Episode 28 Preparation (3)
A day at the Academy begins with a vigorous run.
It had been a long time since I had adapted to the training of Instructor Lee Won-bin to make all of his cadets bald.
I never thought I would say this, but I had become accustomed to the Academy and was enjoying my life here.
“One, two, three, four. The voice is small. Again!”
“”””yes!””””
Cadets shouting out energetic answers and commands. Looking at it this way, it doesn’t seem much different from the morning training we always do.
Chloe was sitting on a chair on one side of the training ground.
She placed an iron crutch beside her and motioned towards me. I responded with a feeble gesture and took over the rear of the hull.
The man leading the cadets, blowing a whistle at the front, slowed down and stuck next to me.
“You’re slow on your feet. Did you hurt your leg during the test?”
“no.”
Green tracksuit with three stripes on both sides. Even an outfit that would normally look ridiculous looks cool on this guy like an expensive pair of functional sportswear.
The muscle fibers bulged out inside the slightly visible tracksuit. It was an ideally balanced body that was hard to believe was that of a gray-haired old man.
Moreover, he is a beautiful young man with flawless facial features. He must have captured the hearts of many women when he was young.
Sword Master Siegfried von Nibelung.
Half a century ago, he was evaluated as the strongest force in humanity due to his brilliant achievements in the battle against the 4th Corps Commander Basmon.
If there is anyone who can be compared to him in terms of military force, it would be Richard de Murat, the Spear Star.
However, since Changseong was a character whose abilities were focused solely on strength, some thought that he would have the upper hand in terms of brute force, but most sided with Geomje.
In the second world war, which is the sequel to ‘Miracle Protection M’, the sword master is the man who will inherit the title of sword master, which was the proper noun of Aaron Nibelung, the first sword master and the right-hand man of the first hero.
In addition, he becomes Leon’s sword master later on, and his role increases rapidly from the middle of the story.
‘Sword Saint.’
Even Leon Van Reinhardt, who later went on to buff the main character, is known to have never been given the title of Swordsman.
There were all kinds of posts in the community with users trying to add those two dazzling letters next to their nicknames.
However, there was not a single post about successfully obtaining the title. Furthermore, one user uploaded a screenshot of the response he received after submitting an inquiry to the game company, and the sentences were truly amazing.
『The acquisition of the title by the protagonist Leon Van Reinhardt is systematically designed to be ‘impossible’. We apologize for any inconvenience.』
The next swordsman, Siegfried.
When he held the hilt of his sword, everyone looked up at him with eyes filled with awe. A veteran swordsman who had risen to the ranks of the embodiment of manly romance.
…however.
The object of everyone’s admiration, the swordsman, was running in step with me, a mere academy cadet. The metal whistle hanging around his neck was shaking like a bell.
If I had to compare this situation to something else, it would be like walking along the parade ground side by side with the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Posta. It feels more than that.
If you have served in the military, this would be a scary situation that would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
How would I feel if I experienced it firsthand? If I hadn’t served in the military, I wouldn’t know, but for someone like me who had just completed his service, it’s a really awkward situation.
The pressure made it hard to even breathe. Sweat started to flow from the crown of my head and ran down my cheeks.
Even the upright and sturdy instructor Lee Won-bin was looking this way, anxiously observing the situation. The cadets were also giving him jealous looks. I clicked my tongue and looked away from those looks.
“The basics of a warrior come from physical strength and endurance. No matter how talented a warrior is, if he or she does not have a strong body and strong perseverance, he or she will not be able to display his or her natural strength. These seemingly trivial trainings are the foundation for further growth. Don’t try to trick him or her, and follow along properly.”
“…yes.”
The tone of voice reeked of latte. As the words trailed off, the inspector hardened his expression and rebuked him.
“Your voice is small. Are you still not fully weaned from your mother’s milk?”
“I will correct it!!”
“good night.”
The inspector nodded, as if he was satisfied with the amount, and ran ahead at a tremendous speed.
The dust that had been raised was later scattered. At the sound of the whistle, the cadets swarmed like rats and chased after the sword master.
He must be over seventy years old, but he doesn’t show any signs of fatigue, as if he’s eating good medicine. It’s said that the sage Mediaya’s unique protection is always on display to maintain his youth, but Geomje seems to be flying around as if he’s trying to shake off old age.
‘Are you aging backwards?’
I shook my head to clear away the thoughts that were rushing in.
To begin with, this gentleman is a mysterious figure who is extremely reluctant to be exposed, even in games. But strangely enough, we met quite often.
Even nobles who are known for their hard work bow their heads to try to have a word with me, but to me, they come to me as if they were going to a neighborhood bar.
It was the same during the entrance ceremony and a few days ago.
Not only did he visit me every time I was hospitalized, he has now taken on the role of co-head instructor of the Wolf class.
It would be less frustrating if I knew the reason, but that gentleman, who is famous for being quiet, has no way of telling me.
I barely escaped a near-death experience on the first test and thought I would return to my daily life.
There has never been an abnormality like this.
The main story of Miracle Protection M, which had been gradually going astray, has completely gone astray.
“…under.”
I don’t want to overthink it… … but the anxiety pounding in my chest made me let out a hazy sigh.
After the training session, all the cadets sat on the dirt floor of the training ground and looked up at the sword master. Their eyes sparkled brightly.
