Chapter 184

Chapter 184: Is “Treat Training Like Real Combat…” the Right Phrase?

The Daphne training grounds.

Inside, dozens of pits had been dug all over the place.

 Kkieeek!

“Uwaaah! Die! Die, you bastard!”

Knights of Daphne, wielding wooden swords, were engaged in an all-out struggle—not a battle, but training—against the Ghasts.

‘Dammit, why the hell are these things so damn sturdy!’

‘They’re not even afraid of swords!’

At first, everyone thought it wouldn’t take that long.

But using wooden swords against these tenacious beasts, whose tendons seemed like steel cords, was difficult from the get-go.

“Damn it, I’m late!”

 Kkieeek!

Trying to use Wave Swordsmanship in live combat was the real issue. Movements they had originally mastered got jumbled with their usual sword style... and couldn't be properly executed.

The timing to release mana.

The step forward, and the retreating footwork.

The momentum and breathing behind a thrust.

None of it blended in harmony. That made fighting Ghasts a dreadful and exhausting task.

And in the midst of that…

“That move just now wasn’t Wave Swordsmanship, you idiot!”

“S-sorry, sir!”

With Hardin endlessly yelling while walking between the pits, it felt even more miserable.

And that wasn’t all.

“Aaagh! M-my arm!”

One knight had his arm slashed by a Ghast’s sharp claws and blood was pouring out.

Then—

Kkieeek!

“Get lost, you bastard.”

Wham!

Hardin jumped into the pit, kicked the Ghast to the opposite side, poured a potion on the knight’s wound, and swiftly wrapped it in a bandage.

“Th-thank you.”

“Don’t waste time thanking me—grab your sword.”

“Huh? We’re continuing here?”

When the knight asked with wide eyes, Hardin shot him a sharp glare and replied.

“What, you think if you get hurt in a real fight the enemy’s just gonna back off nicely?”

“N-no, of course not, but…”

“Then keep fighting.”

This was... a bit too much, wasn’t it?

Just as that bitter thought crossed the knight’s face—

 Kkueeek!

The Ghast had already gotten back up and was charging again.

Crunch!

Was it rage? Or venom?

“Rrgh!”

The knight grabbed his wooden sword once more and faced the creature.

Even fiercer than before.

‘Do they only understand when you yell at them?’

Watching this, Hardin snorted through his nose.

“Haaah! Haaah!”

 Kkieeeek!

The knight was now driving the Ghast back, performing Wave Swordsmanship techniques with some decent form.

Compared to before training started, their progress was incredible.

Although there were still rough movements, and a lack of speed and power…

‘At this rate, they’ll be able to master it in time.’

A faint smile tugged at Hardin’s lips as he stepped out of the pit.

He climbed back up to ground level and tried to straighten up—

Stagger!

Suddenly, the strength in his legs gave out, and his vision blurred.

‘Damn it…’

In that moment, Hardin’s instincts knew.

His body was breaking down from overwork—no doubt about it.

For nearly a week straight, there had been a commotion over capturing Ghasts alive.

After returning to Daphne, I trained the knights during the day and did my own personal training at night.

Anyone else would have dropped dead from doing just one of those things... but I’d been doing both recklessly at the same time, so even I, Hardin, had reached my physical limit.

Stagger! Stagger!

Just as my unbalanced body was about to topple and roll into a pit—

Grab!

A hand suddenly shot out and grabbed me swiftly by the back of my neck.

“You alright, Hardin?”

Hearing the concerned voice, I looked up—

“…Father?”

Viscount Cobalt was standing there, staring straight at me.

I scratched my cheek awkwardly and replied, “Ah, yeah. I’m fine. I just slipped a little…”

“Still… try to take it easy now and then.”

A complicated expression—part bitter, part sorrowful—flashed across his face.

That probably meant…

‘So, he’s known all along.’

That expression told me everything.

The gaze I’d been feeling from afar during my late-night training... it had been his.

I smiled faintly and replied, “You know. If I want to receive a countship, I can’t afford to be sloppy.”

“I know, of course I know. But… if you collapse before that, what meaning would it have?”

“I’m not collapsing, so don’t worry.”

“Huuu… alright.”

Cobalt let out a deep sigh and nodded.

He knew too.

That I wasn’t in any condition to actually listen to what he said.

“Then… at least drink this.”

“What is it?”

“A potion that’s good for fatigue recovery. I got it from a physician who’s apparently famous in this region. Drink the whole bottle.”

“You didn’t need to waste money on something like this.”

Pop!

Cobalt pulled the cork out and shoved the bottle straight into my mouth.

“Stop complaining and drink it.”

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

The purple liquid rushed into my mouth, and a bitter taste and smell immediately filled my senses.

After I drained the bottle completely, Viscount Cobalt finally removed the empty bottle from my mouth.

“Puhhaaa!”

“How is it?”

“How do you think? If one of these could fix everything instantly…”

As I frowned and grumbled—

‘Hm?’

My chest slowly began to warm up, and the fatigue that had been weighing me down started to ease.

Even the tension that had gripped my body seemed to melt away.

I let out a deep breath through my nose and replied with a sheepish expression.

“Well… I guess it’s not totally useless.”

“Then I’m glad.”

“Alright, you should head back. You’ve got things to do, don’t you?”

“…Right. Just make sure you take it slow when you can.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll manage just fine.”

“Alright. I’ll be going now.”

With a face still full of concern, Viscount Cobalt left the training grounds.

Watching him go, I let a faint smile slip onto my lips.

‘Well… I can’t say it feels bad.’

The old man had even brought me a potion, after all.

