My eyes twitched as the light of dawn shined down on my face, I slowly open up my eyes as I woke up groggily.
I start to sit up from my bed as I stretched my arms. I then observed my surroundings while still being a little bit sleepy. 'So this is my room, I didn't have the luxury to observe it last night because I was too tired. *Yawn* It is small but it'll do'
My room is fitted with all the essential furniture that I need. A single bed, an end table, and a wooden footlocker. My room is located on the second floor, at the east wing of the barracks on where most of the female soldiers are.
I stood up from my bed and started to fix the wrinkled blanket. After arranging my bed, I went to the small window located on the right side of my room. Upon gazing outside, I am greeted by loud shouts of people coming from the training grounds. 'Woah, they started so early… Huh? Why is Gellard with them? Ah, whatever, it's not my business.'
I walked toward the footlocker located at the end of my bed. I opened up the footlocker as I start to assess my belongings.
A Steel Longsword, one navy blue woolen shirt, a pair of black leather pants, a plate chest piece, a pair of plate and leather shoulder guards, a pair of steel rerebraces, gauntlets, graves, and lastly, a reinforced steel helmet. These are the equipment given to me by quartermaster Olyver Harthow, yes, apparently, he's not just an instructor but a quartermaster as well.
I prepare myself as I wear my equipment one by one, after wearing everything else except my helmet and sword, I tried walking and jumping while moving my limbs as I test the maneuverability of my armor. It's quite heavy, but I can maneuver very well with it, it seems like it was made especially for me...
I then picked up my Longsword as I unsheathed it from its scabbard. My ears were then greeted by a crisp sound of sliding metal as I pulled out the sword from its leather scabbard. The sword blade gleamed as I observed it's mirror-like surface. I took hold of the hilt of the sword with two hands as I perform a simple overhead strike. "Haah!" 'Hmm, this sword is better than the one stored inside my storage ring.'
The sword itself is a little bit on the heavier side, but that's just me since I never tried to increase my physical strength. I picked up the scabbard as I snuggly placed the sword back inside. I then strapped the scabbard on my waist with a leather strap as I prepare to leave the room.
I picked up and carried my helmet as I departed my room. I passed the hallway and descended the stairs as I arrive at the main lobby. I then used the back door to go to the training grounds.
Upon my exit, I breathed deeply as I inhaled a batch of the fresh morning air. I then proceeded to ground 14 on where I will meet with sir Marcus Beshire, my supposed Mentor. On my way, I saw Gellard practicing his sword mastery as he performs a series of sword strikes. I wanted to greet him but stopped myself as I thought that It'll just disturb his focus, so I went on my way to ground 14 on where I am greeted by a muscular man wearing woolen clothing as he faces the direction of the morning sun.
I went closer to the man as I greeted him. "Sergeant Major Noel Flonsch reporting, sir!"
The man turns around and faces me, as expected, it is sir Marcus Beshire. "Ah, you're quite late, apprentice."
'What the… I'm not late, you're just too early!'
"Pardon me for being late, sir."
"Bwahahaha! I'm just messing with you, in fact, you're early."
'This guy…'
"By the way, why are you wearing your plate armor? We're not going to war, at least not yet, Bwahahahahaha!"
"..."
"... Alright alright, enough with the jokes. Remove your armor and weapon, we're not gonna use them yet."
I removed my plate armor and sword as instructed, I then stored them inside my storage ring for convenience. "Storage ring eh? Quite a fancy thing you have there, but you're not the only one who has one."
"..."
"Alright, today starts the beginning of your training, the first thing you must do… Is to run five laps around the field.."
"Huh? Hey hey, mentor… You sure, you want me to run five laps around the field? I-I don't think I am capable of doing that…" I remarked.
"Of course you can! You must run around the field five times, it helps build up your stamina! I'm already being lenient on you since it's your first day, the standard is 30 laps."
