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Under Oujin’s guidance, the martial arts training continued day after day, consisting of nothing but the very basics—such as running drills and strength training.

One day, amid this relentless training, Oujin led Tatsumi and the other soldier priest apprentices to a certain place.

In a manner unusual for the usually stern Oujin, he turned back to the fledglings with a somewhat coy gesture as he stood before the door to a certain room.

“Apprentices! You’ve endured my training well up to this point! Starting today, you’ll finally begin training with actual weapons! That said, they will obviously be using training weapons!”

Oujin flashed a smirk, and the apprentices cheered.

There were five apprentices present at that moment: Tatsumi, Barse, and three others. Considering that there had been over 30 when training began, only about one-sixth of them remained.

It’s been about 60 days since training began, and the apprentices have done nothing but repeat basic drills. Some of them had grown so fed up with the basic training that they pressed Oujin, demanding to be allowed to use weapons sooner.

However, Oujin paid no heed whatsoever to the opinions of those apprentices and simply continued to make them do nothing but basic training. Those who rebelled against Oujin, as well as those who couldn’t endure the training, dropped out one by one, leaving the current number of trainees.

“This is the armory where the soldier priests store the weapons they use for training. You are to choose a weapon from this room that you think suits you and try it out. If it doesn’t feel right after trying it, you’re free to switch weapons as many times as you like. However, as I mentioned earlier, although these are training weapons, they are still real weapons. Handle them with the utmost care. Got it?!”

Hearing the apprentices’ spirited response, Oujin pushed open the door. The smell of iron and a faintly musty scent of sweat wafted out from inside, but the fledglings paid no heed and rushed into the armory.

Of course, Tatsumi was no exception; with a delighted expression on his face, he stepped inside the warehouse.

.

Inside the warehouse, a motley assortment of weapons was stored haphazardly.

Spears were propped against the walls, axes were tossed onto the floor, and swords were piled carelessly in one corner of the room.

Tatsumi picked up one of the swords from the pile at random and swung it a few times.

The sword’s weight made him feel a sudden, heavy pull that almost sent him off balance, but Tatsumi knew that the nearly two months of rigorous basic training he’d undergone hadn’t been in vain. Instinctively, he tensed his arms and lower body, steadying himself just in time.

These past two months of training were by no means a waste. Realizing this, a sense of joy welled up inside him.

As that feeling showed on his face and he found himself smiling, Oujin’s deep voice—one he’d grown quite accustomed to hearing lately—echoed from behind him.

“Oh? Are you planning to use a sword? Not many people use swords as their primary weapon in this country though, are there a lot of sword users in your country?”

With his black hair and black eyes—a rarity in the Kingdom of Largovere—Tatsumi was considered to be from a distant foreign land. That was likely why Oujin assumed there must be many sword users in Tatsumi’s homeland.

“Well, there was a time when a unique type of sword… Katana was commonly used in my country.”

Tatsumi looked at the sword in his hand. The sword he was holding now was single-edged, but the blade was wide and straight. The only thing it had in common with a Japanese katana was that it was single-edged.

Even so, Tatsumi still has the image that “a sword is the staple of fantasy,” and he also has a genuine fascination with swords themselves.

“…I guess I’ll go with the orthodox style for now.”

Tatsumi selects a slightly shorter sword from the stack of sharpened training swords—one he can wield with one hand.

He holds the sword in his right hand and equips a round shield in his left. A one-handed sword and a shield. As Tatsumi says, in a fantasy setting, this is arguably the most orthodox combination of weapons.

“There’s no need to limit yourself to just one type of weapon. Once you’ve gotten the hang of the sword to some extent, try using other weapons as well. Of course, sticking to just the sword is perfectly valid too.”

Being able to use multiple weapons versus mastering just one—both approaches have their pros and cons.

If you can handle multiple weapons, your range of options expands depending on the situation. For example, using a bo staff against an enemy that’s hard to fight with a sword—if you can choose your weapon based on the enemy’s characteristics, that alone gives you a clear advantage.

The downside here is that you won’t be able to master each weapon in depth.

The art of weaponry is profound. It goes without saying that if you wish to master the deep, advanced techniques known as “secret arts” or “esoteric teachings,” it’s better to focus on a single weapon rather than dabbling in many.

Should he become flexible enough to adapt to any situation, or should he cast everything aside to master a single path? These are polar opposites, and Tatsumi had no intention of deciding right away.

The sword first. He’d worry about what comes next later.

With that in mind, Tatsumi left the armory, still carrying the weapon he had chosen.

.

The apprentices, each having chosen their own weapons, left the armory and returned to their usual training ground.

Naturally, the senior soldier priests were also training at the training ground. To avoid disrupting their training, Tatsumi and the others had been repeating basic drills in a corner until now.

But starting today, things would be different.

They wouldn’t be on the same level as the senior soldier priests, but they would still begin training to wield their weapons with confidence.

That said, they wouldn’t be clashing with each other’s weapons right away. First, they would learn the basics of weapon handling by targeting a straw dummy clad in leather armor.

