Becoming a Swordmast Chapter 34 : Chapter 34

Chapter 34. A Cheerful Rebellion (2)

A few days before Roden declared that he would hold a competition to select the best soldier.

In the training ground, there were people who had co out early in the morning to stretch.

This handful of people were the ones who were still training diligently.

One of them glanced at another person and asked.

“Why are you so diligent about the new training?”

At the sudden question, the soldier who had been concentrating on stretching raised his head.

The soldier's identity was Nedhab, who belonged to the 1st Squad.

Nedhab paused for a mont before opening his mouth.

“There's no particular reason. It’s just that there's no reason for

not to accept this training.”

“No reason?”

“Being ridiculed and ignored by others is sothing I, who co from a minority tribe, am very used to.”

Indeed, Nedhab was not particularly affected by the actions of the other platoons.

Because the level of ridicule and disregard was so mundane compared to what Nedhab had endured.

But to get angry about this and not accept the new training thod.

Rather, Nedhab could not understand this behavior.

Having organized his thoughts, Nedhab asked the person who had posed the question.

“Then why are you, 3rd Squad Leader nim, so diligent about the new training? You're the type who always does everything with a knack for it, aren't you?”

The person who had asked Nedhab was Federico, the 3rd Squad Leader.

Federico, a forr rcenary, was an experienced veteran.

He had lived his entire life wandering through large and small battlefields, and when soone asked his age, he would only smile benignly.

Still, there was no one who did not know that he had survived by rolling on the battlefield for more than 10 years.

There were quite a few people who knew that he had once made a na for himself as a natural-born strongman.

However, it seed his physical abilities had declined significantly now, as he could not use his strength as he used to.

So, his training felt more like he was doing just enough for himself, rather than being diligent in everything.

This was why Nedhab had said he had a knack for things.

Federico, who had been asked the sa question by Nedhab, looked up at the sky for a mont.

At the sa ti, it exquisitely overlapped with the movent of tilting his head back to stretch his neck, making it look as if he were just stretching.

Federico opened his mouth while maintaining this posture.

“Having a knack for things doesn't necessarily an I don't train diligently. You might have seen

as doing things half-heartedly, but I've always worked hard in any training.”

“Did you?”

“I did.”

And so, their conversation seed to end there.

As they were from different squads, they didn't have many points of contact to begin with.

But a mont later, Federico quietly muttered.

“Maybe it's because I haven't been able to let go of my greed even at this age. The desire to beco a proper knight.”

“…….”

Nedhab, reading Federico's heavy emotions, lost his words and shut his mouth.

The two of them were adapting to the new training thod, unaware of what was to co.

***

Returning to the present.

The soldiers were flustered by the sudden words Roden had uttered.

To select the best soldier.

Why on earth?

But as soon as they confird the high-class whiskey, this thought completely vanished from the soldiers' minds.

This was a battlefield where cheap rum from supplies was used like currency.

In a place like this, high-class whiskey was a prize that could motivate anyone to do anything.

Moreover, since it served as currency, it was worth collecting even for those who did not like alcohol.

And just as expected.

Terne, the 2nd Squad Leader, stepped forward and asked.

“In what way will the platoon's best soldier be selected?”

Terne, as well as all the other soldiers, had an expectant look on their faces, waiting for Roden's answer.

Roden, confirming these expressions, spoke with a smile on his lips.

“Of course, it's a one-on-one tournant spar. However, it might be dangerous if all 26 people spar at once, so let's have the preliminary rounds in two halves.”

“How will the opponents be decided?”

“Let's have each person pick a stone with a number from 1 to 26 written on it, and write the na of the person who picked number 1 in the left box of the tournant bracket. That way, number 1 becos the opponent of number 2. Number 3 will fight with number 4. Oh, and for reference, the people who pick numbers 25 and 26 will get byes in the 2nd and 3rd preliminary rounds.”

“How will the winner and loser be decided?”

“Until one side surrenders. However, if you inflict a serious injury on your opponent, I will disqualify that person and even press charges under military law.”

“Then it would be good if soone could watch over to ensure the spars proceed safely.”

“That's right. Later on, just

and the Deputy Platoon Leader will be enough, but that won't be possible for at least the first match. So, while one half is competing, let's have the other half watch over.”

It was the simplest and fairest rule.

Moreover, since the safety issue was also neatly resolved, no one raised any objections.

The fact that Roden and Chevalier were not participating in this tournant was also sothing the rest of the soldiers were happy about.

This way, they could compete with their skills entirely among themselves, who had not learned aura.

