Chapter 47

This world has a concept of weekdays and weekends just like Earth. And every Wednesday afternoon, we have Autonomous Training scheduled.

The day before, there was training to develop body coordination, but I didn’t find it necessary. It was just too easy.

That training was overseen by Sara, who, seeing me breeze through it, generously let it slide.

She mentioned that she wouldn’t need to do any practicals in the afternoon classes she would be supervising going forward.

Anyway, back to the point, Wednesday is the day for Autonomous Training.

It’s one of my favorite days because Kara teaches skills.

“Alright. Today we’re going to learn Nakhbeop. You know what Nakhbeop is, right? You’ve probably figured it out by now.”

“Yep.”

“And Luna, what about you?”

After hearing my answer, Kara turned to Luna, who had just started learning martial arts from Kara herself.

Initially, Luna had insisted that she didn’t need to learn, but she had a change of heart. Kara accepted it without any grudges.

“Do you at least have a rough idea?”

“And I bet you haven’t learned it, right?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“It’s a bit awkward to say this, but who exactly was your swordsmanship teacher? Why did they teach you in such a strange way?”

Kara asked, looking genuinely perplexed. Naturally, she couldn’t help but be curious about who Luna’s teacher was.

Nakhbeop, along with footwork, is one of the fundamentals of martial arts. Even an Ordinary Person can avoid serious injuries by just learning Nakhbeop.

But with only swordsmanship being taught and nothing else, it resulted in gaps in her training.

“He was just a weird person. From what I can tell, he seemed to be from the Eastern Empire.”

“Do you not know their name or face either?”

“No. They were such a mysterious figure that I hardly know anything about them. Their face was always hidden behind a mask that looked like a smiling face.”

“That’s quite intriguing. Could that be what the Easterners call destiny?”

If it is destiny, then it is indeed. And becoming close friends with Kara to learn skills is also a form of destiny.

If Luna’s teacher set up a general “framework,” then Kara would be the one to fill in that framework heavily.

From there, it would be up to Luna to carve out her own path. There’s always a reason behind why her teacher taught her strangely.

‘They might have considered her mental growth.’

If someone is strong from the start, there’s no need to mature. The more a world values brute force, the more true that becomes.

In actual games, there are times when lacking power leads to using wisdom to solve problems. That’s why Established Players rule the roost.

“Well, the good news is you can start learning now. Take your time with martial arts and let’s start from the basics. The importance of Nakhbeop is…”

Kara first explained the theory to us. Nakhbeop is one of the basics of martial arts along with footwork.

Various situations can arise in combat, and one of the most dangerous is when you fall.

The human body has a surprisingly large number of weak points, and if you hit a “vital point,” most people die.

Especially in falling situations, injuries to vital points are common; Nakhbeop plays a role in minimizing that as much as possible.

“Nakhbeop is particularly important because it’s used not just in fights. Have you heard this Eastern proverb? A clumsy person can break their nose even if they fall backward.”

“Um…”

That’s not exactly what it’s meant for. Unlike me, Luna stared blankly, clearly clueless about proverbs.

Kara is all good, but she sometimes has a tendency to be a bit too clever for her own good. She learned well but applies it in strange ways.

Still, she remains an outstanding teacher, so as long as I understood, that’s what mattered.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Can I learn how to balance myself in the air like Sivar?”

“No. If you’re going to learn that, you might as well learn Nakhbeop first. What he does is possible because he’s him; I can’t do it.”

Kara cut me off decisively. I have good balance and can manage it while airborne, but not everyone can.

It wouldn’t be bad to develop a good sense of balance, but if you’re going to learn that, it’s better to learn Nakhbeop, as Kara said.

I couldn’t learn Nakhbeop, which is how I developed this way. Thanks to that, I’ve bumped my head quite a bit.

Eventually, I instinctively learned Nakhbeop, but in the early days, my head hit the ground plenty of times.

‘Could it be that this is why I’ve gotten so stupid?’

Given that I’ve scored high on creativity tests, it can’t be that I’ve actually gotten dumber.

My thinking process has just become incredibly simplistic. With my body being so capable, I don’t have to think as much.

“The theory ends here. Remember, the principle of Nakhbeop is all about extending the time you experience shock as much as possible. First, watch what I do closely.”

Kara demonstrated front rolls, back rolls, side rolls, and spinning rolls. She shared everything she could teach.

It may look relatively easy, but for it to come out instinctively, it would take time.

“Luna, master Nakhbeop first, and Sivar, you’ll learn grappling. To learn more smoothly, you need a partner but…”

Kara said, glancing around. She seemed to be looking for the exceptionally handy teaching aid, Elvin.

But where Elvin had disappeared to, no one knew. He had definitely been with us until just before lunch, but now he was gone again.

“Where the heck did that guy run off to? I know those people are busy, but you can’t just disappear like this.”

Kara grumbled her dissatisfaction. As a fellow protector, she spent little time with me.

Elvin had his own reasons for that. He comes from a prestigious family and has to run around due to that.

