Chapter 803 - The Training Craze
"It's because you are greater than Beelrog."
The words were spoken so suddenly that they couldn't be understood right away.
The light of the lamp quietly illuminated the top of the ferry boat on the rippling river.
"I am not talking about anything physical."
The Ferryman answered the question, which was half-joking and half for confirmation.
His tone was endlessly serious.
Since he conveyed his words with his will, the serious tone was likely his current intention.
"The lingering thoughts that inhabit the hide are a desire for strife born from regret."
Beelrog had left behind a lingering attachment as it died.
That attachment had concentrated and left the hide behind.
Enkrid was briefly reminded of an old proverb from the West.
A demon, not a tiger, had died and left its skin.
Beyond such trivial thoughts, the Ferryman before him came into focus.
What was today's Ferryman like?
No, what kind of existence was the Ferryman?
'Complicated.'
It is often said that there are simple people and complicated people.
Of course, if one looks closely into a person's inner thoughts, everyone is probably complicated. As is common for beings in whom intellect and instinct coexist. But even among them, there are those whose complexity is visible on the surface.
'His whims are excessive.'
The Ferryman was like that.
'He says something different every time.'
The Ferryman was like that.
Even without deliberately pondering it, his thoughts clicked into place on their own.
The various faces of the Ferryman he had met and seen so far flashed through his mind.
A fact he had noticed before rose to the surface.
It was as if the fragments of a sunken ship at the bottom of a deep lake were meeting one by one and revealing their form.
'The Ferryman is not a singular being.'
The famous line from a novel that once swept the continent, that man is not a singular being, referred to humans existing not as biological individuals but within a network of social relationships.
But the conclusion that now emerged from within Enkrid's mind had a more literal meaning than that.
'The Ferryman is not one.'
He was a mass formed by the binding of many lingering thoughts.
That was why he was so whimsical and why his inner thoughts were impossibly complex to read.
Just as his thoughts were finally connecting and about to realize something beyond.
Swish.
The Ferryman raised the hand that wasn't holding the lamp and slashed down from above.
The edge of his hand wasn't particularly threatening, but Enkrid perceived the line it drew and turned his body to the side to dodge.
"That's enough."
The train of thought was cut.
The connecting thoughts stopped.
The Ferryman was cunning.
No, he should rephrase that.
Today's Ferryman was cunning.
His hand gesture looked like swordsmanship.
It was close to a feint, but it was enough to draw his interest.
"You need not know more."
Enkrid agreed with those words.
He hadn't pursued it out of a desire to know things in the first place.
It was just the result of his thoughts flowing naturally according to his experiences and the Ferryman's actions.
"Possibility…"
The Ferryman's words seemed to leave a deep, lingering echo.
The regret of the emotions contained in those three syllables was truly profound, something he could feel without even needing to ponder it.
Afterward, the Ferryman grew more distant.
To be precise, Enkrid felt his own body begin to float up.
"Remember. And struggle. I will watch with pleasure."
The dream breaks.
The river disappears, and an unfamiliar, white-painted ceiling comes into view.
That ceiling was likely made by gluing thin panels with animal glue, securing them firmly with nails, and then mixing crushed chalk into lime plaster.
A part of a memory of working at a construction site to earn some Krona in the past clearly told him where he was now.
The dream and the Ferryman's identity could be mostly brushed aside.
As long as he knew why the armor had no effect on him, the rest was something he didn't need to know right now.
After sleeping and waking up, Enkrid filled his stomach with well-boiled duck meat and roasted duck eggs and then warmed up at the royal training grounds.
Those who were usually dedicated to training approached him and exchanged nods or gave a military salute.
Enkrid was a knight commander recognized by the royal family.
His status itself was prestigious.
Moreover, his fame was even more astounding.
And looking at him up close, why was his face so handsome?
Furthermore, hadn't he entered the royal palace this time bearing the nickname 'Monster Slaughterer'?
Everyone watched him from a certain distance.
Enkrid himself paid no mind to the surrounding gazes.
This had been the case since long ago.
It was just that before, he had been told that a guy with no skill and no talent also had no sense.
And now?
Reverence and respect remained.
There was no one who dared to challenge him.
There was no one who glared or was jealous.
He had now gained that much fame.
Of course, Enkrid didn't care about that either.
Even if there were jealous people, he wouldn't have given them a single glance.
He focused on what he had to do.
In other words, he was the same as always.
Luagarne had said countless times that Enkrid's greatest talent was his repetitiveness.
