Training was conducted in forms tailored to each individual. Frontline fighters like Kouki, Shizuku, and Ryutarou received guidance from Meld.
Kouki and Shizuku, who had attended a kendo dojo back on Earth, blended their own methods into the training to boost their strength, while Ryutarou leveraged his innate athleticism to enhance his combat prowess.
Rearguard members like Kaori focused on studying first. They learned the fundamentals of magic before putting them into practice. Even though their bodies had instinctively gained a vague understanding of how to use it upon arriving in this world, thorough study allowed for more precise magic usage, such as shortening incantations, for instance.
"I never expected everyone to participate in the training," Nanami said, surprised, as he had thought some would opt out due to their aversion to war.
The participants cited reasons like, "If we don't know how long we'll be stuck in this world, we want to have the means to survive, like you said, Nanami-sensei."
Naturally though, most still insisted they didn't want to fight in a war or battle at all.
"Your words must have gotten through to them," Meld commented.
"So it seems. Though not to everyone, of course," Nanami replied.
Even now, people like Hiyama were eager to fight, reveling in the joy of coming to a fantasy world and the thrill of gaining power.
"Now then, I'm off to assist with his training as promised," Nanami said.
"I'll leave it to you. There must be something there, right? Honestly, I have no idea how to nurture him," Meld said before focusing on the others' training.
~~~
When Nanami arrived at the library, Hajime was reading several books. The finished ones were stacked on the right, the unread on the left. Incidentally, the one he was currently reading was a monster encyclopedia.
"Nagumo-kun," Nanami called.
"Oh, Nanami-sensei," Hajime replied, noticing him. He had been deeply focused.
"I'd be happy if you concentrated that much in my classes," Nanami remarked.
"Ugh," Hajime winced.
"Setting that aside..." Nanami began, shifting to the main topic. He sat opposite Hajime, "Now then, Nagumo-kun. It's been a week since training started. How's it going?"
"My stats haven't increased at all, and my transmutation is just barely passable. I've been crafting cleavers like you instructed, but…"
"They're all blunt, right?" Nanami pointed out.
Though it was the truth, Hajime slumped at the blunt statement.
"I can make pitfalls and walls, though," Hajime added, "But the effect only activates if I touch them directly. I can't do that right in front of an enemy."
"You're not fighting alone. You're a rear guard, so there's no issue if you stay back and create walls or pitfalls to restrain enemies, supporting the frontliners. More importantly, you need to deepen your understanding of your own technique."
"Deepen my understanding?" Hajime asked. He thought he already understood his skill well enough, which was exactly why he couldn't grasp what Nanami meant.
"I had you make nothing but cleavers purely so you could put Transmute to practice, and to deepen your understanding of the process."
'He doesn't seem to realize it yet... that his existence might be something that could potentially overturn the course of this world's war.' Nanami felt another headache coming on as his list of concerns grew longer.
"As I said earlier, you're a rear guard. If you're going to fight, you must attack from the back," he explained.
It was quite obvious, but Hajime couldn't do it. Why? Because he had no aptitude for magic. It wasn't that he couldn't use it at all, but it would take him far too long. So Nanami offered his own suggestions for fighting styles that would suit Hajime.
After talking things over at length, time passed.
"…Well, I've said quite a bit, so to sum up, for now, you should observe how the vanguard moves, look for openings to restrain the enemy, and finish them off yourself when possible. That's about it," Nanami concluded.
"…Understood," Hajime nodded.
"Since we don't have much time, let's proceed with training as usual," Nanami said.
With that, Hajime went to train with Nanami.
'His ability is close to an upgraded version of a Construction-type cursed Technique,' Nanami thought.
He was slightly, 'very slightly', grateful for having listened to Gojo, who had chattered endlessly about the Kyoto Sister School Goodwill Event, including cursed techniques, without even being asked. Though he did not share all the details.
Despite being annoyed and exasperated, Nanami had listened seriously to the parts about cursed spirits, victims, and stolen items. And it turned out to be useful. Thanks to that, he quickly figured out how to train Hajime. He was also able to recognize the potential dangers.
'If he becomes able to create firearms or modern weapons based on his knowledge, he'll become an exceptionally powerful individual in this world. But at the same time, there's no telling what he might do with that power. Well, even if he realizes this, I believe he has the judgment to handle it responsibly.'
With that in mind, Nanami recalled what had happened that previous night...
...
~Flashback~
"Nagumo-kun, I recognize you as someone who's opposed to war and fighting in general. More importantly, your abilities are generally low, and you have a non-combat Job. Considering all this, why do you want to learn how to fight?" Nanami asked.
To be Honest, Hajime wasn't suited for battle. He probably knew that himself.
