Hero without Blood or Tear Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Unlocking Rare Cla.s.s (2)

Translator: Rockgollem

Editor: Deux-ex Machina, Perditor

“Do you think it’s better to learn a lot of various skills? Or learn few skills to master’s proficiency?”

This was the question my teacher, Monster Hunter Lud, asked as soon as the lessons began. I replied based on my experience.

“The latter is better. The former may appear ubiquitous and adaptable, but humans aren’t too quick witted when cornered. You’re bound to rely on the skills you usually use.”

Lud nodded in agreement.

“Correct! Valler, you don’t seem to have any battle experience, but you speak like a veteran warrior.”

“My uncle was a mercenary. He told me a lot about things.”

He simply accepted my half-baked excuse.

“I agree with your uncle’s opinion. So I plan to concentrate on pa.s.sing down only a set of my best skills. I’ll leave the other miscellaneous skills at only showing them to you. It will widen your horizon.”

“I understand. I will focus on honing and mastering the skills you teach me.”

Being satisfied at my att.i.tude, the first skill Lud taught me was “Monster Tracking”.

“Go hide anywhere in this forest. I’ll chase you after 30 minutes.”

Lud was planning to show it to me in action. I was excited to see how it worked so I hid with all earnesty. Frankly, I planned to hide so well that it would impress Lud.

“Right here. You’ve hid well. Hahaha!”

But he found me simply by looking around like an old man out for a stroll looking at the scenery. I felt taken back yet furious at the result and asked to hide once again.

“Very well. As many times as you want. Hiding is also a skill. Even though we may look like we’re playing around, don’t forget this is how you are practicing this skill right now.”

He found me instantaneously again. After repeating similar situation for an entire day, I gave up.

“Master, please teach me how you found me.”

“Your face is full of curious expression. It’s any teacher’s pleasure to help any pupil with that kind of face to solve the problem. Hahaha.”

Lud explained everything about tracking starting that day. It was a complex skill that tracked the opponent by using footprints, tell-tale signs, smell and sound.

“Don’t look so sick of it. Even 5 years is short to master it.”

Unfortunately, I planned on breaking that convention. I had humongous amount of exp saved up. I could level up by using those and gain skill points.

With the skill points I earned from killing those witches, I planned to acquire tracking immediately. I already learned everything about theory either way.

“Alright.”

That night, I levelled up the Monster Hunter cla.s.s to Lv.5, and poured as much skill points into tracking as I can.

Skill proficiencies had levels between 1 to 10, and 10 was the end. Since I mastered it, it would serve me well in future. The next day, I informed Lud I finished learning the Monster Tracking. Then Lud laughed hysterically.

“I know you’re a young man with a strong drive, but don’t hurry too much.”

It was logical to not believe me. For the people of this world, there was no concept of levelling and ranking up skill proficiency in the first place. So I told him I would demonstrate it.

“Are you that confident? Then let us see the result of your efforts.”

Lud still didn’t believe me. However, when he hid first and I found him not too long after, he was immensely surprised.

“H, how did you find me? You must have gotten lucky, but it’ll be harder this time.”

Lud hid his expression though his expression showed his pride had been hurt. This time he was really determined to hide, so it took some effort to search him. However, I found him in one hour.

“Y-you!”

Lud was so surprised he could not close his mouth.

“How did you do this?”

“You taught me well, master.”

“They say geniuses exist… Turned out to be true. Haha! How did you master the skill that took me five years in just a week? Did you truly memorize everything I said?”

“Of course.”

Lud didn’t speak anymore. He looked almost afraid of my abilities.

“I don’t know if I can handle someone like you.”

“Don’t talk like that, master.”

Though I said that, it only took me three months to leech everything I needed from the monster hunter with 15 years of experience.

***

Three months later, I became a Lv.30 Monster Hunter. In this world, you were relatively strong if you were Lv. 30.

“I have nothing more to say. I planned on pa.s.sing down my skills in five years frame, but you’ve learned everything in three months. I’ve never seen anyone like you in my entire life.”

My current stats were like this.

