I Became a Crazy Swordsmanship Instructor in the Game - Chapter 61:

“We’re ready on our end.”

Lisriel came to greet Philip in front of his mansion, riding on a top carriage. The size of the convoy wasn’t very large. There were three carriages carrying goods, and a small mercenary squad of five had been hired.

“I’m ready too. Let’s start heading out.”

Philip carried a backpack so large that it could fit at least one person on his back. Most of his belongings weren’t inside; it mainly contained the personal items and clothes of Privia and Lua.

Initially, he didn’t plan to bring Lua along, but due to his encounter with Castler Morrela, the probability of a dangerous situation arising had become almost non-existent, so Philip decided to bring her along.

The journey would be a collection of experiences in every moment. Events occurring outside the safety of their home or academy would become Lua’s assets.

In that sense, Philip briefly considered bringing Camilla as well, but he realized that her physical stamina was weaker than he had imagined, so he decided to leave her at the mansion, where Tania and Cheryl would keep her company.

“Oh, are we starting the journey now?”

Previa was dressed in travel robes as she approached them. She seemed fully committed to playing the part of a mage, and even attached a short staff to her waist.

“… And who might you be?”

Lisriel, of course, knew about Privia. Their appearances were similar, but Privia exuded a different aura.

Should one say an aura that automatically invoked honorifics upon meeting, Lisriel couldn’t bring herself to treat Previa, who appeared noticeably younger than herself, with any sort of disrespect.

“Instructor Privia’s… younger sister.”

Philip shut his eyes tightly and told a lie.

“Ah, I see.”

Although they looked like twins in appearance, Lisriel nodded her head. She had already heard the story that a female mage would be accompanying them. Whoever it was didn’t matter much, but it was a bit uncomfortable to see her getting along so well with Philip.

“Lisriel, hello!”

Lua put her hands on stomach and bowed her head. A smile naturally appeared at the corner of Lisriel’s mouth upon seeing her.

At that moment, one of the mercenaries standing guard over the carriages stepped forward.

“Wait a moment, you didn’t tell me there’d be a brat?”

Even from a distance, he looked like a bald man ready for mercenary work. He wore chainmail armor with leather shoulder pads and carried a slightly larger battle axe than Lua’s torso on his back.

At the word “brat,” Lua looked around, as if asking, “Me?” with an expression of surprise when she realized someone was looking at her.

“This is a different story, Joseph. Huh? Escort for the convoy? Shouldn’t the calculation be different if it’s a noble escort?”

The mercenary frowned as Lisriel let out a small sigh.

‘Why do people want to engage in such childish bickering? It’s embarrassing in front of Philip.’

This group of mercenaries she had hired this time was considered the best in this area.

They were called the “Foundation Mercenary Corps.”

They had worked together a few times before, and while there had been minor friction on those occasions, this was the first time such an incident had occurred from the beginning.

It seemed like they mistook Philip for an innocent noble youth.

Although she couldn’t know the details, as someone who knew that Philip had been deeply involved in the downfall of the assassination group Crescent, Lisriel found it quite amusing.

Philip gave Lisriel a look as if to say, “What’s going on?”

Lisriel responded with an annoyed expression before fixing her gaze on the mercenary.

“Well then, you can leave right now. We have the sword instructor from Privia Academy and a skilled mage, so mercenaries like you aren’t really necessary. And from now on, it’s best for you not to think about receiving any jobs nearby.”

Upon seeing her response, Privia whispered in Philip’s ear.

“… I like her attitude.”

Lisriel’s irritation deepened at their behavior.

The mercenaries weren’t quiet either. If the contract were to fall apart like this, they would be the ones at a loss. A slightly more polite-looking mercenary glanced over and locked eyes with Lisriel.

“So, you’re saying you’re canceling the contract?”

“If you don’t like it, then leave. Canceling the contract is on your end.”

“But noble escort wasn’t part of the contract terms, was it?”

“Who asked you guys to protect these people? Understand your role and do your job properly. How dare you mercenaries think you’re suitable for escort duty? What kind of knightly order are you?”

It was like a rabbit trying to protect a wolf. Although they were mercenaries who had seen their share of battle, to Philip, who had trained Aura, they were nothing more than children.

“… Enough of that, I’ll take care of them separately, so just let them be. These people are risking their lives for a living, after all.”

When Philip said that, Lisriel flinched. But she couldn’t easily oppose his opinion, so she turned her head as if there was nothing she could do about it.

“You are quite reasonable, my lord. Thank you.”

The mercenaries’ expressions brightened. While they weren’t particularly grateful for Philip’s help in their difficult situation, they showed a bit of gratitude as if to acknowledge that they had overcome a hurdle.

‘I’ll probably face a tough time soon, so there’s no need to get too worked up over their little tantrums.’

She could try to be considerate of them, but seeing them in action made her feel less inclined to do so.

Soon, the group boarded the carriages. There were a total of four carriages – three carrying goods and one for passengers.

Lisriel, who was supposed to be in command of the convoy, took the reins from the driver’s seat, while Philip, Previa, Lua, and one of Joseph’s top officials sat together in the passenger compartment.

As the carriage set off, Lua felt a jolt coming from the wheels and squirmed in her seat.

“Eek!”

Feeling a considerable pain in her tailbone, Lua winced and placed her palms between her buttocks and the seat.

“Haha, when you ride a carriage, you need to relax your body as much as possible, miss. If you resist the jolting, it’ll hurt more. Well, eventually you’ll get used to it and it won’t hurt as much.”

