The only relief for Arthur and his companions was that Posell wasn’t entirely without sense.
Having taught countless students during his time as the Knight Commander, Posell could gauge their individual levels and adjusted the weights of the magical artifacts accordingly.
The moment they shouldered the weights, a groan escaped them, but it wasn’t so heavy as to make running impossible.
“As it’s your first time training with the Allen Knight Order, you’ll need to start by letting your bodies adapt. Let’s start with some stretches to loosen up your muscles.”
“...With the weights on?”
“Yes, with the weights on.”
The stretches Posell led them through weren’t that different from their usual routines, but each of the three was already groaning with effort.
Is this really effective?
Rather than loosening their muscles, it felt as if they were only adding more strain.
“Haha! Look at you! You’re already like this, and we’ve only just begun!”
Drenched in sweat as if she’d just finished running, Lucy clutched her stomach in laughter as she watched the three struggle.
She taunted them, saying they’d only just stepped foot into training, wondering aloud if they’d make it to the end.
“If you can’t handle it, just say so. I’ll give you the chance to admit you’re pathetic and worthless right now.”
Hearing her mocking, Arthur was certain there was no escape from this hell.
Imagine running away because it’s too hard. What kind of ridicule would he face from Lucy Allen then?
Better to die here than give her that satisfaction.
Arthur’s resolve only hardened as the running continued.
“What? Are you already exhausted? We haven’t even finished one lap yet. I knew you’d be weak, but this is pathetic.”
Despite having just run herself, Lucy joined them instead of taking a break, constantly throwing out jabs.
“Quiet.”
At the start of the run, Arthur still had the energy to snap back at her.
Even though his body felt heavier, his muscles, honed through relentless training, allowed him to keep pace at first.
But it didn’t take long for him to realize his mistake.
With his body weighed down far more than usual, fatigue set in quickly.
“Poor prince, where did that confidence go? Are you ready to admit you’re weak?”
“...Ugh!”
Damn it. Why is Lucy Allen so full of energy?
She had just finished running with the knights, yet here she was, acting as if it were nothing.
Is it possible that her artifact isn’t even activated?
Is that why she’s so relaxed?
“Your thoughts are so transparent, poor prince with your low stamina.”
Lucy casually removed her artifact and held it out to Arthur.
“If you think you can handle the real weight, go ahead and try it. Not that I expect you to have the guts.”
Succumbing to her taunt, Arthur took the artifact and immediately stumbled forward under its weight.
This artifact was real.
Not only that, it was even heavier than what we’re wearing.
She’s been running with something like this on and still looks completely at ease?
As he struggled to stand, Lucy took back the artifact, smirking down at him.
Just what kind of person is Lucy Allen?
“Hey, Posell! The poor prince here says the weight is too light and he’s bored!”
“Haha, having the desire to push oneself is admirable.”
By the end of the run, Arthur found himself too exhausted to move his legs.
The other two weren’t much different.
Frey, who had to carry a weight as heavy as the knights due to her physical abilities, was left gasping for air, unable to speak.
Even Joy, who had carried a comparatively lighter weight, was too drained to move her arms and legs.
Out of everyone who had run, only two were unaffected.
Those two were Posell and Lucy, who were used to this level of training.
“You must be quite talented to make it through the first day. I’m looking forward to seeing how you fare in the real training after lunch.”
“...This isn’t it?”
At the mention of “real training,” Joy bolted upright, her voice panicked. Lucy’s mouth curved into a sly grin.
“Dimwit, could you be any more clueless? Didn’t I already tell you? This was just the warm-up.”
“This is a warm-up?”
Half-dragging themselves to the dining hall, they found an unexpected face awaiting them there.
“Jackal.”
Jackal Burrow, the second son and now the sole heir of the Burrow family, was seated among the knights.
With his head bowed as he shoveled food into his mouth for sustenance, Jackal slowly raised his head at the sound of Arthur’s voice.
“Third Prince.”
“It’s been a while. I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
While Joy and Frey, who weren’t well-acquainted with Jackal, left with Lucy, Arthur took a seat across from him.
“Weren’t you serving the Duke of Burrow?”
“He’s regained his health. In fact, he’s stronger than ever now, even more than before his illness.”
“Well, that’s good to hear. So, why are you here?”
“I can’t go into details, but... I’m here to get stronger.”
To get stronger.
Arthur noticed a change in Jackal’s expression as he spoke.
Only a few months ago, Jackal’s gaze held a bitterness, a frustrated ambition that pushed him to climb higher by any means, all the while exuding a venomous aura.
But now, something had shifted. Whatever he had gone through, Jackal seemed to have shed his resentment, returning to his previous, more serene self.
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
Though curious, Arthur refrained from pressing further and picked up his spoon instead.
