Chapter 17: Kokubu style swordsmanship and wall construction
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"Mr. Kent, please keep walking at a steady pace.
'Yeah? What's wrong, Reinhardt?
I was on my way back from the guild where I had successfully completed the daytime training course without three people and got a ticket to attend the wind day training.
Reinhardt spoke to me with a slightly alarming tone.
''As it is, he walked straight down and is being followed.
"Oh, wait... that's not...
'No, I don't think it's much, but just in case.
What is it, just in case, I'm terribly curious, but I don't turn around, I don't stop and aim for the boarding house.
''I heard you were being followed...''
Yes, but the four people who are following you are the ones who were with you in the last week's training course, so there's no need to worry about them. I was peeking at you from the shadows during the daytime class.
'd*mn it, both Manon and Ridnell said something like they had things to do.
'I suppose that's why you're following me around without being approached.
I heard that I was being followed, so for a moment I was surprised that someone was suspicious of my identity, but with those four people, there certainly didn't seem to be anything to worry about.
''But, why are they following us?''
"Master Kent must be trying to find out why he's grown so strong so quickly.
I'm sure you're right.
Well, I was walking back to the boarding house, wondering what was going on.
'Amanda, I'm back now!
Oh, welcome home Kent, dinner will have to wait a little longer!
Yes, I know!
I called out to Amanda and returned to my room, sinking into the shadows and heading to the alley where the four of us are hiding, peering through the shadows to see the four of us.
'Hey, Ridnell, isn't this Kent's boarding house?'
Yeah, maybe, but I don't know, maybe we'll train after dinner.
It appears that Ridnell and Manon are leading the tailspin.
'Hey, what kind of training do you think Kent is doing?'
'Well I don't think it's just a pretense, but maybe there's an adventurer of higher rank in the lodge.
Oh, I see. Do you have him training with you?
Yeah, maybe, but that's the most likely scenario.
Hmmm, you guys have pretty good instincts.
But living in a boarding house? You wouldn't think that the one who is doing this is a vicious skeleton.
Moreover, you wouldn't even think that the training ground is the Devil's Forest, would you?
''Well, what should we do now? Mr. Kent.
"Yes, I've got an idea for you...
I returned to my room with the shadow transfer and went down the stairs with my wooden sword in hand.
'Amanda-san, I'm swinging the wooden sword in the back, so please let me know when it's time for dinner.
I won't go. I'll be fine!
Ha-ha, that's good because good luck with that.
Yes!
Behind the boarding house is a backyard-like space surrounded by a communal well.
The four people lurking in the alley stood so that they were diagonally backwards and held their wooden swords in a flat straight line.
They stand with their wooden swords held without making the slightest movement as if they are trying to unify their minds, and then slowly move to the upper level and stop moving again.
From there, I swing my hips from side to side, cui, cui, cui, cui, cui, like a hula dancer.
From there, I step in quickly and swing my sword down.
''Eeeeeeee!''
When he returns to his right eye, he lowers his sword once, twists his head twice or three times, and then returns to his original position.
Once again, he slowly pulls his sword up from his right eye to the upper level, and this time his whole body shakes like kelp drifting in the sea, and then, sharply, he swings his sword down.
''No!''
When you have finished swinging, lower the sword and return to its original position while twisting your neck.
Repeat this, changing the motions along the way.
They try turning their hips around, swinging their swords back and forth, or moving their necks in a sniggering motion, and other movements that may seem strange to the four of us.
"Kent........what are you doing.......
Amanda's dumbfounded voice is what I've been waiting for.
'This? This is the practice of the most famous kendo dojo in the country I've lived in.
What? That's a weird move...?
If you're an inexperienced person like me, it looks like a weird move, but I've heard that the secret to the Kokubu style is in the hips.
Hips...
Of course, there is no Kokubu style, so it's a bit of a horseshit, but as I spoke confidently, Amanda stopped laughing and came to listen to me.
She said, "Yes, you can't swing a sword unless your waist is steady, but if your waist has a strange amount of strength, your movements will become stiff and you won't be able to swing as you want.
Huh... is that how it works?
No, I'm just trying to imitate what I'm seeing, but I'm told that it's all about balancing the weakness that softens the hips and the focus that keeps them firmly planted.
'Yes, I'm in a state where I understand or don't understand... I mean, I'm talking about reaching the realm of mastery when I fully understand this, so I don't think it's easy to understand.
'I see... well, a martial arts expert would be like a freak to an ordinary person, so it seems like we wouldn't be able to understand them.
'Yes, I'd rather have dinner than balance my hips, too.
Ha-ha, that's right, come on, wash your hands, we'll have dinner.
'Yes, we've been waiting for you, I'll leave my wooden sword!
I went upstairs to my room to put the wooden sword back.
'Reinhardt, how did the four of you fare?'
''Buhahahaha, Master Kent is a bad person too, all four of them held back their laughter at first, but when they heard about your talk with Lord Amanda, their eyes changed color, buhahahahaha.''
'You're being punished for abandoning me when Mr. Donovan spotted me, so go practice your kokub-style kunekune swordplay for a while.
The four of them went back to the house from the back alleyway to their namesake's house while I was eating dinner.
And as for me.....
Tonight, I'm going to work on self-healing in the Devil's Forest again.
The daytime course reminded me of my lack of actual battle experience, so I made the decision to step into the forbidden realm.
In other words........I decided to do a stand-off with Reinhardt.
To be honest, I thought it would be suicidal to confront a goblin or kobold or some other vicious skeleton that would blow up with a single blow, but I thought this would be the quickest way to free myself from Donovan-san's spell.
Maybe Donovan-san wouldn't release me until the Saturday Sunday training course that both the sorcerer and knight types do jointly.
From the dark day of the week, we'll start training with physical enhancements and magic, so I don't think he won't ask for me to go that far with the hazing decision.
As long as I can complete the training on the wind and Saturday days of the week, then I'll be free from the days of special training.
Then let's break through in two weeks, the shortest possible time.
I've told Reinhardt to take it easy, but there's still the risk that I might fail to prevent him from taking a hit.
