Epilogue: An Old Country Bumpkin Thinks of the Future
“Are you really fine with this place?”
“Mm-hmm. Anywhere works.”
As the day came to an end, the setting sun dyed the world red. I walked through the streets of Baltrain with Ficelle. I’d gone for walks with my pupils several times now, but doing so at this hour was pretty rare. The last time must’ve been when I’d gone to a tavern with Allucia, Curuni, and Henblitz.
As for why I was out with Ficelle, my reasons were twofold: I wanted to commemorate her reaching a new stage with her teaching, and I also wanted to celebrate the resolution of the incident at the magic institute. I’d also never gotten the time to sit down, relax, and have a meal with Ficelle since reuniting with her.
She’d been no more than a child back at the dojo, but now we were both adults who could share a drink together. I wanted to continue treating such connections dearly in the future.
So, since we had the chance, I’d wanted to pick somewhere a little fancy—much like when I’d taken Mewi out for dinner. But Ficelle had insisted that a normal place would be better. Well, I could relax more at a street-corner tavern than some high-class restaurant anyway, so I was a bit grateful. Still, that was only an old man’s perspective. Ficelle was a talented young woman who possessed great abilities and status, so a part of me felt like this was the wrong choice.
“A reasonably cheap place is better than an expensive one,” she said. “It’s more comfortable.”
“That’s true.”
Ficelle seemed to have read my mind. I didn’t know if she was being honest or considerate. Still, if she was going to go that far, it was difficult to insist on going to an expensive restaurant. She’d really grown into a considerate woman.
“Okay, let’s go with this place,” I said. “Not that there are any bad taverns in Baltrain anyway.”
“Mm-hmm.”
So, after meeting up in front of the institute, taking a stroll, and looking for a random place to eat, we settled on a modest tavern around the border between the northern and central districts.
“Welcome!”
As I opened the door, a young waitress greeted us cheerfully. Looks like this place is doing pretty well. That said, I hadn’t found any desolate restaurants since coming to Baltrain. There was always a fair number of people inside every establishment. Shops that couldn’t meet that standard probably hadn’t been able to open to begin with, or they had ended up closing almost immediately, only to be replaced with more successful restaurants. That was how healthy the economic activity seemed to be here. Back in Beaden, we’d had the same stores in place for decades.
“I’ll start with an ale. How ’bout you, Ficelle?”
“An ale for me too.”
“Then two ales please.”
“Coming right up!”
We took a seat at a table and started with drinks. It seemed Ficelle was going to celebrate with an ale too. Much like with Allucia and Curuni, I was glad to see everyone was able to enjoy some alcohol now. Well, it was a little questionable whether Allucia actually enjoyed her drinks... Her alcohol tolerance was too far off the charts. It was scary how she chugged down ale like it was water.
“Hee hee, dinner with Master Beryl.”
While we waited for our drinks, Ficelle rocked about cheerfully. There was a significant age gap between me and my pupils. People would normally refrain from or be reluctant to have dinner with someone of the opposite sex who was so much older, but I was relieved to see there was none of that coming from her. I didn’t know if she was just being considerate, though.
“Ficelle, do you drink often?” I asked.
“I just sip at it every now and then. I’m pretty much a lightweight.”
“It’s good to know your limits.”
It turned out she didn’t really drink much and didn’t have a particularly high tolerance. Well, Allucia was an abnormally heavy drinker—this was far more normal.
“Here’re your drinks!”
After chatting a little about nothing in particular, our long-awaited ale arrived. The golden glow and popping hops were exactly what was to be expected of this sweet nectar.
“All right, then. Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
We tapped our tankards together with a moderate thunk, then got to it. Mmmm, that’s great. The quality lives up to that of a tavern in Baltrain. Since coming here, I haven’t had a bad drink. It made me want to look for even more new taverns during my free time.
“Pwah!”
“Mm. This is good.”
