Shujinkou Janai!

[Stance ready! <Air Slash>!]

[<Air Slash>!]

A spirited cry echoes through the training grounds in the Royal Capital.

The people who are shouting with the swing of their swords, their voices seemingly echoing throughout the city, are the members of the <Holy Light Order>.

The speed of their attacks varied slightly, so it couldn’t be said that they were all in perfect coordination, but they were all wielding their weapons in unison and in an orderly fashion.

[Next! <Crimson Lord Strike>!]

[<Crimson Lord Strike>!]

The weapons wielded by the knights were imbued with flames.

As I watched them, having been given such a lengthy title as <Holy Light Order’s Temporary Instructor>, I was deeply moved inside.

After all, what the knights are using all at once now isn’t just Arts, but <Manual Arts>.

This scene was proof that my instructions weren’t meaningless.

[————-It seems like everything’s taking shape now.]

As if he had read my mind, the one who approached and called out to me was General Sergen.

In response to this veteran warrior who pretends to be simple and tough, but has quite a mischievous spirit, I crossed my arms.

[You all have really given me a hard time for this after all. It would be troubling if they couldn’t at least do this.]

I was nervous about casually talking to the older General, but if I talked to the prince in a casual manner and used honorifics with the General, that would just be inviting trouble.

While maintaining a brusque attitude as I roleplay as Rex, I think back over the past.

The duel with Prince Ain on the first day here in the Royal Capital.

At that time, I wondered what would happen after that consecutive 100-man battle against the knights, but from the second day onward, my instructions to them went surprisingly normal.

No, normal may not be the right word for it.

As their eyes that had glistened with murderous intent on the first day were now glistening with motivation, they approached me.

As expected of a Knight Order, they were well-disciplined and they didn’t say anything unreasonable to me, but they held so much intensity that I sometimes felt like that enthusiasm was getting close to mayhem.

[I suppose it was only when they actually crossed swords with a user of the <Manual Arts> can they begin to see its usefulness.]

General Sergen said something like that, but I’d like it if he’d stop projecting that consecutive 100-man battle as some sort of beautiful story.

In any case, although it was hard to tell from the murderous atmosphere they had on the first day, the <Holy Light Order> in the game was a group of elites with excellent fighting skills and personalities, admired by the citizens.

[Just between you and me, we have already seen results in actual combat. They can only use about 3 techniques at the moment, but that alone makes a clear difference in the speed at which they can eliminate monsters.]

Regarding instructing people in regards to Manual Arts, I have a certain amount of know-how after teaching Radd and the other Adventurers.

Due to the short period I’m able to teach them though, I thoroughly instructed the knights on the three types of techniques that they would probably use the most.

Like Radd back then, they can now only unleash them at a constant speed in front of them, but even so, the power and application of Manual Arts are incomparable to Auto Arts.

The power brought by the sacrifice of 23,760 yen (tax included) isn’t just for show.

[I regret that I couldn’t invite you sooner. If anything, we can have the “Temporary” in your title removed and have you officially be the Knight Order’s Instructor……]

[Sorry, but I have something I need to do.]

Surprisingly, there were a few people among the knights who asked me to continue teaching them.

I’m happy that they’re highly evaluating me now, but I’m instructing the knights only for the purpose of searching for the “Hero”.

Besides, I still have more problems to worry about.

※　※　※

[……Now then……]

As the knights saw me off, I left the training ground.

The instructions to the knights basically last until mid-morning.

However, I usually stay at the training ground for a while to improve my Class Proficiency and to continue teaching those who need it.

(……I need to stop being wishy-washy and make up my mind.)

Today, however, I will not be able to train or teach others.

Telling Resilia, who had always been following me like she was my escort, that I needed to think about something alone, I opened my handwritten notebook with B&B’s information written in it.

After confirming that no one was around, I read the pages again, which I had read so many times that opening up to this page became a habit.

――――――――――――

【Stat Distribution Reset Technique through Trial of the Soul】

This is a technique of pseudo-“stat distribution resetting” by using the “Trial of the Soul”, a series of events that could occur after the <Disappearance of the Prince of Light> event after a certain amount of time has passed since the game begins.

The main advantage of this technique is that it allows you to correctly redevelop a character that you failed to develop, but there’s merit in executing this even if you had optimal training, because you can always significantly increase the total amount of ability by having the necessary equipment and planning ahead.

Since it can only be performed once throughout the game and the complexity of the procedure makes it impossible for anyone other than the player to perform it, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it is, in effect, a player-only strengthening event.

However, the difficulty of accomplishment is high in proportion to the magnitude of the effect.

The “Trial of the Soul” event itself is extremely difficult to complete, requiring only 2 people in the party, with additional restrictions in place, to defeat a Lv 50 Boss.

It’s difficult to achieve with normal training conditions, so if you’re aiming for this event, it will be urgent to select and train the participating character, in addition to strengthening the player themselves, from the very beginning of the game.

However, the biggest thing to keep in mind is that you should always choose “a character that you don’t intend to have on your main party” for the trial.

Ideally, the character should be “strong enough to just barely clear the trial if you fight with them, but no room for growth beyond that”.

This is because this technique is only a technique to adjust the ability value of a character, and if the player’s ability value is increased in this way, the ability value of the companion they would bring with them will be severely decreased in exchange.

————Taking into account the difficulty of the ordeal, how much of the best “sacrifice” can you choose……

That is the most important point of this trial.

――――――――――――

With a slam, I closed the page and plopped down on the spot.

[……Haahhh……]

This is my biggest concern at the moment.

It’s a matter of decision for me to re-train Rex with 【Stat Distribution Reset Technique through Trial of the Soul】.

However, I would need to bring a “sacrifice” in this <Trial of the Soul>…… no.

Calling them sacrifice is a bit misleading, so I suppose I’ll call them “collaborators”.

I still haven’t decided who to choose as my “collaborator”.

(If I think about this in terms of ability, I actually have three choices.)

The only people who are strong enough to overcome that trial and are willing to go along with me in such a suspicious-looking trial are Radd and his party, <Brave & Blade>, or Resilia.

However, the <Trial of the Soul> doesn’t really reassign abilities as desired, but rather “adjusts the abilities of the character” according to a set of rules.

Considering the effect of reassignment I wanted, the “collaborator” should be a person with high STR.

————–It would either be Radd, Prana or Resilia.

The three of them were my ultimate choice.

(If I want someone’s cooperation without needing to tell them the details, it would be Prana, right? However, being the person she is, there’s this part of Prana that I just couldn’t read.)

It seems that no matter who I ask, they will be willing to accept, but I’m afraid that no matter who I ask, they will show their disapproval.

No, to begin with, I still have some doubts about whether I should really ask one of the three of them.

I have to admit…… After taking care of them for such a long period of time, I do have some feelings for them.

You could say it was just me being greedy, but there’s this part of me that wants my comrades to be stronger than others……

However……

(Uwaaaaaaahhhhh!!! I wonder if the best “collaborator” won’t just fall down from the sky!!!?)

In desperation, I involuntarily looked up to the heavens.

[Ya, Rex. I’ve been looking for you.]

As if they were seriously waiting for that moment, a voice called out to me from behind.

But when I turned around, what I saw wasn’t God’s help……

[It’s just Ain huh. Sorry, but I don’t have the time to worry about you now……]

There stands a handsome prince with a wide grin on his face, looking as if he just succeeded in an outstanding prank……

[—————-Let me introduce you to her. She is Roserette, the love of my life.]

———and standing beside him was his fiancee, who was burdened by a fatal event, doomed to her death.