New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/2 chapters)
The First Step of a Warrior
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“Fred, today I’m coming with you for the morning training.” (Jack)
I woke up early on purpose and waited at the entrance. I was planning to join Alfred and Rinalee’s morning training, abbreviated as “Asaren”. Just doing swordsmanship practice and seeing Rinalee off wasn’t enough to keep my body sharp. My light clothing was shirtless with tight-fitting pants, a concealed knife strapped to my thigh, and the Lineage of Akasha wrapped haphazardly from my right arm to my shoulder, was all set for action. Seeing my outfit, both Alfred and Rinalee were taken aback.
When the red-haired father and daughter stood together, they certainly stood out.
“Well, I don’t mind, but… are you planning to go off on a warrior’s journey or something?” (Alfred)
“Is it weird?” (Jack)
“It’s not weird, but it’s kind of over the top… Are you really going for a simple jog dressed like that, looking so dangerous? Isn’t it cold? I get that you want to show off, but at least put on a top.” (Alfred)
Alfred glanced at my chest and abs before placing his hands on his hips and speaking with an exasperated tone.
“Whoa, just like Papa!” (Rinalee)
Then Rinalee started poking at my abs.
Heh, it’s no surprise she’s impressed by the body I’ve honed in the labyrinth city (slums).
Naturally, I tightened my core and showed off my abs.
“Eh? Jack, are you challenging me to a contest of abs?” (Alfred)
It seemed like I had stirred Alfred’s pride as a father. Alfred was jealous.
“Heh heh heh, bring it on!” (Jack)
I responded confidently.
“Oh, so you’re getting cocky, huh?! Do you have any idea who I am?!” (Alfred)
Alfred tossed his shirt aside and began showing off his muscles. As expected of the former leader of Liberta. His muscles were still in top form, and they were solid as ever. But compared to when I was 10 years old, I’ve definitely grown since then.
“Hmph!” (Jack)
I pushed even harder. I, too, showed off my well-defined six-pack abs.
“Wow! Amazing!” (Rinalee)
Rinalee was still thrilled.
How about that, Rinalee? My muscles rival even Papa’s. Pretty impressive, right?
“Your muscles are weak! Go bulk up and then come back!” (Alfred)
Alfred couldn’t stand me basking in my glory and came over to pinch my waist. It seemed like he didn’t like the thinness of my torso. I had to admit, compared to Alfred, I still lacked width. No matter how much I trained, without a certain breadth, it might look a little underwhelming. I also needed to work on my shoulders and chest. Even compared to Alfred, I didn’t have enough shoulder width and chest thickness. My ideal was to aim for a V-shaped physique.
—
The morning training was now finished. It wasn’t particularly tough, especially since Rinalee was involved. We did light jogging and some strength training, and Alfred and I just did extra sets. We wiped off the sweat and took a short break, stretching our bodies a bit in the yard. But for me, this was just the warm-up.
“Hey, Fred. How about we do a sparring match?” (Jack)
“Oh? So, you want to test your muscles against my fists?” (Alfred)
“Well, something like that.” (Jack)
The last time I fought Alfred was only that one time. After I had gone missing for half a year and returned here, we fought seriously that one time.
“Alright, sounds good. I’ve been wanting to see how much stronger you’ve gotten, Jack.” (Alfred)
“Just so you know, I’m going all out.” (Jack)
“Yeah, fine by me. But no Thread Fist or acceleration, alright? Let’s stick to just our fists.” (Alfred)
“Okay.” (Jack)
Alfred agreed right away. We did a few stretches and then walked to the yard. We stood a certain distance apart, facing each other. The signal would come from Rinalee.
“Go, Papa!” (Rinalee)
“There’s no way Papa’s gonna lose!” (Alfred)
Alfred raised his fist triumphantly toward Rinalee.
“Onii-chan, do your best!” (Rinalee)
“Leave it to me! I’ll show you how strong Onii-chan is!” (Jack)
It’s not that I want to look cool. But this is the first step on my path as a warrior. The once strongest adventurer party, Chevalier de Liberta. How far can I compete with the man who was their leader? How much combat power do I have without relying on special abilities? I want to find out.
