I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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“That was a really good plan. But it would be wise to prepare for any deviations in the future. For example….”

As the short feedback session ended, Kim Il-shin immediately concluded today’s training.

“I’m looking forward to the next training session as well. I’ll make it tougher, so you better come prepared. See you tomorrow morning.”

He didn’t elaborate further.

The people before him had lived their lives in constant fear of ambush.

Their acceptance of reality stemmed not from a lack of the will to fight but simply from not having realized they should.

However, they now understood the reasons to resist and were resolved to do so.

“Yes!”

“See you tomorrow!”

As Kim Il-shin had predicted, the trainees didn’t seek any further words from him.

They simply greeted him as usual and headed back.

‘I didn’t expect it to be this bright.’

It seemed that the achievements gained today had poured an immense amount of confidence into them.

In an instant, the training ground became empty, leaving only Roham and Diltilli behind.

Diltilli stayed back to accompany Kim Il-shin home. Roham seemed to have a different reason for remaining.

From his expression, it appeared he wanted to say something.

“I’m heading out first.”

“Sure.”

After sending Diltilli away, Kim Il-shin approached Roham.

He appeared tense. The confidence and skills he had shown during the practical training seemed to have vanished.

“Feeling nervous?”

“…How can I not? Tomorrow is the real deal.”

Typically, people get nervous for reasons like, ‘Will I perform well in the field?’ or ‘What if I get hurt?’

But Kim Il-shin knew that Roham was different from the usual.

“There won’t be any sacrifices tomorrow.”

“……”

Roham’s face visibly relaxed.

At the same time, his eyes widened in surprise. It must have been because his thoughts were laid bare.

“If it looks dangerous, I’ll step in.”

It was something he had considered from the start, but he hadn’t deliberately shared it with the other trainees.

There was no point in approaching a real situation knowing they wouldn’t die.

‘Some may have guessed, but it’s not the same as me directly telling them.’

Still, the reason he shared this with Roham was to draw out his full potential.

Roham’s perspective was different from that of the other trainees.

He felt a responsibility to protect them.

To put it nicely, he had leadership qualities, but on the downside, he didn’t trust his peers.

If Kim Il-shin didn’t affirm that there would be no sacrifices, Roham would likely become so preoccupied with the other trainees that he wouldn’t be able to perform at his best.

‘It’s better to fix this now.’

His mindset for entering battle was commendable.

So he aimed to ease his worries to broaden his perspective.

If he maintained his composure while surveying the battlefield, he would understand the capabilities of his allies, and then he could work on his own weaknesses.

“However, unless it’s the worst-case scenario, I won’t take action. You understand, right?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Roham returned with a relieved expression, and Kim Il-shin headed home as well.

“Did you finish your discussion?”

From a distance, Diltilli, who had been waiting, approached.

“You really didn’t need to wait.”

“Still, we should go together.”

Kim Il-shin walked alongside Diltilli on the forest path.

“How did it go today? It was the strategy we all thought hard about yesterday.”

Diltilli asked again about the content he had just heard earlier. Seemed he wanted to hear it once more.

“It was good! I was quite surprised.”

“Eh, you didn’t even bat an eye for something like that.”

Hearing the answer he desired, Diltilli couldn’t help but chuckle happily.

“Showing emotions outwardly is a no-no.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Is there a separate way of training…?”

Seeing Diltilli’s perplexed expression, Kim Il-shin thought to himself.

‘He’s gotten a lot stronger.’

Diltilli’s skills were exceedingly superior compared to the other trainees.

During practical training, he had been the backbone of all the strategies they had prepared, successfully playing the role expected of him because of the trust placed in him.

Perhaps for that reason, there wasn’t a trace of negativity on his face now.

‘Hmm…’

However, Kim Il-shin caught a glimpse of impatience in Diltilli.

He didn’t know the reason. He could only guess it might be rooted in his past.

“I’m going to eat and head out. I have some research to do with the kids.”

“Hard worker, aren’t you?”

“Of course!”

He intended not to say anything for now, but he was keeping a closer watch than the other trainees.

*

“Is it today…? It’s already been a month.”

“Oh boy, I wonder how it’ll turn out today…”

From the break of dawn, citizens took to the streets with worried expressions on their faces.

