Illusion Sword Master

＜ Imperial Elite Inspector General’s Special Operations Unit (2) ﹥

I had been neglecting the management of the Inspector General’s Special Operations Unit until now.

I had been busy with other tasks or had to take a break due to injury, making excuses not to visit them.

Given the nature of the Inspector General’s duties, it was rare to mobilize a large number of people, and I didn’t want to add to their workload in the midst of their busy schedules.

Most importantly, after I left, the Special Operations Unit, which would remain on the western front, needed Yelina and Bellam to take the lead.

Yelina had become a commander armed with a sense of responsibility, and Bellam had been gaining support from the members since before, so they would probably do well.

I thought that as long as I showed up occasionally and pretended to be concerned, everything would be fine.

“Should I have taken a closer look earlier?”

But who would have thought that things would exceed my expectations to this extent?

It was questionable whether this was a problem.

Soldiers training hard was something to be encouraged, after all.

It was just that this was a scene that had far exceeded the officer’s words of caution, “in moderation.”

“Use your strength!”

“Use your strength!”

In one corner of the training grounds, the members of the Special Operations Unit were climbing a rope over ten meters long using only their arm strength.

“Ugh…”

One of the members climbing the rope suddenly stopped, dangling precariously in mid-air. The instructor yelled at him.

“What’s wrong? Can’t do it? Then let go of the rope! If you can’t even do this, you’re useless! Just die, shame of the Special Operations Unit!”

“Kkkkuaak! I can do it!”

The member, his voice trembling with anger, responded and climbed down, his body shaking violently.

The instructor patted him on the shoulder and said, “Good job! The Inspector General is watching you, so keep giving it your all!”

“Yes! The Inspector General is watching, so I gained strength!”

Yes. In reality, I was watching.

Their blind faith in me was unbearable.

It was a painful sight to behold.

“Heave… Heave…”

“Ahh! Get hurt!”

On the other side, the members were running wildly around an obstacle-filled course. Desperately.

─ Whoosh! Whoosh!

“Kkkkkk!”

Because the Bellam and the archers surrounding them were shooting arrows at them.

Although the arrowheads were wrapped in cotton, they wouldn’t die, but if they took a hit at that speed, it would be excruciatingly painful.

“You bastards. If the Inspector asks for support in the midst of the enemy’s camp, are you just going to die on the way? Can’t you even avoid this?”

Bellam demonstrated his skill by shooting multiple arrows in a row, saying this.

One of the soldiers who was trying to dodge the arrows tripped and fell. Another soldier following behind him jumped over to avoid the incoming arrow.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re abandoning your comrade? You need to retake your mental training!”

─ Whoosh! Whoosh!

“Kkkkkk!”

Bellam targeted that soldier and shot multiple arrows in a row.

“Does it hurt?”

“Kkkkk… No, it doesn’t!”

“That’s good. The Inspector’s heart would ache more if they saw a special forces member abandoning their comrade like that!”

Bellam put down his bow again. Only after seeing the soldier who got hit by the arrow gritting their teeth did Bellam nod his head in satisfaction.

“No. I’m someone who has to prioritize survival…”

I turned my head away, seeing another chaotic scene.

It was the same everywhere I went.

Carrying a log, crawling under a burning iron net, and climbing a wall with a heavy load.

The soldiers undergoing harsh training were all shouting words related to me with malicious intent.

It was a chaotic scene.

“One!”

“Dragon-Slayer!”

“Two!”

“Dragon-Slayer!”

And in the middle of the training ground, dozens of soldiers were swinging their swords in unison with the instructor’s commands.

It was the swordsmanship I had taught them through Yelina, which I had dubbed “Ethan-style Dragon-Slayer Sword.”

They had already repeated the sword swings countless times, and their movements had become somewhat refined.

Compared to the 13th generation’s combat power, it was an astonishing improvement.

“How many kids have you pushed to their limits?”

The Inspector’s Special Forces wasn’t officially a combat unit.

Most of its members were criminals who had been forced to join, not elite soldiers who had gone through a rigorous selection process.

“It’s only natural for other officers to protest.”

But this special forces unit was training so brutally, it was likely that the commander would be criticized by other units under their command.

[Look, if you just have the mental strength, you can do it like that. What have you been eating, that you can’t even do half of that?]

Considering his personality, he would have shouted something like that, scorching the officers.

“I apologize. We took the soldiers’ safety into consideration and adjusted the intensity… I suppose it would be unsatisfactory in the Inspector’s eyes.”

Yelina spoke in a disappointed tone, as if she thought my dry response was a letdown.

I had previously ordered the soldiers to undergo high-intensity training.

“You didn’t say to make them into human weapons.”

It was a statement based on the average military training that soldiers receive, but this went far beyond that.

“No. You and the other instructors are doing a great job. But did such things exist in the basic military training process?”

“No. To satisfy the inspector’s expectations, we applied some of the processes passed down through our family.”

