The Reborn Swordmaster
Chapter 28
The training was monotonous.
More precisely, that was how Riyan felt about it.
For the mock naval battle exercises, he didn't need to participate physically. He only had to check whether the fighters were following the tactics properly and issue instructions.
But later, when the sun began sinking toward the horizon and the fighters returned to their quarters after finishing their mock naval battle training, Riyan headed toward a separate area behind the training ground.
He still had work to do.
"Hey."
Haral approached him, carrying a small box.
"What's that in your hand?"
"What do you think? It's the thing you asked me to get."
"Ah. I see."
"...Just to be sure, I'm going to ask you again. Tell me the truth. What exactly are you planning to do with this?"
"I already told you. I've been having trouble sleeping lately."
"Are you actually insane?"
Haral wasn't simply insulting him.
He was genuinely looking at Riyan as though he were a madman.
Riyan chuckled.
Haral frowned.
"I'm only letting you have it because there's absolutely no way to take it outside the training center. If you're planning to cause trouble with it..."
"Of course not."
"You're certainly good at saying the right things."
Haral practically threw the box into Riyan's hands, looking reluctant even to touch it.
He brushed his hands together and changed the subject.
"Anyway, Director Berka told me the other training centers will probably be joining us soon."
"I've already prepared all the training exercises they'll need, so the instructors should be able to handle them."
"That's true. But there will be some fighters assigned directly to you."
"Ah, you mean the special detachment."
"Exactly. Berka's practically beside himself with excitement. I get the feeling he's making a tidy profit out of the whole arrangement."
Naturally, there must have been some bribery and favoritism involved.
Riyan pictured Director Berka grinning to himself and shrugged.
Of course, none of that particularly concerned him.
All he needed was a smokescreen to conceal Aries's private training.
As the saying went, if you wanted to hide a tree, you hid it in a forest.
That didn't mean the arrangement was entirely pointless, however.
Having an elite squad capable of supporting Aries during the mock naval battle would genuinely be useful.
"I'm glad the director is enjoying himself so much."
Haral gave him a mocking smile.
"Sure. Anyway, the director said you should feel free to ask for anything you want. Judging by his mood, I doubt even getting some time off would be particularly difficult."
Time off...
During Riyan's previous outing, he'd been required to return at a specific time.
As a result, he'd felt rather rushed while taking care of his business.
If he could spend several days outside the training center, he'd have much more freedom to do things at his own pace.
Riyan nodded.
"I might ask for that before long."
"Just say the word. One way or another, the better you do, the more I benefit. Anyway, I'm heading off for the day."
"Have a good evening."
"Oh, and be careful with that thing. I'm telling you again..."
"I know. Don't cause any trouble. You don't have to keep repeating it."
Riyan even waved his hands dismissively.
Haral chuckled, patted him on the back, and turned to leave.
Watching the man walk away, Riyan shrugged.
Honestly, even having two bodies wouldn't be enough.
It was true.
He rose before dawn to conduct his personal training and meditation.
Once the sun came up, he supervised the mock naval battle exercises with the other fighters.
When evening approached, he oversaw Aries's training.
He didn't finally get to sleep until after midnight.
Then, only a few hours later, he woke up and repeated the entire process.
It wasn't that he found the routine difficult or overwhelming.
If anything, it was rather tedious.
Riyan turned toward the high walls surrounding the training center and drew a deep breath.
He could almost smell freedom.
And it wouldn't be long before he reclaimed it.
A separate training ground had been prepared behind the main training center.
It hadn't originally existed.
Berka had gone to considerable trouble to arrange it so the special detachment could be organized and trained separately for the mock naval battle.
There was no need to provoke unnecessary jealousy among the fighters who were being battered aboard the model ships, so the location had been chosen to avoid attracting attention.
In any case, it was a good place.
The outer walls enclosed it in an L-shape, and its secluded position meant the area remained shaded regardless of the time of day.
Since horses from the stables were occasionally allowed to graze there, the ground was flat and covered in fresh green grass.
There was even a well nearby, making it convenient to drink water or wash away sweat.
Clunk!
Riyan drew up the bucket and filled a water container.
Then he carried it toward the middle of the grassy clearing.
