The Training Grounds (1)

It was my first weekend since enrolling at Halo Academy. Although the world I lived in modeled itself on the medieval era, the concept of a week itself had been in use since ancient times in my previous life.

"Mmm~ I slept well."

After sleeping in for the first time in a while, both my body and mind felt refreshed. I stretched, then checked the clock and saw that it was only eight-thirty. I thought I'd slept in by my standards, but apparently not.

Still, all I had to do today was relax. I would have been in serious trouble if I hadn't checked yesterday's manuscript, so I'd hurriedly gone through the revisions.

'I really almost got into trouble."

I lolled around on the bed for a while before springing up. When I looked toward the desk, the traces of the hard work I'd put into revising from yesterday evening until late at night remained just as they'd been.

Everything I had said to Cecily in front of the restaurant yesterday had been something I'd written in the manuscript. They were words Xenon had offered to comfort Jin, his close friend and second protagonist.

It was a crucial scene, as it laid the groundwork for Jin's inner growth through that situation. The problem was that I'd said those exact words to Cecily.

In the end, I replaced them with slightly revised versions, but the nuance was similar enough to bother me. With a demonkin's incredible memory, Cecily would remember everything I'd said, so she might even notice something suspicious.

'Well, if that happens..."

I'd just have to pass it off as a coincidence. As could be seen from the situation so far, most people assumed that the author of The Chronicle of Xenon was an experienced sage, not a fresh-faced teenager who wasn't even twenty, like me.

I scratched my stomach and wondered how to deal with breakfast. Meals at the Academy were provided during the week, but on weekends I had to eat at a restaurant. Still, students received certain benefits, so the prices were fairly cheap.

'But where am I supposed to exercise?'

At home, I usually did some light exercise every morning. Father encouraged it, saying that sitting at a desk every day would make my back hunch over and my body stiffen.

I also exercised diligently, partly to stay healthy and partly to follow Father's example. Jogging was a given, and I also did various stretches to loosen my stiff body.

Thanks to that, there was hardly anywhere in my body that felt uncomfortable or hurt.

Sometimes, if I got too absorbed in work, my eyes would dry out and my vision would deteriorate, though.

'Come to think of it, the training grounds did look pretty spacious...'

By exploring various parts of the Academy whenever I had time, I had learned that there was a public training ground. Considering that the Academy had a Martial Studies program for training knights and mages, it would have been stranger if it didn't have one.

I simply hadn't gone inside myself. I hadn't felt any need to.

'I'll just grab a sandwich or something as takeout after exercising.'

Halo Academy had several restaurants that offered takeout. They were intended for students who thought even the time spent eating was a waste.

Moreover, Literary Studies students ordered takeout far more often than Martial Studies students. Martial Studies students valued their bodies, so they tended to eat balanced meals regularly, but Literary Studies students didn't.

You might wonder what takeout was doing in a medieval era, but food service was surprisingly well developed in this world. Not only were there various spices, but trade was also extremely active.

With a slight exaggeration, food was not much different from what I had known in my previous life, and there were even snacks sold on the streets.

'Though there aren't any carbonated drinks like cola.'

If even that existed, chemistry and mechanical engineering would have developed alongside it. I didn't even consider the possibility of making carbonated drinks with magic.

I changed clothes while thinking that I would finish exercising quickly and eat a sandwich or something. I planned to shower after I got back from exercising, but I didn't skip washing my face. That was basic hygiene.

"Let's see... I'm sure I put my casual clothes here... Ah, here they are."

I hadn't brought many clothes from home, but I had brought the ones I wore whenever I exercised. Perhaps it was because dwarves, the paragons of handiwork, existed, but the variety of clothing in this world was just as extensive as in my previous life. They even had leggings, to say nothing of tracksuits.

But since there was no 'factory,' the symbol of the Industrial Revolution and the thing that made mass production possible, artisans had to make everything stitch by stitch. As a result, clothes made of special materials, such as tracksuits and leggings, were insanely expensive.

Fortunately, I was a noble. If I had been a commoner, I would have bought them with trembling hands.

'This really is a bizarre world from beginning to end.'

The existence of mana and magic, as well as races other than humans, seemed to have produced this result.

Perhaps this subtle imbalance was why mechanical engineering had developed so slowly. They could simply use magic to make up for anything inconvenient, so that was probably the reason.

You might ask, then, what the refrigerator- or air conditioner-like temperature-control devices were, but I didn't know either. I was a writer, not a mage.

From what I'd vaguely heard, mages also classified magic into combat and support. Support mages seemed similar to the engineers of my previous life.

'Then again, mechanical engineering is more important for things like washing machines and steam locomotives. Magic must have its limits too.'

