The soldiers' chattering died down. Only a few whispers and laughing could be heard, which Rylan promptly dismissed. Not a single person believed that he could win, but that was a matter of course. Jack was the captain for a reason, and to their knowledge, Rylan had never even held a sword. The result of this battle couldn't be more obvious. In truth, even Rylan himself felt uneasy. Could the memories of his life as Roland supplement the lifestyle he had led so far? He didn't know.
Yet, he still thought that the soldiers' movements were too lacking. In order to correct them and improve his family's forces, he needed to make them believe his words held weight. This was the fastest method. He took a breath. All unnecessary thoughts were shut out. The concern about the soldiers and his family was discarded, as was his self-doubt. All that mattered and all he could see was the opponent a few meters in front of him. Rylan spoke.
"Begin."
Jack nodded. Still with an angry expression, Jack stepped closer to him. He mimicked the man's movements. Jack opened with an overhead slash.
Slow.
Was it because Jack was still hesitant to slash at a noble? Rylan knew his body was weak and slow, but this was such an obvious attack that he could see it coming from a mile away. He lightly sidestepped, empowered by the mana flowing through him, making the slash miss him entirely and stabbed at Jack's chest with the blunted blade. The man blinked with a surprised expression, which slowed his movements. By the time he had pulled back his sword to try and deflect the blow, the sword had already touched his chest. Rylan spoke slowly.
"This is your first death, captain."
Jack's expression changed. He seemed to have fully understood what Rylan meant in an instant. If this were a real battle, he wouldn't have been able to deal with the attack and would have had to rely on his armor. So long as the attack had enough power and weight behind it, he would have died. The man took a few steps back. One could hear a pin drop. None of the soldiers said anything at all. Their expressions of shock were telling enough.
"…I was careless."
Rylan nodded with a serene expression.
"Treat this seriously."
Determination flooded the man's visage as he nodded. This time, he got in a proper stance. The real spar started now. Rylan felt mana flood his entire body, trying its best to simulate the effects of Aura. It empowered his feeble frame.
Jack shot forward, slashing diagonally. The attack was fast and precise; it wasn't something that Rylan could dodge. That didn't mean, however, that there was nothing that could be done. Taking a single step forward, he met the blow with a horizontal slash. The sound of the two dull blades clashing echoed throughout the training ground like a thunderclap. Rylan felt the strain once the attacks met, but it wasn't at the level that could break him, even if just barely.
The two blades separated. Memories flooded Rylan's mind. Roland's decades of experience seemed to gain a physical presence, as if they were whispering in his ear and telling him what to do. It was in the realm of instinct.
Jack stabbed at his chest, making him spin in place and send a diagonal slash at the man's chest at the same time. The spin's force was added to the blow, making a loud sound ring out once the blade touched Jack's breastplate. At the same time, because of the spin's precise timing, the captain's attack had been avoided. Rylan spoke.
"Second death."
"…"
The two figures took a step back. Not a single trace of relaxation remained on Jack's face. His fingers wrapped around the sword's hilt strongly as he gritted his teeth. At the same time, Rylan swung his sword a few times, trying to get a better feel for its weight and what he could do with it. After a few seconds, Jack shot forward once more. The two combatants swung their weapons at the same time. The sound of steel clashing against steel echoed.
Using the force of the rebound, Jack cut at Rylan from the opposite side, while Rylan blocked the blow with a grunt. The two exchanged a succession of attacks. As he parried an incoming slash, letting Roland's experience fully take over, Rylan thought to himself.
He's the best out of the soldiers, but this is not good enough.
Of course, if the other soldiers were the standard, Jack could be considered to be pretty good. However, from the Sword Saint's point of view, they were the skills of a bumbling child.
This won't do. They'll need to be trained from the ground up.
Roland had never bothered to take on an apprentice, but this was different. Rylan belonged to a noble family. The strengthening of the family's soldiers was the same as increasing the family's power.
His heart beat powerfully, sending mana coursing through him and empowering his body. At the same time, he felt the strain. To begin with, the amount of mana that he could use was low, since he was only a First Circle Mage. It had barely been enough to strengthen his body so far, but he was now approaching his limits. He could feel himself getting slower and weaker. Rylan's judgement crossed his mind in a flash.
I will only be able to 'kill' him one more time.
Unlike Roland, he couldn't keep his empowerment around the clock. Without it, he only had an advantage when it came to skills, but a swordfight was also about strength and speed. Rylan frowned as he blocked a horizontal slash. The impact shook his frame. Jack capitalized on this moment of weakness like a dying man fighting for his life.
His attacks sped up even further, and they were starting to become overwhelming. Deciding in an instant, Rylan parried or avoided the attacks instead of blocking them, trying his best to make his body keep up with his mind and skills. The sound of metal crashing against metal dominated the training grounds. Every collision shook both of their bodies, but while Jack's breathing was hurried, Rylan's was stable.
Sweat dripped down both combatants, but Rylan maintained a relaxed expression. They moved around in the designated arena, dancing amidst a whirlwind of slashes and cuts. Slowly, Rylan got a feel for the captain's movements. It took him much longer than it would have taken Roland, but his memories helped him identify a pattern.
