Chapter 5: Chapter 5: I’ll Try My Hardest Without Giving Up

I’ll try my hardest without giving up!

“I’ve decided that Taijutsu is too dangerous since Yuuri’s body is frail.”

“Yes, Teacher!”

“Therefore, from now on, we’ll attempt training with a sword.”

“Teacher, weren’t you unable to use a sword?”

“I realized yesterday that for Yuuri, it is more suitable.”

“There are no unarmed attacks.”

Teacher brandishing a wooden sword.

Doing so, his muscles — unexpectedly toned for his age, he already looks like a swordsman. So COOL!

Maybe it’s because he’s fundamentally higher spec than the average person.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“First, posture yourself with the sword held leaning diagonally forwards…”

“Teacher, I can’t lift it.”

Seeing me trembling in exertion, Teacher brought me a smaller-sized wooden sword.

“How’s this one?”

“So, somehow… It seeeems, I, I can, L, Lift it!” (TL: speech is broken because Yuuri is having difficulties lifting it)

I succeeded at lifting it, but in all honesty, I won’t be able to wield it. I’m shaking… my arms, lots of other places.

*Beki*

Teacher snapped the blade of the short sword making it even smaller for me.

Having become the approximately the length of an all-purpose knife, I can easily lift it — with two hands. (TL: all-purpose knife looks to be the longer, wider knife among the knifes in a standard kitchen knife set… so maybe about the length of a person’s forearm)

“Since it’s you, you’ll just have your wrist broken if we jump straight into practicing with contact. So, we’ll start with practice swings.”

“I’m deeply grateful that you understand, Teacher.”

“First, raise it directly over your head. For now, focus on your left hand, and it’ll go straight up.”

“Homu homu…”

Watching intently, I record his movements in my memory.

This body is high in intelligence, so it’s easy to learn physical skills. It’s just really bad at reproducing them.

“From there, swing straight downwards. Only at the end, grip firmly with both hand and cleanly stop the swing.”

Teacher swung down – the sword making a whip-like cracking sound at the end.

“Since it’s unnecessary to swing all the way down, I’ll give it a try. Since if I swing all the way through, I’m sure I’ll end up hitting the ground and hurting myself.”

“Though, I doubt you would be able to hit the ground at all with such a short sword.”

“Torya!”

When I try swinging the sword myself, a *bun*, *supo’*, then *zeku’* sound …

I try to swing down… that’s weird. There’s no sword in my hand.

Somehow, it teleported onto Teachers forehead. And it’s even poking into him quite a bit.

With blood flowing profusely from his head, Teacher asks

“Yuuri, you didn’t happen to do that…on purpose, did you?”

“Ahaha, there’s no way I would!?”

As one would expect, this situation is pushing things — even for gentle Teacher.

“It can’t be helped, I’m going to touch your hands for a bit.”

My body trembled immediately.

Though I say I’m used to Teacher touching me, I’m not completely used to it either, so my muscles tense up.

Pretending not to notice, Teacher brings the sword and my hands together.

It seem there’s no end to my aversion to being touched, so thanks for not minding. Someday, I’m sure I’ll become completely used to you.

While in thought, Teacher ties together my hands around the sword with a towel absentmindedly.

“With this, the sword shouldn’t slip out of your hands. Now, go ahead and try swinging it.”

“Yes!”

It swings with a *bun*. This time, it doesn’t slip from my hands.

“……o?”

*bun* *bun* *bun* … Getting excited like a kid, I start swinging repeatedly.

“oo, I can swing it! I can swing the sword, Teacher!”

“Good. By swinging the sword your physical strength should incr……”

*bun!* *bun!* *bun!* *Zuru’* *goss!*

Swinging the sword in high spirits, I lost my balance and my foot slipped. Without being able to use my hands since they were tied, I took a nosedive, face first, into the ground.

“Dnu, a, a, aaaaaaaaaa!!!”

I roll on the ground in agony. It frickin’ hurts!

“Yuuri… as a girl, you shouldn’t be rolling around on the ground with a bloody nose.”

“D, Deacher…. Id Hurts!”

It’s just past noon.

