Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Watchtower Patrol and Night Raid
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Thwack!
“Keek!”
From inside came the sound of them beating a dog senseless, accompanied by a goblin’s scream.
In the meantime, Skevin and Arthur jumped to their feet.
“Young Master.”
Arthur pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Skevin to stay quiet.
Skevin immediately shut his mouth and gave hand signals to the trainees.
The screams from the forest stopped, and tension hung in the air amid the silence.
Helot returned with his fists covered in blood and approached Arthur right away.
“Are you alright?”
Arthur nodded and asked.
“Goblins?”
“Yes, those bastards use arrowheads like weapons, coated in deadly poison. Getting hit is fatal.”
“They might show up again, so don’t let your guard down.”
“Yes.”
Helot immediately ordered the knights into groups of three for defense and instructed the trainees to move in groups of five.
While everyone prepared, Arthur reflected on what had just happened to him.
His senses had sharpened even more than when facing Helot.
It wasn’t just perception anymore—it warned him of danger and, in emergencies, moved his body on its own to escape harm.
He was so astonished and amazed that he was left dumbfounded.
‘What the hell is this?’
He decided to think about it back at the castle. They couldn’t head back just like this.
He would scout the area during the mountain march.
“Move out slowly.”
Arthur took the lead, heading toward the next watchtower.
Skevin, who had been silently watching him for a while, felt his mind growing complicated. Arthur had sensed and reacted faster than him, a top-level Sword Expert.
‘How...’
It defied common sense.
On top of that, he hadn’t panicked at all in the sudden situation—he was incredibly calm.
That might be possible in training, but even veteran knights struggled with it in real combat.
Being with him was a nonstop series of surprises.
He didn’t seem like a 17-year-old kid, but a battle-hardened veteran.
Skevin figured it was all thanks to inheriting Teheran’s advancement. Following behind, he smiled faintly.
‘Getting more and more exciting.’
***
The remaining watchtowers stood at regular intervals along the border between the territory and the mountains.
No goblin attacks came during the movement, but goblin corpses were found here and there.
An ominous premonition hit that goblins would soon swarm down to the village in hordes.
‘Damn it!’
‘What do we do?’
‘Can we even handle them?’
As the trainees filled with fear and worry thought all sorts of things.
“Fall behind, and you’re done for.”
With all watchtowers checked, Arthur broke into a full run.
“Wh-what?”
“Damn!”
As the pace quickened, everyone was thrown into confusion.
By sunset.
The trainees returned to the castle pale-faced and utterly exhausted.
Entering the training grounds, they collapsed in heaps.
The knights were the same.
They’d trained their whole lives, but they’d never run until their hearts felt like bursting like today.
Every day was pure hell, and Arthur, who kept it going, seemed like a devil.
Worse, there he stood on the platform, breathing steadily with that bizarre hat pulled low—a monster incarnate.
‘Not human.’
‘We’ll dry up and die at this rate.’
‘Ah, I just want to rest.’
As they lay on the ground one by one with lifeless expressions, as if their lives were over.
“Who said you could lie down in the training grounds!”
Arthur’s fierce voice pierced their ears.
All the trainees jolted in shock.
Those who had lain down sprang up into attention and stared at the platform.
Silence fell like death.
“I never said training was over.”
Gulp-.
They all swallowed dryly.
Exhausted to the bone, unable to move a step, they feared he might make them climb the east wall.
Today, the skull on that bizarre hat stood out especially.
‘Ah!’
They suddenly understood why the skull was there.
In the training grounds, Arthur was the devil.
Training under the devil?
They realized it was a message to brace themselves.
“Ugh...”
Groans leaked from everywhere.
Everyone tensed, wondering what new torment awaited.
Arthur silently surveyed the heavy silence in the training grounds before speaking.
“Starting tomorrow, come in plate armor. And from today, post guards at every watchtower. Dismissed.”
Arthur stepped down from the platform and headed straight for the east wall.
As he stretched at the base of the wall stairs, Millerph approached.
“You checked them?”
“They were well set up.”
“If you saw any spots needing more during your tour of the western mountains, let me know.”
“The watchtowers should suffice. I want traps set.”
“Traps as well...”
“We got hit by goblins today.”
“Really?”
Millerph was startled.
“Not a large raid—just ones fleeing orcs into our area. Seeing all the goblin corpses around there, they’ll probably get pushed down soon.”
“Understood. How deep?”
“Wide and deep is ideal, but that takes time. Just enough to buy us time for an attack.”
“We’ll start work tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
Arthur nodded, about to climb the stairs, then paused as if remembering something and looked at Millerph.
“That weight magic. Can you extend the duration?”
“Yes. But the longer it lasts, the higher the chance of side effects.”
“What kind?”
“The weight focuses on one spot, and you have to endure until it ends.”
“If it reverts after, no issue.”
“That’s true, but...”
“Make it last a week.”
“A week?”
“Double the current weight.”
“What?”
Millerph’s eyes widened.
