Ch.12Training Ground (1)

# This is my first weekend at Halo Academy. While the world I live in emulates the medieval era, the concept of a week has been followed since ancient times, even in my previous life.

“Mmm~ I slept well.”

After sleeping in for the first time in a while, both my body and mind feel refreshed. I stretch and check the clock—it’s only 8:30. I thought I’d slept in, but apparently not.

Still, today I can just relax without worry. If I hadn’t reviewed my manuscript yesterday, I would have been in trouble, so I hurriedly edited it.

‘That was a close call.’

After lazing around in bed for a bit, I suddenly sit up. Looking toward my desk, I can see traces of last night’s editing work.

Everything I said to Cecilly in front of the cafeteria yesterday was written in my manuscript. Those were the words Xenon used to comfort Jin, his close friend and the second protagonist. It’s an important scene where Jin grows internally through that situation. The problem is that I said those exact words to Cecilly.

I ended up making some modifications, but the nuance remained similar, which bothered me a bit. With a demon’s amazing memory, she’ll remember everything I said and might notice something suspicious.

‘Well, when that happens…’

I’ll just have to brush it off as coincidence. As the situation has shown so far, most people assume the author of the Biography of Xenon is an experienced sage, not a young teenager in his twenties like me.

I scratch my stomach and consider how to handle breakfast. During weekdays, school meals are provided, but on weekends, we have to eat at restaurants. Fortunately, there are student discounts, so prices are reasonable.

‘But where should I exercise?’

At home, I used to exercise lightly every morning. My father encouraged exercise, saying sitting at a desk all day would curve my spine and stiffen my body.

I diligently followed his example, both for my health and to join him. Jogging was basic, and I also did various stretches to loosen up my body.

Thanks to that, I rarely had any discomfort or pain anywhere.

Occasionally my eyesight would deteriorate due to dry eyes from focusing too much on work, but that was it.

‘Come to think of it, the training ground here looked spacious…’

From exploring the academy whenever I had time, I discovered there was a public training ground. Actually, it would be stranger if there wasn’t one at an academy that teaches knights and mages.

However, I never went inside. I didn’t feel the need to.

‘I’ll grab takeout for breakfast after exercising.’

There are several restaurants at Halo Academy that offer takeout. They exist for students who consider eating a waste of time.

Liberal arts students use takeout services much more than martial arts students. Martial arts students tend to eat balanced meals regularly because their bodies are important, but liberal arts students don’t.

You might wonder about takeout in medieval times, but surprisingly, the food industry is well-developed in this world. There are various spices, and trade is very active.

With a bit of exaggeration, the food isn’t much different from my previous life, and there are even snacks sold on the streets.

‘Though there’s no carbonated drinks like cola.’

If they had those, chemistry and mechanical engineering would have developed alongside. I don’t even consider the idea of creating carbonated drinks with magic.

I change into clothes, planning to finish a light workout and then eat a sandwich. I’ll shower after exercising, but I don’t skip washing my face. That’s basic.

“Let’s see… I’m sure I put my casual clothes here… Ah, there they are.”

I didn’t bring many clothes from home, but I did bring workout clothes. Perhaps because of the dwarves, who are known for their craftsmanship, clothing varieties are as diverse as in my previous life. They even have leggings, not to mention training suits.

However, without factories—the symbol of the industrial revolution that enable mass production—craftspeople must create everything stitch by stitch. Therefore, clothes made with special materials like training suits or leggings are extremely expensive.

Being a noble is fortunate; if I were a commoner, I would have trembled while purchasing them.

‘This truly is a bizarre world in every way.’

With mana and magic, plus various races beyond humans, it has led to this result.

I wonder if this subtle imbalance is why mechanical engineering hasn’t developed. People here can compensate for inconveniences with magic, so that’s likely the case.

You might ask about temperature control devices like refrigerators or air conditioners, but I don’t know. I’m a writer, not a magician.

From what I’ve heard, even among magicians, they classify between combat and support, and support magicians seem similar to engineers from my previous life.

‘Well, things like washing machines or steam locomotives require more mechanical engineering. Magic must have its limits too.’

