The mysterious old man who called himself the hermit of time massaged his long and magnificent beard that almost reached the ground.
「Now then, young swordsman… If you have troubles, why don't you talk to this old man?」
「…Talking to you wouldn't change anything」
「Mu.... But isn't it painful if you keep it all to yourself? Talking to someone can make you feel better. No need to be reserved. After all, I'm just an old man who's near his death bed」
「Ho Ho Ho!」the hermit of time laughed cheerfully.
「…I guess」
As I had already half fallen into despair, I began to talk about my current hopeless situation.
I don't have the talent for the sword.
I am being bullied in the Academy of Swordsmanship.
My mother I left behind in my hometown.
The duel tomorrow.
So when I spat out everything I've been keeping in my heart so far- I certainly felt some ease.
「I see… so that's why you were so depressed…」
The hermit of time listened to my story seriously without making light of it.
The old man was unexpectedly a good listener.
「If that's the case… I might be able to help you out a little」
「…And how would you do that?」
To be able to turn such a hopeless situation aroundー If there is such a magic, by all means, I want to learn it.
Thereupon, the hermit of time laughed grinningly.
「Ho Ho, about that – you just have to use this guy」
The old man took out a red button the size of a clenched fist from his breast pocket.
「…What's that?」
「1 million years buttonー an extremely rare magic item」
「1 million years button…?」
「Umu, the person who presses this button will have the same effect as having trained 1 million years in an instant! It's a very nice item!」
「…That is so shady」
It was my straightforward impression.
「Maa maa, just listen to the story. It's the request of an old man with not much longer to live, ok?」
Then, the old man rubbed his hands together,
As he had just finished listening to my story, I felt uneasy to flatly refuse him…. and I was also slightly interested.
「…Make it short」
「Oh! You'd like to hear! Thank you, thank you!」
After that, the old man loudly cleared his throat.
「Those who press this 1 million year button will move to another world, where they will spend 1 million years. You will be free to do as you please in that world. You can do anything. Or you can meditate. Or you can earnestly continue your training. 1 million years is plenty of time after all」
「…1 million years of time, I can train as long as I want?」
For me, this was a dream come true.
「Umu! In addition, there is a house and a bed there- and also a large bath! There is no need to worry about food! There is storage that infinitely gushes out food! In addition, there is no need to worry about your life span because it is a different world!」
「....!」
It has a bed and food, plenty of time, and what's more, it doesn't increase my age.
It was too ideal a circumstance that I gulped down my saliva.
「And the best thing about this 1 million year button is that, for the you who is over here, only a single moment would have passed!」
「...What does it mean?」
I did not understand the meaning.
1 million years is 1 million years. There's no way it would pass in an instant.
「Actually… 1 million years of memories will be erased at the moment of returning from the other world to the real world! In other words, for the you who is here, at the moment the button is pressed -」
「――I will be in the state of having trained for 1 million years!」
「Exactly! I'm glad you understand easily!」
At the end of the explanation, the hermit of time said, 「How is it? Isn't it amazing?」 and stuck out the 1 million years button towards me.
I intently stared at the red button.
(If… If I truly could train for 1 million years…)
I might be able to win against Dodriel.
A short period of about 4 or 5 years is not enough to catch up with Dodriel.
But if I have 1 million years of time… Even a talentless swordsman like me can catch up with that genius- no, I can surpass him.
After thinking so far, I was pulled back to reality.
I understood how ridiculous the things I was thinking sounded.
(Seriously, what the hell was I thinking…)
It was too good to be true…
This is not a fairy-tale, there is no way such a dream-like solution exists.
「Haa…. Is the story over? I don't have time to go along with such stupid stories」
「Oya…? You don't believe me?」
「I think it is amazing… If it was real」
「I'm not lying! I've never told a single lie in all my life!」
「I see, I think that is a good thing.」
And then, I picked up my sword again and began swinging.
I already know I can't win… but at the very least, I want to do what I can.
「Kuh…. just once, won't you press it at least once? It is the request of an old man with not long to live…!」
At that time, the hermit appealed by rubbing both hands.
I didn't expect to him to request so desperately.
「Aa… I understand already」
He should be satisfied if I just push it once.
Thus I pushed the button that the hermit of time was holding.
But, as expected or something… there was no particular change.
「Ho ho, how about it? How did you feel about waving your sword earnestly for 1 million years?」
The hermit of time asked me happily from the bottom of his heart.
「Nothing has changed. That was an outright lie.」
I wasn't particularly dejected.
The story of the 1 million years button was too good to be true.
「Ho ho ho! It's too big a change, so you don't notice it! Seeing is believing— so why don't you swing your sword once?」
How persistent…
Slightly frustrated, I swung the sword lightly once.
「Fuun!」
At the moment, a violent wind swept over.
「...….Eh?」
If my eyes weren't deceiving me, my sword just branched out into three images.
Space itself was curved – the sword was that fast.
「Ho ho ho! That's amazing! I hardly recognize you, young swordsman!」
The hermit of time laughed while clapping.
(Is this… for real?)
I tried cross-cutting this time.
「Ha!」
Three seconds after swinging the sword horizontally -「Zaaan!」the sound of cutting the wind resounded after a delay.
My sword has surpassed the speed of sound.
「Wh-What the… hell…!?」
It is not just at the level where my body is accustomed to the sword.
I was surrounded by a ridiculous omnipotent feeling that I and my swords were one and the same.
「How is it? Doesn't it feel like being reborn?」
The hermit of time laughed happily, as I looked and marveled at the abilities of my hands.
「A-Ah! Truly, I feel like having been reborn…!」
I lowered my line of sight to the 1 million years button that was held in the hand of the hermit.
「O-One more time… Please let me press it once more…!」
I have certainly become stronger.
I have become strongerーbut I'm still unsure if I can win against Dodriel.
There was a big wall between me and him, so much so that I couldn't understand the strength difference between us two.
「Sure sure! You can push it as many times as you'd like!」
「Re-Really!? Thank you, thank you…!」
After that, I pushed the button many times over.
No- I had accidentally pushed it.
This cursed 1 million years button…