Ch.12Blue Wing

Flora, Theo, and Seorin arrived at the Blue Wing Knights’ headquarters with Karnok. Since it was a place where all the knights’ main activities—training and duties—were carried out, the building grounds were extremely vast.

Karnok led the three deeper into the headquarters. As they walked, he spoke.

“You’ll be provided with basic supplies for daily life, so make sure to keep track of them. If you lose anything, you’ll have to find replacements yourself until the next supply distribution, so write your names on them at least.”

Despite talking about providing supplies, Karnok simply tossed each of them a bag. One for each of the three. The bags they received were quite heavy.

Karnok watched them and chuckled lightly.

“I put everything in there because it’s too bothersome to hand things out individually. Pretty impressive, right?”

Seorin opened her bag at Karnok’s words. Inside the heavy bag, various items were crammed together.

“Activity uniforms and training clothes will be distributed after we take your measurements, so keep that in mind. The official knight uniforms won’t be ready until next week.”

“Um, I heard that all knights wear full plate armor… Will we be able to wear it too?” Theo asked.

Karnok nodded as if it were obvious. “Of course. However, production only begins after you successfully complete your first mission.”

“Ah… Why is that?”

“Because if you die, it becomes unnecessary.”

In other words, they needed to prove their worth by successfully completing their first mission. Seorin nodded at Karnok’s words.

Karnok moved to the next location and measured the three people’s body sizes.

After finishing the measurements, Karnok took out training clothes and activity uniforms and said, “Seorin is the smallest…”

“I’ll grow soon.”

Having finished their business, Karnok and Seorin’s group immediately moved to the next location.

It was the dead of night when everyone else was asleep. No one could be seen roaming the headquarters. Only the footsteps of Karnok and Seorin’s group echoed through the empty corridors.

The next place they arrived at was the living quarters. Karnok stood in front of the building and said, “The right side is for women, the left side for men. Find your rooms according to the number tags attached to your bags.”

Seorin checked the back of her bag at Karnok’s instruction. As he had said, there was a small number tag along with a blue wing mark.

Seorin’s number was 204, and Fel Flora’s was 205.

Seorin was the first to move. The girl was accustomed to accepting and adapting to changes. Those in her tribe who couldn’t adapt had all perished.

“Ah, let’s go together!”

Flora moved next, followed by Theo. Theo headed to the left, while the other two walked to the right and entered the living quarters.

The interior was extremely dark. The faint moonlight streaming through the windows was the only illumination. However, this wasn’t a problem for Seorin. She had good night vision.

Seorin walked confidently through the wide-open corridor.

She found room 204. Flora’s room, number 205, was right next to hers.

Click-

After opening the door and entering the room, Seorin began organizing her belongings. There were many storage spaces including drawers, but Seorin was unfamiliar with such things. So she didn’t use them.

Seorin laid out all the clothes she would wear outside, specifically on the table. Then she pushed the bag under the bed.

This was what Seorin considered the optimal setup.

At that moment, Seorin’s gaze fell upon a small book placed on the table.

Seorin was illiterate. Naturally, she couldn’t read the words written in the book. The book that had been placed on the table was thrown under the bed.

***

The next morning, Seorin realized she had woken up later than usual. It was because the dormitory bed was too soft.

As soon as she got up from bed, her natural breathing began. The White Ermine Tribe’s “White Ermine Breathing” was effective even in daily life.

Her stiff muscles naturally loosened, and vitality began to flow through her body. Fatigue naturally dissipated as clarity filled her eyes.

[Knock knock]

At that moment, a light knock came from beyond the closed door. It was a sound she had heard once before. Seorin recalled a scene she had witnessed at an inn.

It was the innkeeper repeatedly knocking on a closed door. Afterward, the guest inside opened the door and came out.

‘It means they want me to open the door.’

Seorin got up and opened the door. Karnok was standing there.

“Oh, you’re already up?”

“What is it?”

“What do you mean ‘what is it’… Didn’t you read the book that was in your room?”

“Ah…”

Seorin recalled the book she had thrown under the bed at Karnok’s question. Of course, she hadn’t read it. She couldn’t read.

“I’ll wait, so change into your activity uniform and bring your sword. I’ll tell you what you need to do from now on. Oh, bring just one sword.”

After saying that, Karnok headed to Seorin’s neighboring room. He was going to tell Flora the same thing.

About five minutes passed after Karnok delivered his message. Seorin came out first, followed by Flora.

Karnok led the two out of the living quarters. Theo was waiting outside. Like Flora and Seorin, he had changed into his activity uniform.

Karnok spoke.

“I’ll be guiding you for the next week. You all know my name from yesterday, right?”

“Yes!”

While Seorin and Flora just nodded, Theo answered energetically. Karnok nodded with a satisfied smile at his response.

