I woke up and got ready; I went to have the breakfast Ruthia had prepared and, without wasting time, headed to Jina's house.
Upon arriving, I found Jina and Sir Gareth already waiting for me outside the residence. When I approached, after proper greetings, Sir Gareth informed me we'd be training in a different location this time—the military training grounds of Zherwood.
We walked for a few minutes, and upon arrival, Sir Gareth led us to a training arena. The space was wide and equipped with training dummies, weights for exercises, sandbags for practicing combos or raw strength, wooden weapons and arrows for sparring, along with various other obstacles and tools used to enhance both physical conditioning and weapon mastery.
― "Ishida, Jina, grab those weights and start walking. After 10 laps, begin running; I'll tell you when to stop. This will be your warm-up for now."
― "Yes, sir!"
― "Yes, Dad."
Jina and I responded promptly and began strapping on the weights—attached to our arms, legs, and chest. We started with light 2-kg weights, totaling 10 kg for the initial exercise. Though it didn't seem like much at first glance, even before we started running, we could feel the difference the weights made. The worst part was that even after 15 laps, Sir Gareth showed no sign of telling us to stop. The delight on his face was unmistakable.
I collapsed on the 23rd lap, while Jina completed 25 before also falling, panting heavily. Seeing this, Sir Gareth approached us with a grin.
― "Very good. I thought you'd drop sooner. Especially you, boy. Jina's done this training before, but you nearly kept up with her on your first run." Then, turning to Jina, he added― "You'd better push yourself, Jina, or the boy will surpass you soon."
Jina made a displeased face― "Humph, I was going easy on him."
― "Hahaha, if you were going easy, let's do 10 more laps while I show the boy what we'll do next."
― "Ehhh… I was just joking, Dad, hehe," Jina said, scratching her head.
― "Hahaha, I know. Come on, both of you. I'll teach you the basics of footwork."
Sir Gareth began explaining the drill― "First, get into stance. Boy, do you remember the position I taught you?"
― "Yes, sir," I replied, immediately assuming the stance.
― "Good. Now advance and retreat in a straight line. Imagine you're gliding forward and backward."
I started performing the movements, struggling to maintain a steady rhythm, my steps looking clumsy. However, with time and Sir Gareth's corrections, I gradually adjusted. It still didn't look like I was gliding, but at least I wasn't losing balance anymore.
― "Well done, boy. Keep practicing. Now, I'll help Jina."
While continuing my exercises, I peeked to see how Sir Gareth would assist Jina. I noticed he set up vertical bamboo poles as obstacles; Jina had to weave through them, alternating between high and low guards.
― "This drill suits your fighting style, since you prefer using speed to your advantage," Sir Gareth remarked, analyzing Jina's movements.
Jina began her exercise, and I realized I'd need to work hard to reach her level. Her movements were fluid, her guard transitions precise, and her spear technique was impressive.
― "Good, Jina, but you still need to increase your speed. When switching to low guard, I notice hesitation. Try practicing guard transitions while standing still," Gareth instructed.
Focusing back on my own training, I resolved to give it my all. We continued for several hours until Sir Gareth called us again― "You both did well. Now, we'll switch to another footwork drill." He then turned to me.
― "Boy, your exercise will be different from before. You'll spin the spear around your body—both horizontally and vertically—while moving in circles on the ground." Turning to Jina, he added― "Jina, you'll do the same drill as him."
We both nodded in agreement. I attempted the first movements but, for some reason, lost my balance and fell.
― "HAHAHA," Jina burst out laughing at me.
I felt a little embarrassed, but Sir Gareth quickly got my attention― "This exercise is trickier than the last. Jina also fell the first time she tried it, hehe. Here's a tip: watch your feet. If they cross, you'll likely fall."
― "Hey, Dad, you weren't supposed to give me away like that...," Jina pouted before resuming her training.
I stood up and quickly restarted my drill.
― "Thank you, Sir Gareth, for the tip. I didn't understand why I fell."
I began again, focusing on the basics… my footwork.
We trained for a few more hours, and before we knew it, it was already afternoon.
― "Good. You both had solid training today. From now on, we'll meet here for training every other day. Tomorrow, you and Jina will go hunting to apply what you learned today. And one more thing… this time, don't go deep into the woods, and avoid large slime groups. Wait until I teach you basic defenses in the next sessions."
― "Come on, Ishida, let's take these weights off," Jina called.
― "Negative, Jina, hehe. From now on, you'll live with these weights. Sleep with them, hunt with them, eat with them. Only remove them in emergencies."
Jina and I exchanged glances. Our expressions weren't the brightest, but there was nothing we could do.
I returned to Ruthia's inn, thinking: "The path feels longer now..." Clearly, I wasn't thrilled about living with these cumbersome weights, but I knew they'd help build my endurance, strength, and agility. So, I steeled my resolve and pushed those thoughts aside.
I went up to bathe, and after a relaxing shower, I dressed and reattached the weights. Heading back down for dinner, Ruthia served me. She stared in surprise at the weights on my body, but her expression quickly shifted.
― "Captain Gareth?" she remarked, pointing at the chest weight.
― "Yeah..." I replied, slightly downcast.
― "Hehe, good luck, boy," Ruthia said with a knowing smile.
I just sighed—I'd already accepted my fate. After eating and thanking Ruthia for another excellent meal, I returned to my room. Exhausted from the day but knowing I couldn't slack off completely, I decided to do some cultivation before sleeping.