blueteamnovel Chapter 31
Chapter 31
When the cadets first heard the order to start jump rope, they were flabbergasted, thinking, "What is this?"
It seemed like a child's game, not something fitting for cadets, and they wondered why they had to do it. The aspiring knights, in particular, were full of defiance.@@@@
However, the moment they saw the ropes marked with red...
"What the—what is this!?"
Was this really a jump rope?
...Or was it reinforced steel?
The rope was made of intertwined metal. Could this seriously be used for jumping?
The cadets, wondering if it was just an illusion, picked up the metal ropes, but—
Snap!
It was heavy. So heavy that if they weren’t careful, their wrists might snap. It was that burdensome.
From the handles to the rope itself...
Were they really supposed to jump rope with this?
It was unthinkable.
But—
Swish, swish!
"This is fun!"
Kunta, like a child finding a new toy, started jumping with the rope, and seeing him, the cadets hesitantly decided to give it a try. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked?
However, their hopes were short-lived.
"I can't lift it!"
"How are we supposed to spin this thing?!"
Just holding the rope was a struggle; how were they supposed to actually jump with it?
Groan!
Only those who had learned aura techniques could manage, channeling their internal energy at full capacity to get the rope to move.
What they had initially dismissed as a silly child's game had now become a matter of life and death. One wrong move, and they could dislocate their wrists or elbows.
Swish! Swish!
But gradually, some began to gain confidence. Those who knew aura techniques—or even just believed in their own strength—began to think they could manage the required number of jumps.
And then—
Thwack!
Thud...
One of the cadets, while jumping, got hit by the rope and collapsed, unconscious.
One by one, the cadets followed suit, fainting from getting hit by the metal ropes.
The atmosphere grew tense, and without realizing it, the cadets stopped swinging their ropes. They feared that if they were hit on the head, it could be catastrophic.
"Weaklings, passing out after getting hit by something so small? Pathetic, truly pathetic."
-......
This wasn’t a matter of being weak—it was a matter of life and death. The cadets couldn’t speak back to him, though.
And for good reason.
Swish, swish, swish!
"Why are you struggling so much with something this easy?"
The instructor, Ihan, spun the metal jump rope with such ease that it made their attempts look laughable.
Then—
Thwack!
The rope slammed into Ihan’s head.
...It had clearly struck him hard.
"Oh, a mistake."
But there wasn’t even a scratch on him. He was completely fine, only slightly embarrassed that he had made such an error.
Was this guy even human?
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"It does. But knights endure pain. If you want to be a knight, you have to be able to handle this much."
"I’m not so sure about that..."
It seemed like it was something only he could do, but the cadets wisely kept that thought to themselves.
T-Ten kilograms!?
"Quit grumbling. ...Fine, I’ll buy you something nice later."
"Instructor, you’re a good person!"
Kunta seemed fine.
Though his skin had turned red from the impact, showing that the strike had left its mark, the fact that he could withstand such a blow was astounding.
Could it be—
"Anyone here thinking ‘Is this the power of a barbarian?’ had better pluck out their eyes. Especially those who’ve learned aura techniques—you might as well rip out your eyes if you can’t see what’s right in front of you."
...Another wave of humiliation washed over the cadets.
There were quite a few who had been wondering if Kunta’s endurance was due to some special barbarian ability.
Scoffing at them, Ihan continued his explanation.
"I’ve never formally studied aura techniques, but I know the basics. Aura techniques temporarily unleash your body’s potential, and that potential can be developed through hard work and training. Am I right?"
"Precisely."
"Thanks for the honest answer. You’ve got potential. Ever considered becoming an assistant instructor?"
"...I’ll pass."
"Shame."
It was Arno who responded, still turning the heavy rope without any sign of fatigue. By now, he had completed over 100 jumps.
"Arno here is using his aura only on his knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, and shoulders to prevent injury from such strenuous activity. He’s only protecting the areas at risk while using minimal energy to keep jumping lightly. He isn’t using his aura for anything else. Do you understand what this means?"
"Ah..."
The cadets finally started to understand.
It was like teaching toddlers rather than cadets, painfully slow, but Ihan didn’t care. He continued, addressing what they were finally beginning to grasp.
"Arno isn’t relying on his aura for anything unnecessary. He’s using his own natural strength and stamina to spin the rope. Does that make sense?"
"How... how do you know all this if you’ve never studied aura techniques?"
"I can tell just by looking."
"Is that so...?"
"The important point is this: Arno, Garand, and Kunta have all built up a solid foundation of physical strength and endurance. Unlike you lot, who rely on aura for everything and train lazily."
Aura may be regarded as a powerful force, but the truth is that the person wielding it matters more than the technique itself. Even with a legendary sword, a third-rate swordsman would struggle to cut through a tree.
That’s why these cadets were wrong.
‘It’s like someone who only trains their internal energy but never practices their physical strength.’
They weren’t even glass cups capable of holding water.
In fact, that’s giving them too much credit.
‘They’re nothing more than paper cups.’
When would they finally become competent?
"What you need right now isn’t more swordsmanship or aura training. You need to build your strength, stamina, endurance, and durability from the ground up, you pathetic weaklings."
"...That’s a long-winded way of saying we need to start all over again."
Garand’s blunt comment struck home.
Right as Ihan finished his speech, Garand hit 200 jumps, and the cadets’ expressions grew even darker.
Basic training? At this stage...?
"For the record, the part of the knight entrance exam that causes the most failures is the stamina test. Strangely enough, the easiest section. Ah, right, it doesn’t matter to you, since you’ll just join your family’s knightly orders without needing to pass any tests, huh? How nice it must be to have good bloodlines, right? Haha!"
"......."
Being told to rely on their family ties was like being slapped in the face for nobles who valued honor above all else. It was tantamount to telling them to die.
And with that, their rebellion died down. Ihan was finally satisfied that the noise had quieted.
They were starting to understand their place.
"Don’t worry, though. I’m not planning on dragging this out forever."
Maybe just the whole first semester.
"I promise you this: if you follow along with me this semester, your physical abilities will improve dramatically by the end. Of course..."
He trailed off as he glanced over the cadets.
His eyes seemed to say:
"If any of you manage to keep up, that is."
The cadets could feel the mockery in his gaze and thought to themselves:
If I could just punch him once, I’d die happy.
...But that would be a long, long way off.