The training continued.
The most important thing for a knight is basic physical fitness. Some may find this ridiculous, but the 'basics' of knighthood are of a very high standard.
‘You must be able to run as fast as the wind even when wearing heavy armor, wield a sword with ease, and ride a horse without getting tired.’
Naturally, the training to meet those standards was grueling.
Osian watched the seven aspirants train.
Lorraine, who had a knack for basic physical fitness, helped them with that, but not the sword-wielding part.
"No, what the hell do you want me to do with this blunt hunk of iron?"
Eldin asked in disbelief.
"There's a reason."
"Well, it's not like I can't make it, and it's pretty simple, but are you doing something weird?""What do you mean, weird?"
"Not really, judging by your reaction. How's your sword doing?"
"It's in good shape."
"I'm glad to hear that. But you should still keep it cleaned, just in case. If it's in such bad shape that you can't improve it with your own hands, bring it to me. I can always do some repairs."
"Of course."
Osian took the seven sacks of dull iron from Eldin.
Returning to the clearing, Osian immediately distributed them to the aspiring knights.
-Kugugung.
There was a loud clatter as the heavy iron poured onto the ground.
Everyone stared at Osian in amazement.
"You'll be wielding this from now on."
"Hmph. So it's a sword."
David muttered in disbelief.
He hadn't realized it because of the blunt tip, but Osian had brought him a sword made purely of metal.
The handle, of course, was covered with leather.
"You said you wanted to be a knight. The most important thing is to wield a sword."
They'd been using guns all their lives. David had controlled dolls, and Jonathan had hardened his body to fight with his bare hands.
So the concept of wielding a sword was a foreign concept to them, one they could grasp in their minds but not in their bodies.
But that was okay. Learning anything is all about starting at the beginning.
"What the hell is this thing? It’s very heavy!"
They've all handled heavy firearms before and yet, this hunk of iron made their arms shake just holding it.
How much do you expect us to swing this thing?
Jonathan's expression was eager. He was a big guy, so he brought a size to match, and it was obviously much heavier.
‘Did they make this for me to wield?’
Even Jonathan wondered.
Osian saw the slight distrust in their eyes, so instead of explaining, he decided to show them.
"Give it to me."
Osian held out his hand to Jonathan.
Jonathan stared at it, then held out the iron sword in his hand.
He'll never be able to lift this, he thought.
As everyone else thought that, Osian lightly lifted Jonathan's special sword with one hand.
"This is how you do it."
Osian lightly swung the sword with one hand, causing a gust of wind pressure to swirl and scatter dust across the clearing.
Everyone looked stunned.
It was a natural reaction to see someone so lightly wielding something that looked like it could barely be lifted, and with one hand, like a fan.
"It's not hard, is it?"
Not difficult? Is that what you're saying?
Osian realized that the question was not yet answered, and he imbued the sword in his hand with starlight.
The pure white blazing starlight caused people to stare blankly, as if they had lost their souls.
When it comes to persuading someone, nothing speaks as true as actions.
Osian's starlight washed away the doubts of the aspiring knights and poured fuel into the embers of aspiration in their hearts.
"Take it."
Osian handed the sword to Jonathan with the halo removed.
Jonathan accepted it respectfully with both hands. His trembling eyes locked on the training iron Osian handed him.
He could still see the starlight burning on it.
He could feel the heat of the starlight lingering on the blade and transferring to his palm.
Something that told him he could do this.
"Let's go!"
With Jonathan's booming call, the aspiring knights raised their swords.
Of course, against their will, they found it difficult to wield the heavy sword with their unfinished bodies.
Still, they swung it over fifty times when they should have been able to do less than ten.
Even as their forearm muscles stretched to the point of tearing and their hands blistered, their eyes burned with fire.
Osian watched the spectacle with delight and the feeling of something being completed wasn’t bad.
'Of course, they'll need more time and effort to become proper knights.’
But when you see people putting in that kind of effort, you kind of expect it.
Maybe in this day and age, effort has become less important.
In an industrialized world, where everything is so advanced, where do you see people making such primitive efforts?
'That's nice.’
It was time to eat, and Ena dragged the pot over.
"Everyone, eat while you're at it!"
The knight wannabes rushed to the pot.
Even David, who had been so gentle and polite when Osian first met him, now stuck his nose in the bowl without dignity or anything else.
They looked like a bunch of beggars.
‘No, it doesn't look good.’
Ena was smiling, but she was breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Oh, by the way, do you have a free moment?"
Ena approached Ossian near the end of the meal.
"What's going on?"
"I need to go somewhere, and I was wondering if you could come with me."
It was a request for an escort of sorts.
To be honest, security in Tirna wasn't all that great, or rather, it varied greatly by district.
The district they were staying in was neither good nor bad, but to Ossian, who was from the 21st century, it wasn't great either.
"What are you doing?"
"Volunteering. I just started recently, because I was feeding those people and I had extra hands and I ended up making more food."
"So you're going to give it away to other people?"
"Yeah. Lately, I've been accompanied by Mr. Diolan or Lorraine, but I didn't see them today."
Ena was basically sincere and good-hearted.
It was no wonder she was packing up leftovers to serve.
"Where are you going?"
"District 41."
Osian recalled the district's characteristics.
‘It was a safe place even though it was in the 40s where public safety was poor.’
