Chapter 10: To Become Stronger

"So in the end, I get that Toma has to get stronger—but can someone really improve that fast? A month isn’t nearly enough, right?"

Once the conversation settled, we began eating the meal that had been brought to us, and Hikari voiced her concern.

The original protagonist had fought for their life against wild animals from the very beginning. I hadn’t. In battles like that, I believed the most important thing was having a heart that wouldn’t falter.

I didn’t think that was something you could acquire in just a month, so honestly, this topic coming up was perfect timing.

"Hikari could probably do it, though. Your talent with the sword is amazing."

"Is that so?"

"Back when you were younger, you killed a boar with a blunt practice sword. And that was the first time you’d ever held one."

Alicia was left speechless, which was understandable. That moment had been incredible.

She immediately realized she couldn’t defeat it head-on, then at the last second spun around to dodge the charging boar. Using that momentum, she struck its neck and snapped it in a single blow.

Yeah… that wasn’t just sword talent—that was pure combat instinct. There was no way I could pull that off.

"Even if I can do it, that doesn’t mean anything. Toma’s the one who needs to."

"That’s true, but there’s no way I can copy that. No way. Even if I tried ten times, I’d be lucky to succeed once."

That said, I didn’t think I needed to imitate Hikari in the first place. Looking back, that was only possible because she had the same kind of talent as the original protagonist. There was no reason for me to feel inferior about it.

I should have my own path… probably. I wasn’t entirely confident, though.

"So, how am I supposed to get stronger in the end?"

"I heard the Knight Commander is going to train you, but then we run into the issue of whether you can really improve in just one month."

"That shouldn’t be a problem."

Time really was the issue. No matter how motivated you were, there was a limit to what you could accomplish in a month—or so I thought. Apparently, I was wrong.

Alicia answered our question with a troubled expression.

"The Knight Commander will likely use the 'Forest of Demonic Mist.' If you spend a month there, you should become considerably stronger."

"The Forest of… Demonic Mist? What kind of place is that?"

Wait—seriously? They’re using that place?

It had been mentioned in the original story, but only appeared in a specific route. Even the protagonist—who had an incredibly strong will—said they never wanted to go there again. It was the kind of place humans weren’t meant to enter.

Maybe my strained smile gave me away, because Hikari looked at me suspiciously. Alicia, on the other hand, seemed sympathetic, her expression pained.

"The 'Forest of Demonic Mist'—it’s also called the Forest of Nightmares. They say things that happen in your dreams can manifest in reality. It’s an extremely dangerous place."

"Things from dreams… become real?"

"In other words, if you mess up and die in a dream, you die in real life too. Apparently, a skilled mage can prevent that, though. And if you train in your dreams, you’re supposed to become just as strong… I think?"

"So basically, you train nonstop—whether you’re awake or asleep?"

If that were all, it would still be manageable. But when combined with a certain kind of magic, the result was something you could only describe as hellish training.

"I’ll accompany you during your training and use 'Dream Manipulation' magic. The plan is to extend time as much as possible and conduct various forms of training…"

Yeah. I figured they’d use Dream Manipulation…

As the name suggested, it was magic that allowed you to control dreams to a certain extent. The depth of control depended on how deeply the person was asleep.

In other words, you push your body to its absolute limit while awake, force yourself into deep sleep immediately after, then use Dream Manipulation to stretch time as much as possible and train in various environments and scenarios.

Got it. Crystal clear.

The worst part? This was undoubtedly the most effective method. The only problem was how unbearably painful it would be—and the fact that, without some kind of mental relief, you might completely break along the way.

"I don’t wanna go… I really don’t wanna go…!! I’m going home…!!"

"Calm down. This palace is your home now. I’ll stick with you, so just tough it out."

Remembering the training scenes from the original story—and imagining myself going through that—I couldn’t hold back my whining anymore.

Before I knew it, I had clung to my childhood friend sitting next to me. She seemed to understand and gently patted my head to comfort me. It was incredibly soothing… though probably not something a nearly grown man should be doing.

Still, just because I was aware of that didn’t mean I could stop. I didn’t want to go through training where I might lose a limb or two…!!

"I-It’ll be okay, Sword King!! The Knight Commander said they wouldn’t push you that far!! If they did something like that before you’ve even mastered the basics, you might end up running away from fighting altogether!!!"

The resolve I thought I’d steeled earlier shattered along with my spirit—but Alicia threw me a lifeline from across the table.

Right… In the original game, that level of training only happened because the protagonist had to grow stronger in a short period.

Which meant I was in a similar situation—but unlike the original protagonist, I hadn’t even mastered the basics. If they forced fear into me before I was ready and left me traumatized, I might never be able to pick up a sword again. And that would mean losing the Sword King they had finally found.

So the Knight Commander had no choice but to go a bit easier on me.

Thank goodness… I might still get to enjoy my favorite pairing…!! There’s nothing better than that…!!

"Phew. Alright, if that’s settled, let’s go meet the Knight Commander. Where are they right now?"

"Um, at this hour, they should be conducting early morning training. Since the Sword King was scheduled to observe today, it’s likely a joint session between the First through Third divisions."

"Man, the way you perk up the moment things sound a little better is kind of shameless. And hey—let go already. That’s enough."

