Hajime tapped on Selena's shoulder, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. "Hey Selena, can you help me with sword skills? Honestly, I don't really know the first thing about it."
Selena's face immediately lit up with a cheerful grin. "Sure, no problem, buddy! I'd be glad to help!"
Their first training day began with enthusiasm but quickly devolved into laughter and sighs of exasperation. Hajime kept fumbling with his wooden sword, losing his footing, and landing on his backside repeatedly. Selena patiently helped him back up each time, encouraging him to keep going.
Midway through the session, as Hajime was catching his breath, Ryutarou approached the pair with his usual cheerful demeanor. "Hey! How are you two holding up?" He watched as Selena performed a series of smooth practice swings with a wooden bastard sword, trying to adjust her technique from bamboo katanas she was accustomed to.
"I'm great!" Selena responded energetically. "Just helping Hajime get the hang of swordplay."
Ryutarou rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You know, Selena, you definitely have the skill to be a frontliner. Why stick with Hajime here?" Curiosity was evident in his eyes, and even Hajime looked toward Selena, clearly wondering the same thing.
Selena hesitated for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Well, you see, I think the hero party has plenty of strong frontliners already. What it really needs is a reliable rear guard." It wasn't the entire truth, but she knew better than to reveal the harsh future she was aware of. Being by Hajime's side mattered far more to her than personal glory or improvement.
After training, Selena reached out to Hajime with a friendly gesture. "Hey, let's go study at the library. We should learn more about this world's knowledge. Plus, it'll give us a break from everyone staring us down."
Hajime took her hand gratefully, smiling sheepishly. "Thanks, Selena. I know I'm not very strong right now."
"Don't sell yourself short," Selena encouraged him cheerfully. "You've got more courage than half our classmates put together. You just haven't realized it yet."
As days passed, Selena shifted Hajime's training to focus more on his magic skills, realizing her own limitations in that field. Her magic stats weren't doing her any favors, and she struggled to keep pace with her rapidly progressing classmates.
During one such session, Selena noticed Shizuku and Kaori practicing nearby and decided to approach them. "Hey, friends! What are you two working on?"
Shizuku frowned in frustration, holding a knight's sword awkwardly. "I'm having trouble adjusting. These swords are very different from the katanas I'm used to."
"Want to spar? Maybe that'll help loosen you up," Selena offered.
"Sure, sounds good!" Shizuku replied eagerly, happy for the challenge.
They faced off, Shizuku adopting a quick-draw stance while Selena held her sword steadily in front. Kaori cheered enthusiastically from the sidelines, torn between who to root for. The match commenced swiftly. Selena lunged forward with a sharp diagonal strike. Shizuku expertly parried and countered, but Selena nimbly evaded the return strike.
Circling carefully, eyes locked, they searched for an opening. Shizuku initiated the next attack with a powerful horizontal slash. Selena deflected the blow, stepping forward smoothly and hooking her leg behind Shizuku's ankle. The maneuver sent Shizuku tumbling to the ground. Selena pointed her sword gently at Shizuku's throat, smiling kindly.
"Thanks, Selena. I think I can see what I've been doing wrong," Shizuku admitted, examining her sword thoughtfully.
Kaori stepped closer, glancing around curiously. "Hey, where's Nagumo-kun? Usually, you two are inseparable."
Selena rubbed the back of her head, a sheepish grin tugging at her lips. "He's practicing magic today. I'm not much help in that department. My spells tend to… well, overload."
Kaori tilted her head. "Overload?"
"Yeah," Selena said, lifting her hand. A small flame flickered to life above her palm, no bigger than a candlelight. "Watch."
The fireball trembled slightly, then suddenly collapsed inward, vanishing in a quiet pop that sent a ripple of heat through the air.
"See? They implode on themselves half the time. Not exactly combat material," Selena laughed, waving the heat off her fingers.
Kaori quickly shook her head. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that. It's just… you're always there for him, and I worry about him. Our classmates aren't exactly kind to him."
Selena laughed lightly again, trying to ease the tension. "It's alright. Hajime's tougher than he looks. He's used to dealing with stuff like this."
By the end of their first week, open disdain towards Hajime grew amongst the class, much to Selena's frustration. Hajime, determined to cope on his own, asked her not to intervene on his behalf, and though she reluctantly agreed, she couldn't resist poking his cheek playfully in protest.
The situation escalated when Daisuke openly bullied Hajime under the pretense of training, flinging fireballs at him. Kaori intervened forcefully, putting a stop to the cruel mockery. However, Selena wasn't spared Daisuke's malice either, who frequently flaunted his magical prowess before her, sneering and taunting her inability to control her volatile magic. Selena endured it silently, knowing that Daisuke harbored resentment due to her past interference whenever he'd bullied Hajime.
Soon enough, Captain Meld announced they would be embarking on a journey into one of the Great Labyrinths for further training. Most of the class erupted in excitement, eager for new challenges.
Selena felt chills run down her spine. The moment she had been dreading was rapidly approaching. Quietly, she prepared a small, inconspicuous pouch containing essentials: sewing kit, salt, pepper, healing potions, rations, hardtack, a small knife, gauze, and even the pouch itself capable of carrying water. She avoided standing out by keeping her preparations modest yet effective.
By the final training week, it was evident their classmates vastly outpaced both Selena and Hajime in raw strength and speed. But Selena didn't mind. Strength didn't matter—only the safety of her friend. While others selected powerful artifacts as their equipment, Selena carefully chose a lightweight yet protective chainmail enchanted to absorb one mortal blow every twenty-four hours. She retained her thinner bastard sword, ready to defend Hajime no matter the cost.
In her heart, Selena steeled herself for whatever lay ahead. All that mattered was ensuring Hajime survived what she feared would inevitably come.