Becoming a Swordmaster by Reading Chapter 28

Havier, who had been silent for a moment, asked Roden.

“……What do you mean, you have to drink even one more glass of alcohol to live a long life?

What is that supposed to mean? I thought you weren't drinking these days?”

“Yes. I am not drinking. It’s been quite a while since I stopped. But I must continue to drink. No, at least I must pretend to.”

“Why?”

“Because the family I belong to, Glockner, is currently fighting another war.”

At Roden's words, Havier's eyes widened as if he had realized something.

“Don’t tell me…… you’ve been doing this on purpose all this time because of the succession war?”

Roden did not bother to open his mouth, letting his silence be the answer.

Havier couldn't help but be greatly surprised by that reaction.

The silence of this moment was as good as an affirmation.

And,

‘I knew he was stronger and smarter than I thought. But to think he held such deep schemes.’

Such a thought also came to mind.

But it wasn't that he couldn't understand it at all.

If he didn't have this level of scheming, he wouldn't have been able to come up with such an extraordinary military strategy twice.

For that reason, the following thought also occurred in Havier's mind.

That the strategies Roden devised would continue to be a great help to the Allied Forces in facing the Imperial Army.

That Roden would be able to continue devising extraordinary strategies.

‘If the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader was deliberately pretending to be a moron to survive the succession war…. If that's really the case…. We must protect him. The 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader.’

Havier, raising his evaluation of Roden a notch, asked.

“So what were you planning to do this time? Were you going to ask the Battalion Commander for alcohol as a reward again? That won't be of any help to you now.”

“Yes. It wouldn't have helped. Not just the Company Commander, but the Battalion Commander too would not have believed those words at face value. So for the achievement of devising the strategy in this operation and cutting off the head of a 2-star knight. I would like to make one request as a reward for that achievement.”

“What is it?”

“Please protect me. By having the Company Commander persuade the Battalion Commander.”

As Roden finished speaking, a cool breeze blew by.

And as this breeze hit them, the two men continued their silence for a while.

How much time had passed?

Finally, Havier broke the silence and answered.

“…….”

A smile of satisfaction appeared on Roden's lips upon hearing that answer.

***

Havier went to see Adriel right away.

And,

“Hah.”

A sound of sheer astonishment escaped Adriel's lips after receiving Havier's report.

He had already grasped that Roden was a smarter man than he seemed.

So he had re-evaluated him and had even instructed Havier to keep a close eye on him from now on.

But he didn't know it was to this extent.

To think there were such circumstances and such deep schemes.

While he understood Roden.

He also felt sorry for him.

“……The Glockner family's succession war is certainly famous for being harsh.”

As Adriel muttered, Havier nodded his head.

“The current head leading the Glockner family also shed a lot of blood to sit in that position.”

The current head of the Glockner family had a total of nine siblings.

And among them, the only one who had survived to this day was the current family head.

Which meant, the current head had dealt with all the rest.

This was the reality of the succession war that was unfolding at this very moment in the Glockner family.

So, Roden must have had no choice but to do what he did to survive.

Moreover, having a talent far from sufficient to become the successor of the Glockner family, the pressure must have been immense.

Of course, he learned that Roden was a 2-star knight through this operation.

But even the level of a 2-star aura was still a poor performance for someone of the Glockner bloodline.

Because Roden's other brothers had all reached the level of 3-star before they even turned twenty.

Because that was the average for the Glockner family.

In the end, even as a 2-star knight, it was already a confirmed fact that he could not become the head of the Glockner family.

He thought he could understand why Roden lived soaked in alcohol and was treated like a moron.

“He might have even pretended to be a 1-star knight on purpose.”

“That must be it. It would be safer to pretend to be a 1-star knight rather than revealing he's a 2-star knight and becoming a target for his other brothers' checks. In fact, the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader was forgotten by the Glockner family and assigned to a trivial post.”

Hearing Havier's answer, Adriel once again felt sorry for Roden.

But it wasn't just that he felt sorry for Roden out of pity.

In fact, as the Battalion Commander, Adriel found it a little difficult to grant Roden's request.

Because a reward was not something given simply to praise one person's achievement.

‘Hey, you can do it too.’

‘Huh? Me too?’

The army's reward for an achievement was meant to elicit this kind of reaction.

But what if, as Roden requested, the reward was replaced with protection?

And what if it looked to others as if Roden wasn't being properly rewarded?

It was bound to affect the overall morale of the transport battalion.

This was even more so in a situation like now, where Roden's achievement was crystal clear.