“So, Third Prince, what brings you here?”
“For the same reason as you. To get stronger.”
“Then you’ve come to the right place. There’s no better hell to surpass human limits than here.”
Jackal’s words, tinged with dark amusement, made Arthur raise an eyebrow.
“Jackal, how long have you been here?”
“The longest week of my life.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll understand soon enough. Here, a single day can feel like an eternity.”
It took only an hour that afternoon to realize Jackal was right.
Unlike the morning, Arthur now trained directly alongside the knights. Lucy handed him a grueling training regimen, all while maintaining a false sense of “consideration.”
Perhaps living in such an environment had twisted her understanding of what that word even meant.
Clang!
“Damn it! Can I get a moment to breathe?”
“Haha! But I’m already giving you plenty of breaks!”
“Then give me more!”
Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are publish𝒆d on ƒreewebηoveℓ.com.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse! Without discipline, there’s no training! Look, Lady Kent and Lord Burrow are doing just fine, aren’t they?”
“How can you call that ‘doing fine’? They’re on the verge of death!”
Arthur’s pleas were futile.
Posell, his sparring partner, only pushed him harder, claiming that as long as he could speak, he wasn’t truly struggling.
Pulling Joy aside before she joined the others for training, I stood in front of her, fully equipped except for my mace.
“Lady Allen, what sort of training is this?”
‘It’s combat training. Joy...’
“Combat training. You, Dimwit, tend to make mistakes when you’re under pressure, don’t you? I don’t want to see you doing something foolish and getting yourself killed in a critical moment, so I’m taking it upon myself to toughen you up first.”
I try to avoid throwing my friends or anyone else into dangerous situations if I can help it.
If others have to suffer, I’d rather take on that burden alone. It’s easier for me to handle the risk if it’s only me involved.
But just because that’s my wish doesn’t mean my friends will always be safe.
Joy is no exception.
As long as she attends Soul Academy,
as long as she remains a noble of this country,
and as long as this world grows increasingly chaotic,
Joy will inevitably face peril one day.
If, in that moment, I or another reliable person are there to help, it’ll be fine. But we can’t always count on luck.
I think back to when I first encountered Nakrad.
If things had gone slightly differently, Joy, who was right beside me, could have met a swift, helpless end.
To prevent that, Joy needs real combat experience.
She has to be able to fend for herself, to hold out until help arrives if necessary.
“Hey, Dimwit♡”
“...What?”
“I’m coming at you seriously now♡ Let’s see if you can stand your ground♡”
After my encounter with the skeleton mimicking a hero, my combat style has leaned toward endurance.
My main tactics are shield techniques, holy magic,
and taunts using my Masochistic Brat Skill, which naturally complements this style.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to attack.
Endurance is just a desperate struggle to survive when facing opponents on my level or stronger.
For someone like Joy, with her guard wide open and clinging to her staff, I have no need to hold back.
“If you can, that is♡”
With those words, I sprang forward.
In a world filled with superhuman beings, there’s no such thing as a “safe distance.”
The moment you assume you have some breathing room, that’s when a blade flies straight for your neck.
Having always stood behind others, Joy didn’t realize this.
Because of that, she was caught off guard by my sudden approach.
She couldn’t even cast a spell as she stared, wide-eyed, at my fist that was inches from her face.
Only when the wind from my swing brushed past her, blowing her hair back, did she snap to her senses and stumble backward in shock.
“How disappointing♡ Way below expectations♡ You’re so pathetic, it’s not even funny♡”
Watching her trembling eyes, I continued to taunt her.
She knew it too.
She understood she could have died just now.
Had I not pulled my punch, she would’ve been crushed on the spot.
“Are you scared?♡ Trembling?♡ Haha♡ Without someone in front of you, you’re completely useless, aren’t you? Pathetic♡”
Despite knowing she was shaken, I didn’t hold back the taunts.
I was certain that the current Joy would grit her teeth and rise instead of giving in to despair, so I intensified my provocations.
“If you plan to hide behind someone forever, then stay that way♡ You’re a noble; I’m sure someone will always be there to protect you♡”
Then, biting her lip, Joy staggered to her feet.
“Enough. I don’t want to hear that from a useless noble who causes trouble upfront and can’t even clean up her own messes.”
Seeing her eyes harden with a villainess-like sharpness, I laughed, pleased that I had been right.
“Bring it on. I’ll give you a real roasting.”
“Haha♡ Are you sure?♡ You might eat those words if you get trounced♡”
“And you’ll be pleased when the Dimwit you mocked makes you eat dirt, won’t you?”
As Joy smirked defiantly, I grinned and charged toward her.
Until I have to leave the estate for my planned mission, I’ll drill into her the way a mage should fight.