I put on a red training suit similar to my hair color and went outside. Fresh morning air greeted me as I stepped out. It’s perfect weather for light exercise.

‘First, the training ground…’

I already know which restaurant to visit later. It’s delicious and cheap—perfect for me.

‘It really is the weekend.’

As I walk toward the public training ground, I look around. Since it’s the weekend, there are many more people in casual clothes than uniforms.

“Hey, that looks delicious. Should we go?”

“Let’s go. Let’s go.”

“Miss Sally! Come with us!”

“Hurry up, Kay! This looks really fun!”

Nobles wear clothes that are visibly well-crafted, while commoners wear clothes easily available in the market.

Occasionally, there are people like me in training suits, running earnestly without caring about others’ gazes. Passersby only glance at them once before going about their business.

It seems to be a familiar sight within Halo Academy. Everyone is busy enjoying what they want to do.

‘It’s similar to a university downtown area.’

During weekdays, after classes end, people either visit the library or go straight to their dormitories, so there aren’t many people around. But on weekends, it’s bustling with activity.

I also spot races I don’t usually see—elves, known as the embodiment of beauty, and occasionally dwarves. However, beastkin are hard to find.

‘As for demons…’

Since Cecilly is the only demon enrolled at Halo Academy, there naturally wouldn’t be others. The absence of beastkin is likely due to their poor relations with humans. If you look into history, you’ll understand why.

As I continue walking and looking around, I eventually reach the public training ground—or rather, the entrance to it.

“…It really is huge.”

True to its “public” nature, it boasts a vast size that puts soccer fields to shame. The grand hall was already large, but the public training ground is much bigger.

The building resembles a colosseum, and according to the explanation during the entrance ceremony, it’s heavily fortified with defensive magic, making it probably one of the sturdiest structures around.

“Oh? Issac?”

“Huh?”

While I was admiring the impressive public training ground, a familiar voice reached my ears. I turned toward the source.

“…Sis?”

Standing there was my beautiful older sister Nicole, with her long navy blue hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a navy blue training suit.

Upon seeing me, she crossed her arms and asked with a puzzled expression:

“What brings you here? Don’t tell me you’re here to exercise?”

“Ah, yes. I came for some light exercise.”

“Hmm…”

Nicole shifted her gaze toward the public training ground after hearing my answer. Then, looking back at me, she firmly said:

“That won’t work.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“That’s a training ground. A place for martial arts. It’s definitely not suitable for what you’re thinking—just loosening up. ‘Training’ would be more accurate.”

“Can’t I even do simple exercises?”

“Well, it’s possible, but…”

She scratched her chin as if finding it difficult to explain, looked at the public training ground, and spoke in an ambiguous tone:

“How should I put it… There are many strange people there. Some even enjoy bullying others.”

“In what way? Like suddenly throwing down a gauntlet and challenging someone to a duel…”

“What era are you talking about?”

Nicole responded to my question with an incredulous expression. I let out an embarrassed laugh.

However, given her reaction to my question about throwing down gauntlets, such customs must have existed at some point.

“Anyway, nothing like that, but the kids play rather rough pranks. Especially on freshmen.”

“Do liberal arts students come too, not just martial arts students?”

“Yes. Maybe not commoners, but quite a few nobles visit. Most nobles learn basic martial arts from their families before entering the academy. You’re the unusual case.”

As Nicole explained, I know almost nothing about basic martial arts. To be precise, I can understand it intellectually, but my body doesn’t follow.

I can enhance my physical abilities by controlling mana, but that’s it. I hardly used my body in my previous life, and being reborn in a fantasy world didn’t change that.

My concentration improved remarkably—even my father was surprised—but without physical stamina to back it up, it was useless.

“I still want to go in. Your warning makes me even more curious.”

“Sigh. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I just made it more appealing.”

Nicole gave a troubled smile, scratched her head, then placed her hands on her hips and said:

“Alright. Coming for the experience isn’t bad. But once we’re inside, I won’t be able to help you.”

“Why not?”

“I have to spar with students. Did you forget I’m an assistant instructor?”

“Ah, right.”

