Chapter 169 : Chapter 169
Chapter 169. If You Wish (1)
Roden visited the Vanguard Battalion and the Transport Battalion and passed on the improved training method.
“It seems I've passed on all the basics with this. If there's anything confusing, you can refer to this book where I organized the content. If you still don't know, ask our officers or come find me.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
Currently, the training method Roden used was one that raised the aura absorption rate to 186% by adding secret methods upon secret methods.
On the other hand, what Roden passed on to the Vanguard Battalion and the Transport Battalion had an aura absorption rate of only 100%.
‘But just this will bring great effects to training. Since the Vanguard Battalion became strong quickly even with a training method having less than half of this aura absorption rate.’
Roden, having finished passing on the improved training method like this, returned to his room and pondered on methods to increase the aura absorption rate.
And this pondering continued even amidst engaging in local warfare with the Imperial Army.
Anyway, the possibility of the Main Battalion or the New Recruit Unit led by Roden losing to the Imperial Army was extremely low.
Because the Council of Elder Nobles and the Imperial Guard were the core, and they barely used magic artifacts.
There was enough time for research like that, and just in time, Roden had secured several new Superior Swordsmanship Manuals.
First, there was one Superior Swordsmanship Manual he succeeded in purchasing just before withdrawing the Billem Caravan.
And one Superior Swordsmanship Manual acquired by chance while fighting the Imperial Army, and two Superior Swordsmanship Manuals received as rewards for successful operations.
Lastly, there were four more Superior Swordsmanship Manuals obtained in exchange for passing on the improved training method to the Vanguard Battalion and the Transport Battalion.
Like that, Roden was in a situation where he could research a total of eight Superior Swordsmanship Manuals, and he devoted himself to this research for a while.
As a result, he could obtain eight secret techniques and eight secret methods.
And conclusively, Roden could now use thirty-eight secret techniques.
Also, the aura absorption rate increased up to 234%.
Roden nodded, satisfied with this result.
‘With this, the growth speed of the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit will accelerate.’
However, the research he thought would end around here met a new opportunity as Alexis made an unexpected request.
***
Alexis woke up early in the morning and swung his sword.
It was a morning training he hadn't skipped even once since he first held a sword.
Alexis, who had been polishing his basics throughout the morning training, stopped his movements.
And panting roughly, hu-uk hu-uk, he thought.
‘As expected, there is no answer with this method.’
It had been like this continuously since the day he fought Smith.
He had a thought that if he did just a little more of something, he might reach the realm of 8-star.
But that was elusive, seemingly within reach but not quite, and that fact tormented Alexis.
‘Perhaps the reason I came to have these thoughts is because of the Main Battalion Commander?’
Precisely, in the desperate moment when his life was threatened by Smith, the words Roden said while saving Alexis shook his heart.
Among them, the word that caused the biggest ripple in Alexis's heart was ‘purity’.
‘Just what is purity? Wasn't aura already pure in itself?’
Since Alexis was also a 7-star knight, he possessed and learned a large number of Superior Swordsmanship Manuals.
For that reason, he inevitably came to know many secret methods while learning secret techniques.
Of course, he was using only a few known to be the most effective among them.
Anyway, as he knew so many secret methods, he also grasped various definitions of aura.
But in no Superior Swordsmanship Manual was there a case of dealing with something purer than aura.
He considered aura to be the purest thing.
‘Because aura was refining mana in its extreme pure natural state and absorbing it into the body.’
But Roden spoke as if something purer than that existed.
And this confusion of concepts was shaking Alexis.
Conducting morning training like just now was also for this reason.
‘I thought if I unfolded the basics to the extreme, I could change the aura to be purer, but it seems that's not it.’
Since there was no change even though he repeated the same training for several weeks, he had to regard this method as a failure.
It was when Alexis was returning to his office disappointed.
He saw the Vanguard Battalion grooming their bodies with strange movements after finishing morning training.
‘Huh? What are they doing?’
It wasn't just grooming their bodies.
Before entering afternoon training, they demonstrated unique movements of stretching their bodies out.
‘...Come to think of it, I think the Transport Battalion showed similar behavior.’
Eventually, Alexis, not knowing that those were massage and stretching, couldn't stand the curiosity and approached Tobias.
Then he asked.
“What kind of training are you doing now?”