Tatsumi took up a sword, while the other four—including Barse—took up spears and faced the dummies.

First, Oujin explained the basics of handling a spear. Even Tatsumi, who hadn’t actually chosen a spear, listened intently to the instructor’s explanation, thinking it might come in handy someday.

Just then.

A murmur rose from the senior soldier priests, who had been earnestly devoted to their training until that moment.

Wondering what was happening, Tatsumi and the others turned to look in that direction, just as a woman with platinum-blonde hair, clad in a pure white priest’s robe, was slowly approaching them.

“H-hey, Tatsumi. Is that…”
“Ah, yeah. Chiiko…”

As the soldier priests present in the training ground watched quietly, Calcedonia slowly made her way over to stand beside Oujin.

When Calcedonia bowed to Oujin, Oujin also bowed his head in silence.

“All right, listen up, apprentices!”

Turning to face the apprentices, Oujin announced to them in a loud voice.

“Starting today, you’ll begin training with weapons. However, since you’re handling weapons you’re not used to, you might suffer unexpected injuries. In light of this, Priestess Chrysoprase—renowned as the Holy Maiden—has offered to observe today’s training. Of course, if anyone is injured during training, Priestess Chrysoprase will treat you. You lot, show your gratitude to Priestess Chrysoprase!!”

At Oujin’s words, the three apprentices—excluding Tatsumi and Barse—happily greeted Calcedonia with a cheerful “Thank you.”

Hearing that they would be able to see the famed Calcedonia up close, and that she would even treat them if they were injured, the three of them instantly became excited.

Of course, Tatsumi and Barse also bowed to Calcedonia, but Barse fully understood her true purpose.

The reason she offered to observe the training was, as expected, because Tatsumi was here. Knowing Calcedonia, she must have come here just in case Tatsumi got injured.

*—Well, at the end of the day, we’re just an afterthought to Tatsumi.*

Though inwardly exasperated, Barse still offered a smile to Calcedonia.

“Instructor Oujin! If any of us get injured during training today, will Lady Calcedonia treat us too?”

One of the senior soldier priests watching the apprentices’ exchange raised his hand and asked. The others hooted, “Yeah, yeah.”

“You idiots! Take care of yourselves!”

Oujin’s shout was met with laughter from the soldier priests.

“All right, apprentices! Ignore that idiot—Start training!”

At Oujin’s command, Tatsumi and the others refocused and readied their weapons once more.

.

“Um… ahem!! Junior Priest Yamagata. Are you feeling unwell in any way?”

After swinging his sword repeatedly at the scarecrow—his target—under Oujin’s guidance, Tatsumi switched places with Barse, who had been waiting for his turn. Calcedonia approached him with a composed expression.

“Uh, um… Priestess… Chrysoprase-sama…? I-I’m not injured or anything, though…?”

Mixing business with private affairs is not good. Thinking this, Tatsumi replied to Calcedonia using a form of address he wasn’t used to. Calling someone you know well by a different name than usual felt both embarrassing and a little ticklish.

“That can’t be true, can it? There must be something wrong with you somewhere. Come on, don’t be shy—tell me where you’re feeling unwell. I’ll treat you right away.”
“I-I told you, I’m fine!!”
“Come on, don’t be reserved!!”

A sudden back-and-forth ensued. Those who didn’t know the two of them—everyone except Barse and Oujin—stopped what they were doing and stared at them, wondering what on earth was going on.

There was Tatsumi, blushing and looking embarrassed as he tried to back away, and Calcedonia, happily closing in on him.

Those who had never seen Calcedonia like this before could only stare at her with wide eyes.

“I’m telling you!! I’m not injured at all!!”
“Well, then, let me massage out those tight muscles!! Since you’ve been training in martial arts all this time, your muscles must be all knotted up!! Come on, come on, don’t be reserved!!”
“O-of course I’ll be reserved!!”

Their back-and-forth continued. The two of them were completely oblivious to the fact that they had become the center of attention.

Just then, a large figure slowly approached them and, without hesitation, brought a massive fist crashing down on the tops of their heads.

“Ugha?!”
“Hyee?!”

Stunned by the sudden blow to their heads, Tatsumi and Calcedonia crouched on the spot, clutching their heads.

“……Seriously, this idiotic couple……”

Desperately forcing their star-speckled eyes open, they turned to look behind them. There stood Oujin, arms crossed, looking down at Tatsumi and Calcedonia with a complex expression that was both angry and exasperated.

“Save that kind of stuff for when you’re at home—AT. HOME. I won’t complain no matter how much you two make out once you’re there!”

Oujin was also a priest of the God of Savaiv. As a priest of the god who presides over marriage, he was, of course, more than happy to see a couple getting along well.

The problem was knowing when and where to do it.

Oujin lectured Tatsumi and Calcedonia smugly on the matter, and once he judged that they seemed to have learned their lesson, he let them off at an appropriate point.

Then, when he turned back to the apprentices—

—It wasn’t just the apprentices; every soldier priest present in the training ground—except for Barse—was staring at Oujin with blank expressions.