The official was a kind-looking man in his forties. Lua closed her eyes at his words and relaxed all the tension in her body. Then, as the carriage passed over a stone, she bit her tongue and winced.

“Ouch!”

Philip chuckled and leaned against the backrest.

“… I bit my tongue, Instructor.”

Upon hearing Lua, Philip patted her gently to console her.

“That must hurt. You should’ve been more careful.”

“Ow…”

At that moment, Privia, who had been sitting by the window, raised her staff.

“This should be fine.”

As she casually waved her staff, Lua felt her body lighten. With Lua relaxing expression, Philip looked at Provia with a peculiar expression.

‘Looks like she takes care of everything.’

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing. Would you like some snacks?”

“Forget it.”

Watching Privia turn her gaze back out the window, Philip grinned.

‘Why on earth did she agree to come along?’

* * *

Unlike cars, carriages weren’t an infinitely moving means of transportation. Horses also needed rest, and simply riding in the carriage was enough to sap one’s stamina.

Additionally, the baggage handlers and mercenaries who couldn’t board the carriages also needed to take breaks every few hours, making it inevitable to stop along the way.

“We need to rest here for a while since we’ll have to keep moving for another full day to get closer.”

The upper group set up a campfire near the middle reaches of an unnamed river. The scent of boiling soup filled the air as a mixture of ingredients cooked, and the mercenaries also took off their helmets to cool down.

“How’s the carriage, Lua?”

Thanks to the magic enchantment provided by Privia, Lua was sitting somewhat comfortably in the carriage.

“My buttocks still hurt…”

“You’ll get used to it soon. It’s just because it’s still new.”

The baggage handlers and mercenaries shared the well-cooked soup, while Philip and Lua had lunch separately, thanks to provisions that Lisriel had packed, such as bread and bacon.

Privia didn’t seem to like the bread much, so she reluctantly tore off a small piece and handed the rest to Lua.

“Are you sure you don’t want more?”

Philip’s willingness to worry about her made Privia smile wryly as she shook her head.

“Are you concerned about me? I’m fine.”

Seeing how Privia was treated as if she were a superior, Lisriel smirked. Philip had never treated anyone like that before.

It seemed like he hadn’t even done so with direct superiors or senior professors.

As Philip was cleaning up traces of disturbed ground, he suddenly felt a slight vibration and looked up.

“Hmm?”

Lua also seemed to have sensed something similar and was staring fixedly in one direction. She seemed to know what was causing this vibration.

“… A large demon is coming!”

The vibration grew closer, and shortly thereafter, the ground shook as if a mild earthquake had occurred. The group soon saw the approaching demon, smashing trees near the river without hesitation.

“Oh, an ogre!”

Even if you combined four adult men, it still wouldn’t match the towering height, muscular body, and blue-tinted skin of the ogre.

Lisriel covered her mouth with a disgusted expression.

“Put on your helmets and grab your weapons, you idiots!”

“Why the hell is an ogre suddenly here?”

The mercenaries quickly moved. Like veterans, they swiftly prepared for battle, positioning themselves behind the carriage, and gripped their weapons with tense expressions.

‘Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen an ogre, Master.’

Hearing Neria’s whispered voice, Philip put down his shovel as if things were going well and drew his sword.

“… Good timing. Lua, watch closely. I’ll show you how to handle an opponent much stronger than you.”

Already somewhat neglectful of Lua’s training due to busy schedule, Philip’s teaching fervor was ignited when the opportunity presented itself.

A proper guidebook for dealing with a colossal demon like an ogre was a rarity.

“Um, will you be alright alone?”

Lisriel asked with a concerned voice. Ogres were creatures that typically required the involvement of trained knights, numbering at least two or more, to be dealt with.

Upon hearing her words, Privia chuckled.

“You should ask the ogre about that.”

As Lisriel pondered the meaning of that statement, Philip wielded his sword and passed by her. She quickly stepped back.

“Watch carefully. The center of power lies in every attack. The larger the opponent, the larger the center of power. That means a wider range and bigger movements.”

When a lone human raised a sword to confront the ogre, the ogre swung the tree it held from top to bottom.

It was a powerful attack that could turn an ordinary human into a rag doll in an instant, but Philip wasn’t going to fall for that.

Philip was already deep within the ogre’s reach. Swinging his sword with a flourish, he cleaved the ogre’s chest, causing the creature to scream and stagger back.

“It’s like a typhoon. The force of a typhoon is impressive, but the area near the core of the typhoon is surprisingly peaceful, to the point where even a light breeze may not blow. If you can read the direction and speed of the attack, you should immediately plunge inward.”

Confirming Lua’s slightly frightened expression with a sidelong glance, Philip leaped into the air and delivered a kick to the ogre’s jaw.

Even with the massive body of the ogre, its thick neck was unable to fully absorb the impact, and it staggered.

“Kwuaaaa!”

“You don’t want to die here either. Go. Huh?”

Although Philip didn’t particularly intend to kill the ogre, he hoped it wouldn’t go into a frenzy. If this location was within the ogre’s territory, he might have to kill it, but if not, he was willing to let it escape.

“I told you to go, but you’re not listening.”

Another round kick from Philip hit the ogre’s neck, which was as thick as a tree trunk.

“Kwuuaaaa!”

The ogre screamed. Philip waited for the ogre to move again without delivering another blow. While ogres were generally considered to have low intelligence, they weren’t completely foolish, especially in comparison to the size of their heads.

Realizing that Philip posed no threat, the ogre glanced at him, then threw the tree it was holding and began to flee in a frantic manner.

Once Philip confirmed that the colossal demon had completely disappeared, he turned around.

“Lua, did you see that?”