“Ready!” (Rinalee)
Rinalee’s young voice echoed across the meadow. Alfred and I, both of us ready with our fists raised.
My fist fighting technique was taught to me by this man. In other words, I don’t need any complicated fighting style. It will be simple strength, speed, and movement that will determine this fight’s outcome. This intimidating man in front of me. He’s a large man, both in size and presence. But, now that I’ve decided to walk the path of a warrior, there must be countless fierce opponents who surpass Alfred. That’s why this is my first step. If I can’t compete with this man, then I won’t be able to make it as a warrior.
“Start!” (Rinalee)
The battle command reached my ears. In an instant, the large man charged forward.
Straight on. There’s no need for a sneak attack.
The intent to crush me head-on came through clearly in his charge. The pressure from his force conveyed his power. His actual speed was probably fast, but even more so, the approach of his large body felt like it was coming at me even faster.
Two steps, three steps. As the distance closed, his step grew stronger. I, too, stepped forward to respond.
“Uooooh!” (Alfred)
Alfred swung his fist down, aiming for my face.
Fast. And heavy. I crossed both arms to block that heavy blow, then pushed it away. Alfred, perhaps only thinking about attacking, looked surprised as his right fist was blown back.
“…Tch!” (Alfred)
There, I threw a counter right straight. Since he aimed for my face, I decided to target the same area. But it was a trap. I knew it. Alfred was good at bluffing and feints. His left fist was coming up from below. It was exactly in my blind spot. It looked like he was aiming for a body blow to my left side. Instinctively, I bent my right arm, switched to an elbow strike, and knocked his left fist away.
“Tch…” (Alfred)
I heard him click his tongue. As I had expected, he was targeting me. I immediately followed up with an uppercut to his throat, which had opened up. But that too was deflected by his right arm.
“Damn!!” (Jack)
Though my posture was shaken, I attacked with a body blow using my left arm. That, too, was blocked. Alfred, showing no mercy, attempted to knee my face as I crouched down.
“Ugh—!” (Alfred)
Fast. In a normal state, I couldn’t deal with it in time. I took the full force of that knee strike to my chin.
“Ugh…!” (Jack)
With the damage done, my spirit (voltage) rose. Even as I was leaning backward, I completed a backflip, spinning and kicking up into a summersault. That kick landed squarely on Alfred’s cheek.
“Ugh.” (Alfred)
The whole sequence of movements might not have taken much time at all. But it felt like it was all happening very slowly. I quickly reversed my body and aimed for a roundhouse kick with my right foot. But that was blocked with his left arm, and then, with the force of a hammer strike, my knee was hit with a punch that almost shattered my kneecap. My leg dropped, and my movements became sluggish.
“Here’s an opening!!” (Alfred)
Alfred’s sharp blow, another body punch came at me. But at the last second, I managed to dodge. I dropped my body to the ground, supporting myself with both hands and feet. I immediately followed up with a low sweep. It was a perfect hit, and Alfred lost his balance, his body falling sideways.
“Urrrrgh!” (Jack)
Taking advantage of the opening, I delivered a series of kicks. One of those kicks landed perfectly in Alfred’s stomach. Alfred was violently sent flying backward.
“Ugh—damn it!!” (Alfred)
Alfred, his body blown away, used only his arm strength to hold himself to the ground and regain his footing. Still in a low stance, he lunged toward me. The scene was like a mad dog. I too charged at the mad dog. As I closed the distance, I swung my fist, aiming to strike Alfred’s incoming fist. In an instant, our fists collided. What was once “motion” became “stillness.” For a brief moment, it felt as though time had stopped. The fists clashed, and in the recoil, my bones trembled. It felt as though my arm might have been blasted off from the impact.
“Ah… that hurts…” (Jack)
“It’s not over yet.” (Alfred)
“!?” (Jack)
As I was shaking off the pain from the recoil, Alfred’s calm voice reached my ears. Without being fazed by the recoil, Alfred closed the distance and struck my exposed face with his proud straight punch. With a thunderous sound, my neck twisted violently. The impact was so strong that my body recoiled, and I was sent flying backward. My body slammed into the ground, and even as I slid across the meadow, unable to stop, I continued to slide for a considerable distance.
