Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Small Shadow
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The most complained-about class for the Knight Department cadets, "Practical Combat 1," had finally begun.
"Before we move on to training against multiple opponents, I'll quickly check if you've incorporated the advice I've given so far."
The cadets weren't whispering or murmuring like before, but there were definitely some who looked unsettled.
"We'll proceed as last time—one from the Knight Department, one from the Swordsmanship Department, alternating. If you feel even the slightest pain, don't hold back—go straight to the priests. Understood?"
""""Yes, sir!!!""""
"Let's begin right away. First one, come forward."
I've already started reaping the benefits of this class.
Most cadets come at me swinging their weapons in a fury, trying to land at least one hit or stab.
They try to crush my instep or groin with their heels, or they've got a handful of sand tucked in their back pocket to throw in my face.
'This is the bare minimum for real combat.'
If I can get them this far in such a short time, doesn't that mean I've fully lived up to my role as an academy instructor?
"Kuak-!"
A cadet crumpled to the floor after taking a solid pommel strike to the gut.
"You didn't even attempt to improve on the instructor's advice. Still, trying to spit in my eye while we were grappling had some surprise value. If it had landed, it might've actually worked."
I looked down at the cadet writhing on the ground, clutching his stomach, and pointed out what came to mind.
"Ah—and unlike last time, you didn't drop your weapon. Good job on that. Take him away."
A few cadets came forward and dragged him off to the priests.
Even as he was hauled away, the venomous glare he shot me was thick with promise. Growth potential right there.
"Next—"
In this world, unlike his past life, women flocked to him just for breathing—telling him how great he was.
And there were plenty of them.
There were endless desires and temptations, but Robert was still a virgin.
Because he only had eyes for Rike?
That wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't the main reason.
The biggest reason Robert had held out without sleeping with any other woman lay elsewhere.
There were plenty of girls he could definitely take all the way if he pushed a little.
But the truly scary part was that they were noble ladies who knew how to calculate the value of their purity when marriage proposals came up.
They might swoon over his words now, but the moment they crossed that line, who knew how they'd change.
'There was that incident in another department... One wrong move, and you're done. Gotta be careful.'
She might spread rumors calling him some weirdo with strange hang-ups if he didn't give her what she wanted, just like that other lady.
And if her family was a powerful noble house, he'd probably have to take responsibility before any talk of "womanizing" could even start.
'Focus on the one wounded girl for now!'
The ideal play was to play the devoted lover, honoring their childhood engagement through thick and thin, win her hand as his wife, and then take concubines.
It was a solid way to dodge scandals about philandering.
"...Robert Bolt."
Unlike before, Robert didn't charge straight in. He held his ground.
Today, he'd vowed to land at least one hit on that face, no matter what. It made him a bit more level-headed.
A world where even lethal force was attractive, unlike in Korea—where it appealed straight to reason!
'Rike doesn't respond to looks or skills. What she really wants is probably a reliable man to protect her...'
He'd be the one to land a clean hit where no one else had succeeded.
"Not coming in? Guess I'll come to you."
The instructor slung his standard-issue longsword over his shoulder in a sloppy stance and approached.
Robert was in a proper stance, while the instructor dangled his sword casually over his shoulder.
He had to be faster than that unprepared, sloppy posture.
'...Now!'
Clang-!
Robert's thrust was lightly parried by Roman's longsword.
"If you stare at my shoulder like that, even a blind man would notice."
"Kuh...!"
Roman pressed forward with one hand on his sword, pushing Robert back effortlessly.
'I'm... losing in strength? To one hand?'
This wasn't like last time, where he'd been beaten purely with swordsmanship.
Robert's body was truly blessed. That's why this felt so shocking and ridiculous.
The instructor wasn't even closing in to shove—just pressing down with his wrist, forcing him back.
Kagak-!!
The blades ground together, screeching harshly.
"Kraaaah!!!"
This was his first time being so casually overpowered by pure muscle.
Even bracing his legs and core, shouting with full effort—it didn't stop his backward stumble.
"You know your strength is losing, but it doesn't occur to you to deflect it? You don't even notice when I'm pushing from one direction."
Thud!
After being shoved back and back, Robert's back hit the gym wall.
"Legs."
Roman kicked the frozen Robert's ankle, sending him tumbling across the floor.
Thump-!
"Hup!"
Robert, who'd landed headfirst, snapped his eyes open after a momentary blackout.
For a mana-less commoner, that would've been dizzying.
"Cadet Robert, you should master falling techniques before swordplay."
"····"
Grind-
Flat on the floor, Robert ground his teeth and subtly twisted his sword tip toward Roman.
The Bolt Marquis household was full of knights who'd eaten their share of steel.
