Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 38: Cold Night

Mitsuki let out a groan of pain, striking the air with the wooden sword. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and his long black hair dripped nonstop.

He had taken off his coat and doublet, unbuttoning the collar of his long-sleeved black shirt a bit so the air could touch his chest. On top of that, his breathing was so heavy it felt like his lungs might burst out of his mouth at any moment.

"You still have two hundred repetitions left," Jeanne said, sitting on the ground as she drank water from a leather canteen. She looked so relaxed that it somehow felt like she was mocking Mitsuki. "Do it the way I taught you: left foot firm on the ground; right heel slightly raised. That way, your center of gravity will be more stable, as if you were rooted to the ground."

Panting, Mitsuki drove the wooden sword into the dirt and rested for a few seconds.

"That’s what I’m doing, but the sword is still heavy."

"You’ll get used to it over time. Your body will grow stronger, and you’ll be able to break walls with a single punch."

’I wish I could do that,’ Mitsuki thought, resuming his training.

He raised the sword high, lifting his right heel while keeping his left foot planted firmly on the ground. Then he brought it down with all the weight of his torso.

’Split the sky, break mountains... Every time I imagine myself in situations where doing that is okay, I can’t help but get excited. It’s like grinding experience to become the strongest! Or unlocking the final skin in a battle pass...’

If strength lay in repetition, Mitsuki would do it without hesitation. After all, things like this were experiences he had already gone through—even if it had been behind a screen. What was clear, though, was his perseverance when it came to the idea of becoming stronger.

"Now you’re doing it better. Keep it up, and you’ll see you can finish by nightfall."

"I’d rather it not be that late," he muttered, dropping to his knees. "I still need to study the books Ellegaard gave me..."

He lay back on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

She smiled with curiosity. "You’re quite the diligent student, especially considering we haven’t known each other for long. I mean, when Ellegaard was teaching you her magic, you paid close attention to everything she said—even though you were getting hit a lot. The same thing is happening here with the wooden sword. Even if you fail a lot at first, you adapt quickly and improve."

Mitsuki closed his eyes. "I guess that’s true..." he said, in a tone that suggested he wanted to say something more, yet didn’t.

"That grumpy elf knows you have the potential to become powerful. Believe me, the same thing happened with me."

He opened his eyes, a bit curious.

’Now I’d like to know how the two of you met, but it would be too hypocritical of me to ask. I’m the one who never says anything about himself, after all.’

"She has that strange talent for finding people with potential. That’s why I also wanted to see if you have potential with the sword."

"Do I?" he asked, sitting up again. He didn’t look her in the eyes. Instead, he gazed toward the great walls stretching far beyond the trees.

"I don’t know yet. You’ll have to keep training until I can see the spark of a knight in you."

An ambiguous answer—disappointing, at the very least, but Mitsuki didn’t mind.

This time, he felt more at ease with her. After all the embarrassing things they had gone through together in such a short time, there was hardly anything left that could make him keep his usual hikikomori distance from her.

So, in a more upbeat tone, as he stood up and grabbed the wooden sword, he said to the princess, "I see. But even if I don’t have what it takes, I’ll still do it. Grinding experience even when the system is ridiculously slow is my specialty." Then he delivered the descending strike.

Jeanne didn’t understand the reference, showing a crooked yet understanding smile. She sighed, stood up, and walked over to him to supervise more closely.

"As long as you don’t give up, you’ll achieve it."

Those words encouraged Mitsuki to deliver another slash. He dropped to his knees again, his weak body unable to continue, while the crimson sunset intensified. Night was approaching.

"Looks like this is your limit."

Mitsuki shook his head. "No. I can still do a bit more. This is just the beginning. Let me catch my breath for a second."

Seeing that Mitsuki was on the verge of passing out, Jeanne placed a hand on his shoulder and crouched down to his level.

"That’s enough for today, Mitsuki. We’ll train a bit more tomorrow. Now that I know your limit, I can come up with a training plan for you."

’Well, she’s right. There’s no rush... for now.’

He stood up with Jeanne’s help. He handed her the wooden sword, and she accepted it gladly before putting it back into the bag.

"So, do you want to go to the bar for dinner?"

Mitsuki felt a chill run down his spine. He shook his head exaggeratedly. ’I’m not getting another ridiculous title tonight. I just want to rest; my arms are killing me.’

Jeanne looked disappointed, but she gave Mitsuki a firm pat on the back.

"Alright, we’ll have dinner at the inn. Come on, little man."

"Wait, let me rest a bit. My feet—"

"You’ll get over it. Let’s walk for a while."

’Here we go again...’ He feared this might become a habit, but somehow it wasn’t annoying. This girl moved at her own pace and he at his, yet somehow they matched perfectly. ’I guess when she decides something, you just have to go with the flow. Besides, the fact that she’s acting like nothing happened last night calms me a bit. Maybe I was the only one overthinking it.’

As an adult, he felt like he should start acting like one.

***

Later that night, after dinner, Jeanne and Mitsuki went upstairs to their respective rooms.

"That was fun, but I’m getting sleepy," she said, taking out the key to her room. "Don’t you want to sleep with me?"

Mitsuki’s face turned red instantly. Of course, spending the night with Jeanne was tempting, but just as he had shown determination with sword training, he also wanted to study magic. So, tired, he said, "I have to study. I don’t think you’d like having a guy sitting at a desk all night."

Jeanne thought for a moment. "Hm... You have a point. In any case, if you feel the night is too cold, you can knock on my door. I’ll be waiting on the other side."

’I feel like I’m going to regret this...’ he thought with an awkward smile. "Good night, Jeanne."

And without another word, he entered his room.

Hours later, while studying the books sitting on his bed, he remembered that Jeanne had said something about "repetition." That was when he let out a quiet, "I’m an idiot..."

The night was definitely going to be cold.