The days of training continued.
“Alright! Next up… push-ups, sit-ups, squats! 100 reps each! You guys, there’s no time to rest!”
Just as I collapsed, out of breath from about 5km of running, Radcliff’s relentless shout echoed.
That’s right! I was forcibly made to participate in the boot camp run by Radcliff and volunteers from the Wolf Tribe and other Adventurers.
I was actually excited, thinking we’d do practical training like sword duels or learning special techniques, but in reality, it was the familiar hellish grind of a sports club, pushing our bodies to the limit.
Meanwhile, the others were participating purely as a way to kill time and were handling it with relative ease.
As for me… I was a homebody in middle and high school, spending all my free time on my family’s business under the guise of part-time work! In university, I was consumed by my studies, and after starting my career, my life had no connection to physical activity. *I thought I’d never do this, not even if asked!* … There was a time I thought that.
Because I was forced to do things I wasn’t used to, I was already gasping for air after the first run.
I thought they said “light running,” so I expected around 1km, but 5km at a pretty brisk pace! 5km!
I truly felt that this kind of physical training wasn’t for me!
Rather… I just want to be praised for even finishing…
“… Owner! What are you doing here! The training has just begun? There’s no time to sleep!”
Radcliff scolded me with an unusually stern face.
“Even so, making us run this much out of nowhere is ridiculous! They don’t even seem to be thinking about pacing, and if you exercise, you need to rest a bit!”
If I’m already this out of breath, there’s no point in strength training.
Surely, I should be allowed to protest a little… Even if you’re training your body, you can’t just keep moving endlessly without any rest…
This world definitely seems to lack exercise physiology, but they should do things more scientifically and efficiently.
“Owner… what are you saying…? Do you think you have time to lie around like that during a battle? Surely you’re not going to say that you’re out of breath during a fight and ask for a break because you’re tired… are you?”
Radcliff said, his serious expression unwavering, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
… Ah, I see.
This is like a simulated combat drill.
Unlike sports, if you use up all your stamina and can’t move, that’s it… it’s not that kind of easy world.
Becoming unable to move during a fight means immediate death.
Right… I’m in a world where such naive thoughts won’t let you survive…
This isn’t for some half-baked goal like dieting or getting rid of lack of exercise.
It’s training… just the very entrance to surviving even a little longer in actual combat…
If I collapse from just this little bit of running and cry about wanting to rest… I’ll surely die eventually…
… The *real* fight is that even if your body is at its limit, you die if you can’t move.
This isn’t about science or efficiency.
When you fight… no matter how hard or painful it is, you have to stand up and swing your sword frantically, without making excuses.
Radcliff looked at me without saying anything further.
Wordlessly, I got up and began doing push-ups with a clear mind.
As expected, my arms started to ache within the first few reps, but I decided I wouldn’t complain about needing rest or being tired anymore.
This is a trial for my own sake, and no one else’s!
Seeing this, Radcliff nodded silently and started doing push-ups beside me.
He’s doing it with me, so I can do it! Radcliff’s silent encouragement gave me courage!
The others were also watching us.
Seeing my condition, they nodded as if relieved and started doing push-ups nearby.
These people… during the run, they took turns surrounding me, cheering me on with “Hang in there!” and subtly nudging my shoulder…
They don’t have any obligation to join in on this, but about ten guys, mostly those off duty, were participating… They’re really good company.
I felt like we lived in slightly different worlds, and hadn’t talked much…
But doing strength training like this, it feels like I’ve stepped into the same world just a little…
Radcliff’s seemingly unreasonable demands actually felt like he was gauging my current limits.
When I passed 20 push-ups and my arms were cramping and failing, he quickly moved on to sit-ups and squats…
Ugh… Neither 100 reps nor even 50 reps could be reached… I wanted to cry from shame.
“… Alright! Next, we’re going for another run! This time, sprint at full speed until you collapse! Goooo!”
Gyaaaah! What kind of unreasonable demand is this!
Without even a moment to catch my breath, the next order! Damn it!
Full sprint! But I have no choice! I have no choice but to do it!
… Ten minutes later.
A crowd had formed around me, lying on the ground, exhausted.
“Hah… Hah… Huf!”
I wanted to say, “I can still do more…” but words wouldn’t come out.
My muscles were crying out for oxygen, but there wasn’t enough!
“… Hmmm. It seems like we need to let him rest for a while, doesn’t it? I didn’t expect him to falter this much… perhaps I was too hard on him on his first day?”
“Yeah… we knew we shouldn’t compare ourselves to him, but… he’s more incapacitated than we thought. It was the right decision to train him, but what do we do… with such abysmal basic stamina, it’s pretty hopeless in a short period?”
… Kirika, who came to check on me, delivered the sad news.
I felt pathetic and wanted to cry, but this was reality.
Basic stamina is a result of daily accumulation.