So I decided to stand there and do it with my armor on.
I had a brand new leather helmet, body, basket and shin guards, all well equipped.
Eh? Where did you get this armor from?
It's a piece of equipment from the country that tried to get me to pay for my troubles and feed me to the demons, so my heart doesn't hurt at all.
So, the most important thing to remember is that we are all fighting against each other.
There should be one wooden sword but it looks like there are several, and there's no chance for us to strike from here.
"Wow.........wait.......wow.......
"You're late, you're late, Mr. Kent, and now you have to go on and on.
Wait ... wait ... wait ...
"No, no, no, I won't wait. Come on, come on, there's a gap!
Ahh.................
From the point of view of the fight with the rock ogre, it's probably just a playful move, but I couldn't deal with it at all, and I was rolled over after taking a blow to my body.
''Kent-sama, I'm sorry, but as long as we're doing the training, I'll make it strict.
Well, that's just what I want... to stop!
"Bu-ha-ha-ha, keep it up, Master Kent.
After that, I failed to take it again and again, I was smacked, beaten, pushed and rolled, punched and kicked away.
I failed to receive the blow and was beaten hard on my left thigh, and after recovering from the pain by self-healing and standing up, Reinhardt announced the end of the training.
''Kent-sama, I guess that's it for tonight.
Huh but thank you very much, Reinhardt.
"I'm surprised at how hard you worked, Master Kent, even in our day, but there were few who worked so hard.
'Huh but I've been lazy so far so I'll have to work harder for it...'
At this rate, you'll finish the course in two weeks.
'I hope so...'
In fact, I'm honestly hoping to do my best and finish it in two weeks, because if I'm repeating such a hard routine, there's going to be some kind of repercussions.
''So, will you return to work up a sweat?''
''Hmmm.......maybe I should practice my magic a bit more.......''
Are you practicing your magic?
''Yeah, the light magic for attacks, it's taking too long to activate...''
'I see... how long is it taking you now?
'Well I'm going to give it a try...'
The beam attack with light-attribute magic is done by compressing the magic power, setting the aim, and converting the magic power into light at the moment of firing, so it takes nearly thirty seconds.
''I see, it's taking longer than an ordinary magician chanting.
'Yes, it's powerful, but it takes a long time and I'm not sure I can hit a moving target.
"How about supplementing the image with chanting?
Well I'd like to be able to activate it in a flash if I could.
Chanting to activate magic is an act that tickles my middle-aged mind, but considering the time loss, it's obviously better not to chant.
''Then how about assisting it with a bow-drawing motion?''
Action........I see, action....
To complement the image with the movement, I made my fingers into a pistol shape, focused my magic power on my fingertips, pointed at the target, aimed at the target, and repeatedly practiced firing.
This strategy was more effective than I expected, and I was able to shorten the time to activate it as I repeated the action more and more.
Concentration of magic power, aiming, and shooting out could be done in about three of one or two.
Yeah, I knew I had to practice the weapons I got so that I could use them.
With more practice, I think I can shrink the time down even more.
Just as I was thinking of cutting off practice tonight and going home, a visitor came to the training grounds.
'Master Kent, this is Rock Ogre.'
Yeah, four in all... Okay, Reinhardt, cover me if you can't get a shot off.
At one, two, three, one, two, three, my eyebrows glowed with a chink in my hand, and the rock ogre crumbled down without a voice.
One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, even though my hand glowed, it seemed that I couldn't understand what was happening, so I took it down without letting the rock ogre do anything.
''Keh, Kent-sama........''
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I stole all of Reinhardt's fun, I should have left him alone, sorry.
"No, no, I don't mind that, but are you willing to go through the four heads without any trouble?
Reinhardt looks like he's gobsmacked because I sidestepped the material that was just showing up to relieve his stress.
Oh no, I got carried away and did a bad thing.
After this, I finished bathing in the river while Reinhardt collected the magic stone and returned to the lodge.
Then, when I slumped into bed, I felt like it was time to get up in the next moment.
No, I'm sure it's about three hours in time, but it's too early, too early, and I feel like I'm completely back in time.
I'll manage to recover my condition by self-healing, but it feels like my hunger is doubled because of it.
Amanda also has a very normal breakfast menu, but I'm grateful that she prepares a stiff amount of food.
''Ummm ... yeah, but there's something fishy about Kent.
Oh, don't be suspicious, because if you're going to work hard today, you need to eat well.
Yeah, Kent's right. Come on, Meisa, go ahead and eat your breakfast.
Yes.....
Meisa is a little girl, but she has a strange intuition for being a little girl.
After finishing breakfast, I get ready and head to work.
I'm off to work, Amanda!
Kent, where are you going to work today?
Yes, I think I'm going to take a look at the building site of the city walls today.
Okay, great, well, have a safe trip.
Yes, I'm off!
After leaving the lodging house, we will not head to the guild today, but to the construction site of the city walls.
The city walls of Volzard are still under construction for an extension.
The construction site is recruiting workers from time to time, and only the work here is being hired and paid directly without going through the guild.
Also, those who take on work from outside the guild or do business in the city are obligated to pay taxes, but when they can't pay the taxes, they can pay with the labor for the construction of the city walls.
The walls of Volzard extend north and south along the Demon Forest, intersecting the city road.
The ramparts stretching north and south, with the walls surrounding the city in the shape of a U. The ramparts are built in the shape of a U.
It is said that the city of Volzade has grown by repeatedly building new walls around the new city outside the old city walls.
The construction work now underway is also being done to further enclose the newest city wall.
Those who take part in the construction work register at the entrance of the site, start working, and when the day is over, they get paid at the same place and leave.
The wall construction site is paid 350 hectares for a day's work, which is the same daily wage as in the Garm potato warehouse.
It's not a high daily wage, but a surprisingly large number of people take part in the work to protect their town.
Many of the men who live in the city come once a week, or at least once a month to help with the construction of the wall.
The reason I am joining the construction today is because Basten informed me that every windy day of the week there is a person attending the construction.
