Episode 34. granularity (3)
Clashes with competitors in the cradle are inevitable.
Frequent clashes with competitors will eventually lead to rapid wear and tear.
In other words, the more enemies there are, the higher the chance of falling behind.
There’s nothing better than getting a competitor on your side as a way to reduce competition.
In addition, the more competent the competitor made on my side is, the icing on the cake.
Therefore, those who became the target of the side split had no choice but to be descendants of prestigious families or famous geniuses in a region.
Gunther Irons belonged to the latter case.
“Thank you for the offer, but I refuse.”
Gunter said the same thing for the 3rd time today.
The face of the other person who proposed the polite but stiff tone also hardened.
“Looks like you’ve turned down all the offers you’ve received so far, right? not sure… That doesn’t sound like a good choice.”
“I take responsibility for my choices. It’s none of your business.”
“is it? Excuse me.”
A boy who identified himself as a certain administrative district and a certain family.
He made no further offers to Gunther’s stubborn refusal.
Instead, he withdrew the goodwill he had shown at the time of his initial approach and showed hostility.
Gunther sighed in exhaustion as he watched the boy turn coldly away.
‘Everyone is busy.’
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My side or the enemy.
Very simple dichotomous thinking was now being carried out casually by children in their early to mid-teens.
Children born in the Age of the Sword Lord.
For children who have been exposed to the environment of competition since childhood, this level of work was taken for granted.
Of course, this was no different than Gunther.
However, what sets him apart from the others is that he regards everyone as a competitor without ‘my side’.
Gunter’s eyes narrowed.
‘Most of them are chaff.’
I had heard the story and knew it to some extent.
That there is a donation recommendation, not a dragon plate recommendation in the cradle.
Their father, Ashraf Irons, gave a harsh review of them.
[Gunther, the person you care about is not the chakjeong who came in as a donation recommendation.]
And that review was exactly right.
A small group of two or three people.
Even if you look at it, there are more than ten people, and even those who have gathered in threes and threes.
Those who had built their own forces had confident faces, but in Gunther’s eyes, they were nothing more than useless social gatherings.
What would you do if twenty chaffs gathered?
Ten minutes was enough to disintegrate them if he was willing to do so.
‘The people I should be wary of aren’t just those guys.’
Those who are alone like themselves.
Beings who are overflowing with confidence to win no matter who they face, they consider power to be cumbersome.
They are the real competitors you should be wary of.
Gunter’s gaze scanned the surroundings.
‘Ivan Baskin, Clarisse Van, Nellie Blanc.’
Descendants of a family that spreads its fame even to the north where Irons Manor is located.
In addition to them, the descendants of the real famous family were exuding a lofty spirit.
And it wasn’t just them.
A huge bald young man who is well over 2m tall.
A beautiful girl with blue hair, etc.
I don’t know who they are, but there were some who gave off an unusual atmosphere with a unique personality.
‘They may be more difficult to deal with than the descendants of famous families.’
The high reputation meant that there was a lot of known information.
Therefore, it was likely that it would be more difficult to deal with unknown talents.
‘I’m looking forward to it. What kind of people will they be?’
Gunther opened and closed his fists with slight tension and excitement.
Clouds of war gently spread over the large guest room.
Sensing the vigor radiating from here and there, Gunther smiled slightly.
‘They probably know that a full-fledged competition will begin after this voyage.’
It’s not a sword-to-sword fight, it’s a fight of momentum.
It was like a small typhoon raging in the room.
but… … .
Gorong- Gorong-.
This did not mean that the atmosphere in the room was all the same.
Split side?
before exploration?
In the mood for a typhoon?
There were people who lived in an atmosphere completely alienated from each other, as if they were wondering what that had to do with them.
growl-.
Gunter’s head turned naturally at the loud snoring.
Then, a dark-haired boy, trembling and talking in his sleep, came into view.
“ear… poet… sir uh… … .”
What are you dreaming of?
After a round of drool talk, the dark-haired boy frowned.
He wriggled his body as if he was having a nightmare, and he seemed to wake up, but soon regained his peace and fell back into a sound sleep.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
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My cheeks are scratched and my appetite is rediscovered.
He looked so comfortable sleeping with his sword between his crotch and hugged tightly.
It was just amazing how they could sleep so deeply while everyone was bloodily pumping up their energy.
And what’s even more surprising is… … .
‘… How many days has it been?’
It was said that the dark-haired boy had been sleeping ever since he boarded the boat.
He was awake only on one occasion.
Right when the black swordsmen handed out lunch boxes.
The boy slept all day except for the time to eat.
Someone who watched it muttered with a sneer.
“Because what a beggar does best is to sleep on any street.”
A voice that was quite loud for talking to oneself.
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Many nodded their heads in sympathy with those contemptuous words.
It was also because the dark-haired boy was very intense from the moment he appeared.
It’s so dirty that it’s hard to tell if it’s clothes or rags.
Her face was not visible due to her long and scattered hair, and the exposed part was also swollen, making it difficult to guess her original appearance.
There’s even a stench that makes you wonder if you’ve been lying around in a garbage dump.
