Ch.322EP.69 – The Knight Cheers on the Youth (2)

When the first-year cadets were being run ragged by their sadistic instructor, the newly promoted second-year cadets were…

“Wow, this place has changed, hasn’t it?”

“It feels wider and sturdier now.”

“It seemed completely empty just yesterday…”

The tunnel their instructor had dug.

This was the tunnel connecting the Academy to the mountain behind the instructor’s house, some dozens of kilometers away.

While it was certainly impressive last year, now the space had expanded so much that it could not only serve as a tunnel but potentially as a shelter for about a thousand people.

That made it even more astonishing.

The fact that such an enormous tunnel had been constructed by just one person.

“It’s not that impressive. With some time and consistent effort, any of you could do this. What can’t humans accomplish with effort?”

“N-no, this isn’t something that can be done just with effort…”

“Spare me the flattery.”

“It’s not flattery…”

Ihan looked at the cadets with fresh eyes.

‘They all showed up?’

Of course, he’d heard that they all passed the promotion exam last year, but honestly, he expected some of them to skip class.

Especially since in other departments, most noble cadets who advanced to second year reportedly sent notices of absence, but here…

“Why did you all come?”

One hundred percent attendance. Ihan could only tilt his head, wondering why his department’s students were so diligent.

“Shouldn’t nobles be boycotting classes like proper nobles, gambling in casinos or causing trouble at parties…?”

“I-Instructor, you seem to be muttering quietly, but we can hear everything.”

“Hmm, are you having financial difficulties at home?”

“Our families are all doing fine. And Instructor, that’s discriminatory against nobles.”

“Then why are you so diligently attending class?”

“…I think you’re the only educator who would criticize students for diligently seeking knowledge by attending class.”

The noble cadets all wore expressions of disbelief, and Ihan shrugged.

“Fine, whatever. If you think you won’t be attending later, let me know in advance. Don’t just not show up without saying anything. I might get worried and raid your family estate.”

“…I’ll be sure to inform you. I’d rather not see my family ruined in my generation.”

“Such exaggeration, this is why nobles are…”

“…Please stop the noble hatred, I beg you.”

After teasing his students whom he hadn’t seen in a while, creating a warm atmosphere, he then—

“—But I don’t really have anything to teach you anymore.”

“???”

He suddenly declared his refusal to teach.

* * *

Of course, Ihan hadn’t made such a statement simply because he was lazy.

Literally.

“I’ve already taught you everything.”

He was saying this because there was nothing more he could teach ‘at present.’

Ihan had taught the cadets the basics of Gyeong (勁).

A unique training method and body strengthening technique different from Tugibeop, developed by Ihan himself.

Well, only the commoner cadets and a few others had seriously mastered it, but he had still provided the rest with customized physical and strength training, and…

“You can all use Geumgang now, right?”

“Y-yes. Though it’s not as sturdy as the bears’…”

“To what extent?”

“Well, I can only reinforce parts of my body. I can’t do full-body reinforcement like you, Instructor.”

When Ihan asked as if checking on their assignment progress, they nodded while simultaneously showing reluctance.

Geumgang (金剛).

An essential technique for anyone who has learned Gyeong from Ihan.

It might seem difficult for those who learned Tugibeop, but considering that he taught it to his knight comrade Jake and his junior Yord who used it quite well, it was clear that with the right approach, it wasn’t difficult to use.

However, as Jake had said:

– “I can’t replicate all your techniques, can I?”

– “Absolutely impossible. At most, one or two? That’s the limit of what can be recreated with Tugibeop. If you try to imitate more, you lose the advantages of Tugibeop, and your body’s balance could be disrupted.”

In the end, Tugibeop is a form of magic arts.

Translating Jake’s statement into something easier for him to understand: trying to forcibly perform Shaolin martial arts with magic arts could risk driving oneself mad.

Learning both Gyeong and Tugibeop simultaneously and growing them to similar levels would be the key to maintaining the advantages of both, but as far as Ihan knew, fewer than five people had the talent to pull off such a feat, and unfortunately, his disciples didn’t fall into that category.

Even so.

“Keep practicing. If you master it well, it’s quite decent.”

What’s wrong with being able to learn even one or two techniques?

This was Ihan’s positive statement, but the cadets let out hollow laughs.

“It’s far beyond just ‘decent,’ isn’t it?”

Though called the most basic technique, those who had learned it knew.

That while it was easy to learn, mastering it was extremely difficult.

Learning itself was simple, but due to the high level of concentration required to execute it, it took about 15 minutes of preparation to first deploy it, and the technique would immediately dissipate if concentration wavered even slightly.

Furthermore, it consumed stamina in real-time, and using it for just three minutes felt like running ten laps around the field at full speed, and if one pushed too hard, the next day would bring muscle pain throughout the body, making even walking difficult!

