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Chapter 10: New Profession Panel - The Militia
Chapter 10: New Profession Panel - The Militia
As evening approached, Lei En, exhausted from his day's work, bid farewell to the blacksmith Boris and returned to the Habsburg Manor. After a quick dinner, he fell into a deep sleep in the dormitory.
The next morning, the pages were gathered, and a tall, robust man with a commanding presence strode towards them. His hair was a bright golden color, standing upright like the bristles of a wild boar, and he had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a resolute expression. A short sword hung at his waist, and his gait exuded a sense of steadiness.
"I am Humbert, your swordmaster. Today, you will learn the basic swordsmanship that all militiamen must master," he announced.
"Among you, is there anyone who has studied swordsmanship before?" He scanned the group with his large eyes.
Thickey, with a hint of excitement, raised his right hand and said, "Reporting, Master Humbert! I have studied swordsmanship!"
"What kind of swordsmanship did you learn, and for how long?" Humbert asked.
"Also basic swordsmanship, for about two years or so," Thickey replied, recalling his intermittent training over the past two years.
He had intended to downplay his practice time to highlight his natural talent for swordsmanship, but under Humbert's intense gaze, he found himself blurting out the truth.
Humbert nodded and asked, "Are there any others?"
No one responded.
"Then you, come here and demonstrate the basic swordsmanship you've learned."
"Huh? Me? Okay!" Thickey seemed a bit nervous facing the formidable Master Humbert.
Taking the wooden sword handed to him by Humbert, Thickey assumed a starting stance and began to swing the sword with a clatter.
Rain and the other pages, having never learned basic swordsmanship, watched with great interest, impressed by Thickey's performance.
"Stop! Not bad! You can go now," Humbert said, waving his hand with a slight frown.
"Oh, okay, Master," Thickey beamed with joy at the master's praise.
However, Rain could tell that Humbert wasn't entirely satisfied with Thickey's demonstration.
Rain, on the other hand, thought Thickey did quite well, both in terms of strength and skill proficiency, far surpassing his own abilities. After all, Rain had never studied basic swordsmanship.
Thickey returned to the group with a delighted expression, feeling elated after receiving praise from the master on the very first day of sword training.
The pages, led by Humbert, arrived at the training ground in the center of the outer courtyard. The true second-generation children were not present today.
This was the pages' first time at the training ground, and they couldn't help but curiously glance around.
Under the shed, there were various training equipment, including unsharpened greatswords, single-handed swords, shields, lances, and more. There were also training armor and thick cloth armor.
However, none of these items were meant for the pages.
Humbert pointed to a spot where wooden short swords were hung and said, "There! Each of you, take a short sword and line up!"
The group rushed forward, each grabbing a wooden sword.
"What's this? Using wooden swords, are these children's toys? My five-year-old brother plays with these," Freckles said with disdain, looking at the wooden sword.
"Thickey, your swordsmanship was impressive! I think you're much better than me!"
"Huh? Freckles, have you also studied basic swordsmanship?" Thickey asked in surprise.
"Of course! My uncle is a mercenary, and I've learned a bit from him, but I've mostly forgotten it," Freckles boasted.
In his eyes, among the pages, he considered himself the second-strongest after Thickey when it came to swordsmanship.
"Impressive! Thickey and Freckles, it seems you two will shine!" the baker's son praised.
"Yes, now someone can't rely on hoof care to get attention anymore. Men should value strength above all!" Freckles said, glancing at Rain.
"You..." George couldn't bear to listen anymore.
Rain shook his head, stopping George from arguing with the group of pseudo-second-generation noble kids. After all, it was just idle gossip, and he wasn't going to lose a single hair over it. There was no point in arguing with them.
Besides, who said you have a better foundation in swordsmanship? I might just catch up.
Rain glanced at the two skill points reserved on his transparent panel and his eyes flickered.
"Hmm? This wooden sword is different from what I imagined!" Rain's eyes lit up as he held the wooden sword.
The wooden sword seemed to be made of ironwood, soaked in oil, making it both sturdy and durable. In terms of weight, it was almost indistinguishable from a real iron sword, making it the perfect training weapon.
As expected, the group of pseudo-second-generation kids realized this too.
"I knew it! The Earl's family wouldn't use ordinary wooden swords. These are made of ironwood."
". . ."
Once each page had a wooden sword in hand, the swordmaster, Humbert, began his demonstration:
"Now, I'll show you the basic swordsmanship techniques you need to master!"
"Basic Swordsmanship, First Form: Step Thrust!"
"Basic Swordsmanship, Second Form: Step Cleave!"
"Basic Swordsmanship, Third Form: Step Slash!"
There were only three forms in Basic Swordsmanship, but Swordmaster Humbert's movements were far more agile and powerful than Browbeard's.
The same set of movements, performed by the two men, resulted in a stark contrast.
The pages watched Humbert's demonstration intently, and soon they were all swinging their ironwood swords, trying to mimic his movements.
They quickly realized that while the three forms of Basic Swordsmanship seemed simple, they were quite challenging for most of the pages, including Rain, who had never practiced swordsmanship in his life.
Not only did they have to swing the sword accurately, but they also had to coordinate their steps, ensuring that their hands and feet moved in unison.
This kind of physical coordination required extensive practice; it couldn't be perfected in a short time.
Under the scorching sun, a group of teenagers sweated profusely as they shouted and swung their ironwood swords, practicing Basic Swordsmanship.
"Do you want to survive when you're in danger?" Swordmaster Humbert corrected their movements while encouraging them with his coarse voice.
It seemed he was used to this style of training.
"Yes!" The teenagers, who had never been manipulated before, couldn't help but feel their blood boil, and they shouted in unison.
"Good! Practice the movements I just showed you repeatedly! Keep practicing until it becomes a natural instinct!"
Humbert continued to encourage the pages as he explained the key points of Basic Swordsmanship.
"In Step Thrust, the focus is on transferring the power from your legs, through your waist, and into your sword-wielding arm. So, you must grasp the coordination of your entire body's muscles!"
". . ."
[You have trained in Basic Swordsmanship, and your understanding has improved!]
[You have learned a new skill - Basic Swordsmanship]
[Your Basic Swordsmanship skill has improved. Experience Points +1]
[Congratulations! You have unlocked the Profession Panel - Militia]
"Shouldn't it be the Swordsman or Guard panel? Why did I only unlock the Militia panel?" Rain felt both joy and disappointment at this moment.
He was happy because, in addition to the Blacksmith Apprentice, he now had a combat profession, which meant he had taken a significant first step towards increasing his strength.
But he was also disappointed because this combat profession seemed weak. Just from the name, it was clear that the Militia wasn't a regular military force, and its strength value was likely low.
"However..."
"For someone with zero foundation like me, unlocking the Militia panel might not be a bad thing."
"It might also mean that it won't be as difficult for me to level up this profession."
After coming to this realization, Rain couldn't help but smile, and his disappointment vanished.
(End of Chapter)
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