“Ceres, have you completely lost it?”
Ceres scratched her cheek as she looked at Antonian, who was clutching her arm and shooting her indignant looks.
Wow. I haven’t heard that in a while.
Come to think of it, wasn’t that the first thing she heard after waking up in this world again?
“What’s the problem?”
“You seriously have to ask?”
The problem was that she’d brought them here in the first place!
Barely holding back the urge to yell, Antonian poured out his frustration in a quiet voice.
“How are we supposed to beat them? Does that sound remotely possible to you?”
“Of course.”
“You’re f*cking insane!”
Smack!
“Tsk...! What was that for?!”
“If you’re going to keep swearing at your sister, then you deserve it.”
“How is telling the truth swearing?!”
“Be quiet.”
Ceres was reminded once again that everything about this boy was a problem. If she had to pick the worst part, though, it was definitely how loud he was.
Even after the Academy swordsmanship tournament ended, the students of Group B continued visiting the Magic Training Grounds every day.
Today was no exception. The students were in the middle of their usual training when a crowd suddenly poured into their private training area, leaving them staring in confusion.
Ceres had brought the knights of House Ellesia with her. On top of that, she intended to have them compete against the students.
“You’re actually going to make us go up against them?”
“Yep.”
“Wow, damn... you’re seriously cra—”
Smack!
“Ah! Seriously, stop hitting me!”
“You’re banned from the shop from now on.”
“What? I barely go there anyway!”
“Then where did you learn to talk like that?”
“Where do you think? From you!”
“......”
...I’m pretty sure I’ve never cursed in front of the kids.
“What is this place?”
“There’s even a snow-covered mountain over there.”
“Huh...”
The knights were just as taken aback.
They were told there would be a test, but instead, she had led them into a cave deep in the mountains.
However, that confusion turned into astonishment before long. Who would have imagined a place like this hidden beyond the depths of a small cave?
“Don’t tell me those children are the opponents we’re supposed to face.”
“They are.”
“...Ha.”
Knight Captain Tylo let out a disbelieving laugh. He’d heard their opponents would be Academy students, but he hadn’t expected them to be this young.
They weren’t even upperclassmen. Was he really being asked to compete against a bunch of middle schoolers?
“Of course, it wouldn’t make sense for you to cross swords with them, right?”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
If not swords, then what?
“The test is simple.”
At Ceres’s words, everyone’s attention shifted to her. Not just the knights, but even the students of Group B, who still looked completely lost, fixed their eyes on her.
“You see the rocky mountain and the snow mountain over there? Reach the top of the rocky mountain, circle the snow mountain once, then come back here.”
“The snow mountain?”
“That’s right. I’m planning to make this a stamina test. And just so we’re clear, I have a way to check whether you’ve completed the course, so don’t bother trying to fake it.”
“......”
“You’re not going to lose to a bunch of kids in a basic stamina test, are you?”
Tylo took another look around. So all they had to do was cross those two mountains and make it back before the students.
“Do you need me to explain anything else?”
At Ceres’s question, Tylo glanced at his men.
No one looked dissatisfied. If anything, they seemed relieved. The thought of crossing swords with children had sat poorly with most of them.
Sure, they’d been slacking off on training lately, but they were still fully fledged knights. There was no way they’d lose to a group of kids in a basic endurance test.
The terrain looked rough enough, but they should have no trouble beating the students.
“Works for me.”
Tylo nodded without hesitation. Once they cleared this test, she had promised to stop meddling in their affairs.
“Ceres.”
“What now?”
“You don’t actually think we’re going to win, do you?”
When the knights got ready, Antonian drifted over again, anxiety still written all over his face.
Not having to fight with swords was a relief, but surely, she wasn’t expecting them to beat the knights in a simple test of stamina.
The difference in build alone was obvious. Those immaculate knight uniforms weren’t exactly helping either.
The other students had been wondering the same thing. One by one, they turned to look at Ceres.
“Why are you asking something so obvious?”
