Chapter 9
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 9: A Lot of Exercise Today
The gladiator training ground prepared in the arena.
Sword instruction began under Doban’s guidance. It was a format where Doban watched over me when I took a stance.
Doban watching while carving out a rotten apple with a dagger. I held a wooden sword and took a stance in front of him.
“How is it?”
“It’s terrible. It’s a wonder you didn't die and caught the Minotaur.”
“I’m just standing holding a sword, though?”
“That simple stance is the beginning and end of swordsmanship. You’re already wrong from the point you express it as ‘just’.”
Doban limps over holding his cane. He taps my ankles to touch the gap between my legs, and adjusts the height of my arms.
“Straighten your back. Lower your center of gravity too. Don’t grip the sword excessively. Relax your strength whatever you do. If the strength is excessive, the body stiffens.”
“Yes.”
It wasn't hard to understand.
Even when pickaxing, if I used excessive force, only my arms hurt from the recoil.
I consciously relaxed my body while taking a deep breath.
When I took the stance like that, Doban pressed down hard on my shoulder with his hand. I tried to endure, but I was pushed back by the force.
“I knew it. You can’t even stand properly. Your soles are floating.”
“I am stepping on it, though.”
“You just put them on top, is that stepping? Grip the floor with your toes. Like an eagle snatching prey.”
Doban said while poking my shoes with his cane. I did as he ordered.
Doban pushing my shoulder once again. This time, I wasn't pushed easily like before. Because my toes were biting into the ground.
“Keep in mind. If legs are pillars, feet are roots. If the roots shake, there is no need to chop that tree down. It falls on its own.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
Doban circles around me observing my stance.
“The stance seems somewhat done....”
Then he stands facing my front.
“Where are you looking right now?”
“Your eyes, Mister.”
“Why are you looking there?”
“Um, to see the opponent I will fight?”
Doban spat out the piece of apple he was eating.
“Looking at the opponent’s eyes in a fight is like advertising ‘Please read my thoughts’. Eyes are the windows to the soul. Fear, panic, intention to attack.... It’s all reflected in the pupils.”
“Can’t I also see the opponent’s intentions?”
It was like that in the creative works I saw.
They said since you can see the opponent’s intentions just by looking at their eyes, don't take your eyes off even if a knife flies at them.
But I guess not. Doban sighed and stared at me from the front.
His pupils rolled to the side, and accordingly, my gaze also moved in the same direction.
At that moment.
—Whack!
“Ugh!”
Doban’s cane struck my flank. I fell over clutching my side.
Foul play, fuck.
It hurts like hell.
He hit the bone.
“Why did you hit me all of a sudden?!”
“That’s why I said you shouldn't look at the eyes. Since you followed my gaze, you couldn't dodge the attack coming from the blind spot.”
“You could have just said it...!”
“Gladiator bastards have hard heads so words don't work. It’s much faster to learn while getting beaten.”
Of course, there is a saying that seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times!
Thanks to that, I understood at once, but!
Still, pain is pain.
It hasn't been long since I recovered, I can’t be bedridden from the first day of training.
I stood up suppressing the pain.
“And in this world. There are some crazy bastards who fight with their eyes closed. If you fight looking at the eyes, what will you do then?”
It sounds plausible. Because blind swordsmen often appear in places like web novels.
“Then where should I look.”
“The Adam’s apple. There are guys who fight without eyes, but there are no guys who fight without a neck.”
“What about dullahan?”
“That’s unfortunate then.”
It seems irresponsible, but it doesn't seem wrong. In the first place, even if I look at the eyes, dullahan doesn't even have eyes.
It will be fine as long as I don’t meet a dullahan.
“Look somewhere between the opponent’s Adam’s apple and collarbone. Keep the focus blurry.”
“Umm, like this?”
“I’m not telling you to stare stupidly. I’m telling you to contemplate.”
“Contemplate...?”
I didn't understand so I tilted my head.
“If you are looking at the neck, you can see the shoulders flinching with peripheral vision, see the arms coming out, and the legs moving comes into view like a single picture.”
“Hm....”
“Don’t look at a single tree, look at the forest. Trap the entire scenery called the opponent in your vision.”
“I’ll try it once.”
I consciously lowered my gaze and looked at Doban’s neck.
I relaxed my eyes and widened my field of view. Then, strangely, Doban’s wrinkled hands and empty right leg came into the edge of my vision, albeit blurrily.
Then when strength went into my eyes, the vision narrowed and I could only see the neck.
“Ooh. I think I know what it feels like.”
“It seems you aren't just a stone head. Good. Stare at this log in that stance for 1 hour. I’ll go eat and come back.”
“Yes?”
“If I come back and you are even slightly disheveled, you start from the beginning, so don’t think about fooling around.”
Saying so, Doban really disappeared. Only I was left alone in the training ground.
“It’s a lie, right?”
Even school classes rest for 10 minutes after sitting for 50 minutes, but to stand for 1 hour in an immobile stance.
I wanted to try moving slightly, but maybe he is watching from somewhere. I feel like he’ll pop out right away.
Eventually, I stood without moving an inch for 1 hour.
Finally, I could unlock the combat proficiency I had desperately longed for.
Just by taking a proper stance, the proficiency opened. As expected, my hypothesis wasn't wrong.
For reference, this bastard Doban, he didn't come even after 1 hour passed.
No matter how much I waited, Doban didn't come, so I had no choice but to return alone.
‘Surely he won’t scold me for leaving on my own without a word, right?’
Still, I waited as much as I should wait. If I waited 2 hours, I did enough.
