Chapter 274
The imperial training grounds were packed with soldiers from both the Palace Guard and the Imperial Defense Corps. With the talent selection looming, they were also holding their internal promotion exams.
The Palace Guard, in particular, had two captain positions vacant. Everyone was pushing themselves hard, honing their skills to the limit.
Bersabe, still badly injured, leaned against the second-floor railing, watching her comrades train.
“Oh my, Molar. You can’t even train properly, yet you never miss a session?”
“Seriously.”
Her roommate pressed a cold drink to Bersabe’s cheek, mourning Molar’s absence with a teasing tone. Bersabe snatched it roughly and downed half in one gulp.
Ever since the rainy day Bersabe had barely escaped the black armor, things had been like this. The first joke she’d heard while bedridden was, “You really don’t have a molar, huh?”
“If you don’t have one, why do you keep calling me Molar?”
“Because you don’t. It’s a tribute.”
“Go finish your run. I saw you skip a lap. You know if the captain catches you, it’s ten times the punishment, right?”
“Does our Molar even know what ‘self-training’ means?”
“I’m gonna die, seriously!”
“Hahaha!”
While her comrades sweated and shouted through their drills, Bersabe could only watch, bored and frustrated. Her whole body itched to move, but there was no choice. If she pushed herself now, she might never hold a sword again.
Frowning, she fixed her gaze on the center of the training ground. Her roommate followed suit.
“Looks crazy, right? He’s been at it for an hour straight.”
“I don’t get how he’s still standing after we both got beaten up. It’s so unfair.”
It was Beric. Wearing a sandbag, he darted across the field—running, rolling, getting scolded by Captain Jarrett, then charging with his sword and getting knocked down again. He’d been repeating this nonstop for an hour, yet showed no sign of fatigue.
Her roommate pulled out a cigarette and shook her head.
“You’ve got an excuse to be hurt, but I’m perfectly fine and still can’t keep up with that guy’s stamina. What if he hadn’t taken that hit to the stomach?”
Bersabe lowered her head, a mix of envy, amazement, and frustration escaping in a sigh. Seeing this, her roommate playfully tapped her shoulder.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you’re feeling off, wounds take longer to heal. I heard rumors he’s not even human.”
That was a distorted rumor spread after Captain Jarrett had done some background digging on Beric. The source was Beric’s astonishing recovery and his almost inhuman behavior.
Bersabe sneered, furrowing her brows.
“Not human? That’s ridiculous. If he were a dog, I’d believe it.”
“I’m leaning toward that too. The more I watch him, the less human he seems. Haha.”
How many medics must have seen Beric’s bare body while treating his shattered organs and battered limbs? If he were truly non-human, there’d be clear physical anomalies. Instead, these were just vague rumors, nothing concrete.
“So that’s why Captain Jarrett’s been so lenient with him?”
“Lenient? The guy beats him all day long.”
“…Have you ever seen the captain move unnecessarily?”
Her roommate just shrugged. Beric and Xiaoshi were almost the only outsiders besides the Palace Guard and Defense Corps. Yet Captain Jarrett trained them alongside the guards openly.
Smack!
“Aaah!”
As expected, a sharp strike echoed, followed by Beric’s shout. The troublemaker had just been hit by Captain Jarrett. Everyone pretended not to notice but kept glancing at Beric, now openly watching him.
“Hey, that hurts, sir! Look!”
“…Damn it.”
“No, look! Look at this! Ow! Ow!”
Smack!
Beric clutched his forehead and collapsed forward. His sweat-soaked, grimy body took the chance to rest. Captain Jarrett clicked his pocket watch and warned him.
“If you don’t get up within a minute, you’re banned from the training grounds.”
“Aaah!”
Though his yell was annoyed, his body obeyed. Beric sprang up and started punching the air. No one needed to guess who he was imagining.
“Ugh, seriously. Just wait till I’m captain!”
“…Huff, huff.”
