Elisha’s Secret ⑧ – Elisha’s Past Part III (1st Half)
From then on, Otou-sama increased the strictness of the practice.
He started putting attacks with the bokken(wooden sword), knowing that I might be injured.
Of course, he wasn’t serious but compared to when he just received the attacks using the sword, it was more educational.
Above all, it’s the fact that Tou-san is seriously teaching me kenjutsu.
I was really happy about that.
Though Kaa-sama was looking at the practice worriedly, she did not try to stop us.
I understood that she is able to sympathize with my feelings.
Whenever we returned home after a intense practice, Kaa-sama will always welcome us with a smile.
“Totally drenched in sweat. Eri, please enter the bath.”
That’s why looking at a good time during the practice, she would boil the bath with fire for us.
The bath stings the wound.
But, not just that body, it seems like it warms the heart as well.
As I left the bath, Kaa-sama would comb my hair.
“Since you have such beautiful hair, you have to groom it properly.”
Saying that, she will carefully stroke my hair.
Personally, I do not think that my hair was so beautiful.
After all, Kaa-sama’s silver hair is even more beautiful.
“I also love Kaa-sama’s hair.”
“Really? Thank you. But Eri’s is more beautiful, you know?”
Kaa-sama, that is most likely what they call doting parents. (TL: Direct translations: Idiotic parents, in a funny way, not insulting.)
But, I am honestly happy.
After end of summer, and the arrival of autumn, it was the time when the cold is slightly stronger.
“Eri, do you have any intention to try learning magic?”
Tou-sama asked me such a question.
“Magic, you say?”
“Yep. Not just the sword, You will bump into a wall sooner or later.”
The inside of my hearts was rustling.
“I am not saying that you can’t become strong. You might be able to overcome it someday. But even then, it’s better that you learn magic.”
To become stronger with just the sword.
That was my ideal.
In actual fact, it seems that Tou-sama isn’t really good at magic, but just with the sword, he has quite the strength.
Though Tou-sama was being humble saying that his teacher was good, I believe Tou-sama has simply the talent for it.
That Tou-sama is telling me that it’s better that I learn magic.
In other words, it was as if declaring that in terms of kenjutsu, I have no talent for it compared to Tou-sama.
“I can only do kenjutsu. That is the only thing I can teach you. That’s why, I will continue to teach you kenjutsu.”
“Who would teach me magic then?”
“There is Kaa-san, right?”
“Kaa-sama?”
“Ahh, Kaa-san’s magic is amazing, you know! When Tou-san is still young, she had saved me multiple times.”
Previously I did hear that Kaa-sama was an adventurer.
I did see before the multiple magic books that were left in the room.
But, is Kaa-sama really able to use such amazing magic?
That gentle and kind Kaa-sama? (TL: Lol.. must the person be crazily epic-looking to use amazing magic?)
“As Eri is our child, I believe that you also have the talent of magic. Kenjutsu and magic, if you proceed to learn both, it will definitely be a powerful weapon.”
Towards Tou-sama’s words, my feelings swayed.
A strong weapon.
I was attracted to those words.
“…if I learn magic, would I be even stronger than I currently am?”
“Without doubt. Even if you can’t surpass Tou-san with just kenjutsu, you will someday become stronger than Tou-san if you can also use magic.”
I can become stronger.
Tou-sama clearly say that.
That gave a push on my back.
“I understand. I will learn magic.”
I decided to simultaneously learn both kenjutsu and magic.
As Tou-sama also has his job as an Imperial guard, though it’s not like he can always be teaching me kenjutsu, as long as there is spare time, he will definitely accompany me in the practice.
“Eri has a talent for magic. As expected of my daughter!”
Kaa-sama who was teaching while holding a magic book with one hand.
Whenever I learn a magic spell, she would say that.
The magic spells that I learnt were the basics of basics.
They were magic that can be used by anyone who was taught.
“In this case, you will graduate from elementary level very soon.”
If that’s the case, it’s thanks to Kaa-sama.
Even if it’s to the late hours, until I comprehend, Kaa-sama would thoroughly teach me.
Personally, I do not dislike the study of magic.
Though I do prefer kenjutsu, as I continued learning magic, I do know that I am more suited towards magic myself.
Though that said, it’s not like I neglect kenjutsu.
