The Suspicious Escort and Swordsmanship Zero
“Since the division commander emphasized mental warfare and arming again, everyone be extra careful with your actions and remind the troops as well.”
“Understood!!”
The battalion conference room where the officers had gathered.
As always in the military, establishing discipline and inspecting armament status were the core topics.
“I think we've covered everything important, so let's end the meeting here. Good work today, everyone.”
The battalion commander wrapped up and rose from his seat.
Hm?
Just before he left the room, he signaled me with his eyes.
“Ugh, I'm so tired. Haven't been sleeping well lately.”
“Aren't you on duty the day after tomorrow, sir?”
“Exactly, so I'll probably drop dead from overwork before the enemy even attacks.”
The officers filed out in small groups.
I waited a moment to gauge the situation, then headed to the battalion commander's office.
“Second Lieutenant Palan reporting. May I come in?”
“Come on in.”
I carefully opened the door after getting permission.
“You called for me, sir.”
“Haha, yeah. Nothing major—just wondering if you'd like to hit the casino with me this Friday?”
“The casino, sir? Ah...”
I dragged out my words, desperately wanting to refuse.
What's with this gambling obsession?
Everything else about him might be an act, but his love for gambling was genuine.
“Any issues?”
“It's embarrassing to admit, but I haven't received my allowance yet.”
“Hm, right—you said you spent all your money last time?”
“Yes. And I got a letter from my father asking why I'm spending so much, so it's tricky to move around.”
With a deadline set, I was pulling back instead of getting closer.
Good excuse. As if I'd go back to the casino here.
Of course, the Intelligence Agency probably still wanted me to go and dig up something.
“Hmm, I see.”
“How about two weeks from now?”
By then, he'd be rotting in an underground cell, so I suggested it freely.
“That's a distant dream for a soldier who doesn't know what tomorrow brings.”
“Sorry, sir. I should have saved some for then.”
My expression and tone were so perfect now, I could pass for an actor.
“Tricky situation.”
Just go by yourself—why make it such a hassle?
This guy was no easy mark.
“If you're short on cash right now, want to do some work? I was about to ask a favor anyway.”
“Work, sir?”
I tilted my head slightly at the unexpected offer.
“Nothing big. The transport battalion's been renting civilian wagons lately, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“A friend of mine rented out all his wagons to the army since he had no work, but he just got a job offer.”
“Oh no.”
What rotten luck.
“Should I lend him some wagons?”
With Oclo Trading Company branches everywhere in the empire, renting wagons wasn't hard.
“That'd be great, but he cut staff too, so he wants to outsource the transport entirely. Possible?”
“Transport as well? Hmm.”
I'd never handled trading company ops, so committing fully was tough.
But this reeks of suspicion.
For a Reconnaissance Command officer like him, was this really just for a friend?
Probably not.
“Check it out and let me know. Pay's 400 gold, but if you take it, I can push for 500.”
“That much?”
“Not bad, right?”
I had to nod at the battalion commander's question.
This screams trap. Definitely.
It was practically advertising suspicion.
“I'll ask the trading company and get back to you.”
“He's a childhood friend from my hometown—do me this favor.”
Basically pressuring me to do it no matter what.
I promised an answer by tomorrow and left the office.
No matter how I look at it, 500 gold for transport is way too much.
It wasn't my call anyway, so I reported to Lieutenant Alpen. The reply came that afternoon.
[Proceed through Oclo Trading Company as requested. Field control will assign a handler, so just broker it and stay out.]
“Tch, as expected.”
I didn't want to, but what could I do?
Higher-ups said go, so go.
Still better than going to the casino with him.
As long as the field handler didn't screw up.
“What could go wrong? Just survive a week and it's done.”
I shoved down the rising unease and flopped onto my bed.
* * *
“Here's the commission from my friend—check it out. Pay's 500 gold as discussed.”
The battalion commander handed me the request sheet as soon as I arrived.
Origin: Reton, central city of August Viscountcy, Alpine Merchant Warehouse
Destination: Pesto Barony
Cargo: Clocks, wine, silk
Fee: 500G
Requests: 5 wagons, escort force capable of handling bandits
“Departs in two days—can you handle it?”
“Yes, sir, no problem. Can I take the request sheet?”
“Of course. Thanks for the help.”
“No, sir—I'm grateful.”
“Haha, once we get paid, let's go have some fun.”
“Always up for that, sir.”
I left the office and headed to the division post office.