But there was no one fit to teach Robert Bolt.
Because no one could withstand Robert Bolt's skills.
He stubbornly refused to learn from anyone weaker than himself.
He had better stamina than knights who ran laps at dawn just by lounging around.
On rest days, when diligent types did strength training, his idle muscles were still stronger.
Realistic training methods from Korea held no interest for him.
What captivated Robert were his own skills.
'Master one thing deeply, understand it fully, and you'll reach the top...'
And the true power he'd discovered in this skill... speed beyond human perception!
Even battle-hardened knights from the front lines couldn't dodge it.
[Radiance]
Mana minimized to reduce power, but projectile speed unchanged
Robert fired light from his sword tip.
Ping-!
The moment he shot, Roman tilted his head aside as if he'd seen the future.
'It... missed?!'
Kwajik!
Crack-!
As Roman knocked the boot off Robert's face, blood stuck thickly to the sole.
'This guy's worse than I thought.'
Honestly, it was confusing.
The moment Robert stepped up, there were plenty of moronic choices that'd make players curse the devs.
It was a genre that had dominated its era—a proven hit.
So in a good light, some options could've ended with him just looking like a clueless idiot.
But right now, Robert felt like he'd broken the mold entirely.
Freaking out from a few hits and popping a skill? Wild.
Free souls unbound by a game's fixed choices were hard to predict, as expected.
"Let me say it again: skills are forbidden. Get rid of it."
Ignoring the unconscious Robert underfoot, I returned to the center of the gym.
"Next—"
"Rike here."
Rike stepped forward holding a long steel rod instead of a sword, like she'd been waiting.
No way a scythe was standard issue, so this was her backup plan.
"Use it like it has an edge. I'll respond accordingly."
Rike nodded, clearly getting it, and assumed her stance.
'Thinking of Enoch Skadi, I should stick to swords against her for a while.'
In training and tempering, forget relationships—stay serious.
Rike understood that better than anyone, so her face was stone-cold serious, no smile in sight.
'What she gains from weapons is just Scythe Mastery? Wonder how much it affects a rod instead of a scythe.'
I'd never seen this case, so prediction impossible.
Purple light gleamed in her eyes as Rike radiated sharp intent.
"Come at me."
Clang! Kaang-!!
Hard metal clashed, filling the gym with echoes.
-Whoa...
-What the hell...
-Didn't she not use a sword before?
Gasps erupted from the cadets, impossible to hide.
Even Chloe Dreitna gaped from the corner, watching.
'...Why'd she use a sword last time?'
Was this that genius behavior mortals can't comprehend?
If she'd hidden her staff skills until now, was breaking her fingers really necessary?
Her botched body enhancement from before was solid now, and her movements were insanely fast.
Less likely she'd grown that much in a short time—more like she'd been hiding it.
'She's a genius too, huh...?'
A faint joy shone on her impassive face as she swung the rod.
She wielded the steel bar like an extension of herself, showing freakish proficiency.
Some moves were hard to call staff techniques, but the monsters seemed to understand—the instructor parried them cleanly.
Clang-! Kagang!!
"You need systematic training on using elbows or knees when fully engaged."
"Fingers are truly the last resort. Breaking them messes up centrifugal force."
The instructor blocked the wave of strikes without blinking.
And he gave flat-toned advice on top—meaning he was still way too relaxed.
Martial instructors were like that.
There were plenty in the Empire who could toy with cadet-level foes effortlessly.
So this instructor being stronger was expected, dominating cadets a given.
But now her view had widened.
'What does that level of strength feel like...?'
Chloe's life had been binary choices.
Take priestess lessons to aid Dreitna finances?
Or raise the family honor as a knight like her sister?
She'd holed up in the territory, training for knighthood—no time to eye adventurers.
Everyone was amazed, but Platinum rank was impressive yet not fully real to her.
No way to gauge true skill anyway.
But.
'A man her sister acknowledges as skilled.'
That was rare.
Her sister never evaluated anyone with her heavy responsibilities.
Even she, who'd ignored the world, was starting to grasp how amazing this instructor was.
What if it were her? Her sister back then?
In the previous spar, Robert's sudden light shot.
Dodging it point-blank? Even knowing it was coming, she doubted she could.
Projectiles are easy to read from the side, not head-on.
But Robert's burst was invisible even from her side position.
'Sister would dodge it casually too, like the instructor...?'
Tang-!
The rod flew from the cadet's hand, arcing through the air before dropping.
"Get healed. Next."
The instructor's gaze turned to her.
'I really hate this...'
Right after that overwhelming genius, of all things.
Being crushed in a genius's shadow was beyond exhausting...