Chapter 122 - Sparring and Stairs
Translator's Note: Hello, everyone. We have an announcement to make.
We have decided to change the schedule for our updates. Instead of daily updates, we will only be updating on Mondays from now on, but with 3 to 5 chapters.
For this title, we will be resuming updates on February 24.
Volf and Marchella made their way to the back of the Green Tower.
On the patch of dirt where the grass ended, Marcella began doing light stretches.
“Alright, let’s do it here. Volf-san, you have body enhancement, right? I’ve got a bit of that too, so let’s just stick to physical attacks, no magic. Sounds good?”
“I don’t have external magic, so no worries there.”
“Got it. Then we’re good to go.”
“Wait, let me take off my bracelet first.”
Volf removed his sköll bracelet, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and placed it on a nearby rock.
He didn’t think it would happen, but accidentally using it against Marcella would be no joke.
“I’ll take off my bracelet too. Irma would scold me if I bent it.”
Marcella removed his gold bracelet with a garnet stone and tucked it into his back pocket.
“So, we’ll spar until one of us has their back on the ground. That sound fair?”
“Yeah, that works.”
Volf wondered how much he should hold back to avoid injuring Marcella. As he pondered this, he noticed the man furrowing his brows slightly.
“Were you just thinking about how much you should hold back?”
“I was thinking about not causing any injuries.”
“If either of us gets hurt, we can just borrow a potion from Dahlia-chan.”
For a friend of Dahlia’s, Marcella seemed surprisingly eager to fight.
Or maybe this was normal for commoners? Wolf couldn’t tell.
There were commoners like Dorino in his unit, but while they sparred during training, they never did so in casual clothes.
Volf had some experience with brawls, but this was different.
This was someone with no ill will toward him, and a friend of Dahlia’s. He absolutely didn’t want to hurt him.
“Alright, let’s start.”
Marcella was slightly shorter than Volf but broader and thicker. He likely outweighed him too.
His sun-tanned, rugged face and build wouldn’t look out of place among the Monster Subjugation Force members.
But since Volf sensed no hostility or killing intent from Marcella, he hesitated slightly in his stance.
“Ready?”
“Whenever you are.”
The moment Volf responded, Marcella moved. His speed caught Volf off guard, making him a little nervous.
Volf deflected the hand reaching for his collar with his left arm and grabbed Marcella’s shoulder with his right.
If he pivoted and swept Marcella’s legs, the match would likely end there.
Volf thought about how to avoid injuring Marcella with too much force—but in that instant, Marcella’s body sank slightly.
Volf quickly released his grip and tried to leap back.
But Marcella easily caught his arm.
The grip was too strong to shake off easily, so he deliberately thrust his arm forward. Marcella immediately released him, only to grab his opposite hand and firmly lock his elbow joint in place.
Volf hesitated. Should he end it here, or use body enhancement to break free and continue?
“Guess you’re not going to take me seriously, huh...”
Volf’s elbow, now free, still ached slightly.
Marchella’s reddish brown eyes looked at him with clear disappointment.
Volf felt ashamed for even considering holding back.
Right now, he was the one being held back.
“Sorry, that was rude of me. Mind if I test something?”
Volf activated his body enhancement and held out his palms. Marcella, without a word, pressed his own palms against Volf’s.
They ended up in a simple test of strength, but even with considerable force applied, neither side was overwhelmed—the match remained nearly even. Their feet dug slightly into the dirt, ruining the garden a bit.
“Wow, Marcella-san, you’re pretty sturdy.”
“Yeah, you too. Mind if we add strikes and kicks below the shoulders? Nothing hard enough to break bones, though.”
Marcella’s fierce grin made Volf nod in understanding.
It seemed Marcella was glad to know he didn’t need to hold back. Volf decided not to dwell on why he understood that.
“Got it. But if I mess up and hurt you, we’re heading to the church.”
“If that happens, we’ll both get scolded by the ladies.”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
A hard, sharp sound rang out.
The impact of their enhanced bodies colliding was low and heavy, like two logs smashing together.
Would it be okay to apply a little more force? Would it be okay to move a little faster?
Before they knew it, both had gradually started exerting more strength and increasing their speed.
Marcella’s fist struck the arm Volf used to guard.
Even with body enhancement, the force and pain reverberated through his bones, and Volf couldn’t help but grin.
Volf’s kick was blocked by Marcella’s leg, but it felt like kicking a sturdy oak. Even with body enhancement, the impact shook Volf to his foot’s bones.
The raw power of close-range strikes, bare fists, and forceful kicks—this was something Volf rarely experienced in the unit. It felt less like training and more like a brawl, and it was oddly refreshing.
There was no life-or-death stakes, nothing to protect, and no one watching.
