Takemikazuchi, the god of martial arts.
Rhodes wasn’t particularly familiar with him.
Still, anyone worthy of being called a martial god surely had unquestionable skill.
What surprised him more, however, was Hestia’s network of divine connections.
He had already realized yesterday that her Familia was a thoroughly makeshift operation.
At this stage, Hestia, as its “boss,” was desperately patching things together wherever she could.
Honestly, Rhodes couldn’t think of any reason to refuse.
Learning the basics of combat would at least allow him to start exploring the Dungeon properly.
“Thank you, Lady Hestia.”
“Oh, come on!”
“You don’t need to keep thanking me.
I’m looking forward to the day you start exploring the Dungeon!
If you really want to thank me, work twice as hard!”
Her thinking was simple.
As long as it helped Rhodes, that was enough.
Hestia didn’t hurry him.
She waited until he had finished washing up and was ready to leave before handing him the fried potato balls.
“Have some breakfast.”
“…”
Rhodes was starting to feel as though Hestia intended to spoil him until he became completely helpless.
Not that he refused.
He took hearty bites of the plain fried potato balls as he followed her along Adventurers’ Way.
It was just as Hestia had said.
If he genuinely wanted to repay her help, he needed to put in twice the effort—and try not to give his goddess too much to worry about.
Eventually, Hestia stopped in front of a longhouse.
Knowing that he was about to meet Takemikazuchi, she offered a few words of reassurance.
“You’ll be training with Takemikazuchi today.
He’s very nice, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
Just focus on learning.”
“All right.”
“What about you, Lady Hestia?”
“Me…”
Faced with that crucial question, Hestia blinked her blue eyes.
Then she reached out and patted Rhodes on the shoulder, speaking with great solemnity.
“I’ll be working hard to give you an even better start, of course!”
She waved and turned to leave.
“This is as far as I’ll take you.
I’ll come pick you up this evening.
If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask Takemikazuchi!”
“…”
Had he joined another Familia, he probably wouldn’t have found a pretty little goddess as exceptionally responsible as Hestia.
Rhodes considered himself quite fortunate.
Without lingering by the entrance, he approached the distinctly Japanese-style building.
There, he noticed a black-haired young man already waiting for him.
His clothes looked rather Japanese as well.
His long black hair was tied into two braids that hung on either side of his face.
A god.
“Excuse me.
Are you Lord Takemikazuchi?”
“You must be Rhodes.”
Takemikazuchi nodded with a light smile.
He put on no divine airs before the novice adventurer who shared his black hair.
His gentle expression made him seem immediately approachable.
“Hestia told me about you last night.
You’re the first member she’s recruited.”
“And when a friend asks for help, I can hardly refuse.”
“So, what sort of martial arts would you like to learn?”
“…”
If he could choose freely, Rhodes would become an almighty mage without a moment’s hesitation.
Unfortunately, the world of DanMachi didn’t have such clearly defined character classes.
Besides, he had no intention of trying to become a master overnight.
He considered his immediate needs.
As a beginner, his priority was to explore the Dungeon safely and gradually settle into the rhythm of an adventurer’s life.
“Lord Takemikazuchi…”
“To be honest, I’m not sure what I’d like to specialize in yet.
As long as I can fight the monsters and explore the Dungeon, that’s enough.”
“Then let’s start with the fundamentals of combat.”
Takemikazuchi didn’t mind the answer at all.
If anything, he found himself taking a liking to this remarkably practical young adventurer, who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen.
In his years in Orario, he had met plenty of adventurers.
Compared with those who immediately declared that they wanted to become master swordsmen, Rhodes’s request was refreshingly straightforward.
“That should be enough for some basic exploration.”
“Thank you, Lord Takemikazuchi.”
Rhodes certainly had no objections.
Back in his previous world, signing up for karate or taekwondo meant committing to at least several months of classes.
He couldn’t expect Hestia to keep supporting him through all that, could he?
Efficiency mattered.
…
After a brief conversation, Takemikazuchi learned that Rhodes was a complete beginner who had never experienced combat.
That gave him a general idea of how to structure the training.
First came familiarity with the weapon.
Rhodes needed to develop a feel for the sword, repeatedly practicing his grip and stance to improve his control.
Beyond that lay the gradual work of strengthening his waist and upper body.
Chops, slashes, thrusts, point strikes, rising cuts, parries…
He would repeat the fundamentals until each movement had begun to settle into his muscle memory.
Then, even without much experience, he would at least be able to react instinctively when confronted by a monster in the Dungeon.
Having accepted Hestia’s request, Takemikazuchi took his teaching seriously.
Only once Rhodes could perform the exercises without making mistakes did he smile and offer encouragement.
“Keep practicing the methods I’ve shown you.”
“Once the movements become second nature, things will get much easier.”
“At the very least, you’ll be able to deal with common monsters such as goblins and kobolds.
“You’ll have to hone those through experience.”
“Thank you.”
Looking at the black-haired god before him, Rhodes expressed his gratitude from the heart.
These were straightforward techniques for handling a weapon.
There were no flashy moves or elaborate flourishes.
But once he mastered them, he should at least be able to manage the Dungeon’s uppermost floors.
“You’re welcome to keep practicing here.”
He was a friend’s follower, after all.
Takemikazuchi added, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, come and ask me.”
“There’s no need to be shy.”
“I will.”
At this point, Rhodes knew exactly what he needed to do.
Work hard, and make the most of the training opportunity Hestia had secured for him.
He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the wooden practice sword.
Time to grind!
“Ah…”
“How do you adjust the heat on this magic-stone stove?
Why do all the potato balls keep turning black?
Is anyone actually going to eat these?”
“…”
At a fried potato ball stall on North Main Street, a little goddess wearing an apron stared at the disastrous lumps of charcoal she had produced.
Self-doubt was setting in.
I’ve ruined everything, meow…
When Takemikazuchi had demonstrated the process last night, it had looked so simple.
Why had her brain understood the lesson while her hands refused to cooperate?
But with adventurers already lining up in front of the stall, Hestia had no choice but to grit her teeth and keep experimenting.
How did she get through those agonizing hours?
She couldn’t have said.
It wasn’t until evening, when the translucent screen of the Hero Nurturing Project appeared before her, that she suddenly perked up.
[Character: Rhodes][Level: Lv.
1]
[Mood: 56/100 ↑ — Anxious][Stamina: 12/100 ↓ — Exhausted][Health: 98/100 — Excellent]
[Combat fundamentals training has left Rhodes physically exhausted.
However, the prospect of being able to explore the Dungeon fills him with anticipation.]
[Rhodes has unlocked a new skill.]
[Basic Swordsmanship: Lv.
1]
“Huh?!”
….
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….
I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length.
If you’re following a particular series, please wait your turn a little If there’s a particular novel you’re enjoying on Patron, please give it a ‘like’ so I know to focus on it