Yelrina was originally from a knight’s family and seemed to have brought the entire curriculum of knight training.

“The facilities and equipment used in training, where did they come from? They couldn’t have existed from the beginning.”

“I was also worried about this part, but the Zephyr Duke’s family provided support.”

“That’s right.”

It was as expected.

The Inspector’s Special Task Force was, no matter who looked at it, my private army.

As the Zephyr family’s enthusiastic son-in-law candidate, it was natural for them to provide support.

They thought that the improvement in combat power would ultimately lead to an increase in the Zephyr family’s influence.

The result was the hellish training that the soldiers were going through, exhausting their physical strength and tearing their muscles apart.

“It’s a tough process, but the instructors are enthusiastic about it. Although it’s a concern, don’t push your subordinates too hard. To maintain the best condition, you need to know when to relax.”

“There’s no need to worry about that. There are no dissatisfied or passive instructors. It’s all thanks to the inspector!”

“What did I do? It’s all because of your hard work.”

“No! The will of the instructors is to quickly master the ‘Eternity-style Swordsmanship’ that the inspector has bestowed upon us and to become of help to the inspector.”

Yelrina looked at the training instructors and continued.

“They had the desire to learn, but no one taught them, and they wanted to devote themselves, but there was no right place. The inspector has given us an opportunity. We can become the people we wanted to be.”

Her face showed pride towards her subordinates and gratitude towards me.

As for the instructors, their expressions, which were occasionally caught between breaths during training, were mysteriously full of life.

“Well, if they’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

I was worried that my excessive favoritism would harm the instructors, but if they’re enjoying themselves, there’s no need for me to intervene.

“So, I’ll grow the Special Task Force into the Empire’s finest, with all members possessing knight-level combat power, and fulfill the mission entrusted to me as the commander.”

Yelrina’s words were extravagant.

It seemed like an overstatement, but her determination was too strong to be ignored.

“It’s not like being a knight is just a fancy title.”

It’s not like knights are treated with respect and live comfortably. Only those with talent, who receive proper education, can awaken as oracles at a low probability.

“It’s not the power that ordinary people, gathered as soldiers, can wield with my useless swordsmanship.”

“There were such people, though.”

In my early days, there were a few who learned swordsmanship from me and awakened as oracles.

It’s just that the talented ones who showed off their power in front of me made me feel a great sense of deprivation.

That’s just an exception that always exists, and it’s just a coincidence.

“Yelrina, if you aim for an unachievable goal, you’ll quickly burn out. It’s better to set realistic goals that give you a sense of accomplishment. Even if only one or two of them awaken as oracles, wouldn’t that be a great blessing for the Special Task Force?”

Yelrina shook her head at my words.

“I’ve thought about why the inspector gave the name ‘Dragon Slayer’ to the swordsmanship. Why did you set a dragon that disappeared hundreds of years ago as the target?”

Well, it’s just a cool-sounding name.

“It means to become the ultimate warriors who can defeat any powerful enemy, no matter how strong. In front of such an existence, ordinary levels are just a hindrance. Everyone must be able to wield oracle powers.”

It’s a dream rather than a reality.

“Well, that’s what I’ll say.”

As the daughter of a reporter’s family, she wouldn’t be unaware of the rarity of an awakener. Now, let’s just support the low-ranking passionate ones.

“That’s right. I’ll believe in you. Do your best, but don’t overdo it.”

“Yes! Thank you, Inspector!”

Originally, we were going to take a reward vacation and play a game of futsal, but it didn’t seem necessary.

“Then, let’s work hard.”

The training was already coming to an end.

I was about to confirm that there were no major issues and leave.

“Ah! It’s the Inspector!”

One of the trainees, exhausted from the intense training, suddenly shouted as if having an outburst.

“That’s right, that’s right. No matter where the Inspector’s body is, their eyes are always watching us.”

“No, that’s not it! Look! The Inspector is really here!”

The trainee jumped up and pointed at me. Hundreds of eyes were fixed on me.

“Inspector! I heard you were too busy to visit the unit?”

“You’re always secretly watching over us whenever you have time!”

“Damn it! This isn’t the time. Hurry up and get up! Do you want to show the Inspector our pathetic selves?”

“Resume training! I can do it all day! Let’s take out the awakener! We must persevere!”

I was trying to quietly leave, but…

That night, the sound of the trainees’ shouts echoed through the special forces’ training ground, while the commander’s nagging and the officers’ whispers filled the 6th Army Corps headquarters.

I also worked tirelessly throughout the night.

“Let’s return quickly.”

Now, the special forces’ loyalty had become not only burdensome but also terrifying. I wanted to escape from those crazy people as soon as possible.

#

It didn’t take long for the mission at the 6th Army Corps to be completed.

“Ah, I really acted like a dog this time.”

The corruption of the commander and the internal conflicts within the army had greatly improved, and the soldiers’ morale had significantly increased.

