21. Sparring and recovery
Gwareung.
Suddenly, lightning struck the dry sky, and rain began to fall.
“Hey, I’m in a bad mood.”
“hmm.”
Rem and Ragna, who were feverish, looked away and avoided each other’s gaze.
This is the end of the fight.
The two entered the barracks to avoid the rain.
It was so clear, but suddenly it rained.
The weather was going crazy.
It was the end of fall, so it wasn’t the season for showers.
The sky in this weather is thick with rain. In particular, showers without a single dark cloud were really rare.
“Suddenly it’s raining.”
Kreis said as he looked at the lightning and rain that struck the dry sky.
Encred also looked at the sky and reflected on what happened when he was not around.
As expected, the curse was bullshit.
“Would you say that rain falling like this is also a curse?”
“Maybe so. Anyway, for three days Bo fell and broke his nose and Jack broke his arm. And Lawton was bitten by a snake.”
All three are scouts.
Bo was a soldier so agile that he could do somersaults, but since he did that while wearing armor, it was a good thing that only his nose was broken.
Jack is a foul-mouthed soldier who is overconfident in his skills with a spear.
He said he broke his arm while sparring, but you could have bet money that his opponent broke it intentionally.
Lastly, Lawton is a bit careless for a scout.
Although this is not the season for many snakes, there are areas in this grassland that are particularly rich in snakes.
So all three deserved it.
“Besides those three, there are also people who touched the pot.”
Wangnun said as if he was excited.
If you really think this is a curse, how can you say this?
Just a conversation.
“There was also news that the medical barracks had burned down. Oh, the squad leader was there. “Did you hear anything?”
Are you saying that the burning of the barracks is also a curse?
“huh. It did. “He rode well.”
Kreis entered the barracks and then turned his head.
“Did you see it yourself? Did the fire really suddenly erupt? “I heard there was a spy coming in?”
huh. no.
‘I did it.’
Encred was the one who started the fire.
And since it was a spy, there was a sneak attack, but it is questionable whether it was actually an enemy soldier.
I don’t know Krang’s identity yet, but he seems to be at least the bastard son of a nobleman.
Could it be that the ambusher was our team?
It’s a curse, what can I say?
The command center will soon crack down on this.
No commander would welcome such words being circulated within the unit.
“yes? “Did you see anything?”
Wangnuni urges.
Encred looked into those big eyes for a moment and thought.
Kreis’s mouth is too light to say all this.
Even if it’s not light, there’s no reason to say it.
Since I decided to keep quiet, that’s what I’m doing.
“The barracks I was in burned down.”
“to?”
“I guess you didn’t know?”
“Not at all. So the enemy didn’t invade? “Is it true that the fire suddenly caught fire?”
“The watchman dozed off, and the wind knocked over his perch. There was an oil can next to it that I had left on the perch to refill. “The tent caught fire from the fallen perch.”
Encred clenched and opened his fist and pretended to spread flames with his hand.
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Don’t you think I almost died?”
“He’s alive and well here.”
What is this, is it something to worry about?
“If he’s not alive and well, is the squad leader a ghost?”
Rem joins in from behind and giggles.
Is this guy saying this is a joke?
“The Lord said, ‘Let the ghost rest in peace.’”
And a member of the squad who is immersed in religion performs a verbal exorcism.
Encred thought that this would be a very unpleasant thing to hear if he were a real ghost.
“I only got a little burnt hair.”
The ends of my bangs were a little singed, so I cut them off. The hair, which had been roughly cut with a knife, looked like it had not been properly trimmed.
“I originally had black hair, so even if I got it, it wouldn’t be noticeable.”
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Rem continued to giggle.
“So your head is a pile of ashes?”
Rem’s hair is gray.
“Oh, how did you know? “My head is a pile of ashes.”
Does this guy really find this fun?
He keeps doing this even though he is the only one smiling in the barracks.
It must have really been a shower, but the rain stopped quickly.
The chat was brief.
When the rain stopped, Kreis went out, saying he had something to do.
Encred lay down and fell asleep with the sound of raindrops falling from the edge of the tent in the background.
It was a sweet nap.
After sleeping for a while, I woke up with a headache that cleared up.
The fatigue also disappeared.
Encred stood up and twisted his waist from side to side.
I didn’t feel any pain in my side at all.
good night. It was refreshing.
There was no one in the barracks.
As I listened, I could hear people coming and going in front of the barracks and the disgruntled voice of a soldier in the barracks right next to me.
“Why is it raining so damn much?”
Encred pushed the entrance to the barracks with his hand and came out.
The squad members were enjoying their personal maintenance time, spread out in front of the barracks.
