Chapter 8: New Mission

Unless the brain is made of sponge, every office worker groans after the weekend ends.

This is because the body, which has relaxed over the weekend, tightens again with the tension of work, and the resulting recoil causes pain.

I don’t know if there’s any scientific or medical basis for this, but doctors probably groan on Mondays as well, so they’d understand. However,

“Aigoo, my back…”

There is a medical reason for my groaning.

It’s because I’m really in pain.

To get to the point,

I had a total of three days off.

Out of those, I only rested for one day.

After enjoying a date with Elaine, the next day I found myself in an open area holding a wooden sword from early in the morning.

On the opposite side of me stood

“Alright, let’s start!”

Elaine, also dressed in training clothes.

Here’s how it came to this:

“Luke, your basic stamina is good. The fact that you didn’t collapse at night and managed to carry me a few times… No, forget that. I misspoke.”

I had a mere two months until the knight exam.

No matter how much I had a plan, to be honest, the timeline was tight.

“There are three subjects to be judged in the knight exam: strength, character, and leadership.”

In this medieval fantasy world where illiteracy rates are high, there is no written exam.

Hooray.

Of course, letters are an important skill for knights of noble rank, but it’s only a prerequisite, so they can learn them after passing.

‘Thanks to being a vessel, I can at least read.’

In the end, there are three key areas I need to focus on if I want to become a knight: strength, character, and leadership.

“Strength is self-explanatory. It will be evaluated through a duel.”

As the core of military strength, a knight’s power is more important than anything, and strength could be said to be the most important part of the exam.

Apparently, the public can watch the duel of the exam participants.

As expected, watching a fight is always the most exciting thing.

“Character. This will be evaluated by presenting a specific situation by the examiner, and through questions and answers, they will assess how you would handle it.”

This was a setting not mentioned in the novel, so I listened carefully.

It seems like they evaluate knightly virtues, which are part of the knight’s code.

In other words, it’s a moral exam.

However, overly idealistic answers will lead to a penalty, and the knightly virtues should be demonstrated within a realistic range.

I’m sure there will be some tricky examples.

“Lastly, leadership. The examiner will assign a few soldiers to you at random. After interacting with them for a week, you’ll be given a group task on the last day, and your ability as a leader will be assessed based on how you solve it.”

From the rank of knight, you gain command over soldiers.

Therefore, leadership is essential.

A leader who completes a mission but loses all their troops except for themselves, and a leader who fails the mission but saves all their soldiers.

Which one do soldiers follow better?

In addition, knights from the North are often sent on difficult missions, so they must have the ability to lead their comrades out in times of crisis.

‘The evaluation subjects themselves are simple.’

The difficulty of the knight exam is certainly high.

But it’s like the logic that if you do well in subjects like math and English, you can get into Seoul University.

So, the answer is clear.

‘I’ll prepare like crazy.’

That’s why, even though it’s a holiday, I’m here right now.

Elaine suggested that I start preparing from the second day of my holiday, as I didn’t have much time.

If I had been told to study instead of resting on my holiday, I would have been upset.

But I gladly accepted her suggestion.

Because

“First, strength. Your strength and stamina are excellent, but your swordsmanship is lacking. Have you ever formally learned swordsmanship?”

“I’ve only learned the basic Winter Sword technique of the Northern Army.”

“I thought so. Your posture is clean, but the way you wield the sword is a bit simplistic. Winter Sword has a solid foundation, so it’s good as basic swordsmanship, but relying on just that won’t guarantee passing the knight exam.”

Elaine raised her wooden sword and assumed a stance.

It was a movement I was already familiar with.

“I will teach you my swordsmanship, the Seolhan Sword.”

Elaine, the current Captain of the Guard, a powerful figure favored by the Northern Duke, and the top scorer of the knight exam, had promised to give me 24-hour one-on-one private lessons.

The content of the course was a special lecture on Seolhan Sword, which was her area of expertise.

Such a rare opportunity couldn’t be missed!

‘I accepted the offer because there aren’t many chances to get personalized lessons from Elaine, but…’

For two days, I underwent intense Spartan-style training.

I had worked out regularly at the gym back on Earth, undergone special forces training in the military, and trained my body here in this world as well.