Moreover, there’s an important ‘exam’ coming up soon, which requires him to be on the move.

‘Anyone who doesn’t know wouldn’t have a clue about this exam.’

Outside of me, no one would know anything about it. As per regulations, not revealing the details of the exam is standard protocol.

However, since the Academy boasts a long tradition, there’s a decent amount of ‘pedigree’ built up.

Although written exams change every time, practical exams are usually conducted in the same way.

“Now let’s teach grappling. Boxing is important, but grappling is even more crucial. Getting punched in the face a few times won’t kill you, but getting choked or twisted will.”

“Got it.”

“Could you come a bit closer? Since it takes time to teach the techniques, let’s start with defense first.”

Kara lay flat on the neatly laid mat. Her movement caused her ample bosom to jiggle slightly.

If I didn’t resist, I might have glanced in that direction, but I managed to hold it together. No weird thoughts allowed.

“Want to climb on top of me? Just don’t put your weight on me.”

Kara patted her abdomen, requesting that I comply. So, following her wish, I climbed up.

Though it might look a little awkward from someone else’s perspective, it is, technically, a training situation. It’s called the mount position.

In most cases, if you’re in the mount, you can consider the game effectively over. The person underneath has little they can do.

“This is a situation you need to look out for and also avoid. Since you’re on top, whatever you do, the person below has to defend themselves.”

“Got it.”

“There are various ways to escape from here. To be a bit gentlemanly, here’s one way.”

Thud!

Kara lightly nudged her knee into my tailbone, causing my body to shift forward.

I instinctively placed my hands on the ground, and Kara grabbed my collar and rolled over halfway.

Before I knew it, the position had flipped. Now I was the one on the bottom while Kara perched above me.

“Just like that. This is something you’ll only use in practice, not real life. Now, let’s return to our original positions.”

We spun around and reverted to our initial stances. I moved as per her requests.

“In most real fights, it’s not gentlemanly at all, so there’s a high chance you’ll get mercilessly beaten from this position. If you can manage to get your legs out at all, you can push them away like this.”

Kara’s one leg wormed its way between my thighs and pushed hard against my abdomen. She explained this was the best method.

I got pushed back until I was told by her to come back, so I mounted her again.

“You have strong strength, so you can do it by force, even if it’s a stretch. It might fit your style. The method I use is like this.”

Thud!

Just like before, Kara hit my tailbone with her knee again. Naturally, my body lurched forward once more.

So far, it was the same, but the next action was different. She grabbed my head, preventing me from getting up.

“This is about making it so you can’t use your punches at all. Then, to escape, you’ll start trying to choke my neck, right? That’s when it’s your opportunity.”

The moment I grabbed her neck and tried to move up, Kara slipped her arm in and pinned my arm down.

If I applied strength, I could definitely escape, but this was a time for learning techniques.

“And then like this.”

After trapping my arm, she used the disrupted balance to roll over completely. The situation flipped again just like earlier.

“To escape the mount, just learning this much should be enough. As long as the difference in strength isn’t ridiculously off, it should generally work. Is it difficult at all?”

“Yeah.”

Honestly, it’s quite hard. Boxing is pretty straightforward with just punches, but grappling is complicated from defense alone.

Perhaps Kara anticipated my answer, as she chuckled and told me not to worry too much.

“Don’t stress too much. This is only when you’re using ‘technique.’ If you have strength, you can just barrel through using your strength. Whatever you do, just focus on escaping.”

“Uh…”

“Today, I’ll just let you know what we have planned and then wrap it up. You can’t get it right just in a day or two. And besides, we have the weekend, right?”

Kara said with a bright smile. From the sound of it, she seemed keen on training me even during the weekend.

As someone with plenty of free time, that sounded great, but I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for taking up her time. And then there was Luna too.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“About the time.”

So I asked about whether she didn’t have personal time.

Despite my clumsy wording, Kara was bound to pick up on my meaning quickly.

Kara initially blinked as she deciphered my words, but soon chuckled.

“I have nothing planned for the weekend either. It’s more fun to train with you and Luna than to laze around doing nothing. It’s a great chance to hang out too.”

“Uh…”

“Hey, look at you. Kinda thoughtful, huh? What a nice kid.”

Kara lightly pinched my cheek in a compliment. Normally, I should feel offended, but it didn’t feel bad at all.

We communicated well, and since she dedicated a lot of time to me, I could tolerate this much.

Just as I was about to dive back into training.

There was a bustling noise coming from a corner of the Training Hall. Both Kara and I, as well as Luna, who was practicing Nakhbeop alone, turned our gazes toward the commotion.

Curious about what was happening, it was easy to grasp what was going on.

“Isn’t that Gloria? But the guy next to her is…”

“It’s a combination of the Matra Empire and the Granada Empire. How rare is that?”

“I wonder why those two came all the way here?”

“I have no idea.”

Just as promised from the last time, Gloria and Kronos had come to visit the Training Hall together.

