yep. You were one of its customers as well, Sanya-san?"

"Ah, yes, my father often goes to buy tea over there."

Rebecca had told me about it during the party, but I guess you'll find connections even at unexpected places.

"It might be good for you to learn the basics. In the battle against the fishmen a few days back, you couldn't handle your new weapons, Rebecca, which led to you getting injured." Viine pointed out.

"So you saw that, Viine."

"Yes, since master's eyes became bloodshot in an instant, I saw you getting injured and escaping when I wondered what was going on."

I will request the same as well.

"Sanya-san, Rebecca is an inexperienced person, but please take care of her."

"How am I an inexperienced person, idiot Shuuya!?"

"Hooh…you know, putting it off as I simply had bad luck… doesn't fit for someone who has the hobby of delightfully showing off her panties to the surroundings after falling over many times at the boundary between soil and stone paving on the courtyard, Rebecca-san."

"Where are those eyes of yours looking while you're talking?"

Her glare was scary. Even though I looked at her flat chest for an instant, she had apparently noticed it…

"Fufu, you're funny people."

"Ah, Sanya-san, please don't mind us. It's the usual after all."

"Okay. Anyway, since I'm going to introduce you to the other disciples at once, please come this way, Rebecca-san."

"Sure thing. Cya later, Shuuya, Viine, Rollo-chan." Rebecca said while swirling around her white hand as if to show her pretty armpit.

"Aye, go for it."

"Okay."

"Nyaa."

Rebecca walked over to a group, apparently said disciples, together with Sanya.