The Knight King Who Returned with Gods : Chapter 34
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 34 Holy Grail Knight's Standby Army Training
Regime
Leon was determined to restore the Grail Knights.
However, he knew that it is not an easy task to find a
Grail Knight in this era.
The Yakt Spinner was an exception. Anyway, the Grail Knights
need soldiers to support them.
It was for this reason that Leon gathered a group of
low-level hunters, including the Gu Dae-sung.
They would be armed with spears and shields and become a
solid wall of support for the Grail Knights.
"I wouldn't say they're below my guess, but they're
just okay."
"They are hunters, so they should have good basic
strength, shouldn't they?"
Hari doesn't know about Leon's world. But here, generally
speaking, the hunters were incredibly talented soldiers, despite their low
rank.
But they're just okay?
"Hmph. Look at them. Aren't they tired and fatigued
simply from killing four thousand orcs, who were already dying?"
"Yes?"
Hari didn't immediately understand what Leon was saying.
Even if most of them had been poisoned by radiation, there were still over a
thousand orcs alive.
Even if they were ailing orcs, wouldn't it be natural for
them to be exhausted from running around trying to eliminate them?
"I don't want to give common people the rank of soldiers.
However, these are the superhumans of this world."
"Is that so...?"
"Well, I want them to be at least on the level of my
Endbringer. I don't even expect them to be like the Elderric Master Guards or
the Holy Wardens of Rohanna. But even with the protection of the Lionheart,
they're not even on par with the Baltaric Orc Crushers."
"......Your Majesty, I have no idea what you're
talking about..."
Leon realized that he had said something that Hari would
not understand. But even so, remembering the brave ones he had shared honor
with. he couldn't help but compare them to these hunters,
"To put it simply, the Baltaric Orc Crushers could
take on five orcs alone. Ten if the War Knight was present. With me, they could
slaughter thirty."
"...... And those people aren't called
knights?"
Excluding medium and large monsters, orcs were the
toughest monsters in the gates. A high-level orc warrior can take on even a
B-ranked hunter one-on-one.
They can slay thirty of them, and yet they're not
knights? Even Hari would have a hard time dealing with thirty orcs by herself,
right?
"What kind of existence is a knight in His Majesty's
world?"
"I'd say you're about the level of a squire."
Hari was stunned. Even though she is young, she, the
youngest A-class hunter, was only at the level of a squire?
Within Leon's mind right now, there were only three
knightly ranks:
Squire. Master Knight... and Holy Grail Knight.
'It
wasn't empty words when he said we were weak….'
Hari realized that Leon's standards were so high that
even the hunters of modern Earth would look funny.
'If
Sir Yappy is a Holy Grail Knight... does that mean that all Holy Grail Knights
are S-class hunters or higher?!!'
-Gulp!
If Leon's order of Holy Grail Knights were to be revived
in the modern era... wouldn't that be a monumental event that would upset the
balance of military power in the world?
"For now, we should at least raise their level to
that of regular soldiers."
"Uh, how will... Your Majesty do that?"
What is the training method of this Lionheart King? Would
she be able to receive such training?
At Hari's expectant gaze, Leon said nonchalantly,
"Physical training."
* * * *
Forty-nine hunters, including Gu Dae-sung and Team Leader
Jim Do-han, were summoned to a makeshift training ground in the Naju Plain.
"Wow~ They paid generously for the training?"
"Right, I don't have to worry about living expenses
for a while."
Even when they were told to undergo training, they
couldn't help but to return, because they felt that sense of accomplishment at
the Ork Gate and actually grew stronger.
All those buffs from the Lion's Heart and the Orc
Butcher. Plus, they got the [Orc Hunter] skill as well as the [Man-At-Arms of
the War Knight] skill, so they can't help themselves.
The [Orc Hunter] was only effective when fighting orcs,
and the [Man-At-Arms of the War Knight] only took effect when fighting
alongside Leon.
Besides, they thought it would be better for their future
if they come here for training while being paid than to be a porter at the
gate.
"By the way, Gu-ssi. What's wrong with your face?
Your lips are hurt?"
As Team Leader Jim Do-han said, Gu Dae-sung's face was
bruised here and there.
"Did you... participate in a recent gate raid?"
"Yes... I was feeling itchy, so I went to a blue
gate......."
After the battle at the yellow gate with Leon, Gu
Dai-sung felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration and omnipotence.
He wondered if he had really gotten stronger and if he
could fight better than usual, so he joined the blue gate raid as a one-time
party member.
It was a goblin hunt, but he was neither as strong nor as
agile as he had been at the Orc Gate, and he returned home battered and bruised
by the goblins' crude clubs.
