How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

5.

A match was an act that could be done anytime with just two people, but it couldn’t always be said that it was helpful for growth.

If the skill gap was too significant, no matter how many matches were played, there might be no gains at all.

And this was exactly the case with Rohan and the other recruits.

Although they were all of the same age and had the same training period, such differences were inevitable.

If there were no such differences, then why would the concept of talent even exist?

In Charles’s view, Rohan’s talent was not the kind that would just remain as a mere soldier.

To be honest, it didn’t seem lacking even when compared to the talents of well-known knights.

Charles had held a weapon in his hand for a very long time.

For a brief moment, he had served as a squire under a knight, spent quite a long time as a mercenary, and had lived as a soldier here for over ten years.

Surprisingly, the exceptional talents he had seen over that long period seemed to lose their luster in front of Rohan.

It was a talent that made the old sense of competitiveness come alive again, just a bit.

Of course, Charles was neither immature nor foolish enough to indulge in such emotions.

To him, it was luck.

After the recruits who had finished their matches went back to their dormitory, Charles sat on the edge of his bed, contemplating what to do next.

“Charles, what are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Ah, Arhen.”

Arhen, a name not commonly heard among commoners, approached Charles.

“Ah, about teaching the kids.”

“Kids? Why bother about teaching kids? What’s so important about that?”

With a very sensible response, Charles chuckled.

In fact, Arhen’s reaction was quite ordinary.

Who would care about new recruits anyway?

Most people were much more interested in what to eat for dinner than in such things.

“Oh, there’s an interesting guy.”

“Really? How unique is he?”

“His talent is extraordinary. I’ve never seen anyone like him before.”

“Is he that good? Even you are saying so? You have high standards, Arhen…”

As if surprised by the unexpected answer, Arhen’s words trailed off.

Seemingly intrigued, his eyes, which had a hint of drowsiness, began to shine little by little.

“Well then, how about comparing him to me?”

“A new recruit with you?”

“Yeah. Still, in this neighborhood, they treat me decently, don’t they?”

Charles laughed again at his casual bragging, but in truth, what Arhen said was not entirely wrong.

His significantly larger physique compared to others and years of experience eating hardship had made him a formidable figure among the soldiers.

Though somewhat arrogant in his tone, Charles refrained from needling Arhen for that reason.

Yet, Charles couldn’t bring himself to raise Arhen’s hand in victory.

Of course, if a fight broke out right now, Arhen would undoubtedly win.

The peak of physical strength, overwhelming size, and a wealth of fighting experience would crush Rohan with a weight he couldn’t overcome immediately.

But what if a little more time passed, just a bit?

Charles couldn’t imagine Arhen winning.

Even now, Rohan’s stature was similar to Charles’, and at the ripe age of growth, he would develop to a level comparable to, if not as formidable as, Arhen.

Not to mention the skills.

In just a month, he handled a spear more skillfully than Charles himself, so after two months, three months, a year, what level of achievement would he reach?

Though unspoken, Arhen’s pupils trembled greatly as he read his sincerity in Charles’ reaction.

“What, why would you react like that, Charles… No, I can’t stand not knowing. I have to see it with my own eyes.”

Flushed with excitement at Charles’ evaluation, Arhen exhaled confidently.

Charles, looking perplexed at his demeanor, flinched momentarily at a thought that flashed through his mind.

‘If the issue is the level of sparring partner, why not face stronger opponents?’

Fortunately, with someone displaying such great enthusiasm as a suitable opponent, it seemed like a good idea no matter how much he thought about it.

The fact that he didn’t need to ponder further was a bonus.

With a firm resolve, Charles cautiously broached the subject with Arhen, and naturally, his response was affirmative.

The next day.

In the afternoon, the new recruits gathered at the training ground were met with a new face.

Arhen.

In truth, Charles had suggested not today but tomorrow, but it was impossible to deter the guy’s impulsive nature.

The pupils of the kids, who were seeing a physique they had never seen before, shook slightly.

