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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
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Chapter 20
Upon obtaining the Gale Force Technique, a special skill category appeared.
'Special skill? Does this mean a secret technique?'
As Duke approached, Zeke closed the message window.
"I can't believe it even after seeing it."
Duke was genuinely surprised.
It had already been over ten years since he retired from the Black Knights and secluded himself in the academy.
He stayed to find a successor, but now it was just a nominal reason; in reality, he had half given up.
The Gale Force Technique he created was a technique with too many constraints to pass down to future generations.
It was a secret technique he obtained by training his body to the limit to overcome the wall, as Duke himself had ordinary talent in aura.
However, the talented individuals who came to the academy focused on training their aura power rather than their physical strength.
He had tested a few talented individuals, but they couldn't keep up and quickly dropped out.
Naturally, he had almost given up on finding a successor, but he happened to discover Zeke and saw the possibility of passing down the Gale Force Technique to him.
Incredible recovery and stamina, and an unyielding will.
He perfectly matched the talent Duke was looking for.
'And he's an extraordinary genius? Ha, I must be in luck in my old age.'
Seeing Duke staring intently at him, Zeke opened his mouth.
"What is it, Master?"
"...."
He was a good student, but his personality was a bit problematic.
Still, Duke was satisfied that he could pass down the Gale Force Technique.
He grinned.
"Hehe. My beloved disciple. Let's do well together from now on."
Zeke got goosebumps from the sudden expression of affection.
And from that day on, hellish training truly began.
Overjoyed at finding a true successor, Duke generously poured out all his knowledge.
If it had been any other talented individual instead of Zeke, they would have given up and run away after just one day of training at that intensity.
"From now on, the use of aura is prohibited during the training period."
It was actually a good thing for Zeke, who hadn't awakened his aura in the first place.
Since raising pure physical strength was the foundation of the Gale Force Technique, Zeke followed Duke's training with his healing factor and infinite stamina.
Actually, Zeke had briefly worked as a swordsmanship instructor in the North before his return.
Based on that experience, Duke's teaching method was completely haphazard.
'At this rate, it's complete overwork. I can only endure it because it's me. It's the perfect training method to ruin someone else's body.'
Because Duke became a Black Knight through his own efforts, he had a strong tendency to push hard with the mindset that anything was possible if you put your mind to it.
Zeke modified Duke's nonsensical, willpower-based training method on his own and filled in the gaps.
Thus, Zeke received personal training from Duke all day long in the greenhouse training ground, except for the common classes for the special class.
And when he had received about a month of concentrated training from Duke, rumors began to spread in the academy.
The rumors were that Zeke was receiving personal training from a high-ranking knight of his clan.
Zeke, who had no intention of making friends at the academy, didn't even know that such rumors were circulating.
Moreover, he was too busy just digesting Duke's insanely tough training to have time to pay attention to such rumors.
Zeke, whose appetite had increased significantly since he started training in the Gale Force Technique, was once again at the cadet cafeteria, piling up three times the amount of food on his tray and wolfing it down.
Just then, someone approached and sat across from Zeke.
Zeke, who didn't care who came, focused only on eating.
"Zeke Draker."
Only when the person who approached called his name did Zeke raise his head and look ahead.
'Andrei?'
A young man with delicate features, more befitting a mage than a knight.
Andrei Draker spoke in a low voice.
"Could you spare me a moment?"
Since being exempted from the basic Dragon Slayer class, there had been no particular reason to see Andrei.
Zeke could sense the anxiety hidden beneath Andrei's stiff expression.
'He must have learned that I became Duke's disciple.'
Zeke picked up his tray and rose from his seat.
"Let's have some tea."
Zeke and Andrei went up to the Platinum Floor lounge.
As they settled into the sky lounge with a view of the entire academy, the staff soon prepared and brought tea.
Zeke, who enjoyed tea in his previous life as well, savored the aroma of the finest tea, which was not easily accessible outside.
Unlike the relaxed Zeke, Andrei didn't even touch his tea.
"How did you persuade him?"
Zeke asked as he took a sip of tea.
"What are you talking about?"
Andrei's eyebrows twitched.
"Are you going to play dumb?"
Andrei, a knight from the main family, had come to ask Zeke, a much younger student, so Zeke could sense how desperate he was.
Looking at Andrei, Zeke shook his head.
"I never persuaded Master."
At the word "Master," Andrei bit his lip.
"You're saying you didn't persuade Duke to become his disciple?"
"Yes. Rather, you could say that I was the one persuaded."
It wasn't wrong.
Although it was due to Zeke's scheme, Duke himself thought Zeke was the talent to inherit the Gale Force Technique and kept hovering around him.
Andrei was at a loss for words at the unexpected answer.
Andrei, who became a knight of the main family due to his outstanding talent, realized his limitations in the Four Seasons Fortress.
Among his peers, there was no one who could rival him, but the continent was vast, and the Four Seasons Fortress was teeming with unbelievable monsters.
Therefore, Andrei volunteered for the unpopular role of academy instructor instead of knightly duties that could increase his expertise.
This was because it was secretly rumored in the Four Seasons Fortress that Duke, a former Black Knight, was living in seclusion at the academy.
Duke Draker, a commoner and an ordinary Awakened who became a Black Knight, was a legendary figure in the Four Seasons Fortress.
Andrei believed that inheriting Duke Draker's secret techniques was the only way to overcome the wall of pure-blooded Awakened.
He followed Duke around and constantly asked to be accepted as a disciple, but he was not allowed.