I had been secretly enjoying the soft sensation, but apparently I had been found out. Hikari, her face flushed red, forcibly pulled me away.

Well, I might be a pairing enthusiast, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like girls normally. If there’s a chance to cop a feel, I’m the type to take it.

"Alright, let’s head out. Alicia, want to come with us? If you’re not too busy…"

"Huh? Is that… alright? I thought you two were going around together…"

"It’s not just the two of us. Sebas-shishō is here too."

When Sebas, who had been completely hiding his presence, waved his hand, Alicia finally noticed him—and promptly toppled over in shock, falling from her chair.

The way Sebas erased his presence felt more like that of an assassin than anything else, but his gentle smile made it hard to imagine such a background.

He hadn’t appeared in the game, so I had no idea how to deal with him. At the very least, he seemed like a refined gentleman.

"Oops—here. Can you stand? Are you hurt?"

While thinking that and observing Sebas, I reached out a hand to Alicia, who had fallen from her chair. She usually tried to act like a kind-hearted saint, but deep down she was quite lonely—and also pretty clumsy.

Because of that, situations like this weren’t exactly rare. Still, seeing it in person was something else. Whether you called it calculated charm or just pure cuteness, it was almost too much.

That said, my instincts as a pairing enthusiast kept whispering that Hikari × Alicia was the ultimate combination—and from the bottom of my heart, I agreed. So the idea of anything happening between me and her never even crossed my mind.

Even so, the "Sword King" and the "Saint" were a set. In King’s War, her role was incredibly important, and even outside of that, she was someone I would inevitably rely on.

I had lined up a bunch of excuses, but in the end, it simply meant there was nothing strange about me offering her a hand. So please stop stabbing me in the back with that sharp glare, Hikari.

"Th-Thank you very much, Sword King. I just got a little startled…"

"It’s fine, really. Anyone would be surprised if someone suddenly appeared where they thought no one was."

She took my hand, and I gently helped her up. Back when I worked at the tavern, I did plenty of physical labor, so I could have pulled her up in one go—but if that led to an accidental lucky perv moment, I had no idea what kind of punishment Hikari would dish out.

Considering I had just grabbed her chest a moment ago, if something like that happened again, she would definitely assume it was intentional.

"Oh, and you don’t have to call me ‘Sword King,’ you know. I mean, for official matters, sure—but I’d be happier if you called me more casually, like you did yesterday."

"Eh? But…"

"Even that maid over there—she only looks like a maid. Everything else about her is exactly the same as before."

"Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? You think I’d instantly recognize you as a king or something?"

Well, she had a point. Even I still couldn’t fully grasp it myself, so if my childhood friend suddenly adapted perfectly, that would honestly be terrifying—I might even cry.

I didn’t say it out loud, but I was genuinely grateful that Hikari hadn’t changed how she treated me. Just knowing I wasn’t alone was a huge emotional relief.

That said, people like Minister Depron, the Knight Commander, and Sebas—who only met me after I became the Sword King—couldn’t be blamed for treating me differently.

"I’m weak, so if I’m alone, I end up feeling lonely and useless. So for the few people who were my friends before I became the Sword King… I want you to treat me the same as before. It’s selfish, I know—but I’d appreciate it."

If that was too much to ask, then it couldn’t be helped.

Still holding my hand, she seemed to accept my request. In a voice so soft it was barely audible, she called out—

"Toma…"

It was the first time she had called me that since yesterday. Somehow, it felt far more natural—and comforting—than being called “Sword King.”

"Alright, let’s go meet the Knight Commander! If they’re going to train me, I can’t show up looking sloppy—I’ll make a proper impression!!!"

"Yes!! I believe you can do it, Toma!!!"

"You’d be better off not believing in him. The moment he gets carried away, he always messes up—and ‘calm and collected’ is the last thing you’d use to describe this idiot."

Oh? So she’s saying I’m the opposite of cool-headed? Honestly, there’s no one more composed and perceptive than me.

Fine. I’ll prove Hikari wrong and make the perfect first impression on the Knight Commander—well, technically the second.

"Hey, Captain, hold still. His Majesty will be arriving soon, you know. And yet your hair is still such a mess… If His Majesty sees you like this, he might laugh."

"Ugh… I understand that, but could you not fix my hair in front of the knights?"

"No. If you had properly prepared this morning, I wouldn’t have to do this. There—almost done. In the meantime, please review your greeting and what you plan to say to His Majesty."

"Vice-Captain Matilia… are you my mother or something?"

"Please don’t call me your mother. I’m much younger than you, you know. I’m still quite young."

This was precious—so precious that tears naturally welled up in my eyes. Not streaming like a waterfall, but quietly, like droplets falling from leaves.

There was a certain kind of nourishment you could only get from the sight of a reliable, class-representative-type younger beauty keeping a rough yet high-ranking, dignified man in line.

And I had just received it.

Could there be any greater happiness than this?

No—there couldn’t.

Well… actually, that wasn’t entirely true. Watching other couples brought different kinds of joy too, so it wasn’t like this was the only form of happiness.

"Told you. This guy’s a complete weirdo—if you try to deal with him like a normal person, you’ll break."

"Ahaha…"

Those rude words didn’t reach me at all. I was far too busy watching the two of them flirt right in front of me.