The Only Combat Trainer

"Here's your nameplate." The receptionist handed Rain an oval white tag with a hole at the top and a thin gray cord threaded through it.

The nameplate seemed to have undergone some special treatment. It felt smooth and hard in Rain's hand, much like porcelain, though not quite the same.

His name, Rain Farrell, and a string of numbers were engraved on the back.

Judging by the workmanship, it must have been made through some kind of mystical process. Otherwise, the receptionist could never have completed such fine work so quickly.

"Please keep your nameplate safe. You'll need it to accept quests and prove your identity, among other things."

"All right. Thank you."

"If you're a new adventurer, I'd recommend taking only basic quests. Better yet, find companions to complete them with. It'll be much safer."

"All right."

"Good luck."

"Thanks!"

Rain headed toward the back courtyard.

He had already looked around several times and taken stock of what most of the adventurers were wearing.

A spellcaster probably wouldn't carry a shield or a greatsword, or wear heavier armor such as thick leather or chainmail. Yet those adventurers made up more than sixty percent of the crowd.

A spellcaster probably wouldn't carry a powerful bow on their back, either. That ruled out another twenty percent.

After those exclusions, few adventurers present fit the bill. Once he ruled out those carrying twin daggers or whose bearing seemed wrong, only a handful looked like possible spellcasters.

Those few stood at the center of small groups, with the people around them directing their conversations toward them.

Looks like spellcasters have an even higher standing in adventuring parties than I thought.

Finding a place as an ordinary warrior... might be tough!

Rain no longer needed to ask. He had a fair idea of the answer.

Perhaps, before long, he could use his spellcasting ability to join a party quickly.

But first, he needed to spend some time in Mill Town and learn the basics of being an adventurer.

If he could also use that time to train in combat and weapon handling, it would clearly help him a great deal on the adventures ahead.

Rain was pleased with Freezing Ray's power and its unusual freezing effect. The problem was that he could cast it only twice for now, and that wasn't nearly enough to make him feel safe.

Rain passed through the corridor and arrived at a courtyard.

Calling it a courtyard was perhaps more accurate than calling it a back yard.

Buildings surrounded it on all sides, leaving the center open to the brilliant blue sky. Straw dummies, wooden mannequins, and freestanding triangular solid-wood targets lined both sides of the yard.

A conspicuous warhammer also rested in the courtyard's left corner.

Both ends of its head were flat and square, an uncommon shape. It looked like an oversized brick, except that its gray metallic sheen showed it was made of some kind of metal.

The handle was about half a meter long. Judging by the grip, it was a one-handed hammer.

That much metal must weigh a ton...

Rain glanced at it, then looked away.

Several young men and women around Rain's age were practicing with spears, swords, bows, and shields under the guidance of an exceptionally burly, short middle-aged man.

Wait, is that... a Dwarf? Rain's eyes widened.

To his surprise, Humbert, Mill Town's only combat trainer, was a rare Dwarf warrior.

At least, Dwarves were rare in Mill Town.

Even when one did turn up, he was unlikely to be among the lowest-ranked adventurers. Perhaps he belonged on the second floor?

Humbert Stonebeard stood half a head below Rain's shoulder, but his arms were thicker than Rain's thighs. Thick yellow curls covered his face, and three braids of beard hung from his chin like plaits of hair.

Dwarves lived far longer than humans, averaging over two hundred years, so Rain couldn't tell how old he was.

He might have been forty, fifty, or older still.

Still, learning from an experienced Dwarf warrior could only be a good thing.

Except...

"Raise your shield!"

"Pathetic! You call that blocking with a shield? You look like a woman hugging a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch!"

Humbert casually smacked a young man's raised shield twice with an ordinary wooden stick as he scolded him.

Looking at the sturdy young man's face, red with embarrassment, Rain suspected Humbert might have a bit of a temper.

"And you! You couldn't skewer a Goblin with that spear!"

"Put some strength into it!"

Just then, a young woman approached him. "Hello. Are you here to learn basic warrior combat skills from Instructor Humbert, too?"

"Uh... yes."

"Hello, I'm Lia. I'm something like Instructor Humbert's assistant." The blonde woman with a ponytail smiled.

"Hello, I'm Rain."

"What would you like to learn, Rain?"

"Instructor Humbert has plenty of experience. He's skilled with almost every weapon a warrior might use: spears, one-handed swords, one-handed hammers, shields, two-handed hammers, greatswords, and more."

"As a new adventurer, what would you recommend, Miss Lia?"

"A sword and shield might be a good choice, but if you want to be safer, a spear and shield would be better."

"A spear and shield?"

"Yes. The shield can block ranged attacks, while a spear has more reach than a one-handed sword. Admittedly, it's harder to develop a combat technique with a spear."

"But early on, it's undeniably one of the best choices for a new adventurer."

"What about a bow or crossbow? Don't they have even greater range?" Rain asked.

"They do, but learning to use a bow takes a long time. Anyone who can use one effectively in a real fight within a year is practically a genius."

"As for a crossbow, it's quite good at close range. But after firing one or two bolts, you often won't get another chance to reload during the fight."

"I see." Rain thought it over, then nodded.

It seemed a spear and shield were the best combination for improving his fighting ability quickly.

Once his adventures were underway and he had more time, he could learn to use a bow or crossbow.

Rain glanced at the people training in the yard.

Sure enough, those practicing spear thrusts and those practicing with sword and shield made up more than half the group.

"What is Instructor Humbert best at?"

Rain glanced at Humbert's waist, which was as wide as his shoulders, and couldn't help asking. An enormous warhammer hung at his side.

"Instructor Humbert is best with a warhammer and shield."

Huh?

Then why were most people practicing spear thrusts, shield blocks, and one-handed sword strikes?

A few were practicing with greatswords, but not a single person was using a one-handed hammer.

"Why isn't anyone learning to use a one-handed hammer?" Rain asked, puzzled.

"Instructor Humbert's standards for the one-handed hammer are particularly high. I'm afraid few new adventurers meet his requirements," Lia said tactfully.

Rain understood what she meant.

Put bluntly, Humbert didn't think any of the adventurers before him were suited to the warhammer. He thought they would be better off practicing with more practical weapons like spears and swords.

"I see. Is it because they aren't strong enough?"

"Uh... as Instructor Humbert puts it, it's not just strength. You also need a feel for the hammer." Lia seemed a little surprised by how many questions this new adventurer had.

Even so, she answered him patiently.

That answer left Rain at a loss for what to say next.

"I'd like to learn the spear and shield," Rain said after a moment's thought.

He chose the spear because learning to use a bow effectively in combat within a month was almost impossible.

A spear was different. Thrusting was its main movement, and he could make progress with it in a short time.

Besides, he had used a pitchfork before. That experience ought to help him improve faster, at least to some extent.