Then Tobias discovered Alexis belatedly and answered.
“Ah. You came, Corps Commander. A while ago, I asked the Main Battalion Commander and received the improved training method used by the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit. Currently, we are proceeding with training according to that method.”
“...Was there an effect?”
“It is tremendous. Although there are individual differences, the amount of aura increased several times more than usual. In my case, it was a figure over ten times.”
“What? Ten times?”
As Tobias explained with a flushed expression, Alexis couldn't help but be surprised.
To think the amount of aura increased by a figure ten times higher than usual just by changing the training method.
Because it was a completely unexpected result.
Above all, it was shocking that he taught such an effective training method just because he was asked.
Because if it were him, he would never have taught it.
It was natural since it was information worthy of becoming a family heirloom.
‘Just how big is the Main Battalion Commander's magnanimity? No, even if his magnanimity is big, does this make sense?’
Alexis thought like this and asked Tobias.
“What did the Main Battalion Commander receive in exchange for teaching the improved training method?”
“He did not want anything in return.”
“...What?”
“So I forcibly handed over two Superior Swordsmanship Manuals I possessed separately to the Main Battalion Commander. Thinking about it now, even this seems too little. I think I will have to deliver a few more Superior Swordsmanship Manuals soon.”
“Ha.”
Alexis was speechless hearing Tobias's story.
Because it made no sense that he tried to give such a training method without any compensation.
The surprising story didn't end here.
“Actually, the Transport Battalion Commander received the improved training method before me. I heard the Transport Battalion Commander also handed over two Superior Swordsmanship Manuals to the Main Battalion Commander, so he must be having similar regrets as me.”
To think not only the Vanguard Battalion but also the Transport Battalion was training with this amazing training method.
At this point, one thought arose in Alexis's mind.
Perhaps if he asked Roden, he might give a clue to step on the realm of 8-star.
Originally, he would never share this method, but the thought occurred that Roden might be different.
‘How many Superior Swordsmanship Manuals do I possess?’
Like that, Alexis moved his steps to his office without even saying a proper goodbye to Tobias.
***
“Pardon? You are asking me to tell you how to reach the realm of 8-star?”
Roden asked back upon receiving Alexis's request.
It was because the request was too sudden.
Alexis nodded and implored.
“I will give you all six Superior Swordsmanship Manuals I possess personally. Still, can't it be done somehow?”
Roden looked at Alexis asking desperately for a moment.
Then he opened his mouth.
“Forget the Superior Swordsmanship Manuals. I will just tell you.”
Roden highly evaluated the attitude of Alexis, who abandoned his pride and bowed his head to ask him, someone young enough to be his son.
Because he didn't think even he could act like this.
So he said he would just tell him the method, but Alexis shook his head and answered.
“No, please accept the six Superior Swordsmanship Manuals. I do not want to regret like the Vanguard Battalion Commander or the Transport Battalion Commander.”
“Regret?”
“There is such a thing.”
He didn't know what he regretted, but since he wanted to give the Superior Swordsmanship Manuals this much, there was no reason to refuse.
“I understand. Then let me explain first why the realm doesn't rise due to being blocked by a wall. Do you happen to know the reason?”
“Isn't that because that person's enlightenment is insufficient?”
“No. The reason the realm doesn't rise and gets blocked by a wall is because the size of the vessel born with is different for each person.”
“Born vessel?”
“Yes. And that vessel widens little by little as the realm gets higher. However, a moment inevitably comes when one hits the limit. That is why one gets blocked by a wall and the realm doesn't rise anymore.”
“...Then according to your explanation, shouldn't I remain at 7-star forever? Since no matter how hard I try, the size of the born vessel won't grow.”
“Originally, that would be so. But I have a method to expand the vessel. It is precisely making the possessed aura pure.”
Alexis nodded as if he finally heard the word he needed to hear.
Then he asked Roden.
“I was curious about what making aura pure meant anyway. Wasn't aura originally pure?”
Roden shook his head and answered.
“No. In the process of refining pure natural mana, impurities inevitably get mixed in. And if you remove these impurities, you can put more aura in that place, so you will naturally be able to reach the realm of 8-star. Then the size of the vessel will also grow.”
Hearing Roden's explanation, Alexis widened his eyes roundly.
Because after hearing the detailed explanation, it seemed he really could step on the realm of 8-star.