"You're going to hurt yourself, man. Do it in
moderation."
"Yes......."
As the hall buzzed with chatter, Hari entered and shouted
as loudly as she could,
"His Majesty Leon Dragonia Lionheart and Holy Grail
Knight, Sir Yakt Spinner, are now entering!"
At those words, everyone shut their mouths and stood
still. At Leon's mere appearance, they stood as if they were a united army.
"Congratulations on passing the small test. There are
a lot of parts that are somewhat lacking and you're not quite good enough to
enter my military gate, but that's something we can work on."
A small test? That orc gate?
They had cleared the Orc Gate, a yellow-ranked gate, even
as low-level hunters.
They'd even turned an entire army of over four thousand
orcs against them, thanks to Leon's inability to tolerate their very existence.
They had killed so many orcs that they even earned the
title and skill of [Orc Hunter] as a reward.
"Watching your fight, I found a number of problems.
They are many, but the most important one is your body."
The hunters didn't really object to that.
No surprise there. Hunters differ greatly in terms of
physique, depending on their rank.
A C-class hunter is stronger than three D-class hunters
right now. The difference increases exponentially with each increase in the
rank.
'It
would be possible for Han Hari to beat and kill all of us by herself...'
Han Hari, the youngest A-ranked hunter in the country,
could kill all the hunters here with her physical strength alone.
With her unique skill, [Blessing of Fire], the disparity
would only increase.
"So I've decided to start with your training. From
now on, you will be thoroughly trained according to the training regime of my
Lionheart Kingdom Standing Army."
-Regime of standing army?
-A medieval military training?
-Then, it shouldn't be that difficult.
They were hunters. Whether they were working as porters in
the field or training to become a higher level hunter, it was not a profession
that lacked discipline.
Yet their limited capabilities kept them from being more
than just low level hunters.
They don't think a little training from the Lionheart
King from a medieval fantasy kingdom would change that.
"Hmph, so full of skepticism. But I understand.
Unlike my subjects, you are ignorant."
Gu Dae-sung raised his hand cautiously. Leon saw it and
allowed him to speak.
"Your Majesty... what do you suggest about... that
training?"
“What do you think you need to do to train your body?”
"Uhm... muscle training... or something like
that?"
"What is the basis of that muscle training?"
Gu Dae-sung thought for a moment before answering,
"The organs of the body... have something called a
repair mechanism. When muscles break down and regenerate, they become stronger
and bigger."
"Right. To expand the limits by placing stress on
the body. Everything in the world expands that way."
It was the most basic methodology of training. Activate
the muscles and push them to the limit, followed by a period of regeneration
and rest, and then push them again.
It was so simple, so fundamental.
"The Holy Grail Knight, Giant Slayer Sir Gratas, the
inventor of the standing army training regime, once said, "The more you
hammered a man, the stronger and tougher he becomes". It's a wise saying
indeed."
"What?"
People aren't like steel railroads, how can they be
hardened by being hammered?
"Then how should the defenders of a kingdom be
trained? Obviously, it should be different from the common people! Sir Gratas
had come up with the most efficient training regimen possible!"
Leon's determined voice filled the Hunters with anxiety.
"All we need to do tear you soldiers' body's apart,
hammer them, and nurse them back to health. Not only will the torn and
regenerated muscles be stronger, but they'll also have increased body awareness
to take a few less hits."
"......Huh?"
"What?"
So extreme! The hunters, including Gu Dae-sung, stared
blankly at Leon with stunned expressions.
"From now on, you shall begin beating each other as
if you were going to kill each other, until every muscle in your body is torn
and your fists are shredded!"
Better if they break to the bone. No, seriously, break
them!
"N- no way, no way! Th- there's something wrong with
that!"
In fact, human bones and muscles get stronger and thicker
the more they are broken. Martial artists did not train their fists by striking
iron plates for nothing.
"If, if we do that, we'll injure ourselves
first!"
"Why would you be injured?"
It was a question they didn't have the energy to answer.
Why would a person get injured? Because the body has a limit, an upper limit.
If all humans could become superhuman by simply hammering
their bodies into pieces, the armies of the olden days would have trained their
soldiers that way.
"Ordinarily, the protection of a War Knight should
suffice, but count yourselves lucky to have before you the Guardian of the
Grail."
Leon pulled out the Grail. The cold, golden chalice
emanated a radiance that moved people with its presence alone.
And the Holy Grail, which had regained its power, was not
just a shining golden goblet.
"Eh? Gu-ssi, that, you--"
"Huh? Eh?"