The intended person was standing with his arms crossed next to the receptionist at the entrance to the site.
'Good morning, Mr Klaus,'
Oh, hey, Kent, what's up, can't you give me a break?
'No, I heard about the construction of the walls and wanted to give back to the city in a small way, starting as an apprentice, but I'd appreciate it.
'Oh seriously, I know a lot of guys who drift into town, but I'm the first one who's ever said this to me, okay, I'll teach you in person, and you're going to have to work with me today.
Yeah! Is Mr. Claus going to be in the field as well?
'Of course, I only get to come in once a week or so, the foreman is supposed to be the foreman, I'm just one guy.
Mr. Kraus, who laughs with a power bump when he says that, really looks like a man in the field, not very much like a city lord.
According to Basten, Kraus-san shows up every week and sweats it out by mixing with the people in the field.
In fact, I can see that he's really used to the way he hangs the ropes to carry the stones, or the way the two of them sit together carrying the sticks and carrying the stones, and so on.
"See, Kent, you have to keep your back on the ground and carry the stone, because if your center of gravity is on top of the stone, it can cause you to stumble.
Yes. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, is this...?
'Baka! I'm not a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman.
Yes, yes, I understand.
I've been doing a lot of physical labor since I came to Volzard, and it's pretty hard to carry stones.
By noon, I was exhausted.
As usual, it seems to be difficult to get through the afternoon's work unless it heals itself.
Hey, you're in good spirits, old man!
All right, Kent, I'm gonna have lunch.
Heeee........well, it's tough........
Ha-ha-ha, right? Well, you're doing well for a first time.
Over lunch, I asked Klaus a frank question.
'Why do you even go out into the field and work on it when you're a lord?
'There's some things you can't know until you see them in person, but maybe there's some impatience to work here.
Impatience...?
'Yeah, I guess they're in a hurry to make Volzard as safe as possible and pass it on to the next generation...'
Is it because you're so close to the Devil's Forest?
'Yeah, it may look safe now, but it won't be safe tomorrow either, because there's no guarantee that the demons won't come in droves at any moment...'
The Demon Forest is said to produce a large number of demons once every few years or so.
The types of demons that multiply are different from time to time, mostly goblins and kobolds, but there are cases where more powerful demons increase.
Klaus-san told me about an event that happened eighteen years ago while drinking tea after dinner.
He said that eighteen years ago, a group of rock ogres from the Demon Forest approached Volzard.
Not to mention the soldiers of the garrison, adventurers who were skilled in battle, and even ordinary people fought with weapons in their hands.
At that time, the lord of Volzard was Klaus-san's brother, but at that time, a rock ogre that invaded the city claimed his life.
''Goblins are fine, but when it comes to a rock ogre, it's difficult to deal with it alone unless you're an A-ranked adventurer. At that time, I was able to manage it thanks to Donovan's efforts, but if the same thing happened to me now, the situation would be quite severe.
A rock auger is the one that Reinhardt killed three of in the blink of an eye, right? I mean, he's the guy who became an experiment in light magic last night, right?
Huh? So does that mean I'm as powerful as an A-ranked person?
Are rock ogres really that powerful of a demon?
The best thing about this is that it's usually not very common, but the body is big and strong, and as its name suggests, it's hard to get through with a sword or a spear. We're going to need at least three people to be able to get it done around Girik.
Is that so.............................so strong?
What's the matter, Kent, you got a little spooked?
''Eh ... well, that's just ... to think that someone like that came through the Demon Forest hanging around ...''
'Oh, I see, that one will certainly send a chill down your spine when you remember.
Yeah, the sight of blowing up a rock ogre's head like a balloon with a single knee kick or something like that sends chills down my spine even when I remember it.
It's really a good thing I'm on your side.
''Klaus-san, how many more years are you planning to complete this castle wall?
You'll never be ready.
'What? What, you're not going to finish it...?
'Well, this section of the city will be finished, but once this one is finished, the next one will start, so the walling should continue all the way through as the city grows.
'I see........the walls expand with the city, and the city grows with the walls.
'Yes, it's a job that will eventually be passed on from our generation to Kent and the others, and then back to the generations below.
I honestly thought Kraus' face as he looked at the castle walls under construction was the face of a man who was proud of his work, and I honestly thought he looked good.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
"Mr. Kent, please keep walking at a steady pace.
'Yeah? What's wrong, Reinhardt?
I was on my way back from the guild where I had successfully completed the daytime training course without three people and got a ticket to attend the wind day training.
Reinhardt spoke to me with a slightly alarming tone.
''As it is, he walked straight down and is being followed.
"Oh, wait... that's not...
'No, I don't think it's much, but just in case.
What is it, just in case, I'm terribly curious, but I don't turn around, I don't stop and aim for the boarding house.
''I heard you were being followed...''
Yes, but the four people who are following you are the ones who were with you in the last week's training course, so there's no need to worry about them. I was peeking at you from the shadows during the daytime class.
'd*mn it, both Manon and Ridnell said something like they had things to do.
'I suppose that's why you're following me around without being approached.
I heard that I was being followed, so for a moment I was surprised that someone was suspicious of my identity, but with those four people, there certainly didn't seem to be anything to worry about.
''But, why are they following us?''
"Master Kent must be trying to find out why he's grown so strong so quickly.
I'm sure you're right.
Well, I was walking back to the boarding house, wondering what was going on.
'Amanda, I'm back now!
Oh, welcome home Kent, dinner will have to wait a little longer!
Yes, I know!
I called out to Amanda and returned to my room, sinking into the shadows and heading to the alley where the four of us are hiding, peering through the shadows to see the four of us.
'Hey, Ridnell, isn't this Kent's boarding house?'
Yeah, maybe, but I don't know, maybe we'll train after dinner.
It appears that Ridnell and Manon are leading the tailspin.
'Hey, what kind of training do you think Kent is doing?'
'Well I don't think it's just a pretense, but maybe there's an adventurer of higher rank in the lodge.
Oh, I see. Do you have him training with you?
Yeah, maybe, but that's the most likely scenario.
