Chapter 64

When I woke up and tried to get up, my whole body creaked.

Wow, I have muscle pain. The pain is tormenting my entire body.

Muscle pain the day after exercise is a sign of youth. I should think positively that the results of the exercise are starting to show.

While thinking that, I looked at my stomach but immediately turned away.

My stomach... I won’t think about it.

Shaking slightly, I headed towards the dining table.

The moment I sat down, my whole body ached.

"You look like a newborn fawn."

Tisha said, covering her mouth.

Riz poked at me, finding it amusing. It really hurts. It hurts.

"Since you're always cheating, I take advantage of the times when I can attack you one-sidedly."

This guy is enjoying it. Damn, her smirking face is so cute that I can't get angry.

She's just like Tisha in that way.

Enduring the muscle pain, I headed to the guild. The assembled party was gradually guided to the plains designated as the battlefield.

As planned, we lined up in the designated formation on the scene.

Following the guild's signal, we started moving. However, our steps were completely out of sync.

The issue of movement speed had been mentioned, but the reality was far different. Each time, the leaders gathered to discuss and iron out the details.

During the discussions, I recalled school assemblies and group gymnastics.

I had wondered why we had to do such things, but now I understood that they were training for group movement.

Each time a problem arose, we addressed it, such as movement speed, attention to missed signals, and the succession route for the signal person.

However, most people were not used to group actions. It was probably because they had no experience with group activities unless they had such an opportunity.

The training continued with several breaks in between.

During the breaks, everyone gathered in circles and chatted. Building camaraderie is important, and it seemed everyone understood that, as there were no complaints or grumbling.

I had many conversations with the leaders. The main topics were party situations and their usual earnings.

Regarding party situations, things were not good. There were front-line and mid-line roles, but the back-line was severely lacking.

Most of the people using bows were former hunters. It was the same as with Riz, and the future issues would be the same.

None of the current members used large bows or heavy bows. These weapons are designed to extend range and penetrate armor, which is not a priority in a world where human combat is almost non-existent.

As for mages, the situation was even worse. There were only about eight in total. Most graduates of the magic school join the military for a stable job.

Even among the few mages, there was a wide range of skills. Most were like Watis, using low-cost spells to target weaknesses. Considering the prey, this was understandable.

I also checked their usual earnings. Most earned through town quests and escort missions. If a group could camp and take down decent enemies, escort missions were perfect.

A 7th-class rating is not a requirement for escort missions. It's just a certification that you can complete them. Even 8th-class parties can take on escort missions if they can form a group.

For hunting, they mainly dealt with sudden encounters. They laughed, saying they would run away unless the situation was extremely bad. It made sense.

Everyone's weapons and equipment were different. They had their strengths and weaknesses, and they used their earnings differently.

The standard military equipment is likely due to procurement costs, but also because it's easier to train and use effectively.

By evening, we had managed to form a semblance of group action through discussions and personnel exchanges.

Even though a whole day was spent on this, I understood that without the basics of group action, it was inevitable.

As it seemed the training was about to end, I stopped it. The concept of a rehearsal was missing. I had forgotten about it.

We lined up the defenders and had the others charge with battle cries. There was no actual combat. They used makeshift sticks and prepared weapons as spears and swords to simulate the charge.

The goal was to feel the pressure of a group of armed people approaching.

About 100 people, including guild staff and reserve forces, gathered in the front. Even from a distance, it looked like a mass of people. If they spread out, it would be a considerable size.

They charged with battle cries, without any hesitation or embarrassment. They were shouting sincerely.

Honestly, it was more impressive than I expected. Watching people pass by without doing anything, I was genuinely scared.

We switched personnel and repeated the training several times. Fear can be overcome. People who were initially frozen in place started to move.

We couldn't do combat training. There was a risk of injury, and the skill levels were vastly different. We decided to use this training as a basis for parties and individuals to visualize the scenarios.

After the training, everyone dispersed, leaving only a few guild staff. I was exhausted.

Just the training alone was exhausting. The phrase "fog of war" came to mind, but even within the scope of what I could grasp, it was overwhelming.

