My Glasses Will Be Able to Conquer the Whole World, I Suppose

Chapter 211 – Glasses Boy Learns about the Seven Secret Techniques

“The seven secret techniques—walking, running, swift movement, stealth, reconnaissance, long-distance travel, and forbidden techniques.

These are said to be the realms attained by assassins who have pushed the limits of the body, supporting the kingdom of Nastiara.”

Hmm.

I can picture what walking, running, and stealth techniques might entail, but the others are a mystery to me.

“In the past, it was believed that one could only achieve full-fledged assassin status by mastering all seven techniques. However, nowadays, passing only requires mastering one or two.

Neither I, Mr. Yorgo, nor Mrs. Sorichika have mastered all of them.

You should strive within your capabilities. Time is limited, and there’s no need to push yourself excessively to master them.”

Hmm.

“Eil, why do you think you shouldn’t push yourself too hard to master them?”

I’m tired of this pattern.

“Because you would reach the limits of the body, correct?”

“Exactly.”

That’s it. Just as Instructor Evanesque mentioned earlier.

“It’s a different way of thinking.

Rather than thinking ‘We did it in the past but not now,’ it’s more like ‘In the past, if I couldn’t do it, I would break my body or even die trying.’

To put it bluntly, it was a matter of becoming a full-fledged assassin or facing death.

—In the end, the pursuit of creating strong assassins became the cause of the decline in the assassination industry. By aiming too high, no one could keep up.”

This was also mentioned by Weiss Leavant, huh?

Basically, you can’t really become a true assassin, or something like that.

“Since childhood, only those who laid the groundwork and possessed exceptional physical abilities could survive by mastering the seven secret techniques.

However, everyone here has been identified for their unique talents and has been approached. In other words, not everyone has the foundational skills required to master all seven techniques.

For this reason, it’s advised not to forcefully pursue mastery of all seven. There’s a high risk of injury.

—Since it seems that some still don’t grasp the severity of this, let me clarify.

Challenging the limits involves pushing yourself to sprint at full speed even when you’re already exhausted. Initially, you may endure it, but eventually, your body will give out.

In the past, only a select few could endure such rigorous training to become fully fledged assassins, and even among them, there were only a handful out of dozens who were expected to possess high abilities.

If we were to attempt to teach all fourteen candidates here the full range of techniques, only one or two would succeed. The rest would perish. That’s how unforgiving it is.”

…I see.

It’s probably really dangerous, as stressed to Haria, Chace, and Florentine, who still appear unaware.

It seems probable that the seven secret techniques are abilities unique to this place.

If that’s true, I’m eager to learn as much as possible and strive to master them to the best of my ability.

However, attempting to master them all would likely result in physical harm, wouldn’t it? That does seem reasonable.

……

Well, if I adjust my mindset a bit—

“Eil. Have you had an idea?”

“Could you please stop now?”

I suppose I’ve hit my breaking point and just blurted it out.

“On another day, before the training and tasks, Mr. Yorgo, Mrs. Sorichika, and I will demonstrate them for you. For now, just remember what they are. First—”

—First, the walking technique.

To put it simply, it’s the technique of not making any sound with your footsteps regardless of the situation or terrain.

However, because you’re so focused on your footing, you might become vulnerable to traps dropped from above during training, and some have even lost their lives this way.

—The running technique.

In simple terms, it entails running in any environment. This includes activities such as climbing trees, scaling walls, and running along walls.

Unfortunately, there have been fatalities during training due to falls from trees or walls, or slipping while running on walls.

—The swift movement technique.

In basic terms, it involves sprinting short distances at astonishing speed.

While it may sound straightforward, during training, individuals frequently stumble over obstacles. Additionally, the strain of their body’s accelerated pace can cause their clothing to tear or shoelaces to break, resulting in dramatic falls and potential head injuries.

— The stealth technique.

To put it simply, it’s the art of erasing one’s presence and concealing oneself.

However, since humans sweat, get hungry, and need to relieve themselves, hiding might be simple, but continuously hiding is extremely difficult. As a result, some individuals have been discovered by wild animals or monsters and tragically died during training.

— The reconnaissance technique.

Simply put, it involves utilizing one’s awareness to locate objects.

Despite common belief that this technique carries no risk of death, the reality is quite the opposite.

Failure to locate or misjudgment during reconnaissance can result in inadvertently stumbling into traps due to lack of caution, something you could usually avoid, leading to fatalities during training.

—The long-distance travel technique.

To put it simply,iit involves sensing distant presences.

This one, at least, shouldn’t result in fatalities. There aren’t any inherent dangers that could lead to death, and I can’t fathom any reason for it.

However, to the surprise of the trainees, including myself, who assumed as much, it still proved fatal.

It appears that concentrating too intently on scanning far distances often leads to neglecting one’s immediate surroundings and becoming excessively careless. Essentially, becoming defenseless. Consequently, even minor external factors could prove fatal during training.

—The forbidden technique.

To put it simply, it’s the last resort.

There are various types of trump cards, so it’s advisable to choose the one that suits you best. Apparently, the instructors sometimes introduced options like, “How about something like this?” Naturally, this choice may result in death.

“That’s the gist of it.

I’m certain you’ve been pushed to run at every opportunity. That lays the groundwork for walking technique, running technique, and swift movement technique.

If you’re only going to focus on mastering one thing, walking technique and running technique, excluding swift movement technique, are the simplest to grasp and are the most versatile secret techniques overall.

If you’re uncertain about what to focus on, or if you lack confidence in mastering something, stick to walking technique and running technique.

In the past, training involved real combat scenarios, including the use of lethal traps, but nowadays, we refrain from such practices.”

Indeed.

Walking and running are practical skills applicable to daily life. Having them or not must make a significant difference.

And as I listened to the explanation, I grasped something even more crucial.

“Eil.”

“The key aspect is that it can be mastered irrespective of ‘aptitude.'”

“Exactly.”

I anticipated she would surely counter my remark, so I braced myself. However, she calmly replied without any visible reaction, leaving me perplexed. I see. Was my reaction within her expectations?

…I wish she’d just stop already.

“Just as Eil mentioned, the proficiency in these techniques can be attained regardless of ‘aptitude.’ Well, with the exception of the forbidden technique, which has its own unique rules, but the other six remain unaffected.

For instance, even if you could replicate or enhance the techniques we just showcased through your gifts, it wouldn’t hurt to have them.”

Indeed, I could enhance some aspects with my gifts.

For instance, Sand Walk surpasses the basic walking technique, and based on what I’ve gathered, swift movement technique resembles Chac’s “Fast Boots.”

“Especially in cases where imitating them with gifts is possible, it’s often judged that there’s no need to acquire them, but let me just say that’s not true. Gifts also grow and evolve. During the process of mastering the secret techniques, or when you’ve mastered them, your gifts often see an impact. Be sure to discern what you truly need.”