Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

“… Forget it. That’s not something I achieved through my own efforts.”

“Ah, I’m not talking about a complete package, but rather a foundation, you see? You’ll have to carry the bricks and build the house yourself.”

“That’s no different, is it?! I don’t need strength derived from relying on others!”

Christian’s words sounded as sweet as the whispers of the devil spoken by the cult.

They were words tempting enough to sway anyone, but Aira shook her head vehemently. It wasn’t just a matter of belief or disbelief; her pride simply wouldn’t allow it.

However, Christian found Aira’s reaction both pleasing and frustrating at the same time.

“Do you have a problem with receiving help from others?”

“Of course. At the very least, I should do things by myself….”

“Do what by yourself? What have you accomplished on your own so far?”

“Well, I have….”

At Christian’s indifferent question, Aira suddenly found herself at a loss for words. Accomplishments by herself? Maybe just training hard and….

“It seems you’re under some kind of illusion, but you’ve never achieved anything by yourself. And that’s the same for me.”

“….”

“The place you live, the sword you wield, the food you consume, everything that contributes to your training, and the teachers who taught you… None of it was created by you but obtained through your mother and family’s power. Isn’t that right?”

“Well….”

Indeed, everything she enjoyed was not acquired by her own means but through the power of her family and her mother. They weren’t hers in the truest sense.

“We both arrived here due to the help and support of others and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Someday, we may stand on our own, but certainly not now, right?”

Only then did Aira’s face turn beet red, realizing something significant. It wasn’t out of anger but out of embarrassment.

“And there’s no need to reject the help of others either. Many people fall behind, despite receiving such opportunities, due to negligence.”

There is no shame in receiving help. The true shame lies with those who reject a helping hand out of pride and those who become complacent after receiving it, failing to continue their efforts and falling behind.

What Aira needed at this moment was a concrete goal to strive toward and the assistance to pursue it.

“What you need to do now is not to refuse the helping hand but accept it. And work intensely so that you don’t feel ashamed of the help you received.”

Christian remembered the image of a person who had worked harder than anyone else. Despite having enough talent, that person never settled and pushed themselves even harder.

If someone with potential fails to make an effort, they will soon be caught up by an ordinary person who has worked hard; that is the logic of the world. Having witnessed that, Christian couldn’t look at Aira any less seriously.

Aira hesitated momentarily at Christian’s uncharacteristic demeanor and serious eyes, then asked cautiously.

“Then why are you willing to give me the results of your efforts?”

“Because my reasons for effort are you.”

“… Me?”

Christian’s words were the undeniable truth, sincere and devoid of pretense. The reason he had worked so hard until now was because he wanted to stand by his master, Aira.

That desire, combined with the duty to save the world, brought him his current achievements.

“Nothing is more terrifying than having someone chasing you from behind.”

It’s truly daunting when someone with talent is relentlessly chasing after you.

The pressure of feeling like they might catch up at any moment is something an average person usually cannot handle.

That’s why ordinary people succumb to jealousy, acting out of place. However, Aira, his master, was different.

The more Christian closed the gap, the more Aira sprinted ahead as if refusing to lose. And when the gap widened again, Christian had to push himself even harder to catch up with such a master.

“The more you strive to catch up to me, the more I strive to not be caught.”

Christian gave the words he’d heard from his master Aira Worden to Aira Worden, who had become his apprentice.

“The reason I could grow was you. And as you grow more than now, I too will struggle not to fall behind, so you shouldn’t rest on your laurels.”

“I am your driving force?”

“Exactly. If your goal is to surpass me and become the family head, then my goal is not to be overtaken by you.”

“And if I catch up, are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“If you catch up to me, I’d be thrilled instead.”

“Why?”

“Well…”

Christian answered Aira’s question with a shy smile.

“Because we’re family.”

At that answer, Aira frowned for a moment, pulling a face of disgust.

“Hey, wait a minute. Aren’t you supposed to be touched by moments like this?”

“Where would there be room for such sentimentality between you and me?!”

While it was true, it wouldn’t hurt to play along a little.

As Christian sighed, Aira reluctantly turned her head, muttering in a small voice.

“Fine, I’ll try believing you for now. What do I have to do?”

Aira turned her head as if reluctantly giving permission, but her cheeks were slightly blushing.

***

Christian and Aira entered the personal training ground used by his father, surveying the surroundings with contrasting expressions.

“I thought our father’s personal training ground would be more splendid, but it looks just the same?”

Christian noticed that apart from the size, the floor and wall materials, as well as the overall structure, were identical to his own training ground, which left him disinterested.

“Of course. A training ground is ultimately a space for practice. It’s basic to build it according to standard specifications.”

On the other hand, Aira, perhaps weighed down by the title of “family head,” was looking around nervously as if she were a criminal, even though she had received the mothers’ permission.

“Well, that’s true. Alright, should we start creating the mana reservoir then?”

“R-right now?”

