novelraw Chapter 100 : Chapter 100
Chapter 100 : Chapter 100
Chapter 100
As Zehir took out the mission log from his chest, Thomas, carefully polishing his sword with an oiled cloth next to him, spoke.
“By the way, did you hear the news?
They say the entire scouting party has been assigned to the Special Mission Unit.”
“…….”
“Of course, there’s no way you would care about rumors soldiers chatter about.
Anyway, the important thing here is that the entire 3rd Knight Order was assigned there.”
“…….”
He wasn't really expecting a reaction from Zehir.
It was just that the silence descending upon the already dark forest made his tongue itchy on its own.
Fortunately, Zehir was as excellent a listener as he was frustrating, and Thomas was confident he could blabber all day as long as Zehir didn't draw his sword.
“So everyone was making a huge fuss.”
Not just soldiers and knights, but from laborers briefly stopping by the fortress to the blacksmiths who hated idle chatter the most—if more than three people gathered, talk about the Special Mission Unit came up.
“It’s surprising enough that a unit thought dead came back alive and well, but since what those guys did spread, it’s only natural.”
The fortress, which had been losing vitality ahead of the war, regained vigor simultaneously with the return of the scouting party.
“The funny thing is, strangely, there are only weird rumors about the Young Lord.”
There were somewhat realistic rumors, like Vergil being the actual captain of the Special Mission Unit, or the Young Lord threatening the Count to receive the captaincy position.
But there were also nonsensical rumors that the scouting party had all died during the mission and the ones who returned to the fortress were undead revived by the Young Lord using dark magic.
Still, compared to before returning when he was treated as a scoundrel driving the unit to death, the treatment had improved, but no matter how one thought about it, the reaction was disparate.
“Just seeing the Young Lord training the Special Mission Unit every morning, they can't possibly not know the rumors are strange.”
It’s like everyone is blocking their eyes and ears and thinking negatively only regarding the Young Lord?
On the other hand, the guys in the Special Mission Unit follow the Young Lord almost like fanatics, which is quite strange.
“It is strange, right?
Doesn't he seem just like that devil from the myth?”
Thomas said, recalling a myth he read as a child.
The younger brother who, jealous of his older brother who received blessings from all gods, killed his brother and stole the blessings.
He received the hatred of the world for the sin of stealing the blessings.
“…Strange.”
He looked at Zehir with astonished eyes.
If even Zehir admitted it, it was strange enough to seriously recommend the Young Lord visit the Holy Nation.
“Really……?”
“Ah, sorry.
I wasn't listening from the middle.
Since you said ‘rumor’, there was no need for me to know.”
…….
This bastard……?
Seeing Thomas’s twitching eyebrows, Zehir kindly added the reason.
“It is not good for a knight to take interest in rumors, for there is nothing as dangerous as worldly desires visiting at the moment of life and death.”
“…My greatest worldly desire is you, you bastard.”
After exhaling sharply through his nose, he asked in a sullen voice.
“Then what is strange?”
“Ah, I realized while writing the log today.”
Zehir pointed to the log where [Even the sound of wind cannot be heard today.] was written.
“It’s too quiet.”
“What?”
“Make no sound, and compare it to when we came out on a mission last time.”
When Zehir closed his mouth, a terrible silence surrounded the two.
The common cries of demonic beasts, the sound of leaves, the footsteps of monsters could not be heard; only the breathing sounds of the two quietly echoed.
“Damn it, feeling it makes it scarier.”
Thomas continued in a forced bright voice.
“This isn't some Elf’s Great Forest, but the Demonic Beast Forest known to be the strangest in the world, so the absence of sound is just…….”
“If the forest is holding its breath, doesn't it mean the scale of the legion is larger than expected?”
Zehir, who was always serious, continued with a grave face.
“That the large demonic beasts settled in this vicinity also avoided the area means even demonic beasts who never give up their territory felt threatened.”
The two met eyes in the empty air.
“If the forest is silent…….”
“Lie flat and hide your body.”
The old saying of Front Hold, which the old men of the fortress babbled whenever they had a chance, flowed out from the two people’s mouths simultaneously.
“It seems it will be a much harder war than thought.”
Following the guide who arrived around then, the two moved again.