“Exactly. There’s no way we’d ever wi—”
“Of course you’re going to win.”
“...What?”
“There’s no way you’re losing to a bunch of knights who spend their days eating and loafing around.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?!”
“I didn’t spend all that time training you just to watch it go to waste.”
“......”
Guys, I think my sister has finally lost it.
Antonian could only stare at her, dumbfounded. Ceres lightly patted his shoulder and continued.
“Take them off.
“Huh?”
“The weight bags. All of them.”
“—!”
The students’ eyes widened.
Ever since the swordsmanship tournament, the weight bags had only gotten heavier with each passing day. The person who had forbidden them from taking them off, even while sleeping, was Ceres herself.
Hey...
Isn’t this...
I-I have a really bad feeling about this if we lose.
If she’s even making us take these off...
The students hurriedly untied the bags. As they exchanged uneasy glances and swallowed nervously, Ceres grinned like she could read their thoughts.
“The one who falls behind... you know what happens, right?”
Gulp.
“And whoever finishes first gets a special reward. One full day off from training.”
“—!”
The atmosphere changed in an instant.
A day off?
“When was the last time we got one of those?”
“No clue.”
“Remember what happened when we all tried to demand a break? I haven’t heard anyone say the word ‘rest’ since.”
“Forget the reward. That’s not the problem.”
“The person who comes in last...”
“...is dead.”
Gulp.
At that point, the knights had completely vanished from the students’ minds.
First place was all that mattered. Because finishing last meant death.
Watching their expressions grow increasingly fierce, Ceres smiled in satisfaction.
Good grief, these kids have no idea how strong they’ve become.
***
“Lady Ceres, what is this place?”
Herion had been quietly observing from the sidelines the entire time. Only after the test began and everyone took off running did she finally ask the question that had been nagging at her.
“The place you’ll be in charge of from now on.”
“What? M-Me?”
The reason Ceres had brought Herion here despite her injured leg was simple. She intended to return the Magic Training Grounds to House Ellesia. After all, the space was originally created for them.
“From now on, Ellesia’s knights will be training here.”
“Here?”
“How’s your arm?”
“Huh? Ah, well...?”
The sudden change in topic caught Herion off guard. She absentmindedly touched the arm wrapped in bandages before freezing.
The pain...
Normally, even the slightest touch would send a dull ache through the fractured bone. Now, there was nothing.
Huh...? There’s no way it’s healed already.
“All injuries recover faster here.”
“What?”
Ceres continued before Herion could process it.
“Broken bones too. Give it another hour or two and your arm should be completely healed.”
“R-Really?”
Disbelief flooded Herion’s face. A place like this actually existed?
She’d known from the moment she stepped inside that it wasn’t an ordinary place, but she never imagined it possessed such extraordinary properties.
“Training is far more effective here than outside, so make sure the knights use it.”
“Ah...”
Herion nodded blankly, but the confusion in her eyes remained.
Why give away something this valuable?
Any noble house would fight to get their hands on a place like this.
“Because it already belongs to House Ellesia.”
“What do you mean...?”
Already belonged to House Ellesia?
“I’m just giving it back, so there’s no need to feel burdened.”
Herion still looked confused, but no further explanation came.
“There he is.”
A flicker of red caught their attention. In the distance, a large bird was flying toward them.
It was Jubelios, the Fire Spirit King. Ceres had sent him to monitor the test and make sure nobody tried any tricks or shortcuts.
Now that I think about it...
Herion thought deeply.
Jubelios’s reaction when he first saw this place was a bit strange.
[What? This place is still standing?]
The look in his eyes was oddly nostalgic.
Does that mean this place really is connected to House Ellesia?
It certainly seemed possible if the guardian spirit knew about it.
Fwoosh!
[Pathetic fools!]
Having completed a lap around the course, Jubelios swooped down and landed on Herion’s shoulder. He clicked his tongue repeatedly in disapproval.
Before long, everyone understood exactly why.
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