Chapter 35: N T R

The method had been explained, and I had confirmed my opponent.

Now, who would my teammates be?

I was really looking forward to it.

How many would there be? Which unit were they from? What would their personalities be like? How would they

look? What would their ages be? What would they like and dislike, and so on.

And finally, I met the much-anticipated teammates.

There was good news and bad news.

The good news was that, surprisingly, they were familiar faces, so I wouldn’t need to waste time getting to know them.

The bad news was that they were people I knew.

‘What the f*ck.’

Oops, I unintentionally cursed.

But if you understood the situation, you’d see why I couldn’t help it.

Because the four teammates assigned to me were:

“Luke?”

“What, is that really him?”

“Ha! This is too much.”

“…Tch.”

Exil, you piece of sh*t.

Out of all the people in the North, I never expected that this would be the chain reaction leading me to meet you here.

That’s right.

The four of them were from the time before I joined the escort unit, when I was a rookie soldier in the northern

army, and they were part of the group that had been rude to me.

You know the kind of people you meet when living in a group, right?

Those small-minded people who attach themselves to the strong, flattering them and feeding off their power.

The ones who are strangely diligent, doing things that weren’t even asked of them, like loyal dogs to their master.

‘Günter, were you really disappointed in me? Is that why you’re giving me this challenge, as some kind of lesson?’

Well, that’s probably not it.

The argument with Exil happened just before the exam began, so this must just be bad luck.

Even if I complained about not liking my teammates, nothing would change.

They wouldn’t let me change my group, just like how a university group project doesn’t let you switch teammates. Here, the situation is no different.

It would just give the examiners a bad impression if I tried to separate myself from my group.

So, I had no choice but to face it head-on.

It’s okay.

I’ve been through it all—group projects in college, company projects, and dealing with difficult people, garbage, and pests.

I’ve been through the hell of publishing and still secured a scholarship, my personal victory engraved in this soul of mine.

“Looks like we all know each other. Let’s keep the greetings simple. I’m Luke, your leader for the next week. Let’s

achieve the best results in this exam together.”

Naturally, there was no applause or cheers.

I expected that, so I made my greeting intentionally stiff.

What they needed wasn’t laughter or tolerance. If I showed any weakness or bent my head submissively in front of

them to pass the exam, they’d take full advantage of that.

The best way to deal with people like them is to:

“You seem to have a lot of complaints. If you’ve got something to say, do it now. Don’t go around sulking later or

muttering behind my back because you don’t have the guts to speak up.”

“What?”

This isn’t a fishing spot, yet the moment I cast the bait, I get a bite.

“Our time is a week. But it’s hard to prepare something with no unity. So let’s spend today airing out all our

grievances about the team and find common ground, and then we’ll discuss the direction we’ll move in. That way, no

one will have complaints.”

When I had group projects in my past life, I’d feed them, buy drinks, and force a bond at the start.

Greasing the wheels like that made them feel guilty for not doing at least the minimum required, after eating.

Of course, there are those who still don’t respond, even when you try. You can spot them right away during the first

greeting, so there’s no need to waste money.

‘Not that I’ll buy them food, though.’

If food could solve this, I might be tempted, but there’s a better way that doesn’t cost any money and provides

training, so why waste it?

I’ll save that money for Elaine.

“Hahaha! This is ridiculous. Luke, are you really trying to act like the leader now? Don’t get ahead of yourself, man.

We ended up in your group, but don’t think we’re just going to obey your orders.”

“If we do well in this exam, there will be rewards for you too.”

“That’s if we get good results. Even if we don’t, we won’t lose anything, leader.”

“Heh heh. Well, even if the rewards are tempting, I was ready to follow someone else, but after seeing your face, I

changed my mind. Do you really think someone like you, who’s only been in the military for less than a year, can pass

this exam? You’re a rookie. If you’re going to call yourself the leader, at least show some respect.”

The northern army isn’t made up only of exemplary soldiers. It’s a place where people live, after all. Naturally, there

are those who exploit the system, break the rules, and have terrible personalities. They get weeded out when they get

caught, though.

Still, I decided to treat them as people. After all, this is a place where people live.

“Got it. So, your complaint is that you think I won’t pass the evaluation, and you don’t want to waste your effort, so

you’re being rebellious from the start?”