The last boy on board was so messed up that he wondered if a beggar had hid on the ship if it hadn’t been for the black swordsman who guided him.
There were quite a few people on board who said they had their own personality, but none were as full of personality as the black-haired boy.
It’s even harder not to be interested in seeing that shocking appearance.
Therefore, the prospective jockeys observed the dark-haired boy, expressing interest, saying, ‘What is that guy?’
But that didn’t last too long.
In addition to the shabby appearance, I couldn’t see anything special even after washing my eyes.
The state of being sobbing drunk every time is the height of defenselessness.
Even in the midst of that, the meal time was so amazing that when the lunch box arrived, the first thing to do was the black-haired boy who ran to the Black Swordsman.
Then he chewed and swallowed his food as if he had heard a rumor, and went back to sleep.
Repeat eating and sleeping… Beyond indifference, everyone frowned at his behavior close to a beast.
‘A trashy tribe that will be the first to fall out when the competition begins.’
‘He’s not worth caring about.’
‘How the hell did something like that get into the cradle?’
‘Have you never learned manners? It’s low.’
Those who watched, wondering if there might be something, also gave up their interest in the unchanged appearance throughout the five days.
At least, the question of ‘how much more can that guy sleep?’ remains?
Thus, the black-haired boy was completely excluded from the prospective jockeys’ recognition.
They rejected it so thoroughly that no one even approached within a 2m radius.
It’s like avoiding dirty filth.
Gunther looked at the back of the black-haired boy’s head as it became one body with the floor.
‘Black hair… … .’
When I saw the black hair, I naturally thought of him.
‘Yuri Holland… … .’
A boy who defeated the Black Swordsman, who was the examiner even though he was the same age as himself.
And an unsalted genius who became a disciple after being chosen by the unshakable swordsman Johann Redner.
He also had black hair like that guy.
‘What is Yuri Holland doing now?’
Perhaps he is continuing his hellish training under the guidance of Johann Redner somewhere on the continent.
He must be getting stronger day by day.
At that thought, Gunther slightly clenched his fists.
Woodeuk-.
I never felt like I was being left behind by anyone.
Until he saw the existence of the incarnation of Yuri Holland.
To that extent, the presence of Yuri that he saw that day was shocking to Gunther and left a strong, indelible mark.
This stimulated Gunther’s competitive spirit and made Yuri a competitor he must defeat.
‘Next time we meet… I won’t give up.’
The moment Gunter burned his fighting spirit against Yuri in his memory.
“Hmm… It sucks.”
Gunther was awakened by the loud sound of biting his lips.
At the same time, the dark-haired boy’s hand went inside his pants.
buck buck-.
Gunther’s eyes twisted at the sight of him scratching something coolly in his pants.
he apologized inwardly.
‘I’m sorry, Yuri Holland. I thought of you when I saw a guy like that just because I had the same hair color.’
Feeling genuinely sorry, Gunther shook his head and turned away.
Because of this, he couldn’t properly see the face of the dark-haired boy, who was slowly recovering his form.
Also, there was a fact overlooked by the majority, including Gunther.
It was that the center of the original typhoon was quieter than any other place.
As if only the dark-haired boy’s surroundings were quiet in the cabin, in an atmosphere like a raging typhoon… … .
Time passed like that, five days later, December 1st.
Chow-a-k-k-kung!
A black ship carrying a small typhoon has reached the dock.
* * *
“Ahhh!”
Yuri, who had been yawning droopingly, stretched out coolly.
Woo-woo-woo-.
As I slowly raised my upper body and loosened my hardened body, all of my bones let out a scream.
Wooddeuk-.
The listeners shook their heads saying it was creepy, but the face of Yuri, the person in charge, was relaxed like a man soaking in hot water.
Nogongogon, glass that has become soft, sticky glutinous rice cake.
“Eh… uh huh, that’s cool After all, when people rest, they need to rest.”
When he first got on the sailboat, his body was really a mess.
Training that was like torture for half a year to strengthen the basics.
After that, I started training in water magic, and the moment I realized that the entrance date was not far away, I had to push my boong-bung with all the strength I had been suckling.
In order not to suffocate in such a situation where his stamina ran out, he desperately used mana.
Lastly, after attacking Yohan, he was well beaten.
It was a truly eventful few months.
‘… Now that I think about it, it was good that I didn’t die.’
He didn’t die, but the situation drove him to the brink of dying.
Yuri desperately needed time to rest to restore her body.
However, just in time, an environment was created to take a break, a space to attach one’s back, and a free lunchbox to get nutrients.
Yuri made full use of it.
Was it because he had such a good rest?
The well-trodden body was completely restored, and the swelling on the face almost disappeared.
And that wasn’t all.
There was a fact that made Yuri realize that rest is just as necessary as hard training.
‘My body has become stronger.’
Yuri felt that his muscles had increased.
An increase in muscle means an increase in strength.
In other words, even though he was just taking a break, Yuri had grown a step further.
While others are still wasting their energy trying to keep each other in check.
Whether or not someone regards himself as a vulgar beast, he is using the time allotted for his own growth.
As a result, Yuri finished the preparation in the best condition.
Prepare to navigate the unknown of the cradle.