Aries was lying there, drenched in sweat.
His shirt was soaked with perspiration and covered in dust.
He lay so still, with such a peaceful expression, that he appeared to have fallen asleep.
Splash!
Riyan poured the water over him.
Then he immediately turned and headed toward the wooden training swords arranged in a rack at the edge of the clearing.
"Gah!"
Aries, who had suddenly received an unexpected shower, sprang upright.
He shook his head vigorously from side to side.
Brrr!
His golden curls came loose for a moment, scattering water everywhere.
"Could you at least wake me up a little more gently?"
"I thought that was perfectly gentle."
At least he hadn't beaten Aries awake.
Remembering his own days with Eldred, Riyan gave a bitter smile.
Aries frowned when he saw his expression.
"What's with that look? Shouldn't I be the one making a face like that?"
"Then go ahead."
"..."
Riyan leaned against the rack holding the wooden training swords, spears, staffs, and other weapons.
He crossed his arms.
Aries opened his mouth to protest against the ridiculous reply, but he found himself unable to say anything.
Riyan's hair shone with a platinum hue beneath the setting sun.
His head was slightly tilted, and his black eyes were partially shaded by the strands of hair swaying across his forehead.
It was an appearance Aries simply couldn't get used to.
He shook his head and finally broke the silence.
"...Forget it. Let's just get on with the training."
Riyan nodded and retrieved a long wooden staff from the rack.
He walked toward the middle of the clearing, rotating his wrist as he went.
The wooden staff spun through the air with a series of sharp whooshes.
When he reached a suitable position near the center of the training ground, he gripped the staff firmly and drove it downward.
Crunch!
The wooden staff pierced the ground and sank about a third of its length into the earth.
Satisfied that it would serve as a suitable marker, Riyan turned around.
Aries was already standing before him with a wooden sword.
"Go ahead."
Riyan lightly gestured toward the wooden staff with his chin.
Aries immediately kicked off the ground.
What followed was quite simple.
He rushed forward, slashed, and moved around to the rear.
It was a single attack consisting of three distinct movements.
His movements had a lively, springing quality.
After delivering a clean slash at the wooden staff and passing it, Aries smoothly slid sideways, repositioning himself behind it.
"How was that?"
Aries asked with a faint smile.
It was clear he'd replenished his strength with a short nap before putting everything he had into the attempt.
But Riyan could only close his eyes.
This is driving me insane.
It was good.
At least, it looked good at first glance.
Other people probably wouldn't have noticed anything wrong.
But in the world of red and white that only Riyan could perceive, Aries's circle was fluctuating violently.
It was proof that the various elements making up his movements were unbalanced and inaccurate.
Riyan simply couldn't understand it.
He didn't think he'd asked Aries to do anything particularly difficult.
Rush forward, cut down the target, and move sideways to secure another advantageous position.
Was performing something so simple perfectly really that difficult?
Aries seemed to have guessed what Riyan was thinking from his expression.
His own face began to crumple.
"Damn it. You're saying that wasn't right either?"
When Riyan nodded, Aries threw his head back.
He spread his arms, stared at the sunset, and began howling in frustration.
"No! All I'm supposed to do is rush forward, slash, and move to the side! What the hell am I doing wrong?"
"I've demonstrated it for you countless times."
"Then what exactly is the difference between what you do and what I do? We've been practicing nothing but this for the past few weeks! All day long, I rush forward, slash, and move! Rush forward, slash, and move! Rush forward, slash, and mo... Aaaaaagh!"
Eventually, Aries squeezed his eyes shut and let out a bizarre groan.
Riyan scratched the tip of his nose as he watched.
But it really isn't right.
"Rushing forward, slashing, and moving..."
"Not that again! You're going to tell me you only divided it into separate movements to explain it, but it's actually supposed to be one continuous action!"
"..."
"How the hell can rushing forward, slashing, and moving sideways be one action? What if I rush forward and my opponent steps backward? Am I supposed to slash at empty air?"
At last, Aries collapsed onto his backside.
He stretched out his arms and legs and lay flat on his back, breathing angrily.
"I know! I understand that what you're demonstrating is somehow different! I get that much! But I can't figure out exactly what's different!"
