As they moved toward the training ground, the knights grumbled amongst themselves. "Why is our lord always in such a rush?" “We could take things a bit slower.” “Ugh, I don’t think my body has fully recovered yet.” “Oh, I’m still in so much pain!” Several knights voiced their complaints, but Ghislain ignored them, continuing toward the training ground. He knew that even without him saying anything, Gillian was trailing behind with a stern expression, pushing the reluctant knights forward. When they arrived at the training ground, the knights looked confused. Dozens of platforms, each as tall as a person, had been set up, but none of them could figure out what kind of training these strange structures were meant for. Sensing their curiosity, Ghislain climbed onto one of the platforms and addressed them. “From now on, we will begin practicing breakfall techniques.” The knights’ confusion only deepened. All of them already knew at least one or two ways to fall without getting hurt. After all, they were former mercenaries who had spent most of their lives fighting, even if they hadn’t learned any mana techniques. The knights snickered and spoke up. “We already know how to fall!” “Yeah, we’re not amateurs!” “We know all the basic stuff.” But Ghislain shook his head and continued, “This is something you need to master no matter what. Just follow along, no more complaints.” Without wasting any time, Ghislain jumped off the platform, demonstrating a roll where he absorbed the impact on his shoulder and arm, allowing the energy to dissipate as he rolled to the side. The knights started laughing at the sight. “Come on, we’re knights who can use mana now. That’s just embarrassing!” “Yeah, that looks so pathetic. I doubt we’ll ever need to use that.” “A knight rolling around like that... it’s not very dignified.” “There are cooler breakfalls. Why not teach us those?” Many of the knights, having recently learned how to use mana, were full of arrogance. Now that they had the power they had always dreamed of, they wanted to carry themselves with a bit of flair. Ghislain teaching them something so basic seemed almost insulting. Ghislain, however, remained unfazed by their resistance and simply said, “Techniques that keep you alive aren’t meant to be pretty. Efficiency is what matters. Now, each of you, try it.” The movement was simple enough that the knights were able to imitate it easily. The platforms weren’t very high, so there was little risk involved. Assuming it was just basic training, the knights followed along casually. As they practiced, Ghislain walked around, correcting their postures. Since most of them were already familiar with using their bodies, they quickly adapted to the new technique. “Good, you’re picking it up fast,” Ghislain praised. The knights laughed, feeling accomplished. This didn’t seem like real training; it was too simple. “This doesn’t even count as training. What kind of drill is over in just a few hours?” “Maybe our lord was just bored and needed something to do.” “Shall we go for a drink after this?” The knights, still acting like the mercenaries they once were, joked around even after becoming knights. Seeing their behavior, Gillian stepped forward with a scowl, but Ghislain waved him off with a smile. “Let them enjoy themselves for now. They can celebrate later. For now, keep practicing. You’re going to need this skill often.” The knights, confused by this statement, asked, “We’re going to use this often? The impact on our arms is pretty hard. Couldn’t you show us a different technique?” There were many different types of breakfalls. After all, when fighting, the direction and position in which one fell was often unpredictable. Yet Ghislain had taught them only this one method. But Ghislain shook his head and replied, “This is the only one I’m going to teach. You can use whatever other techniques you like.” Though they didn’t understand why Ghislain was emphasizing such a basic technique, the knights didn’t question him further. They assumed it was just a light exercise to ease back into training. Soon, they became comfortable with the breakfall technique and began to practice more casually, even playing around as they rolled off the platforms. Seeing this, Ghislain turned to the assistants nearby and said, “Raise the platforms higher.” The wooden platforms were stacked higher, making them noticeably taller, but still not threatening. The knights handled the increased height without difficulty, some even finding it fun. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚 But Ghislain wasn’t done. “Raise them a bit more.” The knights, still enjoying themselves, complied. However, after a few more rounds of raising the platforms, the mood shifted. “Raise them even higher.” “Go on, make it taller.” The platforms were now so high that without mana, a fall from that height would certainly result in broken limbs. The knights began to gulp nervously as they looked up at the towering structures. The platforms were now so tall that they had to use ladders to climb up. For an ordinary person, falling from such a height would be catastrophic. “....” A sense of unease began to settle over the knights. Why did they have to fall from such heights? Was breakfalling from this altitude even possible? When the knights hesitated, Ghislain urged them, “What are you waiting for? Keep training. Don’t just stand there.” One of the knights, trembling, spoke up. “Lord, this seems too high to manage with just breakfalls...” “What are you talking about? You can use mana now. It’s still safe.” “But if we’re using mana to protect our bodies, what’s the point of the