Chapter 77
All I saw was gray. Sometimes a bit darker, sometimes lighter, but the shades varied, and my surroundings were always a world of gray. Amidst this gray, the only color spoke.
“Hey, number 204.”
“What do you want now? You’re annoying.”
“Why are you so expressionless again? Are you a ninja whose entire clan was slaughtered? Are you going to teach me how to cut lightning?”
“What are you talking about, you crazy bitch? You’re making jokes that only you understand.”
I really disliked her at that time. Unlike me, she had grown up in a happy family, so she made jokes from anime, movies, and books that I didn’t know. I found those jokes unpleasant and annoying.
“Don’t call a woman a bitch. A British gentleman never curses a lady.”
“What’s a British gentleman, you crazy bitch?”
“A British gentleman values ladies first and always prioritizes manners and trust.”
“Manners and trust while training to kill people? That’s bullshit.”
At that time, I thought she was just a crazy girl. Although I disliked her, I didn’t refuse to talk to her. During the short free time, there wasn’t much to do other than talk, and she was the only source of knowledge I lacked.
“By the way, what was that punch you used during the martial arts training session?”
“This?”
She placed her hand on my solar plexus, just as she had done during the training session.
“This is a one-inch punch, also known as the ‘Chon Kyung’ punch.”
“Who taught you that? The instructors don’t seem to have taught it.”
During the training sessions, we usually hit straw dummies wrapped in ropes on iron plates to toughen our hands, practiced striking vital points with our bare hands, and did basic punching exercises like boxing. But the technique number 200 showed me was quite different from what I knew.
“My parents taught me this when I lived with them. My ancestor taught it through a book.”
“Who is your ancestor?”
“Bruce Lee, the strongest man in the world.”
“You’re truly crazy.”
And she punched me in the solar plexus again. I felt like my internal organs were twisting.
“Today, I’ll teach you a lesson about not using such words with a lady. This is the teaching of Confucianism.”
“You crazy bitch…”
That day, I got beaten up by her.
.
.
.
My head feels heavy. Damn, that dream again? Women have their time of the month, but I have my dream day. On this day, I’m not in the mood for jokes or distractions. I just feel irritated all day. Every time I think I’m feeling better, this dream comes and ruins my mood.
It’s like a cold, appearing out of nowhere and making me feel sick.
My house is still not fully organized, and since I need to hire servants to manage the mansion, I’ve decided to stay at Ricardo’s place for the time being. The air here is quite pleasant. I wish my new mansion could be located nearby.
It’s still early morning, so I put on some light clothes and went outside. The only way to relieve this unpleasant and irritable feeling is to take a walk or take some medicine, but unfortunately, there are no psychiatric medications available, so I have no choice but to stroll in the chilly morning air.
If only I could have a drink, but I have to investigate a kidnapping case during the day, so drinking is out of the question. It’s easier to kidnap a child than to catch the kidnappers. Having to deal with these kidnappers is so against my nature.
As I strolled through the backyard, I came across the knights’ training ground. They were all sweating and training, having stripped off their shirts despite the chilly early morning. I didn’t dislike seeing people working hard. In fact, I somewhat admired them for being so different from me.
Among the knights training was Thomas, whom I had met before. He noticed me during his training and waved, greeting me.
“Isn’t this Werner? What brings you here?”
As he said this, all eyes turned to me. I didn’t particularly enjoy being the center of attention.
“I came out for a walk and happened to be watching your training. I apologize if I disturbed you.”
“Hahaha, no, it’s an honor to have such a renowned Grand Mage observe our training.”
I couldn’t help but make a disingenuous remark. How could anyone not feel uncomfortable having an outsider watch their training?
“It seems you’re practicing unarmed combat. I have some basic combat skills, so may I join in?”
“Hahaha, it’s no problem, but… Are you sure? It might get a bit rough since it’s sparring between knights.”
That’s it. That look that belittles people. The look that says, ‘How dare a weak mage like you think of joining in on knights’ unarmed training?’ The look that assumes I grew up pampered and wouldn’t even know how to make a fist. It’s not a good look to have, judging a person by their appearance. In my previous industry, there were even hunchbacked grandmothers among the senior members.
I took off my shirt and threw it aside. Then I walked into the training area. I needed an outlet to relieve my frustration.
“May I ask a question? Is it forbidden to kill during sparring?”
“Yes, it’s prohibited to seriously injure or kill your opponent. We try to avoid accidents during training…”
“In that case, it might be a bit difficult for me.”
Those bastards, they think sparring every day will improve their unarmed combat skills. My minimal damage would be breaking bones, but since I can’t use many techniques, it might be a bit challenging.
One guy was pinned to the ground, another was knocked out by a punch to the jaw, a third injured his right hand after punching my elbow, one was unconscious from a chokehold, and another was knocked out by a hand blade strike to the cervical spine. They were all pathetic. Perhaps they were skilled with swords or longswords, but their unarmed combat training seemed like a mere formality.
They didn’t even know the basics of footwork or how to fall properly. Their scarred hands were a result of holding swords, not rigorous unarmed training.
“If this is the level of your unarmed training, you might as well skip it and focus on weapon training. Spending time on something you’re not committed to is an insult to those who diligently train in that field.”
I doubted that these guys, who were so sloppy in their unarmed training, would do any better with weapons training.
However, I still felt uneasy. I thought sweating a bit would improve my mood, but I still felt irritated and annoyed. Then, I heard clapping from behind me.
“Impressive! I didn’t expect your unarmed combat skills to be this good.”
The clapping came from Ricardo, and beside him, Iris was waving at me.
“You used to hate unarmed combat, but now you’re quite skilled at it.”
“I figured it’s better to have one more way to fight.”
“Ah, I see.”
As I watched Ricardo’s bitter smile, I spoke bluntly.
“Are you angry because I injured your subordinates?”
“It was a mutually agreed-upon training session, and it’s true that their unarmed combat skills were lacking. Hopefully, this will motivate them to improve.”
“If there’s no problem, then it’s fine.”
Iris handed me a dry towel.
“I watched the whole thing, and you were amazing, Master! Your punches were so cool!”
Iris attempted to mimic the boxing stance I had shown her, trying to copy the jab I had taught her. I had only taught her kicking techniques, not boxing. In boxing training, that stance would have resulted in a hit.
I wiped the sweat with the dry towel. It would have been better if it was slightly damp, but Iris was a bit clueless in that regard. Still, I should be grateful she brought me a towel. That damn dream was making me feel like my personality was changing.
“Iris, do you have any plans today?”
“Are you planning another training session? I was going to read a book with Glacies…”
That erotic novel again.
“In that case, I have a date planned…”
“I’m busy, so…”
I was hoping to go on patrol with her to lift my spirits, as she resembled the person from my dream.
“If you’re busy, I’ll have to ask Camellia-noona…”
“No, no! I’m free today!”