When I arrived at the House of Strict's training ground, Roan-san was already waiting for me.
"Roan-san, thank you very much for making time for me today."
"Don't mention it. Besides, looks like I kept you waiting a bit. Sorry about that. I was just stepping outside for a moment."
Saying that, Roan-san looked at me intently.
"Erik-kun, you're the vanguard in your party, right?"
"Yes. But lately, we've also been fighting in a formation where I drop back one step behind Alan."
"Meaning the middle guard. Sounds like you've found a good balance."
When we first formed the party, I had guarded the very front alongside Alan.
However, given how I move, it was easier to give instructions from the center, so we had naturally settled into that formation.
"In that case, rather than specialized defense, is the [Shield Technique] you want to learn closer to an all-around style?"
"That would be ideal if I can manage it, but... do you think I can?"
"I haven't seen you in action properly, but I've heard about you from Alan and Philia-chan. From what they've told me, I think that approach would suit you best, Erik-kun."
Saying this, Roan-san offered to demonstrate.
"Alan. Attack me with that stick over there."
"Got it."
"Alan, thanks for helping out for my sake."
"If Erik gets stronger, the party's overall strength goes up, too. Parties are all about mutual support, right?"
With that, Alan picked up the stick and stood before Roan-san.
"Alan. Feel free to attack however you like."
Holding a sword and shield similar to the ones I normally used, Roan-san told Alan to attack.
Hearing those words, Alan charged at Roan-san with the stick.
"—!"
Roan-san cleanly deflected Alan's strike with his shield.
His posture looked like a completely ordinary stance, yet it was far more stable than mine.
As Alan launched a flurry of further attacks, Roan-san precisely parried the stick away with his shield, refusing to let a single blow connect.
Then, the moment Alan was left wide open, Roan-san stepped in and took him down.
"Well, it's something like that. That's the kind of shield technique you should aim to master, Erik-kun."
"...That was amazing. Roan-san, how did you acquire a technique like that?"
"Well, through a lot of experience. I had to solve all sorts of problems back when I was a soldier. But I suppose my shield technique improved mostly because I frequently fought against other people. Monsters are fine too, but humans actually think when they attack, so trying to anticipate their moves makes for great training."
After Roan-san explained that, he began teaching me the movements while Alan acted as my sparring partner.
"Erik. Here I come!"
"Yeah. Whenever you're ready."
Answering Alan's call, I raised my shield.
Alan charged straight at me.
Facing Alan's incoming stick, I braced myself with my shield.
"Your feet. They're spread too wide. And on the flip side, raise your hips a little higher."
"—!"
With Roan-san correcting my stance, I adjusted immediately.
When I caught Alan's next strike, blocking it felt noticeably easier than usual.
"Isn't it unfair that big bro is giving Erik advice?!"
"I'm teaching Erik-kun [Shield Technique] today, so of course I'm going to give him advice. Look, you've stopped moving!"
Startled by Roan-san's reprimand, Alan and I snapped back to attention and resumed sparring.
"Phew~, this is rough..."
"Alan. Thanks for being my sparring partner."
"Haha, don't worry about it. It's good exercise for me too."
Three hours had passed since we started training, and we finally took a longer break.
We had gone through six rounds consisting of twenty-five minutes of sparring followed by a five-minute rest.
Both Alan and I were completely exhausted, collapsing onto the ground the moment the break was called.
Roan-san headed to the mansion, saying he would fetch some drinks, while I checked my status screen.
◇
You trained in [Shield Technique].
Acquired 1 EXP.
48/100 until skill acquisition.
◇
"I've accumulated about half of it..."
"Accumulated? You mean EXP?"
"Yeah. If we do the same amount we've done so far one more time, I think I'll be able to acquire the skill."
Hearing that, Alan stared up at the sky for a few seconds.
"...Let's do it. Getting the skill today is what's best for you, Erik."
"You don't have to push yourself so hard, you know? As long as I stay mindful in combat starting tomorrow of what I learned today, I should be able to get the skill eventually."
"Nah, let's do it. Besides, fighting you is simply fun. Normally I'm defending with a shield, so just attacking like this feels fresh."
Alan said with a grin.
After that, we thanked Roan-san when he brought us water, drank our fill, and resumed our training once more.
◇
You trained in [Shield Technique].
Acquired 1 EXP.
100/100 until skill acquisition.
◇
◇
Acquired [Shield Technique].
0/100 until next level.
◇
And so, we continued repeating the cycle of twenty-five minutes of fighting and five minutes of rest until the evening bell rang.
The fact that I was already accustomed to using a shield, combined with Roan-san's fantastic advice, made a huge difference.
I had been checking during every break, and the EXP was piling up at an incredible rate.
As a result, I managed to obtain [Shield Technique] in a single day.
"Roan-san, Alan. Thank you so much for dedicating the whole day to me."
"Don't worry about it. If there's anything else you'd like to ask, feel free to come by anytime."
"...Is it okay even if it's not about [Shield Technique]?"
"Of course. Ah, but anything regarding the play modeled after me is strictly off-limits, okay?"
When Roan-san said that, Alan, standing next to him, grinned cheekily.
"Why not? Erik doesn't know big bro's story, so why not let him see it?"
"...If he doesn't know, I'd rather he just go on not knowing."
Roan-san sighed in response to Alan's teasing. After thanking them once more, I took my leave from the House of Strict.
Leaving the estate behind, I made my way back to the inn.
Fatigue had built up from a full day of training, but I made sure to properly maintain my gear first.
Then, after finishing dinner and taking a bath, I returned to my room.
Without even pausing to sit down and unwind, I collapsed onto the bed and immediately drifted off to sleep.