The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 76

Chapter 76: Reinforcements

Twenty days after the catastrophe in Heinlberie…

“Holy Tear Piercing Spear Tear Pierce!”

I dodged the water spear Serena shot at me while running, maneuvering through the continuous onslaught of spears and orbs, then swung my sword.

“Heavenly Tear Guardian Shield Aegis Tear!”

A shield of water unfolded in front of me, blocking my attack. Immediately, I used “Wind Leap Wind Step” to kick off the ground and into the air, circling around to her back.

Serena quickly turned, defending against my sword with her staff. I grabbed the staff and pushed it in, thrusting my sword toward her as she lost her balance.

“… If you’re going to hit a moving target, try to predict and shoot. Also, find a way to loosen up when someone gets close.”

“Yes…”

“Your crisis detection for attacks is amazing.”

Serena’s foresight allows her to predict impending danger, in other words, attacks against herself. Even the recent attack from behind, moving at the very limit of her reaction speed, she managed to respond to.

“Well, you can probably defend against most enemies. The rest comes with experience… See?”

“Th-Thank you.”

I helped Serena to her feet, handed her a water bottle, and she drank slowly, exhaling afterward.

It had been two weeks since Serena began training to defend herself. To prepare her for our joint actions, Aria and I collaborated to train her in self-defense and spell casting.

(As expected, Serena is more of a mage type.)

Even though she was chosen by Truthtear, she lacks practical experience in combat. Her natural inclination seems to favor observing the situation and casting magic, making her suitable for a supporting role.

If Serena can assist us with barriers and water magic, it will make our battles much easier.

(In an ideal situation, I’d have another support at the rear…)

Shaking my head at that thought, I dismissed it. Even if we had someone like a mage who could act as artillery, Aria’s versatility could compensate for that. Besides, I could switch to a supporting role depending on the situation.

There’s no use longing for what we don’t have. We must do our best with the resources we currently possess.

“Berg.”

As I contemplated, Aria called out to me. Behind her were knights who seemed exhausted, crawling on the ground.

“You made it quite challenging.”

“I was still holding back… or rather, it feels like I’m not fully ignited, so bear with me a bit.”

“Understood.”

Moving away from Serena, I signaled her to keep her distance. We both raised our swords, and the knights, although crawling, observed within their visual range.

After clashing swords, I grabbed Aria’s arm and threw her. She leaped just before hitting the ground, adjusting her posture mid-air and swinging her sword.

The sword clash was followed by Aria slipping into my embrace, avoiding the incoming sword.

“…How are the knights doing?”

“They’re not strong, and while their abilities are high, they lack experience. I think even our soldiers might defeat them.”

After separating our swords, we clashed again. The echoing clash of swords resounded as Aria, approaching from the side, thrust her sword while still crawling.

“What about Serena?”

“It might take a while for her to fully unfold her abilities. In this country, it couldn’t be helped, but she’s not using her capabilities to the fullest yet.”

“First, let’s make sure she can utilize them properly.”

Releasing each other’s arms, we prepared for another round. However…

“Lord Berg!”

A knight rushed towards us, breathing heavily. I sheathed my sword and turned towards him. He seemed to be trying to convey something while catching his breath.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes… More importantly, I have a report.”

The knight regained his composure and stood upright, preparing to deliver the report. It had become more common for people to treat me as the leader of the knights.

“It’s a report from the reconnaissance team. A group bearing the flag of the Mildrea Empire is approaching.”

“They’ve come. How soon do they expect to arrive?”

“Considering the distance and speed, they should reach us in about an hour.”

It seemed I could finally let my guard down…