The day after I obtained Alexis Hammer No. 1, I was training in swordsmanship with Father.
――Swordsmanship training. Not hammer training. Swordsmanship training.
Personally, I wanted to have Father help me right away and do combat training using the 『Hammer』 skill and Alexis Hammer No. 1, but――
『If I suddenly show up holding Alexis Hammer No. 1, Father might be sad……』
Just before heading out for our morning practice, that thought crossed my mind.
Father is the type who looks a little dejected whenever I talk about using hammers. If I suddenly abandoned the sword and pulled out a hammer, he would surely be saddened.
I do not want to see my beloved father looking down.
So, for now, I left Alexis Hammer No. 1 in my room and headed to morning practice carrying only my wooden sword.
First, we would train in swordsmanship as usual, and then afterward, we would do hammer training.
――That was the plan I came up with.
「Good work, Alec」
「Thank you very much」
After the sword training ended, I bowed to Father.
I did take the sword training seriously.
Even though I really wanted to try out the hammer I had just bought, that was that. A sword is a sword, and I must train properly――
「You were a little lacking in focus today, Alec」
「Really……」
I thought I had trained seriously, but apparently I had not been fully focused.
To notice that, as expected of a Sword Saint……
「By the way――」
「Hm?」
「You have not been bringing the World Tree Sword lately, have you?」
「Ah, yeah」
「What is going on? It is not like it broke, right?」
「Well……」
Of course it did not break. It still exists perfectly fine.
I just do not bring it to morning practice. I still use it normally otherwise.
「Hmm. How should I put this……」
「Yes?」
The reason I do not bring the World Tree Sword to morning practice is this. The World Tree Sword is a sword meant for real combat.
Technically, by classification, it might count as a wooden sword. Just a wooden sword, perhaps. But it is a proper combat weapon made from rare materials.
It is light, hard, strong, and somehow gives off a gentle warmth.
Well, putting the warmth aside, there is no doubt that it is an extremely powerful combat sword. I really cannot call the World Tree Sword just a wooden sword.
I mean, it can easily cut a giant rat in half with a single swing.
Because of that, I wondered whether it was really okay to swing such a combat weapon at Father first thing in the morning.
That is why I stopped bringing the World Tree Sword to morning practice.
「Alec?」
「Yeah…… well, I figured I did not really need the World Tree Sword for morning training. Something like that」
「Hmm?」
It is hard to explain the reason to Father.
Telling a Sword Saint, “The World Tree Sword is too strong and dangerous, so I will not use it on you”, would be awkward.
It would sound incredibly conceited. The height of arrogance.
Still, Father somehow seems a little unsatisfied about me not using the World Tree Sword.
I can sense that sort of feeling.
I know that Father has a deep interest in the World Tree Sword, but could it be that he would even feel pleased at being struck by it?
「So that is why you started using that sword instead of the World Tree Sword」
「Yeah. The wooden sword I used before」
What I am holding now is a wooden sword prepared as a substitute for the World Tree Sword.
I considered making a new wooden sword, but I still had the one I used before, so I am using that as is.
「When you say the one you used before…… what was it again? Magic Sword Balmung?」
「Huh?」
「I think that was the name」
「Um…… ah, right. Yeah, I did give it a name like that」
It brings back memories. This wooden sword has quite a history.
Its name kept changing over and over, until it finally became the Magic Sword Balmung. Then it turned into just a stick that pried open a giant rat’s mouth, and after that it became a fishing rod, or maybe not quite a fishing rod.
I made this sword in order to obtain the 『Sword』 skill, so it was made about seven years ago.
It has really aged. I sure take good care of my things.
Using that Magic Sword Balmung, I plan to keep training with the sword today and tomorrow.
That is the plan. It really is the plan, but still… today, I kind of want to try the hammer too.
「By the way, Father, there is something I want to ask you…」
「Hm? What is it?」
「Well, I was hoping you could stay with me for a bit more training」
「Sure」
「Then, um… could you wait here for a moment?」
「Hm? I do not mind, but…?」
Alright, then I will head back to my room and grab Alexis Hammer No. 1.
It has already been a month since I obtained the 『Hammer』 skill.
It took an oddly long time to get to this point, but at last, my first combat training using both the skill and the hammer is about to begin.
◇
I hurried back to my room, casually rolled Balmung into a corner, then hoisted Alexis Hammer No. 1 onto my shoulder and returned.
「That is…」
「Alexis Hammer No. 1」
「Alexis Hammer No. 1… Between that and Magic Sword Balmung, your naming sense is pretty unique, Alec…」
「Hm? Well…」
Magic Sword Balmung was not really my sense, though. I just slapped on the name of a sword I happened to know.
Still, calling an ordinary wooden sword a “Magic Sword” is a unique sense. Or rather, it might be kind of cringe.
「By the way, your name is carved on it really big…?」
「Jered papa-san did it as a service」
「Jered papa-an? Ah, so you bought it at his shop」
「Yeah, I bought it yesterday. And, well, I was hoping you could help me practice with it」
「I see. I see…」
Father muttered that and closed his eyes.
It seems I really did make him a little dejected after all.
「So in the end, Alec wants to do Sergent Drop me in person…」
「…………」
Father said something strange.
No, wait. It would be wrong to call it strange when he said it while looking so down.
Still, he put it well. A Sergent Drop.
If you hit Sergent-san with a hammer, that really would be a Sergent Drop.
That said, I had no intention of knocking Father’s body flying.
「Um, that was not my intention」
「I know…」
「It is more like, just to try it. Since I finally got the 『Hammer』 skill, I wanted to give it a test」
「Yeah… Well, I will help. I did promise that I would support you even if you said you wanted to become a hammer user」
「Thanks, Father」
I did not say I wanted to become a hammer user, but thanks, Father.
「Alright, here I go」
「Okay」
After getting Father’s confirmation, I took my stance with Alexis Hammer No. 1.
To be honest, I have no idea what a proper hammer stance is, but I tried to hold it in a way that looked right.
Alright. Then it is finally time to begin training with the skill and the hammer.
Father agreed to help like this, so I will give it my all against him. I will give it my all and swing the hammer at him.
Here I go. Real Sergent Drop!
Next chapter: Real Sergent Drop
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