“Wow, quick to understand, huh? I guess you’re smarter than I thought. If you get it, then get lost. Otherwise, go

whine to the evaluator about how your team won’t listen to you. Heh, you’re aiming to be a knight, but what would

happen if you can’t even control your own team?”

If I really left this room and went straight to Gunther… no, I could even go directly to Grace. If I reported the state of

the soldiers’ discipline to Grace, these four could be ground into dust. Even if I didn’t go to Grace, I could complain

to Elaine, and the four of them would be so thoroughly ground down that they’d wish they were dead.

However, as they said, if I tattled right away, it might feel good in the moment, but I’d definitely get a low score on

the second evaluation. No matter the reason, controlling my team is a part of the second evaluation, and bringing in

outside help would mean admitting a lack of leadership.

They were provoking me because they had seen how hard I worked to climb up. It’s ridiculous and annoying, but I

have to deal with them like a human being.

“I heard your complaints. Since we agreed to find a consensus, shall we start now?”

“What?”

“I don’t remember your name, so I’ll call you Ilho. Your complaint is that you’re afraid I’m not good enough to be a team leader, right?”

“What are you saying…”

I grabbed two wooden swords from the corner and threw one at Ilho with all my strength.

Wham!

Ilho was startled and hurriedly grabbed the wooden sword, but it had come at him so fast that his hand hurt, and he

scowled at me.

“This bastard, what the hell…”

“Follow me.”

“Huh?”

“Or do you want to do it here? I don’t mind. But the space is a bit cramped here, so if you swing your sword around,

your friends might get hit if they’re not fast enough to dodge.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

The looks of the four of them changed completely. What had been playful teasing was now pure hostility.

Honestly, I preferred it this way. If they had been the type to talk big but never actually fight, I would have been

disappointed.

“Alright, I’ve been wondering. How did you manage to get into the guard detail with just a few months of service as a

rookie? If it wasn’t skill but trickery, I’ll expose it here and make you look like an idiot.”

“I’m not joking. Come on, let’s go. As a senior, I’ll even let you take the first strike.”

“This bastard keeps talking!”

Ilho gritted his teeth and charged at me. As he swung the wooden sword heavily, I easily blocked the attack and…

Thwack!

With a heavy thud, Ilho was knocked away, crashing to the ground.

The other three watched in wide-eyed shock.

“What, are you surprised? Did you think we were going to have an intense sword fight? With your level of skill, that’d

be impossible.”

Seeing their pride get wounded, one of the guys next to me grabbed the fallen Ilho’s wooden sword and came at me.

For convenience’s sake, I’ll call him Iho. He made a swift thrust, but I simply dodged by twisting my body.

Crunch!

I struck him on the head with the sword handle, and he collapsed on the ground.

“I’m really curious now. You call this ‘skill,’ and you said I wouldn’t pass the evaluation? Was it because you guys are

so far behind that you said I wouldn’t make it?”

Thwack!

I struck once more, and the remaining guy jumped at me, even though he was unarmed. This guy was bigger than the

others, and as he rushed at me with his arms spread wide…

Thunk!

I shoved my sword into his throat with precision, and he choked, clutching his neck before collapsing to the floor.

Finally, I turned to the last one, approaching him.

“Aren’t you going to try? Or are you too weak to even attempt it? Are you a coward?”

“How… How do you have such skills…”

The hostility in his eyes toward me was still there, but the intensity of it had diminished.

Along with the hostility, curiosity, surprise, and fear began to take root.

Compared to the other fools, he may be thin, but at least he seemed to have some sense.

“Answer me quickly, will you do it or not? All of my friends got hit once, so if you’re the only one left out, you’ll feel

lonely. You have to go to hell with your friends. Since it’s the last time, I’ll hit you with everything I’ve got, so make

up your mind quickly.”

“No, I… I lost.”

“You’re not going to do it? After all that, you still won’t give in? Alright, fine. I’ll give you props for your guts.”

“Huh? No, that’s not…”

“You know what? In the East, when soldiers misbehave, they get executed to set an example, and then the others

follow the rules. There’s a story like that, you know?”

“I’ll do it!”

“You’re going to fight? Wow, avenging your friends, that’s beautiful friendship. Grab the wooden sword. I’ll even

show you a secret technique. By the way, I used this to put a big scar on a saber-toothed tiger. It had a really

charming smile. Though I can’t see it anymore, I don’t really miss it.”

