"Strength isn’t something you acquire overnight. If someone shows explosive growth, it’s simply the moment the efforts they’ve steadily piled up have finally come to fruition. As you said, gaining power through a tool isn't a person's true strength. You can never become the real thing with borrowed power."
"........."
"Your struggle exists because you are trying to become the real thing. That’s why it’s fine to feel this way. The important thing is to keep doing everything you can with your current self to the best of your ability. As long as you don't forget that, your progress will never stop."
"Everything I can do... to the best of my ability..."
Ryuga gave a firm nod to Marcos, who was quietly repeating the words to himself. Gazing out at the sea alongside his friend, Ryuga spoke with a faint, amused smile.
"I was the same way. I lost my way, I worried, I suffered... but I still moved forward, one step at a time. Have confidence, Marcos. You are strong. And even if you haven't realized it yet, you are still growing."
"……Thank you. I’ll engrave those words in my heart."
"It’s nothing that grand. Just take it as some meddlesome advice from a friend."
"Regardless of how you view it, it is a great help to me. You have my gratitude, Ryuga."
"……It is I who should be thanking you. Though you probably haven't noticed."
He was just like Yugo. Marcos’s straightforwardness and his—in a good way—obliviousness resonated pleasantly in Ryuga's chest.
Grateful to have met friends who faced him head-on, Ryuga allowed a smile to slip through. Marcos took a deep breath to settle his emotions, then gave a long stretch.
"It’s about time we headed back. I must apologize to Elena and the others for my rudeness."
"True. They’re likely in the middle of picking out a different weapon to satisfy you by now."
Ryuga thought it was very like him that his first priority upon returning was to offer an apology.
The two were about to head back toward the workshop, but they stopped when a man pulling a cart appeared before them.
"……You two tourists?"
"Y-Yes, we are...?"
The man had dark, sun-tanned skin and a massive, muscular frame. Marcos nodded, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the man’s sudden approach. The stranger's face was stern, and numerous scars were etched into his thick, exposed arms.
The man walked toward the bed of the cart he was pulling and gestured toward his cargo.
"Then this is perfect. I’m running a little game for the tourists. Want to play?"
"A game? What kind...?"
When Ryuga asked for clarification, the man beckoned them closer. Following the invitation, Marcos and Ryuga walked toward the cart and took a sharp breath when they saw what lay on the bed.
"It’s a simple Test of Strength. If you can lift one of these weights with one hand and raise it above your head, you win. I’ll give you a prize depending on the weight... Simple enough, right?"
"Haha, it certainly is."
On the cart sat handmade weights—rocks or pieces of iron tied to the ends of long poles. Looking over the selection, which ranged from small versions for children to massive ones for adults, Ryuga grabbed a pole of a modest size.
"Then I’ll try this one. Hup...!"
Ryuga easily hoisted the weight—which was slightly larger than average—and raised it high above his head. The man gave a small nod and handed over a prize as Ryuga returned the weight to the cart.
"Not bad. Here’s your prize. A Wood-carved Hair Ornament and a Coral Necklace made from stones found near this island. You should give them to your family or a woman you’re in love with. By the way, I made both of them myself."
"Ahaha... Thank you very much."
Ryuga thanked the man with a wry smile as he accepted the beautifully crafted accessories. Next, the man turned his gaze toward Marcos.
"And what about you? You going to try?"
"Naturally, I shall accept the challenge. However, there would be no flair in choosing the same weight. I must lift something heavier than my companion."
"……I see. Then how about this one?"
Responding to Marcos’s spirited declaration, the man rummaged through the cart with a clattering sound. He pulled a massive weight from the very back and presented it to Marcos.
"This one is the heaviest. You’ll have a hard time with it."
"I see. It seems quite worth the effort. Well then, without further ado—"
The weight featured several heavy iron blocks arranged in a row at the tip; it looked truly formidable. However, that only made Marcos smile as he prepared to lift it. He reached out with his left arm—the one he had conditioned by wielding the Giga Scissors—but the man cut in.
"……Wait. You, try lifting it with your right hand."
"What……?"
Marcos frowned as the man stopped him. There had been no such restriction for Ryuga. Why him? While the thought crossed his mind, he assumed it was simply a quirk of the rules and switched his grip to his right hand as instructed.
"If the Game Master commands it, I have no choice but to comply. Well then, once more…… Phew."
Instead of tensing his muscles, Marcos allowed his body to relax. Under the watchful eyes of the man and Ryuga, he suddenly poured all his strength into his arm and hoisted the weight above his head.
"Nngh……! It is indeed heavy, but it is no match for me! Hwahahaha!"
There was a slight wobble the moment he lifted it, but once his spirit was set, Marcos laughed loudly, holding the weight steady. The man narrowed his eyes as he watched Marcos, then muttered softly under his breath.
"……You’re good. Not bad at all."
"Huh……?"
Marcos blinked, confused by the man’s sudden praise. The man took the weight back, returned it to the cart, and pulled out a small slip of paper.
"Your prize. Show this to the girl named Elena at the workshop."
"O-Oh……?"
It was a plain, unremarkable piece of Yellow Paper with nothing written on it. Guessing that this was likely a voucher of some sort, Marcos looked back and forth between the man’s face and the slip he had received. Without another word, the man took up his cart and walked away.
"……Ryuga, what do you think this is?"
"Who knows? Maybe it’s a surprise of some kind."
The two discussed the paper they had been given without explanation. For now, they decided to follow the man's instructions and show it to Elena. They turned back toward the path and headed for the workshop as originally planned.