NOVPUBEven as Ascon begged for mercy, Ghislain’s fists did not stop. Gradually, Ascon’s mind began to fog.
*Why am I even being beaten like this?*
The line between dream and reality blurred as the pain started to fade.
*Ah, finally. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Of course, no matter how well he hits, anyone would’ve passed out by now. Ha! In the end, I won. I won!*
As he drifted toward unconsciousness, an elegant middle-aged elf appeared before his eyes.
*Grandfather!*
It was his grandfather, someone he’d only ever seen in old portraits. He’d passed away around a hundred years ago.
*I knew I got my good looks from him.*
The elf before him smiled warmly, waving him over.
*I’m coming, Grandfather.*
Ascon’s consciousness moved slowly, reaching toward his grandfather’s hand, feeling that all would be peaceful if he could just touch it.
Behind his grandfather, a massive, azure tree rose, seeming to encompass the world.
*Finally, I’ll be one with the World Tree.*
With a heart full of joy, Ascon approached. Soon, his soul would rest in the embrace of the World Tree that the elves revered.
Suddenly, the world turned crimson, and everything began to tear apart.
In a panic, he heard a voice whispering in his ear.
“Stay conscious, will you? Where do you think you’re going?”
Flash!
“Waaaaaah! Grandfather!”
The sensation of his soul being ripped apart jolted Ascon awake. His grandfather, the World Tree—everything had vanished.
Reality was clear and harsh: he was still getting the life beaten out of him.
*I was sure I’d pass out! Why am I still wide awake?*
There was no escape. He couldn’t even die or lose consciousness to end the suffering. In that moment, his survival instinct surged stronger than ever, shocking even himself. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
“Please... just spare me... you crazy lord...”
But Ghislain didn’t stop.
Only as the stars began to glisten in the night sky did Ghislain finally halt his relentless fists.
“Wow, it’s already this late? I got so into it because it was just too satisfying. Must be an elf thing... no, a *human* thing.”
Ascon crumpled to the ground, sniffling in defeat. He had no idea why he hadn’t passed out.
He couldn’t die, he couldn’t faint, yet he kept experiencing pure, unending agony. This was truly the worst punishment for a long-lived elf.
“Fine, I’ll be the representative, a soldier... I’ll cooperate with you... just, why the beatdown... *sniff*.”
“Hm, I got a bit focused on testing a new therapeutic technique and forgot to stop. My apologies.”
The elves, all staring in horror, exchanged glances. He’d beaten Ascon all day simply because he’d *forgotten* to stop? And he admitted he’d been experimenting on him!
Many of the other elves had rebelled in previous noble households, leading them to be sold off. At first, they’d assumed they could live comfortably here too, but they were quickly reconsidering.
*Best not to mess with him. This guy’s completely insane.*
Ghislain turned to Ascon with a satisfied look now that the elves seemed to have sobered up.
“You’ll live as a human from now on, right? Ready to start fresh?”
After a slight hesitation, Ascon squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.
“Yes... I’m just a human with pointy ears. I’d even cut them off if I could.”
His pride as an elf was abandoned. He’d do whatever it took to survive.
“And how’s the anger management? It’s important we get that under control.”
With a solemn voice, Ascon replied, “From now on, I am the master of anger management. No more treatment needed.”
Under Ghislain’s guidance, Ascon’s condition was “cured,” and he embraced his new “human” identity, now equipped with perfect anger control.
---
With the elves’ attitude finally in check, Ghislain pondered the next steps. It would take time to forge them into the unique battalion he envisioned. They lacked the basic stamina for any serious training.
“Hmm, who could handle their conditioning? Everyone else is busy, and I need someone who’ll take it seriously.”
Gillian was already swamped training and overseeing the knights, and Kaor would likely slack off if assigned the task.
As Ghislain deliberated, Gillian spoke up carefully.
“What about Gordon, sir?”
“Gordon?”
“Yes. If there’s one thing he’s diligent about, it’s his training. He could at least handle the basics.”
“Not a bad idea.”
Despite Gordon’s quirks, his dedication to building muscle was unmatched; even while others drank and relaxed, he never missed a workout. He believed “muscle loss” was the ultimate sin in life.
Following Gordon’s regimen would certainly improve the elves’ stamina.
“He might not be able to train them into combat-ready shape, but he’ll get their fitness up to scratch. Good idea—let’s go with Gordon.”
Ghislain sought Gordon out immediately.
These days, even the knights were intensifying their training; if they wanted to survive, they had to put in the effort. Thus, during breaks, they no longer spent time drinking but rested as much as they could.