But I can say without a doubt that compared to Elaine’s training, all of that was nothing.

After just two days, I was exhausted to the point that I had my first nosebleed in my life.

Fortunately, she was a reasonable trainer and made sure to balance rest with the training.

After the sessions, she provided meals and even baths—truly a generous teacher.

With five stars for satisfaction, I already scheduled my next personal training session.

‘Still, it was a really worthwhile experience.’

I’m no munchkin protagonist from a novel, so learning Seolhan Sword in just two days was impossible.

But I had learned the basic movements.

Elaine, the expert instructor, assured me that if I continued practicing based on these movements, I’d be able to master all the basic techniques within two months.

‘For strength, I’ll keep focusing on physical training while learning Seolhan Sword.’

There’s nothing wrong with my personality.

I’ve never gotten into trouble during my school years back on Earth.

I don’t have to worry about leadership skills either.

Since my rookie days, I’ve been good at managing my image, so I’ve had a good reputation within the unit.

In the Guard, my image with the seniors is also solid.

‘Moreover, the reason I’ve set my knight exam for two months later is that I have a plan to make use of then.’

That also needs to be prepared well.

My confidence comes from that.

While massaging my sore muscles from the training, I completed my morning routine.

Another day of hard work begins.

“Hey, Luke. How was your holiday?”

“Did you have a good holiday, senior?”

While waiting for the morning roll call, my senior Garen from Squad 1 approached and greeted me.

“Is your arm okay?”

“Don’t even mention it. I spent the entire holiday treating this injury. Damn it… I was planning to visit the Fox Inn too.”

The Fox Inn was his favorite bar.

Typical of the Northern people, it seemed like they always had a favorite local bar.

Garen, who had injured his arm during the last mission, was obviously on a no-alcohol regimen while recovering.

However, the reason he was annoyed about not being able to visit the Fox Inn wasn’t just because he couldn’t drink.

“Linda must have wondered why you didn’t come.”

“You’re right… Wait a minute. Did you go to the Fox Inn?”

“No, I didn’t. Do you think I’m crazy to go there alone without you, senior?”

Garen was dating Linda, the employee and top candidate for inheriting the management rights of the Fox Inn (the reason being the inn’s owner only had one daughter).

They had been childhood friends, and after Garen joined the Guard, he finally mustered up the courage to confess his feelings. Linda, who had liked him, accepted.

Every time they went to the Fox Inn, the two of them would boast about each other, causing the rest of the team to feel uncomfortable.

…Wait a second. Could this be why I’ve started getting interested in Elaine?

“You too, man. Sometimes, try showing some interest in romance. You didn’t just train mindlessly during the holiday, did you? If you miss your chance, you’ll end up alone.”

“otōtōt…….”

“Hmm? You’re avoiding my eyes, so you really just trained, huh? Don’t get too cocky just because you’re young and good-looking. If you keep living like you’re staring at a wall, you might miss out on a woman who likes you.”

It was hard to react to this when I was being lectured by someone who had spent their holiday treating an injury and couldn’t even spend time with their lover.

Yes, I did train during the holiday, but I wasn’t alone. I didn’t just stare at walls, and I didn’t miss any women.

Now, who’s the winner here?

While getting into position, my body would occasionally brush against hers. Though she was strict during lessons, we’d sit together and chat during breaks.

She wasn’t in her usual armor but in light training clothes, and her sweat-soaked appearance… hmm.

‘Ah, so this is how people develop fetishes.’

While I dismissed the senior’s words with a winner’s mindset, the surrounding noise suddenly disappeared.

I straightened up.

Garen, who had been talking until just now, also fixed his posture and looked forward with perfect military discipline.

Elaine, the dignified knight with blue hair, stood on the podium with the other captains.

Elaine, in her armor, had returned to her usual stern and strong expression.

For a moment, I thought it would be fun to ask Garen later, “Senior, since the captain is getting married, will you be

giving your congratulations to the bride or the groom?” but quickly dismissed the thought before my lips could curl

into a smile.

Before I could raise the corner of my mouth, I cut off the idle thoughts.

“For the Winter Lion!!”

“Hmm.”

Elaine, who had received the salute, briefly scanned the aligned guards before speaking.

