Becoming a Swordmaster by Reading Chapter 50

The long-awaited final match.

The two who had reached this stage were familiar names.

None other than Nedhab and Federico.

And the one who ultimately claimed victory was Nedhab.

Federico, leaning on his sword so that his knees would not completely buckle, opened his mouth.

“As expected, I am still not strong enough to defeat you.”

Nedhab reached out his hand towards Federico and replied.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Just like that, the final match ended with Nedhab helping Federico up after a fierce battle.

It was a rather impressive scene, and perhaps for that reason, all the soldiers who were watching it were filled with admiration.

But among them, the ones who were most pleased were, of course, the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon.

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Awesome, Nedhab!”

“Old man! We’re proud of you!”

It was only natural, as it had been proven that the strongest soldier in the battalion, and the next strongest, both belonged to the 3rd Infantry Platoon.

Of course, all these results had been predicted when Nedhab proved himself to be a 1-star knight in the semifinals.

For that reason, it was also true that the final match had received relatively little attention.

But Federico had fought valiantly against Nedhab, a 1-star knight.

This fact alone was worthy of applause, and so the final match was able to remain in everyone's memory as a rather spectacular match.

However, more important than the superficial fact that the winner was Nedhab.

Was the symbolism that this competition held.

All the battalion officers of deputy platoon leader rank and above who were watching this competition were thinking of this symbolism at the same time as the winner was born.

Sure enough.

Adriel, who had been watching the results of the competition, stepped forward.

“The results of this competition, which was held to select the best among the common soldiers, are out. The winner is Nedhab of the 3rd Infantry Platoon.”

“Waaaaaaah!”

“The winner will be awarded the Steel Brooch, the promised reward. Also, good wine and fresh meat will be granted to the platoon that produced the winner.”

“Waaaaaaah!”

“And this is the final benefit. As you all remember, I said that as a final benefit, the platoon that produced the winner could decide the regular training method. So, 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader, please come forward and speak. What training method will you propose?”

“……”

Only then did the soldiers who had been cheering, swept up in the atmosphere, realize the reality and shut their mouths.

Then they looked towards Roden, who was standing on one side.

That was right.

The symbolism of this competition that all the battalion officers of deputy platoon leader rank and above had been paying attention to.

It was that, with Nedhab's victory, the other platoons could no longer refuse the newly applied regular training method.

“……”

In the meantime, Roden stepped forward as per Adriel's command.

Then he opened his mouth.

“The regular training method that is already being implemented is the same as the regular training method that the 3rd Infantry Platoon has been conducting separately. Therefore, I will not propose any other training method.”

As soon as Roden finished speaking, the soldiers began to stir.

But the soldiers' reaction was quite different from before the battalion competition.

“Come to think of it, the 3rd Infantry Platoon, which was training with a strange training method, produced the winner?”

“Not just the winner. The runner-up is also from the 3rd Infantry Platoon.”

“No way… to think that training method was really effective.”

“Since it’s come to this, I should try to train hard too.”

Furthermore, new information was added to this.

“I just asked the 3rd Infantry Platoon. That guy, Nedhab, wasn't originally that strong.”

“He wasn't strong?”

“Apparently, he was a very unremarkable guy. But he changed like that after training with the new training method.”

“No wonder it was strange that the representative player wasn't a squad leader.”

“Then is that story true? The story that even a common soldier can become a 1-star knight if they train with the new training method?”

“There’s a story like that too?”

“So I hear. That's why the 3rd Infantry Platoon is training so hard with this training method.”

“Seeing that Nedhab, that guy, became a 1-star knight, it seems there's a real possibility.”

Just like that, all the soldiers showed a positive reaction to the new training method, unlike before the competition.

It was only natural, as Nedhab and Federico had personally proven the effectiveness of this training method.

Furthermore, it wasn't just the soldiers.

The battalion officers who had been watching this process together also had such thoughts.

‘Maybe the new training method is really effective…….’

‘Anyway, stretching, massage, cold water compress, and nine hours of deep sleep don't really affect the training process itself. So let's just try applying it, pretending to be deceived.’

In conclusion, Adriel and Havier were able to get the results they wanted, just as Roden had planned.

Adriel read this atmosphere and replied with a satisfied smile.

“Alright. Then, as the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader wishes, we will maintain the current training method. So, everyone, do your best to follow it.”

***

Just like that, on the night the battalion competition ended.

Adriel was having a conversation with Havier in a quiet barracks.

“Huh. To think that guy, Nedhab, was really a 1-star knight.”

“I was surprised too.”

If one doesn't have a natural talent, not just anyone can become a 1-star knight.

Until now, this story had been accepted as common sense.

The reason was none other than this.

Because there had never been a single case of a person without talent becoming a 1-star knight through effort.

