"Now then, I still have things to discuss with Sakaki and Liesha," Instructor Todo said. "The rest of you can head back to class. There's a joint orientation for training this afternoon, but we won't be attending."
""""Yes, sir!""""
Huh? I wondered. How is everyone so chill with Liesha-san and me skipping the afternoon orientation? Isn't this the part where someone shouts, 'Why does Reo get to skip out with her!?'
"...(Well, Reo probably knows the training schedule inside and out anyway,)" one muttered.
"...(It'd be like preaching to the choir¹,)" another added. "(Reo doesn't need the basics at this point.)"
"...(Reo-san is so well-informed, he likely knows everything already,)" a third whispered. "(That's probably why Uncle Seiya is letting him off.)"
"...(Liesha-san is Instructor Todo's star pupil, and Reo... well, Reo's probably got 'King' business to attend to.)"
I called out to the group as they turned to leave. "See you guys later!"
Everyone looked back at once, smiling.
"Yeah!"
"Yeah."
"Yes. Let us meet again later," one said politely.
"We'll all be waiting when you're finished, Reo!" another cheered.
A warmth surged through me, filling my chest. Man... I'm really glad I was born into this world.
"You look pretty happy, Sakaki-kun," Liesha said.
"Can you tell?" I asked.
"It's hard to miss when you say it with that much confidence... giggle."
Liesha-san laughed. It was a smile straight from an angel.
"Ahem!" Todo cleared his throat. "Good grief. You're moving pretty fast, Sakaki-er, Reo-if you've already managed to charm my Liesha."
""!?""
"Th-th-th-that's not it, Instructor!" Liesha stammered. "Sakaki-kun and I are just friends!"
"Y-y-yeah! Exactly!" I added. "I swear I don't have a single wicked thought in my head!"
"...Wait," Liesha murmured, her expression falling. "Does that mean... I don't have any feminine charm?"
"That's not it at all! Is there any way I can answer this without losing!?" I cried.
"Pfft...!"
"Fufu..."
Both of them burst out laughing at the same time. I realized then I'd been played. These two were a pair of silver-tongued devils! But honestly? I loved that about them.
"Hahaha! Sorry, Reo," Todo said, slapping his knee. "As you can see, this girl doesn't have many friends. She's a bit prickly, but with looks like hers, she's got no-good creeps pestering her constantly. Even on the battlefield, the Demon Race went after her relentlessly."
"What do you mean 'as you can see she has no friends,' Instructor...?" Liesha grumbled.
"O-oh, you know. I meant you're so beautiful you're basically unapproachable, Liesha!" Todo backtracked.
"You totally just tried to fix that, didn't you?" she asked.
Todo turned to me. "...Reo, I'm honestly impressed you managed to befriend this one."
"Instructor Todo!" Liesha shouted.
What is this dynamic? It's the absolute best. I could sit here with a bag of chips and a soda and watch them bicker all day.
"Ahem! Anyway," Todo said, regaining his composure. "Reo, I'm going to have you undergo separate training to control your Evil Eye. An old friend of mine is a specialist who researches those kinds of powers. I'm going to reach out to him, and if he signs off on it, he'll be your instructor. I'll be handling Liesha's training personally. So, for a while, you two will be working apart from the rest of the class. Don't worry about being the odd ones out; everyone else is picking their own specialized tracks anyway. Now, wait here a moment. There are snacks on the table-help yourself."
With that, Instructor Todo disappeared into the back room.
If it's a friend of Todo's who knows everything about skills... it's gotta be Logan the Holy Sage², I thought. He's an NPC who joins the party from time to time in the original story. 'Holy Sage' is a rank above 'Sage'-he can use both high-level Sage arts and Light Magic. If Todo is a buff front-line tank, Holy Sage Logan is the ultimate rearguard magic-attacker with insane range. His kill count against the Demon Race is actually third, right behind Todo. Then again, Todo is just a freak of nature for getting the most kills while standing right in the thick of it.
"Shall we sit down for now, Sakaki-kun?" Liesha asked.
"Y-yeah, sure," I replied.
I didn't quite have the guts to sit right next to her, so I took the seat across from her. Liesha puffed out her cheeks slightly.
"Why are you sitting all the way over there?" she asked.
"Eh? Oh, uh... no real reason," I stammered. "I'm just... a little embarrassed."
"Oh! I... I see," Liesha said, her face flushing. "Now that you mention it, Sakaki-kun did say I... sorry, that was insensitive of me. But really, you don't need to be so tense. We're friends, after all."
My heart took a critical hit.
"In fact, since we're both dealing with Instructor Todo, you could say we're comrades bound by fate...!" she added.