—No, actually, they weren’t looking at Oujin. They were looking at Tatsumi and Calcedonia, who stood behind him, looking solemn.

“What’s wrong with you b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲? Why are you all making such dumb faces?”
“Ah, no, Instructor Oujin… d-did you just say… that those two are a married couple…?”
“Ah, you mean that. As for those two, even though it’s not official yet, they’re practically a married couple. His Eminence Chryosprase is also aware of it.”

As soon as Oujin finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the training ground.

Then, after a few beats.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

The soldier priests and apprentices all let out a huge, collective cry of astonishment.

The cry was so loud that Oujin, who was standing nearby, instinctively covered his ears with both hands.

“W-What?! I thought Lord Morganaik’s departure would be the perfect opportunity to get close to Lady Calcedonia?!”
“I-I heard that Lord Morganaik was rejected by Lady Calcedonia and ran away from the temple because of his heartbreak… Could it be… that was actually true…?”
“N-No way…? T-That Tatsumi…? Tatsumi, who’s just a junior priest, with the Holy Maiden…?”
“W-wait a minute. Let’s stay calm here, stay calm. If Tatsumi’s good enough, doesn’t that mean we’re good enough too…?”
“Huh? Ooooh?! N-now that you mention it, you might be right?! Are you a genius?!”
“Nah—no way.”

The one who said that last was Barse, who had been silently swinging his spear, ignoring the whole commotion.

“I mean, look at it, Lady Calcedonia is head over heels for Tatsumi, no? To be honest, she has absolutely no interest in anyone but him.”

Barse had been watching Tatsumi and Calcedonia up close all this time. He knew better than anyone else that there was no room to come between those two.

And he also knows that Calcedonia’s love for Tatsumi far exceeds the love Tatsumi has for her.

To be blunt, the intensity of her love is enough to crush a man or make him want to run away. But while that might be true for any other man, Barse believes that Tatsumi is the one who can fully embrace even her overwhelming love.

“Oh, and by the way. It’s in your best interest not to pick on Tatsumi out of some weird jealousy. If you mess with him, the Holy Maiden might just turn into the Demon King in an instant.”
“H-how do you know that?”
“I’m close enough to Lady Calcedonia to know that much.”

With a smirk on his face, Barse gave a thumbs-up.

“Let me give you guys some good advice. If you get along with Tatsumi, you can become somewhat close with Lady Calcedonia, too, you know? Sure, as long as Tatsumi’s around, you’ll never be her lover, but you can become her friend. Just like… me!!”

With his thumb held high, Barse pointed squarely at himself.

Not too long ago, Barse had also looked up to the Holy Maiden of the Temple of Savaiv. That said, it was merely admiration—it was certainly not romantic adoration.

And it was through his friend Tatsumi that he met the Holy Maiden he’d admired.

The Holy Maiden he actually met turned out to be a perfectly ordinary woman, nothing out of the norm. From the moment he realized that, his admiration turned into a sense of familiarity.

To the current Barse, Calcedonia is no longer the “Holy Maiden of the Temple of Savaiv,” but simply “Tatsumi’s wife.”

“Got it? The important thing is to completely abandon any weird ulterior motives. Because of her past experiences, she’s incredibly sensitive to that sort of thing. Above all, keep in mind that Lady Calcedonia is just ‘your fellow’s wife.’ If you do that, she’ll probably be friendly toward you too.”

The other apprentices listened to Barse’s advice with serious expressions.

Or so it seemed.

“I get it!! So we get close to her that way, then wait for the right moment to steal Lady Calcedonia away from him, right?!”
“That’s exactly why I told you not to have those ulterior motives!!”

Barse’s fist shot out suddenly, landing a clean punch right in the face of his peer who had spoken those words.

.

After that, a rumor began to spread rapidly throughout the Temple of Savaiv.

It was that the Holy Maiden, the pride of the Temple of Savaiv, had finally found a man to be her life partner.

Moreover, it was said that the Holy Maiden and this man were already living together under the same roof, and that it was only a matter of time before they held their wedding ceremony.

Those who worshipped the Holy Maiden wept tears of blood upon hearing the rumor. And the worshippers began plotting various schemes to sacrifice that man.

But another rumor put a stop to their plans.

“Anyone who harms the man destined to be the Holy Maiden’s partner will incur her endless wrath—transforming her into a Demon King’—and, after writhing in the torments of hell, will be despised by the Holy Maiden for all eternity,” or so the saying goes.

They hated the man who had won the Holy Maiden’s heart, but they hated the idea of being despised by the Holy Maiden even more.

With that in mind, the followers decided to watch over the Holy Maiden and her man from afar, shedding tears as they did so.

Among the fanatical followers, some kept a watchful eye, waiting for an opportunity to drive the man away, but seeing the two always so affectionately close to one another, they were never able to seize that chance.

And so,

the Holy Maiden of the Temple of Savaiv and her partner—a foreign youth with black hair and black eyes—gradually gained acceptance for their relationship from those around them.