Oh, Iyer! Iyerpol! – Chapter 56

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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A cool breeze swept through the clearing at the edge of Tillasden Forest.

I stood facing a young girl, the air thick with anticipation.

Her vibrant red hair, usually a wild mane, was pulled back neatly, accentuating the determined glint in her eyes.

She held her sword in a ready stance, her gaze fixed on me.

It was a good look.

Much better than her usual carefree expression.

“……”

“……”

A palpable tension hung between us, sharp as a honed blade.

We held our positions, locked in a silent standoff.

Then, a gust of wind whipped through the clearing, and in that instant, Belle launched herself at me.

Clang!

A solid blow.

I felt the weight of her strike as I parried her attack.

I wasn’t a swordsman by any means, but I knew enough to recognize the strength behind her swing.

It was impressive, considering her petite frame.

She must have trained extensively to generate that kind of power.

“Hmph!”

I countered her attack, pushing back against her blade, and her stance faltered.

For a brief moment, I saw a flash of determination in her gritted teeth.

The strike was good, but she was too light.

She needed to learn to hold her ground.

Releasing my grip on my sword, I quickly closed the distance, taking advantage of her momentary imbalance.

My sword clattered to the ground as I reached her, my shoulder slamming into her chest.

“Oof!”

Caught off guard, Belle was launched into the air by the impact.

It hadn’t been a hard blow, not intentionally, but to my surprise, she flew further than I’d anticipated.

Before I could react, she landed headfirst in a muddy puddle.

“……”

Had I gone too far?

She was lighter than I’d thought.

I hadn’t expected her to go flying like that.

A wave of awkwardness washed over me as I cautiously approached the puddle.

Belle lay motionless in the mud.

“Belle, get up.”

At my words, she bolted upright, covered in mud.

Despite her disheveled appearance, her eyes still held a spark.

She seemed unharmed.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

I announced, letting out a small sigh as I began to gather my things.

Over the past month, I had been tasked with training Belle to become a competent adventurer.

The first thing I did was address her… appearance.

Her ragged clothes had been replaced with simple, clean linens, and her dirty fingernails were now neatly trimmed.

She wore basic leather armor, providing minimal protection for vital areas – standard issue for a novice adventurer.

Her worn iron sword had been replaced with a gleaming new one, purchased just a few days ago.

Most of her current gear had been provided by me, despite her initial protests.

It had cost a bit, but it was a necessary investment.

‘Don’t get too excited. You’ll be paying me back next month.’

I had told her matter-of-factly, and she had finally relented.

After equipping her, the next step was to refine her technique.

The problem was, I was no swordsman myself.

Teaching her improperly could instill bad habits.

So, I decided to trust her instincts.

She was a novice, but her fundamentals were surprisingly solid.

And she had a natural talent that shone through.

I decided to focus on practical experience, letting her learn through direct combat.

Which meant, in essence, letting her learn by getting beaten up.

I’m sorry, Belle. I’m not cut out to be a teacher.

“Stay still, Belle.”

I helped her up, carefully wiping the mud from her face with a cloth.

As I cleaned her up, I noticed a small smile playing on her lips.

Her cheerful demeanor was infectious, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Ready to head back?”

“Yes!”

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The girl stared nervously at her opponent.

A young man with a black cloth covering his eyes stood a few paces away, sword in hand.

He held his weapon effortlessly, his posture relaxed yet alert.

Only his dark hair and flowing robe stirred in the breeze.

He was her benefactor, yet now, her adversary.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to calm her nerves.

A sudden gust of wind billowed the young man’s robe, and in that fleeting moment, the girl lunged.

Clang!

“Ugh!”

Heavy.

And fast.

The young man effortlessly parried her two-handed strike with a single hand, the force of the impact sending a jolt up her arms.

She stumbled, losing her balance.

Before she could recover, he was in front of her.

A powerful blow to her chest sent her flying.

She landed upside down in a muddy puddle, the air knocked out of her lungs.

‘I… can’t… breathe…’

The impact had left her winded, unable to move.

She hadn’t even seen what had hit her.

One moment she was attacking, the next she was sprawled in the mud.

As she struggled to catch her breath, she heard approaching footsteps.

Through her inverted vision, she saw a pair of greaves stop in front of her.

“Belle, get up.”

“……!”

A flat, emotionless voice.

It was a subtle reprimand, as if to say, ‘You can’t even get up from that?’

She lifted her head to see the young man with the black cloth, patiently waiting for her to rise.

His silent expectation was more suffocating than the blow she had received.

He was a renowned adventurer, his standards undoubtedly high.

If she couldn’t even handle this much, she might lose his guidance.

She couldn’t bear to disappoint him.

She pushed herself up, ignoring the lingering ache in her chest.

She could breathe, at least.

Her heart pounded as she waited for his next words.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

He let out a small sigh as he spoke.

That small sigh… it felt like a punch to the gut.

It was a sigh of disappointment.

“……”

She clenched her fists.

She had considered herself strong, at least compared to her peers.

She knew she was no match for seasoned adventurers, but she hadn’t expected to be defeated so easily.

‘I’m… weak…’

A wave of helplessness washed over her.

She was a child compared to the young man before her.

She knew she couldn’t win, but she hadn’t wanted to lose so pathetically.

She didn’t want to see that disappointed sigh again.

Her grip tightened on her fists.

“Stay still, Belle.”

He approached, his hands gently exploring her face.

He pulled a cloth from his bag and carefully wiped the mud away.

The gentle touch, so different from the force of his earlier attack, was a reassuring gesture of affection.

A small smile touched her lips.

“Ready to head back?”

“Yes!”

She replied brightly, her spirits lifted by his kindness.

He turned and walked away, and she followed, her gaze fixed on his retreating back.

‘Someday… someday…’

She repeated the words silently, clenching her fists in renewed determination.

She would not give up.

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“I’m afraid we’re fully booked.”

“What?”

That can’t be right.

I swallowed my initial reaction to the innkeeper’s words.

He shrugged apologetically.

“It’s almost festival season in the neighboring town. We’ve had a lot of travelers passing through Tillasden.”

“Oh…”

“You’ll probably find the same situation elsewhere. Everything’s booked solid this time of year.”

Damn.

I hadn’t realized the inns would be full.

I should have booked a room for the entire month instead of paying day by day.

“……What should I do?”

I thought for a moment.

If all the inns were full, Belle would have nowhere to stay.

“I can sleep outside, Senior!”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

I couldn’t leave a young girl like her on the streets.

Even if Tillasden was relatively safe, there were limits.

There was only one solution.

“Come on, Belle.”

“Yes, Senior!”

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[Do i smell missunderstandings on the horizon?? smell tuned for tomorrows episode of DRAGONBALL IYER where we see what WACKY adventures iyer and belle encounter in their training. (sorry for missing yesterdays chapter i was stuck at work)]