For sure
@Schernobyl, it's a bit frustrating to see Allen's sword training being mostly set aside at that point. But, like the wyverns / Elf village events, I have good hopes that it will come back in handy later in the story. Sit and wait...
However, let's not forget why he started training with swords: it was in preparation for
The Duel, that he expected to be fair and square (1v1, just him vs. Prince Karl). But as a turn of events, the 5 Stooges eventually ganged up on him. Then...
"Improvise. Adapt. Overcome". "So anyway, I started blasting". You know the story
.
Waste of time and energy? I'm not that sure. Allen's unused swordmanship has so far acted as a convenient excuse / cover. Without this, how could one explain that a commoner mob kid could so quickly become such a talented and successful adventurer? Everyone in the guild be like:
"How come Allen has become such a badass without even receiving basic combat training? Is he a demon? He's really sus, and thus deserves to be closely watched".
So, things could have been quite different, and not for the best...
Some say that
Chounin A is a shallow story. But in fact, when you look closely, the plot is very well knitted.
"The devil is in the details" as they say. And this story abounds with such little details... that are not little details.