Ian walked out of the classroom and into the hallway as the students living in the dormitory were heading to school.
Neltalion had a question as Ian went to the classroom.
– Ian, why did you suddenly come out? Is something wrong?
‘I have to attend a Squad Commander summons. We need to go to the smoking area.’
– Smoking area? Summons? Are you going to get hit by any chance?
‘Where did you learn to talk like that…’
Neltalion’s words almost made Ian cough.
‘Neltalion’s tone has become frivolous these days…’
The child who used to speak softly when they first met. After starting to read diaries, its tone strangely changed.
He should confiscate the diary soon.
Meanwhile, Neltalion just smiled widely, seemingly oblivious to anything wrong.
– I saw it in the diary! Ian says his father once beat him in the smoking room! I’m worried! Don’t you have to go?
‘I’m not going to meet anyone, just going to talk. Communication is a rule in our platoon.’
3rd Platoon Commander Kyan emphasized communication.
So, before starting classes every day, the Squad Commanders gathered and were summoned to the smoking area.
‘Just because communication is important doesn’t mean it’s something great. At best, it’s just asking about the current status of the squad members.’
How are things lately? Are the kids training well? That was the extent of it.
Sometimes information about training was shared, but mostly it was about the current events.
‘But this time might be a bit different. There are newcomers, and my position has changed.’
Since the composition of combatants had changed, it was time to talk about that.
Heading towards the smoking area behind the main building, there were a man and a woman standing behind Kyan, who was sitting on a bench, smoking.
They probably came straight from the dormitory without stopping by the classroom.
When Ian stood next to them, Kyan finally spoke.
“Is everyone here?”
“Yes. 3rd Platoon Commander, all present.”
Kyan faced the squad leaders at the words of Alan Kegan, who had been promoted from 2nd Squad Commander to 1st Squad Commander this time.
“You probably already know, but there have been a lot of changes in squad organization this time. Squad Commanders have changed, and new recruits have come in.”
As cigarette smoke drifted with Kyan’s rough breath, he spoke.
“They’ve come from Vishen, and I heard some even came from rural areas… That’s why being a Platoon Commander has been a bit tough.”
New people were coming in. It wasn’t a pleasant situation for anyone.
Managing the existing ones was already tough enough. With more to take care of, it was even more challenging.
‘And we’ll need to plan tactics anew. It’s not that officers dislike new recruits for no reason.’
Because of this, platoon leaders used to do their best to accept fewer transfer students.
Kyan was no exception.
They behaved like nobles at meetings where nobles used the title of ‘Instructor’ appointed directly by the Emperor to assert their influence.
Fortunately, their efforts paid off.
“Originally, each squad received eight members. But we managed to reduce our squads to three through some fuss.”
“Well done, Platoon Commander!”
“That’s enough. Anyway, each squad will have one new transfer student. Ian probably knows who they are… and the 1st and 2nd Squad Commanders should get to know them immediately.”
“Understood.”
“Right… 1st Squad Commander. What do you think I’m going to say next?”
Alan, who had been promoted from 2nd Squad Commander to 1st Squad Commander, confidently responded to Kyan’s question.
“Since new recruits have come in, it seems we need to train harder.”
“That’s right. We’ve received fewer new recruits, but it’s not something to be happy about. It also means we have more enemies to analyze.”
The tactics used so far became ineffective because of the newcomers.
Moreover, a mid-term exam and a whole-grade tactical training were scheduled for April. They had to start preparing quickly because of the urgency.
Officers had to plan tactics, and training the personnel was the responsibility of Squad Commanders.
“I won’t have much time to help you due to the absence of the Vice Commander. So, you’ll need to help me well. I know it’s troubling for you too, but try your best. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Since there’s training soon, make sure the kids train hard… Now, go.”
As Kyan gestured with annoyance, the two Squad Commanders headed to the classroom with a brief salute.
Ian was also about to leave after the salute.
“Oh, right. Ian.”
“Yes, Platoon Commander.”
“I forgot to tell you something. There might be one more person joining your squad.”
More people are coming?
“Who is coming?”
“The meeting isn’t over yet, so nothing is decided. Just be aware that there might be additional people.”
Another person is coming?
‘Is it okay?’
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even if more squad members were added, besides Igor, there wasn’t anyone else, right?
‘We’re short on personnel anyway.’
Even if the tasks of the 3rd Squad weren’t particularly demanding, it wasn’t something that only two people could handle.
‘And it’s not like it would inconvenience me even if the squad members increased.’
There wasn’t much to worry about.
After finishing his thoughts, Ian asked politely.
“May I go back now?”
“Yeah. Make sure to train Igor well.”
“Understood. I’ll make sure to prepare additional personnel as much as possible.”
With that, Ian turned and headed back to the main building.
As Ian gradually moved away, a bitter smile involuntarily appeared on Kyan’s face.
“I thought that guy was useless… seems like the gods haven’t completely abandoned him.”
When Igor came to the faculty dormitory in the early morning, asking to be assigned to the same squad as Ian, Kyan was puzzled at first.
What had he done to make a transfer student want to be in the same squad as him?
On the other hand, he also felt relieved.
‘Looks like you’ve got a good subordinate already.’
For Ian, who had fought alone all his life, having a comrade he could truly rely on was a blessing.
Now, his job was to nurture them both well.
Kyan lit his cigarette again.
“…The weather’s nice.”
Today, he strangely enjoyed the taste of the cigarette.
***
“Then let’s finish today’s class here. Good job, everyone.”
After the instructor responsible for general education left at the end of the class, the students slowly got up from their seats and headed outside.