In contrast to me chugging down my drink, Ficelle held her tankard in both hands and sipped at it. It kind of reminded me of Curuni, who wasn’t a particularly strong drinker either.
“Now, what to order...?” I muttered.
“I’m pretty hungry.”
Drinking on an empty stomach wasn’t good for you. That said, filling an empty stomach with ale was exquisite. I couldn’t stop myself. I went through the menu as I stole glances at the other tables. The vast majority were having meat, and the portions were pretty big too. It seemed this tavern put an emphasis on quantity. This was the right answer when trying to satisfy the ravenous appetites of adventurers and knights. Thinking back on it, the tavern I’d favored while living out of an inn had prioritized quality. It was pretty fun to compare restaurants like this.
“Ficelle, is there anything you want?” I asked.
“Ummm... Meat sounds good. I can’t have too much, though.”
“Hmm...”
It seemed Ficelle didn’t have all that big of an appetite. This was something I hadn’t known while teaching her at the dojo. Anyway, I was at a bit of a loss. Ten or twenty years ago, I would’ve had plenty of room in my stomach—I was a little worried that Ficelle and I would end up with leftovers.
“Aaaaah!”
“Whoa?!”
And just as I was wondering what to get, I heard a hysterical cry behind me. I jumped and whipped around to find a familiar face approaching me, tankard in hand.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Curuni,” I said.
“Master! And Fice too! What a coincidence!”
It was none other than the young knight of the Liberion Order, Curuni Cruciel. She seemed to have already had some to drink—her cheeks were a little red. She wasn’t wearing plate armor but was in something similar to her usual training clothes. Still, she was technically on duty, so she also had her sword on her.
“Mm, hiya.”
“Heya!”
Ficelle was as low-energy as usual, whereas Curuni was always high-energy.
“On your own, Curuni?” I asked.
“Yup. This is part of my patrol!” she answered.
“I see. Thanks for your hard work.”
Now that she mentioned it, the Liberion Order often showed up at taverns as part of their patrols. Henblitz had told me this before. Using the maintenance of public order as an excuse, the knights popped into restaurants all the time, so the citizens had to be on their best behavior.
“Want to sit with us?” I offered. “My treat.”
“Really?! Don’t mind if I do!” Curuni replied immediately.
“Mm, over here,” Ficelle said, pulling out the chair next to her.
It was very relaxing to see these two smile and sip at their drinks. I felt my cheeks softening at the sight.
“Have you eaten yet?” I asked.
“I just got here, so not yet!”
“Perfect.”
I was actually grateful we’d bumped into Curuni here. I wasn’t worried about my wallet at all, so having someone who could eat plenty meant I could order food without restraint.
“Excuse me,” I called the waitress. “A sausage platter, whole-roasted chicken, and boar skewers please.”
“Got it! Thank you very much!”
Ficelle had asked for meat, so this was a reasonable choice. Even if she didn’t eat much, Curuni and I could surely finish the rest.
“Anyway, it’s rare to see you and Fice together,” Curuni commented as we waited for our food.
It was true—Ficelle and I didn’t go out much together. We were members of different organizations, so we didn’t have much of a reason to do things together on a day-to-day basis. I’d naturally had more opportunities to see her since becoming a temporary lecturer at the magic institute, but that didn’t mean we shared our private time too. Honestly, the person I spent the most time with was Mewi—by an enormous margin. Everyone else was lumped together beneath that, even if it didn’t seem that way.
Allucia was busy with her job as knight commander, so she didn’t come to the training hall every day. I’d bumped into Surena on the way back from the magic institute that one time for lunch, but I hadn’t seen her since. I would’ve liked the chance to sit down and chat with her, but as a black rank adventurer, she was insanely busy. Our schedules never really lined up.
“There’s a reason for it today,” I explained. “Curuni, have you heard about what happened at the institute?”
“Aah, ummm... Just the rumors.”
