Ch.40EP.12 – The Knight Wore a Black Octagonal Hat (3)

# Spirit Mountain Vulcan.

After volcanic activity ceased, it became known as the most treacherous yet beautiful spirit mountain in the kingdom.

Yet few climb it.

It’s notoriously difficult to ascend with no proper paths, and wild boars frequently appear.

Among herb gatherers, there’s even a rumor of bear sightings.

This alone makes climbing harsh, but what’s more chilling is that Vulcan’s environment is unpredictable regardless of season.

During the day, temperatures reach 40°C, while at night, frost forms as temperatures plummet to -30°C.

It’s a mysterious phenomenon, and all plants and animals that survive in this environment have special medicinal properties, creating high demand.

Truly a spirit mountain.

However, one wrong move while climbing could be fatal, and if stranded, death from dehydration or freezing is likely.

It would be wise not to climb at all.

If anyone does climb, they would only be those risking their lives for a fortune by finding valuable herbs.

Therefore.

“Huh-ugh! C-crazy, this is insane…!”

To climb this mountain for “training purposes” is already foolish behavior.

…So they were foolish madmen.

“Urrrgh!”

“I-I’m dying…”

“W-water…! W-water please, ugh…”

Casualties, or rather, fainting spells were occurring one after another.

The steep slope resembled a treacherous cliff—it wasn’t made for climbing.

It was simply a precipice.

All cadets had to crawl on all fours like animals, resembling turtles rather than walking upright.

Retreating meant tumbling down and potentially bidding farewell to this world, so backing up wasn’t an option.

If turtles biologically cannot walk backward, these people couldn’t retreat for survival reasons.

In this situation.

“Ah, look at this air. As expected of Spirit Mountain. So refreshing.”

“The air really is nice, Instructor.”

“Well, by afternoon it’ll be unbearably hot. Did they say the heatwave continues until 18:00?”

“…This place seems crazy.”

“Haha, you just realized that?”

Ihan alone seemed relaxed as if strolling through a park, despite carrying nearly twenty times the load of others.

While everyone struggled on the same steep cliff, he seemed to exist in a different gravity.

It was remarkable that he wasn’t crawling on all fours but standing on two feet.

Was it balance, or perhaps…

“Instructor, your toe strength is incredible.”

“I train it quite a bit.”

“…I’m not sure if that’s something you can train.”

“It works.”

“……”

He was climbing barefoot.

As if shoes would hinder his progress, he gripped the ground with his toes as he climbed.

His footprints made him resemble a mountain beast.

“Don’t just talk to me, go help them.”

“Yes.”

Woong.

Irene’s magic moved fluidly, grabbing someone.

She lifted those who had fainted or were suffering from dehydration with “telekinesis.”

“Sigh, this is quite taxing too.”

“If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. But then you’d have to walk from now on.”

“…I’ll diligently continue rescue operations.”

Currently, Irene wasn’t walking diligently like the others.

She was moving while slightly floating in the air.

This was also telekinesis.

In a way, it violated the training rules, but Ihan had permitted it.

After using the example that telekinesis is to a mage what muscles are to a warrior, he became positive about its use.

Besides, with Irene Windler’s physical strength, marching was impossible from the start.

Her strength was still weaker than a kitten’s, so what kind of march could she manage?

It was more efficient to have her conduct rescue operations like this.

‘She’s useful.’

Originally, he had planned to load fallen cadets onto a cart, but that wasn’t necessary now.

Though magic itself was inconvenient, he couldn’t deny its convenience.

“Ah, another one fainted.”

Hup.

Her skill in transporting not just herself but over ten cadets was impressive.

All of them were either unconscious or collapsed, including Levi Pollet who had fainted at the beginning of the climb.

However, Ihan had no intention of scolding her for this.

It was already a miracle she had walked this far with her physique.

That was walking with mental strength rather than physical strength.

“In terms of mental strength, the sprout is better than those guys.”

“Levi is quite stubborn. She says she needs to work harder to raise her family or something like that.”

“…You’ve become quite friendly with Chick #1, I see?”

“We just drink tea and eat meals together occasionally. We’re acquaintances rather than friends yet.”

