Martial Arts Training and Building Stamina
The second lesson was martial arts training.
From the last class, I’d learned that weapons were still too early for me.
So today, the goal was to get used to strengthening magic and build up stamina.
“Alrighty then~ let’s get running~”
As soon as the starting bell rang, the teacher started running, same as always.
I had already finished casting strengthening magic on both legs, so I started running together with everyone.
“Vio, you sure it’s okay to go that fast?”
“Wow, this is the first time I’m running with you, Vio~”
It was my first time running with this group, so Ren and Hachi ran alongside me, worried.
I didn’t have the spare breath to chat, so I just made a circle with my thumb and forefinger to show I was fine, keeping my breathing steady.
“Wait, are you using body strengthening magic?”
“Ah, did Alke teach you? That’s one heck of an effect~”
Looking back over their shoulders now and then, Run and Nachi praised me.
It wasn’t actually the method Dad taught me, but since it was easier if they thought so, I just nodded lightly.
Tony was running right behind the teacher, so there was some distance between us.
“Uh, I’m gonna slow down for the second lap.”
“Ohh, don’t push yerself.”
“Yeah, just keeping up with one lap is amazing~ Do your best, okay?”
At the start of the second lap, I admitted I couldn’t keep up with their pace any longer.
Those guys were actually picking up speed every lap, after all.
I focused on keeping my second lap at the same pace as the first, checking my breathing.
The strengthening magic was working well.
My breath and heartbeat were pounding, but I didn’t feel much fatigue or heaviness in my legs.
(Hee-hee-hoo...)
Hm? Something feels off.
(Hee-hee-hoo)
I tried a breathing method I vaguely remembered learning long ago, but it didn’t help at all.
(In-in-out~~)
Oh?
(In-in, out~~)
Yeah, this one felt right.
My throat wasn’t as dry, and switching to nose breathing made it easier.
“Oh my, Vio, that’s impressive.”
“Well, going for the third lap, are you?”
“My my, don’t overdo it~ Do your best.”
Before I knew it, the second lap was nearly over, and since I had finally gotten the hang of breathing, I decided to run one more.
The teacher and Tony sped past me, but I didn’t mind.
(In-in, out~~)
“Ohh, looks like you are doing alright.”
Nod.
“Vio, you sure are something.”
Nod.
I couldn’t talk without messing up my breathing, but I could at least nod.
The teacher and Tony cheered me on as they passed, followed by Nachi and Hachi, then Run and Ren.
I still hadn’t seen Kathe. She wasn’t good at running with her heavy tail, but she had endurance and could keep a steady pace. I was almost catching up, but probably wouldn’t in the third lap.
Somehow, I managed to finish three laps and return to the starting point, where the three sisters were waiting.
“Phew, that was tough!”
“Vio, you’re amazing. I didn’t think you could keep that pace for three laps. Strengthening magic really is something. Maybe I’ll ask Father to teach me too when he comes back.”
The sweat poured out the instant I stopped.
While hydrating, Kathe, who had finished two laps earlier, praised me.
Her father and brother were active adventurers, and her mother had been one too.
Now her father and brother were out dungeon-diving for her brother’s rank-up, but really, she had grown up in the perfect environment for adventurers.
I plopped down, gulping water like Joe when he turned pale, but after using Cleanse to wipe off the sweat, I felt calmer.
“Well, I’m off to weapon training.”
Kathe didn’t look tired at all and went off to choose her weapon.
Now then, what should I do?
The boys all went straight to weapon training without even resting. Seriously, what was up with their stamina?
When I practiced with Dad, we did athletics courses to build balance while running, but there wasn’t anything like that here.
Well, if it doesn’t exist, I can make it, right?
So I drew two thin lines on the ground, plus some small circles and big circles. Some parts of the lines I made thinner, others wider.
Yeah, this felt promising.
At the start line, I stretched a bit, checked that my legs weren’t too tired, and then began running slowly.
The small circles were logs, so I stepped into the center with one foot.
The two drawn lines were suspension bridges—thin parts I had to stay within, and wide gaps I had to jump across.
The first lap was just for learning the route.
Once I knew it, I sped up on the second.
I skipped the big circles, since there were too many logs anyway.
Because it was flat, I didn’t have to worry about falling, so I could go faster.
Heh heh heh, this was pretty fun.
Once I reached the goal line, I turned back and ran it in reverse.
As I finished the second lap, Edel-Teacher was waiting at the start line.
“Ohh, and what sort of training is this?”
“Dad built logs and suspension bridges in the forest for training, so I thought I’d try something similar here. The circles are logs, and the thin lines are suspension bridges.”
When I explained, Teacher nodded with interest, watching me.
“Don’t ya think the distances are too short? Wouldn’t it be better farther apart?”
“I thought so too, so I’m avoiding stepping on the big circles.”
Teacher joined in adjusting the course—adding and erasing circles, making the bridges longer.
I had only made about 50 meters by myself, but with Teacher, it doubled in length.
And with all that fuss, Ren and Hachi came over, then the older boys too.
“Alright, I’ll give it a shot!”
It was just logs and bridges, but now long enough to be exciting.
Ren, brimming with energy, ran at it first. With his athletic ability, he cleared it easily, hopping over the log traps.
I tripped on the wide bridges and logs, but Kathe managed gracefully, balancing with her tail.
“This is fun. But maybe it’s too easy since it’s flat.”
“Yeah, even if ya fail, it doesn’t matter. I’d love to see Vio’s forest course.”
“Hmm, I’d have to ask Dad, but maybe we could use earth magic to make raised logs.”
““That’s it!!””
Tony wanted to see the real course, but since Dad made it, I couldn’t just invite them.
So I suggested the idea of using earth magic instead, and everyone agreed enthusiastically.
“Oh my, that does sound fun.”
“Well then, maybe we can help too?”
“My my, we’re good at earth magic, so leave it to us.”
“Ohh, then maybe we should add some tall walls here for fun?”
Before I knew it, the older group was fired up, brainstorming new traps with earth magic.
Even Teacher was happily joining in. Weren’t you all supposed to be training with weapons...?
“O’earth and soil, heed my power and rise, Earth Wall!”
Those skilled in earth magic placed their hands on the ground, chanting.
The Vice-Guildmaster usually just said Earth Wall, but wow, the full incantation was much fancier.
What’s the difference between “earth” and “soil,” anyway? Probably not something I should ask.
And so, using earth walls, they built mounds.
Solid-looking, safe to step on, and tougher.
With the new slopes, the difficulty shot up.
“Whoa, this looks crazy fun!”
“Oh my, this does look hard.”
“My my, no way I can do that.”
“My, my, what an impressive course this turned into.”
Even I was surprised.
What had started as a few lines in the dirt had turned into a full-blown athletics course in the corner of the training grounds.
The suspension bridges were gone, replaced with balance-beam-like logs. The mounds worked fine as logs.
Even Ren, who had skipped along easily before, now fell from the logs a few times.
I could manage the logs carefully, but the walls were something else.
Was this SASUKE?
That wall was Teacher’s idea, clearly having fun building it.
Only Tony cleared it, his rabbit beastkin leaps carrying him over.
In the end, nobody went back to weapon training that day.
We all spent the whole time enjoying the log athletics course.
What do you think about this chapter?
