Chapter 10


    “…..”


    When Kyle slowly opened his eyes, the first thing that came into view was an unfamiliar gray ceiling.


    The soft feeling beneath him indicated that he was lying on a bed. ncing at the nket covering his body, he quickly realized that he was in the infirmary.


    “…Did I lose?”


    The experience was so unfamiliar that Kyle couldn’t help but mutter to himself.


    “You’re awake, huh?”


    A voice sounded from beside him, and Kyle turned his head. The medic, wearing a white coat, approached him and spoke.


    “Man… your body is really tough. If it were anyone else, they’d probably have a couple of broken ribs.”


    “….”


    “Hey, it’s better if you stay lying down for now. Even if nothing’s broken, that doesn’t mean you’repletely fine.”


    As Kyle tried to sit up, he winced in pain. A sharp, stabbing sensation radiated from both sides of his torso. The medic noticed and advised him again.


    “For the next few days, take it easy on the strenuous activities. I’ll let the toon leader know, so don’t worry about getting into trouble.”


    But Kyle shook his head.


    “…I’ll be fine. If I skip training because of this, I’ll just end up hearing them say I should be discharged.”


    “….Huh?”


    You’re more injured than you think, though? The medic suppressed the words rising in his throat as he watched Kyle get off the bed and limp out of the infirmary.


    “What a tough kid.”


    It had been a while since he’d seen someone like that.


    “….Ugh.”


    Kyle groaned in pain as he exited the infirmary, furrowing his brows. But more than the pain, what upied his mind was the memory of the duel with Damian.


    ‘…I remember getting hit on my right side.’


    He hadn’t gone down after that hit. But beyond that, his memory was nk. He must have lost consciousness after the first attack, even if he hadn’t fallen.


    Stab!


    “…Damn it.”


    As he pressed lightly on his right side, a wave of tingling pain shot through his body. How could someone so small deliver such a powerful punch?


    ‘There wasn’t anyone like him even back home…’


    Kyle was from Tundron, a cold northern city. Many of the kingdom’s famous generals had hailed from Tundron, a ce where the harsh, mountainous environment naturally bred strength and endurance.


    Kyle had been one of the standout youths in Tundron, known for his strength and build. Because of this, he’d often been recruited by those operating in the underworld. Out of curiosity, he had spent time with them during his younger years, gaining experience in countless fights.


    ‘…Damn, bad memories areing back.’


    Kyle bit his lip. Those experiences had eventually led him to straighten out and decide to enlist, turning what could have been his downfall into a new beginning. However…


    ‘I didn’t expect anyone here to be a match for me… and to lose so disgracefully.’


    His mind was in turmoil. With aplex expression, Kyle walked back into the barracks.


    “…Huh?”


    “K-Kyle.”


    The lively atmosphere in the barracks quickly cooled when Kyle entered. A few soldiers nced at him nervously and edged away. But Kyle was focused on Damian, who was sitting at the far end of the room.


    Swish.


    As Damian, who had been looking out the window, turned to face him…


    “Hoo.”


    Kyle exhaled deeply, as if making up his mind, and then strode over to Damian.


    The atmosphere grew tense, as if another confrontation was about to erupt. Damian watched Kyle approach him with a serious expression.


    “….”


    He didn’t seem like the type to challenge him to another fight after being beaten so soundly…


    But when Kyle finally stood before Damian, he red at him with intense eyes and spoke.


    “….Damian!”


    “What?”


    Thud!


    Suddenly, a loud sound echoed through the barracks. Damian looked at Kyle in surprise.


    “…?”


    Kyle had suddenly dropped to his knees, bowing his head before Damian.


    ‘…What is this guy doing?’


    Damian widened his eyes as he looked at Kyle, who didn’t seem to care about the stares and said to Damian.


    “I acknowledge my defeat. From now on, I’ll serve you as my leader!”


    “…Out of nowhere?”


    “Showing respect to a stronger warrior is only natural. You may be the youngest person I’ve ever fought, but you’re also the strongest.”


