Battle Against the Sixth Training Ground
Combat training against the Sixth Training Ground.
Burren had heard the rumor too. It had surfaced in a tavern two months ago, and since nothing more had come of it, he'd written it off as empty talk.
But tomorrow? Tomorrow?
Burren was convinced something had gone wrong with his hearing. There was no other way he could have heard something that insane.
"Instructor."
"Yeah."
"Did you just say tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"Please don't copy Runaan. Give me a straight answer. Is it really tomorrow?"
"Ah, that's what I said."
Rimer nodded readily. His expression was so shameless Burren wanted to punch him.
"It's not even a spar—it's an all-out battle, and it's tomorrow?"
"The numbers aren't that large, so think of it as more of a skirmish than a full-scale war…"
"That's not the point!"
Burren stamped his foot hard enough to thud against the ground.
"The match is tomorrow, and you're telling us today? What kind of rule is that? Don't tell me that tavern rumor from before was actually true?"
"Oh, so you knew about that. That was me and Metoon talking."
"Damn it!"
A one-on-one spar would have been one thing. A full-scale battle was a duel that put the training ground's pride on the line. To announce it a single day in advance—Burren was so flabbergasted he couldn't even close his mouth.
"Haa. This is why people call you kids."
Rimer clicked his tongue, still squatting.
"Does a war—does a battle—start politely with 'Hello? We're going to pick a fight with you now. Please be careful!'? No. Most battles break out suddenly, in situations you never saw coming."
From that unimpressive crouch, he unleashed a sharp presence that overwhelmed everyone around him.
"Once a war starts, you have to scramble out whether you're in the middle of a meal, dead asleep, or taking a shit. You draw your sword first without even knowing who the enemy is or how many of them there are. If you found out a day in advance, that's actually plenty of time to respond."
"Ugh!"
"That's…"
Burren and the trainees fell silent, having nothing to say.
He's right.
Raon nodded.
Most missions come out of nowhere too.
Assassination was no different. Naturally, the odds of a successful kill were higher when the target was outside rather than at home. It was common to only start planning and moving once the target left their house for somewhere else. Improvising an assassination on the spot and executing it was an essential virtue for an assassin.
"Besides, I only told the Sixth Training Ground last night. You're not that far behind them."
"Th-then you should have said that first."
"You got angry before I could explain. It's been a while since I've seen you that mad."
Rimer snickered.
"Ugh! I apologize."
Burren bowed his head, his earlobes turning red with embarrassment.
"Alright, now that you all understand, I'll start the briefing."
Rimer stood up with his hands clasped behind his back. He seemed to be trying to look impressive, but it didn't quite land.
"The battle starts at six tomorrow morning. We have forty-three people. They have sixty. Victory conditions…"
"Wait, why do they have sixty?"
"That's almost one and a half times our numbers…"
The trainees craned their necks at the news that the Sixth Training Ground had far more people.
"I told you. War isn't about matching numbers evenly. When you run into a larger enemy later, are you going to call them cowards for outnumbering you? No, you're not."
"Urgh…"
"H-he's not wrong, but…"
The trainees tilted their heads and shuffled back into place. They kept feeling like they were being played by Rimer.
"I'll start the explanation again. Our forty-three and their sixty will move at the same time. Victory goes to whoever incapacitates every enemy or captures the opposing formation's flag. In a way, it's simpler than a spar."
He muttered that it was too easy, and told them to be grateful he hadn't waited until tomorrow morning to inform them.
"Hmm. Thinking about it, it doesn't seem that hard."
"Well, half the Sixth Training Ground trainees are kids who washed out of here. And they don't have any direct descendants."
"Don't you know? Kane joined the Sixth Training Ground a few months ago."
"K-Kane Zieghart is two years older than us! How are we supposed to beat him?"
"It's fine. He was badly injured and spent a year in bed. He probably hasn't fully recovered yet."
"Oh. Then we can manage."
The trainees let out sighs of relief at the news that Kane hadn't recovered from his injuries.
"No."
Burren shook his head.
"Kane Zieghart has already fully recovered. Even during recovery he continued aura cultivation and sensory training, so his current martial prowess is at the upper-rank Sword User level."
"U-upper-rank Sword User?"
The trainees' faces went deathly pale.
"Hmph. So what? If you're scared, sit this one out. I'll take care of this Kane or whoever."
"I'm not scared. I was just sharing information. And you can't handle him alone."
"Aang?"
Color returned to the trainees' faces at Marta and Burren's bickering.
"We've got Burren, Marta, and Runaan on our side too. Well, and Raon."
"Honestly, I don't think it'll be that hard to win. Those two just need to hold Kane, and the rest of us sweep everyone else."
"It's possible. We beat the Owen Kingdom knights, and we completed our last mission too."
The trainees smiled, dismissing the Sixth Training Ground as nothing they needed to worry about.
"Hmm. You'll pay for taking them too lightly."
The corner of Rimer's mouth curled up, cold and thin.
"There's a training called Hell Week that dramatically raises a swordsman's skill all at once. The Sixth Training Ground trainees endured that Hell Week without a single dropout. And it was because of you."
"Because of us?"
