Being a veteran in the military, I can't help but feel conditioned by this.
The mere word "Move!" instinctively made me respond out loud.
"Move!"
Without hesitation, I bolted toward the far end of the pasture.
Seeing me take off, Rudy and Irina hesitated for a moment before reluctantly following suit.
The rest of the students, however, just stood around, confused and unsure of what to do.
"Hoo! Looks like we've got a sharp one this semester!"
That booming voice belonged to Professor Mukali.
He turned to the students still standing and roared,
"What are you standing there for?! If you don't start running, I'll personally treat you to a special evening lecture. And let me tell you, that lecture includes sit-ups and push-ups till you drop!"
Only then did the remaining students snap out of their daze and start running. However, by the time they began, I had already gained a significant lead.
Even Rudy and Irina, who had started not long after me, were far ahead of the lagging students.
"Huff… huff…"
Running wasn't a problem for me. I'd been working out regularly even before coming here, so I didn't break a sweat during the long run.
Surprisingly, Irina kept up well.
Considering she was from a noble family famous for magic, I assumed she'd struggle with physical activity, but she was running quite smoothly.
On the other hand, Rudy was visibly struggling.
"Hahh, hahh…!"
It was clear he wasn't used to running even a short distance. His breaths came out in ragged gasps, and his pace slowed until he was practically walking.
The seemingly endless pasture stretched much farther than it appeared at first glance. The return point, which looked close at a distance, felt deceptively far.
I was the first to round the halfway point and head back toward Professor Mukali.
"No one's caught up yet."
By now, Rudy had slowed to a crawl, his face flushed red. He had completely fallen behind, shuffling along like a snail.
Behind him, the other students were faring no better—most were in the same state as Rudy. Still, a few students seemed to be in excellent condition.
"They're from knight families."
Irina, who was running close behind me, pointed to the group of well-built students.
"Sometimes, students with magical talent are born into knight families," she added.
"I see. But what about you? How are you running so well?"
I hadn't expected Irina to be such a good runner. Could this be a hidden talent of hers?
For me, my stamina was the result of consistent training, but for her to keep up with me…
"Basic stamina is essential for a battle mage. I've been training my body since childhood to become an exceptional combat mage," she explained.
"Ah, I see."
That made sense.
Without any prior training, there's no way someone could match my pace so easily.
Irina and I were the first and second to arrive back at Professor Mukali's starting point.
Shortly after, a group of students from knight families arrived.
Now that we were gathered here, I could see that all of them had impressive physiques, likely honed by their family training.
"This is why horseback riding and physical training classes are so popular," Irina remarked.
I nodded in agreement.
For students from noble families who already knew how to ride and for those from knight families accustomed to physical training, this class offered clear advantages.
From the way Professor Mukali handled things, though, the latter group seemed far better suited for the class.
After all, long-distance running wasn't a skill that horseback riders necessarily excelled in.
"Huff… huff… ugh…"
"Haaa… haaa…"
"Gaaaah…"
At the tail end of the knight family students came Rudy, barely dragging himself forward.
Not far behind him, the other noble students staggered in, panting so heavily they looked like they might throw up.
Their faces were pale, their spirits crushed.
"Tsk, tsk. Exhausted after just this little run? How do you expect to stay on a horse with that kind of stamina?"
"Huff… huff…"
Despite their exhaustion, one brave student raised a trembling hand to voice a complaint.
"Huff… Professor! I have… something to say…!"
"Hmm? Go ahead," Mukali said, allowing him to speak.
The student took a moment to catch his breath before voicing his grievance.
"You said the goal is to learn how to ride well enough to cast spells on horseback. What does running have to do with that?"
"Hahaha! Every year, there's always one student who asks such a foolish question!"
The student's face turned bright red. He looked utterly humiliated.
Mukali, however, ignored his reaction and continued speaking.
"When do you think you nobles, who ride around in carriages all day, will ever need to mount a horse?"
"Uh… for leisure rides?"
"You idiot! It's for times when carriages can't be used—rugged battlefields, or when your carriage is destroyed, leaving you no choice but to ride! Do you think your enemies will wait for you to catch your breath before attacking?!"
"…"
The student was left speechless.
Most of the students here were nobles, accustomed to traveling in carriages.
The only times they'd truly need to ride a horse would be in situations where carriages were impractical or unavailable—scenarios that typically occurred on the battlefield.
This horseback riding class wasn't just about casual riding; it was about preparing to be a battle mage.
"Seeing as you're all so out of breath, let's move straight to the next exercise: horse stance."
"…"
The horse stance required students to stand with their legs spread wider than shoulder-width, knees bent, and their posture mimicking the position of riding a horse.
Mukali demonstrated first.
With his short, stocky limbs and thick build, the dwarf hardly looked strained while holding the stance.
"Now, bend your knees like this, keeping your back straight. Don't lean forward. This position strengthens both your lower body and core. Get into position now."
"Right now?"
"Of course, right now."
The students who had been slow to finish the run were still gasping for air. Yet, they were now being asked to adopt a physically demanding stance.
Meanwhile, Irina and I, having arrived first, had already caught our breath.
Even the knight family students were relatively composed, and Rudy seemed to have stabilized his breathing somewhat.
Only the other noble students were at a disadvantage.
I quickly assumed the horse stance. It wasn't a difficult posture for me.
"I've done this plenty of times before."
Irina followed suit, getting into position without much trouble.
As expected, the knight family students also managed the stance with ease, showing their natural aptitude for physical activities.