It turned out she had. Well, even if it had happened on a weekend evening, the incident had been at the institute—it was normal that a knight had at least heard rumors about it. The fact that the streets weren’t in more of an uproar meant that information on the situation was actually being kept pretty tight. If it got too out of hand, the magic institute’s reputation could take a major hit.
“Anyway, that ended safely, so we’re here to grab some dinner,” I said.
“That’s good to hear!” Curuni exclaimed. “Peace really is best.”
Curuni was an optimist—she was cheerful through and through. Ficelle’s personality contrasted with hers somewhat, but that seemed to work in their favor. They’d built their own friendship and definitely seemed to get along very well. I couldn’t ask for more. Despite being a part of separate organizations, they were able to get a glimpse of each other’s efforts. They still had plenty of room for growth, so I hoped they continued to get along.
“Thank you for waiting!” the waitress called out.
“Oh, here’s the food.”
After we chatted a little and I ruminated over their future, our meal arrived. Yup, that sure is a lot of meat.
The sausage platter was piled up on a large plate, and the roasted chicken was a good size. The boar skewers also looked delicious. Boar was available in relative abundance in Baltrain, and I’d seen it as a staple on several menus already. I was grateful the country was prosperous and stable enough for me to eat such large amounts of meat so cheaply.
“All right, shall we dig in?”
“Yay! Thanks for the meal!”
“Mm, thank you.”
With that, we started eating. I went with the boar skewer, seeing as it was the easiest to grab; Curuni devoured some sausage while Ficelle diligently cut up chicken. It was interesting to see our personalities at play here.
I took a bite of the boar. Savory juice flooded my mouth. Mm. Delicious. It’s a little tough, though. Boar was a somewhat tough meat to begin with, but comparing it to the kebab place, I could see the difference in how this place prepared it. To put it bluntly, they were a lot cruder here, but the tavern made up for it with quantity. Still, it was more than good enough—I had no complaints.
“Mmmm, delish!” Curuni cried. “Meat really is awesome!”
“Ha ha ha, what a hearty eater,” I said.
“Curuni, you should learn some manners,” Ficelle told her.
“Mrgh! How rude! I’m still a knight, you know?!”
We enjoyed our meat and ale while engaging in some lively chatter. Having a calm meal at a fancy restaurant wasn’t so bad, but this kind of atmosphere suited me better. I hadn’t even been able to taste the food during that dinner at the palace. I understood the necessity of such formal meals, but I couldn’t relax in that kind of environment.
“Oh yeah, I hear you’re teaching at the magic institute too, Master,” Curuni said between bites of meat.
“Aah, yeah. Only temporarily, though.”
I’d told Allucia about it, but I had no idea how much the order as a whole knew. If Curuni was aware, I imagined all the knights were.
“What’re the kids at the institute like?” Curuni asked. “I’m guessing they’re, like, super elitist!”
“Hmm, I don’t really get that impression,” I said. “They’re all good kids.”
“Yup. Good kids like me,” Ficelle added.
Setting aside whether any of them were like Ficelle, they were all well-behaved. Each one had a quirk or two, but that was just part of each pupil’s individuality. That was the case for the students I’d interacted with directly, at least.
“Think we’re gonna get more sword magic users like Fice?” Curuni asked.
“Not right away,” I told her. “Ficelle is really talented, after all.”
“Ahem!” Ficelle huffed with a triumphant look.
She was a talented pupil I could be proud of. However, even though I truly wanted to see her raise her successors, a part of me revolted at the idea of heroic figures of her level popping out of the woodwork. Still, at the very least, I hoped the first five sword magic students would continue to reach new heights. That included Mewi, naturally.
“What’re you teaching over there?” Curuni asked.
“Fundamentals. We’re still on practice swings,” I said. “I’m just there for support. Ms. Ficelle is the main teacher.”
“We have more students now, so we’re back to basics,” Ficelle added. “Those five are doing their best too.”
