Chapter: 354
Fortunately for Arthur and his group, Possell wasn’t entirely devoid of common sense.
Having served as the commander of the knight order and trained countless individuals, he merely observed the three of them to gauge their levels and adjusted the weight of the magic tools accordingly.
The moment they lifted them, suppressed groans automatically escaped their lips, but it was just shy of being impossible to run.
“Since it’s your first time training with the Alrn knights, we need to start by getting your bodies used to it. Let’s focus on some stretching first.”
“…With the magic tools on?”
“Yes, with the magic tools on.”
The stretching Possell had them do wasn’t all that different from what they were used to, yet all three couldn’t help but let out groans.
Is this really how it’s supposed to be?
Instead of loosening their muscles, they felt as if they were just putting more strain on them.
“Puhaha. And you’re saying this is just the beginning?”
Covered in sweat as if they had just finished a run, Lucy laughed while clutching her stomach, looking at the struggling trio.
Seriously? Is it really this hard just getting started? How will they endure until the end?
“If you can’t handle it, just say so. I can give you a chance to become pathetic and filthy right now.”
Arthur listened to her teasing and was sure he wouldn’t be getting out of this hell anytime soon.
Try to escape because it’s too hard? He could only imagine what Lucy Alrn would say to him later.
Better to die here than give her an excuse to mock him.
Arthur’s resolve only strengthened as the running continued.
“Eh? Are you already tired? You haven’t even run a lap yet! I think you’d be pathetic, but I didn’t expect you to be this bad! Haha, completely pitiful.”
Lucy, who had just finished a run with the knights, jumped in instead of resting, joining them as they ran and continuously berated them.
“Shut up.”
At the start of the run, Arthur still had the mental energy to retort back.
Even though his body felt heavy, the intense training routine he normally endured didn’t disappear entirely, so he figured he could manage.
However, it didn’t take long for him to realize that was an illusion.
His body, now significantly heavier, accumulated fatigue much quicker than usual.
“Poor prince. Where did that confidence from before go? Are you finally admitting you’re pathetic now?”
“…Guh!”
Damn it. Why is Lucy Alrn so carefree?
She had just run with the knights a moment ago and then joined them, yet how could she still be brimming with energy?!
Wait… Could it be that the magic tool she’s wearing isn’t activated?
That’s why she looks so relaxed.
“I can see what you’re thinking. The poor prince with stamina issues.”
With a light laugh, Lucy took off her magic tool and handed it to Arthur.
“If you’re actually capable, you can give it a try. But I’m sure the pathetic prince doesn’t have the guts.”
Arthur, provoked by her playful taunt, caught the magic tool but lost his balance and fell forward.
This magic tool is real.
And it’s heavier than what we’re wearing.
She runs longer with that on, and she can still act so composed?
As he staggered to his feet, Arthur was met with a bemused Lucy looking down at him, and he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.
What on earth is up with Lucy Alrn?
“Hey, dumb Possell. The poor prince is saying this weight is too light to be fun!”
“Haha. It’s great to see your determination for improvement.”
Arthur, now forcibly becoming a student overflowing with the will to grow, found himself too exhausted to even move his legs once the running concluded.
He wasn’t much different from the other two.
Frey, who was punished for being strong, struggled to even speak, gasping for breath.
Joy, who bore a relatively lighter weight, was in a similar state where she too could barely move her limbs.
Out of everyone who had run together, only two remained in fine form: Possell and Lucy, who were used to this kind of training.
“You’ve shown impressive abilities as the friends of the Young Lady. Surviving this first day successfully is remarkable. I look forward to the rigorous training after lunch.”
“…This isn’t the end, right?!”
Joy sprang up in shock at the mention of “rigorous training,” her voice rising, and there was a sticky smile carved onto Lucy’s lips.
“Duh, you dimwit. Can’t you hold back on showing how naive you are? Didn’t I just say this is a warm-up?”
“What? This is a warm-up?”
Half-forced to stand upright, they set off to find the dining hall and abruptly encountered someone unexpected.
“Jackal.”
There he was, Jackal Burrow, the second prince of the Burrow family, and now the only child.
With his head down, stuffing his face with food to survive, Jackal slowly raised it upon hearing Arthur’s voice.
“Third Prince.”
“It’s been a while. I didn’t think we’d meet again here.”
While Joy and Frey didn’t have a close relationship with Jackal, who found himself alone while Lucy left, Arthur took his place across from Jackal.
“Aren’t you supposed to be serving Duke Burrow in your family?”
“He’s already fair and sound. It’s more accurate to say he’s doing better now than before he got sick.”
“Ah, that’s quite fortunate.”
“So why are you here?”
“Things are a bit complicated. I can’t say much, but… I came to get stronger.”
To get stronger, huh.
Arthur noticed from Jackal’s expression that he had changed compared to before.