breakfall?” Ghislain smiled and replied, “You need to focus all your mana into your arm and shoulder to absorb the impact. This is also practice for learning how to concentrate mana into specific areas.” A perceptive knight hesitated before asking, “So, the reason we’re not learning other breakfalls...” Ghislain nodded approvingly, clearly pleased by the question. “When falling from a great height, other techniques won’t help you. But with this method, you’ll only break one arm and still be able to pick up your sword and fight.” Unable to hold back any longer, Gordon stood up and shouted, “Why do we even need this kind of training? It’s not like we’re fighting giants!” “It’s not for battle,” Ghislain replied calmly. “Then what’s it for?” “It’s for when you have to jump or fall from a wall or tower.” “....” Walls were supposed to be defended from the top, not jumped from. Falling from such a height, even with a breakfall, would most likely result in being surrounded and killed. It seemed their lord, having jumped from walls a few times in his previous battles, assumed everyone could do the same. “Is this really necessary? When would we ever need to jump from a wall?” Without hesitation, Ghislain nodded. “You never know what will happen in a fight. This training is about increasing your chances of survival. It’s better to be prepared.” The knights couldn’t argue with that logic, so they reluctantly climbed back onto the platforms. Their once cheerful expressions were now somber. Gone was the lighthearted laughter. Now, every movement was accompanied by grunts of pain and groans of frustration. “Ahh! Catch me, somebody!” “This hurts so much!” “We’re still novice knights!” Though they could use mana, the height they were practicing at was too much for their current abilities. Worse, the nature of their mana training meant that using too much would make them cough up blood, so they had to time their mana use perfectly—right before hitting the ground. This challenge, however, quickly honed their mana control, but it also left their bodies and minds utterly exhausted. “My arm is turning purple.” “Is this even going to help? Or are they just planning to shove us all off the walls later?” Despite their complaints, the knights continued training. Their arms were covered in bruises, and those who messed up their falls were black and blue all over. Thankfully, it was just training, so Ghislain was controlling the height to minimize injuries. Most of them ended up with bruises, but none were seriously hurt. After days of grueling practice, the knights finally mastered the “break one arm and survive” technique. But their ordeal wasn’t over. “Now, we’ll start the next phase of training,” Ghislain announced. “This time, it’ll be more like a real battle.” “Huh?” Ghislain led the knights to an even taller platform. This one was not just high—it was as tall as the walls of the capital city, Cardenia. The knights stared up at the platform, certain of one thing: falling from there would be fatal for any novice knight. Naturally, they reacted with panic. “My lord! We can’t survive a fall from there!” “We’ll all die!” “What’s going on? What did we do wrong?” Ghislain smiled gently and said, “Don’t worry. You’re not going to just jump off. I’m not that reckless. You’ll be using a rope to descend quickly.” “Oh, thank goodness.” The knights breathed a sigh of relief. Rope training was a common and important skill for soldiers, and they didn’t think Ghislain was being unreasonable anymore. Ghislain set up a long platform at the top of the tall structure and tied a rope securely, letting it dangle all the way down. “Alright, one at a time, use the rope to descend.” Having practiced descending from ropes during their time defending Fenris, the knights didn’t find the exercise too difficult. The only real difference was the height, which was far more terrifying this time. The first knight grabbed the rope and began his descent, wanting to finish quickly to get it over with. But as he reached the end of the rope, he realized something was very wrong. ‘The rope... it’s too short!’ The knight quickly scrambled back up and called out, “My lord! The rope is too short! There’s a problem!” From above, Ghislain’s voice replied, “No, it’s correct. Once you reach the end, just jump down and use the breakfall technique.” There’s a legend about how lions push their cubs off cliffs to make them stronger. The knight, however, had no desire to become a lion. “No! I can’t jump from here! Why are we even doing this kind of training?” “This is necessary. What’s this? Are you climbing back up?” Before the knight could protest further, Ghislain swiftly drew his sword and sliced through the rope. The knight plummeted to the ground, screaming, “I hate this so much!” Despite his cursing, his body instinctively moved into the breakfall position. The hellish training they had endured had conditioned him well. In the face of imminent death, his body moved on its own. With a loud crash, the knight hit the ground, rolling to absorb the impact. It was painful, but his arm didn’t break. He was alive. “I... I survived! Hahaha! I survived! Cough!” The knight coughed up blood and collapsed. Even though his arm hadn’t broken, the impact had still been severe. Recovering from such a fall required more mana and skill than a novice knight could muster. Ghislain turned to the remaining knights with a grin. “See? It’s possible. Next.” The knights, eyes brimming with tears, took turns descending the rope and jumping off. Being a knight in this insane domain... was truly a mistake. And so, the knights’ blood-spewing training continued.