Welcome to the Special-Grade Guild! ~ The Beloved Elf Poster Girl Soothes Everyone’s Hearts ~
Chapter 170

170. I Want to Learn Self-Defense

It’s morning! I woke up to the sunlight streaming in through the window and sat up to stretch. I’m a relatively early riser, but seeing that no one was in the bed across from me, Ravi-san must be an even earlier riser. …Even though she went to bed later than me, I wonder when she sleeps?

I looked around the room but Ravi-san was nowhere to be found. Maybe she went out somewhere? I thought, as I peeked out the window.

“Ah.”

“Hmm…? Oh, Meg. Good morning! You’re up, huh?”

Outside the window was the backyard of the inn. The area around the well was a bit more spacious, and Ravi-san was there, practicing sword swings and working up a sweat. She was already drenched in sweat, she must have been up early and training this whole time. Amazing.

“I’ll be done in a bit, so get changed and come out here. You’ll want to wash your face, right?”

“Yes! Okay!”

After responding, I pulled my head back into the room, my heart burning from seeing Ravi-san as an adventurer. Why, you ask?

Because it’s so cool! That’s all there is to it. Women who fight, women who train, they’re so cool!

That’s right, no one gets stronger without doing anything. If I just let myself be protected because I’m a little girl, without doing anything, I’ll end up being an adult who can’t do anything. Th-That’s not good. Having nature magic as my only redeeming quality, if I end up in a situation where I can’t use magic properly like now, I won’t be able to do anything.

Everyone in Ortus has their weaknesses. But I heard that everyone has something to make up for it. Even Saura-san, though physically weak, said she has a trump card to escape if it comes down to it.

So what about me? What can I do? I’ll probably just cry without being able to do anything. I don’t think I can be the next Demon King like that. I can’t keep being spoiled. I’m almost 50 years old. I need to start thinking and training!

With that in mind, I quickly chose yesterday’s clothes from my storage bracelet and changed in an instant. Grateful that they get washed just by storing them, I ran to where Ravi-san was.

“Please train me!”

I said that in front of Ravi-san while breathing heavily. It doesn’t work… I skipped the greeting and explanation and just said that, I really am a little girl. See, even Ravi-san’s eyes are wide. For now, I bowed my head and said good morning, as if I’d just remembered, and then Ravi-san finally burst out laughing. I’m sorry…

“Good morning. What’s this? All of a sudden. …Did you think you want to get stronger?”

Ravi-san said to me while wiping her sweat with the towel around her neck. It seems like she’s going to listen to me properly, without brushing me off just because I’m a little kid. That alone makes me happy.

“No… I probably can’t get that strong. But for when I can’t use magic, for emergencies, I at least want to be able to protect myself, to be able to escape!”

I know what I can and can’t do. If I keep training from now on, I might eventually get stronger, but honestly, I don’t have high hopes. Still, I should at least be able to protect myself.

“I don’t want to be a burden. I want to start training little by little from now on, but… I don’t know what to do…”

“…I see.”

When I said that, Ravi-san gently placed her hand on my head, and after patting me, she crouched down to meet my eyes.

“Okay. Then, while we’re traveling to the mine, let’s train together when we have time. But it’ll be tough, you know?”

I could feel my cheeks flushing as Ravi-san said that with a wink. I clenched my fists and answered energetically that I’d do my best. Training from someone other than Ortus’s overly kind guardians! I’ll do my best!

For now, it’s breakfast time, so I washed my face there and came to the dining room with Licht and Ronny! As I munch on bread and tomato soup for breakfast, I’m learning about what to do in case of emergency from Ravi-san!

“Self-defense isn’t all about physical training. Sure, if you’re strong, you might be able to defeat your opponent, but the most important thing is to not get into dangerous situations in the first place.”

“Isn’t that… obvious?”

Ronny voiced his question at Ravi-san’s lecture. He has a point.

“That’s right. That obvious thing is important. But just being aware of it makes a difference, you know? Don’t wander around alone in places with few people or dark places, don’t approach people you think are suspicious. It seems obvious, but if you’re not conscious of it, you might end up doing it without realizing it. Thinking it’s a shortcut, or you don’t have time.”

Hearing that was eye-opening. It was so convincing! Especially me, I still haven’t been able to completely shake off the adult habits of wandering around alone. How many times have I been scolded for it…!

“Well, this is a basic premise. No one wants to get into a dangerous situation, right? If you can avoid it with a little caution, that’s all the better, so this is something you need to ingrain in your mind first and foremost. That’s what’s important.”

“Understood!”

It makes perfect sense! I raised my arm straight and responded. She patted my head, saying I was a good girl. Hehe.

“Okay, next. What if you do encounter a dangerous situation? I’ll teach you some simple things you can do.”

Ravi-san gulped down her tomato soup and licked her lips with her tongue. It was kind of sexy.

“This is something I always do when I’m nervous. Deep breathing.”

“Deep breathing?”

“Yeah. When you think it’s dangerous, that’s when you need to stay calm. If you panic and do something strange, it’ll only make things worse, right?”

So, when you panic in the face of danger, take slow, deep breaths in and out, and repeat until you’re calm, Ravi-san says. Just doing that will help you calm down a lot, so you can think about things calmly.

It makes sense. It’s about getting oxygen to your brain. And deep breathing really does help you calm down, doesn’t it?

“Now then, here’s a question. Once you’ve calmed down with deep breathing, what do you think about? The dangerous situation hasn’t changed. So what do you do?”

Let’s see, a dangerous situation in front of me. If it were me, I’d somehow…

“Run away?”

“Oh, correct, Meg. Well done! That idiot over there answered he’d fight!”

“Ugh, don’t bring up the past, Ravi!”

I see, so Licht had already received this lecture! No, I’d fight too if I had the strength! I think I would have answered that, and I understand how Licht feels.

“The basic premise is to not get into dangerous situations, so it’s only natural to think about running away.”

Ravi-san said that with a laugh, her arms crossed. O-Oh, I’m glad I got it right…! I stuffed bread into my mouth as if to cover it up. Munch munch, delicious!