Volume 3 Chapter 14 The Cost Of Repairing The Magic Sword
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The old Oswald mansion was designed with an open architecture and was incredibly spacious.
As they passed through the black iron gate, a grand white marble staircase appeared before them, leading up to the main building──now Maribel’s office.
Liam, carrying a letter, headed into the main building.
Kian, on the other hand, circled around the main building to head towards the training facility at the back.
When thinking of the Knights of the Sun’s training grounds or the Izerland fortress’s arena, one might picture just a sandy circular coliseum.
However, the training ground of the Oswald mansion was a vast space, with a concrete floor and an extravagant roof installed by the magician, Aisha.
It was a square, each side measuring about 5 hundred meters.
Surrounding the area were green plants and trees, designed to prevent anyone from stealing techniques by observing the training.
The atmosphere resembled that of a Botanical Garden.
The design intention was to create a ‘secret’ training ground within an artificially constructed forest reminiscent of a tropical paradise.
Kian cut through the paths lined with tropical trees, advancing towards the enormous training area with its dark triangular roof.
It felt as if he’d wandered into the forests of the elven domain, but the ferocious roars of men echoing through the blooming tropical flowers vehemently asserted otherwise.
Ahead lay a world of serious combat far beyond what could have been imagined since McCutchen’s time.
”────”
He pushed aside the gray mosquito net that separated the artificial tropical forest from the square training space and slipped inside through the opening.
Inside, thanks to magic, the air was wonderfully ventilated, free of any unpleasant heat or humidity.
Countless young warriors, barefoot on the concrete, were sparring, their high-pitched voices ringing with excitement.
With over a hundred warriors present, it seemed the instructor had quite a number of apprentices to manage.
In the front space, a young guard, once a colleague of Liam’s, faced off against a tiger Beastman boy.
A few spectators had gathered around to watch.
The tiger Beastman was a face Kian had never seen before.
Both the tiger Beastman and Liam’s former colleague picked up wooden swords placed on the concrete ground.
They exchanged bows and took their stances, ready to engage.
The shapes of the swords were both long swords.
There were about 30 types of weapons to choose from for training, including scythes, short swords, rapiers, shields, and half-sword sets (to become a Master, one must be well-versed in all 30 types), but he seemed to prefer the classic long sword.
”──Hey there, if it isn’t Lord Kian!”
As the tiger Beastmen and Liam’s former comrade watched him ready his wooden sword, a familiar voice called out from the side.
It was the chubby man in white priestly attire──Archbishop Homolka.
He propped himself up with a staff in one arm, limping over to Kian.
Following behind him was a robust young man, seemingly in attendance.
”Archbishop Homolka, it’s been a while. Are you feeling any better?”
”Ah, the bones broken by McCutchen’s soldiers have mostly healed. But the pain persists, and now I can’t live without soaking in hot water 3 times a day.”
The Archbishop spoke with his usual sly smile.
He was one of the contributors to the seizure of power in Maribel a month ago, different from the traitorous Natasha, he was at least on Maribel’s side until the end.
When Oswald surrounded the city, he was already incapacitated, having been beaten to a pulp by Azraelian refugees in McCutchen’s army, but he is considered a ‘loyal subject’ for his efforts in the subsequent reconstruction, pouring his personal wealth into it.
He had heard that he was now delegating his duties and focusing on his recovery.
”I’m currently in rehabilitation. If I stay in bed all the time, I’ll never get up again. ──Oh, this is my subordinate, Church Knight Balondor.”
”……”
The robust young man silently bowed.
His demeanor and appearance suggested a rugged knight.
”Nice to meet you, I’m Kian. I’m an Adventurer in East End. If you have any monster-slaying requests, I’m available for personal commissions at a reasonable rate.”
”……”
”Um, excuse me?”
”…Understood. I’ll remember that.”
”Hahaha…”
Balondor spoke only the necessary words and then fell silent.
Kian kept smiling as he turned toward Homolka.
”The training grounds seem to be bustling today.”
”Yes, you can see over there──Lady Eleonora is in charge. It’s training overseen by the current ‘Knights of the Sun.’ Members of several martial arts clubs in the fortress are paying high fees to participate, not just soldiers.”
The Archbishop’s finger pointed toward a woman in a training uniform wielding a sword in the distance.
Burning red hair and a dignified beauty.
Even while sweating and exuding a healthy allure, her form as she matched the movements of a mock spear with her disciple’s swordsmanship was captivating.
Eleonora, who was called back as a military advisor after Oswald’s disturbance, seemed to be diligently carrying out her duties even today.
