Ghislain felt a deep sense of satisfaction as he looked at the trainee knights.
Their eyes shone with determination and passion. It was clear that none of them wanted to miss this opportunity.
'Now they're ready.'
This was exactly what Ghislain had been waiting for. The training they were about to undergo was extremely dangerous.
Adding fuel to the already charged atmosphere, Ghislain spoke again.
"They say it takes years of training to use mana even with a proper cultivation technique. But don't worry. I'll teach you in a way that's so simple, you'll all be able to use mana in two months."
Unlike with his close aides, Ghislain planned to personally oversee each one of them.
If left to figure it out on their own, most would fail to understand, and it could take years.
Only Ghislain knew how to drastically shorten that timeframe.
"Woooooaaaahhh!"
Once again, a wave of fervent cheers erupted.
The mana concentration circles only helped gather mana slightly faster; learning and using a mana cultivation technique was an entirely different matter.
Most had expected years of grueling training to reach even a basic level, but two months? It seemed too good to be true.
Hearing this unbelievable promise, some even wondered if they were dreaming.
Crossing his arms arrogantly, Ghislain spoke with confidence.
"It's entirely possible because this is a specialized mana cultivation technique I've developed myself!"
"..."
The atmosphere, which had been bursting with enthusiasm, instantly froze.
Even they had some basic common sense.
Mana cultivation techniques were refined over centuries to minimize side effects.
And now, their young lord was claiming to have modified one himself?
No matter how skilled Ghislain was, it was hard not to doubt him. A misstep could lead to death.
As the trainee knights exchanged uneasy glances, Ghislain pretended not to notice and continued speaking.
"Alright, let's get started. Since it's been a while for me, I'd like someone sturdy to go first. Hmm… Gordon, you come up."
The first name called was Gordon the Muscle, who froze in panic and quickly shook his head.
"M-Me? Can't someone else go first?"
"Didn't you complain the other day about not being first in line for the mana concentration circle? This time, you get to go first. Come on."
Reluctantly, Gordon stepped forward. Ghislain looked him up and down and nodded in approval.
'If he's built up this much muscle, he should have some decent endurance.'
Gordon sat on the ground as Ghislain placed a hand on his back.
"Alright, here we go. I'm going to forcibly channel mana into your body and imprint its pathways. Pay close attention to how it moves."
"U-Understood. I won't die or become crippled, right?"
"If you can't endure it, that might happen. But oh well, nothing I can do if it does."
"Wait, seriously? You're saying I might die? Hold on a second—!"
Bzzzzzzzzz!
Before Gordon could escape, mana surged into his body through Ghislain's hand.
"Gwaaaahhhh!"
A sharp pain, as though knives were carving through his insides, made Gordon scream.
Something seemed to gather below his navel before spreading throughout his body.
Everywhere the mana passed, it felt as though his body was being torn apart.
"Stop! Stop! I can't do this! It hurts too much!"
"You're wasting the mana! Shut your mouth and endure! Focus on how the mana is moving through your body! Vanessa handled it fine, so why are you whining already?"
"I can't! I can't do it! It hurts too much!"
There's a reason shortcuts are called shortcuts—they come with a hefty price.
Forcing mana into the body to create mana pathways inevitably caused immense pain.
Driven to madness by the pain, Gordon suddenly leaped to his feet and tried to flee.
The loyalty they had just built seemed about to fly out the window.
But there was no way Ghislain would let that happen.
Grab!
He caught Gordon by the neck with one arm, holding him in place, while the other continued channeling mana into him.
To the onlookers, it looked less like Ghislain was teaching mana cultivation and more like he was trying to kill him.
"Gwaaahh! Let me go! Gyaaaaahh!"
"Just endure it! Let's at least finish opening your mana pathways!"
Ghislain had assumed Gordon's muscular build would mean better endurance, but he turned out to be a massive crybaby.
