Chapter 9

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Master's Family (9)

‘The wolf suddenly got scared of Number 25? It even bared its belly and wagged its tail? Who would believe such a thing!’

It was only the wolf that sensed Leonard's killing intent.

To be precise, it wasn't so much that it sensed his killing intent, but rather an instinctive sense of impending danger that it was about to die.

The intelligence it had gained from being trained by humans since childhood, the wild nature awakened by the fear of death, and the acceptance of the hierarchical relationship all led to the wolf recognizing Leonard as a figure to submit to.

“...Hmm.”

Leonard looked down at the wolf writhing on its back in front of him for a moment, then extended his right hand to scratch its belly.

A rumbling sound came from the wolf's now-docile snout.

If someone didn't know better, they might think it was a dog.

‘I don’t want to kill it, and there’s no need to kill it.’

If it were a bloodthirsty beast, it might be different, but killing such an unprotected creature didn't align with his nature.

It was also impossible to keep the wolf.

It would consume an enormous amount of food every day, and if he used it in battles with trainees, the instructors would surely intervene. On the other hand, giving the wolf back to the instructors wasn't entirely without merit; it felt a bit wasteful.

Leonard soon came to a conclusion.

“Instructor.”

His eyes focused on the top of a tree dozens of meters away, covered in leaves and branches.

Naturally, Colin, who had been hiding there, was startled.

‘What? Did he sense my presence?’

Was his attempt to mask his presence disrupted by the recent events? He silently changed his position, considering that Number 25 might have guessed.

However, seeing Leonard's gaze follow him, Colin had to admit that his hiding skills had been penetrated.

“—What is it, Number 25?”

Despite this, as an instructor, Colin couldn't lose his dignity, so he lowered his voice and revealed himself, almost as if he had let himself be discovered.

Of course, it didn't fool Leonard at all.

“I have a question.”

“What is it? Personal matters during outdoor training—.”

“The wolf.”

Before the instructor could start lecturing about rules, Leonard pointed to the wolf lying on its back at his feet.

“If I use this wolf, or this wolf and I together, to bring down trainees from other teams, will that be considered a victory?”

“...No.”

Colin felt cold sweat run down his back.

This wolf was a direwolf, well-fed and trained, and even the direct descendants found it difficult to handle with just their strength.

It was prepared as a kind of gateway.

‘Even if it’s just for basic swordsmanship, a direwolf trained to fight with a sword, and with Number 25’s help, attacking together?’

It was a level that even the blood relatives of the classes ahead by one or two years could struggle with.

To have a complete grasp of the forest from the first day and to control a direwolf?

The training aimed at breaking the mold of basic swordsmanship would undoubtedly be thoroughly ruined from the start. Fortunately, Number 25 asked first, before anything happened. If he had to deal with the aftermath, there would have been no solution.

“Then, would it be okay to use it for gathering food or setting traps, or as a means of transportation?”

“Umm...”

Colin wanted to say no, but he had to think about it.

After all, Number 25 had subdued the wolf, which was supposed to be handled by a team, and it would be too unfair to prevent him from indirectly benefiting from it.

“Alright, to that extent.”

“Thank you.”

“As I said, you can’t use the wolf to attack or threaten other trainees. We will leave food for the wolf at your base at regular intervals. Is that acceptable?”

Leonard nodded.

It was a better outcome than he expected.

Considering the purpose of the outdoor training, the instructors might have simply taken the wolf back. There was also the possibility of unforeseen incidents.

Still, by leaving Leonard the authority to control the wolf, they were acknowledging his achievement, even if only a little.

“Ah, Number 25.”

Just as Colin was about to disappear again, he spoke.

“Since you mentioned using it as a means of transportation, do you plan to ride the wolf?”

“Yes.”

“I know you don’t have any horse-riding experience? Riding a wolf is even more difficult than riding a horse. If you fall and get seriously injured, we won’t treat you. To get proper treatment, you’ll have to give up the training.”

“I understand.”

Leonard silently acknowledged the warning.

Colin, feeling a sigh escape him, disappeared into the ground as if sinking into it, determined not to be discovered again.

‘Hmm, not bad skills.’

Feeling the presence become even fainter, Leonard briefly praised the technique. For a knight, not an assassin, to be so skilled at masking his presence, it must be due to practical experience and versatility.

He would soon find out.

Looking down at the wolf growling at his feet, Leonard sent a thread of intent with his mental power.

—Stand up.

The wolf, receiving the command, stood up.

It was the first time it had received an order in this form, and it looked bewildered.

“Sit, stand, jump, roll.”

Leonard pretended to give commands verbally while directly conveying his intent to the wolf's mind.

The wolf sat, stood, jumped lightly, and rolled on the ground as he instructed.

It was one of the applications of Wisdom Light Mind Speech.

By conveying the meaning directly rather than through words, even non-human creatures could understand easily. However, it was a one-way communication since the wolf couldn’t respond.

‘As long as it understands my commands, it’s fine.’

While stroking the wolf's fur, which seemed to be seeking praise, Leonard looked up at the sky, which was gradually darkening.