Xiaoshi, breathing heavily, tried to pass by, but Beric rolled over and blocked his way. While Beric wildly swung his sword around, Xiaoshi diligently followed Captain Jarrett’s orders, focusing on basic drills.
Beric grabbed Xiaoshi’s pant leg, pestering him.
“Xia, you done your laps?”
“…Not yet. Two more to go.”
“Forget that. Spar with me. No one else will.”
Wiping sweat from his brow, Xiaoshi caught his breath. Of course, it made sense. Even if it was sparring, it was a real match with a winner and loser. What benefit was there in fighting someone without rank? Win, and you break even; lose, and it’s a total disaster.
Most were gearing up for promotion, so they had to pick opponents carefully. And above all—
“Huff, huff, we’re outsiders, you know.”
There was an undercurrent of resentment. Who were these guys to use the imperial training grounds? And why was Captain Jarrett personally training them? The favoritism was obvious, and every time Beric caused a scene, the surrounding gazes grew hostile.
Well, Beric’s overly serious sparring was part of the problem too.
“So what if you’re outsiders? You’ll be family soon enough.”
“…I’m going to finish my laps.”
“No! Stop that boring running and spar with me! Spar! Let’s see you swing that sword properly! Xia, I promise I won’t hurt you. Okay?”
Beric clung to Xiaoshi’s pant leg. Xiaoshi hesitated, then stopped, thinking maybe they could rest a bit. Beric shook his body and shouted.
“Let’s sparrrr!”
“Hey. How about you shut your mouth?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah. Who else is here besides you?”
At that moment, a soldier from the Imperial Defense Corps spoke up, his voice thick with irritation. Beric, still holding onto Xiaoshi’s leg, turned his head to glare.
“Then why don’t you spar with me?”
“…You? You rude bastard.”
“You called yourself ‘you’ first, idiot. Memory lasts one second? If you’re not gonna spar, then mind your own business. Damn punk.”
The tension flared instantly, and the crowd stirred. The Defense Corps finally vented their frustration, while the Palace Guard murmured and backed off.
“Don’t the Defense Corps even know Beric?”
“If you were outside the palace back then, maybe not.”
“If you don’t know, then keep quiet. Go away.”
Did the Palace Guard think they were fools who’d just stand by? They’d seen Beric spar with Captain Jarrett. Not just his skill, but his obsession with winning made the outcome unpredictable.
No one wanted to get hurt before promotion. And with Captain Jarrett watching over him, no one was in a position to complain.
“…Sparring? Is that what you want?”
Smack!
The man’s anger exploded as he struck Beric’s face. It was so sudden—Beric had been babbling, and Xiaoshi was cooling off, his shirt fluttering in the breeze. Beric’s head snapped back from the blow.
“You little shit, who do you think you are, acting up here? You’ve been annoying me for days. Good. I’ll make sure you never come back. Sparring? Fine.”
“…Haha.”
Beric lifted his head, blood trickling from his nose. But his eyes sparkled with excitement. Finally, someone worthy. Just as he gripped his black sword and charged—
“Beric.”
Captain Jarrett’s voice stopped him.
“This is not sparring time. If you cause trouble, there will be consequences. And you—state your affiliation.”
“…I’m Hamp, from the Imperial Defense Corps, 4th Army, Unit 294.”
“Hamp, the Palace Guard is not sparring now. You should stop and step back.”
He glanced at the sword frozen mid-air, then bowed his head. Having landed a solid hit, he had no regrets. If anything, he was grateful for the intervention. Reluctantly, he dragged his feet and returned to his comrades.
“Ugh…”
Meanwhile, Beric let the blood drip from his nose, his sword hand trembling. He was holding back, but it was tough. He wanted nothing more than to plunge his blade into that man’s flesh, tear it apart, and make him bleed.
Grinding his teeth, the sound was sharp and clear. The Palace Guard knights whispered again, amazed. That beast actually listens to Captain Jarrett? Incredible.