Urgh! I felt like I was internally hemorrhaging. My Life Points are already at zero! This Sword Saint has absolutely no idea how gorgeous she is!
"Y-yeah, thanks," I managed to say. "I want to be able to help you too, Liesha-san. I'll do whatever I can to support you."
"Really? Thank you, Sakaki-kun!"
Liesha leaned across the table and reached out, wrapping her hands over mine. Contrary to her delicate appearance, her palms were hard. They were covered in the remnants of countless calluses that had formed and hardened over years of grueling sword training.
To me, they were beautiful. They were the physical proof of her dedication.
"Ah... I'm sorry," Liesha said, quickly pulling back. "My hands are so rough, aren't they? They aren't very feminine at all... they're probably hideous-"
"That's not true!" I blurted out.
Liesha blinked in surprise.
"Your hands are beautiful, Liesha-san! They're proof that you've swung your sword to protect everyone. You endured the pain of tattered skin and burst blisters just to keep training! I think those hands are incredible. I think they're stunning!"
"Sakaki-kun..."
Oh, crap. I let my inner fanboy slip... since I know exactly how much effort Sword Saint Liesha Edelheit put in... my feelings got ahead of me. That is definitely not the kind of thing you say to a girl you just met! She's gonna think I'm a total creep!
"Ah... s-sorry..." I muttered.
"Thank you, Sakaki-kun," Liesha said softly.
"Huh?"
"I always thought my hands were ugly," she continued. "I'd look at the other girls in class with their soft, pretty hands and feel so envious. But... I don't think I care about that anymore. If I have a friend who can look at these hands and call them beautiful... then I think I can finally be proud of them."
"Liesha-san..."
She really was a wonderful person. Most people would have called the cops on me, but she actually took my words to heart.
"Ahem! I told you two you could eat the snacks, not flirt with each other!" Todo barked, returning to the room.
We both jumped in our seats.
"Good grief. Reo, I got the 'all-clear.' My friend is coming by around noon. I'm ordering delivery for lunch, so pick whatever you want."
It looked like the school cafeteria was off the menu for the first day. I was actually looking forward to trying it, but...
"Oh, Instructor! I want a burger meal!" Liesha chirped.
"You and your junk food... you never change," Todo sighed.
"It's delicious! You should get one too, Sakaki-kun," she suggested.
"Oh, sure! I'll have the same thing," I agreed.
"Kids these days..." Todo grumbled. "Back in my time, we would've gone for something like a nice eel bowl³..."
I actually thought the eel bowl sounded pretty good, I thought, but there was no way I was going to say that in front of Liesha.
Summary:
Reo and Liesha are pulled aside by Instructor Todo for specialized training, separating them from the rest of the class. While waiting for their new instructor, Reo and Liesha share an intimate moment where Reo validates the beauty of her calloused hands. The chapter ends with Todo returning to order lunch for the trio.
Trivia:
- Logan the Holy Sage is a high-ranking rearguard magic user and a friend of Todo.
- Liesha was targeted by the Demon Race on the battlefield because of her prowess and appearance.
- Reo's 'Evil Eye' is a skill that requires specialized research/training.
- Liesha has a surprising fondness for junk food (hamburgers)
Character Insight:
Liesha shows a vulnerable side, revealing her insecurity about her 'unfeminine' hands. Reo's genuine admiration for her hard work bridges their gap, moving them from mere acquaintances to 'comrades bound by fate.'
Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the 'junk food vs traditional food' contrast to emphasize the generational gap between the students and Instructor Todo.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Evil Eye (Magan): A specialized ocular skill common in fantasy light novels, often granting unique visual or magical abilities.
2 ↩ Preaching to the choir: Adapted from 'Shaka ni seppou' (Preaching to the Buddha), meaning to explain something to someone who already knows it well.
3 ↩ Holy Sage (Seiken): A title representing a magical rank above a standard Sage, often specializing in light magic.
4 ↩ Eel bowl (Unaju): A high-class, traditional Japanese dish consisting of grilled eel over rice, symbolizing Todo's older, refined tastes.
Notes:
• Reo - Reincarnated HS dude who grinded 'Brave Fantasy' 100+ times, now a bland mob in the game world—black hair, Class E #6 by the back door, F-rank stats but plot meta-knowledge + magic flow reading to sideline-support heroes. Lil' bro to Saki & Taku, survives as background bro.
• Liesha Edelheit - A student in Class E. Known as the 'Sword Saint' and the strongest sub-character. A young girl with S-rank strength and speed. She was saved by Todo Seiya in the past and blamed herself for his injury. She approaches Reo at the end of the chapter. Beautiful girl with silver hair that shimmers in the sunlight, long slender limbs, and an idol-like face. She admires Todo Seiya.