“Isn’t that what people usually call friends?”

“…I haven’t had many friends, so…”

“Hmm, I’m sorry.”

“…It’s more pathetic to receive an apology.”

[Arin. Please stop saying unnecessary things. It’s embarrassing.]

Unexpectedly, the commando march was off to a smooth start.

Well.

“S-save me…”

Though from the cadets’ perspective, it wasn’t smooth at all.

* * *

They didn’t conquer Vulcan.

Meaning they didn’t reach the summit.

But this was Ihan’s intention.

He never said the summit was their goal; he merely informed them which mountain they would climb.

Therefore, their destination was not the peak but:

“Put down your loads.”

The middle point of Vulcan.

Boom!

After three hours of hiking, the ground shook as they finally put down their loads.

That’s how enormous the amount of supplies they carried was.

“I-I’m alive…”

“…I thought I was heading to Avalon at this age.”

But they were simply grateful to have made it this far alive.

It had been harsh beyond words.

Truly like hell…

“How is the maid, who is infinitely smaller in build than you, perfectly fine while you’re all like this?”

-……

“Tsk, tsk, pathetic fellows.”

-…ugh.

They wanted to retort but couldn’t.

After all, they had frequently fainted or collapsed from exhaustion, while there was a “maid” who had successfully completed the climb carrying even more luggage than them.

“Hehe, the air is nice here. Sir Knight! Should I set up the tent here?”

…She was so energetic.

Was she not even out of breath?

Leira Winter.

The royal maid seemed completely unaffected despite walking the same arduous path as them.

What kind of person was she?

Toward the dumbfounded cadets, Ihan shouted:

“You should be ashamed. Maid Leira, who is much smaller than you, completed the march carrying more luggage than you did.”

…Even Ihan found her strange.

No, really, how is she perfectly fine with that body?

He had suggested several times that she use telekinesis to move, but she:

-It’s not that difficult?

She truly didn’t find it difficult.

She definitely wasn’t an ordinary person.

Perhaps she was born with some special constitution like those described in martial arts novels.

But let’s find out about the secrets of her physique later.

What’s important now is turning these sprouts into “wildflowers” within a month, not just keeping them as sprouts.

So what he’s doing now is just bluffing and stoking their motivation like adding firewood.

He needs to fan the flames a bit to make the upcoming schedule more positive.

‘Being an instructor isn’t easy either.’

Secretly feeling respect for educators, Ihan injected concentrated oxygen to rekindle their dying embers:

“The same goes for Levi Pollet. You all at least learned swordsmanship, but Levi Pollet didn’t, nor did she learn fighting techniques with her fragile body. Yet she walked 10km in that state. With mental strength alone!”

The cadets looked at Levi Pollet.

Though her legs were still trembling, she was persistently trying to stand up.

…With that fragile body.

“You’ve lost now. I’m not saying you should feel ashamed for losing to women! You lost to ‘beginners’! In mental strength, perseverance, and grit! In all aspects…!”

The cadets clenched their fists tightly.

This wasn’t just concentrated oxygen; it was like pouring oil on fire.

Motivation revived in their exhausted minds.

“Get your act together. Training has already begun. I helped those who collapsed during the march, but not because I liked you. I saved you because I ‘pitied’ you.”

Their blood boiled even more.

He clearly knew exactly what points would make people angry and frustrated.

“Damn it…”

Most cadets gritted their teeth in frustration, disappointed in their own pathetic performance.

The atmosphere was tense, as if they wanted to lash out immediately to vent their feelings.

This is where he needed to ease up a bit.

A fire that blazes too suddenly will extinguish just as quickly.

The secret to maintaining a fire for a long time is to keep it smoldering gently.

“Good, I hope you’ve come to your senses a bit. Tsk, from now on, set up tents within 30 minutes and take a nap. The nap will be 90 minutes. Afterward, I’ll tell you about the basic training and schedule in detail, so rest your bodies with all your might until then. Understood? With all your might.”

Rest is also part of training.

It was something he always emphasized, and the cadets responded with all their strength, almost shouting.

It’s good to see life returning to their eyes.

