I was always at the bottom of the group PE. I lamented why I had to do such things.

I woke up, trying to get out of bed, but my whole body creaked. Oh man, muscle soreness. The pain was tormenting every part of me. Muscle soreness after a workout is proof of youth. I should think positively, that the results of my efforts are showing.

Thinking like that, I looked at my stomach but immediately looked away. My stomach... forget it.

Shaking slightly, I headed to the dining table. The moment I sat in the chair, my whole body hurt.

"You look like a newborn deer,"

Hiding her mouth, Teisha said. Riza was poking me for some reason, and it really hurt. It's so painful.

"Since you always do something sneaky, I take advantage of the time when I can attack one-sidedly."

This gal is enjoying herself. Damn, that smug smile is cute and I can't get angry at her. That part is just like Teisha.

Enduring the muscle soreness, I headed to the guild. The assembled party was being led in order to a flat area designated as the battlefield. As per yesterday's discussion, we were positioned at our respective spots on the field.

Following the guild's signal, we started moving. However, our footsteps were completely out of sync. The issue with movement speed had been mentioned before, but it felt entirely different in practice. Every time, the leader would gather everyone and discuss things thoroughly.

During the discussions, I remembered school assemblies and group calisthenics from back then. I used to wonder why we had to do such things, but now I understood that they were training for group movement. The movement speed, a precaution to avoid missing calls, the handover routes for signal roles in case something happened—all these issues were addressed one by one.

Still, most people are not used to group actions. Without such opportunities, they probably don't have much experience doing things as a group.

We continued training with several breaks in between. During breaks, everyone gathered in circles and chatted. Building camaraderie is important, and it seemed like everyone understood that; there were no signs of complaints or grievances.

I had many conversations with the leaders. The main topics were party situations and daily earnings. Regarding party situations, things weren't good. While we had frontliners and mid-guards who could hold back enemies, the lack of dedicated defenders and backliners was overwhelming.

Most archers were former hunters, just like Riza, so I expected similar long-term issues. No one in this group used a greatbow or a heavy bow. To begin with, greatbows and heavy bows are designed for extended range and piercing armor. In this world where interpersonal combat is almost nonexistent, it's understandable that they haven't evolved.

Mages were even worse. Out of everyone, there were only about eight mages. Most graduates from magic schools end up joining the military since it's a stable job. Even among those few mages, each was different. Most used low-cost spells like Wadis to target weak points. Considering their prey, this made sense.

I also checked in on how people were earning money daily. It seemed that town requests and escorts were the main sources of income. If you can gather a group capable of camping out and take down decent enemies, escorts are perfect. While being a 7th-level adventurer isn't an absolute requirement for escort missions, it's just a certification that you're capable of completing them. Even 8th-level adventurers can take on escort missions if their party is strong enough.

Hunting was also done by ambushing targets. It was all about making money. Unless it was a really bad encounter, no one would fight enemies head-on in the open fields; they'd just run away and laugh. Of course.

Everyone's weapons and equipment were all over the place. There were preferences and differences in how people spent their earnings. While military standard equipment has its advantages in terms of acquisition costs, education costs for training, power, and ease of operation, this situation made me think about why it wasn't widely adopted here.

We also exchanged opinions and rotated personnel while trying to follow orders for group actions. By evening, we had managed to get into a state that somewhat resembled organized group behavior. I thought, "Is that all after a day?" but I could understand that without the basics of group action, there was no choice but to accept it.

We were about to break when I stopped us. We needed to practice the concept of a rehearsal. We formed defensive lines and had everyone else shout battle cries as they charged forward. The attack was supposed to be mutual, but we used random sticks or prepared weapons as spears or swords for the charge. Basically, we wanted people to feel the pressure of a group with weapons approaching.

In front, about 100 guild staff and reserve forces gathered. Even from a distance, it looked like a mass of people. That number alone could cover a decent area if spread out. Charging forward while shouting battle cries without any shyness or hesitation, they were serious about it. Honestly, the impact was more than I expected. While some people just walked by without doing anything, I genuinely felt scared deep down.

We rotated personnel and repeated the training several times. Fear can be habituated. People who were stiff as a board at first gradually started to move.

We couldn't do combat training because of the risk of injury, especially since everyone's strength varied so much. Based on this training, each party and individual was supposed to get an idea of what to expect.

After finishing the training and everyone had dispersed, only a few guild staff remained. I felt exhausted all at once. Even with just the training, it was tough. There's a saying about "the fog of war," but even within my understanding, it's something that can't be fully grasped. Plus, there are enemies involved.