Inside the Teacher’s hideaway, I’m tackling the challenge of strengthening my body.

I’m exercising in the bedroom… its nothing suspicious. (TL: you perverts. lol)

“Now then, Yuuri.”

“Yes!? Teacher”

“We are magicians.”

“Riiiight. Teacher is the fit type, so sometimes I forget.”

Teacher has a much better build/body than that of the average person.

“Anyways… We are magicians. And as magicians, I believe that training the body and magic is first-and-foremost.”

“Though up until now, it’s been in a completely roundabout way.”

“Don’t dwell on the past.”

“But, according culmination of my knowledge, doing that… won’t that deviate from the true nature of a magician?”

“Quoting the Ancient times, ‘That’s that, this is this’.”

“That saying exists here to, huh…”

That’s surprising, maybe someone other than me was reincarnated here before.

“With that said, you should wear this belt.”

“Belt… so does electricity also run though it?”

The ‘Abutoru something-or-other System’ belt, right? (TL: reference to some electronic fitness belt. I guess it uses electricity for something… probably one of those ‘amazing’ but actually ‘useless’ products advertised on TV)

“Having electricity run through it would be dangerous, don’t you think? All it does is shake.”

“Got it. It’s THAT system.”

I receive the belt and equip it. I put it on a bit tightly since it’s supposed to shake, and then I flip the ‘on’ switch.

“O-o-o-o-o-o, th-th-th-i-i-i-i-s-s-s-s, loo-oo-oo-kk-ks li-i-i-ike it mi-i-i-ight w-w-o-ork, Teacher”

The vapid vibrations shake my whole abdomen.

It seems like this magical device is a success. In order to oppose the vibration, I can feel my abdominal muscles tighten on their own.

“Umu, it doesn’t shake.”

“I-i-i-t is sha-a-a-a-king, you know-ow-ow-ow?”

“No, nothing.”

Teacher’ face makes a face of slight disappointment.

“For how long should I leave this attached?”

“Oh that’s right. Since leaving it on too long looks like it might cause bruising, ten minutes should be fine.

“Is that right? Being able to train my body even as I do household chores is nice… upu”

“Upu?”

Suddenly, I was attacked by this sensation — like a kind of seasickness feeling.

“T-t-t-teacher… not good.”

“What is it? A defect?”

“I feel like throwing up … Oee”

At first, Teacher expression showed that he didn’t understand, but then a despair-filled expression appeared on his face.

“W, wait, endure it! Unfasten the belt! Right now!”

“My body is shaking. I can unfasten it well! Save me Teacher… Ue.”

“Eei, hold on a sec. I’ll unfasten it for you! Why did you put it on so tight!?”

“You said it’d shake, so to not let it slip off….”

Teacher was fumbling around with my belt, when –

“Suuuup! Hasta’al-san, I brought ou your order of silver ore stonesss! Iya, traveling all the way up to the middle of the mountain is a pain. Won’t you move down a bit closer to… the…base?”

“…………………………”

“…………………………”

Teacher and the tool store man stood petrified looking at each other.

Teacher’s hands on my belt – my face pale – my body vibrating…

“Um…uh… am I intruding on you guys.”

“…………………………”

“I’M SORRY, excuse my intrusion while you were in the middle of something. Do your best, ok?”

With dead-fish eyes, Gustar-san slammed the door shut.

“Wait, wait! You’re wrong Gustar!”

Gustar is the tool shop man’s name.

Since I’ve come here, it’s become difficult for Hasta’al to go down to the village at the base of the mountain, so Hasta’al has him come up regularly like he did now.

Running out in a panic, Teacher ran after Gustal.

“Listen, I don’t particularly….”

“What you’re ‘in to’… I won’t say anything, but”

“That’s what I’m saying. You’re mistaken…”

“Even if she’s your student, such a little girl… Isn’t it difficult without using an aphrodisiac?”

“I’m telling you. You’ve got it all wroooong!?”

From outside, I can hear quarreling voices and confrontational words.

Also, I’m almost at my limit.

When Teacher finally returned, the scene before his eyes was that of me lying in a sea of my own vomit and excretion like a sinking ship.

How frustrating. I lay like this… twitching.