'Oi… Yeah, sure it'll help… It'll help me die for mushroom's sake! The field is as big as a full-sized football stadium! And who the heck does 30 laps on a place as big as this?!'
"Urgh… Fine…"
I started running as I travel around the training field while attempting to finish five laps as my mentor said. Whilst running, I was greeted by Gellard with a simple good morning before he resumed practicing his swordsmanship. Finishing a single lap, I already felt every fiber of my body aching as it is screaming to stop, begging for air.
I ignored the pain and ran for another lap as I began the process of killing every cell within my body. I finished the second lap, and my body is seriously screaming at me to stop at once as it is experiencing pain all over due to the lack of air within my cells. I forced myself to go for another lap while I started to become light-headed. Halfway through the lap, I accidentally tripped and fell face-first on the dirt. I breathed heavily as I try to inhale huge amounts of air.
After re-stabilizing my breathing for who knows how long, I stood up with great difficulty as I go to finish the other half of the third lap. I eventually reached my destination and finished the remaining half of the third lap, I soon fell on the ground again with my back as I take deep breaths while gazing at the beautiful blue sky.
A muscular man then arrived at my location as he stood up beside me while shaking his head, "Tsk tsk, you're too weak, apprentice. I was already being lenient on you but all you accomplished was three laps while falling over in the third half."
"*Huff!* It's not like… *Huff!* I can help… *Huff!* it. *Huff!* It's my first time doing this."
I tried sitting up with difficulty while catching my breath. I eventually succeeded and I faced sir Marcus. Sir Marcus then hands me a leather bottle filled with spring water as he motions for me to take it. "Here, drink. After you've rested, redo the five laps!"
"Pfft!" I accidentally threw the water that I was drinking as I was flabbergasted to what sir Marcus said.
"You got to be kidding me!"
"No, I'm not kidding, my apprentice. Bwahahahahaha!"
"Urgh!"
I finished drinking the bottle of water and stabilized my breathing as I began to calmly breathe, I stayed sitting for a few minutes as I rested for a bit. After the rest, I stood up and ran around the field again as I began to run once more for five laps, while this time forcing myself to actually finish five laps without interruptions, and so a series of falling over and redoing the five laps commenced!
After approximately redoing the laps four times and falling over which I lost the count of. I eventually achieved five laps on my fifth rerun. I fell on the ground with a smile as I breathed heavily, finally achieved five laps without interruptions!
Sir Marcus then approached me, "Bwahahahaha! Good Job, my apprentice, you've finished five laps without interruptions, albeit after a handful of tries that is, nonetheless well done!"
"*huff!* T-Thank *huff!* you… Sir."
"You're welcome! Don't let it get into your head, kid."
'I can't even bring myself to think of such a thing! How am I supposed to be arrogant when you're trying to kill me?!'
"Alright, your next task is to do three sets of 20 sit-ups, 20 push-ups, 20 knee-strikes, 20 lunges, and 20 knife hand strikes."
"What! Y-You're gonna kill me!"
Sir Marcus stares at me and scoffs at my comment, "Pshaw! Kill you? If I wanted to kill you I would've asked you to do ten sets, 1000 each. Bwahahahaha!"
'Ugh! Why did I even agree on this Mage-Knight training…'
"Alright, now go and do the task that I've told you. It's the easiest work-out in the world!"
"*sigh* Fine…"
"Don't be all gloomy on me now, soon you'll love working out once you get used to it. Bwahahahaha!"
'Sure sure, old man.'
And so my next torture occurred as I performed the three sets of work-out sir Marcus gave me.
1... 2… 3…
14… 16…
After literally torturing every cell of my body, I finally finished the second task.
"Aargh! This training is killing me!"
"Nah it isn't, it's the easiest training you'll ever have! Now go do ten laps around the field!"
"..."
"... What are you waiting for?"
"AAAAHH! GET ME OUT OF THIS HELL!"
---End---