Sure, it hurt a little, but the fun of this playful exchange outweighed the pain.
As they traded blows and dodges, their breathing seemed to sync in a strange way.
They kept pushing each other, until the sound of tearing fabric brought them to a halt.
“Oh, sorry. I caught your shirt...”
“Don’t worry about it. The fabric’s thin anyway.”
Marcella’s fist had slipped and snagged Volf’s shirt, tearing the front wide open.
By now, dusk was fading. They’d gotten a bit carried away.
“Marcella-san, you’re strong. Ever thought about joining our unit?”
“Nah, I’m too much of a coward. I’d cry if I saw a monster.”
“I think the monsters would be the ones crying...”
Volf laughed, fiddling with the torn fabric.
“We got a bit carried away, huh?”
Marcella stared at his arm.
Both of them had several spots that would likely bruise. As for Volf’s legs, still throbbing with dull pain, he didn’t even want to roll up his pants to check.
“What are you two doing?!”
A furious voice made them turn around.
There stood a red-haired woman, her breathing ragged and unsteady.
“D-Dahlia...”
“Uh, Dahlia-chan, this is...”
“I heard loud noises and came to check, and it looked like you were fighting, not sparring!”
Dahlia’s anger cut off any attempt to explain.
Admittedly, their sparring had turned into something closer to a brawl.
“No, it wasn’t a fight, just a bit of training...”
“You know, just guys bonding through fists...”
“Punching each other bare-handed? What if someone gets hurt?!”
The two men froze, unable to continue.
Neither of them had ever seen this woman this angry before.
Behind the furious Dahlia, Irma walked up slowly.
“Oh, Marcella, what have you done? You tore Volf-san’s shirt... Were you checking out his abs?”
“Yep! They’re perfectly chiseled, six-pack and all!”
“M-Marcella-san...”
“I guess being in the Monster Subjugation Force means he’s really fit.”
“Volf-san, you’ve got a nice body. Your arms and legs are solid too...”
“What are you even talking about?! It’s dinner time, so I’ll go ahead and set the table!”
Dahlia raised her voice and stormed off toward the tower.
Left behind were the couple, stifling their laughter, and a bewildered Volf.
“Dahlia was really worried when she saw you from the window. I told her you were just messing around, but she ran down in a panic and even tripped...”
“Dahlia-chan doesn’t have any brothers, so she’s not used to seeing guys roughhouse, right?”
“Yeah, so she thought it was a real fight. It was hard to explain...”
Irma smiled, looking slightly troubled.
“I messed up. I need to apologize for worrying her.”
“Me too. I got carried away.”
“Let’s go upstairs and apologize.”
The three followed Dahlia into the tower.
Irma’s magic lantern illuminated the stairs.
“Marcella, here’s where Dahlia tripped. The step’s a bit chipped.”
“Hold on, I’ll fix it.”
Marcella raised his right hand and channeled magic into the damaged step. The chipped part was filled in with dark gray stone, making it look as good as new.
“Marcella-san, you can use earth magic?”
“A little.”
As the two talked, Irma checked the stairs with the lantern in hand.
“Marcella, here too. It’s just a crack now, but it could get dangerous.”
“I’ll fix it. Oh, right, since Tobias is gone, there’s no one doing repairs... Never mind, forget I said that.”
Marcella’s face twisted as if he’d bitten something bitter, and he fell silent.
“That’s Dahlia’s ex-fiancé, right? He used to handle repairs?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Is there anything else he did that’s not being taken care of now?”
“Volf-san, you’re just ‘friends’ with Dahlia-chan, right? Why are you asking?”
“I’ve been relying on her, so I want to help if I can.”
Irma turned to look at Volf, her garnet eyes fixed on him.
“Volf-san, people say you’re the one ‘taking care’ of Dahlia.”
“We’re friends. It’s not like that.”
“Whether it’s causing problems now or not, Tobias used to handle physical tasks. Carrying shopping, transporting materials, repairing fences. She’s hired couriers and contractors for that, right?”
Marcella lightly kicked the step with his toe and continued.
“What Tobias did without anyone noticing was fixing the stairs and floors. He didn’t want Dahlia-chan to trip. I’ll handle what I can. As for dealing with troublesome clients or complaints about magical tools, he handled those in secret too. He didn’t want Dahlia-chan to get yelled at or treated badly. Now that Ivano-san is here, it should be fine.”
“Marcella.”
Irma called his name, perhaps to stop him or because she didn’t want Volf to hear more.
But Marcella kept talking.
“What he did to Dahlia-chan was terrible, and I’m not defending him, but he used to work hard. He was more like an overprotective big brother than a fiancé.”
“...I see.”
Volf simply accepted the explanation.
The three continued in silence, fixing a few more cracks in the stairs before heading up to the second floor.
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