“Why not? Isn’t every day precious? We can’t afford to waste time. Go sit in the center comfortably.”

Finding it hard to argue, Aira quietly walked to the center of the training ground and plopped down. Christian, sitting behind her, raised his hands and placed his palms on Aira’s back.

“This isn’t really dangerous, is it?”

“You’re so timid. Someone who can take down an ogre barehanded.”

“How can someone take down an ogre barehanded?!”

“You can do it. Don’t lose your courage. Believe in yourself.”

“I don’t need such reckless beliefs… Ahh?!”

Aira, about to protest loudly, was startled as something warm and ticklish began to flow into her back.

“Now, close your eyes and focus.”

“…”

Sensing the end of the jokes, Aira gulped and closed her eyes as told. Christian also quietly closed his eyes.

‘Mana synchronization.’

Christian adjusted his breathing to match Aira’s and began drawing up mana.

The mana flowing through his palms seeped into Aira. Synchronized with her inhalation, he forcibly retained the mana that was exhaled out of her body.

‘Commence.’

With the activation word, Aira’s mana and Christian’s mana became one.

***

‘Huh?!’

Something was moving inside her body.

And she knew well that it was something beyond her control.

Yet, there was no discomfort at all, even though there was a foreign substance moving contrary to her will inside her.

‘This is mana?’

Aira, already at a stage where she could sense mana, recognized that what was wriggling inside her was indeed mana.

‘How on earth…’

Despite both of them having the same type and mana pattern, she couldn’t understand how it entered her body without resistance.

It was a question that lingered.

“This feels like my own mana…”

Although it was impossible to store mana, one could sense it through mana sensitivity training and even circulate it through breathing exercises.

Christian’s mana felt exactly like the mana one tried so hard to feel and utilize as if it were one’s own.

That’s why it felt strange. This should undoubtedly be Christian’s mana, so how did it feel like one’s own mana?

“No, it’s even better.”

Had Christian always carried such powerful mana within him?

One wanted just a little more, just a little bit more of this mana. The desire was to fully own this mana, to store and utilize it.

“I wish to have such mana someday, too…”

The goal became clearer, guiding her to accept Christian’s mana without hesitation. Unbeknownst to her, the mana not only filled one’s entire body but also concentrated on the heart.

***

At first, it was effortless.

Building the foundation didn’t require much mana, and knowing the optimal place for storage within Aira helped.

Christian began constructing the foundation inside Aira through mana synchronization. He clearly understood his role and was not greedy in the least. When he observed the mana reservoir site coming together gently, he smiled.

Now that Aira had started perceiving and absorbing mana, fixing the mana reservoir site to Aira’s mana circuit would complete the task.

It was something done countless times before, and failure wasn’t even considered, not even in dreams, just because the body had changed.

However…

“What? What’s going on?”

As the foundation of the mana reservoir site, which had been progressing smoothly, collapsed and lost its fixation.

It wasn’t just the form that was ruined; the mass of mana, which had lost its shape, began to shift stealthily, eventually congregating in another area.

“Why is it doing this?!”

Christian, alarmed, checked the location where the dispersed mana had gathered.

“Why is it here…?!”

The place where the mana had gathered was the heart.

Ignoring Christian’s will, the mass of mana settled in the heart and began forming a new foundation with remarkable speed.

Then, the mana mass, having taken its place in Aira’s heart, synchronized with the mana residing in Christian’s heart, starting to knock on the tightly closed doors of the Arsenal.

“Close it! Close it, for goodness’ sake! You refused to open it when I wanted you to, why are you opening on your own now?!”

Despite Christian’s frantic efforts, the doors of the Arsenal opened slightly. And through that crack, a small familiar portion of mana flowed to Aira.

“Could this possibly be the master’s…?!”

Could it be because they were connected as one through mana synchronization?

The Ether Weapon belonging to the master—Aira, began to stir awake. As if it were trying to reach its rightful place, it forcibly opened the Arsenal and attempted to burst out.

“At this rate, we’ll both die!”

Christian hadn’t withheld Aira’s Ether Weapon out of reluctance until now.

Though he wanted to return it immediately, he had sealed it in the Arsenal, knowing their immature bodies could not handle it.

The problem was that the Arsenal, sensing Christian’s crisis, was also desperately trying to close the doors again but without significant effect.

“Argh?!”

Blood streamed from his mouth and nose, overflowing. There was no time, nor leisure, to wipe it away.

And it wasn’t just Christian suffering from this.

“Ch-, Christian… M-my body feels strange, strange… Is this, is this right?”

“…”

“Hey?! Why am I not getting an answer… Cough! Oh, why kjflakj!?”

Looking back, Aira was also beyond pale, coughing up blood from her mouth and streaming blood from her nose.

“Why are you bleeding?!”

One wanted to assure her it was okay, but the body wouldn’t comply.

“… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?! Wait a minute! Why are you apologizing….? Are you, are you saying this is…”

“… Seems like I failed.”