Chapter 98
"Can we borrow the schoolyard for a bit from now on?"
In the evening of the day we got the magic stone .
I've come to the principal office in order to borrow the place we're going to use for training .
"Schoolyard? What are you using it for?"
"Independent combat training of our party . We will have to break the schoolyard temporarily, but it'll be back to normal by morning . "
"I don't mind . The school encourages promising students bettering themselves, and I owe you a mountain of debt . "
The principal clapped his own head while saying that .
. . . . The cultivation project of the principal's scalp looks to be progressing well .
◇
About ten minutes later .
All four members of our party have gathered in the courtyard .
"Did you get the permission?"
"Easily . Look . "
I showed them the permit I got from the principal .
"T-there's even a permission to break the schoolyard . . . . Is it going to be that hard?"
"Yeah . It's an indispensable permission for training with limited time . . . . Now then, first of all I'll be setting the schoolyard . "
"Setting? We can't use it as is?"
Alma looks at the schoolyard .
The schoolyard isn't that neatly maintained, but there is no obvious unevenness or obstacles, it looks fairly usable .
But of course, that's no good .
"The purpose of the training this time is different . . . . That said, doing it manually will take too much time, I'll use magic . You three, back away a bit . "
"U-un!"
"Got it!"
After making sure the three has backed away, I prepare the magic .
" . . . Umm, aren't you using too much mana?"
Ruli asked me when she saw the activated magic .
It seems Ruli is able to see mana well now .
"Yeah . It's a relatively mana-consuming magic . You use it like this . "
After saying that, I ran to the center of the schoolyard--while rapidly shooting huge fireballs at the yard .
The fireballs immediately exploded when they hit the yard, gouging the ground, creating craters .
I repeated that for a bit more--and then the area around the middle of the schoolyard became a wasteland with nearly no even surfaces .
"T-the schoolyard!"
"An extremely effective way to make use of the permission to break the schoolyard . . . . "
Several spots on the destroyed schoolyard have turned into glass and are breaking apart, it's become exceedingly difficult to walk on .
Also, since there were still burning fire on some spots, I sprinkled water to put them out .
Due to that, the area around them are filled in water .
. . . Yup . It's the optimum environment for training .
"Alright, looks good . Let's start our combat training . "
I beckon the three who were waiting .
"D-don't tell me . . . . We're going to train here!?"
"I thought for sure that you asked the permission so Iris could fight without worries . . . . "
The point of this training would be lost if I did that .
Iris got into danger that time because of imperfect footing .
The footing on the school's training site is properly maintained, however, having easy-to-walk footing in an actual combat is rare .
Having it this bad is also rare, but if they get accustomed fighting here, they will be fine in most sites .
"Iris, use this sword . "
I hand over a reasonably sturdy sword to Iris .
The blade isn't nicked off because I'm the one who's going to be her opponent, but it's a high performance sword that is okay to break .
It's also been augmented to increase its strength to the extreme .
. . . . Ruli has become quite capable at augmenting .
We've got ourselves some dragon materials after all, I should ask her to make a reasonably good sword next time .
"I understand!"
After watching Iris receiving the sword, I turn toward Ruli and Alma .
"Ruli and Alma, you're going to practice shooting with this augment magic . The target is--"
Target marks used in the current world is too big, they're not good for practices .
To begin with, practices with non-moving targets will not amount to much in the actual battles .
That said, preparing a target that properly moves around will take time--oh right . There's a good target here .
"For the time being, you should aim to shoot this . "
I put a shell from a hermit crab monster on top of my head .
Cause they probably will hesitate if I tell them to aim for my body .
I can fight with a shell on my head just fine if it's against the current Iris, so this should be fine .
"On top of Mathi-kun's head!?"
"It's too dangerous, we can't do that!"
But you know, I can't think of any other method that's as effective .
"Alma, try shooting an arrow over there . "
I pointed at an area with nothing in it in the schoolyard .
"Eh, there? . . . Like this?"
The arrow was shot with a swoosh sound .
And I--
"Whoops . "
Approached it by running, shifted its trajectory with magic toward me and caught it in my hand .
If it's just light arrows, I can just divert them away .
Of course I have no problem coping with arrows flying toward me either .
"True, doesn't look like we need to worry . . . . "
"But it's getting dark now . . . Won't an arrow enter your blind spot by chance?"
"No worries . Human's skin is an exceedingly high performance sensing organ . Even if I completely lose my sight, I can deal with arrows that aren't concealed fine . "
"I-is that true! I thought things like having small legs was inconvenient, but humans are amazing!"
"No, I think people who can do that are already getting out of the realm of human . . . . "
Iris was amazed, Alma sounded like she couldn't believe it .
True, dragon's skin has dull sense in exchange for its sturdiness .
The combat training began while we were having that conversation .