It would be natural for Saxony and Kreis to not be visible.
The rest stayed in their seats.
Among them, I approached Rem, who was scribbling something on the wet floor.
“It looks like there’s nothing to do.”
“Okay boyish? It’s right. “I was bored and was thinking about which guy’s head I should crack.”
One of Rem’s specialties is using foul language to pick fights with nearby squad members.
One of my hobbies is beating up the person I’m fighting with a few times.
Although it became less frequent after Encred came, he did not completely abandon that hobby.
“Then let’s spar with me.”
“Sparring?”
“okay. “Couple.”
Rem nodded obediently.
Has this happened once or twice?
Encred’s sparring requests were routine.
“It’s good.”
The two headed to the open space behind the barracks.
Thanks to the terrible weather, there were no people around.
Even if it was there, I wouldn’t even care.
Encred stood facing Rem with a gap of ten steps between them.
Rem grinned and twirled his wrist.
The blade of the ax, which was sharpened whenever possible with the movement of the wrist, reflected the dry sunlight.
I heard it rained on and off, but now it was clear and sunny.
I felt humid air instead of dry air, and the smell of dirt filled my nose.
However, the floor wasn’t even muddy. It’s a soft dirt floor that’s wet, but doesn’t sink your feet.
Moderate clouds blocked the sun, so it wasn’t dazzling.
“It’s a good day for a fight.”
“okay?”
Encred answered and awakened the heart of the beast.
I tried not to waste time as I repeated my days over and over again.
Some of them involve rolling your body and training your hearing.
It also included using one’s head.
‘Valen-style mercenary swords don’t work.’
I know because I learned stabbing and fought Rem countless times.
To Rem, the Valenic mercenary sword is useless.
So what to do?
The weapons you have, the intimidation of your opponent, and your past experiences.
If you fight with everything in mind, which attack will be an effective hit?
How to make an effective hit?
It’s time to find the answer to your repeated concerns.
Okay.
Rem puts his foot forward. There is no hesitation in the way you step on the ground. His confidence stood out.
Encred thought so.
“Do I have to go first?”
Instead of answering, Encred stole the other person’s breath.
Inhale, exhale.
Rem’s breathing is long and slow.
In the midst of that long breath, Encred closed the distance at once.
Move forward by pushing with your back foot.
It is the same as narrowing down the space.
humming!
I swung the sword in my hand and cut horizontally.
Rem dodged it by leaning back and lying down.
This is a feat that can be performed because the cutting range is accurately predicted.
Even in a semi-reclined position, Rem’s eyes do not leave Encred.
Encred confirmed this and reflexively pulled his sword to block his path.
humming.
earth!
Before I knew it, an ax came flying and struck the blade of the sword.
It wasn’t a big shock. No matter how strong the ax is, isn’t it an ax that is wielded while lying down?
Just like that attitude.
Boom, boom!
Axes flew repeatedly.
earth! earth! Kah-ang!
Hold the sword tightly with both hands and block again.
I tried to stop at least once to get my bearings and attack, but Rem didn’t stop.
Encred felt like he was standing on a guillotine that fell continuously.
The shower of ax attacks ended with Rem standing up completely.
A short gap appeared, but Encred did not retreat. He didn’t even straighten his posture.
Rem straightened his back and pulled his arm back.
Instead of Encred taking a step back and catching his breath.
Pop!
He took one step forward and repeated numerous thrusts.
The blade extends out in the same blocking position.
I am determined to stab you.
Everything happened in an instant.
The moment he stabbed Rem around the waist, Encred saw the blue sky and Rem’s face intertwined.
‘uh?’
In Encred’s eyes, Rem’s face appeared upside down.
humming.
The moment he was stabbed, Rem kicked Encred’s ankle.
It was a split-second decision.
Thanks to this, the tip of the sword split the air.
Instead of swinging the axe, Rem let go, grabbed Encred by the collar, and threw him to the side.
“Ugh!”
Encred, who rolled to the side, quickly realized what had happened to him.
It was a trick.
I was only measuring the timing to pull the ax back.
I used that in reverse.
“Whoa.”
Encred, who was lying down, shook his head inwardly.
It was an incredible power.
I think Encred is easily second to none in terms of strength, but he is capable of blowing away people with just one hand.
Even though he is relatively light because he is not wearing any equipment, it would be more accurate to call him super strong.
As I sat down and raised my head, I saw Rem’s face.
It was a strange expression.
Usually, he keeps smiling during sparring.
Not now.
The corners of the mouth are straight. neat He didn’t laugh.
“So, why don’t you secretly eat something good somewhere?”
