Chapter 37
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Alon Body Technique
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Del Modor Academy could be called the greatest institution not just in the Empire, but across the entire continent.
Even within such an academy, the Upper Class represented the absolute elite.
In other words, simply belonging to the Upper Class meant possessing talent so brilliant it dazzled the eye.
Most cadets there had likely been hailed as geniuses since childhood.
But the moment they stepped into the academy...
Those who had soared effortlessly from birth came to realize something.
Becoming a Gigant Rider was no easy feat.
“Seriously, at this rate, I’m gonna end up sick... My knees have been killing me every time it rains lately.”
“Me too...”
That was why the cafeteria always echoed with cadets’ groans and grumblings.
The academy’s lectures were brutally demanding, after all.
Lessons that might draw cries of abuse anywhere else were treated as routine here.
Of course, it couldn’t be helped.
Technology kept advancing, sure, but Gigants remained invaluable strategic weapons.
And those who piloted them—Gigant Riders—couldn’t be ordinary humans.
The cadets knew that full well.
So despite venting their complaints, come tomorrow, they’d head to lectures as if nothing had happened.
Of course, there were always exceptions.
“You heading straight to training after eating?”
A bright, energetic voice rang out from one corner of the cafeteria—no trace of fatigue in it.
“Keep it down.”
“Fine. So, you going or not?”
“Have to. Can’t be late for class today, so let’s scarf this down. Less training time otherwise.”
Abel intended to use even the brief lunch break for training.
Normally, even the most diligent cadets took that time to rest.
Not out of laziness—they simply couldn’t last otherwise.
Especially with all the physically grueling lectures packed into the afternoon.
The source of this conversation, enough to make any listener cringe, was none other than Daniel and Abel.
Daniel seemed to belatedly notice the stares around them and lowered his voice.
“You pumped for physical training?”
“Huh?”
“We’re finally starting body techniques today!”
“Oh, right.”
Abel nodded.
Starting today, they’d learn body techniques from Kaul during physical conditioning.
Abel was looking forward to it, naturally, but Daniel seemed especially thrilled.
Daniel flashed a grin and explained why.
“I’ve never had proper body technique training before.”
That tracked.
Whoever had mentored Daniel wouldn’t have bothered with something like body techniques.
The guidance hadn’t been wrong, but Daniel must have craved it badly.
Abel answered evenly.
“Neither have I.”
“No kidding? Why not?”
“Just felt like it. Nothing worth learning caught my eye.”
“Fair. I heard the same back when I was learning—better to skip half-baked stuff altogether. Just picks up bad habits.”
Abel nodded along with Daniel’s words.
It was especially risky during growth spurts.
Certain body techniques could lock your body into specializing that way.
“But the academy...”
Just as Daniel started voicing a sudden thought...
A voice cold enough to freeze pierced Abel’s ears.
“Not interested.”
Abel turned instinctively and spotted Iolin standing in the middle of the cafeteria.
But she wasn’t the only familiar face.
Standing across from her was a boy with a face Abel knew all too well.
“Not... interested?”
Luke de Paltain.
Second son of the Paltain Marquis Family—a B-Class cadet like Iolin, whom Abel had crushed twice without mercy.
At a glance, though, their rapport looked downright frosty.
More precisely, Iolin was making no effort to hide her annoyance with him.
“Right.”
Iolin replied to Luke’s quivering question in that same icy tone, then moved to walk past him.
But Luke blocked her path.
“Why? Weapon technique eval’s coming up soon anyway. Training together wouldn’t hurt, right? In our class, nobody else could even spar with you properly besides me.”
Luke snapped, his tone cutting.
Intent aside, getting dissed outright in front of a crowd clearly got under his skin.
Iolin, who’d been set to ignore him, paused mid-stride.
“Your opponent?”
She turned, her face devoid of any emotion.
“Overly confident.”
With that single line, Iolin spun on her heel and walked off without a backward glance.
Luke stood there dumbfounded, mouth flapping silently.
The looks thrown his way brimmed mostly with schadenfreude—pure satisfaction.
Plenty of people despised Luke’s arrogant, overbearing attitude.
‘Talk about humiliating.’
Abel felt the same.
Sure, Luke hadn’t picked another open fight since getting thoroughly thrashed, but Abel had no reason to like the guy’s constant hostile glares whenever their paths crossed.
‘Though Iolin’s cold to pretty much everyone by default.’
She’d have reacted the same to anyone bugging her.
That was just who she was.
Abel mulled this over inwardly as he moved to resume his meal.
Until he felt the stares zeroing in on him.
Puzzled by the prickling attention, Abel looked up to find Iolin standing right across from him.
“...?”
Question marks practically floated over Abel’s head. Iolin spoke to him.
“Mind if I sit?”
That one sentence sent shock rippling across the faces of the nearby cadets.
Iolin—approaching someone first, a guy no less, and asking to sit down?
No one had seen that coming.
Abel was just as thrown.
Sure, they’d agreed to trade training tips and met twice a day, but those sessions were strictly in the training grounds.
They’d never exchanged so much as a casual word outside that.
“Abel?”
“Ah, yeah. Sure.”
Abel nodded a beat late.
Only then did Iolin set her tray down and take the seat opposite him.
Bang!
At that moment...
