Chapter 818: Footsteps of Autumn 5
First, you should understand this fact: when it comes to raw leg strength alone, there’s no difference between me, Anzeros, and Neia Grans.
One day, when I went to look at the outskirts of town, Almeida was standing with her hands on her hips in front of Fiona. She was wearing combat gear for the first time in a while. However, she wasn’t carrying any weapons.
“Of course, it’s at a higher level than yours, Fiona Gennil. ……The crucial point is, I’m still far faster than Anzeros. The question is what that difference signifies”
“……Cut the preamble and get on with it”
“I want you to understand this isn’t merely about physical enhancement. ……The answer lies in the difference in running technique. And also in the difference in instinct, predictive ability, and imagination”
“……??”
“That look says, why would you need such things just to run? I’ll show you now”
Almeida calls out to Anzeros. Anzeros wears light athletic gear. The handicap between her and the armored Almeida is obvious. They line up side by side. At the snap of Almeida’s fingers, they both start running. While Anzeros surges ahead by several strides, Almeida calmly……and with overwhelming speed, instantly overtakes him. Their destination was a solitary cedar tree standing slightly apart from the forest. Over the roughly 100-meter distance, Anzeros—who should have been fast—was completely left behind. And before Anzeros could even move far from the cedar, Almeida had already returned to the starting point. Glancing at Anzeros, who returned looking utterly defeated by the sheer difference, Almeida spoke again.
“First, this is the difference in running technique. She switched to a fighting style that uses speed as her weapon less than a few years ago. I’ve been doing it for over a hundred years. Even with the same level of muscle strength, just a difference in approach creates this much of a gap”
“……So, I’m the bad example, huh……well, you could’ve taught me then!”
“You never specifically asked for instruction before. Of course, I won’t stop you from studying my method and honing your skills from now on”
Almeida remained cool. Well, truth be told, I’d never actually relied on her as an instructor before……if anything, I’d always seen her as the type who solved everything with sheer physical strength and grit. But then again, staying at the top of a field for that long? There’s no way she doesn’t have some theory behind her strength.
“To explain the secret: with legs like ours, running the same way as ordinary people causes significant deceleration during the time our feet leave the ground. Unique techniques are needed for splitting the wind, maintaining a low center of gravity, and accelerating continuously without wasting energy. Furthermore, in actual combat, it’s not just about competing in speed. Body positioning when turning, how you keep your eyes moving……Anzeros is a perfect example of someone completely lacking those unique high-speed combat techniques”
“……Uh”
Anzeros looked downcast. Despite being regarded as possessing abilities now rivaling a Master Knight……in high-speed combat, she still couldn’t hold a candle to Almeida, 100-man Special Duty Commander Becker, or even Dianne. Was it because of this shortcoming?
“And one more thing. This isn’t just about mobility; it’s about 『Speed』. ……If you can outpace your opponent, you might be able to push through. But if you’re evenly matched, or fall behind, then it’s hopeless……not necessarily. Even if your footwork or hand speed is inferior, you can still 『Move Faster』 than your opponent. Running speed is merely a given; this is the true essence of a knight’s 『Speed』. ……Predict your opponent’s movements, disrupt them, force them to open a gap. To put it extremely, if you’re one second slower than your opponent, just get there two seconds ahead and strike first. Always maximize your own options while minimizing theirs. Never risk being cornered yourself; only corner your opponent. An opponent forced into such a fight will tremble at your 『Speed』—that is, your control of the battlefield. When you master that, you will become a first-rate knight. Fiona Gennil”
Almeida pointed at Fiona as she spoke, urging her to run.
“Now, first comes running technique. Drill it into your body through repetition until you can run efficiently without thinking. You may not match my speed yet with your current strength, but you should be faster than you are now. The faster you are, the more breathing room you gain. That will never be wasted”
As instructed, Fiona rolled up her ankle-length robe to her knees and began to be thoroughly drilled in running technique under Almeida’s guidance. But running training is quietly tough, isn’t it? It might be better than getting beaten to a pulp with a wooden sword, but at that rate, she’ll probably keep going until her legs literally won’t move anymore before hauling her off to the Spirit Spring. Our unit’s running drills aimed at long-distance marching aren’t exactly a walk in the park either, but we rarely push people to the point of complete immobility. Well, the new recruits do cry at first. But enduring that kind of leg-wrecking training over and over? Mentally, it’s probably tougher than sword practice, where you could potentially avoid pain if you defended well.
“……By the way, Anzeros got completely torn apart, but how much has Neia caught up?”