______________________________________________________________________________

Name: Vallerstadter Valler

Age: 22

Cla.s.s: Monster Hunter Lv.30

HP: 520

MP: 0

Strength: 158

Intelligence: 34

Dexterity: 212

Const.i.tution: 230

Charisma: 67

Skill:

Monster Tracking (Proficiency 10)

Herbalism (Proficiency 5)

Survival (Proficiency 5)

Hunt Specialization - Orc (Proficiency 7)

Hunt Specialization - Ogre (Proficiency 7)

Hunt Specialization - Troll (Proficiency 7)

Hunt Specialization - Dark Elf (Proficiency 7)

Musket Gunnery (Proficiency 5)

Brotherhood of St. Mark Intermediate Swordsmans.h.i.+p (Proficiency 10)

_______________________________________________________________________________

I’ve ran into an unexpected stroke of luck while training under Lud. He was a member of Brotherhood of St. Mark, which was one of five official school of swordsmans.h.i.+p recognized by the Emperor.

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Thanks to that, I could learn intermediate swordsmans.h.i.+p of Brotherhood of St. Mark as well. Though it’s called intermediate swordsmans.h.i.+p, it was actually a fairly powerful style that is of A-Rank  

It was a closely guarded style that no one outside the brotherhood knew, but I learned it thanks to befriending Lud. Unless I run into some kind of swordmaster, there was no way I would lose in a swordfight.

“It’s almost strange how you grew so much in three months. To get to where you are, even a talented person need to put in at least 10 years of effort.”

Lud looked happy even though he was saying that. At the same time he looked regretful.

“You’ll go now?”

“Yes, I wish to stay by your side longer, master. But I have something I need to do.”

“How can I keep an energetic young man like you in this countryside. Go as your heart tells you.”

“Master…”

“Thanks to you killing all the witches, it’s more peaceful around here than ever before. Monsters occasionally come out from the swamp, but n.o.body needs to pay anymore tribute to the witches. You’ve done a great thing. I hope you would show your goodwill to others as well.”

I bowed deeply to Lud and promised I would.

“Meeting you was a once in a lifetime kind of luck, master.”

It really was. If not, I would have lost all the exp from not having a cla.s.s. If you gained exp as Lv.0 with no cla.s.s, the exp remained for one month before disappearing.

But thanks to Lud, I gained a rare cla.s.s, and solved the exp problem. I couldn’t fully express my grat.i.tude.

“But what will you do from now on? Do you have a plan?”

“I think I will become a mercenary first.”

The reason I wanted to become a mercenary was because battlefields were the most advantageous place to meet the heroes in.

“Then I will write you a letter of recommendation. One of my best friends is a mercenary. His name is Levi Schultz. He’s a large boisterous man with red beard. He should be in Frankfurt. Go find him.”

“Thank you, master. I won’t forget all the things you’ve done for me. I will visit again later.”

I showed my deep grat.i.tude towards Lud and departed for Frankfurt.

***

Finding Levi Schultz in Frankfurt was not hard at all. He was called “Sergeant Schultz”, and I found his impressionable red beard immediately in the city square.

He worked as a recruiter, and was yelling at the top of his voice along with a drummer and a piper.

“By the power vested in me, Levi Schultz, by our most benevolent Emperor! Along with the privileges and rights as a sergeant of landsknecht! As well as through the permission of this city’s council, I recruit hot blooded and courageous young men into service of this nation!”

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He smiled as I approached.

“Young man! Do you wish to become a soldier!”

“Yes, I have a letter of recommendation.”

“Hmm? Letter of recommendation?”

Sergeant Schultz looked at my letter with a curious expression, but a smile soon spread across his face.

“Kuhaha! You’re Lud’s pupil! Never expected him to have a pupil of all things! Well! Recruitment for today is over! Pack up and return. I’ll be having a round with this fellow over here!”

He was a boisterous man. He stopped working the moment he met a friend’s pupil.

“Now, now, let’s go meet the other mercs. I’ll introduce you to them.”

“Let us go.”