Some cadets are so excited that they twitch their cheeks, while others are gulping and waiting for his lips to move.
Even in the Dragon and Castle classes, there were groups of people who skipped class to watch the sword fight.
The inspector folded his arms and looked at the cadets. His stern face showed an aged kindness.
The shining golden eyes moved slowly as if assessing them. The cadets were silently screaming, praying that the sword master would please look at them.
Then, the inspector spoke in an intelligent voice.
“It is important to use your knowledge to fight the enemy. However, in the field, your head usually doesn’t follow as well as you think. The devil’s attacks don’t give you time to think.”
The inspector nodded slightly toward Instructor Lee Won-bin. Then, Instructor Lee Won-bin brought out various iron weapons and laid them out on the floor.
There were various types of weapons, from basic double-edged swords to spears, hatchets, and bows. For some reason, Daiso Sashimi was also included among the weapons.
“Except for field training, the use of personal weapons is strictly prohibited from now on. Instead, please pick up a weapon that fits your hand and train yourself in it.”
Shock spread throughout the audience. The weapons they had inherited from their family were like their clones.
The threat of the prosecution to ban the use of such weapons must have felt like asking each person to hand over an arm.
The cadets murmured for a moment at the inspector’s words, and then a male student with a pierced nose cautiously raised his hand and asked a question.
“Your Majesty, I have a question. Could you please tell me why the use of weapons is prohibited? I think it would be better to train the weapons inherited from the family in order to prepare for the future.”
Despite the boy’s reckless question, the inspector’s face showed no sign of displeasure. Rather, he seemed to like the question, and said, smoothing out the wrinkles between his eyebrows.
“That’s a good question. But the basics are important for everything. The more you rely on high-grade weapons, the more likely you are to neglect the basics and slack off on training. And you’ll mistake the weapon’s performance for your own strength.”
“In such cases, I think it is important to learn how to use weapons and make up for any shortcomings.”
The boy, as if he thought this was the moment, asked back in a tone full of humility. The yellow symbol that the inspector wanted to see was clearly visible in his eyes.
“No matter how good the weapons are, if the user’s skills are lacking, they are just like pearls on a pig’s neck. And a master never blames his equipment, that’s all.”
I felt a sense of awkwardness and flinched. I nodded with a strange sense of satisfaction.
The male student who asked the question looked like he didn’t understand, but he was overwhelmed by the aura of the inspection and didn’t ask any additional questions.
“Once you master the basics, you will naturally become proficient at using weapons. Cadets who can handle common weapons skillfully are more likely to receive high evaluations in the class promotion exams held at the end of the year.”
“Really?!”
“I can’t guarantee it.”
As the inspector spoke, the cadets’ faces showed the aforementioned expression. The class they belonged to was Wolf.
This is the strongest swordsman in the world, the Sword Master, personally making a boast to those who are thirsty for promotion.
The cadets rushed forward, one after another, picking up tools made of metal rather than weapons.
Some cadets tilted their heads, perhaps because it was still a somewhat unfamiliar feeling. However, most of them were giggling and trying out their weapons skillfully.
I also got up late and dusted myself off. After a big sweep, all that was left were a trident that looked like a farming tool and two sashimi sticks.
I scratched my eyebrows with my index finger and picked up two sticks of sashimi, stuffing them into my waistband.
The inspector glanced at the sight.
‘As expected, that gentleman… … .’
The inspector opened his mouth after confirming that all the cadets had weapons in their hands.
“Today, we will be pairing cadets to familiarize them with weapons.”
The atmosphere among the cadets became chaotic all at once. No matter how much they were aiming for real combat, it would be embarrassing to train in a cold, cold space, not in a subspace.
“You have entered the Academy to grow into worthy soldiers, following in the footsteps of your ancestor, Balor Joaquin. You cannot grow into a true warrior without taking risks.”
As if he had expected a reaction, the inspector continued speaking calmly with his arms crossed.
“However, if we just point our swords at each other without thinking, we’ll end up getting our heads cut off. So, before we pair up, I’ll show you a demonstration of sparring myself.”
“Wow, can I see the sword of the sword master?”
“Crazy, I only saw it on YouTube, I never thought I’d see it in real life!”
“Je-en-jang, your Majesty! I believed in you!”
The boys cheered and blew their whistles. The roar was loud enough to be heard outside the training grounds.
“Quiet, quiet! Everyone sit down!”
Instructor Lee Won-bin sweated profusely as he made the male students quiet down. However, it was not enough to cool down the heated passion of youth. Lee Won-bin covered his forehead or the crown of his head with his hand and sighed.
I wanted to give him a word of comfort. It must have been hard to lead a class with Inspector General, and now he was acting as Inspector General’s counterpart, even though it was just a demonstration.
Today in particular, Lee Won-bin’s head felt empty. It was sad in many ways.
Lee Won-bin timidly grabbed the double-edged axe. Then, the inspector made a gesture to push him back.
Lee Won-bin tilted his head to the side with a trembling expression. Then, the inspector turned his head towards the cadet.
Then his gaze stopped on me.
“Cadet Kang Geum-ma, forward.”
Those words came out of the sword master’s mouth.
Immediately, many eyes were focused on me.
…shit.
