After lunch, Makoto, along with Tomoe, Mio, Shiki, and Komoe, said their goodbyes to Erin.
"Erin, I'm heading out now," Makoto said.
"See you again, Erin-chan," Tomoe said.
"Next time, I'll bring you some delicious food, Erin-chan," Mio added.
"Until we meet again, Erin-sama," Shiki said politely.
"I'll come play with you again later, Erin-chan," Komoe said cheerfully.
"I'll be waiting for all of you to come back," Erin replied with a smile.
After that, they teleported to the location Tomoe had mentioned. The fighters who had already gathered there immediately noticed Makoto appearing in front of them.
"Welcome, Waka-sama!" the assembled warriors greeted him.
Makoto looked over the gathered fighters. Most of them were from the Highland Orc and Mistio Lizard races. There were also members of the Elder Dwarf and Alke races, who served more as support fighters. Although the Elder Dwarves and Alke did not focus on brute strength, their abilities could not be underestimated. Makoto then took a seat on the platform chair Tomoe had prepared.
"We have gathered here today to confirm the true capabilities of each race—abilities that cannot be fully measured through ordinary training. Therefore, starting now, the strongest warriors from each race will fight and demonstrate their power!" Tomoe announced loudly.
Komoe then stepped forward and stood in the center of the arena.
"Now then, the inter-race battle will begin! Representative of the Highland Orcs—Agares!" Komoe shouted.
Agares stepped onto the arena in full combat gear, accompanied by loud cheers from the Highland Orcs.
"Next, the representative of the Mistio Lizards—Liddy!" Komoe called out.
Liddy also entered the arena with her equipment, drawing cheers from the Mistio Lizard race.
"Both sides, give it your all! One round, no restrictions—begin!" Komoe declared, acting as the referee. Although Komoe showed no outward physical change, after receiving a portion of Makoto's magical energy, she had become incredibly strong. In fact, aside from Makoto's direct followers, Komoe was among the strongest present.
Standing in the arena, Liddy and Agares prepared to clash. Liddy attacked first, focusing magical energy into her mouth and unleashing a roar that sent a powerful wind magic attack forward. Agares blocked it with his body. Dust filled the air, obscuring him from view. Taking advantage of this, Liddy leaped upward and attacked with his sword.
Agares anticipated his move, quickly forming a defensive spell to deflect the strike, then counterattacked by swinging his axe at Liddy. Seeing his attack fail, Liddy easily blocked Agares's counter with the guard in his hand.
Not wanting to give Agares any opening, Liddy stomped the ground and dashed toward him. Agares, seeing his charge without hesitation, poured magical energy into his axe.
"Full power!" Agares roared as he swung his axe at Liddy, who was already right in front of him.
Sensing the danger, Liddy instantly leapt backward. Agares's missed strike smashed into the arena floor, shattering the ground beneath their feet into countless fragments. After dodging the flying debris, Liddy unleashed wind magic with all his might.
"Come forth—Gale!" Liddy shouted as he released the spell.
Agares tried to endure the fierce wind magic, but was ultimately wounded by the attack. Seeing Agares injured, Liddy rushed toward him and leapt into the air to deliver a finishing strike with his sword. However, Agares quickly spotted an opening. Without hesitation, he grabbed Liddy by the tail and slammed him violently into the ground, rendering him unable to continue the fight.
"That's enough!" Komoe declared loudly.
"The winner is Agares of the Highland Orcs!" Komoe announced.
"Woah!" Agares shouted in triumph upon hearing the result. He then looked toward Makoto, who was seated on the platform without any visible expression. Seeing Makoto's calm face left Agares confused.
"You both fought with all your strength," Tomoe said to Agares and Liddy, who were kneeling before her. "However, it was unsatisfactory."
"Huh!?" Agares and Liddy exclaimed in shock.
"I am deeply disappointed. Why is your strength only at this level?" Tomoe said coldly, her gaze sweeping over the confused fighters.
"Why do you think that is?" she asked, then pointed at a Highland Orc. "You there."
"Um… from Waka-sama's perspective, and that of Tomoe-sama, Mio-sama, and Shiki-sama, that fight may have seemed trivial. But for us, it was a fairly impressive battle," the Highland Orc answered nervously.
"In other words, because you weren't fighting us, you think this level is enough?" Tomoe said calmly.
"Guh!?" Agares and Liddy reacted, as if suddenly realizing something.
"You haven't even reached ten percent of the strength we expect from you! You're nothing more than a group of cheap fighters!" Tomoe shouted angrily. The gathered warriors fell silent under her words.
"A warrior must possess strength we can rely on!" Tomoe continued sharply. Agares and Liddy could only lower their heads.
"Even so, your abilities cannot be properly measured by fighting us directly. Therefore, starting now, every seven days there will be individual battles involving everyone. Each person's strength will be verified and ranked. Not only you, but the Dwarves and Alke will participate as well," Tomoe declared.
"That's impossible—it will expose our techniques!" a Highland Orc protested.
"Fool! None of your techniques are worth hiding!" Tomoe snapped. The fighters fell silent once more.
"Throw away that ridiculous pride and show your abilities! You will sharpen your strength together! Those with true talent are what Waka expects!" Tomoe shouted.
