How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

8.

“Dorf. How are the new recruits over there?”

“Us? Just average. Still kind of like kids. How about over there?”

“As rumored. Very diligent. Body is incredibly robust. Heard they still swing their weapon for hours after work?”

“So, there was a reason why Charles praised them. Are they doing well on duty?”

“Well, there are some odd things… but they seem to adapt well. Doesn’t seem like they’ll cause trouble.”

“Odd things? What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s nothing much, but they refuse to accept ‘gifts’.”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“No, I’m serious.”

“So, what about meals? Are they not willing to buy with their own money?”

“That’s right.”

“What?”

“Really, they pay for their own meals?”

It had been a month since Rohan started working.

Unlike the previous security guards who would slack off, Rohan, who didn’t stop training even after the probation period, was being perceived as a ‘peculiar one’ by people.

Of course, that wasn’t a negative connotation, and there were hardly anyone with ill feelings towards Rohan.

A few with twisted personalities would gossip behind his back, saying he was pretending to be good, but they were a minority, and hardly anyone agreed with their opinions, except themselves.

To Rohan, a new hobby had emerged recently.

That was staring blankly into space during break times.

One might say it was nonsense, but it was actually due to a skill he had recently acquired.

– Meditation (N) / 55%

It was the first ‘skill not directly related to combat’ he had obtained, practically gaining the skill without much effort.

To acquire this skill, all he did was sit down, exhausted, and clear his mind.

Like most meditations, besides providing some mental stability, it didn’t have any notable effects, but Rohan had high hopes for this skill in his own way.

‘Could this skill possibly be the key to mastering martial arts?’

In this world that had suddenly fallen, there were transcendent beings beyond the level that could be explained simply by being good at fighting.

Represented by knights and wizards, these transcendent beings all had their own unique martial arts techniques for manipulating mana.

Of course, these martial arts techniques were at such a high level that unless you were born into that lineage or were a disciple, there was simply no way to learn them.

As a newly enlisted soldier, Rohan had no idea how much time he would need to invest to acquire them.

So, he was placing his hopes on meditation, with its faint possibility.

Not long ago, even after achieving 100% proficiency in swordsmanship and spear throwing, the reason for not proceeding with skill synthesis was to use this ‘meditation’ as an ingredient.

Lately, whispers about losing his mind were heard here and there, and it had already been two weeks since he spaced out intermittently.

Every time he looked at the proficiency score that had surpassed 50%, he felt proud, but the truth was that meditating every day was not such an easy task.

Recently, it had even begun to have a negative impact on his mental health.

Of course, being a Korean of strong will, Rohan did not postpone his training because of such minor discomfort.

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As always, the streets he saw while meditating were peaceful.

There was a bit of a smell, occasionally quite frequent swearing could be heard, and people didn’t seem to wash often enough, but that was just how it was.

If the sudden summons for all soldiers hadn’t come, it likely would have continued like that.

“Rohan! Tenes! All guards gather immediately as sergeants! I will deliver the news, so hurry over!”

“What? What’s going on?”

“Just come. Tenes.”

At Rohan’s urging, Tenes, who had been standing dumbfounded, started running.

“It’s ominous. What could it be?”

Tenes, with a worried expression as if sensing something unsettling, kept teasing his lips.

Tenes was known for talking nonsense even on ordinary days, but today, his uneasiness couldn’t be dismissed as trivial.

“The Border War?”

No one openly mentioned it, but everyone knew about the unsettling shadow.

Perhaps that’s why Tenes seemed more anxious than usual.

And as always, ominous premonitions didn’t easily go away.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes!”

Rushing as if out of breath, they stood in formation as sergeants, despite still catching their breath.

Results of long, repeated training.

But at least for now, Haken seemed unimpressed by such results.

As soon as it was confirmed that all soldiers had gathered, he began speaking immediately, in an agitated tone.

“You must have all heard. Recently, Dusel Jazak and Freyel Namjak have been engaged in the Border War.”

“Let’s put it bluntly. Our Isel has also decided to stand with Freyel Namjak and participate in the battle.”

“Prepare for deployment. Until then, ensure your equipment and weaponry are perfectly maintained!”

“Each squad leader, follow me!”

With a brief but firm declaration, Haken led the squad leaders away, and Lyon, who was in charge of the guard unit, stepped forward and shouted at the soldiers once again.

He spoke much longer than Haken, but the content was similar.

Oh, one more thing was added.

Anyone fleeing the castle to avoid the war would face retaliation.

Honestly, Rohan, who hadn’t completely ruled out that idea, could only feel a pang of uncertainty.

He had learned a lot at Isel Castle, gained a lot, but when it came to risking his life, it naturally raised questions.

But seeing such a strong warning, fleeing didn’t seem like a wise choice.

“Well, the soldiers have all been exposed anyway…”

If he were to flee, he would have to go to the opposite side of the kingdom to feel safe.

Even if he managed to escape and survive, there was a high chance that as he grew stronger and gained fame, he would eventually be exposed as a deserter who fled out of fear of war.

Moreover, it seemed easier to escape during a march than when inside the village.

“For now, it’s best to follow orders.”

With his mind made up, Rohan began preparing for war as soon as Leon finished speaking.

The first thing to do was to secure provisions.

He needed to acquire items like biscuits that had become as hard as bricks from being baked multiple times, and meat that had been preserved to the extreme with salt and smoking.