Moreover, there was an opponent.

The usual one-sided battles where we took down enemies would now involve groups attacking us. I felt a renewed sense of fear at this reality.

I had also been asking "Recognition" about the enemy's skill composition, but there were no rare skills.

Scouts and guerrillas had slightly higher "Alertness" and "Stealth" skills, and the rest were weapon-specific skills.

A few heavy weapon users and former hunters had low "Strength" skills. This was typical for this level.

Riz had been carrying prey since childhood. Seeing the numbers of others, I realized her values were the result of accumulated effort.

Ultimately, skills are the result of effort. At least, they weren't due to cheats. This wasn't a story or a game.

Hartis, who was responsible, approached me.

"Thank you for your hard work today. We received valuable input."

He spoke cheerfully. After returning the greeting, he immediately brought up the topic.

"We have some good news and some bad news."

"Let's start with the good news."

He told me that a large group, likely a command unit, had been caught in the scouts' net. I was impressed that they had scouts that far out, but I didn't ask.

Apparently, the group was gradually moving towards the forest exit, absorbing surrounding clusters along the way.

"They are expected to arrive late in the morning to early afternoon of the day after tomorrow."

Based on their speed, that was the estimate... Tomorrow, we need to continue hunting and delay their progress as much as possible.

"Regarding the bad news..."

The main body of the knight corps would arrive around noon the day after tomorrow. This was a highly reliable piece of information. In the worst case, we might need to hold out for 3 to 4 hours.

The knight corps would not move until their full complement was assembled and orders were given.

Following the command structure is a basic principle of military organizations. They wait for the full complement to avoid casualties and deaths.

The cost of training soldiers is extremely high. They are paid and trained continuously, and if they get injured or die, it's all for nothing.

"On the day, adventurers will defend, and the knight corps will eliminate the threat."

This was as planned. The training wasn't in vain, but I wish it had been.

"Since the arrival of the knight corps affects morale, we will convey the message that the knight corps is almost here to boost spirits."

Controlling morale... The collapse of a group due to low morale is a common occurrence in history. It's that important.

"We will guide them to think that if they hold out until the knight corps arrives, they can make it through."

Sigh... Either way, we need to do our best. I need to steel myself.

After the training, the two energetic ones were sent to further enhance their coordination.

I rushed to the blacksmith. Time was running out. I hoped the modifications were complete.

"Hey, the one you mentioned is done."

Thank goodness. I took the spear and examined the butt. It was hollowed out into a deep cone, reinforced with iron.

"Did you remove the core?"

"I did the best I could. Making the reinforcement mold was tougher. The finishing is also precise."

I looked inside the butt under the fading light. The tip of the cone was almost at the center of the core. This might work.

"Is this precision and reinforcement going to be a loss?"

"I told you, it's for my studies."

The blacksmith laughed. I was really saved.

An opponent immune to magic is almost unbeatable by ordinary people. This was a countermeasure.

My heart, which had been tense and fatigued, felt a bit lighter. It was a rare piece of good news.

Honestly, I initially wanted to create a powerful air gun using compressed air.

However, without knowing the work precision, I gave up on making a straight barrel and standardized bullets.

So, I decided to modify the spear into a projectile weapon.

However, due to the nature or interference of magic, the thrust drops sharply once it leaves the point of contact. In this case, an independent magic spell would be needed to maintain thrust.

I hurried back to Ast's house, had dinner, and started training in a place away from the village.

Time was short. Under the moonlight, I repeatedly adjusted the pressure to stabilize the projectile and ensure the butt could withstand multiple uses without breaking. The spearhead was covered to prevent damage.

However, finding the spears that had flown off was difficult. Moonlight is just moonlight.

I repeated the fine-tuning over and over.

It's fine if it's not useful. But when it's needed...

"I decided to bring Riz back alive. I have to do my best."

Muttering to myself, I repeated the process of launching and retrieving the spear.

Under the moonlight, watching the trajectory of the flying spear, I thought, "It's so beautiful," even though it was out of place.