That diligence, of impassively doing what needed to be done in any situation, was his greatest weapon, she had said.
When his skills suddenly improved while repeating the day, Luagarne had found it strange but had also recognized that it was the result of daily repetition.
The insight of a frog was something to be reckoned with.
'The arms shouldn't be overexerted yet.'
Enkrid repeated the tightening and relaxing of his muscles, focusing on his lower body.
In the midst of that, the frog came over, rolling her eyeballs, and said abruptly.
"Let's organize it."
No greeting, no checking on his condition.
As for his condition, Audin and Theresa had already visited in the morning.
Enkrid had now gotten a little used to the species called frogs.
To be more precise, he had gotten used to the frog named Luagarne.
Even without puffing out her cheeks, the way her eyes rolled like that meant her anticipation was soaring so high that she wanted to stab a knife in the other person's foot just to keep them there and talk.
Her wants and desires were more vivid than ever.
And Enkrid didn't find that so bad.
"Okay."
He readily nodded.
At her words to 'organize it,' Enkrid brought up the stories they had told on the way to Naurelia into a single stream of thought.
They were stories they had rambled on about while coming here.
Luagarne had recommended that he compress, organize, and align that entire process within himself.
It was something he had done while walking, but he had also rested well for a day, washed with warm water, and eaten well.
Now was the best time to delve into his inner self and establish something.
'The Minotaur.'
'The Colony-class monsters and beast hordes.'
'The black lightning and the magician, the Thornbriar Fortress and its Lord.'
'Beelrog's labyrinth, the knight Oara who was trapped by him, and Beelrog.'
Even breaking it down into just broad categories, he had been through a significant number of events.
And the things he had gained in the process were not few.
In particular, the swordsmanship that culminated in the name 'Extinguishing Embers' was the result of unprecedented development.
And before that, what about Indules, the transformation of his Will?
'The one who uses the sword is a person.'
On top of this, there was also a change in the way he wielded his sword.
The concepts of swordsmanship that had been divided into Static, Centered, Circular, Fast, and Flowing were being mixed again, meeting at the focal point of the body.
'Wielding the necessary sword at the necessary moment.'
All of that had to be supported by his senses.
He set aside the repetition of the day and organized and reflected on what he had experienced.
It was a review.
Luagarne helped him with it from the side.
"Show me."
At her words to try creating a triple wall of pressure to subdue an opponent, Enkrid immediately moved his Will.
'Manifestation of pressure.'
To put it more precisely, it was to bind an opponent with presence alone.
Just as a mouse is powerless before a cat, it was to crush the opponent's spirit with killing intent.
Intelligent beings, including humans, delved deeper into this.
They went beyond simply using killing intent and utilized the opponent's subconscious as well.
Through subtle movements like changing the position of the feet or letting the hands hang loose, the opponent sees an illusion of their neck being cut.
They see an illusion of being cut.
The three oppressive castle walls were not far from that principle.
It was to show a wall in his gestures and footwork that would not be easily broken.
"...Excellent."
Luagarne was constantly amazed.
As the two of them were at it, Theresa, who had recovered to some extent, joined them.
"I also learned much this time."
After her, Ropord and Fel.
After them, Rem sat to one side and watched, and Jaxen, having appeared at some point as if it were his signature pose, leaned against a pillar of the training ground's surrounding cloister with his arms crossed.
His slightly open eyes were directed at Enkrid, and just watching him, he looked like a figure in a painting.
It seemed natural that a few handmaidens were whispering while looking at him.
Ragna, on one side, was attempting something, swinging Sunrise while it was still in its scabbard.
It wasn't easy to tell what it was.
Even though they had all been told to rest, they had somehow all gathered here.
Marcus, passing by, saw this and ordered a dining table to be set up right there.
It was because one look was enough to see that they wouldn't stop even at dinnertime.
In the middle of it all, Enkrid saw the captain of the Royal Guard, whom he knew, in passing.
He said he had a lot of work, gave only a nod, and quickly disappeared.
They ate dinner on the spot and continued until the sun set, with everyone demonstrating their own movements and sharing with each other.
Something that is natural for one person becomes something special for another.
Even within the royal family, they would share what they knew to improve each other's skills.
But that was only up to a certain point.
They wouldn't reveal the intimate details, the core of their techniques.
But these people were not like that.
They unreservedly shared everything they had.
To those watching, all of this looked very special.
Though it was just daily life for the band of mad knights.