    “…”


    The situation seemed almostical, but Kyle’s expression was deadly serious.


    The other soldiers, too, were taken aback by the sight. They hadn’t expected someone as fierce as Kyle to do something like this.


    But as Damian watched Kyle, he couldn’t help but smile. He stood up from his seat.


    “You don’t need to call me a leader or anything. Just call me Damian. Let’s work well together.”


    Damian extended a hand to Kyle, who stood up with a wide grin and shook it.


    “I’m counting on you, Damian.”


    And so, the smallmotion in the 1st toon came to an end.


    * * *


    A week had passed since they began their training.


    Though there had been a few incidents at first, the intensity of the training soon made those incidents seem trivial.


    “Don’t stop! If you stop now, your legs will seize up! Keep running! Just focus on the back of the person in front of you and keep running!”


    “Huff! Huff! Huff!”


    The soldiers, gasping for breath as they ran, looked like they were about to copse.


    After a grueling day of intense training, they always ended with a long run. Running when they were already exhausted was absolute torture.


    “Ugh, I can’t do this anymore!”


    But those who somehow managed to hold on eventually copsed onto the ground, groaning in pain.


    Brian looked over at the fallen trainees before turning to Damian.


    “Make sure the men get back to the barracks.”


    “…Understood.”


    Is this why they wanted an acting toon leader, to handle the grunt work? Despite having no special privileges, they sure dumped a lot of extra chores on him.


    Damian grumbled to himself but looked over at the copsed soldiers.


    ‘Still… the training is quite systematic.’


    The schedule was well-structured, starting with strength-building exercises, followed by drills in shield and spear techniques that every soldier needed to know, and finishing with endurance training. Despite the strain on his body, Damian tried to calm his racing heart.


    He had been trying to get through the training without relying on his mana, focusing solely on physical strength.


    “Come on, let’s head back and wash up. If we’rete, we’ll have to use cold water again.”


    “Ugh… anything but that.”


    Soldiers who had already experienced the misery of taking a cold shower after running out of hot water quickly hurried back to the barracks and headed to the showers. With forty men moving together, it was quite a busy scene, but after a week, they were getting used to it.


    “Hey, anyone who drops the soap better not ask for it back.”


    “Whoever poured soap powder on my head yesterday while I was washing up, if you do it again, I’ll rip out all your hair!”


    “Hahaha, you were the idiot who fell for it.”


    “What did you say?!”


    They say even three or four guys make a ruckus when they get together, and it was certainly true here.


    The showers were noisy and chaotic, but it was also a way to relieve the stress from training.


    Damian just chuckled, quickly finishing his shower, and headed out.


    “Acting toon leader of the 1st toon, you’re wanted by Lieutenant Brian!”


    “…?”


    As Damian was in the middle of changing clothes, an administrative soldier hurried over to him, quickly rying the situation before heading back.


    ‘Why the sudden summons?’


    He figured he’d find out soon enough.


    Aftercing up his boots, Damian headed to the administrative office where the officers were gathered.


    There, he found several soldiers already standing before Brian, who appeared to be the toon leaders from other squads.


    “…?”


    “What’s this? A kid? Oh, my bad, I thought I was just thinking that to myself.”


    Damian nced at the soldier who had pped his own mouth after identally speaking out loud.


    The soldier was tall andnky with nted eyes, but despite his lean build, the muscles under his uniform were evident, making it clear he was quite agile.


    ‘He’d make an interesting match against Kyle…’


    Damian observed the soldier curiously, noting how his build seemed like theplete opposite of Kyle’s.


    “What are you staring at?”


    “Just wondering how much more those eyes of yours can squint.”


    “Pfft!”


    Another toon leader nearby couldn’t suppress hisughter at Damian’s quick-wittedeback, causing the nted-eyed soldier to scowl.


    “Keep it down. Do you know where you are?”


    Brian, addressing the toon leaders, brought the banter to a halt. The nted-eyed soldier whispered a quick “We’ll see about thister,” before turning his attention back to Brian.


