Chapter 156 - Learning, Practicing, Teaching, and Understanding
A bird chirped.
The wind blew.
The summer sky, basking in the radiant sun, quickly gave rise to the heat.
Enkrid felt the heat boiling both inside and out.
For the past three months, rumors had spread—on the surface, peace remained, yet behind the scenes, another war was brewing.
In the end, Aspen stepped back.
No war.
No battles.
So, what did those left in the barracks do?
Training and rest—that was all.
Many took on mercenary commissions through the military's soldier-for-hire system.
But Enkrid never found himself lacking in Krona.
His two swords remained intact.
Krais diligently handed over the Krona he earned through the guild.
So, most of Enkrid's time was spent training.
And yet, progress was slow—at least, to the eyes of others.
The word "stagnation" was frequently spoken.
Stagnation meant stopping.
Most believed Enkrid was at a standstill.
But he thought otherwise.
Why wouldn't he?
'Will.'
Until now, what had Enkrid's dream been?
A specter he could never grasp.
A darkness he could never see.
It was an unreachable sky because he could neither grasp it nor see it.
But now, he saw the steps leading to that sky.
He heard them, and they took shape.
They were what people called milestones.
For Enkrid, 'Will' was exactly that—a staircase, a milestone.
The same went for breaking past his limits.
Stagnation?
No.
He was nothing like his past self.
How could that be stagnation?
Even if others saw him as unmoving,
Enkrid could see his own growth.
How had he come this far?
It was thanks to everything he had ingrained into his body.
The Heart of the Beast, the Sense of the Blade, the Focused Point, the Isolation Technique.
"If there is a foundation for swordsmanship,"
could there also be a foundation for creating talent?
He didn't know.
But wasn't that exactly what was happening within his own body?
Through the Focused Point, at times with the Heart of the Beast, and other times by sharpening his senses—he constantly revisited and refined his experiences.
For three months, that had been Enkrid's sole focus.
And in that time, soldiers had come seeking him.
He realized firsthand what it meant to improve through teaching.
"Let's have a match."
The 1st Company and the Frontier Defendersa.
These two units were considered elite among Boder Guard's standing forces.
At first, even regular soldiers came to challenge him.
But now, only those from these units sought him out.
Sparring was always welcome.
"Good."
Enkrid greeted them calmly.
Soon, two men faced each other, sweat pouring as they tested their skills.
Enkrid won every time.
The difference now was that he no longer needed to rely on grappling techniques.
He put aside the Valen-style mercenary swordplay and focused on fundamentals.
That was enough.
When sparring with Rem and the other squad members, he used everything he had.
But with these men, he didn't need to.
Through teaching and learning—
'They overreach.'
Some soldiers stood out.
Those who attempted to learn too much at once, disrupting their own fundamentals.
"Isn't this more efficient?"
They often responded this way when he pointed out their flaws.
He had thought the same way before.
Efficiency and rational combat techniques.
Even now, he used them extensively.
But that was a combat strategy, not a training method.
He had once tried to absorb as much as possible in a single day.
Had it ever worked?
Even now, he couldn't fully grasp the Sense of Evasion.
The Heart of the Beast still required preparation time.
The Focused Point only activated when his life was on the line.
After countless hours of contemplation, he had finally come to a realization.
'Do what I can, step by step.'
And so, he advanced.
And advanced again.
With that mindset, he endlessly repeated his training.
Sometimes, a boatman appeared in his dreams, asking, "What kind of man are you?"
But for three months, all he had done was train.
As always.
One week was lived like today.
One month was lived like today.
Through this repetition, he gained a new realization.
'Rhythm.'
A necessary element when swinging a sword.
For geniuses like Ragna, such things came naturally.
But for Enkrid, every step was carefully chewed over and climbed.
When he realized something in the morning, his entire day felt light and joyous.
When he realized something in the evening, he went to sleep with excitement.
Kyaa—
Esther followed him everywhere as if cheering him on.
She clung to him at night and now even during the day.
"You sure are popular with beasts."
Even the Frog commented on it.
Esther responded by flashing her claws at her, but the two never actually fought.
Every other day, the fairy company commander came by.
"Would autumn be a good time? For the engagement ceremony?"
She would joke.
Or,
"How about a duel?"
