At Grusso’s question, Mirene looked toward Rei, thinking with satisfaction that the boy had taken the bait.
Grusso of the Battle Axe, Courage of the Spear, and Konomiru of the Bow.
Setting aside the timid Konomiru and the more cautious Courage, Grusso was brimming with misplaced confidence in his own strength.
Naturally, self-assurance was an essential trait for any adventurer, but if that confidence became excessive, it turned into a liability. In Grusso's case, the tendency was particularly pronounced because he possessed a level of combat ability that was just high enough to make him arrogant.
At this rate, he would suffer a painful lesson in the near future. Having reached that conclusion, Mirene had come up with this plan the moment she saw Rei.
(It’s definitely not just out of envy because he gets to hog Set-chan all to himself.)
She muttered this inwardly as if to convince herself, then spoke to Rei, who was currently facing off against the axe-wielding Grusso.
"What about a weapon?"
"Hm? Oh, naturally..."
As Rei spoke, he moved to reach for the Misty Ring on his wrist, prompting Mirene to cut him off in a panic.
"Wait! I’ll provide one. We have blunted weapons and the like here at the training ground for this exact purpose."
"...Well, if that’s how you want to do it, I don't mind."
Mirene breathed a sigh of relief, having successfully stopped Rei before he could pull the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring.
Given how rare Item Boxes were, an adventurer possessing one would have made it trivial for anyone to identify him. Fortunately, Grusso and the others had only arrived in Gilm about twenty days ago, and they didn't know the face of the local celebrity standing before them.
If he were with Set the Gryphon... or perhaps if he held the Death Scythe that served as his trademark, even these rookies might have realized they were facing Crimson.
"Now, this should do. Grusso, you’re up first. I’ll stop the mock battle once I decide a winner has been determined. Whatever you do, don't deal any lethal damage. Got it?"
Mirene handed Rei a blunted sword that Ekryl had brought over and issued her warning.
Most of her caution was directed at Rei, which naturally irritated Grusso. Given Mirene's behavior, it seemed to him as though she had already decided he stood absolutely no chance of winning.
The spectators naturally backed away, clearing enough space for the duel to proceed without interference.
"Understood. Then let’s begin."
Rei's dismissive tone suggested he didn't even consider Grusso a worthy opponent, and the blood quickly rushed to the boy's head. Though she likely understood Grusso's state of mind, Mirene didn't seem bothered as she gave the signal to start.
"Begin!"
"Uwaaaaaah! Don't you go expecting any mercy!"
At the signal, Grusso raised his battle axe and charged. A blow from a heavy axe swung with such momentum would certainly possess great power—assuming it hit its target.
"Naïve."
Rei evaded the diagonal slash simply by taking one small step back. The head of the battle axe whistled past, missing him by mere centimeters before slamming into the ground. The impact shattered the compacted earth—a decent display of power for a rookie.
"You swing far too wide."
Without projecting a hint of presence, Rei thrust his blunted sword forward until the tip rested against Grusso’s throat.
Grusso froze. He realized that if the sword had been real and Rei had been in earnest, his throat would have been pierced in an instant.
"Eh? ...Wait. Did I... lose?"
"Axe-type weapons are heavy, which makes them prone to wide swings. Even if you're angry, what do you think swinging even wider is going to achieve? You need to eliminate the waste from your movements. ...Next."
Rei prompted Mirene for his next opponent, leaving Grusso standing there in a daze, unable to comprehend how he had been defeated so effortlessly without even a proper exchange of blows.
"Wow, you really don't hold back. ...Next, Courage. Begin!"
"Understood. From what I saw of your fight with Grusso, I can see you possess considerable skill. I’ll be coming at you with everything I've got!"
At Mirene's signal, Courage gauged the distance and thrust his spear. His spearwork possessed a sharpness one wouldn't expect from a rookie, causing Rei to mutter inwardly in genuine admiration as he batted away the spear tip.
(His spearwork is beyond his years. ...She said he was from a noble family; perhaps he was formally trained at home? His form is quite polished.)
With those thoughts in mind, Rei lightly parried the spear tip that repeatedly sought his vitals. Courage’s skill was impressive for a beginner, but compared to the thrusts of a monster like Oricule, whom Rei had fought recently, the speed and sharpness were worlds apart.
For Rei, a thrust of this level was something he could brush aside with minimal effort. He deflected every single strike with his blunted sword.
Courage bit his lip. He could tell that if Rei’s sword had an edge, his spear tip would have been lopped off long ago. Though he wasn't as loud as Grusso, Courage had every intention of making a name for himself as an adventurer. Having his spear parried so casually was a bitter pill to swallow.
The fact that the skills he had cultivated since childhood were completely ineffective dealt him a greater shock than anything Grusso had experienced.
"Haah!"
He lunged with a strike filled with frustration.
However, even that blow was easily deflected. Before Courage realized what had happened, Rei had slipped past his guard. Once again, the blunted sword tip was held against a rookie's neck.
"...I yield."