But his temper was still the same. Beric threw down his sword and let out a frustrated roar.
“Argh, damn it! I can’t take this! I got hit once! I’m bleeding!”
“If you can’t handle it, then quit. Nobody’s forcing you. The training grounds will be a lot nicer without you. Honestly, it’d be a relief.”
“Jaret! Damn it! Just you wait and see!”
Bang! Bang bang!
In a fit of frustration, Beric stomped the ground several times. Xiao Xi handed him a bottle of water, but instead of drinking it, Beric poured it over his head to cool down.
“Ha, damn it.”
“…You’re doing fine.”
“Is this what you call doing fine?”
Xiao Xi nodded. Jaret was drilling Beric on discipline, and Beric was taking it in. For someone who’d lived like a wild rogue, this kind of process was necessary to wear the uniform properly.
Xiao Xi understood this instinctively. To submit to something, you first have to suppress your instincts.
“If I’d known it’d be like this, I wouldn’t have said those things at the start.”
When they first came to the training grounds, Jaret had actually been more on Beric’s side, trying to calm him down. Just being a magic swordsman gave Beric value.
But—
‘I want to be number one.’
‘Everyone wants that. But the ones who actually get it are those who want it more desperately than anyone else. You only want strength. Even if that desire runs deep, it’s still your only driving force.’
‘So? What else is there?’
‘Beric, find meaning. Decide what you want to do once you become strong. Otherwise, it’s hard to reach your goal, and even if you do, it’s difficult to truly enjoy the victory.’
Jaret’s advice reminded Beric of that day. After enduring his father’s violence and the bandit attack, just recently, when Timothy asked if Ian and he were truly close friends, Beric had been at a loss for words, with nothing to say.
“After all that, you think I’d just change my attitude and roll over like this? Damn it, I’ve been played for a fool. Ian wasn’t even the one who brought it up!”
Crunch!
Beric scowled, then threw the water bottle far away. He stormed off, venting his frustration. Xiao Xi sighed, left suddenly without water.
Thud!
Without a word, they both started running again. They shared the same goal: to be selected and prove their worth. That was the way to protect themselves and their comrades.
Jaret watched them with a whistle in his mouth. The royal guard knights who had come to watch alongside him did the same. Jaret blew the whistle sharply and shouted,
“Looks like some of you are just playing around with your swords. Keep moving!”
“Yes, sir!”
“If you have complaints, take the captain’s position! No matter how much you shout from down here, it won’t be heard!”
“Haah!”
Peep!
The palace training grounds were louder than ever. The challengers’ shouts and grunts echoed day and night, all striving to achieve their goals.
And then, the big day arrived.
The talent selection exam, spanning fifteen days, was about to begin. Those with numbered tags pinned to their chests stood in a line, waiting to enter the training grounds. Beric and Xiao Xi were among them.
“Line up and enter in order. Keep your spacing!”
“We’ll call the front row first. Basic physical exams will be conducted over there. Those who fail will be dismissed immediately. Those who pass, bring your name tags back. We’ll arrange the sparring matches.”
“Quiet down! No disturbances!”
“Hey! Leave your weapons at the entrance!”
The place was noisy and chaotic. Beric grabbed Xiao Xi’s arm, shaking it to release some tension and excitement.
“Damn, there are so many people.”
“…….”
“Hey, Xiao, look over there!”
Beric turned Xiao Xi’s head upward. Standing by the second-floor railing were familiar faces—Ian, Romandro, and Jin—watching them.
As their eyes met, Romandro waved both hands enthusiastically, cheering them on to stay safe and do well. Jin cautiously raised a hand in greeting, and Ian smiled, resting his chin on his hand.
“Iaaan!”
“…….”
“Xiao, you should shout too. Ro-man-drooo! Sir!”
Though their calls were drowned out by the noise, Ian heard them. He smiled and nodded, as if saying, “Go on, show me what you’ve got.”