“It’s you again?
How many more times are you planning to bother me?”
On the green grassland of the second floor, Reid looked at the boy who had come up once more.
“Where’s that woman?
She nearly made me cried laughing yesterday, risking her life just to drag you away—just kidding.
Without her, you can’t even get close to me, can you?”
“I understand now.
The current me, no matter how hard I try, can’t beat you or get past you.”
Subaru simply sat down on the grass, right across from Reid.
“Oh?
So you finally realized the gap between us and chose to surrender?”
Reid folded his arms, smiling with amusement.
“I don’t plan to surrender, and I don’t plan to give up.”
Subaru shook his head and denied it.
“Hah?
Then what are you trying to say?
I thought you finally understood the difference between you and me.
So what is this?
Don’t tell me you came here to chat with me?
If you brought a woman instead, I might consider it.
But you?
Don’t make me laugh my ass out.”
Reid mercilessly mocked the boy in front of him.
“Yeah.
There’s a huge gap between you and me… That’s why I have to become strong.
Strong enough to surpass you.”
Subaru looked firmly at Reid as he said that.
“Become strong, huh?
And then?
What does that have to do with me?”
“Please.
Help me.
Teach me how to become stronger!” (TL:classic~)
Subaru lowered his head and bowed deeply against the grass.
It was hard to imagine that only a few days ago, they had been enemies standing on opposite sides, fighting each other.
“…Did you hit your head on the toilet or something?”
Reid raised an eyebrow.
Did this small fry still not understand his own situation?
Was he actually asking the examiner to give special tutoring to the examinee?
“If thinking that makes you willing to help me, then you can understand it that way.”
“I’ve decided.
I absolutely have to clear this trial.
I absolutely have to take her out of here.
That’s why I have to beat you.
I have to become stronger!”
Subaru spoke each word clearly.
From beginning to end, he did not raise his head, so he could not see Reid’s expression at that moment.
“What does whether you clear the trial or not have to do with me, bastard?
Don’t think that just because we fought once, you can act like we’re close and call me your buddy.
What reason do I have to help a small fry like you become stronger?
Are you my underling?”
Reid said that with disdain.
“I know.
If I try to become someone’s disciple empty-handed, without showing any sincerity, there’s no way I’ll be accepted.”
Subaru raised his head.
Then he turned toward the staircase behind him and called out.
“Shaula, bring out my trump card!”
“Hm?”
Reid smelled something fragrant.
He had been stuck in this crappy place for quite some time.
As the examiner, Reid could not leave this floor, and he was not exactly someone with a patient personality.
“What’s that smell?”
“It’s cup noodles.
Something only found in my homeland.
Please, in exchange for this, teach me how to fight!”
Subaru bowed again.
Then Shaula brought over the prepared instant noodles.
“Ah, wait.
Isn’t this weird?
Wouldn’t Reid become my master’s master?!”
Shaula suddenly realized the problem.
“Hey, lewd woman.
I haven’t agreed yet.”
But after smelling that scent, even Reid had a hard time staying unmoved.
This was a fragrance that an old fossil from four hundred years ago could never have experienced.
The divine power of modern seasonings.
Subaru was glad he had endured until now.
If he had given in and eaten the instant noodles during the past half month, he would have lost an important bargaining chip here.
Reid looked at the steaming cup noodles in front of him.
Conveniently, he had his own chopsticks.
He pulled out the chopsticks and picked up a bundle of noodles.
“You’re not planning to poison me, are you?
If you are, I’m going to go wild.”
“Please enjoy it as much as you like!”
Reid lightly blew away the heat.
As a materialized memory, he did not need to eat or drink.
But that did not mean he had lost his senses.
His basic senses of taste, sight, touch, and so on were still maintained.
Slurp, slurp.
“Wh-What is this?!”
“It’s so damn good my teeth are about to fall out!”
Reid’s eyes widened in shock.
He stared at the cup noodles in front of him for a long time, unable to look away.
Subaru let out a sigh of relief.
He had not expected this super powerful warrior to be conquered by a cup of noodles.
After all, this otherworld had not gone through the modern explosion of seasonings.
How could it possibly have science, technology, and ruthless food engineering?
“And there’s this too.
Eating it together with roasted meat should make it even better.”
Subaru promptly took out steaming grilled meat skewers.
“You brat.
Didn’t expect you to be so thoughtful.”
Reid did not hold back.
He took the grilled meat skewer and ate it in one bite, then slurped another big mouthful of cup noodles.
“Feels like… something’s still missing.”
As he ate, Reid said that.
“Ah, I know!”
Subaru took out a bottle of soda.
He was extremely thankful that he had not lost the things he brought from the convenience store.
Thoughtfully, Subaru pulled open the tab and handed it to Reid.
“Interesting.
I don’t think I hate you as much anymore, dumb brat.”
Reid laughed and accepted the drink, then poured it into his mouth in large gulps.
“Buuuuurp—”
He let out a long burp and wiped his mouth boldly.
“Perfect, brat.”
Subaru asked in a small voice.
Reid was far too unpredictable.
No one could guess what he was thinking.
Even if he suddenly pulled out his chopsticks and attacked Subaru right now, it would not be strange.
“Don’t interrupt someone while they’re eating.
Got it?”
Reid waved his hand unhappily, then continued eating the cup noodles.
Subaru nodded and quietly stood there, waiting for the red-haired examiner in front of him to give a proper answer.
Reid finished the cup noodles, skillfully dealt with the grilled meat skewer, and finally drank all the soda in one go.
Crack.
He crushed the can and casually tossed it aside.
Subaru looked at him, waiting for his answer.
Reid said nothing.
He walked toward the place where Subaru had first challenged him and been thrown away.
There, the sword that had slipped from Subaru’s hands still remained, lying quietly on the grass.
“You’re just a small fry.
Thinking you can become my underling is four hundred years too early!”
Reid suddenly shouted.
Subaru was startled, and fear appeared on his face for a moment.
Even so, he forced it down.
“So… that means no?”
Subaru asked nervously.
“Of course it means no.
You think becoming my disciple is that easy?
Besides, I’ve only been touching a sword for three months myself.
You want me to teach a disciple?
I’m not interested.”
As he spoke, Reid picked up the sword and threw it toward Subaru without the slightest hesitation.
The blade landed on the grass in front of Subaru.
“Brat, pick it up.”
“Eh?
Ah!”
“I’m bored as hell.
Taking you as a disciple is out of the question, but teaching you a move or two?
I don’t mind.
After all, no matter how much you train, you’re never beating me.”
Reid spoke with a completely indifferent expression.
“Thank… Thank you very much!”
How could Subaru not understand what he meant?
He immediately picked up the sword and bowed.
“Don’t thank me.
I took benefits from you, so how could I not give something in return?
If I didn’t, wouldn’t that make me some kind of evil thug?”
(Isn’t that exactly what you are?)
Subaru muttered that in his heart, but of course, he could not let Reid hear it.
“Hmph.
If you want to become stronger under me, it’s going to be extremely, extremely rare hell.
Prepare yourself to have every bone broken and every muscle in your body rotted away.”
“I’ll show you what hell really means.”
(Hell?)
(I’ve already seen hell.)
Subaru smiled and pointed the sword at Reid.
“My name is Natsuki Subaru!
I am a heaven condemned, earth damned lowly wretch!
Please guide me!”
“Pfft… You really piss me off so much I’m about to laugh.
I already told you not to announce that small fry name of yours!”