Then, out of the blue, he heard the news that Duke had taken a new student as his disciple.
He looked at Zeke with mixed feelings of disappointment, jealousy, and curiosity.
Of all people, it was the pure-blooded Awakened who had gotten on his nerves from the first day of basic Dragon Slayer class.
He clenched his teeth.
Just then, Zeke opened his mouth.
"Instructor, why do you want to learn Master's Gale Force Technique?"
Andrei, with an even more hardened expression, slowly opened his mouth.
"It's only natural for a knight to want to become stronger. What's wrong with that?"
Zeke shook his head at his words.
"No, you're right, Instructor. But..."
Zeke looked at Andrei and said,
"I think the method is wrong."
Andrei's blood boiled as he was lectured by Zeke, who was much younger than him.
'Those damn pure-blooded Awakened...'
He forced himself to suppress his anger and asked Zeke,
"What do you mean by the method being wrong, cadet?"
"The Gale Force Technique doesn't suit you, Instructor. If you want to become stronger, it's better to learn a different technique."
Upon hearing Zeke's words, Andrei jumped to his feet.
"I cannot tolerate any more insults."
Zeke gazed at him intently and said,
"I haven't insulted you. If you felt that way, it's because of your inferiority complex about not being a pure-blooded Awakened."
Andrei's face flushed red at Zeke's pointed remark that hit him where it hurt.
Zeke was the first person to so bluntly point out his complex.
"Have you said your piece, cadet?"
"No, I'm not finished yet."
"Go on. Let's see how far you'll take your insolence."
"Tell Master that you don't need to be his disciple, just being by his side is enough."
Andrei's expression distorted at those completely unexpected words.
"Are you telling me to become a squire now?"
"No. You have a high opinion of yourself. I was thinking more along the lines of a servant."
His blood boiled.
Feeling there was no need to hear more, Andrei gritted his teeth and left his seat.
Just then, Zeke called out to Andrei from behind.
"Does that damn pride of yours make you stronger? Stop clinging to clothes that don't fit and think about what you really need!"
At those words, Andrei stopped for a moment.
Then he turned his head to look at Zeke.
After looking at Zeke in silence, he turned his head again and walked out of the lounge.
Zeke shook his head as he watched Andrei leave the lounge without a word.
"Sigh, I've done all I can."
In his previous life, Andrei received teachings from Duke and earned the nickname "Crimson Knight."
He had offered advice out of a bit of conscience for Andrei, whose future had changed because of him, but it was useless if Andrei couldn't accept it.
Zeke drained the rest of his tea and rose from his seat.
* * *
The next day, Zeke went to the greenhouse for training and gaped at the sight that unfolded before him.
"Huff... Huff..."
Andrei was running around the greenhouse training ground, drenched in sweat.
Zeke looked at Duke with a dumbfounded expression.
"Wh-what is it, Master?"
Duke said while picking his ear with an annoyed expression.
"That leech, for some reason, begged to stay by my side even as a servant, so I told him I'd accept him if he could run three hundred laps without aura."
For Draker knights, being told not to use aura was like being told to hold their breath.
Andrei, who already had weak stamina, was running with a pale face.
"How many laps has he done so far?"
"Two hundred and ninety-eight laps. Ha, that guy is quite stubborn."
Andrei, his face turning blue, desperately tried to block his aura and complete the run with pure physical strength.
"Gasp... Gasp..."
With one lap left and his stamina completely depleted, he stumbled and practically crawled around the training ground.
Seeing Andrei, Zeke realized he had misjudged him.
'I thought he was a greenhouse softie, but he has some backbone.'
Andrei, practically half-dead, finished the last lap and crawled to Duke.
He gasped for breath and said,
"I-I finished... the laps..."
Duke clicked his tongue at the sight of Andrei.
"A knight from the main family, panting like that after just running a bit. This is how the Four Seasons Fortress is going. In my day, we woke up in the morning and ran five hundred laps around the central training ground of the Four Seasons Fortress without using aura!"
Andrei, with a dying look on his face, opened his mouth.
"Y-you... must keep your... promise."
Duke nodded with a displeased expression.
"Ugh, what a bother. I don't know what's gotten into you, but do as you please."
Only after hearing those words did Andrei lose consciousness and collapse.
Duke clicked his tongue and shook his head at the sight of Andrei.
"These young knights these days... In my day..."
"Enough about that. What are we learning today? I already learned all the applied movements last time."
"You impudent disciple! The Gale Force Technique has infinite variations, so there's no end to its applications. You're just a beginner, stop acting arrogant."
Duke was deliberately finding fault with Zeke because his learning speed was so fast.
The basics needed for the Gale Force Technique were taught in less than a week.
Flustered, Duke brought out applied movements, but Zeke absorbed them all like a sponge, learning everything he was taught.
Worried that he would run out of things to teach in less than a month, Duke was teaching as slowly as possible.
"So what are we doing today?"
Duke clicked his tongue at Zeke.
"You naive brat. Review what you've learned today."
"Huh? Why the sudden review?"
"Something suddenly came up, I need to go somewhere for a bit."
"Did you have work here, Master?"
Zeke quickly dodged with footwork as Duke tried to flick his forehead in response to his sly remark.
"That rascal, he's only getting better at tricks!"
Duke said with a displeased expression as he watched Zeke move with his footwork like a fluttering butterfly.
"A troublesome fellow is coming tomorrow. How tiring."
"Who's coming that even requires you, Master?"
Duke said while roughly picking his ear.
"Who else but the great head of the Draker clan, Arthur Draker."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
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