As I savored that faint warmth of contentment—

—

—Varlach, at least drink this before you continue.

—What is this… a potion?

—

—A memory from the past suddenly flickered through my mind.

Sniff!

I sniffled for no reason and grumbled to myself.

“Am I really getting that old…”

Why did these pointless memories keep popping into my head out of nowhere?

Joy and sorrow tangled awkwardly on my face, and I didn’t know what to do with myself.

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From that day on, time flew by in the blink of an eye.

“Haaah! Haaaah!”

 Kkueeeeh!

“When you unfold the Dolphin Fin stance, center your weight!”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights of Daphne trained day and night, honing their Wave Swordsmanship and conducting live-combat drills against the Ghasts.

And after each long day of training—

“Huff… Haaaaah…”

I would climb a mana-rich mountain and circulate my energy through Blue Hole to accumulate mana inside my body.

‘Should I add another partition to my core? Or… should I extend the mana circuit from here to increase efficiency during discharge?’

At the same time, I continued expanding my understanding of how to evolve my core.

The core currently within my body was already different from the mana circuits I used to rely on.

But shaping it exactly like Shagrath’s core was not an option, since our physical forms were different—plus, Shagrath used demonic energy, which made his core fundamentally incompatible with mine.

More importantly, my personal goal in strength was…

‘To become stronger than that damned octopus-head.’

So, no matter how badly my brain felt like it was splitting open, I couldn't afford to stop training or thinking.

One day, like any other, as I was in the middle of my usual routine—

<<Ahem, ahem. Hardin Daphne. Are you there?>>

Bzzzmmm!

My left wrist began to glow, and then a flat, emotionless, yet familiar voice came through—devoid of any sentiment.

I let out a long sigh and replied, “I was in the middle of training. What is it, Princess?”

<<Ahem. I heard you’re joining the subjugation of Veritarun, that’s all.>>

“You’re quick with the intel.”

<<Of course. It’s basic. But… is it even feasible? Objectively speaking, with Daphne’s current strength, it’ll be a struggle.>>

“I’m dying trying to make it feasible. Though, if you’re that worried, you could always help. Like last time.”

<<I’ve got my hands full over here. And if I show up there, it’ll draw too much attention.>>

Well, that much was true.

The core of this mission was… to secretly handle the task without the other six great houses knowing, and in doing so, create a justifiable reason for Daphne to inevitably be granted the countship.

“But if Medeia gets involved here, this whole thing turns into public news.”

Of course, I already knew that.

“Still, you could’ve phrased it a little more nicely, you know. I mean, we’re supposed to be in this together, but your tone’s pretty sharp.”

<<I’m just not the type to say what I don’t mean.>>

“Of course, of course. How could I expect otherwise.”

<<Don’t get snarky.>>

“Huuuu…”

I furrowed my brow and let out a deep sigh.

What the hell—did she just contact me to mess with me?

Like I wasn’t already drowning in work.

Then, once again, her voice came through the bracelet.

<<Hardin Daphne. Make sure this mission… is a success.>>

“Huh? That came out of nowhere.”

A moment of silence.

“Uh? Did the signal cut out?”

As I flicked the bracelet with my finger, making a ting ting sound, her voice came again.

<<This mission holds a lot of weight, doesn’t it? For me… and for your house as well.>>

“Now that doesn’t sound like what you were originally going to say, does it?”

<<You’re noisy. In any case, I wish you good luck.>>

“Huh?”

With that, the bracelet’s light dimmed and went out.

“…She really just says her piece and hangs up, huh.”

Geez… Kids these days have no manners.

“Well, still… since it’s an order from the princess… I guess I have to see it through.”

I’m a very polite man, after all.

A faint smirk crept across my lips.

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As the sun began to set, inside one of the pits dug into the training ground—

 Kkieeeek!

A Ghast let out a screech as it lunged toward Beryl, soaring high in a single bound.

Its maggot-infested eyes glowed with a ghastly blue light.

A charge so fierce that most knights wouldn’t even be able to react.

But—

‘Sea Turtle.’

Kaang!

Beryl’s wooden sword used the technique of Low Tide to deflect the creature’s claws into empty air.

 Kkieeet!

A brief opening—Beryl didn’t miss it.

‘Poison Jellyfish!’

A diagonal slash, like a whip cracking through the air.

The blow struck the creature’s body.

Ordinarily, with just a wooden sword, it would’ve ended in a mere thud.

But—

Bwoooong!

The sword in Beryl’s hands shimmered with a wave of blue light, accelerating in an instant and slicing through flesh.

Gyre.

A secret art of Wave Swordsmanship… taught to him by Hardin.

And that blade kept moving.

‘Dolphin Fin! Stingray! Yellow Ringed Octopus!’

Offense and defense became one. Each strike flowed into the next.

Beryl completely overwhelmed the Ghast.

He no longer thought.

He simply followed his instincts.

Wave Swordsmanship unfolded naturally in response to the enemy’s attacks and movements—creating an ever-shifting, unorthodox flurry of strikes.

A true state of no-self.

That continued for quite some time.

And then—on Beryl’s body—a wave surged.

In the final moment—

“Uwaaaaaah!”

As Beryl thrust his blade forward with all his might—

Paaaaaaah!

The crashing sound of waves echoed out.

 Kkieeeet!

The Ghast’s solid, heavy body was torn into pieces and scattered in every direction.

“Huff, huff, huuuff…”

Did… did I do it?

Just as Beryl wiped the sweat from his forehead—

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Applause rang out from above the pit.

He slowly lifted his head.

“Y-Young Master…?”

Hardin was standing there, smiling proudly, giving him a silent thumbs-up.