Hello fellow readers! Here’s Chapter 20 of Kanna. Got it done on time despite procrastinating it a bit. The title of this chapter is a bit…weird, but yeah. I couldn’t think of more. If you have suggestions to changing it, then feel free to post it and I’ll look it over.

 

Enjoy the chapter!

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Tl: Jun

ED: Jun

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Chapter 20 Why does “Odjisan” feel more playful than “Ojisan”? Also a new skill development while I’m at it.

 

 

It’s a fact that I snatched away victory from Agaht, but Real scolded me immediately afterwards. Saying there’s completely no meaning in using the wooden sword with that. I also noticed it in the end.

 

Thereafter I was told any attacks that uses anything beside the wooden sword, in other words blows that uses hands or feet are forbidden and I made another effort in training with Mr. Agaht.

 

The result? It was a complete defeat after five minutes of fighting him. At the beginning of the fight I was at my wits end from his offence so severe like he was avenging himself and points kept being taken from me. After great pains or something I didn’t bear any injuries I went down with, but my head and flanks were hit hard among other places, so it’s extraordinary painful. He was absolutely aiming at the places that wasn’t covered by armor, didn’t he. Given that I also didn’t understand his feelings, I won’t complain. I reap what I sow is what I told myself.

 

To be blunt, that was a fighting style that can be said to be a bad plan within a bad plan against opponents above a certain level. Surprises like surprise attacks hardly work on them. In the first place, there was no concept of surprise attacks. The throwing of the wooden sword should have been recognized as an 『attack』 and each of my follow ups afterwards should have been intercepted. These sort of tricky techniques won’t work against the kinds of people who are good at breaking through them.

 

“Would you mind me sitting next to you?

 

After the break ended, we boarded the horse carriage as we chewed on dried jerky and washing it down with water and we departed once again. This time Mr. Agaht is the coachman. I’ve been reflecting on the training I’ve had just then in the corner of the carriage. Rand excuses himself and sits down near me.

 

 

“I’m really sorry there, for not being able to stop that boy Agaht.”

“No, he’ll look like he would explode if he doesn’t let out a little steam here or something. And it’s just like Real said; training with someone beside her is also experience.”

“Quite the philosophic way of thinking you have there, despite your appearance. “

“The appearance part was uncalled for. I’m not really a guy who knows how to swim the tide and I’m used to be at the end of someone’s grudges. After all I’m strong since I’ve been beaten black and blue.”

 

The weak being trampled is the truth.

 

 

“That isn’t something you should be humble about, don’t you agree? I’ve only glanced at the first battle, but you raised a mark of victory on him. That boy abilities are at the top among the young people serving Lady Faima’s esteemed household. He’s no opponent you can win with a fluke. “

“The top, huh…………”

 

I gaze at the back of Agaht on the coachman’s seat holding the reins of the horses. He has calmed down somewhat compared to before, but even so the atmosphere is still stiff.

 

 

“What kind of person does Mr. Agaht look like from your perspective?”

“Let’s see here. It’s an honest expression, but he’s a good young man. In spite of possessing talent, he repeats training without being haughty about it. He may also be a mine of excessive honesty, but that on itself is also a virtue. I would like for him to be a little more flexible. ”

“A seriously strait-laced guy, right?”

 

I haven’t had that type of person around me. That Yuuzuki fellow is usually the no good pretty boy and Misaki is the energetic girl.

Ayana is somewhat of a natural airhead. I have the role of the brake, but I think I was a relatively soft brake. We didn’t have that sort of committee chairman type of person among us.

 

Rand’s mouth warped to my unreserved words.

 

 

“Quite direct aren’t we.”

“I don’t hate him you know. I find him a little difficult to deal with. It’s just that I have to keep in mind interpersonal relationships a little you know, that’s all I’m thinking of. “

“I would like you both to be on good terms for me though.”

“That’s why I said I don’t hate him. That part will be a future development from now on, so it’ll be fine if we have to compromise together.”

 

As expected, trouble would occur if the whole thing was heard by the person himself, so up until now we’ve been talking secretly with quite a low voice.

 

“Back to the topic on the previous training. It may have been a bad experience for him, but it was good experience. His way of talking is bad, but he has still got a long way to go, what with his posture crumbling from that level of surprise attack. He can’t respond to his opponent’s surprise attack in that condition.”

