Chapter 177

Chapter 177: A New Training Regimen (2)

As we moved toward the training grounds, the knights grumbled under their breath.

“Why is the lord always so busy?”

“We could afford to take things a bit slower, couldn’t we?”

“Ugh, I feel like my body still hasn’t fully recovered.”

“Ow, it hurts so much!”

Some of the knights exaggerated their discomfort, but Ghislain ignored their complaints and led the way to the training grounds. He didn’t need to intervene, as Gillian was already glaring fiercely at the knights from behind, effectively pushing them forward.

When they arrived, the knights were puzzled.

Dozens of platforms, each about the height of a person, had been set up. But what sort of training were they meant for?

Standing atop one of the central platforms, Ghislain addressed the group, seeming to anticipate their questions.

“From now on, we’ll be practicing fall techniques.”

The knights looked even more confused.

They all knew at least a few fall techniques. They might not have mastered mana cultivation techniques, but as former mercenaries who spent their lives fighting, such basics were a given.

The knights chuckled and spoke up.

“We already know how to fall!”

“Come on, give us a bit more credit.”

“We’ve got the fundamentals covered, you know.”

But Ghislain shook his head and continued.

“From now on, you must master the techniques I teach you. No excuses, just follow along.”

Without wasting another moment, Ghislain leaped off the platform and demonstrated the technique.

Landing on one arm and shoulder, he immediately rolled to disperse the impact—a variation of a lateral breakfall.

The knights burst into laughter at the sight.

“Seriously? We’re knights now, capable of using mana, and that’s what you want us to do? That’s embarrassing!”

“Right? It looks so basic. Besides, when would we even use that?”

“A knight rolling around in the dirt like that? That’s just... it’s not right.”

“Can’t you teach us something cooler? There are more impressive fall techniques out there, aren’t there?”

The knights, full of bravado since learning how to wield mana, voiced their collective disdain.

Having finally achieved the mana they had long aspired to, they wanted to carry themselves with a bit of flair. To them, the technique Ghislain demonstrated was both unappealing and seemed unnecessary.

It looked ridiculous, and they couldn’t imagine a situation where such a crude technique would be useful.

Unbothered by their half-hearted resistance, Ghislain spoke casually.

“The techniques that actually save your life rarely look elegant. Efficiency comes first. Now, all of you—give it a try.”

Since the movements themselves weren’t particularly complicated, the knights managed to follow along without much difficulty.

The platforms were only about the height of a person, so there wasn’t much risk involved. Thinking it was just a basic drill, the knights approached the training casually.

Ghislain moved among them, checking their forms. Whenever he spotted someone with incorrect posture, he personally adjusted their technique.

Since they were already accustomed to physical movements and had prior experience with other fall techniques, they quickly adapted to this new method.

“Hmm, good. You’re all picking it up fast.”

At Ghislain’s words, the knights burst into laughter. To them, this seemed like training suited only for complete novices.

“My lord, can this even be called training? What kind of exercise takes less than a day to master?”

“Ah, our lord must’ve been bored. You could’ve just said so, you know.”

“How about we celebrate with a drink?”

Most of them were former mercenaries, and even after becoming knights, their relaxed and irreverent attitudes hadn’t changed much.

As Gillian frowned and began to step forward, Ghislain raised a hand and smiled, signaling him to let it go.

“That’s enough. Save the fun for later. Keep practicing until you get more comfortable with it. You’ll be using this a lot from now on.”

The knights exchanged confused looks before asking.

“Are we really going to use something like this often? Honestly, the impact on the arms is pretty rough. Won’t you teach us other techniques?”

There were many types of fall techniques. The direction and posture of a fall or drop often depended on sheer luck during a fight.

The method Ghislain had taught, however, didn’t seem particularly effective to them.

But Ghislain simply shook his head and replied.

“This is the only one I’m teaching. Use whatever else you like beyond this.”

The knights didn’t understand why he insisted on teaching such an awkward fall technique or why he refused to teach others, but they didn’t press the issue.

They assumed Ghislain was going easy on them since they were still in recovery.

Soon, the knights became more comfortable with the technique, casually rolling to the side as they jumped off the platforms.

Watching them, Ghislain turned to the servants standing by and gave an order.