Even with everything he had, he had been toyed with to the point where he wasn't even considered a threat. Courage muttered the words with a look of stunned disbelief.
"Hm. Your handling of the spear is quite good. However, perhaps as a side effect of practicing for many years, you move according to set forms. That might be fine against a human, but many monsters move in unexpected ways. If you keep that in mind, your spearwork will improve by leaps and bounds."
"Thank you very much."
Retracting his spear, Courage gave a deep, respectful bow.
"To be honest, I had a fair amount of confidence... but I never imagined I would be suppressed so completely. If you would be so kind, could I ask your name—"
"Right, wait, wait. We can talk about names later. You still have one opponent left."
Mirene cut in, interrupting Courage as she looked toward Konomiru.
As for Konomiru himself, the moment Mirene's eyes landed on him, he began shifting his gaze restlessly, looking as though he wanted to be anywhere else.
"Um... do I... have to do it too?"
"Of course you do. That’s why we’re here, isn't it?"
"But with my bow, against someone who wasn't even hit by Courage-kun's spear..."
"Just get ready! I'll make the starting distance further for you since you're an archer."
"But..."
"Just do it, okay? While I’m still standing here with a smile on my face."
Mirene seemed to have reached the end of her patience. Though she was smiling, her tone suggested she was seconds away from a violent outburst.
Konomiru let out a pathetic squeal and scrambled to put twenty meters between himself and Rei. The fact that he didn't run away but actually followed her orders showed his timid yet earnest nature.
"Are we really doing this?" Rei asked.
"Of course. I can't confirm his skill level if he doesn't fight."
"...Fine."
Overruled by Mirene, Rei faced the boy. Even at this distance, Konomiru’s gaze was slightly averted.
(With a personality this timid, can he really survive as an adventurer?)
In terms of being quiet, Byune from Exil was similar, but she had a core of iron. Rei felt genuinely worried seeing Konomiru, who seemed more reserved than a ten-year-old girl. However, since the boy had chosen this class for himself, Rei kept his concerns to himself and waited.
"Begin!"
Mirene gave the signal, and an arrow flew instantly. Being a rookie, the arrow's velocity was unimpressive, and his rapid fire was lacking. Rei simply knocked the arrows out of the air as he closed the distance. When he was five meters away, Konomiru dropped his bow and raised both hands in surrender.
"I—I yield!"
"...So he says," Rei noted.
"Ah... well, I guess that was expected."
Mirene sighed, placing a hand against her cheek. She clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention.
"Alright. I have a general idea of your abilities now. Everyone, gather up!"
The group, Rei included, moved to Mirene's side.
"By the way, you haven't given any advice to Konomiru," Mirene pointed out.
Rei shook his head slightly. "I can help with axes or spears, but a bow is completely outside my expertise."
Rei almost never used a bow. His ranged options were magic, spear throwing, or the Flying Slash of the Death Scythe. Mirene, who had seen him in action, nodded in understanding.
"However," Rei added, looking at the boy, "if you're going to continue as an adventurer, you'd better do something about that timid personality."
Rei left it at that. Mirene gave a small nod and addressed the rookies.
"Now then, you understand that appearances can be deceiving, right? So, for the final round, let’s try a three-on-one."
"We’re still going?" Rei asked, sounding tired of the exercise.
Mirene ignored him and asked the rookies, "So? Are you going to complain about it being unfair?"
"We won't," Courage replied, gripping his spear. "Not after seeing the gap between us."
Grusso nodded silently in agreement. Konomiru hesitated for a few seconds, but when the other two looked at him, he nodded as well.
"Then it's settled. Everyone, take your positions. Konomiru, stay further back."
Ignoring Rei's sighs, Mirene pushed the training forward. Rei took up his position with the blunted sword.
"Are you ready? Then, the final mock battle... Begin!"
Konomiru fired an arrow immediately. It was a preemptive strike, but Rei swatted it aside with his sword.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Grusso charged, determined not to waste the opening. He let out a roar and swung his battle axe down with everything he had.
Rei shifted his body slightly to let the axe pass. As the head of the weapon slammed into the ground, Rei stepped onto the blade, pinning it. He went to thrust his sword at Grusso's neck...
"The same attack again!"
Realizing he was about to be "killed" the same way as before, Grusso let go of the handle and scrambled backward. Courage thrust his spear forward to cover his retreat.
"I see."
Rei was impressed by their instinctive coordination. He quickly pulled back his sword, batted the spear tip upward, and lunged toward the retreating Grusso. Before the boy could react, the sword tip was at his throat. Grusso froze, stunned that his body couldn't keep up with what his eyes could see. He was now treated as dead.
Rei spun around to parry another spear thrust. Konomiru fired a flurry of arrows to support Courage, but Rei knocked every single one out of the air.
The rest of the fight mirrored the individual duels. Rei slipped into the gap between Courage's thrusts, closing in an instant to hold the sword tip to the spearman's neck. A moment later, he was in front of Konomiru, whose final arrow had been swatted away. The sword tip touched the archer's throat, and the mock battle was over.