Episode 163: Starting to improve your constitution. (2)
While the Mana Concentration was being formed, most mercenaries changed their contracts to life-long contracts. New recruits also swore allegiance to the lord.
There was no reason to refuse since they were offering to teach me the Mana cultivation method and even give me the title of knight.
“Have you heard? There’s a rumor that the Lord is teaching the family’s mana cultivation method.”
“Hey, don’t talk nonsense. The vision of visions is the Mana training method. Who would tell you about it? Would you tell me?”
“But since we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with, shouldn’t we learn something useful?”
“Well, I’ll just pick something easy for us to learn and teach it to you. Since we’ll have to train for a few years anyway, don’t expect too much.”
The mercenaries had high expectations for the Mana Training Method, so much so that unconfirmed rumors were spreading.
Of course, it’s not like they have no worries at all.
The locals may not know it, but the experienced mercenaries were certain that war would break out again.
Because there’s no way that the great lord, Earl Desmond, would stay still after being hit by a small fief like Ferdium.
Nevertheless, the mercenaries chose to risk their lives and remain in the Fenris territory.
The knighthood and the mana training method were worth it.
But even as others were switching to lifelong contracts, Kaor and the Cerberus mercenaries were unable to make a decision.
“Miss… … What should I do? If I accept the offer, I’ll be tied down here for the rest of my life.”
Kaor gathered the members together and just scratched his head.
With his skills, he could have been knighted anywhere he went.
As a mercenary, he was also skilled in mana, which was rare, and his skills were superior to those of an average knight.
However, I didn’t like the rigid life and wanted to live freely, so I remained a mercenary.
“Hey, what are you guys going to do? They said to decide before the Mana Concentration is completed.”
At Kaor’s words, several members took notice and opened their mouths.
“We’re just… … following the captain. Even if we become a knight, what good will it do… … . It would be good, though.”
“Mana training method is good to learn, but… … .”
“Isn’t it true that everything can be learned? Well… … If it’s the Grand Master, there might be a way… … .”
I didn’t believe the rumors that they would teach the family’s training methods either. I just thought that they would be better than the cheap training methods floating around on the market.
In the first place, handling mana was not an easy task, so most people did not even understand the cheap basic training methods.
But since the lord who always succeeded in extraordinary things boasted, I had some expectations that he might teach me something really good in an easy-to-understand way.
It’s just that the expectations weren’t great enough to suppress the anxiety.
Kaoru took another look at the members who were not responding well.
“Anyone who wants to stay here can stay. The Cerberus Mercenaries have decided to withdraw.”
Even though they said that, the members did not come forward rashly.
In the first place, if you wanted to leave the Cerberus mercenary group, you had to leave behind at least one hand. Everyone knew that if you fell for those words, you’d end up even more tired.
“You guys, you’re so loyal. That’s right, if a mercenary lacks loyalty, he’s just a corpse, a corpse.”
At Kaor’s words, the members slightly bowed their heads and hid their expressions.
It sounds like he’s saying that if you betray him, he’ll turn you into a corpse.
‘If I say I’m going out, you’re going to make a fuss.’
‘They’ll call me a traitor or something and ask for one of my wrists, right?’
‘Ah, but it was secretly fun being here.’
Kaoru felt a sense of regret slowly spreading and smacked his lips.
If it were before, I would have left right away when I got the offer for a lifetime contract. But now, I felt it was a shame to just leave.
‘Oh, why are you like this? Are you attached to me?’
No matter how much I think about it, there is no reason to become attached.
Starting with the lord, Belinda, Gillian, Claude… … they are all just weird guys.
Is it because I’ve been hanging out with weird people that I’ve become weird too?
While Kaor was suffering from unresolved worries, one of the members spoke cautiously.
“Well… … Honestly, if we leave here, we’ll just live in the North doing small requests.”
“Yeah, just working like that and living freely.”
“But honestly… … isn’t this place fun? The captain lord is strange, but it’s fun.”
That was an undeniable fact.
The Fenris Estate is a place that is different from other estates.
The lord, Giselle, had a completely different vibe from the other nobles. Although he sometimes acted like a brat and a jerk, he was definitely a fun person to get along with.