“Urgh....”
Muscles all over my body scream.
To think standing still would be such a painful task. My legs tremble.
Because I curled my toes to maintain the stance continuously, they don't straighten out even now that training is over.
‘Still, I got a lot of exercise.’
I got a lot of stress today.
I’ll think about it a lot before sleeping.
The results are certain as much as it was hard, right? Since I could liberate swordsmanship proficiency in just one day.
‘That old man, is he actually a real retired Sword Saint?’
One eye, one leg, cane, drunkard.
Doesn't he look like a hidden master commonly appearing in martial arts novels?
I wish it were really so.
So I can lick the meat off even his bones.
‘I’m hungry.’
Training is over too, I should quickly go and eat the special meal bestowed by Renoa-noona. Just imagining it makes my mouth water.
On the way moving my heavy steps toward the cafeteria.
“Hey, young noble master.”
Someone blocked my path. Familiar faces were seen.
The arena’s old-timer and signboard gladiator Alex. And the hangers-on following him around.
“Young noble master? You saw the wrong person.”
“Saw wrong my ass. Your face is glistening with oil. Seems life is worth living these days?”
“It’s sweat.”
“You’re still brazen.”
Alex grinned and took a step closer. The pressure is no joke as a guy with a mountain-like physique approaches.
But I shouldn't be scared. If my spirit breaks, being eaten is the physiology of this floor.
“Do you have some business? I have to go eat.”
“Eat? Ah, that special meal the Princess gave?”
Alex’s eyebrows twitch.
“Since a slave bastard lives in luxury without knowing his place, does the world seem like yours? You’re having the time of your life. Huh?”
Jealousy drips from his sarcastic tone. well, his stomach must hurt.
He rolled and rolled for several years to barely reach this position, but some rolling stone received a noble’s sponsorship overnight.
“I was just lucky.”
“Luck? Of course it’s luck. Then did you think it was your skill? That bitch called Princess must have felt some kinship since she’s a brat just like you.”
“You should watch your mouth. What if someone hears.”
“Who else is here besides us? Why, are you going to run and tattle like a little dog? Try if you can.”
Alex put his hand on my shoulder. Heavy grip force dug in.
“You seem not to know well because you’re still a brat, but there is something called a rule in this arena. It’s a rule to lend good things to seniors first.”
I wondered why he was doing this, turns out he picked a fight because he coveted the support received from Renoa.
Like a hyena looking for something to bite. It’s not even new.
“Then you take it.”
“What?”
“You get sponsored. Since I don’t need it.”
To others, it must look just good. Since it’s sponsorship from a Duke’s daughter, no less.
But they say that because they don't know a single thing.
If you guys knew her true nature, you should bow and thank me for taking the fall instead.
“Ha, this rude bastard.”
But Alex got angry instead of being thankful. The forced smile disappeared and veins popped out on his forehead.
Unable to overcome his temper, he pushed my shoulder roughly. He must have expected me to fall clumsily.
“...Huh?”
But I wasn't pushed. Normally I would have flown like a paper doll due to the weight difference.
I was surprised, and Alex who pushed was surprised too.
“What?”
I just practiced enduring until now. My curled toes haven't straightened out yet.
‘They won’t straighten even if I want to.’
Thanks to that, my two feet were firmly fixed as if rooted in the ground.
Ah, is that it.
Is it this sensation.
My mouth corners went up.
“Tekkai (Iron Mass).”
“You bastard, how rude!”
But subsequently, when Alex put his weight into kicking my abdomen, I had no choice but to tumble backward.
“Stomp him!”
Gladiators rushed to my fallen side and started kicking excitedly.
“What, he’s nothing special? How on earth did a guy like this beat the Minotaur?”
“Of course he used a trick. It makes no sense otherwise, right?”
“Fuck, leaving me aside, this blackie receives sponsorship? This won’t do. You need to get hit a bit.”
It’s true I beat the Minotaur, but that was largely thanks to the skill.
The buff [Spartacus] that significantly strengthens physical abilities during combat in the arena. It’s a skill that doesn't exist outside the arena.
It means the current me is a plain, ordinary 14-year-old. At least thanks to [Indomitability], I can get beaten to the best of my ability?
“Urgh. I never back down.”
I curled my body as much as possible in a shrimp posture to defend myself.
They, who were kicking for a long time, stopped the beating as if bored when I didn't give the reaction they wanted.
Rather, they exhaled as if exhausted.
“Haa, haa. This tenacious bastard. He doesn't let out a single groan.”
“...Hng.”
“This bastard still hasn't come to his senses!”
I got hit a few more times.
“Looking at your state, you won’t be able to eat dinner. Don’t worry, I’ll eat your meal deliciously for you.”
Alex spat ptui and left. Only after they completely disappeared did I raise my body.
I stretched straight.
Every corner of my body is stiff.
“These things dare to hit me?”
Sorry, but I am not the me of the past.
I immediately ran to Bardick’s office.
“Sob sob, Master!”
“Irion? Why are you here....”
“The gladiators just kicked me, hit me, and stole my food too.”
“So what do you want me to do.......”
“My body hurts so I think I won’t be able to fight properly in the next match. Then the Princess will be hugely disappointed. What do we do if she cancels the sponsorship?”
“What?! Absolutely, absolutely that cannot happen! These bastards dare touch my precious slave!”
Bardick rushes out with his heavy body more agilely than any other time in the world.
I am Irion, the Tetonam (Man born with a spoon).
I absolutely don't live just getting hit.
If I suffered something, it is the law to pay it back duly.
It’s revenge for my disappeared special meal.