Rem asks with a serious face.
If you think about it, this reaction was natural.
I won’t remember helping you with stabbing training.
In the end, when I left that first ‘today’, I only ordered dinner duty.
“I’ve thought about it before, but it seems like your skills are improving. I especially liked that stab. He couldn’t have been that bad.”
“okay?”
“That’s right. “I won’t say anything empty again.”
“Wow.”
A guy who talks nonsense and dismisses it as a joke.
“Because it’s real.”
“i get it. “Then let’s try to restore it.”
“… … The squad leader is a very consistent person. “How come people don’t change?”
Recovery after sparring.
This too was everyday life. No matter how much he had to hold on to, Encred kept holding on to his sparring partner.
This is to learn and train even the smallest things.
In fact, there are many times when the other party has nothing to say.
If your skills improve even just a little, won’t they say something?
It was like that until now.
So, after the sparring, Rem also used to say things like, ‘Well, you need to grow up a little more.’
A word without meaning or value?
no. Rem knows. The end of those without talent.
That’s why I told you what you need to have in order to avoid dying.
For the same reason, I also passed on the heart of the beast.
But now?
Even though things have changed, a lot has changed.
The fact that I had a lot to say right away through this sparring was proof of that.
“First of all, it’s too much for you to wait for my axe. “No matter how hard I am to be deceived, shouldn’t I at least try to deceive myself?”
Rem opens her mouth.
Encred nodded.
As always, with a proper listening attitude.
Rem laughed while looking at that.
Let’s get straight to the point and talk about the details later. It was Rem’s way.
Encred listened carefully to every word.
* * *
There was no battle for three days, during which time Encred sparred with Rem three more times.
“It would be good to train your lower body. “It’s strangely unbalanced.”
Even though he usually kept saying trivial things, Rem tended to see right through to the point.
Encred thought back and pondered those words.
Afterwards, he worked hard on training again.
Everyone did that even during break time.
During personal maintenance time, everyone has their own time.
Some people write letters.
Some soldiers focus on resting.
Encred devoted everything he had to training except eating and sleeping.
Some people might say it’s terrible.
The person who actually does it is peace itself.
I feel a greater sense of satisfaction than anything else as my skills improve day by day.
Thanks to this, I did not feel distressed even when the pain was increased by physical training.
“He’s a terrible human being. As soon as he returns from the military barracks, he does it again.”
“It’s been a bit quiet lately. “The fire has been lit again, you old man.”
“If I had trained like that, I would have reached the end of the article a long time ago.”
“huh? “Why are you pooping with your mouth?”
Roll your body and focus on hearing. When my muscles screamed, I would focus on hearing and the pain would go away.
Encred’s ears heard the informal words of two soldiers in another barracks.
Although it is the same platoon, it is a 3rd squad with a sense of distance.
Afterwards, you can see even further away by enhancing your hearing.
I heard the sound of my clothes rubbing against my back and guessed what he was doing.
I also tried guessing who it was by hearing footsteps.
Five times out of ten, I was wrong, but I was still able to recognize whose footsteps were familiar.
It’s light and fast, but the sound of stepping on the dirt floor is pleasant.
‘Wang-nuni.’
It was right.
“Is it training again? disgusting. “It’s gross.”
Kreis came over and said:
Encred ignored it.
As I sat down and stood up repeatedly, my legs started to shake.
Sweat flowed through my scalp and formed on the tips of my eyebrows.
The sky, which had been fluctuating, has cleared up, and it is the normal weather with a dry, dry wind blowing.
On a day like this, it might not seem normal to sweat so much that your whole body is soaked.
After all, this is a battlefield.
Training in a place where you never know when a fight will occur.
Still, everyone says so.
When has Encred been like this for a day or two?
This was their daily life.
“Isn’t that difficult? “He manages to do that every day.”
Kreis said, sitting down with his butt to one side and chewing a piece of flat beef jerky.
Sweat ran down my forehead, grazed the tip of my nose, and fell to the floor.
A heavy pain came from my thigh. My muscles were shaking and I felt nauseous.
The limit has been reached.
Encred sat down, drenched in sweat.
I sat down and closed my eyes, the cool breeze caressing my damp forehead and ears.
Training completed today.
While thinking that, I enjoy the wind.
I heard the sound of powerful steps.
The sound of footsteps stopped behind Encred.
“Still eager.”
I tilted my head back and looked at the other person. A long shadow covers Encred’s face, blocking out the sunlight. It’s hard to see his face clearly due to the backlight, but I can tell he’s a man with a bushy beard.
“Shall we talk?”
He was the 4th platoon commander.
fantasy,