* * *
The returned guide no longer guided the two on a comfortable path.
The two had to jump over tree branches or sometimes crawl on their bellies through tunnels whose shape they couldn't even tell.
Only after jumping over forest valleys and finally climbing a cliff for a week could they discover the legion moving through the forest.
“…….”
It was closer to a dark green wave.
A great sea whose beginning and end could not be seen even with thousands of torches illuminating the darkness.
“…….”
Overwhelmed by that magnificent sight, the two watched the legion’s advance for a long time.
Thomas was relieved by the fact that only Zehir and he were here.
No matter if they were soldiers and knights of the fortress, those who wouldn't lose their will to fight even after seeing that would be few even in the fortress.
“…How many do you think that is?”
The two people’s mission was to check the enemy’s scale and composition.
However, it was impossible to gauge the size of the endlessly unfolding great sea, or to find ogres that might be mixed in between.
“Let’s ask the guide.”
Zehir, having confirmed a few things with the squirrel, spoke in a serious voice.
“…We must hurry back.”
The probability was high that the Count already knew this news.
He just couldn't trust the words of a demonic beast squirrel without seeing it.
“Zehir, when we return, let’s ask the Count to put us in the Special Mission Unit.”
“We have no time for jokes right now.
We must return even a moment sooner…….”
“Zehir.”
At Thomas’s firm voice, Zehir nodded unwittingly saying okay.
“Thanks.”
“For now, let’s move immediately.”
The two moved toward the fortress at a speed twice as fast as when they came.
* * *
“You have a surprising lack of talent.”
Not martial talent, but lack of talent.
Not talent for martial arts, but surprisingly no talent.
My face crumpled naturally at the Count’s words.
More than hearing those words, it felt worse that it was true.
‘I should have recognized it when he suddenly offered to help with training.’
When the Count, who had been snooping around the training ground for a few days, approached out of the blue and offered to teach the knight order’s sword, I shouldn't have accepted readily.
That human has no natural talent for teaching others, and I have no natural talent for swordsmanship.
Since such two people gathered, there’s no way progress would be made.
“Count, aren't you busy?
It is fine to assign me another instructor.”
“No matter how busy, I cannot pass a difficult problem onto others.
Wouldn't it be a big problem if a knight bedridden from sickness from anger appeared at this time.”
In other words, it means he is dying of frustration right now.
‘It’s understandable to be frustrated.
Since I didn't think I would be this untalented either.’
With 『Struggle Desire of the Giant King』 increasing training speed by more than 3 times, I thought I could quickly learn the knight order’s swordsmanship, not even a hero’s swordsmanship.
The problem was that this body, which was ‘incompetence’ itself, truly had not even a speck of talent for swordsmanship.
Unlike 『Dark Emperor』 which grants talent necessary for assassination, 『Struggle Desire of the Giant King』 only increases growth speed and does not grant talent.
In the end, I have been practicing downward strikes for several hours.
“Try again.”
Raise the sword, and strike down with all might.
“Excellent.
If you had become an Imperial surveyor, you would have been close friends with the Emperor.”
He spoke with a noble voice, but in the end, it means the sword wavered as much as the borders drawn arbitrarily by the Empire.
“Try again.”
I suddenly wondered if it would be better to run wild with a dagger, but I hated to say I give up to the Count now even if I died.
Raise the sword again, and strike down with all might.
Hu-ung!
With the sound of the sword cutting the wind, the Count clapped and admired.
“It was a perfect diagonal slash.”
“I will do it again.”
No matter how I think about it, the instructor’s problem seems as big as my talent in this.
Because there’s no way a human with intact limbs can't swing a sword in a straight line.
Hu-ung!
As I struck down with the sword again, the Count, sighing deeply, spoke scoldingly in a stern voice.
“I don't know what you are dissatisfied with.
Wasn't it you who said you wanted to learn the knight order’s swordsmanship first?”
Kkadeudeuk.
“I still want to learn it, but.”
“Then, it is certain that you have a talent unrivaled in the world.”
This is something I’ve heard before.
What a predictable human.
“It’s a surprising lack of talent.
The goblin that came yesterday morning had more talent than this.”
“Wasn't that guy one-armed?”
“He was one-armed and one-eyed.”
