Chapter 8 : Black Dog Bandits (3)

“I want to become strong!”

“What?”

When I became somewhat accustomed to chopping firewood, I went to see Baekmyo.

“I want to become strong like Captain Baekmyo!”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Please train me.”

“No.”

I expected it, but I was rejected bluntly.

She didn’t even pretend to think.

“Is it because I’m human..?”

“No. It’s different. I’m an assassin, not a martial artist. I can’t teach.”

“Even if I kneel and beg?”

“No.”

“Even if I lick your shoes?”

“No. Why are you bringing up shoes?”

I thought they would give in if I did this, like in the movies.

“And, it’s too early to teach a child like you. What I do is not fighting! It’s a technique to kill people.”

She was more stubborn than I thought. I felt like I would get hit if I bothered her any more, so I retreated to my room for now.

In the empty dining room, Baekmyo was drinking alone and biting into raw meat.

Heukgyeon, procuring meat, said to her.

“Captain. Are you worried about something?”

“No.”

“When the captain drinks like this in the middle of the day, it’s a sign that you want attention.”

“..No, that kid. The black-haired kid. She keeps asking me to train her. She’s so young.”

“You mean Saya.”

Baekmyo bit into a piece of meat and continued to complain.

“In the first place, I don’t understand why she wants to train. Do you have any idea?”

“Well. Maybe she admires the captain’s strength?”

“What? No way.”

“She was talking about Baekmyo the other day. She was completely smitten. According to rumors, she has insomnia every night because she wants to be trained by Baekmyo…”

“Is it that much..? To the point of losing sleep..?”

Captain Baekmyo got up from her seat.

“How can I, as a captain, just watch when my subordinate is in trouble? Tell her that training starts tomorrow!”

‘She’s not a subordinate yet, Baekmyo.’

It was worth it to bribe Heukgyeon.

Heukgyeon and my plan worked wonderfully, and suddenly, training started the very next day.

It’s going too smoothly, so I’m a little anxious..?

The next day, that uneasy feeling was undoubtedly correct.

“What? Humans pass out from this much..?”

I passed out for almost half a day after being hit by Baekmyo’s fist, which she threw saying that actual combat is the best for training.

“Are you trying to kill me?!”

“No.. Beastmen usually hit each other like this, so I thought humans would be similar.”

If I had been hit in a vital spot, the novel would have ended.

“I guess I’ll have to train you in a different way. You’re a troublesome one.”

“Please avoid hitting. I might really die this time..!”

“Hmm.. If that’s the case..”

Baekmyo put her hands on the ground, lifted her lower body into the air, and stood on her hands.

“Try to follow.”

I’m 100% sure I can’t do it, but I’ll try to follow along as best as I can.

“Hup.”

I put my hands on the ground and rolled over.

“..What are you doing.”

“I can’t balance.”

“Even newborn beastmen can do this! It’s like taking a baby step!”

Newborn beastmen, amazing!

Baekmyo stood up, dusted off her hands, and shook her head.

“Until you can hold this posture, further lessons are impossible. Master it on your own!”

“Yes.”

After finishing the children’s education in the afternoon, I practiced handstands every day.

In my room, in the dining room, in the bathroom.

Once, I fell asleep while doing a handstand in my room, and Gillian worried about me with a sincere expression.

“..Saya, are you sick..?”

“No.”

It’s training. I don’t understand it either.

Did the long, mindless chopping of firewood help?

After about a month, I could do a handstand anywhere.

“How is it..! My handstand..!”

“Hmm, you’ve got the basics down. Now do it with one hand.”

“…Yes?”

“When you can do it with one hand, we’ll talk again.”

“You won’t make me walk in this state later, will you..?.”

“..How did you know that!? Did you read my mind?”

It was real, crazy.

I think I’ll have to live upside down for a while.

“Ho-”

I started to see my breath.

Has this season already come?

Clack.

With a couple of axe swings, the firewood split in half.

The old man who was watching couldn’t hide his admiration.

“Oh. Now chopping firewood is as easy as breathing for you.”

“Of course. I’ve killed hundreds of trees.”

I don’t know for sure, but I must have killed trees on an area the size of a playground. Although I didn’t cut them down.

“And, I can do this now!”

I drove the axe very hard into the stump, then held my body up in the air with the arm holding the axe.

“Oh, my son did that when he was 4 years old! I miss it, I miss it..”

No. You did this when you were four years old?

“You had a son.”

“He was just about your height. You’re an old soul! You don’t have the charm of a child.”

Why are you suddenly insulting me?

“If he were alive, I might have been able to see my grandson?”

“…”

Slavery and discrimination.

The insignificant settings that I put in just to add realism when I was in middle school made someone live every day like hell.

Perhaps, did I come into the novel to receive atonement?

“Saya sister! Saya sister! Come outside!”

The door of the workshop opened and the children rushed in.

Each of them grabbed my arms and legs and dragged me outside.

“What, what’s wrong!?”

“Look at this..!”