He needed to start a fire and gather firewood soon.

He muttered while tickling the wolf's snout.

“Serious activities will start from tomorrow.”

As if in response to his monologue, the wolf lifted its head and howled.

Auuuuu—...

Birds startled by the howl of a predator took flight from somewhere, and rabbits that were settling down for the night shrank their long, pointed ears.

The day in the forest was coming to an end.

* * *

“That’s a wolf’s howl.”

Number 1, sitting on a stump, his eyes lit up.

It was quite a distance away.

Yet, he felt a chill run through his body, and all his hair stood on end.

It was definitely a beast prepared by Cardenas.

“...It will be difficult to face it one-on-one, except for our lord.”

A young boy, Number 5, who had been close to Number 1 since the beginning of the academy, spoke calmly.

Unlike the other trainees who didn’t sense any danger, he recognized the combat power of the wolf. Number 1 smiled and looked around at the children sweating as they set up the camp.

183 people.

With a total of 505 people, they had nearly 40% of the total force.

‘Having more people isn’t always advantageous.’

Number 1 analyzed the situation coldly.

‘The priority is to secure food and water for nearly 200 people. Finding a suitable campsite for such a large group is also a problem. On the other hand, if we split into too small groups, we risk being picked off by Teams 2 and 3.’

He ignored Team 4, who were hesitant to attack due to their opportunistic nature, and Team 5, whose strength was weak.

The same went for Team 6, who moved alone.

‘If we use the camping supplies allocated before entering the forest systematically, we can last about a week. After that, we need to either become self-sufficient or steal badges from other teams to buy food. No, that’s not right.’

Number 1’s lips twisted into a fierce smile.

‘Why wait until after using the supplies? It’s best to raid other teams from the start, gather badges and points, and stockpile the initial supplies to prepare for any variables. We’ll pick off the other teams before they can unite against us.’

Being arrogant didn’t mean he was stupid.

Number 1 quickly deduced the most advantageous path for him and Team 1 in this outdoor training. If the situation became unfavorable over time, he would end it before it even began.

As he stood up, the busy trainees all stopped moving.

A presence as commanding as a lion dropped from the sky!

“Listen up.”

Number 1 declared.

“Tonight, we’ll set up five watches and try to sleep as soon as possible. If the camp isn’t finished, we’ll complete it tomorrow.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned his gaze.

The sun had already set in the west, and the forest was shrouded in unfamiliar darkness.

However, the golden light in Number 1’s eyes was sharp enough to pierce through it.

“Starting at dawn tomorrow, we’ll search the forest with half of our total force. If you find another team, don’t reveal yourself and come find me. As soon as we know their location, we’ll launch a full-scale attack.”

The numerical strength was Team 1’s greatest advantage.

With Team 2 having 91 people, Team 4 having 89, and Team 3 having only 80, even if two teams united, they couldn’t match Team 1’s numbers.

Let alone if they didn’t unite.

“Eliminating just one of Teams 2, 3, or 4 will secure our victory. We can hunt the remaining stragglers at our leisure.”

A leader’s confidence quickly energized the group.

The excited children clenched their fists and trembled, ready to charge at a single word.

It was a charisma that a 14-year-old shouldn’t have.

Number 5, watching from the side, praised himself for making the right choice.

“You just need to follow my orders. Don’t think or worry, just follow me. Understand?”

““Yaaahh!!””

A roar louder than the wolf’s howl earlier echoed through the forest.

Even if it revealed their position to other teams, it didn’t matter. If the other teams were aware of Team 1, it would make it easier to track their movements.

And those who approached recklessly would be devoured.

“Number 5.”

“Sir.”

Number 5, called by Number 1, bowed.

“Select those with good eyesight and who can climb trees. Starting tomorrow, they will move separately to create a map of the area.”

“A map...sir?”

“Just enough to recognize the area. It doesn’t need to be detailed.”

It was sufficient if they could rejoin without issues after splitting up and moving around.

It was a way to maximize the advantage of their numbers.

Teams for searching for food and water, teams for locating other teams, and teams for surveying the terrain.

The deadline was when the initial supplies ran out.

‘It’s enough.’

No matter how vast the forest, it was just a part of the estate.

Considering the range the instructors could manage, a hundred people could sweep through it and still have some left over.

The only weakness of this plan was if the three team leaders predicted his strategy and quickly united to eliminate the split teams.

‘Ha, that won’t happen.’

But Number 1 scoffed at the worst-case scenario.

Team 3, who harbored inexplicable hostility towards the direct descendants, and Teams 2 and 4, who lacked decisiveness, would only consider uniting when cornered.

So, he would eliminate one, or preferably two, teams before that happened.

“I will win.”

A belief he had never wavered from since birth.

Looking up at the stars that had begun to twinkle in the night sky, he burned with the ambition to reach the pinnacle of the family.

It was his father’s will, and his own.

To prove that he was the strongest and most superior being!

“...Number 25, that arrogant brat, is no different.”

Recalling Leonard’s back as he entered the forest without a single glance, Number 1 gritted his teeth.

After dealing with the team leaders, it would be his turn.