When Kaor motioned for him to continue, Danwon mustered up his courage and continued speaking.
“At least if I stay here, I think I can fight without any problems. Isn’t that better than just spending my time lazing around?”
That’s true. A second war with Desmond was almost inevitable, and given Giselle’s personality, it was obvious that there would be more fights here and there.
And the second forest development is also scheduled to take place in the near future.
No place has seen as many big events unfold as Penrith.
When Kaor made a puzzled expression, Danwon spoke as if driving a wedge into her.
“And if you go around receiving commissions from the North, there’s no law that says you can’t fight the big lord. Then you’ll have to fight on the other side… … . Can you handle it?”
“Oh, that’s a bit.”
Kaor blurted out a word without realizing it.
‘You want me to fight that damn lord?’
I’m not scared of the other guys, but strangely enough, I feel uneasy about Jiselle.
Perhaps because I had been beaten to death, my instincts refused to fight again.
But I can’t live without receiving interesting war missions, right? It would be funny to side with Fenris again then.
Kaoru folded her arms and looked lost in thought.
He glanced at the members and saw that they were all looking at him with eyes full of anticipation.
‘Ha, I told you guys you’re dishonest.’
Kaor smiled once and nodded his head several times.
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In fact, he was already upset. He just pretended to be worried because of his pride.
I would regret it for the rest of my life if I left this estate, which was full of fun things to come.
“Okay, let’s do some articles too!”
“Ohhh!”
Everyone cheered at Kaor’s declaration.
Wandering around is only for a day or two, but you can’t live like that your whole life, right?
It was much better to remain here than to be trapped in a stiff territory.
They even teach you the Mana training method and offer you the title of knight, but you’d be an idiot to refuse.
It is not a flaw that the territory is small and weak. After all, other places would not accept it under these conditions.
Kaor said arrogantly.
“The Knight Commander will do it. Everyone knows that.”
“What about Instructor Gillian? That old man won’t stay still.”
“Ha! That’s something I can take away with my skills. If I put my mind to it, I can finish off someone as old as you in an instant. That’s why the Knight Commander is me.”
“Wow! Kaor, Commander of the Knights of Fenris!”
Everyone cheered again.
It wasn’t that I thought Kaor looked cool, or that I really believed he could beat Gillian. I just thought it would be an entertaining fight to watch.
Kaor, the self-proclaimed commander of the Knights of Fenris, raised his fist with an arrogant expression.
* * *
“I am the commander of the knights.”
Kaor blinked at Jiselle’s words and then asked.
“Not me?”
“Yeah, no.”
“What lord is the commander of the knights himself?”
“I do everything myself.”
“No, don’t do it yourself. I told you to do it.”
“It’s easier for me to do it now. I’ll decide later when the troops increase and the new formation is formed, so just know that.”
As Jiselle clicked her tongue, Kaor took a step back.
“Then will you give it to me then?”
“Report on the situation. There are a lot of competitors, so I don’t know if you can do it. But aren’t you bad at fighting?”
Kaor grumbled, standing awkwardly at the provocative words.
“I’m good at fighting!”
“So let’s go and see then. After the others have gotten used to it and seen their skills.”
“It won’t be any different if you go then.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll look forward to it. Anyway, you made a good decision. Let’s do well together in the future.”
After Kaor pledged his loyalty to Giselle and signed a lifelong contract, the Cerberus mercenary group disappeared into history.
Giselle patted Kaor on the shoulder and handed him two books.
“Since we decided to be together, I should give you a gift, right? Take this.”
“What is this?”
“This is our family’s Mana training method and swordsmanship book. Of course, I modified it to suit you to some extent. It will probably be more useful than what you are learning now.”
“omg.”
Kaor opened his eyes wide and looked at Giselle.
You came to ask me to give up my position as Commander of the Knights, but I never thought you’d give me this gift.
Kaor learned cheap mana training methods, but he reached a certain level through exceptional talent, venom, and life-threatening combat.
I felt proud because I was able to surpass even the most skilled knights with just a cheap training method.
