Swordsmanship Department cadets of commoner origin.
Currently called sprouts, sprout squad, and so on, unlike the noble cadets who were bound together by rebelliousness from the start, they didn't harbor much rebelliousness toward Lee Han from their first meeting.
This was partly because he was of lower-class origin, worse off than themselves, but also because they were captivated by the 'strength' he possessed.
The sight of him overwhelmingly defeating the vice-captain of the knight order from the renowned Jiandou family who had insulted him was particularly etched in their minds.
He is strong.
It is wondrous that someone of a lower origin than theirs could become so strong.
And later, after meeting him in earnest, they found out that he had never learned the 'Douqi Method'.
In a way, it was an obvious fact.
Because they heard that starting a Douqi Method at age five was already considered late.
Well, it was also naturally something lower-class people couldn't learn.
When first learning a Douqi Method, to master the power called vitality, or Douqi Power (鬪氣力), one needed a master to guide their Douqi, and the help of a priest with an exorbitant fee to prepare for the risk of the young trainee's body being damaged.
Even if they wanted to train, it was absolutely unaffordable for someone of lower-class origin.
...Some said that Douqi Methods could be safely trained after becoming an adult, but how was that a reasonable statement?
It might be different for a genius who would captivate a generation or someone born with a heroic destiny, but unfortunately, most people were neither geniuses nor heroes.
They were merely mayflies struggling to survive each day.
Thus, they respected the instructor.
He hadn't even learned a Douqi Method, and was born in a worse environment than them, yet he became a knight.
And he was strong.
Seeing him build strength—a treasure everyone yearns for—solely through effort, who could not admire him!
Therefore, they intended to carry out the instructor's orders to the best of their ability, and firmly resolved to endure even the harshest schedule.
"-Trainee Number 2, fall out."
...That was the case.
"F-Fall out!!"
"Your voice is too quiet! Must the other trainees suffer more before you come to your senses?"
"N-No, sir!!"
"I told you to answer only with 'Sir!' Does the trainee find the instructor's words funny?"
"S-Sir!!"
"Why didn't you answer? Do you find the instructor's words funny?"
"......Sir!"
"You were two beats late answering. Trainees, execute PT number 8, 30 repetitions!"
-Th-Thirty repetitions!!
"Too quiet! PT number 8, 100 repetitions!"
-One hundred repetitions!!!
"Good, execute full-body twist, 50 repetitions."
The instructor—no, the demon—began blowing a whistle as he ordered them.
If they failed to perform the movements to a steady rhythm matching the sound of that whistle, that too would be picked apart.
"Uwaaaaaagh!!"
"Grrrgh-!"
"M-Mommy...!"
Screams ran rampant.
It was certainly a painful exercise, but for cadets who hadn't neglected their physical training to be in pain was strange.
However, they were not in their normal condition right now.
And for good reason.
"You've only done '7 hours' so far! Everyone, put in more effort!"
-A-Aaagh!!
...7 hours. They felt like they were going crazy because they had already been doing this for 7 hours.
*
*
*
Dawn, two days ago.
In the training ground, where darkness still prevailed with the morning sun yet to rise, the cadets of the Swordsmanship Department had gathered.
Not everyone had gathered.
Because the assembly order Lee Han issued the day before was only for the sprout cadets.
...Yet they gathered even without being explicitly told.
"Kunta, seems like it'll be fun."
"...No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem like it will be."
"But seeing as you came anyway, young master, you're quite greedy too. Just like you."
"You scoundrel! How dare you be disrespectful to my lord...!"
"Call me Roen, not 'you'."
"!!?"
The four people Lee Han considered to be of a different caliber, plus one guy who suited an assassin better than a knight.
And....
"W-Why am I..."
The assistant instructor, who had finished paperwork and was enjoying a sweet slumber, wore a tearful face, feeling extremely wronged about being dragged out here by force.
"Everyone's gathered."
In that situation, the one who had gathered all these people finally made his appearance.
"Hmm, it seems no one ran away. Hmm? You guys came out too?"
The group including Roen.
He had said the young masters and the chicks didn't need to come out, so why did they come?
The answer came from Garand.
"You said you'd properly teach [Gyeong] in this 'Special Intensive Training', didn't you, Instructor-nim? So I absolutely had to come."
"...You guys could just learn it later, though?"
With your talents, you could learn it anytime, so why go this far?
He wore a questioning expression, but they were serious.
"We probably could. However, I have absolutely no desire to receive special treatment."
They had no intention of slacking off just because they had talent.
If they were going to do that, they would have returned to their homes where their families or masters were.
Their resolve was quite firm, and Lee Han scratched his head.
"...Hmm, I actually needed the extra hands, so this is fortunate."
Shouldn't he thoroughly use the free labor that rolled in on its own?
Just as Lee Han was feeling inwardly satisfied.
"W-Wait a minute! W-We came too!"
"...H-Hello, Instructor-nim."
"...And why are you here?"
Why were more people he told not to come showing up?