 

Dropping the low voice we’ve been doing up until now, Rand returns to his normal volume. He talks with the intention of letting Agaht hear him.

 

Agaht didn’t have enough experience, though I myself don’t have enough either to say that to others. He’s strong in a fight right from the front, but because of his path of righteousness he had insufficient experience with opponents who would attack their opponent’s weaknesses.

 

“The enemies aren’t limited to waiting for the starting signal before attacking nor are they limited to attacking from the front. Rather, they’re constantly attacking suddenly and they’re clear to aim for our openings. Even in the previous case, you challenged the fight in a strange way and constantly aimed at our blind spots. It’s useless to curse at your enemy for cowardice just before death. What’s necessary is the preparedness and the experience to allow you to deal with your enemy’s actions at any time.”

 

What he said has the same meaning as what I was talking about this morning. They were words that is indirectly acknowledging what I had said. Whoa wait just a minute, can you really let him hear that? Look, Mr. Agaht’s shoulders are quivering a little. He’s pointing his brunt of “I want him to stop” to me.

 

When I glare at Rand with a look of criticism, he once again talks with a low voice.

 

 

“I’m sorry to you, but please endure it and consider this as an addition to the contents of our contract. I have expectations in that man’s talent. If he were to possess a certain level of flexibility on top of that, is what I’ve always been thinking. If there is someone like you nearby who uses the 『wrong path』, even he may be able to grasp something.”

 

“You’re not praising me are you”

“Well, I never! I am certainly praising you more than enough in my eyes.”

 

The Nice Guy is showing a Smile meaningfully.

 

・・・・this mister*. He’s quite the ruffian despite his appearance.

 

Well, I guess he won’t be fit as a “Commander” if he can’t do that much.

 

“・・・・This time’s on the house.”

 

And I could only tell him the remunerations in relation to the addition to our contract.

 

Since then, our travel have advanced well for several days. Magic beasts attacked us several times on the way, but we were able to deal with them without any problems. Actually, Real and Agaht as well as the other servant immediately exterminated them, so there’s pretty much no turn for me.

 

Speaking of my normal job, I’ve been training with Mr. Agaht before lunch breaks. The score is generally Mr. Agaht taking the lead. It’s just that as a special rule that we repeat about every five fights,  we only use swords for four out of five fights and only in the remaining fight I’m able to do anything I like without limits. Only in that one fight I am somehow able to snatch away a win from Agaht. I feel just a little satisfied with that. But really, he’s weak against surprise attacks you know. When I’m being sneaky and his pace breaks once, I could completely drag him around. On the other hand, as long as his pace doesn’t crumble down, he wouldn’t even slightly waver by my improvised swordsmanship. The strongest people among the 『Swordsmen』 I’m acquainted with have the strength to be good.

 

It’s loss upon loss for me if you only look at the results, but I think this is an unusually meaningful time to me. A fight with an orthodox swordsman besides an ultra power fighter like Real is an experience necessary in order to live in the time to come.

 

It’s just that, well, I also can’t afford to temper only my swordsmanship. To use anything I can use is my principle.

 

“I wonder if it’s fine around here.”

 

Evening of the fourth day since leaving the previous town. Just like Real had said, we had arrived at the next inn town. It’s a lot smaller than the town I met Faima at, but as a resting point for travels, it seems to be flourishing in its own way.

 

Right now I’m loitering at the plains a little separated from the town. Time has passed since the sun has set and there’s no light, but that is no problem. The starlight in the sky you can’t see in real world Japan and the presence I feel on my skin tells me the situation around me.

 

The visit to such a deserted place is solely for the sake of training my spirit art. With the eyes of Faima et al. for several days I’ve been refraining from using it, but I’ve been going with just image training too in the meantime. It’s a short stay, but I want to study whether the practical form of the image is effective or not right now, when I can settle down in the inn town.

 

Real who had always accompanied me in my spirit art training isn’t here. Given that this time I’m only giving shape to my image, quite a useless production could appear. I plan to attempt doing this together with Real on another day and finalize the design after I’ve completed a more precise shape.

 

“Now, let’s start shall we.”

