Chapter 76: Tempered (2)

[Physis' POV]

The Next Day:

I immediately immersed myself in training. Until the subjugation party was established, I had to do whatever it took to maximize my abilities.

Once I established the basic skills, which laid the foundation for mana and physical strength, I planned to join the subjugation party and regain my old senses through actual combat.

I gathered the knights from the morning.

The knights followed my instructions without uttering a word, and I informed them that I would guide them in place of Sir Lucas for the time being.

"So, are you going to lead us from today, Sir?"

"Yes. This is what His Excellency Johannes instructed. I might seem lacking in your eyes... but I will do my best. The training will be quite demanding."

The knights' response to my words was quite friendly. Certainly, living in Rodenov and sharing the joys and sorrows with the knights seemed worthwhile.

They knew very well that Adilun and I had a harmonious relationship, and it was clear that if things continued as they were, I would assume the role of the next commander of the Rodenov Knights. They had no particular objections to being guided and trained by me.

Furthermore, they were aware of my explosive growth during this time, so there was no reason for them to refuse.

They were probably well aware that the current situation could become quite serious.

I rigorously trained them, working together with them. I conducted training sessions with much higher intensity than usual, and gradually, the knights' bodies began to show signs of strain, as they were not accustomed to such training.

"Move faster! Are you waiting to get hit and killed? Even those who are more proficient in dealing with monsters than me are moving so slowly!"

Whenever I saw them struggling, I reprimanded them fiercely. Particularly for those who specialized in battles against major monsters, I stimulated their pride and encouraged them to be more proactive.

After the joint training to develop physical strength, an endless fight against each other unfolded.

They were knights with deep expertise in swordsmanship, while I preferred unarmed combat, so I couldn't directly teach them the aspects in which their swordsmanship was lacking.

Indeed, Sir Lucas would be far superior to me in these aspects, but he was currently absent.

In the end, all I could do was sharpen their senses while they trained against each other and cultivate their ability to cope with any situation.

However, this method proved sufficient to improve the knights' skills. At least, the knights of Rodenov quickly identified their shortcomings through sparring.

The magic circle that increases the concentration of mana wasn't ready yet, so Adilun said it would be ready by tomorrow.

"So, it will be possible from tomorrow?"

“Yes.”

"You've worked hard. Thank you, Adelun."

"No, I'm glad I could help."

While preparing for any potential threats, His Excellency Johannes and Lady Claudia looked at us with satisfaction as they saw us diligently cultivating our abilities.

"I saw how intensely you trained with the knights."  His Excellency Johannes remarked.

"Oh, did you see?"

"Yes. The momentum you created reached where I was standing, so it seems that the training is progressing well."

"Fortunately, the knights followed my instructions well. To be honest, I had some concerns... but it seems to be paying off because of the work I have done so far."

"You've done a lot for Rodenov in the past few months. With this, we can be relieved of the worries about Sir Lucas' absence for the time being."

“It’s an overstatement.”

"Not at all. It's all because of your hard work. It's good that Adilun is devoted to magic research, but both of you, remember to take breaks occasionally."

"I will take care of it myself. I'm increasing the number of magic types that can be used because we don't know what might happen when I join the subjugation party."

"Yes, well done. As soon as Sir Lucas returns, we will organize the subjugation party, so keep that in mind."

"Yes."

"Yes, Father."

And the next day, finally, the magic circle designed by Adilun was laid out in the training ground.

Gradually, mana from the surroundings gathered around the magic circle, and a cold and chilling mana settled in the training ground.

"Is this sufficient?"

"It's enough. You really did a great job."

"Then train hard. I'll be in the magic workshop, so come there after your training."

“Yes.”

“So then where is my reward?”

"There are many eyes watching..."

"So what? Everyone in Rodenov already knows."

Having said that, Adilun put her arm around my neck and kissed me.

Heat surged through my face. I could hear the whistles from the knights who had been watching us from behind. They looked at us with curious eyes, and as soon as Adilun saw that, she stuck out her tongue at me and teleported away to the magic workshop.

