## Chapter 97 – (4)
“Ugh…”
The room was decorated just as I’d imagined, but I couldn’t be entirely happy.
“Is this really okay?”
It felt a bit late to be having second thoughts after already going through with it, but looking at the room’s overly convincing atmosphere, I couldn’t help but reflect.
Who would think this was a knight’s room?
Only the armor and weapons in the corner hinted at it.
I stretched, my body cracking from all the hard work.
Looking out the window, I saw stars, indicating quite some time had passed.
They say you can’t even see stars in the countryside these days, but this world had two moons and stars filling the sky.
No wonder it was so bright for nighttime.
Since it was late, I lay down on the decorated bed to sleep.
“Ugh…”
The floral perfume I’d sprayed as a test seemed to be doing its job, instantly making me feel relaxed.
I was a bit uneasy since the name of the flower was unfamiliar, but the overall scent was subtle and sweet, making it pleasant for anyone.
Lying down, I could easily notice the shortcomings.
“Soft blankets or dim lighting would be nice.”
As they say, lighting determines the room’s atmosphere.
The current lighting was too bright and white.
I thought it would be better with something dimmer, with an orange tint, something that would soothe the eyes.
“…But how is this even lit?”
That thought suddenly occurred to me, and I stared intently at the lamp-like light fixture on the ceiling while lying down.
It looked like a stone was emitting light, but I couldn’t get a good look.
It was too bright to stare at with my bare eyes.
I just shrugged it off as fantasy world lighting.
“Does pulling this work?”
A string hung from the lamp, and when I pulled it, the lamp closed, and the light disappeared.
I mentally reviewed the items I needed to buy tomorrow and fell asleep.
“…Come to think of it, do I have something scheduled for tomorrow?”
With that lingering sense of unease.
Knock, knock.
“…”
The sound of someone cautiously knocking on the door snapped me awake.
Ever since the zombie world, I’d become a light sleeper, able to hear even the faintest sounds.
Unless I was extremely tired or deliberately ignoring it, I could wake up to even the slightest noise.
“Who is it?”
Just in case, I spoke politely to the person at the door, and a nervous voice replied.
“I-It’s Ethan, Sir Knight!”
Even without seeing him, I could easily imagine how stiff and tense Ethan was, answering with such rigid formality.
I opened the door to find Ethan standing awkwardly at attention, just as I’d expected.
He swallowed nervously when he saw me open the door.
“What’s wrong?”
“Yes, the Captain asked me to fetch you.”
“…Alright.”
I told Ethan to wait for a moment and put on my black armor.
Putting it on was harder than taking it off.
I’d never worn armor like this in my life, so I fumbled a bit, but I managed to get it on somehow.
If I didn’t have the Strength skill, moving would have been uncomfortable, but it was just the right weight for me.
Once I had it on, I moved my body lightly.
Despite looking cumbersome, it didn’t hinder my movements much.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
I confidently said, “Let’s go,” but I had to follow behind Ethan.
I didn’t know where I was being summoned.
Ethan must have forgotten to tell me in his nervousness.
Outside the Knights’ quarters.
Captain Dana stood next to a row of training dummies.
Other knights were stretching, warming up, or checking their equipment, ready to head out somewhere.
“You’ve arrived?”
Captain Dana greeted us with a faint smile when she spotted us.
Ethan’s face flushed at her smile, and he answered enthusiastically.
“Yes, Ma’am!”
“…Yes.”
My small reply was drowned out by his booming voice.
Dana turned her gaze to me and said,
“Sunghan, you’re excluded from monster subjugation for the time being.”
“Excuse me?”
I was a bit taken aback.
Did I do something wrong?
Had she already found out about me changing rooms?
Hunting monsters in this fantasy world was a small goal and challenge for me, so being excluded was a bit disappointing.
Of course, fighting monsters was a dangerous task, so being excluded wasn’t entirely bad news.
If anything, it was good news.
“Why…”
But I couldn’t help but let a bit of disappointment seep into my voice and expression.
As a gamer and a reader who enjoyed fantasy novels and comics, fighting monsters was a romantic ideal.
When I asked for the reason, Dana looked at Ethan next to me and said,
“Train him properly. He seems to have talent.”