Hmmm, you guys have pretty good instincts.
But living in a boarding house? You wouldn't think that the one who is doing this is a vicious skeleton.
Moreover, you wouldn't even think that the training ground is the Devil's Forest, would you?
''Well, what should we do now? Mr. Kent.
"Yes, I've got an idea for you...
I returned to my room with the shadow transfer and went down the stairs with my wooden sword in hand.
'Amanda-san, I'm swinging the wooden sword in the back, so please let me know when it's time for dinner.
I won't go. I'll be fine!
Ha-ha, that's good because good luck with that.
Yes!
Behind the boarding house is a backyard-like space surrounded by a communal well.
The four people lurking in the alley stood so that they were diagonally backwards and held their wooden swords in a flat straight line.
They stand with their wooden swords held without making the slightest movement as if they are trying to unify their minds, and then slowly move to the upper level and stop moving again.
From there, I swing my hips from side to side, cui, cui, cui, cui, cui, like a hula dancer.
From there, I step in quickly and swing my sword down.
''Eeeeeeee!''
When he returns to his right eye, he lowers his sword once, twists his head twice or three times, and then returns to his original position.
Once again, he slowly pulls his sword up from his right eye to the upper level, and this time his whole body shakes like kelp drifting in the sea, and then, sharply, he swings his sword down.
''No!''
When you have finished swinging, lower the sword and return to its original position while twisting your neck.
Repeat this, changing the motions along the way.
They try turning their hips around, swinging their swords back and forth, or moving their necks in a sniggering motion, and other movements that may seem strange to the four of us.
"Kent........what are you doing.......
Amanda's dumbfounded voice is what I've been waiting for.
'This? This is the practice of the most famous kendo dojo in the country I've lived in.
What? That's a weird move...?
If you're an inexperienced person like me, it looks like a weird move, but I've heard that the secret to the Kokubu style is in the hips.
Hips...
Of course, there is no Kokubu style, so it's a bit of a horseshit, but as I spoke confidently, Amanda stopped laughing and came to listen to me.
She said, "Yes, you can't swing a sword unless your waist is steady, but if your waist has a strange amount of strength, your movements will become stiff and you won't be able to swing as you want.
Huh... is that how it works?
No, I'm just trying to imitate what I'm seeing, but I'm told that it's all about balancing the weakness that softens the hips and the focus that keeps them firmly planted.
'Yes, I'm in a state where I understand or don't understand... I mean, I'm talking about reaching the realm of mastery when I fully understand this, so I don't think it's easy to understand.
'I see... well, a martial arts expert would be like a freak to an ordinary person, so it seems like we wouldn't be able to understand them.
'Yes, I'd rather have dinner than balance my hips, too.
Ha-ha, that's right, come on, wash your hands, we'll have dinner.
'Yes, we've been waiting for you, I'll leave my wooden sword!
I went upstairs to my room to put the wooden sword back.
'Reinhardt, how did the four of you fare?'
''Buhahahaha, Master Kent is a bad person too, all four of them held back their laughter at first, but when they heard about your talk with Lord Amanda, their eyes changed color, buhahahahaha.''
'You're being punished for abandoning me when Mr. Donovan spotted me, so go practice your kokub-style kunekune swordplay for a while.
The four of them went back to the house from the back alleyway to their namesake's house while I was eating dinner.
And as for me.....
Tonight, I'm going to work on self-healing in the Devil's Forest again.
The daytime course reminded me of my lack of actual battle experience, so I made the decision to step into the forbidden realm.
In other words........I decided to do a stand-off with Reinhardt.
To be honest, I thought it would be suicidal to confront a goblin or kobold or some other vicious skeleton that would blow up with a single blow, but I thought this would be the quickest way to free myself from Donovan-san's spell.
Maybe Donovan-san wouldn't release me until the Saturday Sunday training course that both the sorcerer and knight types do jointly.
From the dark day of the week, we'll start training with physical enhancements and magic, so I don't think he won't ask for me to go that far with the hazing decision.
As long as I can complete the training on the wind and Saturday days of the week, then I'll be free from the days of special training.
Then let's break through in two weeks, the shortest possible time.
I've told Reinhardt to take it easy, but there's still the risk that I might fail to prevent him from taking a hit.
So I decided to stand there and do it with my armor on.
I had a brand new leather helmet, body, basket and shin guards, all well equipped.
Eh? Where did you get this armor from?
It's a piece of equipment from the country that tried to get me to pay for my troubles and feed me to the demons, so my heart doesn't hurt at all.
So, the most important thing to remember is that we are all fighting against each other.
There should be one wooden sword but it looks like there are several, and there's no chance for us to strike from here.
"Wow.........wait.......wow.......
"You're late, you're late, Mr. Kent, and now you have to go on and on.
Wait ... wait ... wait ...
"No, no, no, I won't wait. Come on, come on, there's a gap!
Ahh.................
From the point of view of the fight with the rock ogre, it's probably just a playful move, but I couldn't deal with it at all, and I was rolled over after taking a blow to my body.
''Kent-sama, I'm sorry, but as long as we're doing the training, I'll make it strict.
Well, that's just what I want... to stop!
"Bu-ha-ha-ha, keep it up, Master Kent.
After that, I failed to take it again and again, I was smacked, beaten, pushed and rolled, punched and kicked away.
I failed to receive the blow and was beaten hard on my left thigh, and after recovering from the pain by self-healing and standing up, Reinhardt announced the end of the training.
''Kent-sama, I guess that's it for tonight.
Huh but thank you very much, Reinhardt.
"I'm surprised at how hard you worked, Master Kent, even in our day, but there were few who worked so hard.
'Huh but I've been lazy so far so I'll have to work harder for it...'
At this rate, you'll finish the course in two weeks.
'I hope so...'
In fact, I'm honestly hoping to do my best and finish it in two weeks, because if I'm repeating such a hard routine, there's going to be some kind of repercussions.
''So, will you return to work up a sweat?''
''Hmmm.......maybe I should practice my magic a bit more.......''