"We both know that you're capable of thinking about things realistically. So can you tell me what led you to this decision?" Nanami pressed.
"I want to go back. Back to our original world," Hajime replied.
"Everyone thinks that. It's not a reason to fight," Nanami countered.
"But right now, I can't do anything. You stood up for me, Nanami-sensei, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm useless," Hajime said.
"There are no useless people. At least not among my students right now. It's too early to come to that conclusion."
Hajime slowly shook his head, "Thank you, sensei. But it's an undeniable fact that many people see me that way. So if something were to happen to you, I wouldn't be able to protect myself, I'd die before ever getting home. I don't want that. More than anything, I hate just sitting around doing nothing."
"…Living in this war-torn world, learning to fight... if it came down to it, could you kill someone?" Nanami asked.
"..."
"Can't answer? Very well, I'll teach you how to fight," Nanami decided.
Hajime, having been expecting rejection, was slightly surprised but quickly expressed his gratitude.
"However, I won't allow you to participate in full-scale combat. You'd just die. At most, I'll permit you to fight weaker monsters outside the city walls, and only when accompanied by me or Meld-san. And even then, you must never push yourself beyond your limits."
"I understand," Hajime agreed.
As it was getting late, Nanami urged Hajime to get some rest.
As Hajime reached for the doorknob, Nanami stopped him one last time, "By the way, while the training sessions with weaker monsters outside the city walls won't start just yet, currently there are seven people approved to participate, including you. Hiyama-kun isn't included."
"It's not because I'm going… right?" Hajime asked.
"It's simply a matter of resolve, courage, and mental strength," Nanami explained.
There was also the matter of how mentally unhinged Hiyama was, but Nanami decided not to mention that part.
~End of Flashback~
...
Those who could participate in that training were Hajime, Kaori, Shizuku, Ryutarou, and three others.
One of the three was a girl named Taniguchi Suzu, who was the class's mood maker. She said that in a situation like this, she wanted everyone to keep smiling. To that end, she would become stronger.
She couldn't answer the question of whether she could kill someone, but seeing her genuine desire to keep smiling and to make everyone smile in such a situation, and the fact that she wasn't just acting or forcing herself, Nanami permitted her participation.
Next was a boy with unparalleled invisibility in the class, Endou Kousuke. He particularly admired Nanami. The reason was that despite having perfect attendance, other teachers often overlooked him, nearly marking him as absent or even failing him.
However, Nanami had always noticed his presence and told the other teachers, "Endou-kun is always here. He has perfect attendance."
That saved Kousuke from repeating a year. Though even after all that, he still remained unnoticed by others.
His reason for participating, in his own words, was, "I want to be strong enough to help if something happens to you, Nanami-sensei, to be someone you can rely on."
When asked if he could kill someone, he hesitated for a moment but clearly stated, "If there's no other way and it means saving you or a classmate from death, I can do it." Hearing this, Nanami gave him the OK.
As a side note, Nanami thought Kousuke somewhat resembled Ino Takuma. Not in terms of being unnoticeable, but in his gaze.
And the third person was…
"That's enough for today," Nanami said.
"Wait, Nanami-sensei! It's only been about two hours since we started!" Kouki protested.
"Two hours is plenty. You've just killed living creatures for the first time today, and that feeling might creep up on you later without you realizing it and erode you." Glancing at his watch, Nanami added, "Moreover, you should also consider the close to eight hours spent on your regular training today."
However, seemingly dissatisfied, Kouki, pushed for more training, "This world is in crisis! I can still go on! We should get as strong as possible!"
"Resting is also important to be able to fight when the time comes. Besides, you can't do anything about the crisis in this world. At least not while I'm here. The decision on when you fight is mine."
"But... there are people suffering because of the demons right now…"
"Fine, I'll give you one minute. If you can get me out of this circle in one minute, I'll count it as your win and continue the training a bit longer, and I'll listen to what you have to say. Meld-san, keep an eye on the surroundings."
With that, Nanami drew a circle on the ground, but it was a small circle, just big enough for one person to stand in.
Kouki thought Nanami was clearly underestimating him. Incidentally, through all the training so far, Kouki had reached level 10, and his stats had doubled.
On the other hand, Nanami's remained unchanged. Even so, the difference in power was overwhelming.
"You'd better keep your promise!" Kouki shouted. The massive handicap had infuriated him. No matter how strong Nanami was, he thought he could at least make him move a step.
With that, he swung the Holy Sword, his hero-exclusive weapon. But...
"!?"
"What's wrong? This blade is blunt, you know?" Nanami said, blocking the attack with the cleaver that was made by Hajime.
He didn't budge an inch, instead he used the momentum to fling Kouki back.
"You lie so easily about it being! And you call yourself a teacher?!" Kouki accused.