She would spar with him before leaving.
The fairies' swords were sharp and light.
Even from them, there was much to learn.
Teaching while learning.
Learning through duels.
"Alright, block this."
Rem's axe swings were still brutal and rough, but something had changed.
Sometimes, a faint smile played on his lips.
"Whoa!"
At times, Enkrid even surprised him.
An upward strike from below, followed by an off-beat thrust with the left-hand sword.
The timing of slashes and thrusts became subtly different, creating a discordant rhythm.
His right and left hands moved in separate tempos.
The Valen-style mercenary sword technique—Crossing Blades.
A phantom swordplay often called dishonorable, yet this was one of its rare, truly refined techniques.
It made it seem like the right and left swords moved independently.
"That was pretty decent."
Rem acknowledged him.
Recognition—it brought joy.
"You neglect martial arts, and the gods will be displeased."
As if practicing Valaf-style martial arts would invoke divine wrath.
Nonsense.
But Enkrid simply trained with Audin without protest.
Valaf-style martial arts combined striking and grappling techniques.
Hadn't he used grappling in the middle of a Balen-style mercenary brawl to kill Mitch Hurrier?
He learned and absorbed.
The joy of learning.
He was acknowledged, learned, and in turn, taught others.
And so, he grew.
The thrill of growth drove him forward.
How could wielding his sword not be enjoyable?
'One step at a time, even if crawling.'
A return to his original mindset.
The determination he started with.
For Enkrid, this was simple.
For others, it was astonishing.
Especially for Froq, who watched him closely.
Of course, Enkrid was more focused on observing his own growth than worrying about others' gazes.
He even trained his dynamic vision and sensory awareness in between everything else, leading a busier life than anyone.
Of the soldiers who had once followed his training, only a few remained committed.
Was it due to the relaxed discipline after the battle ended?
Or was that simply human nature?
As more soldiers indulged in leisure, fewer dedicated themselves to training.
But there were still those who remained.
Some stood out.
Among them, the best sparring partners were the Border Guards.
Sometimes, he sought them out directly for matches.
"You're always welcome."
The guard captain always welcomed him.
He sparred with him and others.
But an old acquaintance, Torres, shook his head.
"I'm not fighting you anymore."
"Why?"
"Look, there's no point in a fight I know I'll lose."
This was the talk of those discussing elite soldiers.
Some reignited their competitive spirit, but Enkrid went one step further.
Three months.
Time was always an arrow that had already been shot.
For Enkrid, it was a single day.
It was today.
It was a process of moving toward tomorrow.
"The rhythm isn't just one. You already knew that, didn't you?"
Perhaps they thought watching alone wouldn't be enough to understand.
Or maybe they were simply getting bored of staying here.
Even the Frog, Luagarne, began to teach Enkrid.
"I was just about to say that."
Ragna murmured as he watched, though it was precisely the words needed at that moment.
Rhythm.
Tempo.
That's right.
It doesn't have to be just one.
Hadn't he already learned that through Valen-style mercenary swordsmanship?
Clashing blades utilized off-beat timing for double attacks.
There were extended, drawn-out rhythms.
There were short and firm beats.
There were tempos sustained with core strength, enduring through the motion.
And so, he continued learning.
"If you shift the beat from the standard rhythm, then in a single step—no, right there, move your left foot half a step forward. Then you'll be able to execute a mid-sword spinning slash."
Luagarne was quite proactive.
Why was this Frog staying by his side?
Why was she eating and sleeping at the barracks, lingering here?
Why was she teaching him?
Enkrid pushed aside all these questions.
No, he decided to forget them.
When someone teaches, he learns.
Always craving knowledge, Enkrid followed through.
"Then, what if I step my right foot back here?"
"That would make it difficult to recover your sword. Instead, do it like this."
Ragna also stepped in.
Somehow, things had turned out like this, and everyone seemed more engaged than before.
"No, you can do it this way too."
Rem joined in.
It was a step where balance was maintained on the toes while twisting the body.
A sword wielded according to various situations, feet adjusting accordingly, eyes reacting in sync.
"Broaden your senses. You've already learned this."
Jaxen's advice slipped in.
That's right.
He had already learned.
Hadn't he expanded his senses while fighting?