Not long ago, Jackal had an ominous look in his eyes.
He was aware of his own shortcomings but hadn’t dared to accept them, clinging to whatever he could to elevate himself while constantly exuding toxicity around him.
But now, he wasn’t like that. Whatever had happened, Jackal seemed to have shaken off that haze and regained his former self.
“That’s a good thing.”
While Arthur was curious about his change, he opted for picking up his spoon instead of digging deeper.
“By the way, Third Prince, what brings you to this place?”
“For the same reason you are. To get stronger.”
“In that case, you’ve come to the right place. There’s no hell like this one for breaking the limits of a human.”
With a grin that revealed the desperation lingering around him, Arthur raised an eyebrow.
“How long have you been here, Jackal?”
“I’ve spent the longest week of my life here.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You’ll understand soon enough, Third Prince. You’re going to experience longer days than ever.”
It only took an hour in the afternoon to prove Jackal’s words right.
Unlike the morning, Arthur was now surrounded by knights, who provided him with a terrifyingly absurd training routine as Lucy handed over a daunting training schedule, and he realized exactly what ‘consideration’ meant in this context.
Living in these conditions might lead one to see it as consideration.
Clang!
“Damn it! Let me breathe a little!”
“Haha! We’re more than considerate, I assure you!”
“Well then, increase that consideration!”
“I must refuse! Otherwise, we won’t be able to train! Look! Lady Kent and Prince Burrow are doing just fine!”
“Just fine? They’re practically struggling for their lives!”
Arthur’s cry, drenched in panic, was met with indifference.
Possell, who was supposed to be his sparring partner, was only ramping up the intensity intentionally.
*
Calling Joy aside, who was trying to train with the others, I stood before her completely armed except for my mace.
“What kind of training are you hoping for, Young Lady Alrn?”
‘It’s practical training. Joy is…’
“Practical training. You know, dimwitted Young Lady, the more desperate you get, the more mistakes you make, right? I don’t want to see you do something foolish at a dangerous moment, so I’ll torment you first.”
I planned to keep Joy and my other friends out of danger as much as possible.
Rather than watch others suffer, I figured it was better to endure on my own. If I had to face danger, it was more comforting to deal with it alone.
But just wishing for my friends to live peacefully wasn’t going to work.
Joy before me was no exception.
As long as she attended the Soul Academy,
As long as she belonged to the nobility of this country,
And considering that this world was only going to become more chaotic,
Joy would inevitably face a crisis sooner or later.
If she had someone trustworthy, like me, by her side when that moment came, it would be fine. But I couldn’t always hope for luck to be on our side.
Just think about the first time I met Nakrad.
If the slightest thing had gone wrong, Joy standing nearby would’ve met a tragic end.
To prevent such circumstances, Joy needed practical experience.
To ensure she could navigate situations on her own without needing someone else to come rescue her.
“Dimwit♡”
“…Yes?!”
“I’m going to go all out!♡ Let’s see if you can hold on!♡”
After fighting a skeleton who mimicked heroes, my fighting style had developed into a defensive one.
Shield techniques and sacred magic, which I primarily used.
And the taunting skills of the Mesugaki fit perfectly with this fighting style.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t know how to go on the offensive.
Defending is merely a last-ditch effort when facing someone around my level or stronger.
If the opponent is as open as Joy, who’s holding a staff, there’s no reason to reinforce my defense.
“If you can, that is♡.”
With that, I dashed forward.
In a world full of superhumans, there’s no safe distance to maintain.
The instant someone believes there’s a gap, a knife can fly right at their throat.
Always standing behind someone, Joy didn’t know that.
She was completely unprepared for me to arrive right in front of her in the blink of an eye.
When she saw my fist approaching her face, she couldn’t even channel her magic in time.
Only when the pressure from my punch whipped her hair around did she finally realize, and she tumbled back in shock.
“Completely disappointing♡ This is below my expectations♡ You’re so pathetic it’s not even funny♡.”
Seeing the tremor in her eyes, I continued to taunt her.
She had to know,
That just a moment ago, she could have died.
When the punch landed, she would have been obliterated.
“Are you scared?♡ Are you flinching?♡ Puhaha♡ Our dimwit can’t do anything without someone in front of her♡ It’s laughable♡.”
Joy, shaken and upset by my taunting, wobbled back onto her feet.
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it from someone who can’t even handle their own mess!”
In that moment, I was pleased to see the cold glint of a villainess in her eyes.
“Come at me again. I’ll really grill you this time.”
“Puhaha♡ Are you sure?♡ If you say something like that and end up knocked down, you’ll be so embarrassed!♡”
“And what about you? Wouldn’t it feel fantastic to lose to someone you mock as a dimwit?”
As I faced Joy, who wore a fierce smile, I charged at her with newfound energy.
It was decided; before leaving for the territory, I’d drill the magic fighting style into Joy.
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