This was the reason Adriel was currently hesitating to grant Roden's request.

As he was making a regretful expression, Havier spoke up as if he had read Adriel's thoughts.

“I really hope you protect the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader. In the Glockner family, where geniuses gather, the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader may be treated as a slow learner, but to us, he is an essential talent. You can tell just by seeing him propose brilliant strategies twice.”

“But….”

“Above all, the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader is an essential talent even when looking at the bigger picture of the war against the Imperial Army. Although his martial prowess is weak, his schemes are outstanding.”

“Hmm.”

Adriel was gradually persuaded by Havier's words.

There was an old saying.

An excellent knight leads to victory in battle, but an excellent strategist leads to victory in war.

So, it seemed better for Adriel to protect Roden.

Adriel, too, had instinctively realized it.

That Roden would propose many outstanding strategies in the future.

To this, Havier hammered in the final nail by presenting a concrete alternative.

“You can just give the reward as a reward. What the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader wants is merely not to let his existence be known elsewhere.”

“…….”

“If you judge that the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader’s achievement is insufficient to grant this request, you can take from my share. I will humbly accept it as it is a matter of saving a subordinate.”

“…….”

Adriel, momentarily at a loss for words, looked at Havier.

Then he belatedly opened his mouth.

“……You’re always like this. It was the same during our time at the Knight Academy. You always made me the bad guy.”

The two men's connection.

That connection first began with the Knight Academy's annual event, the ‘Magical Beast Hunt’.

The content of this event, in which all students participated every year, was simple.

It was to form teams regardless of grade level and hunt magical beasts.

Here, Adriel and Havier met for the first time.

Adriel, who was a fourth-year, was the team leader, and Havier, who was a freshman, was a team member.

And Adriel led his team very well.

In this annual event where the eyes of all influential families were focused,

in this festival called the Magical Beast Hunt, where one could identify the outstanding knights who would lead the Mediale Kingdom in the future,

it seemed possible to even take first place.

But this possibility created a misstep.

Blinded by achievement, he made the mistake of not dealing with the remaining magical beasts to the end while chasing a magical beast that was rated with high points.

And so, Adriel's team was surrounded by magical beasts.

Confirming the sight of the magical beasts densely surrounding them, Adriel thought.

‘It’s all my fault. So clearing a path must also be my share.’

It was when Adriel had organized his thoughts and gripped his sword properly.

There was someone who stepped forward before Adriel to overcome the desperate crisis.

It was none other than Havier.

“I will act as bait! Clear a path in the meantime!”

Havier left only these words and jumped in among the magical beasts.

Adriel tried to stop him, but it was a step too late.

His surprise was brief,

‘……I can’t let this sacrifice be in vain.’

Adriel made a quick judgment.

While Havier drew the attention of the magical beasts on one side.

He steadily cleared the magical beasts on the other side with his team members.

Fortunately, Havier held out well during that time.

Thanks to that, Adriel's team was able to defeat all the remaining magical beasts.

Without a single casualty.

And finally, the report card for the Magical Beast Hunt that he received.

On this report card, Adriel's team was surprisingly ranked third.

It could be said that Havier's contribution was the greatest in achieving the excellent result of 3rd place even after experiencing a major crisis.

“Who was it? The one who made the greatest contribution to achieving this result?”

So when the dean asked this, Adriel intended to say Havier's name.

He had done well himself, but it was all thanks to Havier that they were able to overcome the critical crisis.

But this time too, Havier spoke up a step faster.

“Adriel Barrios. The one who showed the most outstanding performance in our team was our team leader, Adriel sunbaenim.”

Saying that he always made him the bad guy was referring to the events of that day.

Havier knew that as well.

But Havier pretended not to know and spoke once more.

“I am really fine with giving my share to the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader.”

At this, Adriel frowned as if to ask what he was talking about.

“How would that be possible. In the end, what I'm hesitating about now is the concern that the transport battalion's morale will drop because an appropriate reward for this operation is not made. Which means, the result would be the same even if your reward is small.”

“……Then please ensure I receive my proper reward. And the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader’s reward as well.”

“I was planning to do that anyway. Along with that, I will not report the story of the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader to the higher-ups.”

Adriel, pausing for a moment, glanced at the Allied Forces' battalion flag fluttering blue outside the barracks.

Then he continued.

“Because the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader is also my subordinate, whom I must protect.”

***

Meanwhile.

Roden, unaware of what was being discussed about him, was sitting on his military cot, concentrating on one thing.

‘Hmm. Would this work?’

He was in the middle of his research to increase his aura absorption rate.