“You don’t need to be so formal. Unlike other knight orders, we don’t place much importance on formalities. Just maintain basic courtesy.”

“Ah, I see…”

Karnok turned and started walking. The three, reading the situation, naturally followed behind him.

Karnok began explaining the basics as he led the three around.

“This is the dining hall. Breakfast isn’t provided separately, so make sure to get it yourselves, but be sure to come at the designated times for lunch and dinner.”

“This is the library. You can use it freely during any time outside of duty hours. If you can’t find a book you want here, ask the librarian separately.”

“This is the training ground. Anyone can use it freely after duty hours. You can train or spar with others.”

Seorin kept looking around as she followed Karnok. She was trying to find a place like a storage room where other people’s used swords might be collected.

Of course, if she looked, such a place would exist somewhere. It just wasn’t visible right now.

The morning passed like that.

In the afternoon, formal sword training began. Theo, Flora, and Seorin were to learn a sword technique called “The Empire’s Dawn.”

“What you’ll be learning is a sword technique called The Empire’s Dawn. It’s the basic technique that everyone who joins the Imperial Knights learns.”

“Do we have to learn that?”

“I share the same opinion.”

These were questions from the other two, excluding Seorin. Most people who first join the knights show this kind of reaction. Karnok nodded as if he was used to it.

“You’ll understand why soon enough. Just learn it for now.”

The Empire’s Dawn consisted of five movements in total. Because it didn’t have many movements and wasn’t complicated, it was a sword technique that anyone could learn if they put in the time.

“The movements are not large and are concise. That’s why it’s easy to learn, and the transitions between movements are flexible.”

Seorin, Theo, and Flora followed the five movements without much difficulty.

“Seorin’s posture is the best. Theo and Flora, relax a bit more; unconsciously, elements of other sword techniques are showing through.”

Karnok tilted his head and carefully observed Seorin. No other sword technique forms were showing through. Though her posture was somewhat awkward, it had a clean feel to it.

It was in contrast to the other two, whose forms were awkwardly mixed with other techniques.

Two hours passed like that. Karnok stepped forward with an expression suggesting that this was enough.

“Everyone, pay attention. Now I’ll tell you why you need to learn The Empire’s Dawn.”

Karnok said this as he drew his sword.

Shing-

The drawn sword reflected the sunlight, scattering a clear backlight. The sword was then pointed at Seorin, Theo, and Flora.

“Come at me, all three of you together. You can use your original sword techniques or The Empire’s Dawn that you just learned. However, using mana is prohibited.”

Among the three, Seorin was the first to point her sword. Without a moment’s hesitation, she began to emit a sharp aura.

“Oh…”

As Karnok expressed admiration at her demeanor, Flora and Theo also pointed their swords.

“Then begin-!”

As Karnok signaled the start, Seorin, Theo, and Flora leaped in simultaneously. At that moment, the three naturally realized something.

That they were major hindrances to each other’s movements.

“Ugh…!”

“T-this…!”

Karnok handled the three with ease. He even had one hand behind his back and was smiling. That’s how poor the three’s combined attack was.

Seorin exhaled deeply and stepped back. She was familiar with situations like this. She had spent her life hunting in the snow-white plains with her siblings.

‘It feels like hunting with young, inexperienced hunters…’

Even when she tried to find an opening, none appeared. This was because Theo and Flora would jump in and interfere. Seorin sighed in frustration.

“H-hey! Move aside for a moment!”

Clang-!

Theo’s sword, swung belatedly, struck Flora’s sword. The two staggered and fell to their knees.

With that, the sparring naturally came to a halt. Karnok waited for Theo and Flora to get up before speaking.

“I’m sure you all realize what the problem is?”

Theo, Flora, and Seorin nodded.

“This time, use The Empire’s Dawn.”

After Karnok finished speaking, the sparring began again.

Unlike earlier, when they were awkward from the first attack, this time the three’s movements meshed naturally.

As Seorin’s sword aimed for the upper section, Theo’s sword targeted Karnok’s middle section. Right after, Flora’s sword prepared a sharp thrust, diving into Karnok’s opening.

At that moment, Karnok smiled and stomped his foot.

Boom-!

The force that started from his leg pressed down on the ground, emitting a strong shockwave. Seorin and the other two couldn’t withstand the impact and had to step back.

Karnok said:

“By using the same sword technique, you can read each other’s movements. It’s the best training for reading your comrades’ breathing and timing to coordinate. Remember, the Blue Wing Knights don’t fight alone.”

Karnok said this while lightly spinning the sword in his hand. The sight of the sword rotating freely in his hand was unparalleled.

With a smile, Karnok continued:

“Until you get used to coordinated attacks, using your original sword techniques is prohibited. Understood?”