The reason it was ‘slightly’ was that they didn’t know that the giant in front of them was going to be their sparring partner.

If they could foresee such a grim future, they would have surely cried and trembled uncontrollably.

But the truth is a difficult thing to ignore.

Soon, a statement from Charles sprung forth, promising to give them a shiver greater than first love.

“And here is Argen, your sparring partner for today.”

“What!?”

An unmistakable sense of doubt emanated from everyone simultaneously.

Just being thoroughly dissected by Rohan yesterday was painful enough, and now they were expected to fight such a monster?

The recruits couldn’t tell if this was part of soldier training or a process to torment them.

Nevertheless, Charles was determined, and there was no avoiding the sparring.

Argen, who seemed on the verge of calling out Rohan’s name any moment, managed to restrain himself, knowing that they would soon face off anyway.

The unfortunate man who faced Argen in their first bout was Ort.

Average build, average face.

Ort epitomized the term “standard” in every way.

However, he had a certain sharpness in handling the spear, earning him a somewhat favorable evaluation from Charles.

Despite training together from the start, everyone had high hopes for Ort’s skills.

“Argh!”

After missing the target in just two clashes, he ended up sprawled on the ground, receiving blows helplessly.

“Damn it…”

“This is screwed up for real…”

Though he had only taken one hit, the sight of him losing his composure and rolling on the ground seemed unforgettable.

The thought that soon he might be the one rolling next to him crossed everyone’s minds like a grim prophecy.

Kenneth, who was beside Ort, tried to switch places discreetly, but Alun noticed and stopped him in his tracks.

With a resentful look towards Alun, Kenneth, too, found himself rolling on the ground after just two clashes.

One by one, as the boys fell to the ground, Rohan finally stood before Argen.

“So, you’re Rohan. Indeed, you have a good physique.”

Argen, who had been swinging the spear without a word, spoke for the first time.

And at that moment, Rohan realized why all this was happening.

“It’s all because of me.”

Feeling sorry for the kids who had taken hits because of him, Rohan had no intention, yet he had undeniably been the cause.

But there was no time to leisurely apologize.

Argen’s momentum standing in front of him had intensified.

The strike that made all four recruits sprawl on the ground now aimed at Rohan’s forehead.

Though bewildered by the speed and force he had never experienced before, Rohan responded calmly.

Slightly tilting the staff to deflect Argen’s attack, he seized the opportunity when Argen’s posture faltered and aimed for his throat.

A different attack, exerting full force.

However, Argen was a soldier worthy of being called a veteran.

He dodged the attack with a slight turn of his head and swiftly swung back the staff, aiming for Rohan’s side.

“It’s too late to dodge.”

Though a relatively small thrust, Argen’s counterattack was just as swift.

He blocked it as if pushing away the rising staff.

The impact traveled up his arm, but since it wasn’t a heavy blow, he could withstand it.

Rather, he aimed for the opposite shoulder, utilizing the recoil.

“Kuk!”

For the first time, Arghen, allowing a valid hit, let out a small groan.

It was an unexpected pain.

As if igniting a fire, Rohan’s counterattack surged with even more momentum, striking Arghen fiercely.

‘There’s no room for a counterattack.’

To be more precise, there was room, but he didn’t dare to take the risk.

The opponent’s determination to finish Rohan off after deflecting a counterattack once with his body was palpable.

There was only one way.

He had to endure until the end and deliver an attack strong enough to overpower the opponent in one go.

He let the endless stream of attacks flow and parried them.

Although his hands, accumulating shock, were trembling slightly, he was far from completely drained of strength.

The mouths of the boys watching the exchange between the two who were a few moves ahead gradually opened, unlike the spectators’ admiration.

Contrary to the spectators’ awe, the two who had been exchanging blows for a long time gradually felt their stamina depleting.

Arghen’s fierce attacks were losing their strength, like flames gradually fading, and Rohan’s staff, which had been constantly receiving them, also began to move more roughly.

