Chapter 56 : Chapter 56
Chapter 56
The mana residing in the mana stone increased its weight, pressing down on all the muscles in his body as if to break them.
Leaving behind the sense of exhaustion from the drained mana, he exhaled as if vomiting and lifted the mana stone.
"Hyaaaaat!"
The only time he could rest was when his muscles and mana reached their limit.
The slight problem was that the mana-infused muscles became much tougher and more resilient in the recovery process, making it difficult to feel the limit even with mana stone training.
"Hyaaaaat!"
To Hoodwock, who had been repeating this hellish training with the young lord for the past three weeks, this level of pain was familiar.
If the young lord had been here, he would have said to increase the weight and would have placed a mana stone in each hand, but today was a day off.
And the first day off in three weeks at that.
"Hyaaaaat!"
The plan for today had been perfect.
To go into his room and do nothing.
He had promised himself not to move even if the castle gates were broken down, but it seemed that he had unconsciously become accustomed to this damn training over the past three weeks.
To think that his body had become one that couldn't even sleep without exercising.
He sat down as if exhausted and looked around.
The training ground was full of poor soldiers who had fallen into the young lord's clutches.
"Does this make sense?"
It had only been three weeks.
And no one knew the young lord's true identity.
And yet, the young lord had completely changed the daily lives of the soldiers.
The soldiers, who used to look for alcohol on their days off, crawled into the training ground and wrestled with mana stones, and the soldiers who had given up on becoming knights were inexplicably engrossed in a sword art of unknown origin, as if possessed.
Lower-ranking soldiers might be like that, but even the squad leaders and centurions were eagerly visiting the training ground.
"It doesn't make sense.
It's not like they're the type to train just because the count ordered them to."
The first week had definitely been a joke.
The soldiers, who had playfully followed the strange training method of the investigator from the central command, had their fighting spirit ignited as they realized the difficulty of the training.
A playful bet of who could lift a heavier mana stone had just become a trend.
The trend, which was expected to end in a few days, spread day by day.
Rumors were heard that a soldier who had trained with a mana stone had hit an unseen Orc with an arrow, or that a soldier who hadn't even been enlisted for a year had imbued his spear with mana.
Surprisingly, the rumors were true.
Before two weeks had passed, the number of soldiers who could catch a monster from 1,000 steps away had increased.
The soldiers who had encountered Orcs during a reconnaissance mission had returned with the Orcs' severed heads, far from being annihilated.
At this point, even the centurions who had shown a sullen attitude began to show up at the training ground one after another.
"I really can't believe it."
"What can't you believe?"
At Reina's voice from the side, he answered as if complaining.
"There are so many of them who are dying to do it, yet I was the one who got caught……."
There were even those who looked at him with envy.
There was also one who was jealous, saying that he was the only one taking good medicine.
Most of them thought of the stimpack as a high-quality potion, not knowing what kind of medicine it was.
"I think I'd feel less wronged if I shoved a stimpack down those bastards' throats.
I really thought I was going to die at first."
The young lord had said in passing that mass production was possible, so he had to wait for that time.
When that time came, he would personally find all the bastards who had said they were envious and feed it to them.
"Pfft."
At the clear sound of a snicker, he turned his head, and Reina, drenched in sweat and clutching a mana stone in both hands, said.
"You'll feel even more wronged if the young master comes while you're like this."
At those words, he quickly got up.
He had said to rest well today.
Come to think of it, he wasn't a very reliable person.
Could it have been a trap?
He quickly scanned the training ground and asked, as if shouting.
"You said he wasn't coming today!"
"Well, he did say he was going to see the count after the meeting, but don't you think he'll come out of boredom, just like you, Mr.
Hoodwock?"
"What a curse!"
He looked at Reina with a fed-up expression and thought.
The young lord was crazy about training.
He swung his sword and lifted the mana stone in a fit of rage.
He didn't rest for a single moment until the stimpack that fully recovered his body didn't work.
He, who couldn't even keep up with half of the young lord's training, had come to the training ground, so could that training-crazed man really rest peacefully?
"Damn it."
He imbued the sword he had picked up out of habit with mana.
He didn't know when he would come, but the young lord would definitely come today.
If I hadn't been here, he would have said my training was lacking and would have doubled the training from tomorrow.
Thinking it was a relief, he moved his sword.
If he saw me training today, would he be relieved and tell me to do it alone?
* * *
"Good day!"
I nodded lightly at the bright greeting and walked down the hallway.
It had already been three weeks.
It should have been something I was used to, but the soldiers here, who greeted me so warmly, were something I couldn't get used to.
The greeting, given with pure joy, without a hint of contempt or criticism, tickled me.
"Will they change too if they find out I'm a scoundrel?"
I had no intention of hiding it.
I just didn't see the need to reveal it.
Honestly, I didn't know anymore.
Soon, the bet with the count would be over and everyone would know who I was.
Would I still be able to hear those ticklish greetings then?
"What kind of self-pity is this, I'm not a kid."
After slapping my cheek with a loud smack, I headed to the communication room of the Lord's Castle.
A report from Central Hold was waiting.
* * *
"Honestly!
You said you would contact me once a week!"
I brushed off the reproachful gazes of Lina and Count Mogul with an awkward laugh.
"I wanted to contact you too, but I was so busy……."
"I heard you've been living at the training ground!
