Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

Aira couldn’t understand.

No, she didn’t want to understand.

Whoosh—!

A sound of wind slicing past the tips of her ears.

And a few strands of hair were cut, followed by something sharp protruding…

“Argh?! Hey! That sword—it’s a real one!”

How could anyone understand such a thing?!

As she shrieked, she turned her body sideways, but it wobbled as if it were not her own, and Aira collapsed with a thud.

And seeing the person holding the sword, Christian, Aira tried to speak but quickly covered her mouth with her hand and bent over.

“Ugh?!”

Oh, no!

I feel like I’m going to throw up!

But I absolutely couldn’t!

To maintain my dignity as a human being…

“If you throw it up once, you’ll feel happy!”

“Sh-shut up!”

The mischievous smile on Christian’s face, though annoying, helped to calm the rising feeling within her.

But it was not the time to be relieved.

While things had settled for now, there was no telling when something might happen again.

And it was only natural because…

“Oh dear. You’ve run just a few laps in the training ground, and you’re already about to throw up?”

“F-few laps? Thirty laps, and you call that a few?!”

“Thirty laps are nothing, really.”

“Ugh!”

Even though the individual training ground was smaller compared to the great training ground, it was still thirty whole laps.

Thankfully, she could sense and handle mana to some extent, or she wouldn’t have even made it halfway around.

No, there wasn’t even a reason to run thirty laps in the first place…

“Why on earth are you swinging that sword?!”

“There’s nothing more effective than swinging a real sword to make someone snap out of it.”

“What kind of crazy person would do such a thing?!”

Instead of answering Aira’s outburst, Christian just quietly looked down at her.

Under that peculiar gaze, Aira, bristling with annoyance, grabbed her arms and legs and the heavy ankle weights and belt on her waist as she shouted.

“Why aren’t you doing this?!”

“I don’t have any.”

“Why not!”

“They’re expensive, and I could only make one.”

“You have a lot of money now, don’t you!?”

“I spent it all.”

“You spent all of that money?!”

“I told you. I commissioned the installation of a mana concentration array. It was expensive.”

“Sure, the mana array’s expensive, but not enough to spend ten thousand gold coins!”

“Oh, well, not all of it went there. I had some money left, so I bought a few training items for you. Look forward to it.”

When Christian grinned, a chill ran down Aira’s spine, and her face turned pale.

‘What is this guy planning?!’

It was shocking enough that he spent all that money at once, but then he claimed it was for her.

Nothing was more terrifying than this.

“You still have the luxury to daydream. You can handle more, can’t you?”

“Luxury?! Does this look like a luxury to you?!”

Aira yelled in frustration as she stood up. She couldn’t bring herself to charge at Christian.

There was an old saying about not provoking a madman with a sword, and Aira was more than happy to shout but had no intention of getting into a physical confrontation.

“Does this really… help?”

Because of this, Aira, who had been cautiously watching, asked carefully.

“It does.”

“… Why are you so sure?”

“Well…”

I’ve experienced the methodology you came up with firsthand and seen its effects.

New Elements and Characters:
– 아이라 = Aira (she)
– 크리스티안 = Christian (he)
However, since Christian couldn’t disclose everything, he crossed his arms for a moment, contemplating silently, before finally letting out a sigh.

“This is just the basics.”

“The basics? This is the basics?”

“Yes, basics.”

Christian wiped the playful expression off his face and looked Aira straight in the eyes with a serious demeanor.

Aira, seeing Christian’s stern expression, straightened her posture to listen attentively.

“Typically, the way we gather mana is by drawing it from the surrounding atmosphere and storing it in our bodies, correct?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Then why do people place so much importance on mana sensitivity?”

“Well, to increase the total amount of mana, of course.”

“Exactly. The total amount of mana. Because creating a mana reservoir that determines that is essential.”

The reason for enhancing mana sensitivity was not just about gathering mana more quickly. It was about creating structures called mana reservoirs, which determined their size and capacity.

Evidently, Christian, as if channeling an academy teacher, coughed lightly before explaining to student Aira.

“Mana is a versatile tool. When contained within the body, it allows movements that transcend natural limits. When imbued into a sword, it can shatter and cut through anything. And these are just a few of its many uses.”

As stated, mana was a tool that could be altered and utilized according to the person wielding it. If mages were those who handled this tool most diversely, then knights were those who utilized it most practically.

“The more mana you have, the better. There’s no denying that. More mana means you can achieve more.”

Christian paused for a moment and, meeting Aira’s intent gaze, gave a warm smile.

“However, there’s a limit to how much mana the mana reservoir can contain. And that limit comes sooner than one might expect.”

If one gathered mana unaware of these limits, it could lead to significant issues within the body. Such problems could be life-threatening.

“Mana is like a treasure sword. While the mana reservoir sharpens this treasure, it doesn’t function as a sheath to handle it safely.”

Christian shrugged as he continued speaking.

“And that sheath’s role is filled by a trained body, this physical vessel. Yet, people often overlook the significance of this sheath.”

“In other words, the body and mana are intertwined as one?”

“Exactly. To properly utilize a large amount of mana, a sturdier body is required. But that’s not all.”

Christian cautiously placed his hand on his chest as he spoke.

“The mana in the mana reservoir will fill up faster than you think. Therefore, we need to make good use of any excess mana.”

The higher one’s mana sensitivity, the faster the mana reservoir fills up. Such individuals often seemed to draw and use mana as if they had no limits. Christian himself had once been one of those individuals.

“Your body will serve as a secondary mana reservoir. The created reservoir continually stores mana, and the body extracts this mana, processes, and compresses it to store anew.”