Mewi and the other original students were about ready to start on the next step, but for better or worse, the sword magic course had suddenly gotten more applicants. Pretty much none of the new enrollees had done any swordsmanship before, so the lectures had gone right back to the beginning. It could be a little boring for those five. I was glad to hear they were still patiently attending. Besides, there was no overdoing practicing the fundamentals. The path of swordsmanship was endlessly long.
“Practice swings sure are important, huh?” Curuni commented.
“Yup.” I nodded. “The basics are essential in all things.”
Curuni was still developing, but she understood very well how important training was. She’d recently switched from a shortsword to a zweihander, so while some of the basics had transferred over, she’d largely started from scratch. Nonetheless, she swung her sword every day with a smile on her face. She really was worth teaching.
“Anyway, teaching is really hard,” Ficelle said somewhat seriously, cutting up the chicken cleanly and eating it a little at a time like a small animal. “I’m really coming to learn that.”
“That’s a huge step forward on its own,” I told her. “But you’re only just getting started.”
“Mm, I’ll do my best.”
I hadn’t managed perfectly from the beginning either, and the same probably went for my dad. Everyone experienced a beginning where they had to acquire new knowledge and techniques. Swordsmanship followed that logic too.
“Maybe the day will come when you’ll teach others too, Curuni,” I said.
“Hmmm... I can’t really imagine it,” she muttered.
“Ha ha ha, neither did I at first.”
Allucia was now the knight commander. Surena was the highest rank of adventurer. Ficelle was the ace of the magic corps and a teacher. One day, Curuni would surely rise through the ranks too. With the passage of time, rookies became budding talents, budding talents became accomplished regulars, and accomplished regulars became seasoned veterans. Eventually, those seasoned veterans retired.
I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to wield a sword. I had no intention of retiring anytime soon, but one day, my stamina and willpower would reach a limit. Would I be able to greet that day with a smile? Would I be able to smile when my juniors surpassed me? I wanted to remain pure at heart, but I could envision a part of me burning up with competitive spirit and refusing to be outdone.
“It’s all right,” Ficelle said. “You’ll always be strong, Master.”
“Here’s to hoping...” I mumbled.
Is that the right thing to say to comfort me...? Whatever, I’ll take it. Still, it’s not like I’m going to be active forever. Even my dad had set aside his sword. One day, I was sure to follow in his wake and entrust my sword to the next era. Those carrying my banner had grown more than enough, so that was a relief. My pupils really were more than I deserved.
“I’m not giving in anytime soon,” I said.
Fortunately, my body was still healthy, so it was a little too early to think of retirement. During my sessions at the order, I learned that watching youngsters grow quickly was good stimulation. The same went for teaching at the magic institute. As long as my sword still had a use in this world, my intention was to hang in there as long as I could stand on my own two legs.
“I’ve still got a long way to go too!” Curuni shouted cheerfully. “Missy! Another sausage platter!”
“Ooh, that’s a growing girl for you,” I said. “You sure have an appetite.”
“Swordsmanship is built on the body!”
“Hee hee, I’ll have to give it my all too,” Ficelle said.
Eat well, sleep well, exercise well—this was all a swordsman could ask for. If possible, I personally wanted to keep that up forever, but that was practically impossible. So, at the very least, I didn’t want to mistake the time for my retirement, and I didn’t want to throw cold water on these girls’ gallant rise to greatness.
“Okay, then...” I muttered. “Miss, another boar skewer set, please.”
“Ooh, you’ve got an appetite too, Master!” Curuni said.
“I’m not losing yet,” I told her.
Being surrounded by youngsters really was good stimulation. I had more motivation now. If possible, I wanted to maintain such connections forever.
“Master, you seem kinda solemn...?” Ficelle remarked.
“Hm? Not really. I’m actually enjoying myself.”
“Oh? That’s good, then.”
Oops, got too serious. I can’t spoil the mood. We’re going to keep things cheerful today, even if I end up with a stomachache tomorrow.
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