144 – Shout Out That You’re the Best Shooter, Too!

Rohan was in the meditation room of Sion’s mansion.

It was only called a meditation room; the walls were solid, and the soundproofing was flawless. The space was also large, making it suitable for moving the body.

To continuously wield a sword in a silent meditation room where not even the sound of wind could be heard, one could feel like they were testing the limits of their concentration.

“Hah!”

Even as his grip ached, he swung the sword. Calluses had formed as much as they could.

He had been told to rest after returning from the dungeon, but Rohan knew the quest reward had completely healed him, so he continued his training.

Furthermore, Ichinose Jun’s one comment had cleared his mind, and he had a feeling that now was the ideal time for training, so he couldn’t just stay still.

‘Again.’

Even with a body possessing magic, extraordinary training didn’t account for everything.

There might be special training methods that someone knew, but in the end, the fundamentals were the priority.

Explaining the importance of the basics would only be a waste of breath.

That was why Rohan was swinging and thrusting his sword again today.

He wasn’t shooting a gun. He was focusing on being aware of where the muzzle of the pistol would pass as he used sword techniques.

He continuously considered the ideal trajectory of the bullet.

Whoosh!

Compressed flames bloomed along the sword’s path, filling the air with heat.

The temperature in the meditation room was rising.

Drawing upon magic to imprint swordsmanship into body and mind, a frantic struggle, the fatigue inevitably surfaced first in the areas lacking finesse.

The exhausted muscles screamed for mercy, a chorus of agony.

“…”

He ignored them, repeating the motions.

He wasn’t after the sculpted perfection of a bodybuilder, but the importance of balance was absolute.

The lagging parts demanded relentless discipline.

More. More. More.

Wring them dry. Overwork them.

When even the resilient areas began to throb and the depleted muscles couldn’t compensate, when he reached his limit, Rohan’s basic training neared its end.

‘Just one more time.’

Not just for Rohan, but for Sion and Clara too, this was the cornerstone of growth, the essence of their training.

During this exercise, the two girls, dressed in light clothing that Rohan found difficult to look at directly, exchanged swift attacks with knives. In silence.

The focus Sion and Clara displayed at those times never failed to impress him.

‘Last one!’

Rohan’s entire body moved with elastic power, the blade piercing the air.

*Tsing!* Though it met nothing, the blade sang with a keen edge.

The inherent problem of the Three-Sword Light Wing Cone was slowly, painstakingly being erased.

“Hoo…”

Returning to his starting stance, beads of sweat dripped from Rohan’s jawline.

His white t-shirt was soaked through, clinging to him like a second skin, leaving him looking like he’d taken a plunge into a pool.

Rohan ripped the thin cloth from his skin. *Thwack!* The t-shirt, heavy with moisture, coiled into a wet heap.

‘If only the points weren’t draining away, I’d be training with potions fueling me.’

Unfortunately, transcendence had left his coffers rather bare.

He could still afford a few, of course. But how could he justify the expense?

‘It’s more unnerving to have an empty shop point balance than a light wallet these days…’

Having experienced the Monolith Dungeon through surprise quests twice now, he felt uneasy if he didn’t have a certain amount of points set aside.

He was compulsively clinging to a reserve of points for food and water.

“…”

He recovered the magic radiating from his heated body, returning the sword to its scabbard with a *clack!*

Then, he grabbed a supplement he had stashed in the corner, replenishing his fluids and nutrients.

Consciousness, aside from drills, meticulously recalls other things.

‘No word of the exclusive quest they promised as reward, and the store’s quiet as it updates.’

An unwelcome stillness. Perhaps the calm before a storm.

This tranquil atmosphere feels solely like an implication: a massive wave is coming, so train rigorously and wait.

‘For now…it’s time to focus on the final exams and training.’

The present goal is simple. Grow stronger.

Better to throw himself into training than try to decipher the restricted information with his less-than-stellar brain.

So that, as Ichinose Jun had said, even if problems arise, he can overcome them without resorting to reckless measures that put his life on the scales.

For Rohan, that’s the only immediate objective.

“Aah!”

He cleanly emptied the supplement Clara had prepared.

‘Should I wash up?’

Rohan gathered his things and headed to the small shower room right next to the meditation room.

*

“Password registration is complete.”

At the main gate, Sion manipulated the device, granting Ichinose unrestricted access to the mansion.

At first, Ichinose had refused, claiming it was too much of a burden, but Sion convinced him by saying it was best not to decline anything related to Rohan, and to be greedy, so he finally reached out his hand.

“Please, come in.”

“O-Oh, welcome…!”

Ichinose excused himself and stepped inside the mansion.

Without moving his head, he perceived the structure of the mansion through his senses.

“A wonderful mansion.”

“Thank you.”

Rohan and Clara had gaped in awe the first time they entered this mansion.

Ichinose merely nodded, acknowledging it was a nice house.

“Rohan…it seems he hasn’t finished training yet.”

As Sion said, Rohan’s shoes were in the entrance.

But the mansion was quiet. He must have gone into the meditation room and hasn’t come out yet.