That said, the disciple on the receiving end of the blows seemed to be struggling, as they didn’t have the basic physical stamina before the techniques.
(There aren’t enough instructors, and more than half of the instructors can’t properly wield their weapons. There are some who don’t even understand the advantages and disadvantages of the weapons themselves.)
In highly skilled mercenary groups and knightly orders, they start swinging swords at 5 years old and become experts in killing by their late teens.
However, the Izerland fortress, being in Maribel’s domain, had led a life far removed from direct warfare.
It was inevitable that their skill level was low.
Under no circumstances should they be compared to the Knights of Ramsey in the north or Châtillon in the south.
’But there are some good users, too. That young Beastmen boy with the tiger’s features, he understands the nature of the long sword well. He doesn’t rely on his physical abilities just because he’s a Beastmen. His footwork is also a movement that properly learned how to efficiently kill humanoid enemies.’
(That’s true.)
Kian nodded and watched the tiger Beastmen deflect Liam’s colleague’s sword and simultaneously thrust at the neck in a counterattack.
Basically, there are differences in physical abilities between humans and Beastmen, and cat Beastmen, for example, excel in very flexible movements with Leap.
The moment the Tiger Beastman and Wolfman entered the scene, the sheer power and speed they exhibited were on a whole different level, and the distance between them and their opponents changed dramatically.
Instead of learning methods of killing, it was more effective to harness his physical abilities and refine his aggressive, tricky movements that forced the opponent to react.
This was the martial arts of the Beastmen.
Serena’s swordsmanship belonged to this category as well, though she was still a work in progress.
However, the Tiger Beastman before him adhered strictly to the principles of Franz Kingdom swordsmanship, maintaining solid defense and immediate counterattacks.
With strength and speed that were extraordinary, Liam, a mere human, could barely keep up in the exchanges.
There was nothing more terrifying than a Beastman who was well-versed in human methods of killing.
This was said to be one of the reasons for the strength of mercenary groups like the ‘Storm Herd.’
Kian watched the skirmish unfold, leaning closer to Homolka’s ear.
”That Tiger Beastman kid has some impressive skills,” he remarked.
”Are you talking about Gao?”
”Ah, so his name is Gao.”
Homolka nodded and continued.
”Gao is a member of the fortress’s swordsmanship club──the ‘Beastmen Swordsmen’s Association.’ As you know, many citizens practice martial arts as a sport. Among them, the ‘Beastmen Swordsmen’s Association’ is a club where the children of wealthy Beastmen merchants learn martial arts, and it has the second-highest membership fees within the fortress. His parents are at the top of a merchant guild that primarily deals in alcohol, investing a significant amount of money in Gao’s training, educating him to become a martial arts expert. He’s a bundle of motivation himself, so of course, he’s strong.”
”A swordsmanship club, huh? So that means he’s participating in Lady Eleonora’s training as an external member?”
”No, the ‘Beastmen Swordsmanship Association’ officially became a martial arts Guild 2 weeks ago with Princess Maribel’s approval. Now it’s recognized as one of the guard units protecting Princess Maribel, in addition to the surviving guards. There’s also the ‘Forest Hunters Association’ in the shooting club, which has joined the guard ranks. They’ve gained privileges like having their positions recognized by the princess and being allowed to train in spaces, such as the arena and the cleared debris of the Main Castle courtyard, for free. They’re quite the esteemed ‘insiders,’ you know.”
Homolka lowered his voice even further and continued.
”Speaking of Gao, he was aiming for the role of ‘Thorn Demon’ during the ‘Knights of the Sun’ succession ceremony. He had a dream of earning the Knight title through his own strength, thanks to his parents’ wishes… But at the last minute, his parents canceled because fighting Oswald was just too dangerous.”
”I think that was a wise choice. Hair roots are important, you know.”
”Hehehe…”
Homolka let out a suppressed laugh.
Meanwhile, Gao, who had been fighting, finally managed to seize Liam’s colleague’s sword and brought the unarmed man down to the ground.
”Ugh!”
”What the hell! You’re pathetic! You don’t even have the basics down!”
”Ugh… That’s why I’m here to learn…”
”You don’t even have a proper physique! Look at that pig-like belly of yours!”
”Ouch! Don’t poke me! Stop it! I mean, there’s no way my physique will change in just a week or so! More importantly, teach me how to swing a sword! You’re supposed to be my teacher!”
”I already taught you, you fatso!”
”All you did was make me memorize the forms! I had to learn dozens of techniques just for the long sword, and then you said, ‘Okay, become stronger,’ but my head feels like it’s going to EXPLODE, and I’m not getting any stronger at all! Your teaching method is terrible!”
”What did you say?!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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