"Winning these battles will become the standard of strength in Eryndal! Those ranked at the top will become honorary warriors!"
Her words ignited the fighters' spirits.
"Those who cannot show respectable results should give up being warriors. Find work more suited to you. Being a warrior is not the only way to contribute to Eryndal. That is all," Tomoe concluded.
"Lastly, a word from Waka-sama," Komoe announced.
Makoto stood up and stepped forward. The restless fighters turned their eyes toward him.
"I agree with what Tomoe said. All of you still have great untapped potential. That's why I want you to open your minds and learn from one another, growing stronger together. I will also add joint training sessions with me to strengthen the foundations of your power. That's all I wanted to say," Makoto said.
"Yes!" the fighters responded in unison.
"Alright, everyone—keep training hard! The Eryndal rankings are coming soon!" Tomoe said enthusiastically.
After that, Makoto went to Tsige City for a stroll. Before leaving, he said to Tomoe,
"Tomoe, bring a katana to Lime Latte as a replacement for the short sword you broke. If he suits you, you may recruit him as your subordinate."
Upon arriving at the Adventurers' Guild and checking the available quests, the receptionist approached Makoto.
"Excuse me, Makoto-sama. Do you have some free time? There's something I'd like to discuss," she said.
"Of course. Is there something I can help with?" Makoto asked, writing magical words.
"Actually, our guild has a request for you. Our top adventurer has retired, and many skilled adventurers are currently injured and recovering. Our supply of elite adventurers is critically low," the receptionist explained.
"Makoto-sama, we'd like to ask for your help. Could you mentor an adventurer who will become Lime Latte's successor—the former number-one adventurer of Tsige?" she asked with a pleading expression.
"I know a group whose members are all over level 100," Makoto wrote with magic.
"T-That would be fine! Starting with them is no problem at all!" the receptionist replied happily.
After checking the quest board and finding nothing interesting, Makoto wandered around the city and bought some snacks that caught his eye. As evening approached, he returned to the hotel he had rented in Tsige. When he entered his room, he found Tomoe and Mio waiting for him.
"Oh, Waka, you arrived at just the right time," Tomoe said.
"What is it?" Makoto asked.
"I've decided to accept Lime as my subordinate," Tomoe said.
"And?" Makoto asked.
"That's all, Waka," Tomoe replied.
"Then why are you here, Mio?" Makoto asked.
"I came to call you, Waka-sama. Dinner is ready," Mio said.
"That's it?" Makoto asked.
"Yes, Waka-sama," Mio replied.
Makoto could only shake his head.
The three of them then returned home to Eryndal.
"Where's Shiki?" Makoto asked.
"If I remember correctly, Shiki said he was going to study in the Memory Room, Waka-sama," Mio replied.
Before long, Shiki returned, followed by Komoe, who had come back after playing with Erin. Once preparations were complete, they had dinner together.
"Oh right, Tomoe, can you train the Toa group?" Makoto asked casually.
"What's the matter, Waka-sama?" Mio asked.
"When I stopped by the Adventurers' Guild earlier, the receptionist begged me to nurture an adventurer who could replace Lime as Tsige's number-one adventurer," Makoto explained.
"Very well, Waka," Tomoe said after a moment's thought.
After dinner, they relaxed on the sofa.
"By the way, I haven't done any archery practice for the past few days," Makoto said casually.
"Waka-sama, are you going to practice archery?" Mio asked.
"Waka, aren't you already strong enough? Why do you still practice archery?" Tomoe asked.
"Tomoe, Mio—archery practice isn't just training for me. It also clears my mind and relieves stress," Makoto replied.
"Um, Waka-sama… how does archery practice relate to becoming stronger?" Shiki asked, confused.
"See? Even Shiki has never seen me practice archery," Makoto said.
"That's a different matter, Waka," Tomoe replied.
Soon after, Makoto, Tomoe, Mio, and Shiki arrived at the special archery training grounds—a dojo built exclusively for Makoto. Komoe did not come along, having played too much and fallen asleep after dinner.
Makoto picked up his bow and arrows, then sat down to prepare. Tomoe, Mio, and Shiki stood some distance away.
"Shiki, I'll warn you in advance—don't do anything when you see Waka practicing archery," Tomoe said seriously.
Although Tomoe and Mio had seen Makoto practice many times, they always remained tense whenever he did.
"Understood, Tomoe-sama," Shiki replied solemnly.
After finishing his preparations, Makoto stood up, aimed at the target ahead, and focused his consciousness. At first, Shiki's expression remained normal. But the moment Makoto drew his bow, Makoto's presence suddenly vanished, blending completely with the surroundings.
"Wha—" Shiki almost shouted, but quickly covered his mouth. He glanced at Tomoe and Mio, whose expressions were deadly serious, then turned his gaze back to Makoto.
Thud.
The arrow struck the target. Shiki could then feel Makoto's presence return.
After firing all his arrows, Makoto felt his mind refreshed and his mood uplifted.
"Archery practice really is the best way to relax the mind," Makoto said with a nod.
"For you it's relaxing, Waka. For us, it's extremely stressful," Tomoe replied.
"Waka-sama… what just happened?" Shiki asked, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
"As you saw, I was practicing archery," Makoto said calmly.
"Waka, I've told you before—no one practices archery like you do," Tomoe said, at a loss for words.