“It seems those who have rested have properly regained their strength. And those who stood guard have not relaxed and remain sharp. I’m satisfied.”

Despite the leader’s praise, no one reacted and all the guards kept their stiff posture.

This alone spoke volumes about the strict discipline of the guard unit.

“Except for those in Team 1 who are still recovering from injuries, everyone will return to normal duties. Injured members, do not push yourselves. Focus on tasks within the barracks. Understood?”

“Yes!!”

“Now, I’ll brief you on today’s schedule.”

Elaine provided a brief outline of the shift times, training hours, and rest periods for each team.

As expected, like any military unit, there was always a desire for better shifts. Everyone preferred day shifts and avoided night shifts.

However, while Elaine announced the schedule, there was not a single change in the guards’ expressions. Not even the slightest movement of an eyebrow.

It struck me once again—this was a remarkable unit. With such focus and discipline, no wonder this was the elite guard protecting the Duke of the North.

“That’s all. Make sure to understand everything and perform without mistakes. Understood?”

“Yes!!”

The response was short and firm, only spoken when permission was granted by the leader.

Being in the military for the second time was not exactly a pleasant experience, but…

Being with these strong, reliable comrades, there was something about it that stirred a man’s heart. It wasn’t so bad.

“Additionally, I have an update regarding a mission. His Excellency the Duke has planned an expedition.”

The primary duty of the guard was to escort Duke Grace of the North.

Thus, it was more than just a formality—it was a necessity for the guard to accompany him during any expedition.

And since Duke Grace’s expeditions were always important, the guard had to remain vigilant and prepared.

“The time is next week. The location is the Silver Lake south of Big Mountain. The mission is to eliminate the monster Silver Sabertus and its pack.”

“1”

Although I didn’t know what Silver Sabertus was, just hearing the name made it sound formidable. The guards’ eyes sharpened, but mine sharpened for a different reason.

‘The fangs of the Silver Sabertus. That’s what I’ll be getting.’

The weapon from the original story. The dagger, Silver Sting, which could pierce anything.

The material for this weapon was the fangs of the Silver Sabertus.

In the original story, Silver Sting, made from the fangs of the Silver Sabertus, was a secondary weapon of Duke Grace of the North before it was passed on as a farewell gift to the protagonist.

But what caught my attention was not the fangs of the sabertooth, but…

‘The Silver Lake. That place has ice crystal ore.’

Ice crystal ore.

A mysterious mineral that would become the main material for the legendary sword ‘Crystal Sword’ that Bill would later craft for Grace.

Though it looked like ordinary ice crystals, it contained immense cold energy, powerful enough to freeze its surroundings just by being present.

It was said that the reason the Silver Lake was frozen was because of this ice crystal ore.

Bill was the only blacksmith in the North who successfully smelted this difficult-to-handle ore, and when Grace

infused magic into the sword made from this ore, it unleashed a freezing cold, freezing everything in its path.

‘In the novel, ice crystal ore doesn’t appear until later, just before the northern episode starts, but…’

If it’s going to be discovered and become important eventually, isn’t it good that it’s being found a few months earlier?

Maybe in the novel, the ice crystal ore was used immediately after the sword was finished, as it was used as an ice bomb on the battlefield, but if we research it more this time, it could be used in more diverse ways.

‘This is great. The Silver Lake is said to be hard to approach because of the cold magic pressure and monsters, so I was planning to go there later when I was stronger, but…’

I don’t need to make two trips.

I can get both the sabertooth fangs and the ice crystal ore in this expedition.

It’s a win-win—catch two birds with one stone, and pluck the tiger’s teeth while collecting minerals.

‘If I’m lucky, maybe I can get some ice crystal shards and make a dagger, just like I did with the steel fragments during the first time?’

The scene where Grace swung the Crystal Sword and froze the enemies was so cool that I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.

After all, fire swords and ice swords are a classic fantasy dream. Don’t you think?

Just like with the steel sword, before making the Crystal Sword, I’ll have Bill practice handling ice crystal ore.

While mentally making plans, I was quite pleased with myself when suddenly…

“I’ll announce which team will participate in the mission. Team 1, who participated in the last mission, is excluded. This time, Team… Two and Three will go.”

“?!”

Oh no, this isn’t good.

My ice sword.