At the same time, he identified something remarkable. Jack barely blinked while staring at him. Rylan knew that look; it belonged to someone who was ravenously devouring everything they could in order to gain an edge in battle. As their swords separated, Rylan made sure to analyze Jack properly. More blows were exchanged.
He's talented.
Even though his skills were below those of a novice in Roland's experience, the man was improving mid-battle. That, alongside perseverance, were the markings of great swordsmen. The ability to learn from every fight was invaluable. If he had had proper instruction, Jack could have been much more than a mere foot soldier of an ordinary noble family.
This is good.
The fact that there was at least one talented swordsman among the soldiers was incredibly important to him, who wanted to help his family and therefore strengthen it. At the same time, he let out a deep breath. His arms and legs were only just barely responding to his commands. It was difficult just to keep swinging his sword; his mana had almost completely run out. There was no way to keep fighting. Soon, Jack swung his sword in a horizontal slash. Given his body's state, Rylan's only choice was to step back and avoid it. Jack didn't miss this chance. With a quick stab, the tip of his sword aimed for the area below Rylan's chin. Rylan's body moved before he could think. With a spin, he avoided the stab and placed his blade against Jack's neck.
All stood still. Only the two combatants' heavy breathing could be heard. None of the soldiers said even a word. Jack pulled his sword back, staring at Rylan with a complex expression. Rubbing his throat, Rylan spoke.
"Third death. This is enough."
Huffing and panting, Jack blinked. He looked around him, seemingly realizing where he was. He stood at the very edge of their designated arena, completely cornered. If this were an enclosed room, there would be nowhere else to go. As this realization dawned on him, Jack lowered his head with gritted teeth. Rylan understood his feelings. He had effectively cornered the man through his movements and steps in the middle of the battle. Rylan tried to catch his breath.
He's better than I expected.
He wasn't thinking of Jack's current abilities, but of his future potential. He had learned enough about Rylan's combat style to be able to fight properly, accurately capturing Rylan's decreasing physical capabilities. This remained true even though Rylan had 'killed' the man three times and the fact that Jack had been cornered. In simple terms, Rylan had won the spar but had also noticed Jack's talent. It was a satisfying result. Despite his pathetic body, he had fought well enough.
None of the fifty soldiers said anything until a single voice cut through the still air.
"…Holy shit."
Many of the soldiers absent-mindedly nodded at the same time. Rylan couldn't help but let out a light smile. He sheathed his sword and spoke.
"You're good, captain. I only won because you underestimated me."
The soldiers' gazes moved to Jack, who shook his head.
"No. This was a complete defeat. I'm sorry, my lord. I can't teach you anything."
The man spoke with an ashamed expression. Rylan blinked, taking notice of the changed language, but didn't point it out. He walked closer to Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Nonsense. Haven't you trained every day for years? Haven't you given swordsmanship your sweat and blood? How could there be nothing for you to teach me? I have never spent a day with such discipline."
A complex expression made its way to Jack's face.
"…I understand. I will do my best to help you, my lord. With your talent, you will surpass all of us quickly. No, you already have."
His voice carried respect that didn't previously exist. If before today his formal language had been a fruit of being forced to acknowledge Rylan's position, it was now a product of fully accepting Rylan as someone skilled.
Rylan smiled. There were no traces of arrogance or prepotency in his expression.
"I will do what I can. I only ask that all of you help me as well."
As he spoke, he turned to the group of soldiers. Abruptly, one of the soldiers stood up and bowed, lowering his head. It wasn't a deep bow or a grand gesture, but it was enough. Three more followed his lead. Ten others did the same afterward. In nothing but a few seconds, all fifty soldiers and their captain were bowing to Rylan, who nodded.
"Rise, all of you."
The soldiers stood up with solemn expressions. Rylan attentively perceived the emotions in their gazes. A few were doubtful, others seemed confused and shocked, but among all of them, there was a trace of respect that did not previously exist. As soldiers and warriors, it was the result of witnessing Rylan's skills. He spoke.
"Now, let's continue the training. Please continue with your sparring."
Jack nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes!"
With sharp eyes, Rylan analyzed the soldiers.
This one has a good build. His explosive strength must be remarkable. That one has a good sense of balance.
With Roland's memories and experience, he could at least have an idea of each soldier's physical abilities, even though armor covered their bodies. He mentally organized the matchups, even though he wasn't responsible for them. The soldiers then paired up with one another as Rylan walked to the side with Jack after finishing.
"Alright, captain. We should get started as well."
Jack nodded with an unsure expression.
"Of course, but… I don't know what to teach you, young master. You defeated me thrice."
Rylan shook his head.
"My biggest priority is strengthening my body. The ordinary routine alongside some exercise will do for now."
There was no need for the current him to add too much to his training in front of the soldiers. It would raise suspicion. He could train on his own later. Of course, overworking his body and injuring it were things that should be avoided at all costs.
Jack nodded. The soldiers who weren't sparring trained as usual. Meanwhile, Rylan focused solely on his own training and on listening to Jack's words. He needed power, both for his family's sake and for the task his father had given him.
In the corner of the training ground, sitting on a bench under the shade of a large tree, Sarah stared at Rylan with a complex expression. A multitude of emotions clashed on her face and mixed to create an inscrutable look. The most prominent, however, seemed to be confusion.
Silently, she watched Rylan and the soldiers' training.