Are you practicing your magic?
''Yeah, the light magic for attacks, it's taking too long to activate...''
'I see... how long is it taking you now?
'Well I'm going to give it a try...'
The beam attack with light-attribute magic is done by compressing the magic power, setting the aim, and converting the magic power into light at the moment of firing, so it takes nearly thirty seconds.
''I see, it's taking longer than an ordinary magician chanting.
'Yes, it's powerful, but it takes a long time and I'm not sure I can hit a moving target.
"How about supplementing the image with chanting?
Well I'd like to be able to activate it in a flash if I could.
Chanting to activate magic is an act that tickles my middle-aged mind, but considering the time loss, it's obviously better not to chant.
''Then how about assisting it with a bow-drawing motion?''
Action........I see, action....
To complement the image with the movement, I made my fingers into a pistol shape, focused my magic power on my fingertips, pointed at the target, aimed at the target, and repeatedly practiced firing.
This strategy was more effective than I expected, and I was able to shorten the time to activate it as I repeated the action more and more.
Concentration of magic power, aiming, and shooting out could be done in about three of one or two.
Yeah, I knew I had to practice the weapons I got so that I could use them.
With more practice, I think I can shrink the time down even more.
Just as I was thinking of cutting off practice tonight and going home, a visitor came to the training grounds.
'Master Kent, this is Rock Ogre.'
Yeah, four in all... Okay, Reinhardt, cover me if you can't get a shot off.
At one, two, three, one, two, three, my eyebrows glowed with a chink in my hand, and the rock ogre crumbled down without a voice.
One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, even though my hand glowed, it seemed that I couldn't understand what was happening, so I took it down without letting the rock ogre do anything.
''Keh, Kent-sama........''
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I stole all of Reinhardt's fun, I should have left him alone, sorry.
"No, no, I don't mind that, but are you willing to go through the four heads without any trouble?
Reinhardt looks like he's gobsmacked because I sidestepped the material that was just showing up to relieve his stress.
Oh no, I got carried away and did a bad thing.
After this, I finished bathing in the river while Reinhardt collected the magic stone and returned to the lodge.
Then, when I slumped into bed, I felt like it was time to get up in the next moment.
No, I'm sure it's about three hours in time, but it's too early, too early, and I feel like I'm completely back in time.
I'll manage to recover my condition by self-healing, but it feels like my hunger is doubled because of it.
Amanda also has a very normal breakfast menu, but I'm grateful that she prepares a stiff amount of food.
''Ummm ... yeah, but there's something fishy about Kent.
Oh, don't be suspicious, because if you're going to work hard today, you need to eat well.
Yeah, Kent's right. Come on, Meisa, go ahead and eat your breakfast.
Yes.....
Meisa is a little girl, but she has a strange intuition for being a little girl.
After finishing breakfast, I get ready and head to work.
I'm off to work, Amanda!
Kent, where are you going to work today?
Yes, I think I'm going to take a look at the building site of the city walls today.
Okay, great, well, have a safe trip.
Yes, I'm off!
After leaving the lodging house, we will not head to the guild today, but to the construction site of the city walls.
The city walls of Volzard are still under construction for an extension.
The construction site is recruiting workers from time to time, and only the work here is being hired and paid directly without going through the guild.
Also, those who take on work from outside the guild or do business in the city are obligated to pay taxes, but when they can't pay the taxes, they can pay with the labor for the construction of the city walls.
The walls of Volzard extend north and south along the Demon Forest, intersecting the city road.
The ramparts stretching north and south, with the walls surrounding the city in the shape of a U. The ramparts are built in the shape of a U.
It is said that the city of Volzade has grown by repeatedly building new walls around the new city outside the old city walls.
The construction work now underway is also being done to further enclose the newest city wall.
Those who take part in the construction work register at the entrance of the site, start working, and when the day is over, they get paid at the same place and leave.
The wall construction site is paid 350 hectares for a day's work, which is the same daily wage as in the Garm potato warehouse.
It's not a high daily wage, but a surprisingly large number of people take part in the work to protect their town.
Many of the men who live in the city come once a week, or at least once a month to help with the construction of the wall.
The reason I am joining the construction today is because Basten informed me that every windy day of the week there is a person attending the construction.
The intended person was standing with his arms crossed next to the receptionist at the entrance to the site.
'Good morning, Mr Klaus,'
Oh, hey, Kent, what's up, can't you give me a break?
'No, I heard about the construction of the walls and wanted to give back to the city in a small way, starting as an apprentice, but I'd appreciate it.
'Oh seriously, I know a lot of guys who drift into town, but I'm the first one who's ever said this to me, okay, I'll teach you in person, and you're going to have to work with me today.
Yeah! Is Mr. Claus going to be in the field as well?
'Of course, I only get to come in once a week or so, the foreman is supposed to be the foreman, I'm just one guy.
Mr. Kraus, who laughs with a power bump when he says that, really looks like a man in the field, not very much like a city lord.
According to Basten, Kraus-san shows up every week and sweats it out by mixing with the people in the field.
In fact, I can see that he's really used to the way he hangs the ropes to carry the stones, or the way the two of them sit together carrying the sticks and carrying the stones, and so on.
"See, Kent, you have to keep your back on the ground and carry the stone, because if your center of gravity is on top of the stone, it can cause you to stumble.
Yes. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, is this...?
'Baka! I'm not a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman.
Yes, yes, I understand.
I've been doing a lot of physical labor since I came to Volzard, and it's pretty hard to carry stones.
By noon, I was exhausted.
As usual, it seems to be difficult to get through the afternoon's work unless it heals itself.
Hey, you're in good spirits, old man!
All right, Kent, I'm gonna have lunch.
Heeee........well, it's tough........
Ha-ha-ha, right? Well, you're doing well for a first time.
Over lunch, I asked Klaus a frank question.
'Why do you even go out into the field and work on it when you're a lord?
'There's some things you can't know until you see them in person, but maybe there's some impatience to work here.
Impatience...?
'Yeah, I guess they're in a hurry to make Volzard as safe as possible and pass it on to the next generation...'