I will work hard at both kenjutsu and magic.
I will take in anything that is necessary.
I have to at least do that much.
I did decide to become strong, than being protected by Tou-sama and Kaa-sama.
From then on as time passed, I was thirteen.
I participated in the kenjutsu tournament opened by the capital since a year ago.
It was an intense fight starting from the first match.
As expected, there is the difference in physical strength.
But thanks to receiving Tou-sama’s sword, I don’t feel the weight compared to the past.
If my strength is insufficient, then I will ward off the attack.
As I will lose in strength if I received the attack.
I understand the battle against an opponent who is physically stronger than myself.
But, even then, the result was a loss at the 3rd round.
Strangely, that opponent was the boy who I lost last year.
“You, you are still doing it?”
I was told that.
But, I wasn’t bothered by it.
Though I was quite vexed.
“It’s a pity.”
After the match, Tou-sama called out to me.
“….sorry, I couldn’t win.”
“If you use magic, I think Eri would have won, you know?”
That is something I thought myself.
Even keeping at a distance, I can release offensive magic, and I could also use Reinforcement-Type magic to strengthen my body ability.
But, this is a kenjutsu match.
“There is a way to win the opponent. Though you lost in a kenjutsu match, there is no need to be impatient.”
Saying that, as Tou-sama tried to caress my head,
“…let’s go back, shall we?”
As if he just remembered, he parted his hand in a panic.
To such a Tou-sama, it felt slightly weird.
After more time has passed, it became the the season of falling snow.
“Amazing, Eri! You have pretty much mastered the basis of elementary magic!”
It should be about one year since I started learning magic.
Kaa-sama was in high spirits about teaching advanced magic to me soon.
Eri’s aptitude for Fire and Light-type magic is high, it seems. That’s why I am thinking of teaching advanced magic with those two as the core of it.
As I thought of learning new magic, I became slightly excited.
Kaa-sama was also quite eager about it.
There was also a slight improvement in kenjutsu.
But, it’s still not enough.
Though It seems that Tou-sama’s school of kenjutsu is called Kenhate-ryu(Sword Style of the Horizon), I have not reached the stage of having that taught to me.
As Tou-sama himself left his teacher’s guidance halfway, it seems that it’s pretty much self-taught for the other half.
Even then, I really wanted to learn Tou-sama’s school of kenjutsu as soon as I can.
As I convey that,
“Don’t be impatient. Eri is definitely becoming stronger.”
I feel like I was given the slip.
But in fact, I have become stronger
I do believe that I am doing well.
But, I know that not everything will go well.
The calmness can instantly vanish.
It’s the time when winter has ended and the vegetation starts to sprout
As I was swinging my sword to a rather late time on this day, the sun has already set.
There wasn’t the usual Kaa-sama that would welcome me back.
The light in the room was also not lit.
“Kaa-sama?”
There wasn’t a reply even when I called out.
I moved towards Kaa-sama’s room.
――~Batan~
I could hear sounds.
It’s from Kaa-sama’s room.
As I opened the door,
“……eh?”
Kaa-sama has collapsed on the floor.
And there was a man who was looking down at her.
Due to the dark room, I couldn’t see his face.
But, he has the appearance of an assassin that would appear in stories.
“Ka, Kaa-sama….!”
The man’s eyes turned towards me.
“…..a kid”
The man started nearing me.
Just with that, fear envelops the body.
I shouldn’t fight with this man.
If I fight, I will definitely be killed.
I could understand it from my intuition.
Even though I have to save Kaa-sama no matter what.
But…..
Run.
Run!
Run!!
Run Run Run Run Run Run!
A sensation that appeals to the whole body.
But――
Even then――
――I sweared that I would protect them!
Tou-sama
Kaa-sama
Disregarding my instinct, I tried releasing magic at that man――something shined.
That was a silver sword.
As I realized that, my throat was about to be thrusted――
I resolved myself to death.
For the sake of becoming stronger, I worked hard.
For the sake of protecting, I worked hard.
For sake of becoming a knight, I worked hard.
Despite that, will I die without being able to do anything?
The thoughts of regret keep whirling.
But, the moment of death did not come.
“u――”
The sound of anguish
The weapon the guy was holding on was repelled, dancing in the midar.
There was large back in front of me.
That back was
“To, tou-sama…..!?”