But Gordon used his rest time to train even harder. Swordsmanship alone couldn’t achieve the muscle mass he desired.
“Wait, where’s Gordon?”
Surprised to find Gordon absent from the training grounds, Ghislain headed to the knights’ quarters.
“Oh, Lord! Is there something you need?”
Gordon greeted Ghislain, looking slightly worn out, and his figure seemed slightly smaller than usual.
Ghislain scanned him up and down before speaking.
“What’s going on? You used to never skip a workout, and now you’re slacking off? You’re even looking a bit less bulky. Feeling exhausted?”
Gordon chuckled and replied, “I don’t train as much anymore. Too busy now.”
“Busy? Not afraid of losing muscle? What’s keeping you so occupied?”
“Learning to write has changed how I see the world, so I’ve taken to writing. If I don’t write every day, I suffer from ‘word loss.’”
“You’re writing? What kind of writing?”
“A literary novel. It’s inspired by the classics, meant to enlighten and move people with profound lessons about life. Ha!”
Gordon ran a hand over his smooth head, smirking with the air of an acclaimed writer.
“Wow...”
Ghislain was dumbfounded. This guy—writing?
Apparently, the literacy lessons had genuinely transformed his life.
*“Just taught him to read, and his whole life changed!”*
Even the usually stoic Gillian looked somewhat astonished, glancing at Gordon.
Feeling the weight of their gaze, Gordon, with a confident smirk, asked, “It’s not finished yet, but would you like to read it, Lord? I’m curious about your literary opinion; any feedback is welcome.”
Gordon’s tone was almost smug. Ghislain, suppressing a sigh, nodded.
Gordon then reached into his trousers, rummaging around before pulling out a small book.
*Why does he always pull things from there? And how does it all fit? Does he have a hidden storage space or something?*
Ghislain accepted the book reluctantly, glancing at the title on the cover.
**Transparent Swordmaster**
“...Interesting title.”
“Ha! Just wait until you read the contents—it’s even more interesting.”
“I... I’ll check it out later; I’m a bit busy now. But you seem to misunderstand swordsmanship. Being invisible doesn’t actually mean much.”
“Huh? Of course it does! If he’s invisible, no one can see him, which makes him incredibly powerful!”
“If he’s invisible, someone can still sense his aura; being unseen isn’t necessarily helpful at high levels. It’s a bit implausible...”
Before he could finish, Gordon shot back.
“My Transparent Swordmaster has an invisible aura too! So you can’t sense him at all! That’s part of the setting. Who needs plausibility?”
“...Right.”
It was Gordon’s story, after all. Ghislain let it go, though a part of him couldn’t resist wondering.
*“Invisible and aura-less? Would that require creating a mana field to trap him, then detecting subtle disturbances... although that would need an immense amount of mana. Maybe there’s another way?”*
If such an opponent truly existed, they’d be a formidable challenge. Ghislain’s mind began working through potential countermeasures.
He loved a good fight as much as anyone and couldn’t stand the idea of losing without a chance. Just as he started running through scenarios, he stopped himself, feeling a pang of embarrassment.
*“Ugh, what am I doing? Transparent Swordmaster? This is absurd!”*
He tried to shake it off, but his curiosity kept nagging at him.
With a sigh, Ghislain decided to be honest with himself.
*“Alright, when I have time, I’ll study this book and run some hypothetical training scenarios. It could lead to a new way of using mana. Sounds fun.”*
Having found himself a new “hobby,” Ghislain cleared his throat and spoke.
“I’ve got a new assignment for you.”
“An assignment? I’m busy with training and writing... if I skip even a day, I’ll suffer ‘word loss’...”
“Physical conditioning instructor for the elves. If you don’t want it, I’ll find someone else.”
“I’ll
take it!” Gordon immediately grinned, rubbing his hands eagerly.
Although he’d become a knight, he hadn’t held a formal post in the territory.
A position like this would allow him to hold his head high and show off. And knowing Ghislain, he’d likely get a nice bonus for the role.
He’d always envied Gillian for handling the knight training; now he had a chance to prove himself.
Soon, the elves were gathered at the training grounds. Gordon, looking thrilled to be instructing for the first time, shouted with excitement.
“From now on, I’m your training instructor, Gordon! I’m the strongest here after the lord himself, so trust me and follow my lead!”
The elves wore faces of despair. Having lived lives of leisure, physical training was the last thing they wanted.
As their representative, Ascon, stood there in a daze, clearly still broken from his earlier “therapy,” the other elves tried a new approach.
With subtle glances, they began trying to tempt Gordon, hinting that perhaps they could persuade him with other “rewards.”