My body was dragged along, and I collapsed clumsily. The pain from the punch in my arm and the pain in my teeth, from the damage to my cheek, hit me simultaneously. Both pains attacked me. After sliding a long distance, my body finally came to a stop.
It hurt…
“Kuh… ugh… ahhh…” (Jack)
I could have gotten up if I wanted to. But I realized something during that exchange of punches and kicks. I still hadn’t trained enough. I had relied on time control, thread fists, and Insignia Amuse to fight up until now. That was why my physical strength was lacking.
“I… lost…” (Jack)
I easily admitted my defeat. In a simple power struggle, I realized that I was no match for Alfred. Even just realizing that was an achievement.
“Looks like I’m still no match for you… Jack…” (Alfred)
Saying that, Alfred gave a grin, though he too looked battered and bruised. I wasn’t any different. Seeing how worn out we both were, I felt a bit guilty for getting us both so beaten up this early in the morning.
“But you’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger… that much is clear.” (Alfred)
Even if it’s a compliment, I’m happy to hear it.
Seeing Alfred also breathing heavily, it seemed like I had drawn out his serious mode. That big man walked up to me, offering me a hand. I gripped his hand, and with a pull, I got back on my feet. My arm throbbed painfully. Alfred’s punch, which could even make my modified right arm go numb, was certainly powerful. But as I stood up and looked at him again, I thought maybe I had reached the same eye level as that big man, at least a little bit.
“Papa! You’re so cool!!” (Rinalee)
Rinalee ran over to us and clung to Alfred’s back.
“Hey, Rinalee! How’s Papa’s strength?” (Alfred)
“Of course, Papa’s the strongest!” (Rinalee)
“That’s right! Papa’s the strongest in the world!” (Alfred)
Honestly, they seem like such a close family. It’s kind of enviable.
“…I’ll definitely win someday.” (Jack)
“Come at me anytime. I’ll accept it.” (Alfred)
Alfred answered my grumble dutifully.
For now, I’ve taken my first step. He’s a presence I need to surpass as I continue to throw myself into battle as a warrior. Alfred is one of those figures.
—
When we finished our morning training and sparring and returned home:
“Heh heh heh, Alfred…” (???)
A defiant grin echoed from the entrance, resonating through the morning garden. Standing in front of the entrance, blocking the way, was a humanoid figure of Salamander… no, she had grown a bit. She looked like a younger version of Salamander, now a girl. She was the Fire Sage and a member of the Dragon Race with superior combat abilities, a Red Dragon, to be exact. But now, she had turned into an unfortunate figure that gave off the vibe of a punching bag.
“Ah, you again…” (Salamander)
It seemed like this wasn’t the first time.
“How persistent… this is such a hassle.” (Jack)
I thought she always slept with Shia, but it seemed like she waited for Alfred and Rinalee every morning to ambush them during training. She had always seemed to be sleeping with Shia, but apparently, she had been lying in wait for Alfred and Rinalee every morning, timed with their training sessions.
“Now, today I will finally defeat you and take it back… my Volcanic Volga!” (Salamander)
That’s right. Salamander’s goal was to reclaim the Volcanic Volga. Her presence had become so faint from being turned into Shia’s pet that I had forgotten all about it.
“I already told you, I ain’t giving it back—” (Alfred)
As soon as she heard that, Salamander drew the greatsword from her back.
“Ah!! You already have it in your hands, you bastard! Don’t go touching my Volcanic Volga without permission!” (Alfred)
“…Tch… My precious Volga… how could you…” (Salamander)
Salamander glared at the flaming sword with resentment, then threw it to the ground.
…Threw it away?
Something felt off. Salamander seemed more angry at the blade of the Volcanic Volga itself than at Alfred.
“You went and stuck a sword on my Volgaaaa!!” (Salamander)
I didn’t really understand.
Isn’t the Volcanic Volga a sword to begin with?