Since it was the first day of classes, they were probably going in the capital to have fun.
However, Ian and Igor headed straight to the training room.
Normally, the training room could only be used after all scheduled classes were over in the afternoon.
But during the early days of the semester, when only orientation was conducted without actual classes, the training room was available even in the morning.
Igor, who wasn’t familiar with the layout, followed Ian around, looking around curiously.
“This place is really big and well-equipped… I’ve never seen anything like this in Vishen.”
“Don’t just admire it, memorize the way. You’ll be using this place regularly for the next two years.”
“Why should I memorize the way? Don’t we take the same classes? I’ll be fine if I just stick to you.”
Stick with him? Ian was taken aback by the audacious statement.
“I’ll tell you in advance, I don’t like that.”
“Out of nowhere, you sound like a dog. I’m sorry, but that’s what I’m going to say. I don’t pay attention to anyone who isn’t at least ten years older than me.”
‘I didn’t ask that, you idiot…’
Igor’s fiery speech, typical of someone from the southern region, shook Ian’s spirit.
When Ian touched his forehead, Igor, who was itching with curiosity, finally asked.
“So, what are we training this time? I’d prefer if you could teach me the martial art you mentioned earlier.”
“You mean boxing?”
Hmm… Boxing, you say? Then teach me that.”
Igor seemed quite pleased with the idea of learning boxing.
Of course, Ian could teach him. But there was something he needed to do first.
“First, I’m planning to check your condition.”
“My condition?”
“More precisely, I’m going to see what martial arts you already know. If there are any similar movements, we’ll try to incorporate them as much as possible to make it easier for you to learn.”
While it was conventional to start from the basics, the time available was too limited for that.
To improve Igor’s skills, there was no other choice.
As they discussed Igor’s preferences, they arrived at the basement training room in the dormitory.
Igor threw his coat on the ground, indicating he was ready to go.
At least, that’s what it seemed. Ian looked at Igor with a glint in his eyes.
“Now, show me all the martial arts you know. Every single one.”
“Every single one?”
“Yeah. Use them all.”
With Ian’s words, Igor reluctantly assumed his stance, his head bobbing in agreement.
***
‘The most important thing in boxing is to release the power.’
But that didn’t mean throwing punches without any power.
‘More precisely, it’s about releasing the tension in your shoulders.’
Most people throw punches with a lot of shoulder tension, thinking it will make their punches stronger.
But the key is not to bring the fist forcefully, but to push through the target.
‘Do you know why that’s wrong? Because it’s the difference between those who have learned and those who haven’t.’
How do you swing your fist strongly?
Ian knew how.
‘To throw a powerful punch, you need to use your lower body. You have to rotate your hips and transfer your weight fully into the punch.’
If you can’t do that, no matter how hard you try to punch, it won’t be strong enough.
Ian recalled the advice his boxing instructor had given him in the past.
‘You have to break it. You have to release the power. It may not make sense now, but you’ll understand its importance.’
As Ian observed Igor, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“Hah…”
To be honest, Ian thought Igor had only one problem: not following through with his punches. He thought fixing that would be enough.
But Igor surpassed Ian’s expectations.
‘At the time, I didn’t see it properly, but his issues are significant. The tension in his shoulders… and the way he fixes his feet to the ground.’
With that kind of stance, not only would his center of gravity be compromised, but his punches would become ineffective.
Where should he start from? Ian tried to salvage as much as he could, but it wasn’t easy to grasp.
‘But at least I’m lucky that his footwork is usable…’
Even in the midst of Igor’s terrible combat skills, there was one advantage.
‘His footwork is decent. It’s just that it’s not very practical in real combat situations, probably because each movement is meticulously calculated.’
If the problem was aiming too high, lowering the aim would solve the problem. Ian decided not to touch Igor’s footwork for now.
He decided to start by improving Igor’s punching technique.
He planned to abandon the Vishen-style combat that Igor knew and introduce boxing instead.
‘Although boxing steps don’t really go well with kicks…’
That could be addressed later.
“Ha… Let’s get started.”
Ian stood up abruptly from his seat and approached Igor.
Afterwards, Ian drew a cross on the floor where he stood.
Looking at Igor’s puzzled expression, Ian calmly continued to explain.
“Stand diagonally along this line.”
“Like this? What’s next?”
When Igor asked what to do next, Ian nodded lightly.
“You run. Practice moving back and forth. 3 minutes, then 30 seconds of rest. If your feet aren’t aligned after running, do it again. Got it?”
“Run? Hey, Ian. I came here to learn boxing, not to run.”
“Stop complaining and start running. It’s basic boxing. I’m not sure if you’ll get it right away, but if you succeed, I’ll teach you how to punch.”
“What? Do you think I can’t even do this? Are you underestimating me?”
Igor’s reaction to Ian’s seemingly mocking response was one of determination.
Where are you looking at to call this basic?
‘Simple hopping back and forth? Do you think I won’t be able to succeed in this?’
He has been called a genius his entire life. He was said to have the talent to become the best in every martial art he encountered, and he was confident in how well he could use his body.
Could it be that he couldn’t even run in place?
‘I’ll succeed on the first try.’
He would definitely flatten Ian’s nose! Igor immediately started moving.
Two hours passed.
“Heugh… Heugh…”
“Hey, your back foot keeps going backward? Didn’t I tell you not to do that? Again.”
“I-I can’t help it… Spare me, Ian… I was wrong…”
“If you want to learn, then try again.”
At Ian’s harsh words, Igor massaged his burning calves and stood up again, determined.