Athletes supposedly plan their training over months to adjust their conditioning… It’s impossible to build stamina in just a week or so.
But… if this were a real battle, and I was being chased and ran out of energy like this?
I would have been eaten from the legs up without being able to move a single finger.
“That’s right… I believe I can still push myself a little further. If that’s the case, Kirika, don’t hold back with the training. Even when using magic, having a certain level of stamina is beneficial.”
“You guys are surprisingly tough for being so thin…”
“Of course. The enemy won’t give you a break just because you’re tired in battle. I’ve had countless experiences running even when I felt like I was about to die… because I didn’t want to die.”
Lansia was saying something similar to Radcliff…
They’re all so strong… Surviving harsh battles with their slender Elf bodies must have involved considerable hardship…
No, that’s not it… It’s precisely *because* they can handle this much that they’ve all survived this long.
This is a world where the weak cannot survive… We must abandon any weak thoughts of being protected.
Here… I at least have to show some grit…
I was still collapsed, but thankfully, this body… it seemed to have recovered a little. My breathing evened out slightly, and I could move again.
If I still had my old, overweight middle-aged body, I would have been completely spent, but the cat ear body is something else entirely!
Desperately, I placed my hands on the ground and silently started doing push-ups. My arms were trembling, but people get stronger every time they push beyond their limits…
In fact, I thought I had reached my limit, but there was still more!
That’s right… I still haven’t unleashed the full potential of this high-performance cat ear body.
I glanced towards the convenience store, and the Manager waved at me from the window.
I didn’t have the energy to wave back, but I felt a little more invigorated.
Silently, I continued my push-ups… Before, I might have dismissed it as overly enthusiastic, but now I was serious!
“… Th-this… is the last one!”
After diligently completing 100 push-ups and squats, it was time for the final 100 sit-ups!
… Heh heh, I did it… I really did it.
Applause spontaneously erupted around me, and I collapsed backward, utterly spent…
The vast night sky… Ah, the night breeze caressing my cheeks felt so good…
“… Radcliff-san, what do you think? I know it’s not much, but… I worked hard.”
“Indeed! Well done… to show such effort after that state, you’re incredible! It seems you have talent after all! Everyone is impressed, you know… Come on! Don’t just lie there! Stand up! This is where you show your grit!”
Having completed 100 push-ups and squats, my arms and legs had no strength left…
But standing up at this point is what separates a man!
My elbows wouldn’t bend, my shoulders wouldn’t lift… all my muscles were screaming, and I couldn’t feel my abs…
But I managed to get my upper body up.
“Owner-han! Do your best! I’ll lend you a hand!”
Kirika rushed over and reached out, but Lansia grabbed her hand and shook her head.
“Kirika, no. We should watch him stand up on his own… that’s what makes a good woman!”
“R-right! I’m a good woman too, you know… Owner-han! This is where you need to push yourself!”
… I don’t quite understand, but they seem to have gotten along better than before.
Heh heh… Watching a man’s back in silence is the mark of a good woman…
Then, what makes a good man is a cool guy who smiles defiantly and stands up on his own two feet!
Putting my hands down and lifting my hips… while on my knees, with trembling legs, slowly… I stood up!
Grit! Grit! GRITTTTTTTT!
“Ku… Kuu! … H-how’s thatttttttt!”
I straightened my legs, puffed out my chest, clenched my fists, and struck a victory pose!
“Good job! Takakura Owner! Magnificent! That’s what it means to be a man!”
Radcliff praised me with an emotional expression.
… Up until that point, it was good, but my knees gave out, and I almost fell.
However, at the last moment, Radcliff lent me his shoulder, so I didn’t end up making a fool of myself.
“Th-thank you…”
“Don’t worry about it! I witnessed your determination! Everyone else did too! It was splendid!”
Radcliff patted my shoulder roughly! The others nodded in admiration and casually patted my shoulder or head.
… All these guys are so muscle-brained, this must be like their daily routine… but they congratulated me as if it were their own achievement.
Lansia and Kirika, for some reason, were both holding hands and jumping for joy.
“You two are being a bit much… Radcliff-san, I’m sorry… for needing support… And besides, everyone does this much normally, right? I’m just pathetic for faltering this much.”
“No… everyone starts like this. There aren’t many who can do what you just did without wavering. … In a sense, it’s a path everyone has to go through. Everyone probably sees themselves in the Owner’s struggle… Please, just be happy about it!”
After saying that, he ruffled my hair.
Radcliff, despite looking like an older man, is actually in his late twenties, younger than me, but he felt like an older brother.
But for me, an only child, it made me wonder if this is what having a brother is like.
Standing around arm-in-arm with a bunch of guys… I used to think it was a bit much, but having friends who support you through tough times is something you truly appreciate from the bottom of your heart.
I… will definitely become stronger!
After this, we ended up having a drinking party with all the guys, and it was actually quite fun?
