MEMORIES AND ABU HORMUZ

Volume 2 Chapter 7 - Leave It to the Master

A talisman belonging to a high-priced kobold tip. Whether it's an earring, a nose ring, or sometimes a necklace, all guaranteed to sell for five silver because of the precious stone attached to it. Even one day, they once sold a stone valued above forty silver.

The second level is where the lowly worker kobolds live, while the third level is occupied by the superior worker kobolds. The head of the common workers is called “bos”. This boss was physically just like the worker kobolds he led in the second and third tiers, but, unlike the workers, they were equipped with good combat equipment.

The boss and his subordinates were the main targets of the Haruhiro group. The difficulty level of the fight depended heavily on how competent the boss was. Not only seen from the strength of his boss, but also his ability to coordinate his subordinates. Conversely, a fight in which the boss prefers to stand in front alone and fight all his enemies at once, is easy to win. On the other hand, when they encountered a boss who remained sheltered behind and ruled, making the fight difficult.

Humans are the same. Basically, humans tend to focus more on the enemy before them first, and it is easy to understand. Pursuing a different enemy while you ignore the one standing right in front of you is the path to your death. Of course, no one was that stupid, so pragmatically speaking, the main priority in the fight was to eliminate the threat immediately.

But sometimes the priorities change. For example, when a colleague is in trouble, you might risk yourself so you're caught off guard to save him.

Then there is also a time when the priority is an order, there is no other choice.

Haruhiro might never force someone to take such a risk, but a kobold boss is different. They might roar and give their subordinates a signal to ignore Barto or Marco, and instead attack Lusi or Alice. And whether it was because it was brave, obedient or afraid of the boss, the subordinates would carry out the orders without hesitation in order to maintain their lives.

If they can really get past Barto and Marco, it will be a big problem for the team. The Mage-class Alice had no special skills for melee combat, so everyone had to protect her. Their combat formation will be destroyed and it will be a disaster.

On the other hand, if they could directly defeat the boss, his subordinates were not a great threat. When Haruhiro found out, they put all of them into the strategy of beating the boss as fast as they could, to render the rest useless.

As of now, in a fight there must be one boss with two or three subordinates. With this predicted group composition, they had an advantage, and they also became proficient at hunting it down. Going down to the fourth or fifth tier does not seem like a bad idea, and when the stairs are in front of them, their motivation goes up.

Haruhiro paid a visit to Master Barbara in the Thieves Guild, and paid four silvers to learn a new Thief technique, [WIDOW MAKER].

“Can we start now, Old Cat?” Master Barbara grinned.

The training area is a room inside Thieves Nishima Guild Camp called “Killer Poison Room”. It was a scary name and it looked bad, but most of the rooms in the camp had the same pattern. The room of the Poison Killer itself was quite wide, but there was no window at all. A chandelier containing candles that can be raised or lowered, hanging on the roof and giving a glimmer of light, even so a humble person can not even call this room has good lighting.

Had it not been for the candle, this room might have been pitch-black even during the day. This atmosphere makes Haruhiro a little uncomfortable.

Master Barbara was dressed as openly as usual, only, today her lower face was covered by a black scarf. His long hair covered almost his entire face, except for one eye, making him look very creepy.

“Er... yes, master,” Haruhiro replied politely.

“You're really getting stronger, right? Or are you just training to strengthen your bottom?”

“No, master. I'm not trying to—“

Haruhiro could not finish his sentence, as Master Barbara suddenly moved behind him. Before she could even look, Master Barbara had already restrained her with Nelson's full lockdown. He tightly locked both of his hands, but he also made his right leg twine around one of Haruhiro's legs, rendering him completely helpless. And the knife was just above the vein in Haruhiro's neck.

[The Nelson Lockout is one of the wrestling moves, where one arm is pressed against your opponent's arm from behind, and one hand is wrapped around the victim's neck (this is called Nelson's half lock), or both hands are used to wrap around the neck of the victim (this is called a full Nelson lock.]

“[WIDOW MAKER] is a technique where you directly grab your target from behind, like this, and then kill them. If I wanted to, your throat might've been sliced. If you don't have a dagger, you can smash their necks. And if you just want to grab them, rather than kill them.” Master Barbara pointed the tip of her dagger from her neck to her groin. “You can stab them in this section. Effective enough for guys.”