The cooperation system between the Inspector’s special forces and the 6th Army Corps was also solidly established. It was an easy and simple task. I just had to put Belmont, the commander’s close aide, in his place and manipulate him.

“I’ll survive and return!”

And so, the long mission came to an end.

It was a day to leave the front line, where mental damage was inflicted even on days without battles.

[Ethan, keep your promise to return quickly! You can’t afford to miss the Umber retrieval operation!]

Commander Krenek kept pestering me until the end, but I had no intention of keeping my promise to him.

[If you want my daughter, prepare a suitable dowry first. This means you should continue to build your power and not be satisfied with your personal achievements.]

Duke Zefer also pressured me using Sera as an excuse. I confirmed that Sera was doing well, so I just listened and ignored it.

[Ethan, it’s thanks to you that I have a connection with the commander… What are you saying? That crazy person thinks I’m a useless spirit who can’t even do my job?]

Belmont, who had gained more authority, responsibility, and workload in serving the empire, let out a joyful cry with a half-crazy face.

“Hahaha! I’m leaving! You guys can’t catch up to me!”

And so, I left everyone behind and boarded the carriage heading back to the imperial capital.

Just like when I arrived, only my attendant, Olek, accompanied me.

“Olek, let’s depart quickly. Let’s get as far away from here as possible at the fastest speed.”

“Can we not say goodbye to the special forces trainees? They’re preparing a farewell party for the Inspector, sir.”

So, this is how they’re rushing me.

The special forces won’t just let me go, after all.

Demonstration of martial arts.

En Dan-ryu, a demonstration of swordsmanship.

My name is mentioned in the farewell song.

Letter reading.

And the inspector’s words of encouragement, etc…

Even if I only consider the events of the farewell ceremony, there are already over a dozen.

I’ll probably be held up for at least half a day.

Maybe even until tomorrow.

“Can’t I take away the time of those busy with training because of me? I know their minds, so it’s fine. Let’s get going.”

“Indeed, Inspector! You have such a thoughtful intention. I’ll take your order.”

It wasn’t until the carriage departed that I could feel a sense of calm.

That is, until I saw the hundreds of people blocking our way ahead.

The special forces had set up a camp on the path from the 6th Army to the Imperial Capital.

“For the glory of the Empire! Special Forces Sergeant Belram, I’ve come to see off Inspector-nim!”

I got off the carriage and looked at Belram, who was standing at the front.

“How did you know?”

“Heh heh. Inspector-nim, you’re not very good at hiding your feelings, are you? I’ve been keeping an eye on you. It’s too much to just leave without a word, isn’t it? I understand, but General Yelrina was very upset.”

“Belram! When did I do that?”

Yelrina, standing next to me, was flustered and her face turned red. She was wearing an important day’s outfit, with a necklace made of oak leaves (which I had given her) around her neck.

“I, I was trying to respect Inspector-nim’s intentions, but Belram! Please say something quickly. Inspector-nim is misunderstanding!”

“Heh heh. Inspector-nim is not that difficult to understand, but you always do this. Anyway, I won’t take up too much of Inspector-nim’s time. Let’s just give a salute and go.”

At Belram’s words, Yelrina took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

“Special Forces, attention!”

─ Crack!

Hundreds of people stood at attention, their silence and precision a testament to their military discipline.

“Salute to Inspector-nim!”

“Long live the Empire!”

The loud, ear-piercing cheer.

I tried to hide my embarrassment and responded to their salute with a restrained gesture.

“Long live the Empire. You’ve worked hard until now. There will be more hardships ahead, but I believe you’ll do well. I’ll take my leave now.”

Next, Yelrina approached me with three other soldiers.

“I’d like to show you the gift we’ve prepared for Inspector-nim.”

At her words, the soldiers drew their swords.

“Hiyah! Dragon – slash!”

“Kuueee! Dragon – slash!”

“Eeeeah! Dragon – slash!”

They gripped their swords tightly, their faces red with effort, and let out a strange, intense energy.

“What on earth is this?

It was a scene that would make one’s mind go blank.

“Is this for real? Can this be?”

It was indeed real.

The three soldiers around me were faintly emitting mana. Even I, who was exceptional at sensing mana, could barely detect it, but it was there.

This was a sign of awakening to Oracle.

“We’ve only just taken our first step, but we want to show our achievements to the inspector.”

Yelrina spoke in a calm tone, but she couldn’t hide her pride.

It was understandable.

Three Oracles had emerged from our unit.

“…… Inspector? Have we disappointed you?”

When I didn’t respond, Yelrina asked with concern.

“No.”

No, it wasn’t.

From the start, our directions were different.

I had struggled for ten years and still couldn’t awaken to Oracle.

And they had awakened to Oracle in such a short time?

I barely maintained my composure and forced out a suitable response.

“Well done. Keep up the good work.”

＜ Imperial Elite Inspector Special Task Force (2) ﹥ End