I put on a red tracksuit that matched my hair and went outside. The refreshing morning air greeted me as soon as I stepped out. It was truly perfect weather for some light exercise.

'I'll start with the training grounds...'

I already had a restaurant in mind, so I could find it later. The food was delicious and the prices were cheap, making it perfect for me.

'As expected, it's the weekend.'

I looked around as I walked toward the public training grounds. Perhaps because it was the weekend, there were definitely far more people wearing casual clothes than uniforms.

"Hey. That looks delicious. Should we go?"

"Let's go. Let's go."

"Lady Sally! Come with us!"

"Hurry up and follow me, Kay! This looks really fun!"

The nobles wore clothes that were clearly painstakingly made, while the commoners wore clothes that could be easily found on the market.

Occasionally, there were people wearing tracksuits like me, running hard without paying attention to anyone's gaze. Passersby looked at them once, then went about their business.

Apparently, this was a familiar sight within Halo Academy. Everyone was too busy enjoying themselves to care about what others were doing.

'It's kind of like the downtown area around a university.'

On weekdays, I sometimes visited the library after lectures or went straight to my lodgings, but relatively few people traveled back and forth. On weekends, however, the place was crowded and overflowing with energy.

On top of that, I occasionally saw races I didn't normally encounter, including elves, who were called incarnations of beauty, and the occasional dwarf. Beastmen, however, were difficult to find.

'As for demonkin...'

Cecily was the only demonkin enrolled at Halo Academy, so it was natural that there weren't any others. The reason there were no beastmen was probably that humans and beastmen were currently on poor terms. As for why, I only had to look through history to find out.

As I looked around and walked aimlessly, I soon arrived at the public training grounds I had been looking for. More precisely, I arrived in front of the entrance to the public training grounds.

"...It really is huge."

As befitted a facility that was literally 'public,' it boasted a vast scale that made even a soccer field look small. The grand auditorium was fairly large too, but the public training grounds were on an entirely different level.

The building's overall design resembled the Colosseum, and we had been told during the entrance ceremony that it was covered in defensive magic. In terms of durability, it was probably among the best in the world.

"Huh? Isaac?"

"Yeah?"

While I was gazing at the imposing public training grounds, a familiar voice pierced my ears. I shifted my gaze toward the direction it had come from.

"...Sis?"

A beautiful woman with long navy-blue hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a navy-blue tracksuit stood there. She was my older sister, Nicole.

As soon as she faced me, she crossed her arms and asked with a questioning expression,

"What brings you here? Don't tell me you're here to exercise?"

"Ah, yeah. I came to do a little exercise."

"Hmm..."

After hearing my answer, Nicole shifted her gaze toward the public training grounds. Then she looked back at me and said firmly,

"I don't think that's going to work."

"Huh? Why not?"

"That's a training ground—a place for martial arts. It's absolutely not suitable for the kind of warm-up exercise you're thinking of. If you mean training, that's another matter."

"Can't I even do a little exercise?"

"You can, technically..."

She scratched her chin as if she found the explanation difficult, then looked toward the public training grounds and spoke in an uncertain voice,

"How should I put it...? There are so many weirdos there. Some of them even enjoy bullying other people."

"What kind? Like suddenly throwing a glove at you and challenging you to a spar..."

"What era are you talking about?"

Nicole answered with an incredulous expression. I let out an embarrassed laugh.

Judging by the way Nicole had questioned what era I was talking about, that sort of culture must have existed at some point.

"Anyway, nothing like that happens now. Just think of it as the students playing some rather mean-spirited pranks. They especially like doing it to freshmen."

"Do Literary Studies students come here too, not just Martial Studies students?"

"Yeah. I don't know about commoners, but quite a lot of nobles come here. Most people enroll after learning basic martial arts from their families. You're the unusual case."

As Nicole had explained, I barely knew even basic martial arts. Strictly speaking, I could understand it in my head, but my body wouldn't follow.

I could also control mana to enhance my physical abilities, but that was the extent of it. I had barely used my body in my previous life, and being reincarnated in a fantasy world hadn't changed that.

My concentration had improved enough to amaze even Father, but without the stamina to support it, it all came to nothing.

"Still, I want to go in at least once. Now that you've said that, I'm even more curious."

"Sigh. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Why did I bring it up?"

Nicole smiled awkwardly, scratched her head, then placed a hand on her hip and said,

"All right. Coming for the experience can't hurt. But once you go inside, I won't be able to help you."

"Why?"

"I have to spar with the students. Did you forget I'm an assistant?"

"Ah. Right."