But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t thirsty for the Mana training method of Ascension.
As my skills improved, the wall became more and more apparent. It was the limit of someone who learned intuitively without systematic knowledge.
So I enjoyed fighting more and seeking out dangerous places. There was nothing else I could do.
To Kaor, the book that Giselle handed over was like a lifeline coming down from the darkness.
“I didn’t know you would give it to me too.”
In the case of Gillian and himself, since they had already reached a level similar to that of a knight, he thought they would only teach the training method to other mercenaries.
But who would have thought you’d be preparing something like this!
Jiselle continued to speak even as she looked at Kaor in surprise.
“I’ve seen that you have a lot of bad habits and your body’s balance is off. To use mana properly, you need to use your entire body, but you can’t do that, so your balance is off. You’ve learned swordsmanship through actual combat, so you have flashes of wit, but your fundamentals are seriously lacking. If you diligently learn what I’ve given you, you’ll be able to overcome the wall in no time.”
“… …Why are you doing this to me?”
Kaor was genuinely curious.
What Jiselle gave me was something that would be difficult to obtain even for a thousand gold coins.
No matter how ridiculous the County of Ferdium may seem, it was due to external circumstances.
‘If you look at the training methods and swordsmanship of Count Ferdium, they are absolutely not inferior to others. Count Ferdium is also considered a high-level knight to begin with.’
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Ferdium’s ability to protect the North came from this mana training method and swordsmanship.
It means that it is not something that can be given just because we fought together a few times.
This is even more true if the reason they fought together was because of a mercenary contract. They simply did whatever they had to do for money.
Giselle said to Kaor, who was looking puzzled, with a sly smile.
“You can’t fight. I gave it to you so you wouldn’t get beat up.”
Kaor was about to lose his temper, but he lowered his head and slowly put the books back into his arms.
I didn’t want to show my love because of my pride, but it was hard to hide my happiness.
I shouldn’t laugh, but I couldn’t stop laughing.
Kaor bit her lips tightly and gave a strange expression as she expressed her gratitude.
“I’m good at fighting, but… … . Anyway, I’ll gratefully accept it. Hehehe.”
“Yeah, if you get used to it and find something you don’t know, ask. You’ll probably have to work hard. If you don’t want to be caught up to others. There are a lot of talented friends out there.”
“Kuhaha, it’s no use for a guy like me to do that. I’ll crush anyone who attacks me.”
Kaoru bowed his head dryly and quickly turned around, wanting to go back quickly and learn.
Since he was originally a rude guy, Jiselle didn’t pay much attention to him. She knew better than anyone what was in his mind at the moment.
Kaor paused for a moment as he grabbed the handle to open the office door.
For some reason… … my nose felt itchy.
He lost his family when he was young and has been living desperately to make a living.
‘Has there ever been anyone who has been this kind to me?’
There was none. He lived in a world where he had to kill or be killed.
So he acted more cruelly and more like a madman. Otherwise, Kaor, who was at the bottom, would not have been able to survive.
In some ways, it was a struggle to survive, and in other ways, it may have been a complaint about the world.
Kaoru gritted her teeth to suppress the unfamiliar emotions that suddenly surged up.
‘I’m just telling you… … because you need to use it in war. Because you have to fight at the front.’
Although Kaor tried hard to downplay Jiselle’s intentions, he also knew very well that that was not the case.
No one shares such a treasure with the arrow-catcher.
All you have to do is give them a few pennies and send them to the battlefield.
Kaor and Giselle had that kind of relationship from the beginning.
‘shit…….’
Neither in the forest of demons, nor in the war, nor anywhere else, did Giselle treat mercenaries as expendables.
He tried to save at least one person by any means necessary, and he was always in the most dangerous places.
Although he may not be picky about the means and methods to achieve his goals, at least he was not a person who acted in a petty manner.
‘… … Whatever, let’s go all the way together.’
Kaor, who had been hesitating, let go of the handle and looked back at Giselle.
Kaor, who had been quietly looking at Giselle’s puzzled face, slowly bowed deeply.
For the first time in my life… … it was a heartfelt thank you to someone.