"And Rudy…"
"Ughhh…"
His legs were trembling from the start, sweat pouring down his face like rain.
"There's still an hour left in this class… Hang in there, Rudy."
It was my idea, along with Irina's, to have Rudy take this class. Watching him struggle, I felt a pang of guilt.
---
The return journey was even harder for Rudy.
By the time the class was over, he was so drained he could barely stand.
And with the dorms being a 45-minute walk away, the thought of trekking back was enough to crush his spirit.
"I shouldn't have taken this class," Rudy groaned.
"No, Rudy, you did great," I said, supporting him as we walked.
"Half the students were worse off than you. Everyone struggles at first."
"Haa… but the other half did better than me. How are you so good at this, Noah?"
"I've been training my body since I was home."
"Training? Why? Isn't the Ashborn family a mage lineage? Were you planning to switch to a knight class because of low magic power…?"
"Nothing like that. I just did it on my own."
"On your own?"
Rudy looked baffled.
Who works out voluntarily without being told to?
Then he turned to Irina.
"Irina, how about you? You were amazing back there…"
"I carry the honor of the Velun family. I'm training to become an exceptional battle mage. I've been preparing for this since I was a child."
Irina, as always, was exceptional.
She was a distinguished talent, selected through the merit-based admissions process.
Now, these two extraordinary individuals were supporting Rudy on either side, helping him walk.
"You'll make it, right?"
"Yeah, I'm just tired."
Despite his exhaustion, Rudy pushed forward, step by step.
Though the walk back was long, he seemed to feel a sense of camaraderie.
"Is this what they call brotherhood?"
A warm feeling swelled in my chest, lifting my spirits.
Just moments ago, it had felt so hard, but now my steps were light.
That was until—
"Hey, walk properly."
"You're hurting my shoulder."
Hearing our complaints, Rudy put more effort into his steps.
His legs regained weight, and soon, the muscle fatigue hit.
"Ughhh!"
---
By the time we reached the dormitory, the sun was already setting.
From morning until evening, the day had flown by with new lessons.
Our horseback riding class had kept us so late that the other students had already returned and were resting in exhaustion.
"Haa… Is magic school always this hard?"
"Don't even get me started. We have homework for the Magic Formula Basics class, too."
"Right! When are we supposed to do that?"
"We have to live like this for four years…?"
"Have you all decided on your electives yet?"
"Electives? All I know is, I'm never taking 'Horseback Riding and Physical Training.'"
"Why not?"
"I heard from seniors that the professor's personality is the worst, and the location is so far away. It's the worst class ever."
Overhearing this, Rudy gave me and Irina a resentful look.
"Was Professor Mukali's personality that bad? I didn't think so…"
Compared to military training instructors, Mukali was practically gentle. At least he didn't force anyone to carry heavy gear while running.
And compared to personal trainers at gyms who yell, "Just one more! Last one! Okay, one more!" for ten extra reps, Mukali was nothing.
"Irina, didn't you say horseback riding was a popular class?" Rudy asked, his eyes narrowing at her.
Irina's eyes flickered for a moment, but her face remained composed. Calmly, she replied,
"It's popular, but also considered the worst."
Rudy stared at her like she was speaking nonsense.
"I didn't mind it," I said, trying to back her up.
Irina shot me a look of gratitude.
Still, it bothered me that the school didn't give us any notice or syllabus for how the classes would be conducted. You'd think they'd provide a lesson plan in advance.
Instead, students were left to figure things out on their own.
Just as I was thinking that, some seniors arrived at the dormitory to provide some guidance.
"Hello, first-years. I'm Nebulia Casper, a third-year and the president of the Elemental Magic Research Society."
Nebulia, who had bright red hair and prominent freckles, introduced herself confidently.
As if to demonstrate her skill, she conjured flames in her hands while promoting her society.
"Our society has a long tradition, with even the great Archmage Dalphir among its alumni. If you join us, you'll get access to invaluable resources, like exam guides and insights into professors' preferences. We also provide weekly mentoring sessions on elemental magic basics."
The moment she finished her pitch, a swarm of students rushed over.
Handing out membership forms, Nebulia added,
"And after our mentoring sessions and meetings, we always have amazing after-parties! So if you're interested, visit the Elemental Magic Research Society room on the third floor of Dalphir Hall!"
Hmm, after-parties, huh?
Enthralled, students eagerly signed the forms.
Rudy seemed tempted to join as well, but I stopped him.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Just hold on."
Soon, another senior with a sharp gaze entered to promote their society.
"I'm the president of the Magic Swordsman Society. Our society focuses on combining magic and swordsmanship. We have many seniors from knight families, so you'll learn top-tier combat techniques. If you dream of dominating the battlefield as a magic swordsman, join us."
This time, it was Irina who seemed captivated and grabbed a form.
I snatched it from her hands.
"Hey, why?" she protested.
"Name one magic swordsman who became an Archmage."
"…"
Of course, there wasn't one.
Magic swordsmen sound impressive, but in reality, they're just jack-of-all-trades characters with wasted potential.
Don't even think about joining a place like that.
The Magic Swordsman Society president, like the others, concluded their pitch by emphasizing the after-party.
After that, more societies continued to pour in with their promotions.
"We're the Volunteer Society!"
"We're the Magic History Society…"
"Join the Survival Swimming Society…"
Every society had one thing in common: they all heavily advertised their after-parties.
Curious about this, Rudy leaned over and asked me, "What do you think these after-parties are all about?"
I had a hunch.
"It's probably drinking."