Kkadeudeudeuk.
Watching the Count admiring my lack of talent with a serious face, I vowed to learn the knight order’s swordsmanship no matter what.
* * *
The Count didn't stop praising my talent until he headed to his office saying he had to work with a somewhat relieved face.
“I’ll have to look for another instructor starting tomorrow.”
The Count seemed to genuinely want to help, but even a Master’s explanation couldn't fill my lacking talent.
“Talent…….”
The fact that I have no talent isn't surprising.
Since my unique trait is ‘Incompetent Person’ to begin with.
From the beginning, I intended to obtain sword-related traits with 『The Capable Incompetent』 upon arriving at the fortress.
“Why can't I obtain a trait despite doing this much?”
The problem is that despite trying for such a long time, I haven't obtained a single trait.
I haven't stopped training since the moment I arrived at the fortress.
I helped with other soldiers' training to obtain traits from the moment I first arrived here, and now I am helping with the training of all soldiers and knights from dawn until just before falling asleep.
Thinking I might obtain magic-related talent, I even included Jeremy in the training.
These days, I am even teaching soldiers I see for the first time, so saying the probability is low isn't enough.
“It’s clear there is a condition I don't know besides the blossoming of traits.”
I can't be certain, but there is a part I can guess.
“Is that really the only thing?”
In the game, the maximum number of traits obtainable with 『The Capable Incompetent』 was one.
On the other hand, the traits I have obtained with 『The Capable Incompetent』 now are three.
At first, I believed I was lucky, but maybe it had nothing to do with luck at all.
“If a limit was set from the beginning, that is.”
Maybe the traits obtainable with 『The Capable Incompetent』 cannot exceed the number of traits I possess.
Since I have 3 traits, and the traits obtained with The Capable Incompetent are also 3.
“Struggle Desire of the Giant King is a trait obtained through an item, so the probability is high that it wasn't counted.”
Then the method is simple.
“If there are no traits, I just have to make them.”
The driving force that made the game’s Ian a ‘Capable’ Incompetent.
“I just have to work exactly twenty times harder than others.”
Of course, working hard doesn't create rare traits.
Because what can be obtained through effort is only something like ‘Lower-grade Swordsmanship’, a general trait that isn't even counted as a trait.
But it doesn't matter.
‘Until the war breaks out, I will try everything I can.’
I stood up again and gripped the sword.
* * *
“Huh… what are they doing again?”
Soldiers passing by the Special Mission Unit’s training ground stopped one by one in front of it and watched the Special Mission Unit’s training.
“What on earth are those guys thinking?”
Unless one has exceptional talent for the sword, soldiers' basic armament is the spear.
Because one can become accustomed to it faster than a sword, it is easy to form formations, and above all, it is safer because the reach is long.
“Just spears are tiresome enough, but those guys are doing spears, swords, bows, crossbows… Is that slinging?”
“Where on earth would they use slinging?”
Yet, they weren't killing time playfully either.
With the Special Mission Unit’s fierce eyes and spirit turning the public training ground into a Special Mission Unit exclusive training ground, those guys were swinging weapons while gritting their teeth.
Among them, the most noticeable one was the Special Mission Unit’s captain, the Young Lord.
Watching the downward strikes repeated endlessly with an expressionless face made one feel reverent unwittingly.
“…It’s a profound swordsmanship.”
“To think the sword path never overlaps… Is it the Duchy’s hidden swordsmanship?”
Soldiers who didn't know swordsmanship looked at the Young Lord seriously like knights facing a great family’s sword.
“I heard he didn't do the reconnaissance he was told to do but ran into the middle of enemy lines and hunted the Legion Commander…….”
“That’s not it.
I know because I have a close friend in the Special Mission Unit, he said when he thrust the sword once, the ogre’s head was cut off and the Legion Commander’s body behind it was split in half.”
“Is there a reason indeed why the Commander entrusted him with the captaincy…….”
Soldiers nodding continuously looked at each other, then moved toward the training ground with hardened faces.
“Perhaps…….”
“…There might be a reason why other guys are learning the sword.”
Thus, following the rumor that the Young Lord is a vicious dark wizard, rumors that dark magic is a hobby and he is actually a Sword Master hiding his skills began to spread among the soldiers.