Chapter 37:

Chapter 37:

The Del Mordor Academy is said to be the most prestigious in the Empire and, indeed, the entire continent. The Upper Class is the top tier of such an academy. In other words, being in the Upper Class is already a sign of dazzling talent. Most cadets have been called geniuses since childhood. But the moment they enter the Academy. Those who have been very talented since birth realized that being a gigant rider isn’t easy.

“This is going to kill me... My knees hurt every time I train these days.”

“Mine too...”

The cafeteria was always echoing with the sounds of cadets’ pain and grumbling. This is because most of the lectures at the academy are harsh. Even lectures that would be considered abusive elsewhere were treated as normal here. Of course, it was inevitable.

Although technology continues to evolve, the Gigant is still a valuable strategic weapon, and a Gigant rider who handles it must be no ordinary human. The cadets were well aware of this, so while they grumbled and complained, they would go to class tomorrow as if nothing had happened. Of course, there were exceptions.

“You’re going to train right after eating, right?”

A cheerful, if not strained, voice rang out from one side of the cafeteria.

“Speak quietly”

“Okay, so are you going or not?”

“I’ll go. I don’t want to be late for class again today, so let’s eat quickly. We’ll have less time to train.”

Abel tried to use even his short lunch break to train. Usually, even the most diligent cadets take a lunch break. It’s not because they’re lazy. It’s because they can’t hold on. Especially in the afternoon, which was particularly demanding. Daniel and Abel were engaged in a conversation that would leave listeners speechless.

“I’m looking forward to physical training class today,”

Daniel said in a hushed voice, as if he was aware of the stares he was getting.

“Aren’t you looking forward to physical training?”

“Huh?”

“I thought we were supposed to start learning martial arts today!”

“Oh, yeah.”

Abel nodded. From today on, he will be learning martial arts from Karl during physical training. Of course, Abel was looking forward to it, but Daniel seemed especially excited. Daniel smiled and explained why.

“I’ve never learned any martial arts,”

That was understandable. The man who had taught Daniel hadn’t taught him any martial arts. There was nothing wrong with his teaching, but Daniel must have desired it a lot. Abel replied calmly.

“I’ve never been taught either.”

“Really? Why?”

“Just. None of them really caught my eye.”

“Well. My skills... No, I’ve heard that you don’t really learn anything when you’re in the middle of learning. You just get terrible habits.”

Abel nodded at Daniel’s words. It’s dangerous, especially when going through different levels. Depending on the martial art, your body can change to specialize in that area.

“But the academy has...”

Daniel was about to say the question that popped into his head. But then a cold voice pierced Abel’s ears.

“I’m not interested.”

Abel turned his head involuntarily to see Ioline standing in the center of the dining room. She wasn’t the only familiar face, though. Opposite her stood a boy who also looked familiar.

“You’re..... You’re not interested...?”

Luke De Paltaine. He was the second son of Marquis Paltain, who had been brutally defeated by Abel twice, and was a B-class cadet like Ioline. However, they didn’t get along too well even at first glance. It was apparent that Ioline was annoyed with Luke.

“Yeah.”

Ioline answered Luke’s trembling question coldly and tried to walk away. But Luke didn’t let her go.

“Why? It’s going to be a no-skill assessment evaluation soon anyway, so there’s nothing wrong with training together, right? And I don’t think anyone in our class can be your opponent except me.”

Luke shot back in a sharp tone. His teeth involuntarily chattered at being so blatantly ignored in front of so many eyes. Ioline, who was about to walk away, paused at Luke’s words.

“My opponent?” She said, turning around, her face devoid of emotion.

“You’re overconfident.”

With that, Ioline turned and walked away. Luke’s mouth dropped open, speechless. Most people present looked at him with mostly accusatory and exhilarating expressions. This was because there were many people who disliked Luke’s arrogant, overbearing personality.

‘That’s embarrassing,’

Abel thought. He’d never been one to argue with him openly after their last encounter, but he didn’t like how he glared at him with hostility every time they met. Ioline has a cold personality and probably would have reacted the same way if someone other than Luke had bothered her. Abel thought to himself and returned to eating until he felt someone’s gaze on him. When he raised his head, he saw Ioline with a piercing gaze beside him.

“——?”

“Yes.”

“But that’s not a good thing. It’s common for a cadet to learn a new technique only to regret it later.”

Karl continued with a serious expression.

“In the end, the most important thing for a gigant rider is how well they handle their gigant. That’s where the problems arise.”

“What kind of problems?”

Daniel asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity at Karl’s words. Karl answered simply.

“The martial arts that you’ve mastered are actually hindering you when dealing with a gigant.”

“Huh? Hindering?”

“Yes. The reason is simple. The human body and the gigant are not the same.”

Gigant has a humanoid shape, but its essence is a lump of cold metal.

“It takes a lot of effort to make a movement that the human body can easily do.”

Karl said, raising a finger.

“But there are movements that are impossible even with such effort.”

“Ah!”

Daniel exclaimed, nodding his head as if remembering something.

“You’ve probably heard of them in other classes, right? Like bending your back all the way.”

“Yes!”

“That’s because of the range of motion of a gigant joint. A gigant has a bit more range, but most can’t keep up with the range of motion of a very flexible human body.”

Karl explained other differences between the human body and the gigant.

“Also, the nature of the gigant is important. Abel, do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes. A gigant’s vital parts are different from that of a human. Unlike humans, they don’t stop working when their head is crushed or their throat is pierced, and they don’t have a heart in their left chest.”

Abel added that gigant can also fight, using their arms and legs as bait.

“Exactly. Gigant can be repaired. On the other hand, when the cockpit is broken, it’s not just the gigant but also the riders in danger. It can be said that it’s the most vital part of a gigant.”

Daniel let out an exclamation of admiration, after hearing Karl’s explanation as if he understood Karl’s words. Karl smirked at him.

“I see you understand now. That’s why half-learned martial arts are not good. No, not exactly. It’s only bad if it’s unlearned. There are certain skills a gigant rider has to learn. It’s a technique that is completely focused on the gigant.”

“Oh, there are other problems as well. Of course. Learning how to handle a gigant is much more efficient after you’ve mastered the basics. Even if it’s a gigant-focused technique, you shouldn’t learn it beforehand unless you’re good at it.”

Having said that, Karl returned to the very beginning of the story.

“That’s why you start learning martial arts in earnest from the second semester. By then, everyone will know how to handle a gigant to some extent, but you three will learn it from me right now. Why?”

Karl said, smiling.

“Because you three already have the basics. Do you understand?”

“Yes!!!”

“I understand.”

“Yes.”

Karl made eye contact with the three of them before speaking.

“The martial arts you are about to learn are slightly different, but in the grand frame of things, they come from the same root.”

Karl continued with a grave expression, “This is the art of Allon.”

Everyone looked surprised, and Karl nodded.

“That’s right. He is who you think he is.”

Allon. The name of one of the Empire’s greatest knights and founders of the Academy. Abel was astonished.

‘This is where the Hidden Piece comes from?’

[To be continued.]