What is it that they’re making such a fuss about?

When I went out to the entrance, I saw my name written on the snow and the snowmen the children had made.

“You made it well! I never taught you how to write my name..”

It snowed heavily.

I never cared about it in my previous life, but it’s so pretty.

“Saya taught us, so now we can all write it!”

We played in the snow with the children until sunset.

If I really came to this world for atonement, there wouldn’t be such a pleasant thing.

The next day, we all caught a cold and were scolded by Heukgyeon.

Since it snowed, there’s nothing more to teach the children about letters,

Baekmyo started training me in earnest.

“You have no problem standing on your arms now, right?”

“Yes, Captain.”

It seems like nothing because I answer so easily, but I’ve been standing upside down for almost a year.

Gillian said that he’s more used to talking to my
now.

“Good. I’ll tell you why I emphasized that posture.”

She raised her wrist and showed me her fist clenching and unclenching.

“For beastmen, arms are the third leg.”

Third leg?

“If I trip you right here, how will you deal with it?”

“Trip me..? Well, I’ll fall and put my hands on the ground, right?”

“Wrong. That’s the human way. Trip me.”

“…Yup.”

It’s a little scary, but I did as she told me.

Before her body even touched the ground, she supported her body with her hands and counterattacked by rotating her remaining leg.

“Gack!”

“Don’t think you’ll fall. We have four legs.”

..I see..!

Since your body doesn’t touch the ground, you can flexibly and quickly counterattack the opponent’s attack.

“The reason humans fall behind in fights with beastmen is primarily due to this difference in gait.”

“When you put it that way, it’s really true.”

“And the basic strength is different. Your grip strength is like a three-year-old beastman baby.”

Isn’t that the biggest thing?

“But humans have magic, so I can’t say for sure which one is superior.”

Come to think of it, only humans could use magic.

“Not as much as a beastman, but at Saya’s level, you can gain an advantage in a fight with other humans.”

It’s amazing.

All I’ve trained for the past year is handstands, walking on my hands, and backflips.

My arm strength has increased so much that climbing trees is now a piece of cake.

“..So, since your stamina is finished, you know what to do, right?”

“Wait, you’re going to hit me again..”

Before I could finish my words, a heavy fist flew towards me.

‘If I get hit, I’ll really die..!’

I barely dodged it by doing a backflip.

“Still immature. Consider which direction to dodge.”

It’s just a fist. There’s a crack in the ground like a crater.

‘Monster..’

“As a result of teaching my bandit guys for 7 years, I felt that learning while getting hit was the fastest and most effective. Saya, you’re human, but I can’t control my strength, so dodge well.”

You must have made a lot of your subordinates cry.

After that, I concentrated all my mind to avoid her onslaught several times.

Every time her fist grazed my skin, I felt like I saw the Grim Reaper.

After the training, I felt a dampness in my hand and looked at my palm.

‘Hmm?’

Because I rubbed and grazed my bare hands on the hard ground countless times, the skin was tattered and bleeding a lot.

“Puhaha! Your skin is peeling off from using it that much? The human body is really fuel-inefficient.”

“…”

Because, humans don’t have a reason to use their palms that much.

She dusted off her clothes and stood up.

“Training is suspended until the wound heals. For the time being, focus on treatment.”

“Yes.”

“Humans are so much trouble..”

A few days later, when my hand had healed, the captain threw something at me.

“Wear it. It will prevent your hands from getting hurt.”

“Gloves?”

It’s a clumsy stitch, but the size fits my hand perfectly.

“Thank you. But, what is this made of?”

Baekmyo raised her finger proudly.

“I found a material that would fit you well. It stretches well, has no problem with ventilation, and is durable.”

And, she pointed to her chest.

“…?”

“I used my underwear. I’ve worn it myself, so there’s no problem with durability.”

…What?

I stood there for a long time with the gloves on my hands.

What is this strange feeling?

I guess I’m still far from understanding the thoughts of beastmen.

“By the way, Captain, can I also join the bandits now..”

“Humans are not accepted into the Black Dog Bandits. The first leader did that, and so will I.”

I guess I won’t be able to complete the quest in this life.

“Captain, it’s an emergency!”

Just then. One of the bandits ran in, his face bright red.

“What’s wrong?”

“One of our kids is missing, the children say there was another presence..!”

“Which one of the kids!?”

“It’s, Myoa is missing..!”

What? Myoa?

A pink cat beastwoman girl.

She was a bit mischievous, but she learned to read first and followed me more than anyone else.

“The patrol group is following the footprints, but they shouldn’t have gone far yet.”

“Prepare. I’ll go there too.”

I followed the captain, who was rushing to leave.

“Captain, I’ll go too!”

“Stay inside! We could lose two!”

“What did I train for, I want to help at times like this!”

“…”

Baekmyo glared at me once, then started running.

“Protect your own body. Follow me closely.”

“..Yes.”

Hoping that the child is still safe, I followed Baekmyo, who was running at a terrifying speed.