(Chapter 7) “Someday, I’m going to become the strongest close-combat mage!”
After awkwardly seeing Louise off, Anna sat alone on her worn-out sofa, her mind still in a whirl. Although Louise had only hugged her briefly and hadn't pushed things further, it was the first time Anna had been so close to another girl, and her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat.
Even now, lying on the sofa, Anna could still feel her entire body pulsating with the rhythm of her heartbeat.
"This is so... embarrassing," Anna muttered, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "Next time, I won't let this happen!"
Just a simple hug had reduced her to such a state. If Louise were to take things further someday, would Anna completely lose control?
Ugh! Anna! What kind of inappropriate thoughts are you having!
Anna immediately shoved a piece of black bread into her mouth, trying to calm herself down, but nearly choked on it.
After a struggle of drinking water and swallowing the bread, Anna finally managed to calm down a bit.
...Let's see what kind of outcome this simulation will bring.
Anna wanted to see what would happen if she didn't go shopping with Louise over the weekend.
Activating the simulator, the familiar interface lit up. By now, Anna had become quite proficient at running simulations.
[Simulation begins]
[Day 0: After dinner, you fall asleep with a mix of lingering excitement from your earlier interaction with Louise and the dread of having to go back to work tomorrow.]
Wait, I could still fall asleep after all that? Last night, I was so worked up I couldn't sleep at all...
[Day 1: Although you're not thrilled about going to work, you dutifully patrol several streets. Nothing happens.]
[Day 2: You patrol several streets. Nothing happens.]
[Day 3: Even though it's the weekend, you still go to work as usual.]
[You patrol several streets. Nothing happens.]
When the simulation reached this point, Anna started paying closer attention to what would happen next.
Without taking the weekend off, Anna's life in the simulation seemed to proceed without any major issues—no kidnappings, no resignations, just like in the second simulation.
[Day 12: Your superiors assign you to patrol the surrounding forest. You go without complaint.]
Even this part was the same as the second simulation...
[However, Louise wants to join you on the mission. Despite your attempts to dissuade her, she insists, so you reluctantly agree, instructing her to follow your orders.]
Wait, scratch that. From here, things start to diverge!
Was it because her relationship with Louise had improved that Louise volunteered to join her?
[During the patrol, you notice that the forest is unusually quiet. The usually highly active magical beasts are nowhere to be seen.]
[As a knight, you become even more vigilant in this situation. After carefully instructing Louise, you focus on your surroundings.]
[Soon, you and Louise hear the sound of a fight ahead.]
Again, this part is quite similar to previous simulations. Next up is the... Thread Worm, right?
[Distracted by the sounds of the fight, you fail to notice the ground beneath you.]
[You are caught by a Threadworm!]
It really is the same! This is the downside of the simulated Anna not knowing about the simulator or its contents!
[But Louise reacts faster than the Threadworm. Just as the worm emerges from the ground and swallows half of your body, Louise's sword strikes it.]
[Although Louise never attended the Knight Academy, her F-rank knight status indicates that she possesses F-rank combat skills.]
[While this Threadworm is stronger than the average, it can only defeat an F-rank knight through ambush.]
[The Threadworm is killed.]
[Your Low-Grade Armor's durability has decreased!]
Although she was saved, the Threadworm had still corroded part of Anna's armor...
If the armor's integrity was compromised, it wouldn't be a simple matter of maintenance. If the damage was severe, she might even need to buy a new set...
Please, no!
Anna's expression darkened as she continued reading the simulation.
[After quickly recovering, you and Louise rush toward the source of the fighting.]
[You encounter Helga Bartham, who is battling two Demon Boars.]
Huh?
Anna rubbed her eyes, then remembered that the simulator's display was projected directly into her vision. Even if she closed her eyes, she could still see the simulation's content. Rubbing her eyes was pointless.
But that name... Did she read it correctly?
Helga Bartham... Wasn't that her childhood friend?
When Anna was a child and still living in the capital with her family, although their financial situation had been deteriorating, the Bartham family next door had always treated the Garland family with kindness. Helga, the only daughter of the Bartham family, had been one of Anna's closest friends... Wait, why did she say "one of"?
A sudden thought crossed Anna's mind, but her thoughts quickly shifted back to her memories with Helga.
After Anna's family moved to this border town, they had lost contact. Even when Anna attended the Knight Academy, the strict, closed-off nature of the institution had prevented her from seeing Helga again.
Returning to the border as a lowly border knight, Anna had thought she would never see Helga again...
But now, of all times, she appeared in the simulation!
The image of Helga's tanned, short-haired, tomboyish grin from their childhood was still vivid in Anna's memory.
[Upon seeing you and Louise, Helga doesn't immediately recognize you due to the significant changes in your appearance since childhood.]
[However, since Helga hasn't changed much, you recognize her instantly. But now is not the time for a reunion.]
[You and Louise quickly defeated the two Demon Boars.]
[...Wait, Louise and I took down those Demon Boars so easily, but Helga struggled with them? That doesn't make sense.]
Anna remembered that the Bartham family's name originated from "Hammer of War," which not only represented their family's signature weapon but also their tendency to solve problems by swinging their weapons at others.
With such a lineage, Helga should have been a formidable warrior. How could she have struggled with just two Demon Boars?
[After dealing with the Demon Boars, you turn to speak to Helga, only to notice that she isn't holding a hammer but a long staff with a hammerhead.]
???
Anna's face twitched as she suddenly recalled Helga's bold declaration from their childhood:
"Someday, I'm going to become the strongest close-combat mage!"
So, she wasn't joking back then?