Chapter 91 - Joint Knights Training
Around a hundred members of the First Knight Order and the Monster Subjugation Force gathered at the training grounds.
The sight of numerous knights lined up face-to-face was nothing short of spectacular.
Standing at the center of the front row was Volf, with a short practice sword tucked under his left arm and his hands otherwise free.
He could feel the stares of some individuals directed at him, heavy and bothersome.
Yet, today, those stares made him laugh.
It wasn’t the first time he’d been personally targeted during training exercises. He’d been struck multiple times before, driven by baseless grudges and petty jealousy.
This was the first time such a large-scale effort was directed at him, but it gave him an opportunity to devise an amusing strategy.
He hadn’t thought much about strategy before, but to his surprise, he found planning to be rather enjoyable.
"Volf, I'm counting on you."
“I'm heavy, but I'm relying on you.”
Dorino and Randolph, standing on either side of him, whispered their remarks. He responded with a smile and gave his approval.
"Helm Drop, commence!"
At the signal to begin, the three of them bolted forward.
As they approached the wave of knights clearly aiming for Volf, he leapt high into the air without hesitation. While airborne, he grabbed Dorino's armor with his left hand and Randolph’s with his right, channeling body enhancement magic to lift them both.
The sköll bracelet did its job admirably. Though Randolph’s side dipped slightly, they still achieved sufficient height.
The knights below looked up in shock. Even their outstretched spears failed to reach the trio soaring above.
Moments later, a massive gust of air, more solid than wind, struck their backs forcefully.
"Whoa!"
Dorino’s panicked voice rang out.
The sensation of being pushed higher and farther through the air was startling.
The altitude and speed made their stomachs tighten.
"Hahaha!"
Randolph couldn’t suppress his laughter.
Even with body enhancement magic, someone of his weight had never flown this high. The exhilaration of soaring through the air for the first time was a thrill, and the sight of the knights below shrinking into tiny figures added to the delight.
"All yours now!"
Volf gave them an additional push, as if throwing them forward.
"Got it!"
"Yeah!"
With incredible speed and distance, the two were hurled into the enemy’s camp.
Meanwhile, Volf, who would usually be the first to charge into enemy lines, landed and dashed back toward his own side. As a result, he ended up chasing after the row he had initially leaped over from behind.
Those who had been aiming for Volf hurriedly turned back, causing their formation to fall into complete disarray.
Volf weaved unpredictably through gaps between enemies.
Whenever someone tried to strike him with a practice sword, he vanished. Magic was unusable because it might hit their allies. When they tried to grab him, he leaped away. If they managed to catch him, he’d twist their arms and toss them aside.
Even when they attempted to overwhelm him with sheer numbers, he used feints to slip away, leaving them unsure of where he’d go next.
"Damn it, stop darting around!"
"This little—!"
For those chasing him, it was an infuriatingly evasive strategy.
Volf, on the other hand, found joy in the leaps made possible by the sköll bracelet, his face lighting up with a broad smile.
When the First Knights’ formation finally crumbled entirely, the younger members of the Monster Subjugation Force charged forward in perfect formation.
Volf leaped over their lines and sprinted back to his base at full speed.
Standing before the target helm, he watched as seasoned knights formed ranks and launched their counteroffensive.
Soon, only Volf and Alfio remained at their base. Judging by the battle unfolding ahead, it seemed unlikely anyone would reach their position.
"Almost time."
The two narrowed their eyes, focused on the enemy base.
Dorino and Randolph had landed in the enemy camp completely unmarked.
Randolph stood his ground at the field’s edge, holding his shield and facing multiple knights.
Dorino, meanwhile, made a rapid dash for the target helm.
However, the knights guarding it pushed him back. Forced to retreat, he fled to the right, where other knights gave chase. Before long, the area erupted into chaos as knights from both sides clashed.
The clash of practice swords and the resounding cries of exertion echoed loudly, drawing the attention of many on the battlefield.
"Now’s the time."
Having fended off his opponents, Randolph hurled his massive shield at the knights in front of him and broke into a sprint. His speed was astonishing for someone of his size.