“Send this express, please.”
Sender: Palan Oclo
Recipient: Oclo Trading Company Reton Branch Manager
Address: Oclo Trading Company Reton Branch, August Viscountcy
I handed the request sheet and my short note to the postal orderly.
“Business mail?”
“Not exactly... personal.”
“Express to August Viscountcy is 50 silver then.”
Damn expensive.
Regular mail was 3 silver—a killer price.
Should've said business.
No big deal. I'd bill the Intelligence Agency anyway.
“Leaves right away?”
“Yes, sir—arrives before evening.”
“Thanks.”
I paid out of pocket and left the post office.
“But they won't refuse just because I sent it, right?”
A slight worry, but low odds.
I wasn't the useless heir from before.
“Today's quiet too. Anyone'd think the war's over.”
No enemy provocations in the past week.
Seemed peaceful, but they were repositioning forces and reorganizing.
Thinking won't help—just headache. Long-overdue personal training. Use the system too.
Lieutenant Alpen was a great teacher, but self-study time was essential.
“Yeah, my way today.”
I suppressed the urge to slack and headed to the training ground.
“Shop.”
Points Available:90p
Endless manuals.
No rank restrictions, so endgame stuff was visible.
2,000 points? What do I have to do for that?
Even after passing 8th Grade fitness last week, still two digits.
Anything decent?
I sorted by price and scanned buyable ones.
“Practical Defense Swordsmanship, 40 points—not bad.”
The best defense is a good offense worked in duels.
On the battlefield, attacking without defense just means quick death.
As I moved to buy, an unexpected manual caught my eye.
-Hamus Swordsmanship 40p
“Oh, this exists.”
The technique I'd just started learning—real pain.
“Can't keep relying on Lieutenant Alpen, so maybe this.”
After this mission, high chance of parting with him.
But swordsmanship continued, so if not switching, buy now.
Yeah, master one solidly.
Always said that—hesitation just delays.
Hamus Swordsmanship Manual purchased.
Swordsmanship Codex activated.
Hamus Swordsmanship (0.1%)
“Oh, what?”
Thought it'd just be a book dump, but it opened a full e-learning system.
These guys are onions.
Layer after layer—fun to peel.
Progress: 0.1%
Basic Lectures - Free
Live Lectures (Instructor: Hamus) - 5p per hour
“Uh...?”
Another layer peeled, but this shocked me speechless.
Learn from him directly?
The creator himself.
Dead guy resurrection aside, if real—insane feature.
But the rates... steep.
5 points/hour—14 hours exceeds manual cost.
“Save for desperation.”
Austerity mode now.
Hamus Swordsmanship Basic Lectures starting.
Watch and learn the combat doll's demonstration.
A fencing-fit combat doll appeared right in front.
It swung its sword, advancing step by step.
What's this?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yellow lines lingered in the air tracing parts of its sword paths.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
After ~20 moves, it sheathed and vanished.
Perform swordsmanship perfectly along the path.
“This style? Nice.”
Perfect for rote-learning Koreans—no better method.
“Let's try.”
Good timing—all moves recently learned.
“Hoo.”
Deep breath to steady, then calmly gripped wooden sword.
Vertical slash first, then step forward.
Whoosh!
Followed sequence, swung.
Red trace of doll appeared simultaneously.
Bad vibe, but continued.
Duck torso, diagonal slash.
Whoosh!
360 spin, front guard.
Thrust.
Triple slash. One! Two! Three!
Experience helped—no major hitches.
Not bad? Feels good.
Moment of satisfaction—mood-killer message.
0 Points
Abysmal performance. Do better.
“What...? Abysmal?”
No perfect score expected, but zero?
Ridiculous.
View detailed evaluation?
“Don't ask—just show me.”
Irritated, faced the eval.
- Personal rhythm ignoring manual
- Mismatched sword trajectory
- Severely lacking combos; moves play solo
- Gaze scanning scenery, not enemy
Comment: Rewatch combat doll demo first.
“Me, that bad?”
Shocked, replayed demo to compare.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Doll flawless, vanished.
Comparing to eval—got the issues.
“Still, not zero.”
Scoring system's busted.
“Got it—I'll ace this.”
Recalled doll's moves precisely.
Lighter, crisper, disciplined.
Careful per move—better than before, surely...
0 Points
Comment: Hey. Rewatch several times.
[Demo Views (0/20)]
[Evaluation restricted until instructor deems conditions met.]
“This... a real system?”