Could She Be a Demon?
After breakfast, I headed to our training grounds with Sarah, eager for the long-awaited self-defense practice.
Who knew our family had training grounds?
This was my first time going there. As we walked out of the mansion, I kept looking around, curious, and tripped a few times, earning scoldings from Sarah.
The training grounds were located behind the mansion.
I had imagined an empty, barren field, but it was actually a well-maintained area resembling an all-weather sports ground. It even had sections like a tennis court, with areas of clay and grass.
According to Sarah, the purpose of this setup was to train soldiers to fight in various environments. They even used elemental attributes to simulate different weather conditions.
For example:
- Rain, snowy surfaces, or icy patches = Water attribute.
- Muddy terrain = Earth attribute.
- Dust storms from strong winds = Wind attribute.
- Scorching heat = Fire attribute.
- Thunderstorms = Water and Lightning attributes combined.
Apparently, only the Lampail domain employed such training methods. The private soldiers trained here were renowned as formidable warriors.
This reputation attracted many hopeful applicants, but entry into the corps was extremely competitive. Unlike some Royal Knights’ Oders, which supposedly admitted noble sons easily, this was no such easy path.
Even an A-rank adventurer might struggle to get in.
Getting admitted was hell; staying in was another hell. Are the private soldiers all berserkers or something?
When we arrived, Nancy, Zack, and Annie were already there, waiting.
It seemed the instructor hadn’t arrived yet.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s no problem, Young lady. Shall we begin? Sarah.”
“Yes, let’s start.”
“Thank you.”
Hmm? What’s going on?
“Young lady, it’s customary to greet the instructor before and after training. Since it’s your first time today, you can begin doing so from the next session.”
Wait, does that mean Nancy is the instructor?
“Umm, just to confirm… is Nancy the instructor?”
“Yes, Young lady. Didn’t you know? Despite my appearances, I used to be part of a monster-slaying squad. I am well-versed in training techniques.”
Seriously?!
No wonder she’s so scary—wait, I mean, strong. Of course, even that Grey couldn’t stand a chance against her.
Time to fully commit to the motto: “Training starts and ends with respect.”
“I’ll be in your care!”
The training began with building basic physical strength.
We ran three laps around the grounds, did 30 push-ups, ran another three laps, followed by 30 leg-raise crunches, and then ran three more laps.
This routine was scheduled three times a week for a month, with the intensity increasing afterward.
Nancy, the gentle-looking one, was she actually... a demon, perhaps?
Sarah and Annie, who had trained before, followed an even tougher regimen. After what felt like an eternity, we finally finished before noon.
Though I was starving, I was too exhausted to eat anything but drink liquids. Eating would definitely make me throw up. Most importantly, I couldn’t even move.
As Zack and I sat back-to-back, trying to recover:
“Here, have this.”
“Huh? Mr. Arthur? I thought you were off today?”
He handed me a cool drink.
“I figured you wouldn’t be able to eat lunch after this. Youg master Noel and Nathan were the same way when they started. Well, Young master Gene was the exception—he ate just fine.”
Gulp. “This is yummy. Did you make this milange juice?”
“No, I just brought it over. Ben made it. Oh, and here, take this too.”
He handed over some nababa fruit, suggesting it might be manageable.
“Nancy’s training is no joke, huh?”
Arthur muttered softly.
Zack and I nodded silently in agreement.
“Unfortunately, you’ll just have to get used to it. Hang in there.”
With a pat on each of our heads, Arthur headed back to the mansion.
Get used to it, huh? Is that even possible?
Still, there’s no choice. Without basic physical fitness, I can’t even start learning self-defense.
But seriously, Brother Gene could eat just fine after this? Is he overflowing with stamina or something?
What do you think about this chapter?
