The Lazy Swordmaster Chapter 24

Sera, who was currently engaging in combat with the goblins, turned her head when she felt a presence, and opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"...?!"

Those who should have been waiting until her fight was done were now making their way towards her.

"Young Master and Lady Iris too... Why?"

A goblin charged towards Sera to avenge its fallen comrades, whom Sera had easily cut in half. She then proceeded to look back at them.

'There's still so many left.'

He wasn't aware of the original number of goblins, but from what Riley could see, it would take not just thirty minutes but at least an hour for the carriage to start moving again.

"I came...to have a look."

Riley answered with a forced smile on his face.

"A look?"

Sera made a dejected expression as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard, and gave a warning as she cut down another goblin approaching her.

"W-well it's good to have a look, Young Master, but it's dangerous here. In the middle of the forest... there might be more ambushes."

After hearing Sera's words, Riley extended his mana secretly to everyone else, and scratched his chin as he confirmed that there weren't any hidden enemies in their surroundings.

"Hmmm..."

Ian agreed with Sera and pointed towards the carriage.

"Sera is correct. It's not a good sight anyway, so we should head back to the carriage."

Iris was asking...

'What will you do?'

It meant that she would respect his decision, no matter what Riley chose.

"..."

Because of the darkness, Sera was being too cautious and only attacked the goblins who approached her, unable to charge amidst the fray herself.
That was the reason for the prolonged battle.

'It's not just frustrating when I watch up close.'

Riley twitched his fingers as he felt his throat dry up in frustration.

He needed a fizzy drink.

'Coke... I really want to have it soon. And not be stuck here because of something like this.'

Riley's eyes sharpened as he was becoming more impatient.

'Ah... Why's all this happening, just when I've decided to take it easy in this life.'

As he watched them, only looking for an opportunity in the dark from Sera's blind spots, Riley's patience had finally reached it's limit.
Now it would  take not one, but two hours to finish.

'...Do they just want to mess with my life?'

He was also having a sweet dream on his mother's lap.
They ruined that too.

"Young Master?"

Frustration.

Riley could not hold back his habit from his past and walked to Sera.

"Young Master, where are you going? It's dange-..."

Ian quickly reached his hand out, worried about Riley who was walking directly towards the goblins.

"..."

He saw them.

The glistening eyes silently telling him to watch.

'Young Master...'

With a flinch, Ian looked blankly at Riley's back.

"...Sera."

Riley approached Sera and spoke.

"Y-Young Master? Why? It's dangerous. Please go back to..."

Because Sera was unaware of Riley’s approach, she quickly told Riley to return as his voice could be heard just behind her.

"..."

As if he wasn't aware of Sera's feelings.

"Sorry?"
"Ah, f-... This is frustrating! Seriously! Give them here!"

Riley crumbled his face as Sera didn't understand his words, and stepped forward after snatching her twin swords.

"It's going to take the whole night at this rate."

Just a quick glimpse, and he could tell that they were similar to the lesser demons he'd cut down in his previous life.

'Now then... How much should I show them?'

As he'd pushed the body to it's limit from the fight with Tes, he's decided to fight purely with his swordsmanship this time.

'This much should be alright.'

With those thoughts Riley began to speak again.

"Young...Master?"
"Sera, you’re acting like there's a circle around you and you don't want to move out of the circle. That's the feeling I get. Then there's no way for you to take the initiative yourself. It takes too long."

Riley realised that she was simply staring blankly at him, so Riley scratched his head and began to take action.

"So what I mean is, if you use the legs..."

If it was her from the past, she would have never allowed Riley to act as he was now.

But...

She remembered how he told her to keep it a secret.
She couldn't stop Riley.

“Maybe.”

That was all she could mutter.

"Kiek!"

As Riley charged at them, and the goblins began to rush forward with a shriek in kind to avenge their brothers.

'Huh?'

His foot slid on the ground, and when the goblin was right in front of him...

"Kuek?"

No, two goblin heads flew into the air.

"...you can-..."

More heads flew in the air, as Riley continued to speak.

"Kiek!"

And number eight.

Sera's jaws dropped.

'What..is that?'

Riley began to move his fingers as he moved forward.

It was slow compared to Sera's practice, but much more stable.

"...apply it like this."

Their shrieks were much louder than the others, as if determined to avenge the dead.
But... Riley did not allow their weapons to reach him.

"Kek!"

Thud!

Riley had used his leg.
The kick didn't have mana in it so it didn't have the power to kill, but it was enough to push the goblin back and gain some distance.

'The last one.'

He stabbed the sword he was holding in reverse into the goblin's head and rushed at the goblin who was kicked away.

Riley dashed past the goblin's side.

"..."

It had no clear strengths.

But...

"Well, this is how you do it."

Then the goblin he dashed past began to fall.

"..."

Simply...

It was the potential which would allow him to use the aura blade which imbued mana onto the sword with the greatest efficiency.

What he just saw was more shocking than mere 'affinity to mana'.

'What did I just see...?'

Genius was not enough to describe it, but something more.

"Now, let's go."

After cleaning out the goblins in a flash, Riley put his hands in the pocket and walked back to the carriage.

Chapter end