A sharp crash echoed from across the room.
Luke—face flushed crimson—had kicked over a table. He stormed straight out of the cafeteria.
The cadets’ eyes naturally flicked between the departing Luke and Abel.
‘This kind of spotlight’s the last thing I need.’
Abel thought to himself, inwardly sighing as he glanced at Iolin.
She picked up on his gaze and spoke.
“Got a question.”
“A question?”
She nodded, her tone as clipped as ever.
“I practiced that sync rate trick you taught me alone... Got stuck on something.”
“Where?”
“You said visualizing the imagery is key for sync rate...”
Abel’s prompt unleashed a flood of pent-up questions from Iolin, like she’d been waiting for it.
His initial fluster faded as he listened quietly, answering each one in turn.
They talked for a solid ten minutes before Iolin finally wrapped up.
“Hit me up anytime if more come up.”
“Thanks.”
Iolin gave that reply and dug into her food.
Abel polished off his meal too. When she finished, they rose together.
As they headed to return their trays, Iolin tacked on one last line, like an afterthought.
“See you tonight.”
Abel felt the stares converge again, managed an awkward smile, and nodded.
‘Rumors are gonna explode now.’
Not many knew about their twice-daily sessions in the inner training room.
But that was about to change.
“Hey. Think I’ve ever seen Iolin talk that much?”
“Dunno.”
Abel gave Daniel’s amazed comment a vague reply.
Somehow feeling drained already, he headed to the training grounds with Daniel.
* * *
“You all look pumped!”
Kaul bellowed in his booming voice.
“Yes, sir!”
“Yeah.”
Daniel matched him with equal vigor, while Abel gave a middling response.
“...Yes.”
May mumbled in a voice half-asleep.
A closer look revealed her eyes churning with annoyance and regret.
Kaul’s face fell for a split second at the sight, but he bounced back quick and pressed on.
“This is a huge chance. Learning body techniques straight from me! But first—before we dive in—a question.”
Kaul eyed Daniel.
“Daniel. Why d’you think there’s no body technique lessons in the first semester curriculum?”
“No clue!”
“Love the enthusiasm! Abel! You?”
Abel met Kaul’s eager gaze with a curt answer.
“Because they’re not ready for it.”
“Bingo!”
Kaul beamed, clearly pleased. Then he broke it down further for Daniel and May, who still looked lost.
“Most cadets come in with all sorts of prior training. Plenty arrive already versed in body techniques.”
“Yes, sir.”
“But that ain’t ideal. Lots end up regretting it later and having to start over.”
Kaul’s expression turned deadly serious as he kept going.
“The key for any Gigant Rider? How well you handle your Gigant. That’s where the trouble starts.”
“What kind of trouble?”
Daniel’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he leaned in.
Kaul kept it simple.
“Body techniques you’ve drilled into muscle memory end up getting in the way when piloting.”
“Huh? Getting in the way?”
“Yep. And the reason’s even simpler: the human body and a Gigant aren’t the same.”
Gigants might mimic human form, but at their core, they were just hulks of cold metal.
“Moves that feel natural on my body? Try the exact same with a Gigant, and it takes serious effort.”
Kaul jabbed a finger skyward.
“But some moves? Flat-out impossible, no matter how hard you try.”
“Ah!”
Kaul nodded at Daniel’s dawning realization and continued.
“You’ve heard this in other classes, right? Bending your waist all the way back. Splitting your legs into a full split.”
“Yes!”
“It’s the Gigant’s joint range of motion. Custom jobs have a bit more flex, but most can’t match the insane mobility of the human body.”
Kaul rattled off more differences between human physiques and Gigants.
“Gigant traits matter too. Abel—get what I’m saying?”
“Yes. Gigant vitals aren’t like a human’s. Smashing the head or piercing the neck doesn’t shut it down, and there’s no heart in the left chest.”
Abel tacked on how Gigants could sacrifice limbs as bait in combat, unlike humans.
“Spot on. Gigants can be repaired. But the cockpit? That shatters, and you’re risking the machine—and the rider. Deadliest weak point, hands down.”
Only after hearing that much did Daniel finally click, letting out an awed gasp.
Kaul grinned wide.
“Getting it now, huh? That’s why half-baked body techniques are a no-go. Worse than skipping ’em entirely.”
Gigant Riders had set techniques they needed to master.
Ones perfectly tailored to the ‘Gigant.’
“Sure, other factors too. Way more efficient to learn after you’ve got basic Gigant handling down. Even Gigant-focused ones—if they’re not top-tier, better off waiting.”
With that, Kaul circled back to his original point.
“That’s why body techniques ramp up properly in the second semester. By then, everyone’s solid on Gigant basics. But you three? Starting with me right now. Why?”
Kaul flashed another grin.
“You’ve already got the foundation. Clear?”
“Yes!!”
“Got it.”
“Yes.”
Kaul locked eyes with each of them in turn before speaking.
“The body techniques you’re about to learn vary a bit, but they all share the same root.”
His face grew utterly grave.
“Alon Body Technique.”
Shock rippled across their faces. Kaul nodded.
“That’s right. The one you’re all thinking of—created by him.”
Alon.
The Empire’s legendary knight, and one of the academy’s founders.
Abel reeled inwardly.
‘A hidden piece drops here?’