This is how it's done.

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Translator: Ruby

Chapter: 54

Chapter Title: This is how it's done.

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"Heeeeng! Peep! Who did this! Peep!"

Pico, who saw Diaz fallen into deep sleep after finishing treatment,

Cried out almost wailing, shedding chicken-dropping-like tears profusely.

To the point where anyone watching would mistake her for being dead.

"Heeeeng! Heeeeng! Peep!"

Eventually, it even caused a situation where Diaz woke up.

"Pico? It's okay. Stop now."

"Stop. Heeeeng! Peep!"

Perhaps because he was still a baby bird, Pico was sniffling while nestled in Diaz's embrace.

Still, in my view, she had recovered a lot.

The state right before using the potion had been truly very bad.

Her face had been pale, and her lips had turned blue.

Now, all that was visible was a slightly tired feeling.

However, she still needed a bit more rest.

"As a result of interrogating Mordon, circumstances were confirmed that Count Soleon was drawing the big picture behind him. And he fled to Count Moden's territory."

"If it's Count Moden's territory......isn't that the north?"

"That's right. So, as a result of conducting a face-to-face meeting with the king yesterday, I was put in charge of the pursuit force chasing him. We'll depart as soon as preparations are ready."

Upon hearing those words, Diaz raised her upper body.

"Then I also......"

"I'd like you to recover a bit more before joining."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"I'm fine. At this rate, I'll be discharged soon. And......"

"......"

"And! If Count Soleon is truly the mastermind......I really want to go!"

"Hmm."

Seeing that appearance of showing sincere determination, there was a part where my heart softened as well.

So I added a conditional clause.

"There's a bit of preparation time. During that time, I'll observe the progress and make a judgment. I'll ask the attending physician directly myself. If I determine it will interfere with combat......joining is postponed. Understood?"

"Yes! Understood. I'll recover with all my might!"

"Good. Rest."

"Thank you! Sir Rohan!"

And so several days passed,

And the expedition force with the clear destination of Count Moden's territory

Had preparations proceed smoothly, and finally stood in neat formation behind me.

The expedition force, which the Prime Minister and King supported with full power, had completed preparations close to perfect in an instant.

On my right, Diaz was also mounted on a horse.

The fast emergency treatment using the potion and the combined efforts of the royal physicians had allowed her to get up faster than expected.

In my heart, I wanted to let her rest a bit more, but......

[Perhaps because her own will is tremendous, she recovered at a very fast speed. There will be some discomfort right now, but if we include the time it takes to reach Count Moden's territory, she'll be in a fully healed state.]

Since even the physicians acknowledged it, I decided to let Diaz join.

And on my left, Vincent, the commander of the Black Iron Knights, stood with his upper body erected gallantly.

With a faint smile on his face, chest out and confident,

Jefron had said that he had been full of complaints having to follow Count Soleon's orders, which had been somehow unsatisfactory until now.

But since that was resolved, I heard he was quite excited that he could now focus only on combat like a true knight.

'We also have memories of fighting together before, so does he feel closer?'

In any case, I also viewed Commander Vincent favorably,

So this expedition with him wasn't bad.

As the commander of this expedition force, I gave an order to Commander Vincent.

"All forces. Depart."

At that plain single word of mine,

Commander Vincent raised his voice.

"All forces! March!"

***

After finishing movement all day long,

The Black Iron Knights skillfully constructed a campsite.

Diaz and I didn't particularly need to move.

It would also be strange for the commander to do it directly.

Commander Vincent had already said he would take care of everything.

So Diaz and I decided to patrol the surroundings appropriately and check the terrain and risk factors.

While exploring the surroundings like that,

I felt that Diaz, who had been following behind me, had something to say and was constantly hesitating.

She tried to speak and stopped.

And tried again and stopped.

Eventually, feeling frustrated, I opened my mouth first.

"It seems you have something you want to say."

When I stopped walking and asked,

Diaz answered carefully.

"Actually......there's something I'd like to ask of you."