“Uhh... true,” said Haruhiro. “Yes, master. Er... Can you let me go now? Because, you know..”.

“Hmm? Oh, yep... You've never been in contact with a woman before, have you? Not used to being hugged like this?” Master Barbara laughed a little.

“Errr...” Haruhiro tries to break away, but Master Barbara holds him back strongly. “Wah! B-can you b-stop playing my ears?!”

“Indeed why? I just breathe normally,” he replied.

“H-only...that, err, my weak point...”.

“So so. Then..”

“Huh?” Haruhiro doesn't know what happens next. He suddenly tumbled back in the air before finally falling hard with his back, thus jerking the wind out of his lungs. Master Barbara looked at him from above.

“If you can combine [WIDOW MAKER] with other techniques, there are many ways to manipulate your enemies,” he continued. “But first, you must first get used to the effects of this technique.

“...Um, I'm not gonna die, am I? Master.”

“There's no point in worrying about that, right? You won't even realize you're dead. But if that really happens, I'll make sure you're cremated, so the Wright King's curse won't make you a zombie.”

What would he do if he died? The others wouldn't know it, but since the first meeting with her, Master Barbara has been like this. Although, in the eyes of his exams, he always stopped when he almost killed him and finally Haruhiro could be quite proficient at using the techniques he taught. Maybe he just needed to trust her and give her training. Might as well. Perhaps. Is this really safe? Really?

For the next three hours, Master Barbara launched [WIDOW MAKER] with all its variations to Haruhiro, continuing until he fell and could not get up again.

“Why? Now is not the time to be lazy, Old Cat.”

“Sorry, master”

“If you can't stand, then I think we should rest,” said Master Barbara and sat right in Haruhiro's stomach. Haruhiro was half suffocated. “Hold it. Your training won't stop even when you're resting. Strengthen that abdominal muscle. And maybe we can also do something with your thigh muscles, Hamm?”

“I will die, for sure I will die..”.

“But this is tolerable, right? Not many kok, people who died because of my training.”

“They're really dead?”

“I'm kidding. Why would I want to kill my own source of income? Now, level up.”

“Urghhhh..” Haruhiro grumbled as he pulled one of his legs, thus adding to its weight. He has put all his energy into strengthening the abdominal muscles. Otherwise, there was no way he would still be able to withstand such a burden.

“And double,” He said while pulling the other leg.

Now his entire body weight is weighing down on Haruhiro's stomach. Will my stomach be broken? If this was his idea

to laugh, it's not funny.

“Let's chat for a while,” Master Barbara offers politely.

“Ti-can't,” Haruhiro sighs.

“Stupid boy. Don't reject my words.”

He offers the impossible. As always. If Haruhiro did not comply, the consequences would be even worse.

“U-uhh... talk... about what, master?” he resigned.

“You can tell me a story.”

“I really... don't have a, story. Master.”

“Ku-kurasa..so.”

“You have a girl in your group, right? How many?”

“Ti-three,” Haruhiro sigh.

“At least you should get one. Of course, if you get all three will be better.”

“What kind of drama in group members is too troublesome?” Master Barbara guessed.

“A-I.. don't know, master. I don't... have experience about such a thing..”.

“Even if something like that is troublesome enough, you still need it. It reminds me of when I was like you... Doing it secretly with the Party chairman, as well as playing around with our male Mage, and also while playing around with the chairman of the other Party. Well, our Party finally broke up quickly after it happened, and another incident happened to us..”.

“...M-Master Barbara... when you say ‘bubar’....m-you mean, you're the one who ruined it, right?”

“Ah, the beauty of youth. Didn't you feel it too?”

“It... more sounds like..blind lust, master,” Haruhiro said.

“Don't say such a thing,” Master Barbara punishes him.

Haruhiro let out a sigh, unable to hold it any longer as he raised both his legs and swiped his buttocks into his navel. But if he tried to fight back and throw it, Haruhiro had no idea what he was going to do to him, so he had no choice but to remain silent and resigned. Although, he admitted, Master Barbara's balance was amazing.

