If You’re Born Human, You Should At Least Know How to Throw

It was something that happened countless times when I was on the battlefield in the past.

Reinforcements coming while leading the unit.

‘Sa-salute! Reporting to the captain of the Red Cross unit!’

‘You’re too stiff. Someone might think I’m going to eat you.’

‘I’m sorry!!!’

And the new recruits are always so clumsy and cute.

Especially the kid I met that day seemed even more naive.

‘Well, you should be moderately nervous. After all, it’s still the military, so we can’t have too little discipline.’

But isn’t the important thing the passion to learn?

As a unit that’s always suffering from manpower shortage, if they just listen well and work hard, I can look favorably on anything.

Other units’ people might say the discipline is lax, but at least I thought it was good to lead in that way for the unit I commanded.

If they just keep one thing in mind.

‘But I’d prefer if you felt that tension towards the situation rather than superiors, if possible.’

‘The situation?’

‘Yes, our new recruit friend also knows roughly what this unit does, right?’

‘Ah, yes. I heard it’s a unit that saves people on the battlefield.’

‘It’s a unit that dies like dogs to save people who are dying like dogs on the front lines. By the way, I got promoted to captain here in just a year, and if I die and the next captains keep dying, the day might come when you become captain.’

‘Ye-yes? Th-that’s…’

‘That’s how dangerous what our unit does is.’

I’m not too keen on scaring them, but coincidentally, this was like an initiation ceremony passed down from my predecessor.

With the meaning that if you’re going to cave to this level of threat, don’t join in the first place.

‘I-I’m prepared! I’m prepared to give my life to save people…’

Of course, our unit was already somewhat well-known in the Imperial Army.

Friends who came after hearing that reputation and cause all showed the same appearance.

Looking like they’re scared stiff but trying to show their conviction by widening their eyes.

Other units might have praised their mindset as decent, but to my eyes, that appearance didn’t look too good.

‘No, no, that’s not it.’

If the world would get better just by one person suffering to death, wars wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

‘If you volunteered for our unit, you should know what I’m trying to say now, right?’

‘Huh? What do you…’

‘Now, repeat after me. First creed of the Red Cross unit.’

‘Fi-first creed! Those who save lives must never die on the battlefield!!’

‘Of course, you shouldn’t neglect your own life. Because that’s no different from throwing away the lives of people you’ll have to save later.’

Yes, whatever the intention, such things are not at all important in life.

Trying to get by just saying the purpose was good ultimately stems from the mindset of trying to get sympathy votes to gloss over a crisis.

‘Then I’ll ask one more thing here. What do you think is needed to keep that first creed?’

‘Huh? That’s…’

‘It’s strength.’

That’s why I felt no hesitation in asserting what I’m saying now.

‘To survive in a harsh world, you need to have at least enough strength to show that if someone messes with you, they’ll be screwed too.’

True peace ultimately comes from balance.

That it can only be established when there’s a situation where we can keep each other in check.

---

“…That makes five.”

-Thud.

Throwing down the guys who rushed at me onto the forest floor, I moved my steps towards the rest of them.

It’s a bit annoying that there are still over ten hotheads left.

Is it because it’s been a while since I’ve been in action directly on the scene?

“Phew.”

Taking a puff of the cigarette in my mouth, I continued moving towards them.

The sensation of the spicy scent stirring my lungs.

With each inhale, my vision becomes clearer and my foggy mind straightens out, and moreover, the vibration of mana in my hands also gradually becomes more stable.

The moment the routine I repeated countless times on the battlefield starts to straighten out the body that had become dull from two years of peace.

“Ugh.”

As I moved forward while controlling that sensation, the attackers facing me all started trembling with tension.

All wrapped in black cloth, all holding ominous weapons in their hands.

“Damn, what the hell is that woman!”

“Stay calm. If we rush her all at once, we can do something!”

All reciting typical villainous lines like typical small-fry villains.

But despite being excited, they don’t rush in immediately.

The current shouts are just a trick to draw attention by yelling.

-Rustle.

Even amid this, sounds of someone moving can be heard from the surrounding bushes.

They probably plan to pretend to rush all at once, while leaving the decisive blow to those who will circle around to the blind spot.

And I have to deal with all of this alone.

“Charge!!”

Right after that, two people closing the distance.

The moment I saw daggers flying towards my head and chest, both my hands stretched out towards their daggers.

And in that state, I rotated my foot.

-Swish!!

The daggers that couldn’t penetrate the mana wrapped around my palms glanced off, and their postures opened wide to match the twisted trajectory.

My elbows and knees moving together at that moment strike their bodies hard.

Even if it’s light martial arts, if they couldn’t protect their bodies, the impact would be considerable.

“I’ll borrow these for a bit.”

“Gack!”

The guys staggering from the sensation of their breath being choked off.

After feeding them a decisive blow with my fist, I precisely gripped the daggers they dropped.

-Swish, Clang!

Sparks bursting forth the moment the touching daggers clashed.

Along with that, the refreshing sound that burst forth was telling me that a good craftsman made them using good metal.

“Die!!!”

The rear attackers approaching while shouting war cries.

I immediately countered the rapier approaching from the front, and passing by as if grazing its blade, I sliced through the leg of the guy approaching from behind.

Crack! The sound of flesh being cut accompanied by spurting blood.

He stumbled as his tendon was cut, but even so, fierce killing intent could be felt from the guy rushing in while gritting his teeth.