"It really is blunt, but you need to learn to doubt people more. And that's 40 seconds left," Nanami replied.
Realizing he was in trouble, Kouki activated one of his skills: Limit Break.
The skill temporarily tripled his base stats while consuming his mana. But it was temporary… he couldn't use it for long, and after using it, he would weaken in proportion to the duration. A double-edged sword.
"Wait, Kouki! That's too much!" Shizuku started. Though flustered, she tried to stop him, scolding him for using such power against a teacher and comrade during training.
"It's fine, Yaegashi-san. Let him continue," Nanami said, holding her back and preparing himself.
They didn't know it, but Nanami was now stronger than usual.
"Your sword swings are too straight... now too wide... if you're going for combos, you should include feints," Nanami critiqued while deflecting and evading everything.
The, his watch beeped, signaling the end.
"You used Limit Break and went all out unnecessarily. And considering the drawbacks of your skill, you're done for today anyway. Sakagami-kun, carry him for me," Nanami instructed, sheathing the cleaver on his back and preparing to leave.
"W-Wait, I'm not done yet…" Kouki gasped.
"You demand I keep my promises, but you don't keep yours?" Nanami retorted.
"Ugh…" Kouki faltered.
"Calm down man, Nanami-sensei is right. Let's call it a day," Ryutarou said.
"Yeah, seriously, using Limit Break in training just because Nanami-sensei is stronger than you is insane," Shizuku scolded.
His best friend restrained him, his childhood friend berated him. Meanwhile, the other childhood friend was...
"Nagumo-kun, you were cool during training!" Kaori beamed.
"Nah, I mean, I just finished off an enemy that Nanami-sensei and Meld-san had weakened and immobilized with my Transmute, that's all," Hajime replied modestly.
...She was completely out of the loop.
"Was Hajime's way of taking down the enemy your idea?" Meld asked.
"Yes, I thought it was necessary to ensure the enemy was defeated… was there a problem?"
"No, I'm just surprised. I didn't think a Synergist would have combat potential," Meld said.
"He has his own way of doing things. That's all."
"Kento, don't you think they're ready for the practical training in the Great Orcus Labyrinth that I mentioned before?" Meld suggested.
"..."
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not saying this because I want to send them to the battlefield sooner. To be clear, the monsters here aren't even good for practice. If they're going to protect their own lives, training in the labyrinth is best. Naturally, as key figures, they'll have plenty of guards."
"…Let me think about it," Nanami said.
"Nanami-sensei!" Kouki called out weakly while slowly approaching.
He insisted, "We can handle it! We don't have time to waste here!"
"No," Nanami refused flatly. Before Kouki could press further, but he explained calmly,
"Looking at the current abilities of everyone in training, I do think they'd be fine to some extent. But that's not the issue. Besides, the fact that you're here now is something I didn't approve of. It was a concession made considering Meld-san's current position."
If it became known that the Hero wasn't progressing, it would cause unnecessary trouble for Meld who was overseeing the training. That's why Nanami had allowed Kouki to train in combat with monsters.
Still, Kouki was, in a sense, the most unhinged. Thrown into a strange world and suddenly told to fight, he, who had been just a student until now, could cut down living creatures without hesitation. It was abnormal, even if they attacked first. The rest came down to resolve.
"Meld-san, the Great Orcus Labyrinth monsters are different from here, right?" Nanami asked.
"From what I've seen, floors 1 to 10 should be fine, but anything below that is on a whole different level compared to the ones here," Meld replied.
"That settles it. I'll let you know if we decide to go, so please be ready then," Nanami said.
Kouki said, "Ugh, then at least let the others have practical training with the monsters outside the royal capital! Hiyama, Sonobe-san, and Nakamura-san are all at a sufficient level! Especially Hiyama, he's complaining that it's unfair that Nagumo can go but he can't."
"Oh, Eri did ask me if we could go together…" Shizuku added.
Nanami muttered, "I was planning to do that eventually… Taniguchi-san seems particularly close to Nakamura-san… Alright. Tell her to come to my room tonight. I'll hear her resolve. Sonobe-san is afraid of fighting. She's gotten stronger though. Hiyama-kun still isn't ready. He has the ability, but he lacks resolve and courage."
"That's not true!" Kouki protested.
"No, It is. He could fight monsters, but there's a problem with his mental state. Now then, once you've all reached a certain level of strength, and the others have gotten used to fighting monsters, we'll head to the labyrinth."
With that, Nanami walked away as if ending the discussion, heading back to where the carriages were.
~~~
That night, Suzu and Eri entered Nanami's room.
Eri said, "I want to be with the people I care about. If I can't be with them, I'll fight anyone."