No matter how urgent the training is!"
Oops.
It seemed there was an informant.
Had Reina, who was late once a week, contacted them instead?
"I wasn't worried because I had Lina and the Count."
To be precise, I had trusted Lina and the Black Noble Troop, but I didn't say it out loud.
Unlike Lina, who was looking at me with a cold expression at the empty compliment, the corners of the Count's mouth were slightly raised.
Could it be that he was weak to compliments despite his large build?
"Hoo… alright, I understand.
There was nothing urgent, and Reina kept in contact."
As expected, the only one I could trust was Reina.
If there had been an urgent matter in Central Hold, Reina would have told me.
"First, I will report on the current situation.
There are currently a total of 1,300 soldiers training in Central Hold.
We have recruited three batches, and the first batch is learning archery from the Elves, the second is learning mana breathing and weapon techniques, and the third is doing physical training."
"1,300?
That's a lot more than I thought."
"The proportion of enlistment applicants among the people who came from the Golden Goblin Merchant Guild is very high."
True, there was probably no better job than a soldier to adapt to a strange land.
No lord in the world would discriminate against a soldier.
"In addition, the application rate of residents who showed interest in the training for residents has also increased significantly."
"Really?"
"Yes.
The perception of soldiers seems to have improved overall."
Not bad.
The strength of Moner, a military family, was naturally in its military.
It was the first duke and his knights who had founded Moner in the past, and the reason Moner had been able to stand firm for so long was because it had a military force that would not be swayed by any outside noise.
"How are the residents and the people who came from outside?"
In fact, this was the part I was most worried about.
The people Rylae was bringing were from the bottom of society.
Beggars who roamed the streets and slaves who were sold for a few silver coins.
I wasn't worried about those who had applied to be soldiers, but problems could arise among those who were mixed with the residents of the domain.
Because those who had been exposed to violence spoke with their fists.
"That……."
Lina, who had flinched for a moment, reported in a small voice.
"There have been numerous reports from the externally introduced personnel that the residents are violent.
There are continuing requests to be quarantined because the residents are scary."
I swallowed a laugh at Lina's words.
"What?"
"It seems that even the thugs who used to operate in the back alleys of Obsol and those who worked as slave soldiers are getting beaten up in the marketplace……."
"Hah……."
"Thanks to that, the participation rate of the residents in the training has increased significantly.
Before, they participated because of the rations, but these days, they seem to be learning it for self-defense.
The residents who participate are also much more actively engaged in the training."
It seems I was worried about the wrong people.
"I guess I shouldn't be worrying about the residents of the domain.
Let the external personnel also participate in the training so that they don't feel discriminated against.
It will be a good opportunity to mix with the residents."
Right now, the residents and the outsiders were divided, consciously or unconsciously, but if they trained together, they might develop a sense of camaraderie.
"Anything else?"
"The Elf tribe has sent a few more Rangers who have finished their training.
Also, the Holy Empire has sent a request for a visit."
I had to visit both.
Front Hold came first.
"First, tell Akasha thank you and send a letter to Shendelzar.
Tell her I'll go as soon as the domain is stabilized."
"Yes, I understand."
I turned my head and looked at the waiting Count.
Lina could have reported on her own, so why was this old man here?
"Is there anything you want to say?"
Mogul, whose eyes met mine, slowly opened his mouth.
"The domain is fine."
It had only been three weeks.
There was no way something could have happened…….
"There are rumors."
It seemed something could have happened after all.
"Rumors?"
"Since we're taking in beggars and slaves, strange rumors seem to have spread."
I glanced at Lina, and she explained.
"I heard a few of the slash-and-burn farmers who have come to the domain talking about the rumors.
A rumor has spread that the newly appointed head of the Moner family is conducting human experiments."
"Hah!"
A laugh burst out of me in an instant.
It seemed my infamy had grown as much as Moner's reputation.
"Damn it.
I don't care if they curse me, but it's unfair that Moner is getting cursed."
Such rumors were fatal, as we had to recruit people from outside right now.
"Don't worry.
Moner will not be swayed by mere rumors."
"Will anyone want to walk into a den of demons where human experiments are being conducted?"
"Rather, more people are coming because of the rumors."
"There are people who are coming even after hearing the rumors?"
"Because there are many people who have difficulty surviving even a single day.
It is said that slash-and-burn farmers and war refugees are coming to Moner, thinking that they might be able to sell their bodies."
I swallowed a bitter laugh at her calm voice.
People who were driven to the end of their lives to the point of volunteering for human experiments.
Weren't they a good fit for Moner?
"That's a relief.
We need to increase our income as the population of the domain increases.
Tell Rylae to find the herbalists and healers more quickly."
"Yes, I understand."
"My lord Count, please pay more attention to the training of the soldiers."
It would be impossible in any other domain, but in Moner, a master-level swordsman was leading the training!
It seemed that Mogul was also enjoying training with the people of the domain.
"Then I will be on my way.
If there is anything urgent, please contact me here."
Leaving behind the Count and Lina, who were bidding farewell with regretful faces, I left the communication room.
"1,300……."
Moner was growing even while I was away.
"All that's left is for me to grow."
The moment I turned my back on rest and headed to the training ground.
Ding!
Dong!
Ding!
Dong!
The bell announcing the invasion of monsters rang out loudly.