“Raise the platforms a little higher.”

As if prepared in advance, the servants brought additional wooden structures and placed them on top of the original platforms, increasing their height.

Though the platforms were now a bit taller, they still weren’t high enough to be intimidating. Once again, the knights executed the falls with ease.

After days of relentless practice, the knights finally mastered the fall technique—breaking only one arm and surviving.

But it wasn’t over yet.

“We’ll begin the next stage of training now,” Ghislain announced. “Something a little closer to a real scenario.”

“Excuse me?”

Ghislain led the knights to a new platform, one far taller than any they had used before.

This time, the height wasn’t comparable to a regular fortress wall; it was closer to the towering walls of Cardenia’s capital.

The knights stared up at the structure and were immediately convinced:

If they fell from that height, they would absolutely die.

Their reactions were immediate and intense.

“My lord! If we fall from here, no fall technique in the world will save us!”

“We’re all going to die!!”

“What did we do to deserve this?!”

Ghislain, calm and reassuring, gestured for them to relax.

“Don’t worry. Do you think I’m that reckless? No one’s jumping from there. Instead, you’ll be practicing rapid descents using a rope.”

“Oh, I see.”

The knights let out a collective sigh of relief. Descending walls with ropes was a common and essential training exercise, so there was no reason to doubt Ghislain’s intentions.

At the topmost platform, Ghislain skillfully set up a long plank and tied a sturdy rope to it, letting it dangle all the way down.

“Alright, descend one at a time using the rope.”

Since they had already practiced similar drills on the Fenris fortress walls, this training wasn’t particularly new for the knights.

The main difference was that here, they had to rely entirely on a single rope hanging in midair, with no foothold to support them. The height also made the task considerably more intimidating.

The first knight called forward grabbed the rope and began descending quickly.

It wasn’t that he was confident or experienced—he just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

As he descended, however, he suddenly stopped, his movements freezing as cold sweat began to form on his brow.

‘The rope... it’s short? Why is it short? A rope like this shouldn’t be short!’

He was still far from the ground, but the rope had already reached its end.

The knight hurriedly scrambled back up, shouting as he climbed.

“My lord! The rope is too short! I think there’s a problem!”

Ghislain’s voice came down from above.

“Nope, no problem. It’s supposed to be like that. Once you reach the end, jump off and do what you’ve been taught.”

It’s said that lions toss their cubs off cliffs to make them stronger. But the knight had no desire to become a lion.

“No way! How am I supposed to jump from here?! What’s the point of this insane training?!”

“We’re doing this because it’s necessary. Oh? What’s this? You’re climbing back up instead of jumping?”

Ghislain, seeing the knight climb too quickly for comfort, swiftly drew his sword from his belt.

Swish!

With a single swing, the rope was severed, and the knight, still clutching the shortened rope, plummeted toward the ground.

“Arghhhhh! This is absolute bull—!”

Despite his stream of curses, the knight instinctively assumed the fall technique position he had been drilled to master during training.

It was thanks to the grueling sessions of hellish practice that his body moved on its own in a crisis.

All his mana was focused into his arm, exactly as he had been taught. He had no other choice; without it, he would certainly die.

Faced with the life-threatening situation, the knight even experienced a fleeting moment of clarity.

Fwoosh!

His focus sharpened to such a degree that time seemed to slow.

Boom!

“Ughhh!”

The knight collided with the ground, his body rolling to disperse the impact as much as possible.

If surviving meant abandoning any pretense of looking cool, so be it. As humiliating as it was, Ghislain’s words rang true.

Though the pain was excruciating, his arm didn’t break. The brutal training had truly paid off.

“I... I survived! I’m alive! Haha—cough, cough!”

The knight let out a joyous laugh but promptly collapsed, coughing up blood.

Even though his arm remained intact, the impact had still taken its toll.

To fully nullify such a shock, he would have needed significantly more mana and precise technique, which were beyond the reach of a novice knight.

Ghislain turned to the remaining knights, smiling brightly.

“See? It works. Next.”

Tears welling up in their eyes, the next knight stepped forward, grabbing the newly secured rope and beginning his descent.

Becoming a knight of this unhinged domain... It was a decision they deeply regretted.

And so, the knights resumed their grueling, blood-spitting training.