Sensing some kind of danger, Nanami considered refusing, but after Suzu's desperate persuasion, saying that they would always prioritize safety and stick together, he judged that it would improve both Suzu's and Eri's abilities and increase their chances of survival, so he allowed it.
"Taniguchi-san, could you step outside for a moment? I want to talk to her alone," Nanami said.
Suzu assured Eri it was fine and left. Eri remained, facing Nanami.
"Um, is there something else?" she asked.
"No… Nakamura-san, just make sure you don't act rashly. That's all," Nanami said.
Tilting her head, Eri replied, "Okay," and left.
'Maybe it's just my imagination.'
Nanami had been bothered by something for a while. During the home visit at Eriʼs home, he found her parents' behavior and her own actions strange. But with no evidence or basis, and not even knowing what the source of his unease was, he had just remained quietly concerned.
And since coming here, there was one more thing that worried him.
"As long as I don't know, there's nothing I can do about it," Nanami mused.
What to do when the time comes, what to do to resolve it… and how to minimize the number of casualties in the future... His thoughts were endless.
~~~
Three more days passed, and everyone's levels had increased further. Additionally, four others, including Sonobe Yuka, had joined the training with the monsters outside the royal capital.
"You decided to become Hatayama-sensei's escort?" Nanami asked.
"Starting from her return next time, yes," one student replied.
"Leaving this place means there's a risk of losing your life. More importantly, you might have to make the choice to kill someone," Nanami warned.
"I understand that Nanami-sensei is playing the villain and going to the battlefield alone to protect us. Honestly, I don't want to die or to kill anyone. But if I do nothing, I'll just end up thinking, 'Oh, everyone is working hard,' or 'I wonder if Nanami-sensei is okay,' like it's someone else's problem, and I might self-destruct… So if there's anything I can do, I want to do it."
"..."
Nanami silently listened to Yuka and the others. To their resolves and feelings.
"Maybe deep down, I haven't fully grasped that I might actually die. If that's why you're stopping us, Nanami-sensei, that's fine. But my desire to protect Ai-chan is…"
"It's genuine… Alright. However, your lives still come first, even if you're an escort. Never think of risking your life to protect Hatayama-sensei."
He could imagine Aiko's reaction if her students risked their lives for her.
~~~
A week later, those who wanted to participate were allowed to fight the monsters.
"Take this! How's that!" one shouted.
'They're still treating this like it's a game… Is this really okay?'
Hiyama also joined, and now almost the entire class had participated in combat training. However, there were still problems. One was that many still found fighting impossible and hadn't participated in the monster combat training even once.
Another was that Hiyama and a few others were venting their frustration and stress from being brought to this world, along with the thrill of gaining power.
'That said, further training here won't yield much growth, as Meld-san said.' Nanami mused.
"I've gotten permission from Kento," Meld announced, "As part of the practical training, we'll be going on an expedition to the Great Orcus Labyrinth. As I said before, the monsters there are different from the ones outside the royal capital. So prepare yourselves!"
After some deliberation, Nanami had given Meld the go-ahead. He added:
"In consideration of everyone's safety, when we descend the floors, I'll go down first to ensure safety. After that, follow Meld-san and the other knights' instructions for combat training against the labyrinth monsters. Also, as Meld-san said earlier, the monsters there are on a different level. Don't push yourselves, safety comes first."
With that decided, some expressed anxiety, but...
"It's okay, everyone! No matter what happens, as the Hero, I will protect you! We'll get strong here, save this world, and take everyone back to our original world! So, let's all do our best!" Kouki declared.
Misinterpreting it as Nanami finally giving them approval, Kouki's charismatic words rallied everyone.
Those who were already motivated, like Hiyama, raised their voices, while Ryutarou and Shizuku clenched their fists in determination.
Those who were scared, like Yuka, managed to voice agreement, and Hajime, though anxious, also displayed resolve in his eyes.
They all had the spirit, at least.
But they didn't yet know that this wasn't a world where spirit alone could make a difference...
———— ——— ——— ———
Note:-
By the way, it's not that Nanami consciously perceives Kousuke's presence. Every morning during roll call, he simply thinks, 'Oh, there he is,' and that's about it.
Since arriving at Tortus, Kousuke's already faint presence has become even harder to detect. Still, Nanami manages to locate him, though barely.
The reason lies in a skill mentioned in the previous chapter: Soul Perception (Weak)
Some of you might have guessed it, but this is a result of Mahito's 'touch'. Though unconsciously, Nanami has begun to be able to perceive souls. He hasn't realized this yet, but he might eventually.
Thanks to this, even someone as inconspicuous as Kousuke can be perceived when Nanami consciously directs his attention, like during roll call.
Still, Kousuke's increased faintness since arriving at Tortus makes him difficult to perceive. With focused attention (or if he's right in front of him) Nanami can perceive him.