And so, one of the watching soldiers mustered his courage.
"May I join you on the side?"
His level didn't match.
But the band of mad knights doesn't reprimand others for such things.
"You think you'll get it just by watching?"
No, there was one guy who did reprimand with words.
It was Rem.
But he didn't refuse.
Since he had already spoken, he even gave him some pointers on his stance.
In other words, since he wouldn't know even if he watched, he also explained.
Of course, that explanation couldn't be called kind, but Rem, too, had learned things from teaching Enkrid until now, so he was able to play the role of a somewhat useful teacher.
Above all, the skill gap between those currently in the royal training grounds and the madmen was far too wide.
Giving them pointers on their stance was no big deal.
"Why did you spread your feet that wide?"
Rem asks, as if spitting out the words.
The soldier from the Royal Guard was scared of this barbarian but said what he had to say.
One couldn't become a Royal Guard without this much guts.
"That is how I was taught."
"Tell me what you know with your head, not what you were taught."
It was a basic fundamental that had now been forgotten, but if you knew the reasons one by one, the basics looked different.
The form of teaching best suited for improving skills in a short period of time was precisely this: changing one's perspective.
It was like telling someone who was wandering north and south when they should be going east, that east is this way.
It was a process of setting a direction and opening a path.
Of course, they would have to walk with their own two legs.
Rem found this rather fun as well.
With his own assault squad back in the Border Guard, if they couldn't even do this, he would start by beating them to a pulp, but coaxing with words had a different kind of fun to it.
"Hey, what, are you praying to the enemy to kill you? Loosening the grip on your sword? You're going to smoothly receive the opponent's attack with that? Huh, go ahead and try. But if you can't block it, I'll split your head open, got it?"
Following 'Noble Killer', Rem's nicknames had now increased by one: 'Skull Smasher'.
Though he said he was coaxing with words, the level was not low.
Still, the soldiers showed their mettle and endured.
This was something truly remarkable.
To be precise, it was Rem's teaching method that was remarkable.
If some of Rem's assault squad members saw this, they would be convinced their captain was possessed by an evil spirit and come at him with an axe for his kindness.
In just one day since the band of mad knights had arrived, a training craze blew through the royal training grounds.
And it continued until the moon rose.
No one stopped or rested.
But there was no compulsion.
They went to their duties on their own, rested on their own, and participated in training on their own.
It was the same for the band of mad knights.
Those who wanted to rest could just rest.
"To cause such a commotion as soon as you arrive."
Into a corner of that training ground, a blond man stepped in.
He was wearing a thin but vividly red shirt and indigo trousers.
Though the fabric itself was high-quality, the clothes were nothing more than casual wear.
Who would call the person who appeared in such attire a king?
The official audience was in three days, but the King of Naurillia had visited the royal training grounds.
It was amazing enough that they were causing such a ruckus, and he had come to see his friend's face since he had arrived.
Separately, it was also a night where fatigue had piled up.
It had been a series of headaches for several days.
The majority of that work had been started by him, but that didn't make the hard work any easier.
"Hey."
Krang called out to Enkrid.
It was already late at night.
The moonlight illuminated the ground, and around the torches, insects made a crackling sound as they burned.
It was a night where many moths, seeing the flames, rushed to their deaths.
"Yo."
Enkrid wiped his sweat and raised a hand to receive his king's greeting.
The king held a bottle of liquor he had brought from the royal vault just a moment ago.
"Care for a drink?"
It was a liquor not brought out unless there was a great cause for celebration, one of only three bottles left in the royal vault.
A liquor nicknamed the Founding Liquor.
It was a nickname given because it was brewed when the nation was founded and only a few bottles remained now, and it was a liquor that even had a legend that the Sun Tree, the guardian deity of the royal family, had passed down the method for brewing it.
"Sounds good."
Enkrid once again replied simply.
He was not surprised by the king's sudden appearance.
There was no reason to be surprised by a friend's visit.
***
If you enjoy the series and want to get more chapters early, head over to https://payhip.com/Samowek
[SHOP BEST BUY] - 50e - Every chapter translated - Latest WN-959 + daily chapters from monday to friday for a month.
-KNIGHT - Cost 20e - Chapters 894-959 + daily chapters from Monday to Friday for a month
I welcome you to join our discord https://discord.gg/RY7BbJpeAZ
**ANY INFO ONLY APPLIES TO THE LATEST CHAPTER HERE ON WEBNOVEL**