 

I concentrate my consciousness in my right palm. Like the image I’ve drawn in my mind, the moulded object is born along with a “pakiri” sound. Its shape is a thin and flat elliptical shape. Both ends are made sharp, becoming an sharp edged tool.

 

Next, I have made a cross of about two meters at a distance from the current location and another one of about one meter beside it. Of course, the raw material is ice. This time, these will be the substitute for a target.

 

In order to ascertain its condition, I hold the grip of the elliptical shape I created with ice between my index and middle finger and throw it with a back hand swing. My aim is, of course, the ice cross I’ve made at a distant place.

 

A “Gin” sound of unrelenting collision between the two fellow ice objects reverberated and the elliptical shaped ice I threw had penetrated halfway into the center of the intersection of the cross.

 

Continuing this, I furthermore create about three of the ice elliptical shape I created before, hold each of them them in between my right fingers and throw them. This time they also pierced in the intersection of the cross just as I aimed for.

 

What I’m going for right now, is the development of a long range attack. Up until now I’ve been creating lumps of ice and have thrown them, kicked them or launched them towards opponents far away, but I’ve been thinking; isn’t there a more efficient way to attack them?

 

In RPGs there is often a skill or something where you create a lump of ice in the sky and project it towards the enemy just like that. That is also something that can be done, but I either lack training or I can’t put in enough strength. More importantly, I can actually put in more strength if I acquire the support of the spirits after throwing it after all.

 

 

This elliptical shaped ice is, so to speak, the shape I’ve come up with in order to handle that much more efficiently. Reference is the ninja’s frequently used shuriken. Everyone’s thinking that shuriken = cross shape, but that is, to be blunt, a generic name of small arms mainly for throwing. What I’ve made right now is a type called stick shuriken.* I’ve heard in one explanation these are mainstream for ninjas. Well, it’s also troublesome to make those cross shapes each and every time you know.

 

For now, a shuriken can be made with this ice. How about I call this Ice Shuriken from now on then. Quite simple, huh. It’s easier to imagine it if I add a name to it and I’m the only one who can use this so I won’t accept any complains.

 

I can create the ice shuriken afterwards and throw them single-mindedly. I’m going to refine the image in order to throw it with the shortest execution and bringing out the maximum power. Up until now it’s a three stage course of image->creation->grab created object and throw it. I’ll shorten it to a two stage course of image->throw while creating them. I would swing my arm and throw it as I create it during the swing; I’ll instill that behaviour into my body. What’s ideal is where I’d let it go from my fingers the moment it’s created, that kind of condition. This way I can throw ice shurikens with just by swinging my arms.

 

It roughly took 『five hours』 and the attack method as I imagined was completed.

 

“Terya!”

 

The target substitute crosses I‘ve made were six. And the amount of ice shurikens I threw by swinging both my arms were also six. The ice shurikens sharply ran through the air and have splendidly pierced into the center of the six crosses. Following that I continuously swing my arms, rapid-firing ice shurikens. “Gagagaga” sound resounds as they pierce the crosses one by one.

 

The moment when the six targets couldn’t endure it and completely broke, a part of the ice shuriken development was completed. I plan to experiment whenever I come up with something.

 

“Fuuh” after I take in one breath, the air I then exhale is dyed white.

 

The ice shurikens are small one by one, but if you pile up trash it will also become a mountain, a fair number of ice shards are scattered about. Incidentally, even if the ice born from spirit arts are released from the influence of the spirits, it keeps its shape without melting for a far longer time than regular ice. They appear to be absorbing the heat in the neighbourhood, so the air has become quite chilly. The ambient temperature didn’t go as far as Hokkaido (T.N. average 2 degrees Celsius according to google), but it has gone to the ambient temperature of Tokyo in the winter. (T.N. around 5 degrees Celsius)

 

I once again house in the spirits from the ice wreckage in the surroundings and wear them on my finger. Together with a gentle sound, all of the surrounding ice vanished without a trace. I feel like snapping my fingers. Would I ruin it if I say “Ain’t that cool?” ?

 

T.N *the mister here was also translated from おぢさま(odjisama). Is pronounced exactly the same as おじさま(ojisama), but the former isn’t really considered any word or anything as far as I can see. Most likely related to the title.