Being an assistant instructor in Martial Studies was only possible for someone with exceptional skill. Nicole was currently working as an assistant instructor at Halo Academy alongside Dave.

If you can't quite picture what role that entails, it might be easiest to think of her as a martial arts instructor. Even if her stamina was exhausted, she had to step up whenever a student wanted to spar, so it was a physically demanding job.

I nodded at her warning, then opened my mouth when something suddenly occurred to me.

"Then can I watch you spar?"

"Watching is fine. Is it for your book?"

"Yeah."

"All right. I suppose that much should be fine."

Thus, I followed Nicole into the public training grounds, trailing along behind her. Once inside, the layout was surprisingly simple, contrary to my expectations.

The locker rooms and showers were divided by gender, and farther inside, various weapons presumed to be for training had been arranged. I pulled out a sword out of curiosity, and as expected, it was a training weapon with an unsharpened blade.

While I was examining the training sword, Nicole stopped at a fork in the path and asked me,

"Which would you like to see first? The sparring area or the exercise field?"

"Huh? There's a separate place to exercise?"

"Of course. Imagine sparring right beside people exercising. How could anyone do it properly? It'd be dangerous too."

"Then I'll go to the exercise field first."

The reason I had come to the public training grounds was to exercise, after all. Nicole nodded at my answer and started walking.

"Oh, right. Just warning you in advance—don't get intimidated after you see it, okay?"

"Got it."

Just how impressive could it be for Nicole to say something like that?

"Hoo...! Hoo...!"

"Whoa! Good job! Good job! Pull faster!"

"Mike! If you lose this, you're in big trouble with me!"

There was a time when I thought that too.

As soon as I entered the exercise field, I couldn't close my gaping mouth at the sight spread out before me. I truly couldn't tell whether what I was seeing was real.

To explain the situation, two men, each with a rope tied around his waist, were dragging lumps of iron. They were nearly as large as houses, yet each one was being dragged by a single person.

"Should I bring something even bigger than this?"

"This is enough. I'm starting."

"... ..."

But the other side was no joke either. The man doing push-ups with a lump of pig iron on his back was comparatively normal, while people performing acrobatic feats on pull-up bars were everywhere.

If there was one thing they had in common, it was that they wore outfits that fully displayed their physiques, regardless of gender, age, or race. The men were mostly shirtless, while the women were all wearing sleeveless tops.

It was certainly easy on the eyes, but before that, I found myself wondering whether those people were really human.

While I was gaping in shock, Nicole raised one corner of her mouth and asked me,

"What do you think? Impressive, huh?"

"... ..."

"If you're thinking of exercising here, I won't stop you."

"...No. I'll just run outside."

I couldn't muster the courage to join those monsters. Nicole patted me on the shoulder as if to tell me it was all right.

"Then watch your sister spar for about an hour before you go exercise. Got it?"

"Yeah."

In the end, I turned away from the exercise field and headed toward the sparring area. At least sparring should be comfortable to watch, so I felt relieved.

'Next time, I should bring my notebook and Magic Pen too.'

Everyone knows that hearing something and seeing it with your own eyes are worlds apart. More importantly, this was sure to help greatly with the battle scenes in The Chronicle of Xenon, which had been somewhat lacking.

For now, I had no choice but to remember everything mentally, but I thought it would be a good idea to come here every week and make the most of this opportunity. Since my sister was an assistant instructor, I wouldn't have to worry about being out of place.

'By the way, this corridor is pretty long.'

Perhaps for safety reasons, the corridor leading to the sparring area was quite long. As we drew closer to the exit, I occasionally heard the sound of metal scraping against metal. Apparently, a sparring match was already underway.

It was around the time Nicole and I finally reached the exit.

Whoosh!

Out of nowhere, the sound of some object cutting through the air reached my ears. By the time I registered the sound,

Thud!

the object flying fiercely through the air had stopped right in front of me. Nicole had swiftly blocked it before I could even raise my hand.

I blinked, not knowing what had happened, then identified the object Nicole had blocked.

It was just an ordinary ball. A ball that looked soft and squishy. Even so, it had flown so quickly that Nicole had snatched it before I could catch it.

I blinked and stared at the ball in this completely unexpected situation, then slowly shifted my gaze to Nicole. My reaction might have been a little slow, but Nicole's reaction speed had been incredible too.

"...This son of a bitch, seriously...! I told you not to do this...!"

Regardless, Nicole's expression had become as thoroughly twisted as possible.

It was a face I'd never seen her make as her younger brother, and profanity I'd never heard from her either. And then...

"Ah~ Sorry, sorry. The ball I threw flew this way."

A husky woman's voice drifted out from beyond the exit.