    “I’ve called you all here because, in a week, there will be a grouppetition between toons.


    Although your respective toon leaders will inform you further, it’s a crucial midterm assessment, so be well-prepared.”


    “Yes, sir.”


    “Yes, understood.”


    “Understood.”


    The other leaders responded, and then Damian spoke up.


    “What exactly will thepetition involve?”


    “It’ll be shield and spear techniques. Essentially, it’s a team match where one side attacks while the other defends.”


    The others, who had been simply nodding along, now seemed to grasp the situation better thanks to Damian’s question.


    One of the leaders, Gerard, from the 3rd toon, nced at Damian with interest.


    ‘So, this is the Damian that Apel mentioned.’


    Gerard had heard from Apel about an impressive soldier regardless of age. Given Gerard’s own experience, he wasn’t surprised that Damian was already a toon leader, especially since Apel could have easily taken that role in the 3rd toon but chose not to.


    “That will be all. You may return.”


    As Brian dismissed them, the toon leaders left the office. Almost immediately after stepping outside…


    “Hey, you.”


    “…”


    The nted-eyed soldier, clearly still irked, called out to Damian with an annoyed expression.


    “Young brat, don’t you know your ce?”


    “It seems like you’re the one who doesn’t know his ce.”


    “…?”


    The nted-eyed soldier turned his head to the side, surprised to hear a response from someone else. Gerard had stepped in.


    “We’re all toon leaders here, but you were the one who was disrespectful first, just because he’s younger. Why are you picking a fight in front of the office?”


    “Mind your own business. Don’t go crying to the officers if you get beaten.”


    “Are you sure it’ll be me who gets beaten?”


    “Of course, it’s you.”


    The nted-eyed soldier bared his teeth, growling. Gerard then turned to Damian.


    “Let’s just leave this idiot alone.”


    “Sure.”


    Damian nodded and walked away with Gerard. The nted-eyed soldier red at them, clearly itching to start something, but with the office door slightly ajar, he restrained himself. Getting into a fight with another soldier could lead to disciplinary action, and he knew it.


    Damian paused and turned back to the soldier.


    “Hey, which toon are you in?”


    “What?”


    “I asked which toon you’re in.”


    “The 4th toon.”


    “The 4th toon… Alright, I’ll remember that.”


    The nted-eyed soldier snorted.


    “Yeah? And what are you going to do after remembering?”


    “You’ll find out soon enough.”


    It wasn’t worth letting the confrontation drag on any further. There would be plenty of opportunities to settle thingster. Damian turned back around and continued walking. Gerard, walking beside him, spoke up.


    “I’m Gerard, the toon leader from the 3rd toon. I’ve heard a lot about you from Apel. You came in first in the practical test, didn’t you?”


    “Is Apel in the 3rd toon?”


    “He is. He could’ve easily been our toon leader, but he found it too bothersome and declined, haha.”


    “…I’m jealous.”


    “Hmm?”


    Gerard looked puzzled, and Damian shook his head.


    “Thanks for stepping in back there. I think you saved me some trouble.”


    “He wouldn’t have done anything anyway. He’s afraid of getting disciplined.”


    Still, some guys don’t care about discipline and will start a fight regardless. Damian exchanged a light farewell with Gerard and headed back to his barracks.


    As he entered, he called out.


    “Everyone, listen up.”


    “…?”


    “What’s going on?”


    The toon members turned to Damian, who spoke clearly.


    “In a week, we’ll bepeting against other toons in a team match using shields and spears. In that match, we’re going to win… first ce, no matter what.”


    “Haha, of course!”


    Kyle responded enthusiastically, but the others seemed less motivated, as if they didn’t see the need to take it so seriously. But Damian wasn’t finished.


    “And there’s one more thing to keep in mind.”


    Damian looked over the toon members with a determined expression.


    “We’re going topletely crush the 4th toon. Especially their toon leader.”


    His tone and gaze left no room for doubt, and the other soldiers could only swallow nervously in response.