We headed out together to the mercenary camp just outside the city. When we arrived it seemed some sort of compet.i.tion was taking place. Various men wielding practice swords called “federschwert” were colliding against each other.

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“Is there a compet.i.tion going on in the camp?”

“Similar. This is a match to decide who gets to be the squad leader amongst the regulars. There is also prize money, of course. Everyone’s all fired up because their pride and money is on the line.”

The tournament was the tournament, but the shouts and exclamations heated the atmosphere. When I couldn’t take my eyes off the matches, Sergeant Schultz smiled.

“I’m curious about your skill with a sword.”

“Yes?”

“No need to be modest! If you’re Lud’s pupil, I reckon you’ll be pretty handy with a sword. Go on, get out there!”

“No, that’s not the issue… I’m still a new recruit…”

But sergeant Schultz said that wasn’t an issue.

“The rules for landsknechts who work in a.s.sault squad is different than regular soldiers. Everything depends on your strength and abilities. For a regular squad leader, you would need some experience as well as strength, but for a.s.sault squads, all you need is strength!”

“Is that right?”

“Of course! Well, to be honest, it’s because everyone dies so quickly there’s no time to get experienced in the first place!”

Oi, oi, you’ve just said some crazy things to a new recruit.

“Oi, you lots! Here comes the fresh meat.”

Sergeant Schultz handed me a federschwert and pushed me towards them.

“What! Fresh meat? You planning on joining the a.s.sault squad right away? You must be out of your mind!”

“Come here, young blood. Let’s get down to it!”

There were all kinds of burly men here since it was the a.s.sault squad. They all looked at me like they were going to be the one to beat me. However, it looked more like curiosity to measure strength rather than hostility.

“Very well.”

I had a compet.i.tive side as well. If it went this far, I couldn’t refuse. A cheer erupted out when I put down my baggage.

“Young blood’s all enthusiastic. Don’t blame us if you get beaten to a pulp.”

“You should worry about yourself.”

The one who stepped up was a man roughly around 30s who looked like he had some experience.

“I’ve learned swordsmans.h.i.+p for two years in Federfechter. I plan to show you the sword techniques. So you should be worri--- aaggghhh!”

While he was giving a long speech, I struck him and he went down with a single shout. Laughter exploded all around.

“A cheap shot! Oi that new recruit’s real cheap!”

“Ain’t no such thing as cheap shot out in battlefield! Good job, new guy!”

It seems my action earned sense of camaraderie than dislike. When facing each other with a sword in hand, they seemed to believe there was no need to stand on useless ceremonies.

“I’ll be your next opponent.”

Another mercenary stepped forward and his size reminded me of an ogre. He charged forward as soon as he greeted me.

“Kuuaaaaap!”

It felt like a mountain was rus.h.i.+ng towards me. However, it only took three seconds to decide the match.

“Kuaagh!”

The man reminding me of an ogre collapsed with a roaring shout.

What is this? Why are they so weak?

While pondering on the issue, I realized they weren’t weak, but I was the strong one.

I’ve raked in ma.s.sive amount of exp points after killing the witches of the swamp and levelled up at once. Furthermore, since I’ve learned under a strong master, the mercenaries were no match for me.

They were probably somewhere around Lv.5~10. They would be stronger than an average soldier, but I was already past Lv.30. This was why n.o.body could withstand my sword.

“Oi, the new guy’s no joke.”

“Y-yea, he’s beating people with such a straight face on.”

“He’s quite a swordsman.”

The mercenaries were showing interest towards me. Everybody was hesitant after looking at my skill, but a bald man stepped forward with a big laugh. From the sound of it, he was the most likely candidate for the squad leader.

“Very well! If it came to this, I need to keep the reputation of the veterans…. Uaaagh! Help!”

I smashed him with the sword since he was being so loud. Cheers erupted from all around.

“Woooah! New squad leader! A new guy’s the squad leader!”

“What’s this! Hahaha!”

Amidst the celebration, sergeant Schultz tapped my shoulder.

“A new squad leader is always welcome!”

TL Note: Happy Canada Day, 150th anniversary.