“Hey Fred, why’s Salamander so pissed? You stuck a sword on it?” (Jack)
“Seems like she doesn’t like that I modified the Volcanic Volga.” (Alfred)
“Modified? What did you do?” (Jack)
“I asked a blacksmith to attach that blade to it.” (Alfred)
“Attached the blade?” (Jack)
“It only had the handle originally. Didn’t look right, so I modified it to make it more sword-like.” (Alfred)
He modified one of the sacred Volga relics… I wanted to yell at him, but it somehow made sense. I thought he was weird ever since he casually modified a bastard sword and made a fake “Excalibur”. This guy had practically no sentimental attachment to objects.
A
All the other Volga relics were just cylindrical. They only had a grip and no weapon shape, with their forms usually being conjured by magic. By channeling mana into them, the Aerial Volga would become a bow, the Keraunos Volga a spear, and so on. Only Alfred’s Volcanic Volga had a regular, iron blade attached. The answer was simple.
He had added it later.
“Unforgivable… absolutely…” (Salamander)
“Come on. It’s not the Volcanic Volga you knew anymore, so let it go.” (Alfred)
Salamander’s scowl deepened at Alfred’s offhand remark.
“Don’t screw with me! I’ll snap this blade right in half!!” (Salamander)
“Stop! That’s my precious weapon!” (Alfred)
“It was my precious weapon!!” (Salamander)
Salamander’s thick legs ignited in roaring flames. She seemed intent on smashing the sword blade to return it to its original form.
“It’s mine now, isn’t it?!” (Alfred)
“Tch… I’ll break off this blade and bring Volga back to its true form!” (Salamander)
“Cut it out!” (Alfred)
“Shut up! You’ve defiled my pride, and I’ll never forgive you!” (Salamander)
“Stop it!” (Alfred)
“Shut up!” (Salamander)
“You’re the one being noisy, Sala-chan!” (Lindsay)
At that cheerful voice, a dull thud resounded. Salamander slowly collapsed, unconscious. From the front entrance came the voice’s owner. Holding a frying pan and looking visibly annoyed, Lindsay stepped into view. It seemed she had smacked the back of Salamander’s head with the pan.
“What the heck is all this so early in the morning? Breakfast is ready, so hurry up and eat.” (Lindsay)
“Oh, thanks, Lindsay! I was starving, this really helps!” (Alfred)
“Yay! Food, food!” (Rinalee)
“Make sure you wash your hands first.” (Lindsay)
“Okay.” (Rinalee)
“…Why does Sala-chan make such a fuss every single morning?” (Lindsay)
“Who knows. She’s got a crest, maybe she has the same instincts as a chicken.” (Alfred)
“Ah, I see. We’ll have to ask Shia-chan to train her…” (Lindsay)
As if nothing had happened, the Liberta family ignored Salamander and went inside the house. While walking, Alfred casually picked up the discarded Volga. He must have gotten used to this morning routine by now. Poor Salamander. Feeling sorry for her, I called out to the collapsed Salamander, lying face down.
“Are you okay?” (Jack)
“Ugh, uuu… uuuu…” (Salamander)
Salamander was crying uncontrollably.
“Were you always this weak? Or is it that your original strength still hasn’t returned?” (Jack)
“Uuu… uuuu… heh… hehehe…” (Salamander)
Her sobs gradually turned into a creepy laugh.
“Heh heh heh, Lost, this is all part of my plan.” (Salamander)
“What?” (Jack)
“This is how I get that parent and child to let their guard down, then when I’m fully restored, I crush them completely!” (Salamander)
“Wow…” (Jack)
She seemed to be working hard in a rather sneaky way.
“And when they realize how strong I am, they’ll worship me, revere me, and offer the Volga up to me themselves.” (Salamander)
“Rather than going through all that roundabout stuff, if you could steal it, why not just take it already? You had a chance during training earlier too.” (Jack)
“That’s not allowed! My policy is to take back what was taken in a proper battle. I’ll take my time laying the trap, then win the fight fair and square to take it back!!” (Salamander)
“…” (Jack)
I couldn’t tell whether she was being honorable or underhanded. Well, if she’s not too bothered by how she’s being treated, I guess it’s fine.
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