SLO Chapter 53

[Touching Grass]

I was enjoying the warmth of the sun for the first time in half a year.

The outdoor air sure was refreshing~… Yeah, I hadn’t touched grass for quite a long while… so what?

Karin had been taking care of me personally—from washing my face, to changing my clothes, and to feeding me. Basically, everything Syrup used to do back home.

Rivera had been running the experiments under my instructions… and as for schoolwork, Myril had been taking notes for me so I could memorize them while sleeping.

Other than using my brain and supplying the required mana, I hadn’t really done much.

The only times I had needed to move my body was when I had to pat Ruby until she purred.

“Hmm, it’s really been a long time since I’ve touched grass… wait, I think I may have grasped the truth. To be engrossed is to be lazy.”

Anyway, the sunlight sure made me sleepy.

“Bal.”

Upon my call, the Rare Metal Bal caught me as I let myself fall backward.

It was so comfy I felt like sleeping.

“Haa~, I don’t feel like doing anything.”

Was it because of the sense of accomplishment after completing Bal’s body? Or burnout, maybe?  …I couldn’t muster up any motivation.

“Luc Hugaro Deskustos.”

As I was laying on Bal, basking in the sun, Lyncean Sword Marshall’s voice interrupted me.

“It’s you, Miss Marshall… you need something?”

I was too lazy to talk to anyone right now, but she wouldn’t let me be if I didn’t answer her.

“Luc… there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Are you aware of what Duke Deskustos, what your family have been doing?” asked Lyncean with a serious look on her face. Her voice sounded determined, but I could sense a hint of anxiousness concealed in it.

Her vague question made me pause for a moment.

Then, I recalled that I’d been reincarnated in an adult romance strategy simulation game.

Oh yeah, this is a game world.

I racked my brain trying to recall what my family was doing at this point in the game and the result was… I had no clue.

It was never mentioned, probably because the disgusting fat toad Luc had no part in it.

If anything, he was just committing villainy for his own pleasure. His family never made contact with him. Most of the troubles the protagonist faced during the School Phase were caused by him.

Only in the Rise to Prominence Phase did Deskustos House’s plots started to surface.

“I dunno~. What’s my family been up to?”

“…I see! You are unrelated, after all.”

Lyncean looked somewhat relieved. She used to be so hostile to me, but her attitude had changed considerably since we had formed a team.

“…Have my family been up to no good?”

“Hm? No, you don’t need to know. I don’t know the details, either. However, I hope you stay uninvolved. I don’t want to betray my family.”

Why would Lyncean betray her family if I got involved with whatever my family had been up to? It had nothing to do with her…

“Hmm~, I don’t really get it, but I will never work together with my family.”

“Why?! They are your family!” Lyncean looked visibly surprised. Bet she was loved by her family.

Why, huh? A part of it was because I was a reincarnated person… but it was mainly because I had absolutely no sympathy for my family.

I might help Iris since she was Karin’s only friend if Karin asked me to. She had been kind to me too. As for the rest of my family? I didn’t really care about them.

“You must have been raised in a good family.”

“What?”

“Not everyone in this world is as blessed to have a loving family as you. We each walk our own respective paths, and they will never become one. The most important person to me is myself and will always be myself.”

Alright, that should be enough to satisfy her.

I had Bal float away, leaving Lyncean behind.

“They will never become one? You don’t know that! After all, I’m in lo…”

Lyncean was saying something but stopped herself before finishing her words.

Well, anyway, although I had finished making a body for Bal, I still had no time to rest… I mean, the story was just beginning.

We were now moving toward the second major event of the School Phase, the ‘Sword Emperor’s Cup’.

As a matter of course, I wasn’t really looking forward to it.

“Haa~ it’s going to be a pain… it’ll be a while before I can live my dream sloth life.”

Thinking of all the future troubles I had to go through before I could lead my ideal sloth life, I decided to start my morning routine.

“Bal, let’s spar. You and me—or rather, Bal in me. Change to battle form!”

At my shout, the purple bear began to transform into a humanoid shape. She became a beautiful, purple-haired girl with mithril wings.

“Begin.”

Bal in me vs Rare Metal Bal.

They fought like martial arts masters.

They started with weak blows to gauge each other’s abilities.

And as the exchanges of offense and defense gradually became more intense, wounds gradually appeared on their bodies.

“Well, I have access to infinite mana. I guess this is only natural.”

In the end, the one that fell to the ground was the Rare Metal Bal.

Since Rare Metal Bal retained my mana, my attribute magic [Sleep] and [Sloth] didn’t work on it.

However, by making full use of body strengthening and my aid in the form of support magic and life magic, Bal controlling my body had been able to overpower Rare Metal Bal and win.

“Phew~. I’m mentally tired from using so much magic.”

I took a deep breath and tried to rest when someone called my name.

“Luc!”

When I looked toward the source of the energetic voice, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

Dan? …His body had become way stronger than half a year ago. Stronger than mine even, by the looks of it.

“Hm? Oh, it’s you, Dan… you need something?”

“I’ve been learning swordsmanship from the Sword Emperor Arthur and mastered Aura!!! I’ve also been studying under Professor Cirrus, the Witch of the Abyss, and I’m now a bit of an expert in magic. I will absolutely defeat you in the Sword Emperor’s Cup!”

He’d been training under the Sword Emperor and the Witch of the Abyss…? Well, that explained it.

He’d make a perfect practice partner to see how strong Rare Metal Bal actually was.

And Aura… I almost forgot that kind of power existed in this world, too.

“That so… Aura, huh? I’d love to see it… I’ve got an idea. This can make for a good test run, too. Let’s have a mock battle, Dan.”

“You sure? You can’t beat me now,” he smiled broadly. He was so easy to read. He must want to show off his strength. Fine, show me who was stronger, you or Rare Metal Bal.

“Less talk and more battle.”

Dan held up his sword and took a stance.

He was much better than half a year ago. He had way fewer openings now.

And, pale mana? No, that must be Aura. His body was clad in it.

Aura was a power different from mana, it converted life force into power… or so if I remembered correctly.

“Here I go!”

“Yeah, come.”

Dan kicked off the ground and rushed at me.

He was fast! But… his movement was too straightforward.

Rare Metal Bal moved even faster and… knocked Dan out with a smack on the head.

How weak…

“Hmm. That’s it for the test run, I guess. Did you get the data on Aura?”

I asked Bal, ignoring Dan who was lying unconscious on the ground.

It understood it, but Bal couldn’t use Aura.

The concept of life force might not apply to Bal.

I shared its sense. When I used the data Bal obtained to try activating Aura…

“Hmm. So this is Aura. Seems like my body has built a strong enough foundation for it from years of training. All it needed was a trigger… Thanks Dan. Because of you, Bal and I are even stronger now.”

After casting recovery magic on him as thanks, I left the place.

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