"The Fifth Training Ground has been getting the most attention in the family lately. Those kids are burning to catch up to you. Take them lightly and you'll lose before you even know what hit you."
He offered some unusually serious advice.
"Come on! Every single day here has been Hell Week for us."
"Those washouts getting stronger doesn't mean much. Talent is talent."
"Yeah. We've never lost or failed at anything so far."
"If we just stop Kane, we win for sure!"
Even after hearing the advice, the trainees' arrogance didn't fade. If anything, it seemed to burn even hotter.
"Nice confidence."
Rimer chuckled and nodded. It was a smile that said he wouldn't particularly care even if they lost like this.
"Lastly, a full-scale battle is like a small war. That means the leader's orders are the most important thing. Tomorrow, all of you will follow Raon's commands."
"Yes!"
"…Yes."
"Understood."
The trainees who normally followed Raon answered immediately. Those who followed Burren or Runaan spoke up a beat later.
This is going to be a pain.
Raon wrinkled his nose. Beating the Sixth Training Ground wouldn't be hard. Controlling the trainees would be annoying.
"Today's training is free. Whether you plan operations here or train on your own, prepare for tomorrow's battle however you see fit."
Rimer slipped back into his usual light, slouching atmosphere.
"Head Instructor. You haven't mentioned the most important thing."
Burren raised his hand.
"What?"
"Where is the battle taking place?"
"Ah. That."
Rimer clapped his hands.
"Bukmang Mountain, behind the Main Building over there."
He looked down at Raon with a sly grin. It was a smile that said, You know Bukmang Mountain well, don't you? I'm counting on you.
"Hah."
Raon shook his head. Rimer had apparently bet on their victory.
Creating the worst possible situation and then putting his money on the Fifth Training Ground—what a peculiar human being. No. Elf.
That's why he always goes broke.
There was a reason he came back from the gambling dens and racetracks having lost everything, every single time.
"Alright, I'm off."
Rimer waved like a child heading out on a picnic and left the training ground.
"Fall in."
Raon sighed and gathered the trainees in the center of the training ground.
"We're going to plan for tomorrow's team battle. Does anyone have information on the Sixth Training Ground?"
"I-I know a bit."
Dorian, whose hands had already started trembling, swallowed dryly.
"As you all know, the current top trainee of the Sixth Training Ground is Kane Zieghart. He's sixteen, two years older than us, but he was badly injured on a mission and spent over a year in bed before returning."
"An injury…"
"As you heard earlier, his martial prowess is at the upper-rank Sword User level, and he has enough standing that every current Sixth Training Ground trainee follows him. In particular, three of the collaterals are strong…"
True to his nature as someone with connections everywhere, Dorian rattled off information about the Sixth Training Ground without hesitation.
"At that level, we don't even need a plan."
"Yeah, we can ignore everyone except Kane."
"Right. Two of our four strongest hold Kane, and the rest of us sweep them up."
The trainees grinned, chattering that there was no need to even make a plan.
"If we can just hold Kane, we should win without much difficulty."
Burren didn't seem to think they'd lose either, suggesting they each move independently.
"Plans, my ass. No need to bother using our heads—just crush them with force. Leave it to me and I'll sweep them even by myself."
Marta raised a tightly clenched fist.
The two of them seemed eager to distinguish themselves in this battle, having been unable to do anything during the mission two months ago.
"Hmm…"
Raon listened to everyone's opinions and nodded.
"To summarize: there's a gap in strength, so we don't need strategy or tactics—just push through. Somehow hold Kane. That's it?"
"Yeah."
"We'll win no matter how we fight."
"Let's wrap it up by morning and have lunch."
The trainees smiled as if they'd already won. The only quiet ones were Runaan, who was her usual self, and Dorian, who had already said everything he had to say.
"Alright. Let's do that."
Raon looked over the trainees and nodded.
"Oh, he's being refreshingly straightforward for once."
"So it's individual training, then?"
"Wanna bet on how many we take down tomorrow?"
The trainees grinned and each went off to do their own training.
-What a bunch of idiots.
Yeah.
Raon nodded, his gaze turning cold.
They have no idea how terrifying the people chasing them from behind can be.
As Rimer had said, they'd need to get burned before they came to their senses.
The same hour. The Sixth Training Ground.
Over a hundred trainees, their hair and clothes caked with dust, were gathered in the center of the grounds.
"You all endured Hell Week, which has a dropout rate of over seventy percent."
The solemn voice of Metoon, head instructor of the Sixth Training Ground, made every trainee straighten their back.
"And you chose to do it yourselves. Do you remember why?"
"Because of the Fifth Training Ground!"
The trainees shouted in unison. Their voices were so thunderous they shook the Sixth Training Ground, which was larger than the Fifth.
"That's right. The Fifth Training Ground, which has received the most attention in the family—and which even the Owen Kingdom, who used to look down on you, challenged to a spar first. You did it to bring them down."
Metoon examined the trainees one by one. Their eyes were incomparably harder than before.
As his voice rang through the training ground, the trainees' eyes sparked to life.