"Oh, when did you become so passionate?"

It was Tir. When we first met, he harbored hostility towards me like a sharp blade, but now we had become quite close.

"It's been a while."

"It's truly fortunate. It's good that Rodenov's future looks bright."

"For now, it's a matter to think about after we finish subjugating the monsters... But I feel a sense of novelty too."

"Well, until last year, I thought it was something that couldn't happen."

"What's good is good."

"I hope your relationship remains harmonious in the future as well. That way, Rodenov will prosper, and my salary will increase as well."

"Aren't the knight's salaries sufficient?"

"They are sufficient, but isn't it better to have more money if possible?"

"That's true... Anyway, I understand. We'll consider a salary increase after this subjugation battle."

"Oh, really?"

"The same goes for other knights, it's not just for you. If you feel it's insufficient, let me know. I'll deduct it from my expenses."

"I suppose being the son of the wealthy House of Ortaire has its advantages."

"There's no use for it anyway."

"Well, there's no need to add expenses. You can use that money to buy a gift for Lady Adilun. She will probably be delighted."

"I already have a gift in mind for Adilun."

"That's good then."

"Well, enough chit-chat... Adilun has already laid out the magic circle, so let's get into serious training. Everyone, gather!"

The knights who had been whistling while watching Adilun and me from behind quickly lined up at my call. As refined knights, there was no flaw in their attitude.

"For now, should we start with what we always do? Begin with stamina training, then proceed to combat training. Since the mana concentration has increased through the magic circle, always be aware of mana and move with your own will."

"Yes!"

"Great. Then, let's start by running in the training ground."

The knights and I sprinted at full speed, pushing our stamina to the limit. As we circled the training ground, our breathing started to get a little rough. After that, we proceeded to strength training and immediately engaged in combat, pointing swords at each other.

A large-scale chaotic battle broke out as we clashed with our swords, aiming for each other's openings. Even if we were injured, it wouldn't be a significant problem in Rodenov, as there were many skilled priests and magicians available to tend to injuries.

The more intense the training was, the faster we became stronger.

Tir swung his sword fiercely toward me. Judging from the mana shimmering with a chilling aura, it seemed that he was determined to thrust his sword into me today.

However, it was out of the question. I immediately parried his sword and pulled him into my range. Maybe in the past, it would have been different, but now I was more skilled than anyone here. Tir exerted all his strength, but in the end, he received a blow from my iron fist and flew far away.

As Tir flew, the next two knights launched a combined attack, aiming for my sides. However, I readjusted my posture faster than them and defended against their strikes using mana-enveloped gauntlets.

- Clang

The sound of swords and gauntlets colliding echoed, and I didn't miss the opportunity.

Stepping forward, I delivered a powerful punch to the knight on the left, whose recovery was slow. He couldn't regain his balance due to the recoil from his blocked strike and had no choice but to take my punch head-on, staggering away just like Tir did.

After pushing away that knight, I quickly stepped sideways, evading sword strikes that were directed at my back.

Another knight, whose attack was just blocked by me, launched a thrust similar to a lightning strike, and I caught it with my gauntlets after grasping the trajectory of his sword.

"...!"

There was a brief moment of confusion, but he was also a skilled knight. Releasing his sword from my grasp, I transitioned into close-quarters combat.

The knight, who had previously asked me to teach him close-quarters combat skills, skillfully threw punches at me. However, taking advantage of the same position from when I caught his sword, I struck his shoulder with the hilt of my sword.

-Crunch!

A resounding noise filled the air as his armor deformed. Unable to endure the intense pain, the knight collapsed.

However, I could still see knights engaged in battle around me, and it seemed like some of them were paying attention to me, the one who had already taken down three knights.

A smile crept upon my lips. They knew it too. Who was the most threatening here, and who would be the most helpful for their training?

I welcomed their challenge with open arms.

--- End OF The Chapter ---

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