Becoming a Swordmaster by Reading Chapter 33

The next day.

Chevalier announced the new training schedule to the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon.

It was a training schedule that included stretching, massage, cold water compresses, and nine hours of sound sleep.

“……Understood?”

As soon as Chevalier finished speaking, the expressions of the 3rd Infantry Platoon soldiers contorted.

But no soldier came forward to express their dissatisfaction.

Because this was the military, where a superior's order was absolute.

And Chevalier was a superior who belonged to a rather fearsome group even within this military.

“Good. Then, let's start the training like this…….”

It was when Chevalier was about to start the day with the new training method.

“Just a moment, Platoon Leader nim.”

Someone stepped forward like this.

It was Zailo, the 1st Squad Leader, who had a particularly good reputation among the soldiers due to his affability.

“Do we really have to include that strange thing in our training? It doesn't seem like it will be of much help in getting stronger.”

As Zailo stepped forward first, the other soldiers also gained courage.

The fact that Terne, the 2nd Squad Leader, and Federico, the 3rd Squad Leader, also stepped forward together was proof of that.

“I have a similar thought to the 1st Squad Leader. Our platoon's reputation is bad enough as it is, and I don't want to be laughed at for our ridiculous actions.”

“This old man also thinks the same. There's nothing more useless in the army than moving your body carelessly.”

The soldiers vehemently agreed with the three squad leaders' words and began to murmur.

“I'm also a bit hesitant about this training……”

“Can't we just do it the way we used to?”

“Exactly. It’s not like our platoon's training intensity is that weak.”

However, this reaction was already expected.

For that reason, when Chevalier looked back at him, Roden calmly nodded his head.

Roden's nod.

It was a sign to show them what he had prepared.

As soon as Roden's permission was given, Chevalier drew his sword.

Chaeng!

At the same time, the soldiers fell silent.

They were surprised by the sudden action, but what was overlaid on the sword that had been nimbly drawn from its sheath.

It was the aura of a 2-star.

“Stretching, massage, cold water compresses, and nine hours of sound sleep are the reasons I was able to become a 2-star knight. Does that explain why the new training method is necessary?”

As Chevalier finished speaking, a silence fell over the training ground.

It couldn't be helped.

Because no one here knew that Chevalier had reached the level of 2-star.

Moreover, all the soldiers here knew.

That Chevalier had long desired to reach the level of 2-star but had failed to do so.

But to think that those strange actions had made Chevalier's long-cherished wish come true.

The soldiers couldn't help but be surprised.

“I guarantee it. If you guys also follow the new training method, you will become several times stronger than you are now.”

“……”

“That's not all. It will take some time, but if you continue the training steadily, even those with no talent at all will be able to step into the realm of 1-star.”

The soldiers, who had been gaping in surprise, their eyes sparkled as soon as Chevalier's story ended.

To the soldiers, a 1-star knight was like a mirage that they could never reach even if they wanted to.

But to be able to reach it just by trying.

They couldn't help but be interested.

But not everyone believed Chevalier's words.

Zailo, who had been the first to object to the new training schedule, raised his hand.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Is it really true that the Deputy Platoon Leader became stronger thanks to the strange…… no, the new training method?”

“…….”

“Isn't it that you naturally rose to the rank of 2-star as time passed, and you're saying it's because of the new training method?”

As if they thought Zailo's words had a point, expressions of disbelief reappeared on the soldiers' faces.

Chevalier, observing this atmosphere, slowly opened his mouth.

“Me? For what purpose, exactly?”

“For the Platoon Leader's sake, I suppose. You two have been getting quite close lately. I and the other soldiers have witnessed you two together every personal maintenance time, several times.”

As Zailo finished speaking, the soldiers began to murmur once again.

At this rate, it seemed that the resistance to the new training method would not disappear even after showing the level of 2-star.

But Chevalier was not flustered.

Rather, he was impressed.

The reason was simple.

‘So you really foresaw this far!’

Because he had recalled this thought.

That was right.

In fact, Roden had already told Chevalier the day before that there might be someone among the soldiers who had the same doubts as Zailo.

And it didn't stop there; he even told him a way to resolve these doubts.

‘I didn't want to go so far as to say this myself, but I have no choice.’

Chevalier, who had been admiring, organized his thoughts and opened his mouth with a solemn expression.

“Yes. It's true that I've become much closer to the Platoon Leader. But you all know it too. That I didn't support the Platoon Leader from the beginning.”

“?”

“Rather, I watched the Platoon Leader from a closer place than you and was convinced. That the Platoon Leader…… was a moron.”

“!”

“But this thought changed after I confirmed the effect of the new training method. And you still doubt it?”

For reference, it was Roden who had told him to use the word ‘moron’ to persuade Zailo.

Because giving a strong shock with a provocative word was effective in persuasion.

However, the soldiers who were unaware of this fact could not help but watch Roden's reaction.

Especially Zailo, who had uttered the words of refutation, kept glancing at Roden in case something happened.

But Roden stood on one side with his eyes closed, as if he was not interested in such a conversation.