“There is no time left other than now,” he continued. “How old are you? The sixteen? And during your sixteen years there were a lot of girls and boys. Are you going to drown or swim. As time goes on, you won't be able to turn it back. It never could. If you don't move now, the girl you like might be taken by someone else. Usually, there are other guys who want to do it with the girl you like as well, and the girl will disappear. And when you see them doing it in a public environment, you're already late.”

“T-But, master..no girl I like,” replied Haruhiro.

“Really? Are you serious?”

“Huh?”

“Old Cat. Looks like you have the determination to always play it safe. You only held him back because you didn't want to cause any trouble between your Party members, did you?”

“I-it... uhh..”.

“Based on my experience, men love to fall in love with girls who are nearby. Men are born that way to fall in love with the girl around them.”

Girls around them. Vina, Alice, and Lusi. He doesn't hate any of them. She just thought that Vina's cheerfulness made her look really cute, and they had hugged her once. It happened because of unique circumstances, of course, but it still feels imprinted. Or maybe, he still can't forget that. But if asked if he had “feel” against him, Haruhiro doesn't think so. Might as well.

Alice. What is. Why was this the first thing on his mind? Is he a barbarian? A primitive cave creature? He is the worst. Really worst. And there's that too...

Alice likes Udin. Or that's how it looks. No, delete “like”nya. No doubt about it. There's no way he's. No, no. No need to ask again.

Then, Lusi? Susi it... Stylish and pretty. Haruhiro, a truly simple person, could not possibly have the slightest hope of being able to get close to him. He was his partner, so that was why he could approach her, but beyond that, Haruhiro thought there was nothing between them.

Some time ago, when they were talking about their type, Lusi said that his type was someone like Barto. Doesn't that mean he doesn't see people from his looks? But if that person is Barto, then Haruhiro has no chance, right? It's like a snowball in hell. But it doesn't look like Haruhiro has feelings for Luci. Might as well.

He just wishes he could make Lusi smile again.

It would touch her deeply if she could see someone as beautiful as Lusi could smile from the bottom of her heart. It will be more than amazing. But he was not interested in anything romantic, he thought.

“Er... Master Barbara?”

“Ya, Old Cat?”

“I can ask you something?”

“Of course, about girls, right?”

“Not really..”.

“Desolate boy. Trying to make up the topic, huh?”

“No, master. I didn't mean to. I never even thought that way. That's not. Really.”

Haruhiro tells him about the line that appeared before him during the fight. Master Barbara's half-face was covered by a scarf, so it was a bit difficult to read her expression, but Haruhiro felt she was listening to it carefully. He also put his foot back on the floor as he spoke, and

release his burden from Haruhiro.

“I understand,” he said it in a long tone. “It's not a bad sign.”

“Home?”

“But don't get me wrong. That's nothing special.”

“Mistake? I don't even know what it is.”

“You're slow, right? An old cat with all his senses.”

“Logby? I don't think myself this slow, master.”.

“No, you're slow. But. For a dull smart man, your instincts aren't bad. The lines you see and feel, may be called so much better appear once or twice on someone who is experienced enough.”

“But it didn't just happen once or twice, master. Can't say I see it every time, not even once in a day, but.”.

“Yes, therein lies the problem. The difference is quite large depending on the person.”

“How about you, Master Barbara?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Sometimes it appears, sometimes it does not. Looks like we can't expect him to show up concentrating hard or anything like that.”

“But when you also see it, can't you also launch [BACKSTAB] perfectly?”

“Then, that's not something you can count on, right?”

“...of course. That's really erratic. Almost like very random.”

“Accurate once. Practice to perfect your battle technique. And strengthen your muscles.”

Haruhiro let out a sigh once more as Master Barbara raised her legs again. She could not see his expression, but it was likely that he was grinning like a mad woman behind the shawl.

“Your path is still long. You have to build stamina and strength if you want to do it with a girl after killing five, or six orcs. Because you're not a real old cat.”

“A-I have no problem being an old cat, master.”.

“No need less, damn it!”

“ARGH..”

Master Barbara hit him around his crotch, making him almost faint.

“Uuup. I was a little overdone earlier.”

If he stays here, Haruhiro feels that sooner or later, he will become barren.