"Listen carefully, Aries. You're not supposed to rush forward. You're already making a mistake by separating movements that should flow together like water. If you're trying to eat stew with a spoon, it would be strange to stop and ask yourself exactly how you should move the spoon."
"..."
"Rushing forward, slashing, and moving are the same. Once you've scooped up the stew, you naturally bring it to your mouth. You shouldn't finish scooping it up and then consciously decide that the next step is to move the spoon toward your mouth."
"But you told me to rush forward, slash, and move when we first started!"
"That was just to help you understand the movements at the beginning. What I originally wanted you to learn was the beginning of a continuous chain of attacks."
"Aaaaaagh!"
Aries, still lying flat on his back, began writhing in frustration again.
The sight of one of the most handsome young men in the Imperial Capital twisting his body and rolling his eyes like a small child was quite something.
Watching him struggle, Riyan fell deep into thought.
It seems the first approach has failed.
His original plan had been simple repetition.
There was an old saying.
A man who had practiced a single thrust ten thousand times was more frightening than someone who had seen, heard about, and learned hundreds of different martial arts.
Even a blunt object could be sharpened into a piercing awl if enough time and effort were spent working on it.
Of course, Aries hadn't invested anything close to that amount of time.
Still, several weeks had already passed.
The fact that he hadn't grasped even the slightest trace of the underlying principle was somewhat discouraging.
Even if he couldn't fully understand it...
Riyan had expected him to catch at least a glimpse of something.
Looking at Aries, who was still struggling like a turtle that had been flipped onto its back, Riyan made a decision.
Apparently, the problem lay in Aries's deeply ingrained habits.
He was accustomed to observing every situation with his eyes, analyzing it, and consciously making decisions.
When Eldred had taken Riyan under his wing, Riyan had been almost a blank slate.
At the time, he hadn't fought with any refined technique.
He was simply someone who beat, tore, and crushed his opponents.
Eldred had taken that crude fighter and gradually refined him.
Aries, on the other hand, already possessed a set of established movements and habits that were uniquely his own.
In that case, there was no choice but to move on to the second approach.
Riyan sighed, fetched another container of water, and poured it over Aries's head.
Splash!
"Cool your head."
"Do you really think that's going to calm me down?"
"In any case, I understand that you're having a hard time. I understand why you're frustrated, too. But things will be different today. I've prepared something special."
"...You've prepared something?"
Aries, who had been writhing on the ground, abruptly sat up.
He looked at Riyan with eyes filled with anticipation.
Riyan took out the object he'd received from Haral before coming here.
It was a mask.
Unlike an ordinary mask, which only covered part of the face, this one completely concealed the wearer's face without leaving any gaps.
Metal buckles and leather straps were attached near both temples.
They were clearly designed to wrap around the head and secure the mask tightly against the face.
"You know what this is, don't you?"
Riyan lightly tapped the mask with his fingers.
Aries felt as though he might faint.
"That's... Don't tell me...!"
His face filled with horror.
As a slave fighter himself, Aries knew exactly what the mask was.
Its official name was the Soul Shackles.
It was a special magical restraint developed by the Empire to control fighters who were difficult to manage.
The device completely blocked the wearer's senses of sight, hearing, and smell.
Even the most violent fighter would become obedient after being locked in solitary confinement without light, sound, or smell.
Most couldn't endure the experience for more than a few days.
Although it was called a restraint, it was essentially a torture device.
And Riyan told Haral he wanted to borrow this thing to help with his insomnia.
It was no wonder Haral had looked at him as though he were insane.
In any case, Riyan nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Good. You recognized it."
Aries's face, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly distorted.
"Are you insane? Why the hell would you bring that here...?"
"Why else? Because I have a use for it."
"What could you possibly use it for?"
"It seems to me that you rely too heavily on what you see and hear. That's making it difficult for you to relearn the fundamentals. Perhaps it would be good for you to return to the mindset of a complete beginner."
Upon hearing that, Aries turned around.
Then he began walking away, muttering to himself.
"This is madness. I'm getting out of here."
Riyan simply watched him go and casually tossed out a single remark.
"Didn't you say you wanted to live? That you wanted to become a Champion?"
Naturally, Aries stopped dead in his tracks.