I muttered suddenly. Laila, who’d been watching nearby as Fiona’s spirit spring transport handler, smoothly approached and told me.
“Neia wasn’t so great at first, but she picked up running techniques quickly from Dianne and Becker. As for cornering opponents, she was top-tier from the start”
“……I figured”
I kind of suspected as much. She doesn’t usually make any particularly flashy moves, but she wouldn’t miss out on learning useful techniques to reference, would she?
“Well, though, calling Anzeros inadequate is a bit harsh, I think. Her sword is fundamentally about parry and counter. If you don’t make speed your core fighting style, it’s not exactly a necessary skill”
“You sure do defend her”
“Hoho, she is my knight, after all. ……Almeida is indeed fast, but she lacks that decisive finishing blow Anzeros has. So one-on-one, the outcome is anyone’s guess. But still, I can’t just let that go unchallenged”
“Surprisingly, you’re quite particular about that sort of thing, aren’t you?”
I’d imagined Laila would be a bit more magnanimous about it. Though then again, maybe this overprotectiveness towards her favorite daughter is just her nature.
While Fiona’s special training sessions became part of their daily routine, Polka hurriedly welcomed autumn.
“There are fewer merchants now”
Johnny stood at the city gate dressed as a sentry, watching the caravans of traveling merchants grow smaller in the distance. Everyone in town thought they could just return after the upcoming harvest festival, but considering it takes three weeks to cross the mountains, this was the absolute last moment before getting snowed in. Caravans unprepared for snow would find themselves in serious trouble. Standing beside Johnny wasn’t Keel……but Lantz.
“I’ve actually always wanted to try this outfit”
“This ancient-looking breastplate, that lame helmet, and this halberd that’s just heavy? Why would you ever think that?”
Johnny was dumbfounded, but he kind of understood Lantz’s feelings.
“As a rear guard, I kinda envy the infantry’s outfit, you know?”
“You understand, 10-man captain Smithson? And the slightly outdated style is part of the appeal, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. Somehow, if it’s too hardcore, it loses some of the romance”
What I want to be is not a real, active infantryman, but rather the 「Soldier I admired as a kid」 – nothing more than that. We crossbowmen get at most leather armor and headgear; we have no connection to this kind of proper soldier’s gear. So, to a greater or lesser extent, we do harbor a complex about seeing infantrymen in proper gear. It’s just that I 「Want to be one」, you know? If you start demanding too much practicality, it turns into a whole different conversation about training to match that gear. Call it pathetic if you want. I’m not trying to switch branches now. Actual soldier life is tough.
“……But what about Keel?”
“Goto’s guy too, but apparently the harvest festival prep is in its final stages and they need hands”
“Keel’s place does seem busy……well, Johnny’s place seems busy too”
When I turned to Johnny, he just shrugged.
“If it were like Keel’s place, prepping food and sweets, that’d be one thing. But a brewery? It’s pretty much the same. If it’s just tapping barrels for the festival, an ogre would be way more useful for that”
“……So basically, Goto took his job and kicked him out to be a gatekeeper or something?”
“Shut it! The point is they don’t need help! They say our own people are enough!”
Well, as you can see from Lantz’s example of being made a substitute, gatekeeper duty is basically just keeping an eye out for anything unusual. It’s a laid-back job done on a rotating basis. While it’s officially ordered by the Baron as community service, no one actually checks if you’re doing it properly. Apparently, back in the day, they actually tried hard to keep elves and such out of town. But now that they’ve become friends with the elves, they don’t stop anything unless it’s a major issue. Meaning, really, all you need is someone standing there. Suspicions that Johnny is unwanted deepen.
“If we’re talking about that, what about you, Andy?! You’ve been wandering around aimlessly this whole time!”
“Ah……I’m actually savoring the sense of accomplishment from finishing a job, so yeah”
“What do you mean one job?! You’re a soldier! What the hell did you fight?!”
“……I didn’t exactly fight”
This morning, with the Harvest Festival tomorrow, I finally succeeded in crafting a 「Dragon Jewel」 accessory I’m satisfied with. It took me quite a while, but given the nature of the item, it couldn’t be helped. I was thinking of giving it to Princess Ran at the Harvest Festival……but if I try to be too romantic about it, things might get complicated. It’s a dilemma. Should I give it to her in front of everyone? Alone, just the two of us? Or maybe with Fiona present? No, actually, maybe I should give it to her at some after-party gathering full of female slaves, just to make sure she’s totally grossed out. ……Hmm. All of those options feel kind of unsettling.
And so, still burdened by these worries, the day of the Harvest Festival arrived.