‘It’s an insane technique.’

Simple, but consuming so many resources.

Moreover, Ihan, who could deploy this technique as naturally as breathing and use it all day if he wanted, didn’t seem like a normal human being.

And it wasn’t just the young masters who had only learned Geumgang who complained about these difficulties; the bears who focused solely on Gyeong felt the same way.

‘I wish I didn’t have to drink potions the next day. It hurts every time I use it.’

‘Maybe the reason Instructor’s body is so large is for deploying Geumgang?’

‘How can he move while using Geumgang? My body doesn’t move at all…’

They were still stuck on Geumgang.

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say they could only learn Geumgang.

‘How do you perform Gungshintanyeong? I mean, what does it mean to make your entire body like an arrow and advance like being shot?’

‘What is this Baekboshinkwon? Won’t my arm shatter first if I try it?’

‘How is this supposed to be easy?’

Thus, the techniques Ihan openly taught them to learn each required an absurd level of stamina, strength, and “fundamentals.”

Without possessing formidable fundamentals, it was difficult even to use them, let alone deploy them.

So.

“That’s why I have nothing more to teach. You haven’t even digested what I’ve fed you yet, so what more should I teach? You’re now in the mastery phase. At least… our brave barbarian, step forward.”

“You mean Kunta?”

“Yes, tense your neck and forehead.”

“?”

THWACK!

…In an instant, Kunta’s waist bent like a bow.

Physically, that is.

A flick.

Kunta’s body bent from a flick that couldn’t have been lighter, as Ihan recreated the power of a bullet with a mere finger flick.

“Ow, that hurts…”

“You’ve learned well. Your Geumgang is the most mastered, as expected.”

However, Kunta, who received the flick, was fine apart from making a pained face.

An ordinary person would have had their head cracked open from such a flick, but Kunta’s forehead was clean, without even a bruise.

“Once you’ve mastered it to this level, I’ll teach you the next thing.”

“……”

“Why no response?”

“…The future suddenly seems very bleak.”

“?”

“Sigh…”

The group was left speechless in the face of the grim reality that came before they could even feel the excitement of becoming second-years.

* * *

‘They’re being so dramatic.’

Ihan smirked, understanding what their reactions meant.

Yes, he could guess why they were complaining about the difficulty.

But to Ihan, it sounded like mere whining because…

‘They’ve improved so much, what’s the problem?’

To be clear, it was a good rate of growth.

Though it might seem slow now and there were individual differences, he could see they were steadily growing.

‘They’re just being too greedy.’

Honestly, if they wanted to grow to his level, they were being unreasonable.

After all, starting with Gyeong, all his techniques were custom-made for his body.

Eventually, they would need to modify his techniques to fit their own bodies or learn the knack, and if they thought that would be easy, they were being unreasonable.

In that sense, their growth rate was actually quite good, and Ihan decided to push them hard this year too.

‘Their stamina has increased compared to first year… hmm, maybe we should do the thousand-li march three times?’

Ihan was making training plans that would have horrified the cadets had they heard them, when one chick quietly approached him, unaware of the bleak future awaiting her.

“Instructor…”

“What is it, Chick #12?”

“…When will we stop being called chicks?”

“Would you prefer pheasant? Or pigeon or stork?”

“C-couldn’t we be swans? Do we have to be called those things?”

“S-swan?”

“…Just insult me directly. Don’t make that face.”

“No, I’m just amazed that you’d call yourself a swan. That’s quite the thick skin you have, Lirina Hartmun.”

“I said just insult me… Wait? Instructor, you know my name?”

“…Shouldn’t I know it?”

“W-well, when you put it that way, I have nothing to say…”

Chick #12, or rather Lirina Hartmun, looked at her master with fresh eyes.

‘…Despite his appearance, he’s actually meticulous and diligent.’

He seemed like someone who wouldn’t read books or do any work, just train all day, but in reality, he was more diligent than anyone.

He had voluntarily memorized everyone’s names and families here.

Despite having no need to memorize them all, he did so probably because he wasn’t indifferent to those he considered his people.

‘He’s an excellent master.’

Most noble ladies’ tutors were etiquette teachers or noble ladies who would guide them into high society, but for Lirina and the other chicks, this man was their true master.

Not just teaching exercise, but showing them how to live in the world.

That’s why.

“I think only you can do this, Instructor.”

“Huh?”

“Instructor, please…”

*Slide*

“…would you be my ‘chaperon’?”

“……”

Ihan blinked at his disciple who suddenly handed him a diamond necklace with those words.

Not because he was hesitating or flustered, but because—

‘What is that?’

He genuinely didn’t understand what she meant.

…Ihan was making a modest guess that it might be the name of a new dessert.