What decided the match was Arghen’s carelessness.

Taking the attacker’s position unilaterally, Arghen, forgetting the possibility of a counterattack, exerted all his weight on the staff, and as Rohan, who had barely managed to deflect it, swung it, he struck Arghen’s throat with the end of the staff.

“Kuh…ack…”

The human body has clear limits, so even with rigorous training, completely eliminating a vital spot like the throat or solar plexus is impossible.

Even if one were a warrior, they were nothing more than a well-trained ordinary soldier.

It was impossible for them to withstand an unexpected blow.

Arghen’s body collapsed weakly.

“Kuh…”

Watching Arghen writhe in pain, Rohan felt a mix of complex emotions.

Regret, pity, relief.

And the sense of accomplishment of surpassing the enemy.

‘I won.’

The moment he realized the match was decided, he felt the tension release, and all the strength drained from his body.

As the excitement subsided, pain surged through every corner of his body.

‘I haven’t even properly been hit…’

Although he had parried and blocked all of Arghen’s numerous attacks, it was evidence that it was impossible to completely dissipate all the impact contained within them.

However, Rohan didn’t feel any regret about that fact.

It was clear that Arghen possessed physical abilities far beyond Rohan’s own, yet he had succeeded in not just competing but in overpowering.

Unless one was a being like a knight or a wizard handling mystical energies, it was almost a guarantee that anyone could be dealt with beyond merely competing.

This was even more remarkable considering that he had only just begun proper training.

While Rohan resolved to make more active use of the status window, Charles was bewildered to the point of astonishment.

‘Arghen…lost?’

He was well aware of Rohan’s remarkable talent and that his rate of growth surpassed exceptional levels.

However, this was completely beyond expectations.

Though Isel was a small castle located in the countryside, Argent was the most exceptional warrior among the castle’s soldiers.

To think he was defeated by a mere fourteen-year-old boy.

If anyone who knew Argent heard that, they would never have believed it.

Even if the boy had been raised as a squire under a knight since he was young.

For a boy who had barely blossomed into adolescence, it was impossible to completely overcome overwhelming physical abilities.

Even Rohan was far from such a well-fed position.

According to what Haken, who brought him, said, he was an utterly rustic country boy.

There was a high possibility that he didn’t even know what Ora was.

He overcame such a significant difference in strength and physique with overwhelming skill.

“Of course, Argent’s spear skills aren’t that excellent, but…”

No matter how much he thought about it, the only word that came to mind was astonishing.

Charles, who had been constantly amazed by the two, soon had to stiffen his expression.

It was because the forgotten issue came back to mind.

“I thought I should have him spar with a stronger opponent… But with Argent’s defeat, it seems a bit ambiguous now.”

As Argent was undoubtedly one of the strongest among the soldiers, he would not necessarily challenge a defeated opponent.

Rohan was remarkable, but still just a fourteen-year-old boy.

Even if he won, it would be difficult to receive high praise, and if he lost, it would be quite shameful, so there would be no one willing to spar and only incur losses.

While Charles furrowed his brow and pondered, Rohan, who had somewhat regained his strength, leaned on his staff and stood up.

“Are you okay?”

Argent, who still seemed to be in pain with a furrowed face, answered laboriously, “Y-yes… Just a little more like this, and I think I’ll be fine. You, you’re truly amazing. At your age…”

Although there was still a trace of anger due to defeat on his face, he did not show any resentment or jealousy towards Rohan.

Thanks to that, Rohan could interact with him a bit more comfortably.

“I was lucky. Actually, my hands are still trembling.”

Rohan, showing his pale palm, which had grasped the spear tightly, smiled faintly.

Argent, who had become gloomy due to the unexpected defeat, seemed to feel slightly better seeing Rohan’s smile.

The opponent was still young and possessed talents that were hard to express even with the word “remarkable.”

‘A tremendous comrade has appeared.’

It seemed that there would be no boring moments for a while.

With a new, intriguing fellow around.