“You crazy bastard! What kind of answer do you want from me!!”

In the end, he screamed with a mix of tears.

Ah, that sounds nice.

The idiots were so excited that their stances were a mess, and my swordsmanship, which focused on speed with the

“Seolhan Sword,” allowed me to dominate them with a swift performance.

Real combat experience? That’s not even worth mentioning. Although the opponent had some fun, I’ve sparred with Grace before.

Greasing with money is fine, but in the fantasy world of romance, a little blood isn’t so bad.

In an instant, the four of them were kneeling before me, bowing politely.

“Now, repeat after me. If I don’t have the skills, I won’t mess around.”

“……”

“Yeah, yeah. We still have plenty of time. I told you, this is how it’s going to be all day. The guards usually work

overnight, so we’re used to it. Let’s see if we can stay up all night.”

Swish.

When I grabbed the wooden sword, Sahoe, whose face still had tear stains, quickly shouted.

“If I don’t have the skills, I won’t mess around!”

At least he has some sense.

Whether he likes it or not, I slung the wooden sword over my shoulder.

The soldiers surely knew the meaning of repeating things.

“If I don’t have the skills, I won’t mess around!!”

When Sahoe nudged them, the others joined in, so I set the wooden sword down.

“Once more. Let’s have proper, good character.”

“Let’s have proper, good character!!”

“Let’s treat the opponent with respect.”

“Let’s treat the opponent with respect!!”

Alright, I’m starting to like this.

Using a wooden sword instead of a real sword opened a window for conversation.

When a person hits another with a wooden sword, it’s just two humans treating each other like humans.

“Alright, if you don’t have the skills, don’t mess around. Let’s have proper, good character, and treat our opponent with respect. Got it?”

“……”

“Come to think of it, if you fail the knight exam, you can always try again next month, right? What am I even doing here?”

When I picked up the wooden sword, Il-Sahoe flinched, then they all replied in unison, “Yes!!”

It seems they thought they would win if it was just a contest of strength, but once their calculations were off, they

were crushed.

“Tsk, you pathetic fools. How do you think I got into the guard? It’s because I’m stronger than you. A little thinking

would’ve given you the answer, but you didn’t know that. Use your heads.”

“You’ve been gossiping and making snide remarks without even properly watching, so this is the result. Isn’t that

right? Messing around for no reason, only to get hurt. What’s with that? That must hurt.”

“…….”

“After getting beaten by someone junior to you, kneeling down while getting scolded, do you feel wronged? Angry? If

you’re angry, go whine to the examiner that you challenged the captain and got beaten up because he was too strong.

What happens to those from the North who lose in strength and rely on others?”

“1”

These guys are also Northern men, and the most important value up there is strength. The reason they could mess

around with me was their belief that they were stronger.

But now that they’ve lost in a battle of strength, they have nothing left.

They have no justification for defying their captain, and after they made a fool of themselves and got crushed, they

look incompetent.

They tried to make a show of strength but ended up showing nothing but failure.

That’s why they’re now quietly kneeling before me.

In the North, admitting defeat in strength is seen as beneath a human, and it’s considered disgraceful for life.

‘My pride is intact.’

When making tonkatsu, there’s a proper order.

First, you pound the meat with a hammer to soften the texture.

Then…

‘I’ll start seasoning soon.’

For the second round of judgment, I still need these guys.

I can’t just teach them a lesson and end it.

“But there’s something I’ve been wondering since the fight.”

“???”

“You guys, each have distinct talents. If you combine them properly, you could be a top team, but why aren’t you

using that? If you did, I would’ve had a hard time.”

“What? Ah, no. Huh? What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you know? How good a team you four are?”

Since these guys are in the same unit, if they know about me, I know about them too.

Although I don’t remember their names, I do know that these four always stuck with Alex.

“You guys, being from the North, surely want to get stronger, right? I think if the four of you work together, it’s possible.”

“???”

“How about it? Let’s try it out, just to see. The person in front of you, me, is someone who was recognized for his

skills by His Excellency the Grand Duke and made it into the guard, you know?”

At my words, their eyes softened.

They had just been humiliated and heard harsh words, so their pride had hit rock bottom. But suddenly, hearing

praise from the very person involved, they were confused.

The seasoning I’m about to sprinkle on them is called division.

For the next week, I’m going to make Alex’s subordinates into my dogs.