“You all came out because you’re anxious, right?”

“Of course. How can I sleep with all this uncertainty?”

It was natural to feel anxious about ambushes every day, yet today felt exceptionally intense.

This was because no one could accurately predict whether the ruling class would take action.

“What if they don’t show up today? What if the walls come crashing down again…?”

“Geez. It’s already nerve-wracking as it is; stop saying such things! They’ll probably show up today!”

“I hope so too. But what if they don’t? What then?”

They had relied on the ruling class their entire lives.

Without them, they believed they couldn’t survive an ambush.

At that moment, one person stepped forward and spoke.

“…What if the ruling class doesn’t come out, and that person steps in?”

“Who?”

“That outsider who arrived a month ago. Kim Il-shin.”

“Will he really step in?”

“He seemed to get along well with the kids. Heard he’s teaching them. It doesn’t seem like he’d let the walls fall apart….”

Upon hearing this, sighs of relief began to circulate among the crowd. It provided a bit of comfort.

However, the anxiety couldn’t entirely vanish.

“Still, a problem is a problem. What if he disappears? Is he planning to live here forever?”

The one who spoke up was a spy planted by the ruling class to stir up trouble.

“Indeed. What do we do then…”

“Shouldn’t we go to the ruling class right now?”

The comment hit the nail on the head regarding the citizens’ anxieties.

At that moment, the thoughts the ruling class had intended began to spread rapidly among the citizens.

Boom! Vrrrrrooooom!

A strange sound echoed from outside the walls.

It was the sound of monsters tunneling through the earth and emerging on the surface, signaling the beginning of an ambush.

“It’s begun.”

“Eww….”

None dared to move recklessly. They just paced anxiously, discussing ineffective measures.

“What should we do? Should we go see the ruling class?”

“What do you think will happen if we go? Do you think those who go will come back empty-handed?”

“Even so, isn’t it better than staying quiet…?”

“Shut up!”

The sudden outburst turned everyone’s heads.

There stood Hobbs among the citizens.

“Everyone, be quiet.”

Ignoring the gazes of the citizens, Hobbs bowed his head.

He lowered his posture and focused his ears. Then he began to hear something.

…Thump. Wham. Kiai!

It was not the sound one should hear during an ambush.

The roars of the beasts, mixed with unfamiliar sounds, lacked the ferocity he had felt before.

Instead, it felt more like the breaths of creatures that were dying.

“…Hyung, look at that.”

“What is it?”

At Raul’s call, Hobbs lifted his gaze and saw the massive ballistae placed at regular intervals atop the walls.

Only then did Hobbs realize their purpose.

The ballistae were shooting arrows endlessly toward the areas outside the walls.

The unfamiliar sound they were hearing was coming from there.

The ones controlling it were the blacksmiths from the shield workshop.

“Here I thought they had disappeared. But they were right there.”

Aside from those shooting the ballistae, everyone else was busily moving around on the walls, and those that looked like giant stakes were the arrows of the ballistae.

“Have they really been preparing for this…?”

Muttering that, a certain rumor came to mind for Hobbs.

When he first heard it, he had dismissed it as nonsense.

But now, recalling it again… he felt a nagging suspicion.

“Eh? Hyung! Where are you going?”

Ignoring Raul’s call, Hobbs ran up to the wall.

As he climbed, a whirlwind of emotions surged within him.

Anxiety, worry, expectancy, and impatience…

Even when he reached the top of the wall, his mind was still a jumble, but he instinctively looked outside.

Creeeeak! Kiai…!

Monsters impaled on giant stakes were dying. Their corpses sprawled across the ground.

Yet still, it seemed that at least a hundred remained, and the advancing forces showed no signs of stopping.

“Ha.”

Blocking the way were those who stood firm against the enemy.

The familiar faces peering intently at their opponents were all too recognizable.

Upon seeing them, Hobbs immediately turned to the opposite side and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Everybody, hurry up and get up here! Quickly!”

He had no idea what would happen next.

But he firmly believed that all citizens should witness what was to unfold.

Having seen and felt the changes in the city and the growth of the trainees, he knew there was a moment that stemmed from all those processes.

At that moment, Hobbs felt a tremendous shift about to take place, one that was beyond anything he had experienced thus far.