"Even at forty-three versus sixty, everyone in the family will bet on those kids' victory. But I think the odds are even. Tomorrow, go show them everything you've built up!"
"Yes!"
The trainees roared loud enough to shake the training ground to its foundations.
"Kane Zieghart."
Metoon called the Sixth Training Ground's only direct descendant. A blond, blue-eyed boy standing in the center stepped forward.
"I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me."
The trainee called Kane bowed his head with a confident posture.
"I'll show everyone that the Sixth Training Ground is stronger than the Fifth."
"That's not all."
Metoon shook his head slightly.
"As the top trainee of the Sixth Training Ground, you must defeat Raon Zieghart, the top trainee of the Fifth."
"……"
"Are you not confident?"
"No, sir."
Kane's eyes flashed fiercely.
"It was so obvious I didn't think it needed saying. That guy can't beat me. My abilities are superior."
"Good confidence."
Metoon nodded in satisfaction.
"Not just Kane. All of you—give it your all, so that everything you've worked for until now isn't wasted."
"Yes!"
That day, the lights of the Sixth Training Ground did not go out until late into the night.
"Hmm…"
Raon nodded as he studied a map of Bukmang Mountain, where tomorrow's battle would take place.
I know all of this.
After following Rimer to Bukmang Mountain, he had trained while circling the entire area, so he knew the surrounding geography completely. In terms of terrain, he held a far greater advantage than the Sixth Training Ground.
However…
The kids weren't in good shape.
The trainees were intoxicated by their string of victories and accomplishments. In particular, even for things Raon had done entirely on his own, they were under the delusion that their own strength had grown just from being present at the time.
Of course, they are strong.
Thanks to Rimer's teaching methods, the trainees were indeed stronger than swordsmen or knights of similar age. But they were by no means at a level where they could overwhelm or dismiss others. Given how children could achieve tremendous growth in the time you weren't looking, if they let their guard down, they would lose just like that.
-That's all because they haven't experienced real combat. You only learn once you've been in a situation where you could die at the hands of someone weaker than you.
Wrath seemed to have read Raon's thoughts, letting out a sneer.
-Looking at those idiots reminds This King of his time in the Demon Realm. There was a high-ranking demon who acted insolent in front of This King, so This King grabbed his horn and ripped it out…
"Ah. Here we go."
-This King is telling you a story that would nourish your very blood and flesh, and you interrupt again…
"Yes, yes."
-Krgh! Raon Zieghart!
Raon waved his hand dismissively and lay down on the bed. He blocked his hearing and closed his eyes.
Well, the guy wasn't wrong.
Having the Fifth Training Ground trainees experience defeat so they'd realize they weren't special was also a good method. Rimer had probably been aiming for that to some extent as well. Of course, he wouldn't want them to actually lose—just to come close to losing, and then win.
This'll be fun.
Raon smiled faintly.
The perfect opportunity.
It was a chance to show the trainees who still didn't follow him what an outstanding commander could do. After tomorrow's battle, every last trainee of the Fifth Training Ground would follow his orders without question.
"Then first, I'll need to steal some information."
Raon's eyes gleamed softly, like the moon hanging in the sky.
The next day, on the eastern mid-slope of Bukmang Mountain.
Kane Zieghart and the fifty-nine trainees of the Sixth Training Ground were gathered in a circle around a yellow flag.
"I'll go over the plan one last time."
Kane looked at the map of Bukmang Mountain, his voice sharp.
"The Fifth Training Ground trainees are to the west. They still haven't united. They're split into four factions: Raon, Burren, Runaan, and Marta."
He knew that the Fifth Training Ground trainees still hadn't come together as one.
"They'll definitely move separately. Marta especially will charge in alone. Dun."
"Yes."
At Kane's call, a large-built trainee beside him nodded.
"Take Team One and go stop her. If you probe her with rotating attacks like we practiced, you can win."
"Understood."
"Burren uses sharp yet systematic swordsmanship. Decal!"
"Yes!"
A trainee with long arms and legs like a monkey raised his hand.
"You go. With Team Two, who've learned the Sensory Sword, you should be able to beat Burren. He'll be moving with the collaterals, so take Team Three as well."
"Yep!"
Kane finally looked at the green-haired girl with a short bob standing to his right.
"Karin. Your opponent is Runaan. She's an unpredictable kid, but they say she follows Raon's words well. Wait here and move with Team Four according to my orders."
"Okay."
"Lastly, Team Five and I will wait here and stop Raon."
Kane Zieghart held up the map and straightened his back.
"How are you going to track their movements? If we get their positions wrong, everything falls apart."
"It's fine."
He smiled with confidence.
"I'll use the Observation Eye."
The Observation Eye was a technique that could sense an enemy's position and energy from a distance. It was the optimal ability for this kind of skirmish.
In a one-on-one it might not matter, but in a localized battle like this, information and detection were everything. When it came to detection ability, Kane was confident he could win even against the other instructors, not just Raon.
"YEAAAAHHH!"
At Kane's powerful voice, the Sixth Training Ground trainees roared.
But there was one thing that neither Kane, with his tightly clenched fists, nor the trainees burning with determination, knew.
That a pair of red eyes was looking down on them from the treetops.