Ihan nodded once, then turned his attention to those who were still perfectly fine.

“You all, come with me for a moment.”

“Kunta wants to sleep too.”

“I’m tired as well.”

“Even mercenary groups give breaks…”

“So what?”

“……”

They had no choice but to be dragged along.

Of course, there was someone trying to hide among the crowd to avoid attention.

“While I’m still asking nicely, come out now.”

“B-but the nap…”

“A nap for an assistant instructor? What luxury is that?”

“…Assistant instructors are people too, people!!”

“Since when?”

“…Damn it.”

The assistant instructor shed tears.

* * *

“Are you alright, Jack?”

“My lord.”

Jack bowed his head.

Roen, his lord, didn’t look tired at all despite bearing that weight and marching such a distance.

As expected of someone whose basic capabilities already exceeded those of a knight.

In contrast, Jack was exhausted.

It meant his capabilities were woefully inadequate.

He felt self-loathing and disappointment in himself.

“Rest. You look tired.”

“…I apologize for being so incompetent.”

“No. Your talent has just begun to bloom. This is unavoidable. Rather, it’s impressive that you could keep up with such a forced march just half a year after deciding to become a knight.”

“…I’m still terribly inadequate compared to my main profession.”

“…That’s true.”

Jack, a man with a somewhat unremarkable appearance.

He was an ordinary-looking man who could be seen anywhere on the street, and some might say his impression was so vague that he wasn’t easily remembered, but this was Jack’s “talent.”

The talent to make people forget him, to blend in and hide anywhere easily.

That’s why he was “more suited to be an assassin.”

Though his talent for knighthood was limited, he might reach the top in espionage and assassination.

However, he:

“It’s still my choice. You told me that even someone like me could become a knight. So please don’t look apologetic. Were your words to me lies?”

“No, there were no lies. It was all sincere.”

“Then that’s enough.”

“…Still, I’m sorry. It feels like I’ve changed all the predetermined plans because of my selfishness.”

“It’s fine. Didn’t you say that your ‘foresight’ isn’t absolute either?”

“Hmm…”

At Jack’s words, Roen nodded reluctantly.

That’s what Jack believes.

That Roen’s ability is [Foresight].

‘Yes, this is enough.’

It’s sufficient for him to believe just that.

It’s better if no one knows his true secret.

Rather, if it were revealed, it would only cause greater confusion.

This wasn’t what he wanted.

While hiding his true thoughts, Jack struggled to raise his tired body and spoke:

“Anyway, the real recruitment begins next year, right? Since there aren’t many people to recruit currently, this year can be a time to hone our capabilities. …Besides, you seem interested in the instructor’s training methods.”

“It’s a different perspective. Learning it will definitely help in the future. Especially when fighting against the ‘Temple.'”

“Hmm…”

At his lord’s statement, Jack swallowed hard and looked around.

They couldn’t risk anyone overhearing their conversation.

Fortunately, his lord wasn’t that careless and had completely blocked the surrounding sounds.

His worry was unnecessary; his lord was thorough as always.

While Roen was grateful for his subordinate’s loyalty, he deliberately didn’t show it and continued in a firm tone:

“Jack, remember. You must become stronger. The instructor’s harsh training will certainly make you stronger than you are now. I repeat, I can’t be the only one who gets stronger. You must become stronger too. I cannot defeat them alone.”

“Yes.”

What was their reason for enrolling in this insignificant academy?

First, to build strength in a place without enemies.

Second, there was someone in the royal capital who needed to be killed.

And finally:

“So observe this training carefully. I think there will be many unexpected talents emerging.”

The recruitment of talent and establishment of power.

This purpose might be realized this year rather than next year.

Depending on how these people, like wild grasses, change through the instructor’s lessons.

“Do you really think so? Honestly, I’m still skeptical.”

“I’m not certain either. But Jack, this is what I think.”

Even if they’re just wild grasses that no one cares about now, perhaps:

“They might be wildflowers that will bloom.”

And he was someone who preferred wildflowers to greenhouse flowers.

The boy had expectations, while the assassin shook his head, thinking his lord sometimes seemed like a romantic who chased after ideals.