“Now, if there are no more questions, shall we start the competition right away? First, everyone pick up a stone of a suitable size. About this big.”

Roden picked up a stone rolling on the ground and showed it to them.

At that, the soldiers moved in perfect order and each found a stone.

Roden watched them and then handed Chevalier a pen he had prepared in advance.

“Deputy Platoon Leader, let's write the numbers on the stones the soldiers bring together.”

“……Yes. I will do that.”

In fact, Chevalier had many questions.

Because he had not been given any prior notice about this competition from Roden.

For that reason, he was curious as to why he wanted to hold this competition instead of the regular training,

and what he hoped to gain from this competition.

But Chevalier chose to quietly follow Roden's instructions rather than asking questions.

Because although it had never happened in the 3rd Infantry Platoon before, other platoons sotis held similar competitions to boost the soldiers' morale.

Above all, Chevalier believed.

That Roden surely had a greater purpose.

Chevalier's faith in Roden had grown to this extent.

And so, Roden and Chevalier wrote the numbers from 1 to 26 on the 26 stones.

And the soldiers each picked one.

There was no need to hide the numbers or blindfold them to be fair.

Because it was a situation where no one knew who would pick which number anyway.

And even if they did, it didn't matter.

Because the fact that they had to defeat their opponent in the final to win remained unchanged.

A mont later.

Finally, the matchups for the 1st preliminary round were completed.

12 soldiers began their first spar.

***

They were able to complete all of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd preliminary rounds in the morning alone.

And so, four winners made it to the semifinals.

Those people were Zailo, Terne, Federico, and Nedhab.

And because of these results, the 3rd Infantry Platoon was abuzz throughout lunch.

It couldn't be helped.

Everyone had expected Zailo and Terne's good performance, but Federico and Nedhab's was very surprising.

“Wow. I didn't know our old man was such a good fighter.”

“He was surprisingly dominant, wasn't he? Is this why you can't ignore the power of experience?”

“I'm more surprised by Nedhab than the 3rd Squad Leader. Did you know? That he was that good at fighting?”

“I was surprised too. Originally, Nedhab's skill was at the very bottom even within the 1st Squad. But I don't know when he improved this much.”

“Don't you think the 3rd Squad Leader and Nedhab were just lucky?”

“How can you beat Hugo and Manolo with luck? Make so sense.”

“And it's not like the two of them got byes and went straight to the semifinals like the 1st Squad Leader, skipping the 2nd and 3rd preliminary rounds.”

Hugo and Manolo were the soldiers who were considered strong contenders for victory in this competition.

They had always shown a strong side, but it was a natural thing as they had shown the most outstanding performance not only in the supply operation but also in this operation.

There were even cases where so of the soldiers had their lives saved directly or indirectly thanks to Hugo and Manolo's performance.

On the other hand, Federico and Nedhab felt like they just did their part.

Not particularly strong, nor weak.

At least for Federico, he was once a famous rcenary, so his current performance was sowhat understandable, but not for Nedhab.

Everyone was just puzzled as to how Nedhab was showing such skill.

And in truth,

‘What on earth…… is going on?’

Nedhab was also surprised.

Because he had never thought he could display this level of skill before.

The skill level that Nedhab was usually aware of was much lower than this.

He had confird his own limits several tis during the two operations, so it was definitely not a misconception.

But for so reason, he was fighting much better now than he had known before.

And what was even more surprising was the fact that he felt like he could fight more.

‘Why on earth?’

It was when Nedhab was having these thoughts.

One of the soldiers who was having a similar conversation next to him brought up an unexpected story.

“The fact that the 3rd Squad Leader and Nedhab are fighting so well……. Could it be because of that?”

“What?”

“The new training that the Platoon Leader and Deputy Platoon Leader are making us do. It's having an effect.”

“?!”

Everyone who heard that was startled in unison.

Because Federico and Nedhab were indeed the ones who were still diligent about the new training.

But soon, the soldiers started to co to their senses one by one and chuckle.

They thought it was too much of a stretch.

Even the soldier who had made such a conjecture,

“Right? It’s ridiculous, isn't it?”

went so far as to say this.

But it wasn't just these soldiers.

The other soldiers who were gathered in small groups to eat lunch were also reaching the sa conclusion about Federico and Nedhab's performance.

This was exactly what Roden had been aiming for.

***

Finally, the semifinals and the final were held.

And as soon as the results ca out, everyone was shocked.

Roden announced the na of the final winner.

“Congratulations, Nedhab. This whiskey is now yours.”