They approached us while maintaining a subtly awkward distance, as if they were together but still apart.

“Hello! We’ve met before, right?”

Gloria was the first to greet us warmly. Kronos just gave a nod of acknowledgment.

Luna tilted her head in response to Gloria’s greeting. But she looked a bit uncomfortable.

Even though this was expected, being the center of attention might be a bit daunting for her.

“Hello, Gloria… um, Miss. And, Kronos.”

“It’s an honor that you remember our names. As I mentioned before, the results of the duel have come in.”

Gloria said with a gentle smile. She always has impressive acting skills.

Kronos didn’t say a word, but just maintaining a poker face was quite a feat for him.

He’s terrible at acting, really. He speaks so stiffly, as though he’s reading a textbook, maintaining the quiet persona well.

He’s genuinely taciturn and gruff, so no one suspects him.

“The duel ended in a draw. Moreover, Luna and Sivar’s talents are so exceptional that we cannot pick between either of you. So, we concluded that we would both teach you, and later choose.”

“Uh… is that really okay?”

Wow, you’re terrible at acting too. I shot a glance at Luna, whose voice had risen at the end.

Anyone could tell she was radiating awkwardness, and if a stranger saw, they might think she was just nervous.

There’s no basis for suspicion. In fact, given their high standing, everyone would likely accept this.

“Yes, of course! Since clashing between us would yield no benefits. It’s actually fairer this way.”

“Yeah, I understand. Karra, what do you say?”

“Why?”

“Could I possibly learn from those two…?”

“Do as you please. After all, it’s not like you’ll only have today to learn, right? I should take this chance to do some personal training too.”

Surprisingly, Kara passed it off without any issues. While she didn’t explicitly need to convey perfection, it was clearly a potentially upsetting circumstance.

Luna seems to realize it too, as she wore a sincerely apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. Big sis.”

“What’s there to apologize for? Refusing this opportunity would be foolish. And Sivar.”

“Yeah?”

Kara was calling for me. I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Kara glanced at my face, got her jaw moving, and then broke into that refreshing smile of hers.

“Make sure you learn well. Don’t just come back to me. As I said earlier, opportunities like this are rare. Got it?”

It seems she was worried I might choose to follow them instead of her.

To be honest, there was a tiny bit of that thought in me. However, there won’t be another chance.

The growth events are valid only until the ‘exam,’ and if I don’t learn by then, I won’t have another opportunity.

‘But I trust Kara.’

I looked between Kara and the couple. Unlike the gabby Eli, I can trust Kara.

In a strict sense, she doesn’t care about secrets. Since she doesn’t care, she also forgets that those secrets exist.

It’s commonly said that some people are good at keeping secrets, but Kara is someone who simply forgets the secrets entirely.

‘In the Soul World, she just took it as “Oh, really?” and moved on.’

Kara doesn’t care about the relationship between the Matra Empire and the Granada Empire. What matters to her is her own country.

Due to her noble nature, she could sometimes forget, but she is indeed a princess of Tartar.

Moreover, she’s not the type who would use such situations politically, so I believe in her completely.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and go. I’m not upset at all, so go!”

Seeing me hesitate, Kara pushed me from behind. She still wore a smile on her face.

But I could see it. Though her words were cheery, a hint of sadness peeked through her smile.

If Luna and I left to go train, Kara would be left all alone for Autonomous Training.

Not to mention, she tends to feel lonely easily, so I couldn’t leave her by herself.

“Kara.”

“What?”

“Let’s go together.”

So I acted a bit foolishly. If Kara were someone who couldn’t keep secrets, I would have just left.

But I know Kara will never spill any secrets. She doesn’t care enough to remember them.

“Sivar, Kara really…”

“No.”

As Luna was about to say something, I quickly replied. Then I grabbed Kara’s hand, which had just pushed me.

I pulled her over so she faced Gloria and Kronos.

I could feel Kara’s shock, but I didn’t mind as I requested of the two.

“Together.”

Though I called it a request.

“Let’s go.”

It was practically a silent threat.

If I didn’t take Kara with me, I’d reveal her secret.

Of course, that’s a no-go. This was more of a request than a threat.

If I revealed it, the relationship would surely be over, so I wouldn’t be crazy enough to do that.

They had no clue about this fact, so I could make this not-so-threatening ‘threat.’

As Kronos wore a troubled expression, Kara hurriedly let go of my hand and yelled.

“No! No! No! I’m fine, okay? You two go ahead! I’m really fine!”

The confident look she had was gone, replaced by fluster as she clutched my hand again.

Her face was starting to heat up, enough to cover her bronzed skin. It was quite fascinating.

If she pushed it that far, I would have to give up somewhat. Just when I was about to do that.

“Alright! Kara will join too.”

“Huh?”

It was none other than Gloria who casually accepted.

Surprised, Kronos, her lover, wore a face of shock as well.

“You’ll have to speak once inside, though.”

For reasons unknown, her face upon agreeing was.

“Do you understand?”

As if she had discovered a new toy or something.

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