Dawn Knight Order (2)

Brea clicked her tongue and mocked Alessandro.

"What, see? He really wasn't much. That was bland."

With that, they returned to their seats and the next match followed immediately. This time, it was Elisabeth versus Adrian.

The two stepped onto the training ground, bowed lightly in greeting, and Ernest started the match.

Unlike the previous match, both were serious and courteous as they sparred.

They circled each other around a single focal point, cautiously watching for openings. Elisabeth charged Adrian with her full strength, holding nothing back.

Kk—

Adrian, having learned from Gregory, tried to make his movements as smooth as possible, minimizing any unnecessary action, focusing on attack and defense.

He considered this match as just another part of his training, so he had abandoned any desire to win.

"Huh, huh?"

When Adrian deftly dodged Elisabeth's attack, she looked startled.

Without missing the opportunity, he closed in and swung his sword.

But Elisabeth anticipated Adrian's approach and blocked with her own blade.

Unlike the match between Brea and Alessandro, a markedly different style of swordsmanship clashed, sharp sounds echoing out.

"As expected, not easy... Elisabeth."

Elisabeth followed up with a fierce counterattack, bringing her blade down aggressively. Adrian twisted his body to dodge the blow and, slyly, targeted Elisabeth's legs.

Through Gregory's teachings, he had noticed that Elisabeth's lower body movements were the least natural—her weak spot.

However, Elisabeth was not one to fall for such a simple attack. She had never neglected her training and had devised ways to cover her shortcomings.

After all, attacking the lower body required a larger movement, so she aimed to quickly counter by striking from above.

'Now...!'

Realizing a bit too late, Adrian tried to step back and evade the attack, but deciding it was too late, he swung his sword forcefully.

However, both of them aimed for their next strike at the exact same moment.

Hiyaaa—!

The instant their swords clashed, the blades halted for a brief second, and then the force of impact sent both of them flying backward.

Since they fell at the same time, the result was a draw. Since it was a friendly match, there was no rematch.

Everyone said it was fun and helpful, creating a heated atmosphere.

In that moment, they couldn't help but think about Gregory. Sparring made them think of Gregory, and Gregory made them think of sparring.

Alessandro looked into the air and said,

"I wonder what Gregory's doing right now?"

Ernest patted Alessandro on the shoulder, acknowledging his effort.

"Who knows... probably off handling some mission alone?"

Though it's said that it takes quite a while to reach the Blandi Kingdom, since Gregory had been gone so long, Alessandro began to let strange thoughts creep in.

"But it's been a while... he's not dead, is he?"

At that moment, someone approached from behind Alessandro, and Gregory grabbed Alessandro's shoulders to startle him.

"Were you hoping I was dead?"

At the sudden sound of Gregory's voice, Alessandro jumped in shock.

"A—Aagh!"

Gregory had just returned from a mission to rescue Radian.

By coincidence, he arrived just in time to watch Elisabeth and Adrian's sparring match.

Noticing how much Adrian had improved, Gregory praised him.

"Adrian, you've improved a lot.... Keep it up."

Ernest greeted Gregory warmly, his face brightening.

"You're back?"

Gregory nodded and looked around. Lumiere. There wasn't much to see in this border town, but now it had become the headquarters of the Dawn Knight Order.

It was well positioned on the front lines, easy to move from, and with abundant food supplies—which made it a top target for the Blandi Kingdom.

For the Dawn Knight Order to hold the front line here, it was indeed a strategically vital point.

"They really built this up. Good. Playing around in such a nice place is a luxury. Time for everyone to get back to training."

Alessandro protested,

"Gregory, you just got back. Shouldn't we celebrate with a feast—?"

Gregory ignored him and dragged Alessandro away.

"What are you doing? Get moving."

Everyone appeared to grumble, but somehow, smiles crept onto their faces.

"Yeah. Let's go, let's go."

They were relieved to have Gregory back, and grateful for the way he always so naturally took charge of his comrades.

As they walked, Gregory vaguely recounted what had happened. The mood was lively, but if they had known exactly what Gregory had done, they might've reacted differently.

The knights of the Dawn Knight Order took a closer look at the training ground. Sturdier wooden dummies, new devices for various kinds of training.

'With this...'

Gregory thought that now they could finally conduct even harsher training.

To reach the rank of a 4-star knight, one needed to find their focal point. Each person's capacity for discovering it was different, but at least he could point the way.

That's especially true if it's such a grueling exercise that you're gasping for breath, your vision going dark.

As one pushes to that point, the body relaxes, and the faint, tingling sensation can guide you to the spot.

Finding the focal point was just one of many steps to becoming a powerful knight.

'All of them could become 4-stars.'

Gregory grinned wickedly. It came from his desperate wish to save his comrades as well as his selfish expectations.

He knew none of them wanted to court death, so he wanted to give them a chance to leap forward.

If he succeeded, the average combat power of the Dawn Knight Order would skyrocket.

Gregory looked back at his companions.

Alessandro, recalling where he'd seen this situation before, was seized by apprehension.

"W-What's wrong, Gregory?"

His piercing gaze made everyone flinch. Enjoying their reaction, Gregory gave a sly grin and teased them.

"Welcome to boot camp from hell, gentlemen...."

***

Over the next few days, they did every exercise possible in the training grounds: horsemanship, dueling, strength training, endurance drills.

By sundown, they gathered in the library, where Gregory taught the theories of swordsmanship, the focal point, and military tactics.

"All right, everyone get it? Mastering this in a day is impossible. Listen up."

He explained each comrade's strengths and weaknesses, suggested the weapons best suited for them, and asked Walter to craft bespoke weapons in the forge.

"Skill is important, but in the end, the sword must fit the hand. If you find a weapon more suited to you, your combat ability will improve. Try out different weapons and see what works best for you."

At first, everyone trained energetically, but with the exception of Gregory and Ernest, everyone's shoulders drooped more and more as the days went by.

By the final day, they each looked as if they had lost the world, but what else could they do?

Exhausted, Adrian left the training ground with a sigh. Alessandro was right beside him.

"Huff... I'm beat. Alessandro, want to grab lunch?"

"Sure, but wait a second. I have to talk to Gregory."

"Yeah? You'll be quick, right?"

"Yeah, wait for me."

Alessandro hurried off in search of Gregory.

Although the class had just ended, Gregory had much more to teach and went to find supplementary materials.

He was scanning every bookshelf in the library for the right book.

"Uh, hey, Gregory."

Gregory, engrossed in his book, turned to see Alessandro walking in.

"What is it?"

"Well... you recommended the greatsword, but I don't think it suits me. Could you recommend something else...?"

"Hmmm..."

Gregory had indeed recommended the greatsword to Alessandro.

But now, looking for something else suited for Alessandro, his gaze landed on Durandal, hung across the bookshelf.

'Wait... What was the sword Alessandro used in his previous life...?'

Although Durandal had been acquired by a stroke of fate, it now held memories from a past life. That meant he could give Alessandro the perfect weapon.

If the members of the Dawn Knight Order could receive the swords they had wielded in their previous lives, their skill would rise even higher.

Gregory rummaged through long-forgotten memories for Alessandro's sake. Soon, one word flashed through his mind.

'The Great Radiant Sword.'

TL's Corner:Wait, Walter and Gregory didn't have a talk?

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