"A request?"

"Yes."

"Speak."

"Would you......be able to spar with me just once?"

I tilted my head.

A spar out of the blue.

Thinking that there were quite a lot of people who wanted to spar with me......I asked her another question.

"Is there a reason?"

"I want to learn even a little of Sir Rohan's skill!"

Honestly, from my position, it was absurd.

I was merely someone who endured through ability bonuses.

The real 'skill' belonged to people like Diaz or Commander Vincent.

Not me.

What could she learn from me?

"Just once. I'll ask just once. I know you're worried because I'm in an injured state. You can just think of it as simulated combat to the extent that it doesn't strain me greatly."

No.

The one I was worried about wasn't Diaz but me.

Because I knew the power that the future her possessed.

'Well, still. It's not full power, just going easy......'

In the current state, I actually still felt I was a bit higher.

And I was curious myself.

How far I had climbed now.

'Except for things like Black Thunder or Golden Spear.'

So I

Nodded for the first time.

"Let's just do it briefly."

To someone's spar request.

***

Diaz actively questioned.

"What I'm most curious about is the method you showed in the battle with Mordon."

"Mordon?"

"Yes. During the endless consecutive strikes, there was one sequence of attacks he confidently deployed."

Aha. I think I knew what it was.

"You mean that attack targeting the abdomen after the high kick?"

"Exactly. I couldn't withstand that attack and ultimately sustained an injury."

I see.

He had done the same attack to Diaz too.

But......I just blocked that?

Diaz, not knowing my inner thoughts,

Slowly raised her leg and copied exactly the attack Mordon had done.

As expected, she was Diaz, overflowing with talent.

"From here......like this."

Instead, the attack was very, very slow.

Slow enough that you could dodge it even while walking.

Since I had never done this before, I focused on myself for the first time.

Then,

I realized one surprising fact.

'I......wasn't just fighting randomly?'

Things I hadn't known until now because I was busy just reacting began to be visible.

The reactions of minute muscles, the positions of bones, and the appropriate movements that needed to be done at each moment.

The movements of martial artists I had watched in the past, or the combat methods of knights I had seen here, all came together, and methods of how to react appeared like pictures in my mind.

Until now, I had moved almost instinctively, so I hadn't known.

But it seemed I had been fighting this way from the beginning.

However, being able to become aware of this was probably the effect of the synergy between the third eye and the phoenix's potion.

Thanks to my senses becoming more sensitive.

I slowly moved my elbow to make it easy for Diaz to see and placed it in the most appropriate position.

For me, it was an all too simple task.

Because it was clearly visible at a glance.

And then.

"Try kicking."

"......Pardon?"

"You can kick with appropriate force."

"A-are you sure?"

"Not too hard or you'll get hurt, so appropriately."

"A-alright."

Diaz, who had answered, launched an attack over my guard as it was.

Thud!

"Uuk!"

Rather, the scream came from Diaz.

"H-how can this result......"

I answered lightly.

"Minimum force, maximum counterattack."

At my words, Diaz nodded blankly.

"This is how you do it."

"......Pardon?......"

It seemed she didn't quite understand properly.

***

I concluded that it would be difficult to inject my combat method into Diaz as it was.

So I found another method.

'There's no need to teach my technique in the first place.'

Diaz already had her own excellent combat skills.

She just didn't know them 'yet.'

What I had seen in the original work,

In other words, wouldn't it work to teach her now the combat skills that the future Diaz used?

'It belongs to Diaz herself anyway.'

Without me unnecessarily racking my brain, it would be the combat method that applied most perfectly to Diaz.

Because she herself had created it.

"You keep trying to imitate my movements."

"Pardon? Ah......you knew? Actually, wanting to follow Sir Rohan even a little......"

I shook my head.

And tracing my memory, I recalled Diaz's combat method.

"From now on, forget all my movements in your head. You don't need to imitate me, but to find the path that suits you."

"The path......that suits me?"