Of course, according to Roden's theory, anyone could become a 1-star knight even without following the new training method.

In fact, even before the application of the new training method, the soldiers had been absorbing 0.1% of aura every day.

But with this level of aura absorption rate, it took too long to become a 1-star knight.

As a result, everyone had no choice but to give up before reaching the level of a 1-star.

This was the reason why a person without talent had not been able to become a 1-star knight until now.

It had definitely been like that, but for common sense to be overturned in this way.

It was not strange for Adriel and Havier to be surprised.

“Could there be this possibility? The possibility that Nedhab originally had talent.”

“I was also curious about that, so I asked the 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader.”

“What did he say?”

“He said it was true that Nedhab originally had talent. However, his bad lifestyle habits had prevented this talent from blossoming.”

“Bad lifestyle habits?”

“Yes. Apparently, Nedhab's sleep time was originally only five hours.”

“……Does that have such a big effect?”

“According to the 3rd Infantry Platoon, yes.”

As soon as Havier finished speaking, a silence fell upon the barracks.

Adriel was lost in thought for a long time and then opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, I've heard this before. That a healthy lifestyle helps to improve physical and mental health. Perhaps the training method proposed by the 3rd Infantry Platoon contains such a principle.”

“I think so too. Above all, this training method has already proven its effectiveness in practice. I hear that in the 3rd Infantry Platoon, besides Nedhab, there are quite a few soldiers who have the potential to become 1-star knights.”

“So I've heard.”

Adriel, who could see the flow of aura, had also confirmed it today.

That among the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon who were cheering enthusiastically, there were some who stood out.

Therefore, he had no choice but to trust Roden's new training method even more.

“I'm looking forward to the future. How strong our battalion will become by actively carrying out the new training method.”

As Adriel said this, he thought.

‘Should I try applying stretching, massage, cold water compress, and nine hours of deep sleep myself?’

Furthermore, it wasn't just Adriel who was having these thoughts.

‘I should also follow the new training method. That will… set an example for the company.’

Havier also had such thoughts.

***

After the battalion competition.

A new wind blew in the transport battalion.

It was a wind in the name of a new training method.

The soldiers' interest in this training method was particularly great.

The fact that one could reach the level of a 1-star with effort even without talent.

This made the new training method seem so attractive.

Furthermore, this fact was proven by the result of winning.

For the soldiers, there was no reason not to believe this and train.

Of course, the feeling of rejection had not completely disappeared.

There were still people who considered this training method strange.

Among them, the soldiers who had actively ridiculed this training method seemed to find it difficult to accept.

But in the battlefield, strength was a matter closely related to survival.

For that reason, even these soldiers had no choice but to gradually accept the new training method.

Just like that, almost all the soldiers began to train hard with this training method, but there were exactly two places that could not.

They were the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Platoon and the 2nd Light Cavalry Platoon, which had been considered the most likely candidates for victory.

“But why do we have to be so careful?”

“You're asking because you don't know? Our platoon leader's pride was hurt.”

“Everyone, follow the new training method carelessly, just like before the battalion competition.”

“Yes. It will be tiring if you happen to make eye contact with the platoon leader.”

Certainly, from Diego and David's perspective, it was a matter that could hurt their pride.

Above all, the two had the ambition to apply their own training method to the entire battalion.

But that ambition had been miserably crushed, so for the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Platoon and the 2nd Light Cavalry Platoon, they had no choice but to be careful.

Sure enough.

David appeared before the soldiers of the 2nd Light Cavalry Platoon with a stern expression.

‘Ah. As expected.’

‘We’ll just have to do as we’ve been doing.’

‘Everyone be careful. If you don't want to get on the platoon leader's bad side.’

Just as the soldiers of the 2nd Light Cavalry Platoon began to do their pre-training stretching as usual, half-heartedly,

“What are you all doing! Train properly!”

Unexpectedly, David's fiery command fell.

‘Wh-what.’

‘Is it really okay to do the stretching properly?’

‘I don't know. Let's just do as he says. It's an order.’

The awkward movements of the soldiers of the 2nd Light Cavalry Platoon became snappy, and David watched them and thought.

‘I don't need it. Useless pride that doesn't even make money……. Let's just be satisfied with getting a good training method for free.’

Meanwhile.

Diego came out to the training ground without a word and began to do his stretching more passionately than anyone else.

The soldiers of the 1st Infantry Platoon, watching Diego's eyes, diligently followed suit.

Diego, pretending not to notice, confirmed this and thought to himself.

‘I don't need it. Useless pride without substance……. The soldiers becoming stronger is the priority, so if there's a better training method, I should follow it.’

Just like that, a wind blew even in the 1st Infantry Platoon and the 2nd Light Cavalry Platoon, which seemed as if they would never apply the new training method no matter what.

It was a whirlwind.