Upon hearing this, Aira looked at Christian with eyes widened by a newfound understanding.

“A robust body that can withstand the power of compressed mana. A solid physique that can absorb new mana without issues.”

With a confident smile filled with conviction, Christian said to Aira.

“This is why I emphasize body training.”

With the unfamiliar words seemingly contradicting everything she had learned so far, Aira stared at Christian in a daze.

‘Compressed mana to increase density? So one must build a body to withstand that?’

With the use of mana for body activation, one could achieve a perfect body without undergoing the inefficient training of physical conditioning.

And, of course, to gather that much mana, enhancing mana sensitivity was essential training.

‘Why is that even necessary?’

Yet, Christian completely denied that theory, questioning the norm assumed to be obvious.

Instead of merely increasing mana sensitivity, he advocated training the body simultaneously. Instead of expanding the size of the mana reservoir, he suggested compressing the mana to reduce it.

Christian spoke about content that went against conventional wisdom without hesitation.

“Ah, it’s not like I can rely on the help of a mana concentration array like some people, or spend money lavishly like they can, so it was something I thought of as a last resort, and it turned out to be pretty good.”

At that moment, Christian grumbled with a nonchalant expression.

“And who is that ‘some people’…?”

Christian shot a quick glance at Aira but immediately averted his gaze the moment she glared at him. This playful gesture amused her, causing her to let out a small, soft chuckle.

“Alright, I get it. Trying to follow someone like me with barely any money at hand might rip you to pieces, leading you to rack your brains out of desperation. Ah, so this is the way of the common folk?”

“… We are siblings, you know?”

“But seriously, can you really get stronger with such an inefficient method?”

“So, are you stronger than me?”

“Oof!”

Aira reacted sharply to Christian’s cheeky demeanor.

Watching her childlike frustration with a pleased expression, Christian spoke.

“Yes. So don’t worry. I’ll whip your body into shape within a month.”

“Hmph! It’s going to be the result of my efforts, not your teachings, so don’t you dare brag.”

Aira snorted quietly.

Christian, seeing Aira’s behavior, smiled slightly.

… while holding a sword.

“Alright. How about we run for three hours lightly first for that outcome? You can manage that, right?”

“Hey, hey, wait! I’ll run, so put the sword down first! Ahh! Don’t swing it!”

In the end, it was inevitable that they had to run for that outcome.

***

That afternoon, Masaya Rio and a group of mages from the Logia Magic Tower branch visited Count Worden’s residence.

The servants, having been informed of this visit in advance by Christian, promptly guided them to the training ground.

Upon arriving, Masaya and her entourage grimaced at the sight before them.

“Do they really intend to set up an mana concentration array here? Even if we work day and night, it’ll take at least a week!”

“It seems quicker than expected, doesn’t it? I thought it’d take at least a month.”

“Well… I brought all the remaining mages after excluding the ones needed for potion making and relic crafting.”

Christian glanced slyly at the mages who came with Masaya.

Though they were informed in advance, facing the reality of the task ahead in the training ground seemed to have drained the color from their faces, anticipating the hellish manual labor to come.

“By the way, young master Christian, I have a question.”

“Yes, anything.”

Masaya said, slightly furrowing her brow as she shifted her gaze from Christian’s sly expression.

“Who is that over there, vomiting?”

“Uweeek!”

Aira, in one corner, was retching even though she hadn’t eaten anything, prompting anyone to approach her and try to pat her back.

“Oh, don’t mind her. You’ll see that often while working. Once you’re accustomed to it, it won’t bother you.”

However, Christian only shrugged nonchalantly, taking no further action, despite Masaya’s visible discomfort with his attitude.

“But if someone keeps vomiting during work, it’s sure to be bothersome. Can’t you move her somewhere else?”

“She’s not an object to be moved… Just think of it as part of the environment.”

Masaya, exasperated by the terrible working conditions, sighed heavily.

“In any case, don’t think of entering this place for the next week. If the energy circle gets disrupted, the whole mansion could go up in flames.”

“What? Is working with an mana concentration array that hazardous?”

“As long as it’s not disturbed, there shouldn’t be any danger. A magic array of this scale, no matter what… Oh, don’t worry too much. We’ll triple check everything.”

Masaya looked at the anxious Christian with a sidelong glance as she spoke.

“I don’t intend to lay my grave here either.”

“Very well, I entrust you with this task.”

Given that the safety measures seemed adequate, Christian nodded in agreement.

“Oh, I have one last favor to ask.”

“Pardon? A favor?”

Masaya gazed at Christian with a rather serious expression.

Despite her light demeanor, she held the position of a deputy manager.

With her possessing formidable mana, Christian couldn’t help but tense up at the mention of a favor.

‘What could she possibly ask?’

When a mage makes a request, it inherently implies a deep matter.

Mages are beings who ceaselessly seek knowledge and will do anything to acquire it.

With a hand raised to point in one direction, Masaya, that seeker of knowledge, said,

“Could you get someone to clean up the vomited mess? It’s awfully disgusting.”

“…”

At the end of her pointing finger,

“Wyek! Ugh… Ptuh! Damn it, really… Uweeek!”

Despite having vomited so much, apparently still having more to expel, Aira continued to retch as if to extract her very guts.

Christian could only let out a small sigh at the sight.

“Take a break for a moment. I’ll have it cleaned properly.”

“We’ll get rid of the smell for you.”

“That’s much appreciated.”

Mages… They truly are useful.

Christian found himself newly appreciating the greatness of magic.