Normally, we just kill our prey one-sidedly, but now they were coming in groups to attack us. This made me fear them all over again.

After that, I asked the "Recognition" sensei about the enemy's skill composition a few times, but nothing stood out as special. Scouts and skirmishers had slightly higher "Alertness" and "Stealth," while others had weapon skills matching their weapons. A few heavy weapon users or former hunters had low-level "Strength" skills. At this level, that was to be expected.

Riza had been carrying prey since childhood. Seeing others with similar stats made me realize how much it was the result of persistence. In the end, it's all about effort. At least, there were no cheats involved. It wasn't a story or a game; I was reminded of that once again.

Harthis, who remained as the responsible party leader, approached me.

"Thank you for your hard work today. We received some valuable opinions."

He greeted me cheerfully. After returning the greeting, he quickly changed the subject.

"There's good news and some bad news."

"Then please start with the good news."

Apparently, a large group thought to be led by a commanding individual had been caught in scout nets. I was surprised that they could send scouts so far ahead, but I didn't ask about it. It seemed they were absorbing nearby herds and slowly moving toward the forest exit.

"They are expected to arrive around late morning to early afternoon two days from now."

Judging by their pace... They must have estimated based on that. Tomorrow, we'll continue hunting while keeping an eye out, but we need to do everything we can to delay their progress.

"As for the bad news..."

The main body of the knight corps was expected to arrive around noon two days from now. This information was apparently quite reliable. Depending on how fast the enemy moves, we might have to hold out for up to 3-4 hours at worst. By the way, the knight corps won't move until their numbers are complete and orders are given. Following command structures is fundamental in military organizations. If they don't wait for their numbers to be complete, casualties will rise if they're not overwhelmingly stronger. The cost of training soldiers is incredibly high. They have to maintain productivity by taking care of the enemy's needs, paying salaries, and continuous training. If someone gets injured or dies, it's all wasted.

"On that day, adventurers will handle defense while the knight corps deals with extermination."

This was in line with what was discussed earlier. The training wasn't a waste, but I wish it had been unnecessary.

"The arrival of the knight corps is related to morale. On that day, we'll spread the news that the knight corps is about to arrive, giving them a sense of urgency."

Managing morale... There are countless examples in history where groups crumbled due to lost morale. It's that important.

"If they hear that their arrival is imminent, they'll think that holding out until then will get them through it. We'll guide them in that direction."

Sigh... Regardless, we still have to work hard. Time to steel ourselves.

After finishing the training, I sent the two energetic people off for more team work training. I hurried to the blacksmith. There wasn't much time left. I hoped the modifications were done.

"Hey, the one you asked about is ready."

Thankfully, it was done. Taking the spear and looking at the butt end, it had a deep cone-shaped hole drilled out, with iron reinforcements around it.

"Did you get the core?"

"I did my best to get as much precision as possible. It was tough making the shape for the reinforcement. The shaving is clean."

Looking into the depths under the fading light, I could see the tip of the cone at the center. This should work!

"At this level of precision and reinforcement, it must be a profit losing product."

"I told you, it's just study money!"

The blacksmith burst out laughing. He was a lifesaver.

Enemies immune to magic are probably nothing more than ordinary people we can handle. Having a countermeasure for them is good. After all this tension and exhaustion, my heart felt a bit lighter. It was a rare piece of good news.

Honestly, I initially wanted to make a powerful air gun using compressed air. But since I didn't know the machining precision, I gave up on making straight barrels with standardized bullets.

That's when I thought about modifying a spear into a projectile weapon. However, whether it's due to magic specifications or interference, the thrust decreases dramatically once contact is lost. In this case, we'd need to use independent magic alongside it.

I hurried back to Ast's house, finished eating, and started training in an area outside the village. There wasn't much time left. Under the moonlight, I repeatedly adjusted the settings for stable launches and the maximum pressure that wouldn't break the butt end.

The tip had a cover, so blade damage wasn't a concern.

However, while the training was good, retrieving the spears that flew away was troublesome. The moonlight only illuminated so much.

I kept making fine adjustments over and over.

If it doesn't work, then it doesn't matter. But when the time comes...

"I made up my mind to bring Riza back alive. So I have no choice but to try."

I muttered as I repeatedly launched and retrieved the spear.

Under the moonlight, watching the trajectory of the flying spear, I thought, "It's so beautiful," even though it was completely out of place.