Is it because you're so close to the Devil's Forest?
'Yeah, it may look safe now, but it won't be safe tomorrow either, because there's no guarantee that the demons won't come in droves at any moment...'
The Demon Forest is said to produce a large number of demons once every few years or so.
The types of demons that multiply are different from time to time, mostly goblins and kobolds, but there are cases where more powerful demons increase.
Klaus-san told me about an event that happened eighteen years ago while drinking tea after dinner.
He said that eighteen years ago, a group of rock ogres from the Demon Forest approached Volzard.
Not to mention the soldiers of the garrison, adventurers who were skilled in battle, and even ordinary people fought with weapons in their hands.
At that time, the lord of Volzard was Klaus-san's brother, but at that time, a rock ogre that invaded the city claimed his life.
''Goblins are fine, but when it comes to a rock ogre, it's difficult to deal with it alone unless you're an A-ranked adventurer. At that time, I was able to manage it thanks to Donovan's efforts, but if the same thing happened to me now, the situation would be quite severe.
A rock auger is the one that Reinhardt killed three of in the blink of an eye, right? I mean, he's the guy who became an experiment in light magic last night, right?
Huh? So does that mean I'm as powerful as an A-ranked person?
Are rock ogres really that powerful of a demon?
The best thing about this is that it's usually not very common, but the body is big and strong, and as its name suggests, it's hard to get through with a sword or a spear. We're going to need at least three people to be able to get it done around Girik.
Is that so.............................so strong?
What's the matter, Kent, you got a little spooked?
''Eh ... well, that's just ... to think that someone like that came through the Demon Forest hanging around ...''
'Oh, I see, that one will certainly send a chill down your spine when you remember.
Yeah, the sight of blowing up a rock ogre's head like a balloon with a single knee kick or something like that sends chills down my spine even when I remember it.
It's really a good thing I'm on your side.
''Klaus-san, how many more years are you planning to complete this castle wall?
You'll never be ready.
'What? What, you're not going to finish it...?
'Well, this section of the city will be finished, but once this one is finished, the next one will start, so the walling should continue all the way through as the city grows.
'I see........the walls expand with the city, and the city grows with the walls.
'Yes, it's a job that will eventually be passed on from our generation to Kent and the others, and then back to the generations below.
I honestly thought Kraus' face as he looked at the castle walls under construction was the face of a man who was proud of his work, and I honestly thought he looked good.
"Mr. Kent, please keep walking at a steady pace.'Yeah? What's wrong, Reinhardt?I was on my way back from the guild where I had successfully completed the daytime training course without three people and got a ticket to attend the wind day training.Reinhardt spoke to me with a slightly alarming tone.''As it is, he walked straight down and is being followed."Oh, wait... that's not...'No, I don't think it's much, but just in case.What is it, just in case, I'm terribly curious, but I don't turn around, I don't stop and aim for the boarding house.''I heard you were being followed...''Yes, but the four people who are following you are the ones who were with you in the last week's training course, so there's no need to worry about them.I was peeking at you from the shadows during the daytime class.'d*mn it, both Manon and Ridnell said something like they had things to do.'I suppose that's why you're following me around without being approached.I heard that I was being followed, so for a moment I was surprised that someone was suspicious of my identity, but with those four people, there certainly didn't seem to be anything to worry about.''But, why are they following us?''"Master Kent must be trying to find out why he's grown so strong so quickly.I'm sure you're right.Well, I was walking back to the boarding house, wondering what was going on.'Amanda, I'm back now!Oh, welcome home Kent, dinner will have to wait a little longer!Yes, I know!I called out to Amanda and returned to my room, sinking into the shadows and heading to the alley where the four of us are hiding, peering through the shadows to see the four of us.'Hey, Ridnell, isn't this Kent's boarding house?'Yeah, maybe, but I don't know, maybe we'll train after dinner.It appears that Ridnell and Manon are leading the tailspin.'Hey, what kind of training do you think Kent is doing?''Well I don't think it's just a pretense, but maybe there's an adventurer of higher rank in the lodge.Oh, I see. Do you have him training with you?Yeah, maybe, but that's the most likely scenario.Hmmm, you guys have pretty good instincts.But living in a boarding house? You wouldn't think that the one who is doing this is a vicious skeleton.Moreover, you wouldn't even think that the training ground is the Devil's Forest, would you?''Well, what should we do now? Mr. Kent."Yes, I've got an idea for you...I returned to my room with the shadow transfer and went down the stairs with my wooden sword in hand.'Amanda-san, I'm swinging the wooden sword in the back, so please let me know when it's time for dinner.I won't go. I'll be fine!Ha-ha, that's good because good luck with that.Yes!Behind the boarding house is a backyard-like space surrounded by a communal well.The four people lurking in the alley stood so that they were diagonally backwards and held their wooden swords in a flat straight line.They stand with their wooden swords held without making the slightest movement as if they are trying to unify their minds, and then slowly move to the upper level and stop moving again.From there, I swing my hips from side to side, cui, cui, cui, cui, cui, like a hula dancer.From there, I step in quickly and swing my sword down.''Eeeeeeee!''When he returns to his right eye, he lowers his sword once, twists his head twice or three times, and then returns to his original position.Once again, he slowly pulls his sword up from his right eye to the upper level, and this time his whole body shakes like kelp drifting in the sea, and then, sharply, he swings his sword down.''No!''When you have finished swinging, lower the sword and return to its original position while twisting your neck.Repeat this, changing the motions along the way.They try turning their hips around, swinging their swords back and forth, or moving their necks in a sniggering motion, and other movements that may seem strange to the four of us."Kent........what are you doing.......Amanda's dumbfounded voice is what I've been waiting for.'This? This is the practice of the most famous kendo dojo in the country I've lived in.What? That's a weird move...?If you're an inexperienced person like me, it looks like a weird move, but I've heard that the secret to the Kokubu style is in the hips.Hips...Of course, there is no Kokubu style, so it's a bit of a horseshit, but as I spoke confidently, Amanda stopped laughing and came to listen to me.She said, "Yes, you can't swing a sword unless your waist is