Three days have passed since that brief but breathtaking "duel".
Yupa kept his promise.
For three whole days, Por, Kamlin, Elphias Doge, and the other seven Blessed Warrior received no training instructions and were not required to perform patrol or guard duties.
The ten people practically floated back to their homes, and that day, a few more wisps of smoke rose from the village chimneys.
During the training period, they camped directly on the edge of the training ground and, except for the time when they led the Pejite refugees to victory, they almost never stepped into their homes.
Sitting together with family, they would pick out the funny stories from training (automatically omitting the parts about broken bones, spurting blood, and fainting), and then listen to family members recount the interesting things happening in the valley.
Where are the newly reclaimed fields? How are the newly arrived refugees being resettled? What good things have they exchanged for work points?
The next day, they slept until the sun was high in the sky.
There were no Yupa's roars, no orders to assemble before dawn, only the warm sunlight streaming through the window and falling on our faces.
Por lay in bed, staring at the cracks in the lime on the ceiling, letting his mind go blank.
This is also a form of rest; he, who is usually quick-witted, uses this method to relax his mind.
Then he got up, put on his clothes, and walked around the room.
The house was spotless, firewood was neatly stacked in the corner, and Mother had finished all the housework and gone to help at the textile workshop.
He pushed open the door and wandered aimlessly through the village.
In the fields, farmers were still cleaning up the polluted soil; from the direction of the castle, the sound of children reading aloud could be heard; at the work point exchange station, a small queue formed, where people exchanged wood chips for grain, cloth, and salt.
Everything was in good order and full of life.
After watching for a while, Por suddenly felt a little... bored.
On the third day, this feeling of disorientation became even more pronounced.
When Kamlin came to his door, Por was squatting in front of his house, closing his eyes and feeling the never-ending wind.
"Nothing to do?" Kamlin asked succinctly.
Por nodded. "Hmm."
The two looked at each other and saw the same confusion in each other's eyes.
They went to Elphias Doge's house, where the youngest Blessed Warrior was practicing swordsmanship as diligently as he did during training.
The entertainment options in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind are not exactly diverse, but rather extremely limited.
Apart from a few ancient musical instruments that are only brought out for celebrations and whose styles have remained unchanged for a thousand years, most people's "entertainment" consists of chatting, drinking, or simply sleeping after work.
The endless trivialities of daily life are enough to exhaust the energy and time of ordinary people.
Even ordinary militia members, after completing their patrol and guard duties, have to go down to the fields to help, repair houses, and take care of livestock.
But they are different.
Under the rules established by Mu En, the Blessed Warrior are no longer required to engage in basic production.
Their "job" is to train, fight, and defend their homeland.
But when they finally relaxed, they suddenly realized they didn't know what to do.
In the evening, the three sat side by side on a low wall by the field, watching the sunset paint the valley sky orange-red.
"Honestly," Por kicked a pebble at his feet, "I kind of miss training. It's tiring, but at least it makes me feel at peace."
The other two agreed wholeheartedly and nodded.
Of course, as much as they miss each other, if you ask them who wants to go Yupa right now, all three will shake their heads at the same time, their movements even more synchronized than when they are in a line.
The psychological trauma left on them by that number one swordsman of the Sea of Corruption was roughly the size of the entire Sea of Corruption.
Considering the master-disciple relationship between the other party and Princess Nausicaä, there's a possibility that Teacher Yupa could receive the blessing of the Divine Tree at any time and further enhance his strength...
"I never want to challenge him again in my life." Por wiped away a cold sweat, still shaken.
"Agreed," Kamlin seconded.
"Mmm!" Elphias Doge responded with a heavy "Mmm."
The holiday is over.
On the morning of the fourth day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the ten people had already spontaneously gathered at the edge of the training field.
Yupa arrived on time, glanced at the ten young faces, and nodded.
It seems the holiday didn't make them slack off.
But his appearance also made the ten people nervous. He's back; that familiar feeling is back.
The thought of all the grueling running, frog jumps, push-ups, and Yupa slashing sword gave them goosebumps.
I'm so pathetic, complaining that the holiday is boring!
If the Divine Tree grants me another chance, I hope the holiday period will be ten thousand years!
Fortunately, Yupa's next words relieved everyone.
"I hereby declare that, effective today, that hellish training is officially over."
"You have become qualified soldiers."
Upon hearing this, Por and the others almost cheered. Finally, they were free from suffering!
"But you have a new mission," Yupa continued.
"Lead the newly enlisted militiamen, let them experience the training methods bestowed by the Divine Tree, and select from them the promising talents suitable to become Blessed Warrior."
The ten people looked at each other, and in each other's eyes they saw a glimmer of eager anticipation.
Training new recruits?
We've been waiting for this moment for so long!
"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"
The time jumps to noon.
On the training ground at the edge of the forest on the west side of the Valley of the Wind.
"Phew... Phew... Finally... We've arrived..."
Mog's legs trembled, and he staggered and collapsed onto the compacted mud.
Sweat blurred his vision, dripping down his chin and nose, leaving dark dots on the soil.
My lungs felt like they were being torn apart by a broken bellows, and every breath was accompanied by a burning pain.
There were about ten people lying haphazardly around him; they were the first group to complete the training.
Everyone looked like they had just been pulled ashore from the water, soaking wet, greedily swallowing the air.
Mog regretted it, the kind of regret that makes you want to die.
It all started a week ago.
At that time, Mog was a relatively strong young farmer whose daily job was to clean up the soil contaminated by Sea of Corruption spores.
One day, while chatting with his colleagues, he overheard the foreman's suggestion.
"Don't always think about going to the tavern as soon as you get work points. Spend more time at the 'tutoring classes' run by the elders. There's no future in farm work."
Mog was intrigued; he had witnessed firsthand the abilities of the Blessed under Elder Beruto.
They don't feel tired even after a whole day's work; they can ripen a field with just a wave of their hand.
But the threshold of 300 work points is too high; he can only earn three or four work points a day at most by cleaning the soil.
After deducting expenses for food and exchanging for daily necessities, it's considered good if you can save up two [items/items].
It would take at least five months to save up three hundred.
If you can learn a skill, accumulate work points faster, and even directly gain the qualification for blessings...
So Mog signed up to attend Elder Gol's introductory artisan course.
But after only a few days of looking at those boilers, hammers, and blueprints, he got tired of them, feeling that these things weren't quite right for him.
Then, he witnessed the "duel".
The oppressive aura of Yupa drawing his Ohmu Twin Swords; the synchronized sword strikes and retreats of the Blessed Warrior, as if they were one person; the giant golden lightsaber Cleansweep across the plaza...
Mog stood at the edge of the square, trembling with excitement.
After watching the entire exhilarating and thrilling battle between the two sides, which young person wouldn't be excited and yearn for it?
That evening, Chief Steward Mito gave a public speech in Castle Square, announcing the expansion of the militia.
Anyone aged 17 to 30 and in good health may apply.
"Joining the militia will earn you two basic work points per day, plus three meals a day."
Two work points aren't much, but the promise of "free meals" is incredibly attractive to these young farmers who earn one work point for every meal they eat.
Mito continued, "Those who excel in training will have the opportunity to participate in the selection of Blessed Warrior. No work points need to be paid; only individual ability will be considered."
Without much thought, Mog wrote his name on a piece of scrap paper and enlisted in the army.