Team Leader Jim Do-han looked at Gu Dae-sung in surprise,
as his bruised face was suddenly healed and spotless.
'Could
it be that cup?'
Gu Dae-sung's guess was spot on.
"At the place where the Grail is placed, all men
will be healed. Without even consuming the holy water directly, their bones
would be fixed and their torn muscles would regenerate. Fatigue will also be
moderately reduced."
That's a lot of power! The hunters were stunned. This
recovery ability alone made the Holy Grail at least a Unchallanged Grade
treasure.
"Five hours from now. Beat everyone in your sight
for five hours. No allies. You shall be strictly alone. Hit the opponents in
front of you while facing attacks from all directions."
Hit while you're being hit.
There was no such thing as winning or losing.
"As long as the Grail exists, you will be healed
again and again. If... after five hours, any of you are still standing, I will
personally beat you."
Put simply, it is this:
Beat each other until you outpace the healing power of
the Grail.
Get hit, beaten, hurt, and broken. You will recover
anyway.
'Crazy!
This person is crazy!'
'S-
seriously? We're actually going to train in this barbaric way?'
Start.
The hunters stared at each other awkwardly even as Leon's
words fell from his lips. Then, after they hadn't moved for a while, Yappy
swung its wire.
-Kwang!
An awful sound rang out, like an overseer's whip urging
his slaves to build a pyramid.
"Ugh, hell!"
"Die, die, die!"
"Oraaa!"
The hunters tangled with each other and swung their
fists. Five hellish hours of hitting, bashing, and snapping began.
At first, Gu Dae-sung dodged the attacks as best he
could, punching the opponent in his sight.
But there were 49 people in the fray. With no room to
escape, it was less than ideal to just blindly punch his opponents.
"Aaaaah!"
He grunted and was about to swing his fist when he
realized that the person in front of him was familiar.
"Gu, Gu-ssi, it's me! Me!"
"Te- Team Leader Jim?"
"W- we don't have to beat each other up, let's join
forces!"
"B- but......."
It was then. A searing noise brushed both of their ears.
A 'live bullet' that was accurately calculated and threatened only the two of
them grazed by.
-Krig!
There, above the head of Hari, who was making a mournful
face at the chaos, was Yappi, eyes flashing with an emotionless red glow,
pointing a miniature machine gun at them.
"Shit...!"
Feeling threatened, Gu Dae-sung swung his fist at Team
Leader Jim in front of him. As Team Leader Jim fell backwards, Gu Dae-sung
screamed,
"This is crazy, everything is crazy, shit!"
But his screams were fleeting. His screams were drowned
out by the hunters coming at him from all directions.
---The five hellish hours were over. It was past noon.
"Alright, that's enough! You need to feed to
maintain your training. It's time for your meal!"
With a clap of Leon's hands, the hunters collapsed into a
heap, bloodied and swollen. But thanks to the Grail's healing power, not a
single one of them had a broken bone.
Or, more accurately, the broken bones were fixed and they
were ready to fight again.
"Ugh... I really thought I was going to die."
"I've never heard of such an absurd training
method."
No matter how hard they had beat each other, the hunters
didn't even feel pain. All they felt was an unquenchable hunger and thirst.
"I'm, I'm hungry."
"We need to eat something."
"I heard that the blessed rice here is so famous...
Are they going to give it to us?"
Everyone was looking forward to the famous Blessed Rice,
the most sought after commodity in the Naju Plain.
A rare item that could not only cure cancer and make you
healthy by eating it, but also increase your 'physical resilience'.
It had recently become a YubTube sensation, and the
Association had announced its efficacy.
But what was placed in front of them was food they had
never imagined.
"......."
"......."
The hunters scratched their heads at the 'lunch' in front
of them, as they didn't understand the intention.
"Uh... Miss Hari, what is this?"
Hari also puts on a guilty expression at the dubious
gaze. However, Leon answered with a calm expression,
"It's water."
"No, that's not... We know that."
"It's water with salt and sugar."
"Oh... I see."
Water with sugar and salt.
The hunters looked like they wanted to say something, but
when they caught Leon's look, they lowered their eyes.
'What is this?'
'I feel like my common sense is being denied.'
'I've been through the wringer, and my meal is nothing
but water with salt and sugar?'
What?
Was there some sort of meaning to this that they didn't
understand?
-Kirig.
Yappy approaches the confused hunters, its robotic arm
holding a salt container.
-Salt. Who needs more?
Sir Gratas the Giant Slayer.
Standing army training regime number 0:
Soldiers only need to be feed enough to not die.
Proper rations are something reserved for the regular army.
***
Translator(s) note: So grateful for the delicious food of
my country…
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