“I wouldn’t want to disturb his training. May I wait?”

Sion, answering that it was natural, went to the refrigerator to prepare something to drink.

Clara gestured Ichinose toward the sofa.

“Um, please, have a seat…!”

“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me.”

Ichinose, who was even offered a cushion to hold, slowly lifted her eyelids.

Her eyes swept across the house, taking it in. Then, a certain curiosity dawned.

Ichinose watched Sion bring over the fruit juice and asked, “But…there aren’t any Droplet Friends decorations?”

It was a shared interest, between Ichinose herself and Sion.

Surely it was a favorite character, yet there were no goods? From Ichinose’s perspective, it was simply incomprehensible.

“Ah! Those are in my room. I’ll go get them.”

Sion offered a smile, placed the drinks down, and headed toward her room.

*A perfect conversation starter.*

Droplet Friends was a character that symbolized the place where Sion first met Ichinose.

Back then, they were nothing more than strangers, but Ichinose was the one who had offered the first polite bow.

A heartwarming memory. Sion hadn’t spoken it aloud, but she felt their connection with Ichinose was fate.

*Creak.*

The door opened and Sion emerged into the living room.

A pink dragon with tear-filled eyes and a shark with a vacant expression were clutched in Sion’s arms.

“These are my most prized ones.”

Droplet Friends plushies that Rohan had bought for Sion.

Ooly and Blueby, the classic versions.

The moment Ichinose saw them, her eyes widened.

A question, bordering on certainty, arose within her.

“Rohan bought those for you, didn’t he?”

“…How did you know?”

“Rohan asked me once what kind of things I liked.”

Ichinose let out a silent laugh, understanding everything.

Ordinarily, she might have felt a bitter pang, but recalling that they’d cooperated, an overwhelming envy washed over her for the gifts Rohan had given.

“Would you like to go to the store together next time? There are some others I could recommend.”

“I would absolutely love that.”

Ichinose turned her gaze to Clara, sitting quietly beside her.

“Clara-ssi, you should come too. The store near the Academy has a collaboration café inside, with lots of special desserts.”

“Ah! Yes…!”

Amidst the pleasant atmosphere being woven.

Rohan, fresh from the shower, ascended from the basement via the stairs.

“Oh? We have a guest?”

“Ro, Rohan… We’re intruding…”

“Welcome back. Though it’s funny me saying that, being a guest myself.”

Ichinose hurriedly imprinted Rohan’s everyday appearance into her memory.

The dampness lingering at the tips of his hair.

His everyday attire, a short-sleeved t-shirt, brazenly revealed his developed muscles. To a young girl, it was as stimulating as elaborately dressed clothes.

“Are you two done with your outing?”

“We just got back.”

“U-Unni and I went to a café…”

Rohan, saying she did well, ruffled Clara’s hair before heading for the water purifier.

Ichinose felt a pang of envy towards Clara, unable to conceal the melting smile on her face.

‘…These two must be savoring this precious scene every single day.’

Ichinose swallowed hard, regaining control of her emotions before opening her mouth.

“Somehow… I’ve become quite close to you two.”

“That’s good. I’m happy to hear it.”

Rohan smiled brightly. He seemed genuinely pleased.

Seeing that, Ichinose felt she had made the right decision in joining hands with them.

In that instant, Sion thought.

She would thoroughly show Ichinose the joys of cooperation and helping each other.

Sion swiftly completed her plan and moved her lips.

“Ichinose-nim, this mansion also has a shooting range.”

“I’ve never used a gun before. I don’t know how to handle anything besides a sword, and it’s easier for me to keep my eyes closed.”

“Shooting is purely a hobby, so you can just try it out for a taste. If it suits your fancy, there’s nothing better for relieving stress.”

“I see. I should try it sometime.”

“Now that it’s come up, how about giving it a shot now?”

“Mm…”

It was a courtesy, not a genuine offer to shoot. Ichinose hesitated, hoping to politely decline.

Sion’s gaze drifted to Rohan.

“Rohan would be a better teacher than I am. Rohan, could you just show Ichinose-nim the basics of shooting stance?”

“Would I? Are you interested?”

This changed things.

Eager-nose nodded rapidly.

They all descended to the shooting range.

Ichinose stood in the firing lane for the first time, gripping a pistol, Rohan positioned himself behind her.

Sion and Clara kept their distance, observing the pair.

“Shooting, like swordsmanship, has various grips and stances.”

“Ah, ah… Is that so…?”

“But there’s a universal stance we can start with. Like this, feet shoulder-width apart.”

“…”

Rohan stood behind her, supporting her arms. He touched the hand gripping the gun, correcting the finger positions.

Thick fingers and forearms, a broad chest that seemed to engulf Ichinose’s petite frame.

The warmth and Rohan’s voice behind her made her heart throb.

Loudly enough that she worried it could be heard.

‘…Is this heaven?’

Ichinose couldn’t shake the feeling that cooperating was the best decision she’d ever made.

Shooting is the best!

As Ichinose emptied a magazine in that sweet bliss.

A phone call came through on her smartphone.

[Noah]