"Right. Everyone's physical conditions are all different. Naturally, combat methods should be different too. If you try it directly, you'll quickly understand what I mean."

I showed again the attack Mordon had deployed.

Then, naturally, Diaz defended as she had been doing until now.

Looking at that, I began corrections.

"There, block at a slightly lower angle."

"A-yes! Sir Rohan!"

And when I put in a bit of force,

Thud!

She blocked it surprisingly lightly.

Even I was honestly a bit surprised.

To think such a big change would occur from just that much difference.

Naturally, Diaz became surprised rabbit eyes.

"This can't......be......"

She rolled her eyes and looked at me.

"Did I......have this kind of ability?"

"I've always said from before. That you have talent. That's why I brought you."

"......Sir Rohan truly possesses a perspective at an unpredictable level......"

Being so surprised, I could read her feelings from her expression.

'She has a face saying how can you create such a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perfect combat method just by watching.'

Whether I ask or not, it's absolutely impossible.

How could I create a perfect combat technique just from glancing from the side?

'You made it all yourself.'

However, even if I said that, she wouldn't believe me.

I smiled slightly instead of answering and continued speaking.

"Let's do a bit more."

"Yes!"

Having tasted success in just one try, Diaz was full of spirit.

Like that, unintentionally, every night on the way to Count Moden's territory,

My special lecture class began.

And what I learned while doing this was that my eye for things had risen quite a bit more than I thought.

In several parts, paths better than the original Diaz began to be visible.

"If you're going to dodge left, the preceding attack should have been bigger!"

"A-alright!"

When I actually watched the combat with a third party's eyes, I truly saw many lacking things.

Of course, it was also because Diaz was moving slowly now.

Even so, regrettable points kept entering my eyes.

"You have to watch the timing well! I told you not to do it that way! Did you already forget?"

"No! I remember! I'm sorry!"

"And, if you're going to attack, fast and certain!"

"Yes! I'll correct it!"

Moreover, I also realized my own lacking points while teaching others.

'I think I was like that too. I should pay more attention from now on.'

Like that, we two spent hectic days gaining our respective realizations.

Thanks to that, time passed quickly......

"We've arrived."

In our view, the northern defense line began to enter.

A castle wall that looked difficult to climb even with ladders set up.

That high castle wall ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stretched long left and right.

The castle wall of Count Moden's territory revealed its magnificent appearance.

However......

My first impression of Count Moden's territory became very bad due to an incident that occurred even before arriving.

The beginning of the incident occurred while approaching the castle gate.

"We're going in."

"Yes!"

By my command, while the entire expedition force was advancing through the bushes,

'Hm?......'

Some unpleasant smell flew from the castle on the wind.

Extremely foul......

And the next moment,

Thud!

A loud and unpleasant sound was heard from inside the castle.

"C-catapult attack!"

I heard a knight shouting from behind.

Of course, I was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠watching too.

That rock was definitely flying toward us.

'An attack right off the bat? And at allies?'

My irritation surged up sharply.

This foul smell.

It was definitely a sensation similar to that of demons.

If we were attacked by demons......we'd have to pay them back to be satisfied, wouldn't we!

I loosened my shoulders and rather moved forward,

And—

"Everyone stand back!"

I shouted to the knights behind.

"S-Sir Rohan?"

"Sir Rohan! What are you trying to......"

And instead of an answer, I showed it through action.

"Hup!"

I caught the flying rock head-on.

Thump......!

A heavy sensation was felt in my chest,

And I put strength firmly into my legs to avoid being pushed back.

Even so, my soles dragged a bit from the fairly heavy weight.

Ssssssk.

But that was only for a moment.

Eventually, having completely stopped the boulder,

I—

"Heeeeuup!"

Proceeded to throw it back.

The rock that flew at a slightly lower angle than the catapult

Kwaaaaang!

Destroyed the castle wall.

"Uh......"

"Ah.....so that's what you were trying to do."

"And......you did it?"

"That works......but why......does that work?"