Even with his strengthened body, enduring double his body weight—not for moments, but a week—was reckless.
“Young Master, your balance could collapse.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t.”
Arthur drew a firm line.
Most Tier 1 entry trainings had been in full gear. He’d endured that for a week short, two months long, countless times.
Plus, in his active days, he’d squatted 250kg max, and if truly dangerous, he could use mana.
Seeing Arthur’s resolute face, Millerph sensed he wouldn’t back down.
“Understood. But if it’s too much, use mana and tell me immediately.”
“Got it.”
“Beginning now.”
Millerph chanted lowly in runic tongue. Arthur’s body soon glowed brightly, then the light faded.
At once, Arthur grimaced.
“Urk!”
The effect was utterly different from prior weight magic.
Not pressing on his shoulders, but compressing his entire body.
Every movement was severely restricted.
“It’s on properly.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Pressure all over my body.”
Millerph asked with a stiff expression.
“Side effect, it seems. Very tough?”
“I’ll endure. If not, I’ll use mana. Don’t fret.”
“Then let me escort you to your room...!”
Millerph’s eyes bulged.
Arthur was climbing the stairs with that heavy body.
He doubted his eyes for a moment.
Rubbing them and looking again.
No mistake. Arthur meant to train in that state.
Millerph hurried after him.
“Young Master! This could end badly.”
“Still manageable. But just in case, follow behind.”
“Haa...”
Millerph wore a dumbfounded look.
A moment later.
After ascending and descending the wall top, Arthur said.
“Huff, huff, huff. That’s it for today.”
“Good call. Even I think pushing more is unwise.”
Arthur nodded, taking long deep breaths to calm his pounding heart.
After several breaths.
Arthur’s eyes flashed as he asked.
“How do you know when you go from 2nd to 3rd star?”
“It’ll itch above your navel at first, then feel heavy later.”
“And then?”
“You’ll feel three ring-sized circles about fist-sized. That’s entering 3rd star.”
“I see.”
Arthur smiled meaningfully.
Millerph’s eyes flashed.
“No way?”
“Just hit 3rd star.”
“Impossible...”
Millerph was stunned.
It had been barely a month since inheriting Teheran Julius’s advancement.
Yet he’d reached 3rd star.
His prediction of at least six months was way off.
“Truly amazing!”
“Thanks to your help.”
“It’s the result of your sweat all this time.”
“Thanks.”
Arthur turned to the stairs.
“3rd star feels much better.”
The burden of the weight pressure had noticeably lessened.
Enough to handle training now.
“I’ll train more. You go ahead.”
Arthur climbed the stairs again.
Millerph shook his head at the sight.
“Relentless, really.”
***
The world was pitch black, as if swallowed by darkness.
The training grounds, boiling with heat all day, now whipped with fierce winds.
Knights and trainees, worn from grueling training, snored in unison like an orchestra, dead to the world.
Even Arthur slept like the dead from the daily limit-pushing regimen.
Then suddenly, he grimaced and snapped his eyes open.
At the same time, the emergency horn blared through the castle.
Bwoooong-!
He bolted up and rushed outside.
By the time Arthur reached the gate, over ten terrified villagers had gathered.
“Monsters came down again!”
“Damn it!”
A head-splitting ominous feeling had woken him.
Probably to warn of this.
His sharpened senses might have granted precognitive dreams too.
“There were boar-like ones this time.”
Skevin, just arrived, looked grim.
“You said boar-like just now?”
“Yes, swinging huge axes, smashing everything in sight.”
“Orcs came down too, looks like.”
“What’s happening?”
Helot and the knights and trainees gathered at the entrance.
Arthur asked a villager.
“How many?”
“Too many to count.”
“Villagers?”
“As the knight said last time, they evacuated to the next village.”
Arthur turned to Skevin.
“Prepare to sortie.”
“Just the knight order?”
“No.”
Arthur turned to the trainees.
“Don’t you want to see how strong you’ve gotten?”
“Yes-!
They answered without hesitation.
“10 minutes to prepare. Latecomers guard the castle.”
A moment later.
Knights and trainees assembled, sortie-ready.
They tilted their heads at Arthur.
‘What?’
‘He’s not coming?’
Arthur looked unchanged from before.
Fully armored Skevin rode up on horseback.
“You’re not joining?”
“What’re you talking about?”
Arthur blinked blankly.
“You’re unprepared, so I asked. Why like this?”
“What more prep?”
“Pardon?”
Skevin shook his head in confusion.
“Orcs are down too. This state is very dangerous.”
“Unnecessary worry.”
Arthur replied coldly, then addressed all.
“From the moment we exit the gate, disobey my orders and face immediate punishment. Stay sharp to avoid trouble.”
“Yes-!
“On reaching the village, knight order handles monsters. Trainees rescue people.”
“Yes-!
Arthur mounted behind Skevin.
“Y-Young Master...”
He pulled his hex hat low and muttered to himself.
“You showed up at the right time.”
‘No way?’
Skevin’s face hardened.