The knights who tried to stop him were easily knocked aside, sprawling across the ground.
Others froze, holding their practice swords aloft, missing their chance to strike.
Today’s true assailant wasn’t Volf or Dorino—it was Randolph.
A towering figure comparable to the vice-captain of the Monster Subjugation Force, and a Scarlet Armor wielding a large shield and clad in red armor. His days were spent risking his life, fiercely battling monsters.
With his massive, well-trained frame bolstered by body enhancement magic, Randolph exuded a battlefield aura so intense that triple the number of knights might have been needed to stop him.
Standing before the pole, Randolph finally drew the practice sword at his left hip.
With a resounding crack, the pole broke, and the silver helm soared high into the sky.
・・・・・・・
"Volf, I must thank you. That was truly enjoyable."
"I’m glad it worked out, Randolph. I had fun too. It was my first time fighting without drawing my sword."
After the match concluded, the participants gathered for a brief debriefing at the training grounds.
The Monster Subjugation Force, satisfied after confirming the operation’s success, split into smaller groups to chat.
Some had already started debating which establishment to visit for drinks later that evening.
"Leonardi, I’d like to thank you as well. Flying through the air was exhilarating."
Randolph's beaming smile made Kirk, who had been standing nearby, freeze in place.
Seeing his usually stoic senior laugh like an excited young boy left him utterly stunned.
"Not at all! I wasn’t very good at controlling it—I just pushed as best I could... I’m just glad you managed to knock down the helm, Goodwin-senpai!"
"Just call me Randolph. Calling out 'Goodwin' here would have seven people turning their heads."
"Oh, uh, Randolph-senpai. In that case, please call me Kirk."
Kirk found himself genuinely happy to gain two seniors in one day who he could address by name.
"Kirk. The sky is truly something... it feels incredible."
"Randolph-senpai?"
"Randolph?"
Despite the content of his words, Randolph’s face turned bitter.
"...I mean no disrespect to my ancestors, but I can’t help but wish I had wind magic instead of earth magic."
Hearing this heartfelt confession, Volf and Kirk exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.
"Everyone wishes for what they don’t have, I suppose."
"That’s true. We really should learn to appreciate what we’ve been given."
Across from their cheerful chatter, the First Knight Order was holding their own review meeting.
However, theirs was a mix of silence and disjointed complaints.
"How could none of us land even a single hit on him?!"
"With movements like those, it’s no wonder..."
"It seems there’s also a wind magic user, making unpredictable moves..."
"To think that with this many people, we could do nothing... disgraceful."
"That’s enough. And whose fault is this 'disgraceful defeat'?"
The middle-aged knight, who hadn’t said a word all day, finally spoke up to the man lamenting. His eyes were clouded with a deep, unsettling darkness.
"What did you just say?!"
"A man who couldn’t even keep hold of a single woman dares to complain? How laughable. If you’re that frustrated, try becoming a knight capable of moving like him.”
"You dare speak to me like that—"
"Don’t think you can coast through the First Knight Order on the merit of your family name. The captain granted you officer-level authority to test you, and you’ve rewarded that trust by utterly failing to meet expectations."
"You...!"
The man was left speechless. Meanwhile, the other knights relaxed slightly, their faces betraying hints of relief.
However, the senior knight’s sharp glare turned toward them next.
"Those of you who stood by and did nothing are just as pathetic. I’ll be reporting this to the captain. Prepare yourselves to have your character beaten into shape from the ground up..."
The knights in front of him turned pale at the low, rumbling voice that sounded like an ominous tremor.
The First Knight Order was vast in number, but there were also many aspiring recruits and requests for transfers from other knight orders.
As a result, those deemed lacking in skill or unsuitable in character faced reassignment or retraining.
The young knights hadn't realized that they were being tested not only during training but also in drills and expeditions.
Some stared intently at the ground, others let out deep sighs, some muttered small words of lament, while a knight glared at them with an expression still burning with anger.
On the other side of the field, Alfio, wearing black gloves, watched the scene with a bright, beaming smile.
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