Being an assistant instructor in martial arts requires exceptional skill. Currently, Nicole works as an assistant instructor at Halo Academy along with Dave.

If you’re not sure what that role entails, think of it as a martial arts instructor. It’s physically demanding work, as they must continue sparring even when exhausted if students request it.

I nodded at her warning, then suddenly remembered something:

“Can I watch the sparring?”

“Watching is fine. Want to write about it?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. That should be okay.”

So I followed Nicole into the public training ground. Contrary to my expectations, the structure inside was quite simple.

There were locker rooms and shower facilities separated by gender, and further inside, various weapons presumably for training were arranged. Out of curiosity, I pulled out a sword and confirmed it wasn’t sharpened, as expected for training equipment.

While I was examining the training iron sword, Nicole, who had stopped at a fork in the path, asked me:

“Where do you want to go first? The sparring area or the exercise field?”

“Huh? Is there a separate place for exercising?”

“Of course. How could you exercise properly with duels happening next to you? It would be dangerous too.”

“Then let’s go to the exercise field first.”

The reason I came to the public training ground was to exercise. Nicole nodded at my words and started walking.

“Oh, by the way, don’t get intimidated after seeing it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

I wondered what could be so impressive that Nicole would say such a thing.

“Huff…! Huff…!”

“Wow! Well done! Well done! Pull faster!”

“Mike! You know you’re in big trouble if you lose this!”

There was a time when I also thought like that.

As soon as I entered the exercise field, I couldn’t close my gaping mouth at the scene before me. I truly couldn’t tell if what I was seeing was reality.

To describe the situation: two men each had ropes tied around their waists and were dragging metal blocks so large they were almost the size of houses. And these massive blocks were being pulled by just one person each.

“Should I bring something bigger than this?”

“This is enough. Let’s begin.”

“…”

But the others were no less impressive. Some were doing push-ups with iron blocks on their backs, while others were performing artistic feats with pull-ups.

The common factor was that regardless of age, gender, or race, everyone wore clothing that fully displayed their muscular physiques. Most men had their shirts off, and all women wore sleeveless tops.

While this was visually pleasing, I first wondered if these people were actually human.

As I stood there with my mouth open in shock, Nicole raised one corner of her mouth and asked me:

“What do you think? Impressive, right?”

“…”

“If you still want to exercise here, I won’t stop you.”

“…No. I’ll just run outside.”

I didn’t have the courage to join these monsters. Nicole patted my shoulder reassuringly.

“Then watch me spar for about an hour before you go exercise. Okay?”

“Yes.”

We turned away from the exercise field and headed to the sparring area. At least I could watch the sparring comfortably.

‘Next time, I should bring a notebook and a magic pen.’

As everyone knows, hearing about something and seeing it with your own eyes are completely different. Moreover, this will definitely help with the somewhat lacking battle scenes in the Biography of Xenon.

For now, I can only memorize it, but it would be good to come every week, taking this as an opportunity. Fortunately, since my sister is an assistant instructor, I don’t need to feel awkward about it.

‘The corridor is quite long.’

Perhaps for safety reasons, the corridor leading to the sparring area was quite long. As we got closer to the exit, I could occasionally hear the sound of metal clashing against metal—it seems a duel was already in progress.

Eventually, as Nicole and I reached the exit:

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air reached my ears. Just as I registered the sound:

Thud!

The object that had been flying through the air stopped right in front of me. Before I could raise my hand, Nicole had quickly blocked it.

I blinked, not understanding what had happened, then checked what Nicole had blocked.

It was just a simple ball. A ball that looked soft and squishy. Yet it had flown so fast that Nicole caught it before I could even react.

Blinking at this unexpected situation, I stared at the ball blankly before shifting my gaze slightly toward Nicole. My reaction might have been slow, but Nicole’s speed was impressive.

“…This bastard really… I told him not to do this…!”

Regardless, Nicole’s expression was completely twisted.

It was a face I’d never seen before as her brother, and also the first time I’d heard her curse. And then…

“Ah~ Sorry, sorry. The ball I threw flew in your direction.”

A husky female voice flowed from beyond the exit.