When I Was Reincarnated, All the Heroines Were Stolen by the Fake Hero ~ The Guy Who Dominated With Original Story Knowledge, and Me Who Dominated With Talent. It Seems the World After the Ending Is My One-Man Stage ~ - Episode 51

Episode 51

It’s already been dozens of days since Darphen and the rest of the dwarven clan joined us in the town of Kanaloa.

Thanks to their outstanding architectural skills, the town was regaining its liveliness day by day. The sound of hammers were ringing out loudly.

I had asked them—some to help maintain the village, but most of them to repair the buildings here in Kanaloa.

The top priority had been improving the living conditions for the soldiers.

I’d always wanted to reward their dedication with a proper environment.

Seeing brand-new barracks appearing one after another made me genuinely happy too.

—

One afternoon. I was sparring with Ron in the courtyard of one of those newly built barracks for the first time in a while. Both of us wielded wooden weapons.

“Seiyaa!”

Ron was holding wooden daggers in both hands. He launched a whirlwind of attacks from above, below, right, and left.

I deflected or parried them all with just a wooden shield.

Back then, his attacks were one-dimensional—mostly brute force.

But now, I could clearly see he was incorporating changes in tempo.

Instead of swinging wildly, he was calmly watching for an opening.

Ron… you’ve grown without me even noticing. I was impressed—and honestly, a little happy.

Then, I deliberately shifted my shield far to the left. I exposed my right side completely.

“There!”

Ron shouted sharply. His dagger flashed toward my exposed right side. Just as planned.

But, of course, I had led him into that. I dodged with minimal movement.

Ron quickly regained his posture. He twisted his body to follow up with a second strike.

But I had predicted that too.

He still relied too much on momentum. And his attacks were easy to read.

Dodging his slash, I lightly tapped the side of his right wrist with a knifehand strike.

“Guh…!”

Ron let out a short grunt and dropped his wooden dagger. Unable to stop the forward motion, he stumbled a few steps—

And fell over with a loud thud.

“Ugh… I was so close…”

He groaned in frustration, hands on the ground. I chuckled wryly.

“Haha, if you didn’t realize that was a trap, you’ve still got a long way to go, Ron.”

“Eh!? So you did that on purpose!?”

Ron spun around. His face was a mix of surprise and slight irritation.

“Of course. Do you really think I’d make such a basic mistake?”

When I said that, Ron faltered—“Ugh…”—then quietly muttered, “…True.”

“Well, even so, you’ve improved a lot compared to before. You’ve come a long way.”

When I praised him honestly, Ron scratched his head. He looked a bit bashful.

“Yeah! I figured daggers suited my style better than swords. So I switched my training over to them.”

I see.

Considering how beastfolk use their claws as their main weapon, daggers probably do feel more natural than swords.

The fact that he’s thinking that deeply shows just how serious he is about becoming stronger.

“You two, good work.”

It seemed someone had been watching us.

Before we knew it, Lin and Freyja had arrived in the courtyard.

“So, Boss? What do you think of my little brother?”

Lin asked me with a grin.

She looked proud. It was like she was saying, “See how much he’s grown?”

“Yeah. His swordsmanship is just past the beginner stage. But Ron has magic. Against ordinary soldiers, he’s probably untouchable now.”

At my evaluation, Freyja gave a slight shrug, almost self-mockingly.

“Yeah… I honestly can’t imagine myself beating him.”

“N-No, that’s not—”

Ron shook his head quickly, flustered. But Freyja continued.

“It’s the truth. When we took back the town of Vegetoria and Fronti, we humans barely did any fighting. Whether it’s Ron or any other thunder beastfolk, I don’t think I could beat them now.”

Her words sounded completely honest. It was without a hint of false modesty.

Meanwhile, Lin crossed her arms behind her head with a sigh.

“But without humans giving orders, we tend to rush ahead and get surrounded by monsters before we even notice. So we’re really grateful for your support.”

Hmm. That’s what you’d call mutual support.

Each side uses their strengths to make up for each other’s weaknesses.

An ideal partnership.

Then, Freyja looked up at the wall of the new barracks and spoke.

“Still… I wonder if we can give something back to Darphen and the dwarves? They built something so incredible for us…”

That’s just like her—always thinking of others.

Indeed, the dwarves’ contributions are immeasurable.

“Oh, no need to worry about that. Apparently, what they love most is having their work praised. So once the building is complete, shower them with compliments. That’ll be the best way to repay them.”

When I said that, Freyja let out a soft chuckle and smiled.

“Fufu, I see. Got it.”

—

“Well then,” I said, brushing dust off my hakama.

“Sorry, but I’ve got something important this afternoon.”

“You’ve got a visitor today, right?”

Ron asked, as if remembering.

“Yeah. An old acquaintance is coming.”

I smiled a little.

Today, someone who once shared meals with me in the Hero’s party is coming—

The healer, Raiza.

Unlike with Ulrika, I don’t feel particularly nervous.

But knowing how serious she is, I’d better make sure not to be late for the meeting.