Instead of only looking ahead, he had learned to see everything.
To spread his awareness outward from himself.
"Squad leader, every movement has a center. It's the same for both martial arts and swordsmanship. Establish a centerline and connect it to your opponent. That's the key."
Audin added his teachings.
Everyone was more passionate than before.
For Enkrid, it was pure exhilaration.
"There is an advantage, I see."
That was the Frog's conclusion after watching everything unfold.
"What advantage?"
Rem, standing beside him, asked.
They were still in the training yard.
The sun was still blazing hot.
Sweat was still pouring, and the air was thick with exertion.
"He doesn't let go of what he learns."
Rem nodded.
It was true.
Enkrid was not naturally talented.
He was slow to grasp things, slow to learn.
People called him a late-blooming genius.
'Well, I don't know about that.'
But one thing was certain.
He never forgot what he learned.
He constantly pondered over it, endlessly seeking ways to learn.
How could he apply what he learned?
How should he execute it?
In what way should it be used?
He constantly questioned, and it showed.
That was a strength in itself.
Rem thought so.
Meanwhile, the Frog finally realized what he had been doing all this time.
'Was it his face that captivated me?'
Or was it his nature?
Teaching someone without visible talent, paving a path for them with such passion—
Wasn't it terribly inefficient?
Well, not that she minded.
Frogs like her were beings driven by desire and instinct.
Luagarne knew he was no exception.
Of course, there was something beyond mere desire.
More precisely, to avoid being ruled entirely by instinct, she had forged a pact.
A promise, a vow—something a Frog must uphold.
'I'll have to return eventually.'
Even as she thought that, Luagarne continued to teach Enkrid.
Considering he had been learning and training for three months straight, progress was slow.
At least, from Luagarne's perspective.
Between the Frog's gaze and the squad's teachings, Enkrid revisited the rhythm and ingrained techniques into his body once more.
Mastery—so close that he felt like he was touching the limits.
Of course, in reality, he was nowhere near them, but he didn't even have a grasp of what "reaching the limits" truly meant.
Then—
"You're being summoned."
The Fairy Company Commander had come looking for him.
"Yes."
Dripping with sweat, Enkrid followed behind her.
Even the Fairy Commander's forehead was damp with sweat.
That's how hot it was.
The humidity was oppressive.
It felt like it would rain soon.
It would probably rain within a day or two.
He knew from experience.
"You're here?"
The place he was summoned to—the Battalion Commander's office.
"A request has come in. What do you think?"
The mercenary soldier system allowed soldiers to accept requests at will, but sometimes, orders came from above.
Though rare, if the mission was beyond the capabilities of regular soldiers, squad or company-level forces were deployed.
According to Krais, recently, monsters and beasts had been running rampant within the kingdom.
It was common for such things to happen as summer approached, but this year seemed particularly severe.
'The heat of summer fuels the proliferation of monsters and beasts.'
A well-known saying across the continent.
This case was no different.
"There's a frontier village nearby. I'll grant you temporary command there. I'd like you to handle the situation."
The Battalion Commander explained.
Since the battlefield of spring had ended early, this summer was unusually spent in the city rather than in battle.
All this time, Enkrid had remained in the training yard and barracks.
He hadn't even gone to the market once.
He had been too engrossed in the joy of wielding his sword and moving forward.
"If you don't want to go, you can refuse. If you need time to think, you can take it."
The Battalion Commander looked fatigued.
Was it from dealing with too much work?
Or was it a lack of sleep?
Probably the former, considering the pile of documents surrounding him.
"Yes."
Enkrid saluted and turned to leave.
As he stepped outside, the Fairy Company Commander gave him a peculiar look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
If he asked, she'd probably say something ridiculous again.
"I'm just thinking I really picked the right man."
Of course, it was a typical Fairy-style joke.
"Is that so?"
Ending the trivial conversation, he returned to the barracks.
Inside, he found Krais, who had been especially busy lately.
As he skimmed through the command document and explained the situation—
"We're going! We have to! It's an order!"
Krais's eyes sparkled as he spoke.
That meant—this involved Krona.
That was what Krais's reaction signified.
The document listed the village's location and the approximate size of the colony.
The issue was a rampaging beast horde.
Seeing the location, Krais's eyes widened.