Perhaps having a similar thought to Rohan, there were several soldiers rushing to the village.

Fortunately, Rohan’s bargaining skills were quite exceptional, and he was able to procure about three weeks’ worth of provisions.

The bread was so hard that it would need to be soaked in saliva for a while before being edible, and the meat, while not as flavorful as salted meat, was a much better choice than starving to death.

Even though there were supplies available, blindly trusting the supplies of this era was considered foolish, so he had bought them even while grumbling about it.

With his pockets now filled to the brim, Rohan could return to his lodgings feeling somewhat comforted.

He divided the purchased food into several pockets.

Next was to clean and maintain his equipment.

Although he hadn’t been negligent in maintenance, properly cleaning weapons during marches and camps was no easy task.

It was a wise decision to do it before leaving the village.

Unlike his early days when he first arrived in this world, having gone through half a year of training, Rohan was knowledgeable in how to maintain weapons.

Planning to carry a sword and a spear, he had to put more effort into cleaning compared to other soldiers.

“Let’s start with the hardest part.”

Among the sword, spear, and shield, the sword was undoubtedly the most labor-intensive to maintain.

Starting with sharpening the blade on a whetstone to maximum uniformity, he tore apart his worn-out clothes to polish it and remove any remaining debris.

After ensuring the blade was sharp, he applied sheep’s fat to prevent rusting.

Finally, he double-checked that the handle was securely fixed, and he was done.

The spear went through a similar process, but with less metal to maintain compared to the sword, and since the spear was primarily a thrusting weapon, it was less critical if the blade was slightly dull compared to the sword.

“As for the shield, as long as it’s not bent, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

Nevertheless, just in case, he applied another layer of oil to the iron part fastened on the wood.

“As for the armor… it’s hopeless.”

Originally made of fabric pieces, the armor was not particularly sturdy, riddled with holes from previous wearers, and emitted a foul smell mixing with various body odors; that was the padded armor Rohan received.

The stench was particularly unbearable, and despite his efforts to painstakingly wash the thick armor, the smell wouldn’t entirely disappear.

He even considered making oil soap to combat the repulsiveness, but since it was an item he wouldn’t even wear during his time as a guard, he eventually gave up without much regret.

Still, it was better than nothing, so he had to bring it along.

The most problematic item was his footwear, but luckily he had bought an old pair of leather shoes before.

New recruits without money often wore shoes made of linen or similar materials.

Of course, marching in such shoes would often result in bloody feet even before engaging in combat, and it was a serious issue not only during battles but also when fleeing.

“By now, the prices must have skyrocketed, right?”

Since the soldiers had heard about the impending war, there was hardly any difference between them and the villagers.

And given the common practice of profiteering, everyone would be vigorously selling their goods.

Just the fact that he had shoes was a significant comfort.

He reinforced the worn-out backpack with some amateur sewing, packed the provisions and water flask, and finally added some old bandages, disinfectant alcohol, boiled birch bark water, and a bit of honey.

Compared to modern medicines, it was a meager composition, but being a modern-day individual, Rohan knew that even a bit of disinfection and pain relief could exponentially increase his chances of survival.

As Rohan was somewhat content with his packed backpack, he was about to…

The Chief of Security, Haken’s office was filled with tension so thick it felt suffocating.

“Everyone from all eight squads has arrived.”

“Good, everyone’s here. Please, take a seat.”

Confirming that all the squad leaders had taken their places, Haken spoke again.

“Although the sudden call to arms may have caught you off guard, I believe you all had some inkling.”

At Haken’s words, each squad leader nodded in agreement.

Due to the frequent contact with outsiders that the security team had, they had sensed the uneasy atmosphere long before.

“To be honest, this upcoming territorial battle is expected to be on a larger scale. It’s likely… the fighting will be intense.”

“Nevertheless, we have no choice. Everyone here will have to go to the battlefield.”

“However, we can decide on soldiers to leave in the rear.”

“By tomorrow, each squad should submit a list of two individuals to remain at the castle.”

The squad leaders, their faces darkened with worry, nodded reluctantly.

Not only were they concerned about being dragged into war, but now they also had to make difficult decisions.

But from now on, there was no room for hesitation; any delay would be a waste of time.

The leader of Squad 3, Rascal, just like the other squad leaders, spent the night pondering the same dilemma.

As leaders are also human, relationships and friendships with squad members could significantly influence such important decisions.

And it was common for many to think so.

However, Squad 3’s leader, Rascal, was not one to be swayed by such friendships.

In fact, his strong bond with the members allowed him to make decisions without being influenced.

In a situation where any choice would inevitably cause heartache.

“Well then, wouldn’t it be best to choose the two most suitable individuals from a third-party perspective?”

After a night of contemplation, Rascal finally made his decision as the eastern sky began to brighten.

“Kyle and Rohan will stay.”

Each security member had a reason not to go to the battlefield.

Yet, despite this, choosing them was the most justified decision among all.

Kyle was supporting his elderly mother and recently born daughter.

Having lost his wife early due to childbirth complications, if Kyle were to die in the war, both his mother and young daughter would struggle to make ends meet.

Rohan, an orphan with no family, possessed noble character and exceptional skills compared to other soldiers.

Rascal, working as a security member, had never seen a soldier who did not take advantage of merchants.

In a situation where they had to leave their families behind, Rascal believed that soldiers like Rohan staying at the castle would alleviate some worries about their families.

The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Rascal handed the list to Haken.