steady, but if your waist has a strange amount of strength, your movements will become stiff and you won't be able to swing as you want.Huh... is that how it works?No, I'm just trying to imitate what I'm seeing, but I'm told that it's all about balancing the weakness that softens the hips and the focus that keeps them firmly planted.'Yes, I'm in a state where I understand or don't understand... I mean, I'm talking about reaching the realm of mastery when I fully understand this, so I don't think it's easy to understand.'I see... well, a martial arts expert would be like a freak to an ordinary person, so it seems like we wouldn't be able to understand them.'Yes, I'd rather have dinner than balance my hips, too.Ha-ha, that's right, come on, wash your hands, we'll have dinner.'Yes, we've been waiting for you, I'll leave my wooden sword!I went upstairs to my room to put the wooden sword back.'Reinhardt, how did the four of you fare?'''Buhahahaha, Master Kent is a bad person too, all four of them held back their laughter at first, but when they heard about your talk with Lord Amanda, their eyes changed color, buhahahahaha.'''You're being punished for abandoning me when Mr. Donovan spotted me, so go practice your kokub-style kunekune swordplay for a while.The four of them went back to the house from the back alleyway to their namesake's house while I was eating dinner.And as for me.....Tonight, I'm going to work on self-healing in the Devil's Forest again.The daytime course reminded me of my lack of actual battle experience, so I made the decision to step into the forbidden realm.In other words........I decided to do a stand-off with Reinhardt.To be honest, I thought it would be suicidal to confront a goblin or kobold or some other vicious skeleton that would blow up with a single blow, but I thought this would be the quickest way to free myself from Donovan-san's spell.Maybe Donovan-san wouldn't release me until the Saturday Sunday training course that both the sorcerer and knight types do jointly.From the dark day of the week, we'll start training with physical enhancements and magic, so I don't think he won't ask for me to go that far with the hazing decision.As long as I can complete the training on the wind and Saturday days of the week, then I'll be free from the days of special training.Then let's break through in two weeks, the shortest possible time.I've told Reinhardt to take it easy, but there's still the risk that I might fail to prevent him from taking a hit.So I decided to stand there and do it with my armor on.I had a brand new leather helmet, body, basket and shin guards, all well equipped.Eh? Where did you get this armor from?It's a piece of equipment from the country that tried to get me to pay for my troubles and feed me to the demons, so my heart doesn't hurt at all.So, the most important thing to remember is that we are all fighting against each other.There should be one wooden sword but it looks like there are several, and there's no chance for us to strike from here."Wow.........wait.......wow......."You're late, you're late, Mr. Kent, and now you have to go on and on.Wait ... wait ... wait ..."No, no, no, I won't wait. Come on, come on, there's a gap!Ahh.................From the point of view of the fight with the rock ogre, it's probably just a playful move, but I couldn't deal with it at all, and I was rolled over after taking a blow to my body.''Kent-sama, I'm sorry, but as long as we're doing the training, I'll make it strict.Well, that's just what I want... to stop!"Bu-ha-ha-ha, keep it up, Master Kent.After that, I failed to take it again and again, I was smacked, beaten, pushed and rolled, punched and kicked away.I failed to receive the blow and was beaten hard on my left thigh, and after recovering from the pain by self-healing and standing up, Reinhardt announced the end of the training.''Kent-sama, I guess that's it for tonight.Huh but thank you very much, Reinhardt."I'm surprised at how hard you worked, Master Kent, even in our day, but there were few who worked so hard.'Huh but I've been lazy so far so I'll have to work harder for it...'At this rate, you'll finish the course in two weeks.'I hope so...'In fact, I'm honestly hoping to do my best and finish it in two weeks, because if I'm repeating such a hard routine, there's going to be some kind of repercussions.''So, will you return to work up a sweat?''''Hmmm.......maybe I should practice my magic a bit more.......''Are you practicing your magic?''Yeah, the light magic for attacks, it's taking too long to activate...'''I see... how long is it taking you now?'Well I'm going to give it a try...'The beam attack with light-attribute magic is done by compressing the magic power, setting the aim, and converting the magic power into light at the moment of firing, so it takes nearly thirty seconds.''I see, it's taking longer than an ordinary magician chanting.'Yes, it's powerful, but it takes a long time and I'm not sure I can hit a moving target."How about supplementing the image with chanting?Well I'd like to be able to activate it in a flash if I could.Chanting to activate magic is an act that tickles my middle-aged mind, but considering the time loss, it's obviously better not to chant.''Then how about assisting it with a bow-drawing motion?''Action........I see, action....To complement the image with the movement, I made my fingers into a pistol shape, focused my magic power on my fingertips, pointed at the target, aimed at the target, and repeatedly practiced firing.This strategy was more effective than I expected, and I was able to shorten the time to activate it as I repeated the action more and more.Concentration of magic power, aiming, and shooting out could be done in about three of one or two.Yeah, I knew I had to practice the weapons I got so that I could use them.With more practice, I think I can shrink the time down even more.Just as I was thinking of cutting off practice tonight and going home, a visitor came to the training grounds.'Master Kent, this is Rock Ogre.'Yeah, four in all... Okay, Reinhardt, cover me if you can't get a shot off.At one, two, three, one, two, three, my eyebrows glowed with a chink in my hand, and the rock ogre crumbled down without a voice.One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, even though my hand glowed, it seemed that I couldn't understand what was happening, so I took it down without letting the rock ogre do anything.''Keh, Kent-sama........''Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I stole all of Reinhardt's fun, I should have left him alone, sorry."No, no, I don't mind that, but are you willing to go through the four heads without any trouble?Reinhardt looks like he's gobsmacked because I sidestepped the material that was just showing up to relieve his stress.Oh no, I got carried away and did a bad thing.After this, I finished bathing in the river while Reinhardt collected the magic stone and returned to the lodge.Then, when I slumped into bed, I felt like it was time to get up in the next moment.No, I'm sure it's about three hours in time, but it's too early, too early, and I feel like I'm completely back in time.I'll manage to recover my condition by self-healing, but it feels like my hunger is doubled because of it.Amanda also has a very normal breakfast menu, but I'm grateful that she prepares a stiff amount of food.''Ummm ... yeah, but there's something fishy about Kent.Oh, don't be suspicious, because if you're going to work hard today, you need to eat well.Yeah, Kent's right. Come on, Meisa, go ahead and eat your breakfast.Yes.....Meisa is a little girl, but she has a strange intuition for being a little girl.After finishing breakfast, I get ready and head to work.I'm off to work, Amanda!Kent, where are you going to work today?Yes, I think I'm going to take a look at the building site of the city walls today.Okay, great, well, have a safe trip.Yes, I'm off!After leaving the lodging house, we will not head to the guild today, but to the construction site of the city walls.The city walls of Volzard are still under construction for an extension.The construction site is recruiting workers from time to time, and only the work here is being hired and paid directly without going through the guild.Also, those who take on work from outside the guild or do business in the city are obligated to pay taxes, but when they can't pay the taxes, they can pay with the labor for the construction of the city walls.The walls of Volzard extend north and south along the Demon Forest, intersecting the city road.The ramparts stretching north and south, with the walls surrounding the city in the shape of a U. The ramparts are built in the shape of a U.It is said that the city of Volzade has grown by repeatedly building new walls around the new city outside the old city walls.The construction work now underway is also being done to further enclose the newest city wall.Those who take part in the construction work register at the entrance of the site, start working, and when the day is over, they get paid at the same place and leave.The wall construction site is paid 350 hectares for a day's work, which is the same daily wage as in the Garm potato warehouse.It's not a high daily wage, but a surprisingly large number of people take part in the work to protect their town.Many of the men who live in the city come once a week, or at least once a month to help with the construction of the wall.The reason I am joining the construction today is because Basten informed me that every windy day of the week there is a person attending the construction.The intended person was standing with his arms crossed next to the receptionist at the entrance to the site.'Good morning, Mr Klaus,'Oh, hey, Kent, what's up, can't you give me a break?'No, I heard about the construction of the walls and wanted to give back to the city in a small way, starting as an apprentice, but I'd appreciate it.'Oh seriously, I know a lot of guys who drift into town, but I'm the first one who's ever said this to me, okay, I'll teach you in person, and you're going to have to work with me today.Yeah! Is Mr. Claus going to be in the field as well?'Of course, I only get to come in once a week or so, the foreman is supposed to be the foreman, I'm just one guy.Mr. Kraus, who laughs with a power bump when he says that, really looks like a man in the field, not very much like a city lord.According to Basten, Kraus-san shows up every week and sweats it out by mixing with the people in the field.In fact, I can see that he's really used to the way he hangs the ropes to carry the stones, or the way the two of them sit together carrying the sticks and carrying the stones, and so on."See, Kent, you have to keep your back on the ground and carry the stone, because if your center of gravity is on top of the stone, it can cause you to stumble.Yes. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, is this...?'Baka! I'm not a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman, I'm a good old woman.Yes, yes, I understand.I've been doing a lot of physical labor since I came to Volzard, and it's pretty hard to carry stones.By noon, I was exhausted.As usual, it seems to be difficult to get through the afternoon's work unless it heals itself.Hey, you're in good spirits, old man!All right, Kent, I'm gonna have lunch.Heeee........well, it's tough........Ha-ha-ha, right? Well, you're doing well for a first time.Over lunch, I asked Klaus a frank question.'Why do you even go out into the field and work on it when you're a lord?'There's some things you can't know until you see them in person, but maybe there's some impatience to work here.Impatience...?'Yeah, I guess they're in a hurry to make Volzard as safe as possible and pass it on to the next generation...'Is it because you're so close to the Devil's Forest?'Yeah, it may look safe now, but it won't be safe tomorrow either, because there's no guarantee that the demons won't come in droves at any moment...'The Demon Forest is said to produce a large number of demons once every few years or so.The types of demons that multiply are different from time to time, mostly goblins and kobolds, but there are cases where more powerful demons increase.Klaus-san told me about an event that happened eighteen years ago while drinking tea after dinner.He said that eighteen years ago, a group of rock ogres from the Demon Forest approached Volzard.Not to mention the soldiers of the garrison, adventurers who were skilled in battle, and even ordinary people fought with weapons in their hands.At that time, the lord of Volzard was Klaus-san's brother, but at that time, a rock ogre that invaded the city claimed his life.''Goblins are fine, but when it comes to a rock ogre, it's difficult to deal with it alone unless you're an A-ranked adventurer.At that time, I was able to manage it thanks to Donovan's efforts, but if the same thing happened to me now, the situation would be quite severe.A rock auger is the one that Reinhardt killed three of in the blink of an eye, right? I mean, he's the guy who became an experiment in light magic last night, right?Huh? So does that mean I'm as powerful as an A-ranked person?Are rock ogres really that powerful of a demon?The best thing about this is that it's usually not very common, but the body is big and strong, and as its name suggests, it's hard to get through with a sword or a spear.We're going to need at least three people to be able to get it done around Girik.Is that so.............................so strong?What's the matter, Kent, you got a little spooked?''Eh ... well, that's just ... to think that someone like that came through the Demon Forest hanging around ...'''Oh, I see, that one will certainly send a chill down your spine when you remember.Yeah, the sight of blowing up a rock ogre's head like a balloon with a single knee kick or something like that sends chills down my spine even when I remember it.It's really a good thing I'm on your side.''Klaus-san, how many more years are you planning to complete this castle wall?You'll never be ready.'What? What, you're not going to finish it...?'Well, this section of the city will be finished, but once this one is finished, the next one will start, so the walling should continue all the way through as the city grows.'I see........the walls expand with the city, and the city grows with the walls.'Yes, it's a job that will eventually be passed on from our generation to Kent and the others, and then back to the generations below.I honestly thought Kraus' face as he looked at the castle walls under construction was the face of a man who was proud of his work, and I honestly thought he looked good.