Relentlessly, Ghislain kept forcing mana into Gordon, carving out the mana pathways.
"Cough! Hrk! Blegh!"
Eventually, Gordon began vomiting blood, his body convulsing uncontrollably.
Even then, Ghislain didn't stop. The pathways had to be created before Gordon could begin training in the concentration circle.
Finally, Gordon passed out, unable to endure any longer.
Only after some time did Ghislain release him, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Thud.
Gordon collapsed, frothing at the mouth and trembling all over.
Seeing this, Ghislain smiled brightly.
"Phew, maybe I'm rusty. That took longer than I thought."
"..."
The saying "nothing worth doing is ever easy" had never felt more true.
The trainee knights, as if by unspoken agreement, all began inching backward.
Noticing this, Ghislain smirked mischievously.
"What's this? Where did all that enthusiasm from earlier go? Who's next?"
One of the trainee knights cautiously raised their hand and asked, "Uh… does it really have to be done this way? Isn't it a bit dangerous?"
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Couldn't we just learn the proper way? You could give us books or explain it, and we'll train on our own. If we have questions, we can ask…"
It wasn't a bad suggestion, but to Ghislain, it was laughable.
"What are you talking about? How long do you think that would take? Years? Besides, even if I explained it, most of you wouldn't understand. That's why I'm teaching you the easy way—by showing you physically."
'Oh, that's what he meant by "easy."'
The trainee knights broke out in cold sweat.
He had a point. Pain was a memorable teacher, and it was the fastest way to learn.
Forcing mana pathways open was indeed the quickest method.
Logically, they understood, but seeing Gordon lying there, frothing at the mouth, filled them with terror.
As they hesitated, Gordon's condition worsened. His convulsions grew more violent, and blood kept pouring from his mouth.
The mana forcibly channeled into him had wreaked havoc inside his body.
He was supposed to endure it and learn the flow of mana, but Gordon had failed from the start.
"This guy is unusually weak. All that muscle for nothing."
Clicking his tongue, Ghislain gestured to the waiting servants.
"Take him to Belinda. Give him the prepared herbs and stabilize him. If you're late, he might die. Wait… is he already dead?"
"No, he's alive," one servant calmly replied.
As if expecting such results, the servants moved without hesitation.
The trainee knights, watching this, realized something.
The lord had anticipated all of this and prepared accordingly.
He said he didn't want them to die in war, yet they might die in training instead.
'What do we do?'
'We have to do it, but…'
'It looks so painful.'
Fear kept them rooted in place, but they couldn't run away. Missing this chance would mean a lifetime of regret.
Even if it cost them their lives, they had to endure and learn.
But the thought of putting their lives on the line made it hard to step forward.
Just then, one man with a serious demeanor stepped forward boldly.
"I'll go next."
"And you are?"
"Lucas, the new recruit."
Ghislain nodded, pretending not to know him, though he was well aware of who Lucas was.
In his previous life, Lucas had been one of his subordinates.
With just a single spear, Lucas had risen to the title of Master Spearman, a man of extraordinary talent.
He was someone who always struck a brooding pose, exuding an air of solitude.
As he looked back at the others, Lucas sneered.
"All you loudmouths aren't so tough after all. If enduring this much pain lets you learn mana cultivation, it's a bargain. You cowards."
"You son of…"
The mercenaries who had been with Ghislain the longest flared their nostrils in anger.
In moments like these, whoever stepped up first could seize the momentum.
The existing mercenaries and the new recruits had already been bickering daily.
Now, with the newcomer taking the lead and taunting them, the veterans couldn't let this slide.
Seeing their furious faces, Lucas smirked and knelt before Ghislain.
"I'm ready. Do your worst, my Lord."
Impressed by his composure, Ghislain smiled.
'Lucas, as expected. You live up to my expectations.'
He placed his hand on Lucas's back.
And immediately, a bizarre scream filled the air.