And so, an atmosphere where everyone was agitated.

Not missing this atmosphere, Chevalier looked at Zailo with a sharp gaze.

At that, Zailo hurriedly shook his head and spoke.

“I-I seem to have jumped to conclusions without properly grasping the situation. I'm sorry.”

Zailo took a step back like this, and Chevalier, who had been watching, hammered a wedge into the atmosphere.

“Above all, as soldiers, you have a duty to follow the orders of your superiors. Which means, you must unconditionally follow the new training method. Am I wrong?”

“……No, sir.”

“Am I wrong!”

“No, sir!”

As Chevalier asked again, a thunderous reply erupted from all the soldiers.

Chevalier, satisfied with this, shouted once more.

“Then, everyone, begin training!”

And so, Chevalier began to teach the soldiers stretching, which was essential to warm up before training.

Roden, too, feeling satisfied that things had gone smoothly, calmly opened his eyes.

And he fully participated in the regular training.

***

Although he had succeeded in seizing control of the atmosphere, unfortunately, the situation did not just flow smoothly.

An unexpected external factor interfered with the 3rd Infantry Platoon's training.

As Terne, the 2nd Squad Leader, had feared, the other platoons began to tease the 3rd Infantry Platoon.

“Hey, have you seen them training?”

“Training? What's wrong with their training?”

“Don't even ask. It's a spectacle. You should definitely go see it later. It'll make your day.”

“Is it that funny? I should go check it out soon.”

When the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon appeared, the soldiers of the other platoons would deliberately have this kind of conversation.

They even teased them by mimicking stretching movements.

As the ridicule continued, some of the soldiers who could not bear it eventually lost their motivation for training.

And as time passed, the number of soldiers who lost motivation gradually increased.

There were still soldiers who were training hard, but at this rate, the atmosphere could be scattered once again.

‘Hmm.’

Roden, who had been quietly observing the soldiers' expressions, pondered for a moment and then stopped in his tracks.

Then, instead of the ongoing basic training,

Swish.

He began to perform a sword dance.

The first to react to this were, of course, the soldiers nearby.

“Wow.”

“That's cool.”

The soldiers uttered these words without realizing it.

That's how fluid and graceful the movements of Roden's sword dance were.

It wasn't that it lacked power either, so just watching it made them exclaim in admiration.

It was a part where one could see how excellent the basics and connecting movements that Roden had mastered were.

And at this reaction, the other soldiers also witnessed Roden's sword dance.

The reactions of these soldiers were not much different.

Everyone was in awe of Roden's sword dance.

Even Chevalier, who had to get the atmosphere under control,

‘That’s cool. Did he always know how to do something like that?’

was drawn into Roden's sword dance.

And finally, when Roden's sword dance was over.

The soldiers belatedly had a question.

‘But why did he start dancing with a sword in the middle of basic training?’

‘He seemed to be in his right mind for a while, but did something go wrong again?’

The soldiers had no way of knowing why Roden had performed the sword dance.

In the end, it was when one of the soldiers couldn't hold back and opened his mouth to ask a question.

“Is everyone not focusing on training!”

Chevalier, who had also come to his senses belatedly, let out a roar.

For that reason, the soldiers had to get back into formation and begin their basic training again.

And Roden, watching them, wiped the sweat that had beaded on his forehead.

‘Good. The magic was cast well.’

In fact, the sword dance that Roden had just performed.

It was a sword dance to cast Aurasong.

However, this was not a sword dance that gathered mana toward his own respiratory system as usual.

Rather, it was to make the mana gather densely throughout the entire training ground.

He had deliberately modified the movements of the sword dance to make this happen.

And the reason Roden did this was none other than.

‘This will help with the aura absorption rate.’

In the end, the problem related to the new training method.

This problem would be over when someone among the soldiers achieved tangible results.

But at this rate, it seemed that all the soldiers would lose motivation before any tangible results were achieved.

The reason Roden had performed a sword dance to increase the aura absorption rate was here.

This way, the effect of the sword dance on the aura absorption rate would create a synergy effect in addition to the new training method.

And just as expected.

The next day, the aura absorption rate of the soldiers who had trained hard yesterday increased.

From 0.3% to about 0.5%.

‘Although I couldn't send the mana to the soldiers' respiratory systems, the increase is still a bit low.’

The reason for this was none other than.

It was because the density had dropped significantly as he had made the natural state mana gather in such a wide area.

But Roden was satisfied with these results.

‘At this rate, a definite effect will appear by next week.’

***

And so, the next week.

The number of soldiers who diligently followed the new training method could now be counted on one hand.

In fact, at this point, the introduction of the new training method was almost meaningless.

And so, in the training ground where everyone was gathered.

Thump.

Roden suddenly took out a bottle of whiskey that he had brought to his barracks and hadn't drunk all this time.

Then he spoke.

“Today, instead of regular training, we will hold a competition to select the strongest person in our platoon. As a prize for this, I will put up the high-class whiskey I received from the Battalion Commander.”