Chapter 30 (1/2)

「………What do you guys think? About Harold」

When they had started preparing for camping since the sun was sinking, Aileen lowered her voice and asked. Being questioned, Robinson and Shido exchanged glances, and after a short pause they each answered respectively.

「Isn’t he a good kid?」

「He’s strong?」

「I do think that he is somewhat strong, but there’s no way he’s a good kid」

All of a sudden being insulted as a miserable small fry lower than a kid, there was no way Aileen could accept Robinson’s opinion.

「Is that so?」

「After all, it’s just that Robin is thinking like that because someone wasn’t afraid after meeting you for the first time」

「That is, well……..」

He couldn’t deny that his impression of Harold, who didn’t even seem to be afraid or perturbed regarding his greatest complex, was certainly high.

「Either way, since he wasn’t frightened by Robin, doesn’t it mean that he has gone through his fair share of fights?」

She couldn’t voice up any objections towards Shido’s opinion. All of them mostly had the same opinion. Frankly speaking, it wasn’t wrong to say that Robinson’s face was a deadly weapon. His appearance was so atrocious that even an adult would quake in fear. All the more if it were a kid, and for a kid around Harold’s age, it wouldn’t be strange for them to burst into tears. That was the three’s common perception.

Although it wasn’t particularly arranged beforehand, the three’s gazes simultaneously concentrated on Harold. That appearance of him adding twigs to the fire while making a displeased face could only be seen as a kid appropriate for his age. But in reality, since he was recommended for the chivalric order at an age of only 13 years, he must be hiding an absurd amount of power.

They couldn’t affirm it because they still hadn’t seen his strength with their own eyes, and also because he was acknowledged by Cody, whose  irresponsible behavior was standing out, they couldn’t believe it. Although, they knew in their heads that there was no way he would invite him as joke. And suddenly, Shido muttered.

「Or rather, let’s try to directly talk to him」

No sooner had Shido said that than he quickly finished constructing the tent. And then, he plonked down without any reservations in front of Harold, with the fire in between them and started talking to him.

「Yo, Harold. Is it fine for a bit?」

「What is it?」

「It’s nothing much, just that we only know each others’ names, so I thought maybe we could deepen our friendship a bit」

「…….Do what you want」

Even while making an annoyed face, Harold accepted Shido’s proposal. Seeing that reaction, Robinson and Aileen also got closer.

「By the, I had wanted to ask from before, but where did you meet the Squad Captain? The person himself isn’t telling no matter how many times I ask him」

「At Delfit’s fighting tournament」

「That’s where we had been garrisoned………」

「Ah, are you perhaps the child who knocked down the drunkard?」

Robinson’s memory flashed back. Because Harold was far, Robinson couldn’t confirm his face, but when he thought back to it, his physique and atmosphere was quite close to the boy in his memory.

「You knew about something like that, huh」

「But I think that Captain didn’t invite you at that time though………」

「That guy came right after the first day of the tournament got over. He didn’t open his mouth because him slacking off might have gotten out. Since he wasn’t wearing the armor」

「…….Come to think of it, there was a day where he left all the patrolling to us and disappeared somewhere」

That day being hectic due to Cody abandoning his duties was still a recent event in the three’s memories. Listening to Harold, Aileen groaned, 「Squad Captaain ～ ?」, in such a low voice that it seemed to creep on the ground and went towards Cody. Her eyes were glazed over.

「What happened to that girl so suddenly?」

「Aah, she went to drop lightning or something on the Squad Captain. It’s usual」

Although he was severely remonstrated after the fighting tournament, it seemed as though that anger had returned. While Shido laughingly explained to Harold that this was a scene that he would get used to even if he didn’t want to, Robinson, who had a puzzled face for some reason, entered his vision.

「………..It seems as though Harold-kun participated in the fighting tournament, but was it in the under-13 division?」

「That’s right」

As though implicitly wanting to say, 「So what」, Harold narrowed his already sharp eyes even further. While being somewhat pressured, Robinson continued talking.

「What was the result?」

「Isn’t it obvious that I won」

Harold declared as though it was natural. Shido, sensing Robinson’s intent in asking that question, closed his mouth, choosing to see how things would go. And then, Robinson approached the heart of the matter.

「……..That day, when we were patrolling the town, an enormous bolt of lightning struck from the sky. And from what I’ve heard, it seems as thought that was a magic used by the victor of the under-13 division」

That is to say, the one who brought down that lightning bolt, if the rumor he had heard was right, was Harold. If that lightning strike had indeed been brought down by Harold, then could agree with Cody recommending him for the chivalric order without waiting for the stipulated age. That was how tremendously strong that magic was.

「Was that your magic?」

「………『Bolt Lance』」

With the sun about to completely sink, a flash cut through the dusky sky. A single long lance of lightning fired off towards the sky rose up to higher altitudes. The bolt of lightning that seemed as though it would disappear beyond the sky like that itself struck a monster, a large ominous bird that was about 3 meters, and knocked it down. The monster that was burnt black was completely annihilated.

「This is the answer. Are you satisfied?」

Harold, who had annihilated a monster with a single strike of magic that was activated with no preliminary actions or chants, without changing his expression by even a little bit, spat out in an annoyed tone.