“…”
“D-Did I cause you to be…”
Dana smiled faintly, looking at Ethan kindly, and Ethan stammered, touched.
Anyone would think they were siblings.
I couldn’t really disobey the Captain’s orders, so I reluctantly nodded in agreement.
Who knows, maybe training Ethan would give me a chance to fight monsters again.
Besides, raising the protagonist’s favorability was always helpful.
Knowing Ethan’s bright future, I understood that fact even better.
“I’ll leave the training to you, I’m off.”
With that, Captain Dana led the other knights out of the city.
I didn’t know where they were going, but they were probably going to subjugate monsters again.
That was the Black Knights’ mission.
“What should we do first?”
Ethan, who had been staring at Captain Dana’s departing back for a while, turned to me and asked.
“Hmm…”
How should I train this bundle of talent?
Ethan was a diamond in the rough who, without even realizing it, would become stronger than the Captain in a year if he just ate three square meals a day.
I even doubted whether I was the right person to teach him.
What if I taught him poorly and had a negative impact?
I hesitated, then asked Ethan for his sword and held it in my hand.
It was a basic sword given to all knights.
A mass-produced two-handed sword piled up like a mountain next to the training dummies.
A two-handed sword that looked like it came straight out of the Middle Ages.
“Oh…”
I felt a solid weight as soon as I held it.
I’d never held a two-handed sword before.
You’d have to go to a European museum to see a sword like this in modern times, so it was no surprise.
Strangely, I could move my hands skillfully as soon as I held the sword.
The Weapon Mastery skill that had risen to level 7 was naturally adapting me to the weapon.
Since it was the heaviest sword I’d ever held, a swordsmanship that utilized its weight unfolded from my fingertips.
Whoosh!
The sword cut through the air with a heavy sound I’d never heard before.
Without stopping the momentum, I swung it diagonally once more.
Thwack!
A large gash was carved into the dirt floor where it accidentally grazed.
Using the rotational force of the continuous swing, I naturally spun my body around.
The sword swung around as I spun, making a crisp sound as it blew off the head of a training dummy.
I understood why the warriors with greatswords in games were so obsessed with spinning slashes.
The speed and power were considerable since it used the whole body.
But since the movements were so large, you’d have to pay the price if you missed.
“Wow…”
Ethan watched me in admiration, and I, too, was amazed by myself, wearing a bewildered expression.
I felt the power of Weapon Mastery anew.
Swinging it like this, I felt like I knew how to teach him.
This sword shouldn’t be handled like a jungle knife or a martial arts sword.
“Once you swing, don’t stop, use that rotational force to swing two or three more times.”
Since it was a two-handed sword, it was quite heavy, requiring a lot of strength for the initial swing.
But after the swing, there was rotational force left over, and if you used that, you could swing the sword faster and easier without using much strength.
That was the charm of this two-handed sword.
And even before I could explain it, Ethan was learning it himself by mimicking my movements.
“…”
The protagonist was the protagonist.
His growth was visible in real-time.
He might even grow faster than in the original story.
However, regardless of his talent with the sword, Ethan was exhausted after only a few swings and collapsed on the ground.
“Haa… haa…”
His basic stamina was the problem.
He was just a young farmer who used to swing a hoe, now a knight.
It was too much to endure such heavy labor overnight.
“Rest.”
There was no need to overwork him since there was no rush.
With my permission, Ethan lay down on the ground and massaged his back.
His back muscles had to work hard to maintain the rotational force.
It was natural for Ethan, who lacked basic stamina and back strength, to feel pain.
Wait, back pain.
“Ethan, come to my room after training.”
“Yes?”
I was originally going to make Cecil my first customer, but I changed my mind.
Actually, I had some anxiety.
Even if Cecil was friendly with me, suddenly calling a woman into my room was a high hurdle.
At least to call her into my room, I needed to lower Cecil’s guard.
So, first, I’d loosen Ethan’s muscles, give him a real massage, then spread the rumors, and then it wouldn’t be bad to call Cecil.
Of course, the massage I’d give Cecil would be a little different from the real massage I’d give Ethan.
“Yes, Sir!”
Listening to Ethan’s cheerful reply, I nodded in satisfaction.