Of course, the other side must be desperate too.

-Clang!

But does something that doesn’t work suddenly work just because you’re pissed off?

“This… ack!!”

The guy falling back while splattering blood from his shoulder as I threw the dagger right at him.

After averting my gaze from him, I aimed my fist at the face of the guy approaching next.

Gathering mana to the extent that a circle was formed.

-Boom!!!

One youngster flying back with a thunderous sound.

Using the repulsive force from that as propulsion to rush at the guy behind, I struck his chin and then robbed the flail he was holding.

-Clang!

Right after that, swords and spears pressing in from all directions collided with the flail.

Even amid this, the blunt weapon tied to a chain moved freely due to mana, striking their heads and knees.

“Aagh!!!”

“Be quiet!!”

-Bang!

The youngster falling down as I gripped the flail short to give him a nut shot.

After kicking away his body, I looked around the surroundings that had suddenly become quiet at some point, and gradually strode through the dark forest following the signs of presence.

Good grief, look at these guys.

Now that pushing with numbers doesn’t work, are they thinking of trying guerrilla warfare?

But this side is also experienced in ambushes. It didn’t take long to find the guys hiding.

“Why don’t you just come out? It’s hard to control my strength when you’re hiding behind cover.”

Right behind the thick tree in front of me.

They seemed to be thinking of buying time while using the obstacle, but isn’t that only allowed when you can actually go around the obstacle?

“Control strength, what…”

“I should show you if you’re curious.”

Seeing is believing, they say. I immediately concentrated strength in my hand extended to the side.

Concentrating mana in my left hand to the extent that a circle was formed, then gradually tempering the edge of my outstretched hand using mana.

A technique that modified ‘Incision’, which emulates a medical scalpel, for combat use.

By using the edge of the hand instead of fingers, durability is guaranteed, making it possible to directly receive even aura-imbued swords.

-Slice!!!

Yes, essentially an aura blade implemented using the edge of the hand.

Its power is enough to instantly dismember wood with just a hand chop.

“Wh-what! What just happ… Gack!!”

Our assassin friend falling down as soon as I kick him after removing the cover.

He seemed surprised that I split the tree without a weapon, but that too will ultimately just be buying time.

Even at this moment, light is faintly flickering at a slightly distant place.

The light rising from the manipulation of mana would certainly correspond to a penetrating spell using heat.

If activated, it would easily pierce through barriers simply made by solidifying mana.

“But who’s going to wait for that?”

I immediately picked up a nearby stone and prepared to throw it towards where they were.

Concentrating mana in every nook and cranny of my body to reinforce joints, and overlaying mana on muscles to amplify the strength originating from contraction.

And throw.

-Boom!!

A thunderous sound echoing at the point of impact.

Along with that, even the bodies of the guys who were preparing to shoot magic at me were blown far away.

The guy only letting out a groan, “Guhurk,” while writhing.

Even those guarding the caster in preparation for contingencies on both sides couldn’t block the stone I just threw.

“Why are you so surprised? If you’re born human, you should at least know how to throw.”

“D-damn it! Intercept quickly!”

The assassins casting and throwing hastily prepared magic.

Probably because they cast as fast as possible, relatively low-level projectiles like ice shards and fireballs came flying.

Although the power is weak, blocking it without any armor is quite disadvantageous.

Hiding my body in the bushes to avoid that attack, I again grasped stones in my hand and prepared to aim at the target.

That concludes the preparation for attack.

But the opponent takes time to load the next shot.

It’s natural. Magic ultimately needs to go through ‘phenomenon manipulation’ that controls surrounding objects with pure physical force to be established.

On the other hand, the throwing I’m doing now doesn’t go through such application, using only pure physical force reinforced in necessary parts.

-Boom!!

In other words, in a speed battle, techniques using pure physical force without going through application overwhelmingly dominate over magic.

“Gu, hurk…”

“What the, hell. Just, a stone, how…”

The youngsters muttering incomprehensibly while hit by stones, as if they can’t understand.

It’s understandable that they’re surprised that guards don’t work at all against throws that aren’t even magic, but if you think about the principle, it’s not entirely impossible.

What’s the reason humans could stand at the top of the ecosystem in the first place?

It’s not intelligence, nor accidentally discovering fire, nor forming group societies.

It’s because humans have the best endurance among all living things, and the only body structure designed to be capable of throwing.s are beings who laid the foundation for growth by using those characteristics to chase prey to exhaustion, and by throwing stones from a distance where teeth and claws don’t reach to beat stronger creatures to death.

In that situation, isn’t it a natural progression for me, who goes to the battlefield bare-handed, to raise the ability that humans can utilize best to a ‘level comparable to offensive bombardment magic’?

“Of course, pitcher is the position that best utilizes human species characteristics.”

Come to think of it, we used to play catch with unit members as training.

I wonder if the survivors have all become independent by now?

-Boom!!

As I was happily throwing stones while recalling those sentiments from back then, the guys who barely survived on the opposite side started screaming and running away.

Oh no, you shouldn’t run away. I’m just starting to warm up… Hm?

“D-damn it!! Th-that’s not a level we can handle!”

“We need to retreat and regroup… Gack!”

At that moment, a huge shadow blocking their path.

The escapees who noticed that presence started trembling in panic.

“Y-Your Highness…? How are you here…”

As if they had encountered a being they feared beyond measure.