"Huueeeeehhh! Aaaaaah! Gaaaaah! Huuuugh!"
"…I haven't even started yet."
Ghislain sighed.
He'd forgotten—there were almost no normal people in his mercenary corps.
Now that he thought about it, Lucas had always made a fuss over even the smallest scratch in his past life.
Yet, despite being a crybaby, Lucas loved putting on airs, which made the situation even funnier.
Lucas scratched his head with an embarrassed grin.
"Oh, you haven't started yet?"
"Now I'm starting, you melodramatic fool."
Zap!
"Aaaaaaaahhh!"
As the pain hit, Lucas screamed uncontrollably, forgetting to even try enduring it.
Like Gordon, he tried to get up and run, but Ghislain's grip on his neck made escape impossible.
Leaning close to Lucas's ear, Ghislain whispered, "Stay put. All those people are watching. You don't want to embarrass yourself, do you?"
"Ugh… Ughhh!"
Lucas gritted his teeth.
He hated embarrassment. He always wanted to look cool.
'I just want to look awesome and dignified!'
Fueled by that one desire, he fought to endure. But the pain was overwhelming.
"Guaaaaagh…"
In the end, Lucas passed out, foaming at the mouth.
The servants promptly carried him away.
Shaking his head, Ghislain sighed.
"Next?"
Though Gordon and Lucas had both collapsed, the atmosphere had shifted slightly.
While some still hesitated, others stepped forward with newfound courage.
"I'll go next!"
"No, I'll go first!"
Most of them were new recruits.
Having left everything behind, they had no place to return to.
Desperate for the chance to grow stronger, they were willing to risk their lives.
Seeing this, the veterans, unwilling to be outdone, pushed to the front as well.
"No! I'll go first!"
"Get out of the way, rookies! You think you get to go first? I'm up next!"
They couldn't stand the thought of being overshadowed by newcomers.
'I was always going to do it! I was just hesitating because it looked painful!'
Watching this surge of volunteers, Ghislain finally looked satisfied.
"Good. That's more like it."
The enemies they would face in the future wouldn't be easy. Even staking their lives might not be enough. If they faltered here, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Only those willing to risk everything would earn the right to fight alongside him.
"We're going to move quickly. Do your best to endure."
"Gyaaaaaahhh!"
"Uwaaaahhh!"
The trainee knights screamed and writhed in pain as Ghislain channeled mana into them. Though they had stepped up confidently, this wasn't a pain that courage alone could withstand.
Not everyone ended up frothing at the mouth and fainting, however.
Some gritted their teeth and managed to endure.
'As expected, this one could handle it. Hmm, this one's a surprise, though.'
Narrowing his eyes, Ghislain observed carefully.
He had expected a few of his subordinates from his past life to endure, and they did as anticipated. However, he hadn't thought some of the veteran mercenaries would hold out as well.
It was a promising start. Though most had collapsed, more than a few had stayed conscious.
Some followed Ghislain's instructions to the letter, while others held on purely out of pride.
One thing was clear: they had all broken through their limits and taken a step forward.
"Ughhh…"
"I feel like I'm dying… Is it over now?"
Groans echoed everywhere. The reinforcements from the servants busily carried the collapsed to the infirmary.
Fortunately, no one had died.
One trainee knight, lying on a stretcher, smiled with a mix of pride and relief as he asked Ghislain, "It's… over now, right? I can use mana now, right?"
Ghislain wiped his nose and replied, "What are you talking about? How could you use mana after just one session? Today was just to open the pathways. You'll need to do this a few more times, train in the concentration circle, and learn how to release mana."
He had said they'd be able to use mana, but he'd never said it would happen in one go.
For the trainee knights, this felt like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky.
They were expected to endure this agony not just once but multiple times?
The trainee knight felt as though the heavens were falling.
"Just kill me now…"
Tears streaming down his face, the trainee knight fainted on the spot.
[T/L: Please support me and read 30 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]