Of course, that's because the comparison group was in their 40s. The 41st district was also in a very dangerous place.
‘There are no other criminal organizations or big gangs, but there are a lot of bums, beggars, and orphanages.’
Aside from the occasional gang of beggars or general bullies, it wasn't too much to worry about but it was also a dangerous place for Ena to go alone.
A fair-skinned, blond, doll-like girl wandering around in a place like that was 100% guaranteed to get her ass kicked.
"Well, I'll escort you since I have time to spare now."
"Hehe. Okay."
Ena wore her usual red hoodie.
When I asked her why she wears it, she said it was a hand-me-down from her grandmother.
With her shopping cart in hand, she looked like a country girl straight out of a fairy tale.
"So, where do you usually go when you volunteer?"
"I usually go to an orphanage, but this time I'm going to a church."
"......what?"
A witch goes to......church?
Isn't that a place you're not supposed to go?
When Osian looked at her in surprise, Ena asked innocently, as if she didn't understand.
"Why?"
"......No, it's nothing."
Osian decided to be nice.
This was inside Tirna, after all, and she wasn't going to be attacked for being a witch.
Besides, she meant well, and the church in Tirna would have adapted to the environment, so it wouldn't be a big deal.
"Then let's go."
"Good!"
Osian told the aspiring knights to keep swinging their swords.
They swung their iron swords with enthusiasm, perhaps because he had shown them the starlight once.
This should be good.
Ossian and Ena headed to District 41.
District 41 was definitely a little dirtier than District 40.
The streets were littered with garbage that no one bothered to clean up.
Beggars sat with their heads down under the cut-off streetlights, and the same was true in the alleyways.
The occasional child ran around, but their eyes were never directed at him.
'They say in the 41st District you can open your eyes and have your wallet taken and I guess they're not wrong.’
Osian remained alert, trying to cause as little disturbance as possible.
The beggars who had been scurrying about at the sight of Ena disappeared into the darkness of the alley, too afraid to make eye contact with Osian.
They were like mice in the face of a tiger.
Their greed glowed at the sight of his attire and appearance, but they were intimidated by his brawny figure and his eyes.
‘It's good that they're so cowardly.’
Other men would have argued about the rightness of eye contact, but since they were the underdogs, they had a good sense of judgment.
Osian and Ena arrived at a small church in a remote part of the 41st district.
The church, where the children were playing, was poorly maintained and looked shabby.
'It's a church in the 41st district. Judging from its location, it's practically an orphanage.’
Just then, a nun from the church came out to welcome Osian and Ena.
"Nice to meet you!"
It was a nun with orange hair who greeted them with a bright voice and a smile.
"Well, well, well, what a surprise you've brought. Come on, don't stand there scared, come inside."
The nun was dressed in a typical nun's habit, but her demeanor was more active than reserved.
Surprised by the different image and the unexpected hospitality, Osian walked into the church, feeling a bit nervous.
"What a handsome brother!"
"And a pretty sister!"
The children here exclaimed enthusiastically when they saw Osian and Ena.
Their eyes shone, not wary at the sight of outsiders, their innocence still intact.
"I want rice!"
"I want a sandwich!"
Of course, what they liked more was the food that Ena had brought.
"Haha. Thank you, they'll be full thanks to you."
"And there's some for you, too. Have some."
"Thank you."
The sister took a big bite of the sandwich that Ena handed her separately.
"Oh, it's delicious, did you make it yourself?"
"Yes."
"That's wonderful. If you ever become a housewife, you'll be a beloved bride."
"Is that so?"
"Ahaha! Look at your blush! You're so cute! Oh, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Dorthea, and I'm the one rotting away in this ramshackle church."
The nun who introduced herself as Dorthea was not the usual nun.
She spilled the beans about her situation without being asked.
"Even if it's the Holy Kingdom of Petra," she said, "I don't know what they're going to do with a branch in Tirna and they don't give us any support."
"Is that so?"
"Well, at least we have faithful people like you to help us out, that's how we make a living!"
With that, Dorthea pulled something out of her pocket.
Recognizing it, Ena asked in horror.
"What, is it okay?"
"What? Oh, this?"
Dorthea held it up in her hand and waved it around.
"Don't bother with this, they all know about it anyway."
"Still."
"If I have to smoke something like this to get through, I'm sure the holy father in heaven will understand, won't he?"
Dorthea smiled mischievously at the sky, then lit a cigarette.
Before Osian could point out the behavior, he asked another question.
“Is that any better? It looks like there aren’t any other people.”
"What? Oh, yeah, that's right, I'm the only one working here. I do all the management, I do all the maintenance."
"It must be dangerous for a woman to live alone in the 41st District, especially with children."
"Well, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't dangerous, but it's okay, because I've recently added a new member to our family."
"A new family member?"
"The well is broken, so I sent him to fetch some water, and it's about time. Ah, there he is!"
At the front door of the church, a figure appeared, carrying a basket of water on his back.
It was a blond boy who looked to be in his mid-to-late teens.
"Hee hee!"
Recognizing him, Ena gasped and hid behind Osian's back, while Osian put his hand on the sword at his waist.
"You're......."
Just as they recognized him, the boy recognized Osian and Ena.
Judge Martinez, the man they had fought for their lives against once before.