Irene Windler and Chick Number 1—no, Levy Fault—mixed among the cadets wearing light workout clothes. Lee Han blinked.
"Umm, I'll ask Chick Number 2 first, but why did you come?"
"...Since this happened because of me anyway, I felt like I should take some responsibility."
"Hmm, that's quite commendable."
Irene Windler's statement was reasonable.
Even if it wasn't her intention, the reason this situation occurred was indeed because of her.
As expected of a Romance Fantasy transmigrator.
True to her nature as a disaster-prone individual who can't stay out of trouble even if she remains still.
However, because she did have a sense of responsibility, she overcame even Lee Han's murderous warning—"Those who need to come out can do so. But if something goes wrong, you might have to rest for about a year, so don't come if possible"—and came out.
Irene Windler, with a face full of determination...!
"So, what's your real reason?"
"I don't want to end up like the magic professor who claims to be 28. I thought I should get some exercise, but doing it alone just doesn't motivate me, ...hehe."
"...I appreciate the honesty."
As expected, she's not entirely commendable.
[Ah-rin, I'm not even embarrassed by your consistently brazen attitude anymore.]
'...I'm starting to find my own shamelessness scary too.'
Tearing his gaze away from Irene, who wore a subtle expression, Lee Han's eyes shifted to the girl with wavy hair that suited her well, Levy Fault.
"Why is Chick Number 1 here? Were you dragged here by Chick Number 2?"
Honestly, it wasn't that surprising for Irene Windler to come, but why did this girl come all the way here?
"I-I can't deny that Lady Irene encouraged me to... but... I-I was also interested..."
"...Hmm."
Come to think of it now, the noble lady Levy Fault seemed to have the most passion among the other ladies.
The passion to grow, that is.
'So there are cases like this.'
Lee Han wondered if Levy Fault might be a woman who had some connection with Irene Windler.
If this world really were a genre like Romance Fantasy or Regression, there would be supporting roles besides the main cast.
And the supporting characters would invariably have their own distinct personalities, circumstances, and goals.
Could it be the same for her...?
'...A useless thought.'
Lee Han shook his head.
A pointless thought, a misunderstanding.
There was a cadet—no, a disciple—who wanted to be taught.
Then teaching them was originally the duty of a master.
Whether she was a supporting character or whatever didn't matter.
Right now, she was simply a disciple wanting to receive his teachings.
He didn't know about others, but at least to him, this world was 'reality,' and there were no such things as supporting roles.
Therefore.
"This instructor always welcomes anyone who wishes to grow, Chick Number 1—no, Levy Fault."
"Ah!"
"However, I cannot give you special treatment. So prepare yourself firmly."
"Y-Yes!"
Levy Fault nodded vigorously with a happy face, and Lee Han, feeling pleased.
"-Pack your bags."
"...Pardon?"
"We have to start with a march. Lightly, 30km for starters."
"......"
"For your information, it's full combat gear. Your baggage must weigh over 10kg. But since your stamina is still low, I'll cut you some slack and make it 8kg."
"......"
...It took Levy Fault less than a minute to realize something had gone wrong.
* * *
March.
Simply put, it was the act of soldiers moving in a group, but the definition proposed by the military was somewhat different.
'The act of walking while maintaining combat capability.'
-This would be a more accurate expression.
That was why, when marching, troops carried a lot of baggage and moved.
Food and weapons, clothing and other supplies, etc.
Bearing everything else on their backs, soldiers had to move flexibly.
Therefore.
"Everyone's movement speed is slow. From now on, move at a quick march, not a double-time! Understood! Don't walk like slugs, walk quickly!!"
...It could be considered a damned grueling forced march.
"H-Heeeok! Heok...!"
All the cadets were panting for breath.
Not to mention the heavy iron swords, they were moving while wearing armor.
On top of that, carrying additional armaments, rations, sleeping bags, and the like made it an excruciatingly bitter experience.
It was a relief that the cadet armor was light; if it weren't, they would have lost their minds long ago.
When they started walking, it was a pitch-black dawn, but now the sun was starting to rise, gradually bringing the heat.
The moment they realized how agonizing it was to walk 30km carrying dozens of kilograms of baggage.
They felt like they were going to die.
"If it's hard, Kunta will carry it for you?"
"N-No! I'm fine, Kunta!"
"You look very tired?"
"...I actually am. B-But more importantly, are you okay, Kunta? Your baggage is heavier than ours."
"It's still light. Though I am sweating a bit."
"......Haha."
Kunta was carrying a heavier load than them, but he was still perfectly fine.
Two large boxes were stacked on top of Kunta's backpack, and thinking that those boxes contained a massive amount of food made their legs tremble.
The mystic race, the Barbarians.
They said their [Mystic] was indomitable stamina and mental fortitude.
Seeing it in person left them nothing but astounded.
They even felt reverence.
'I-I can too...!'
However, even though Kunta possessed such a mystic trait, he had never shown any laziness.
The sprout cadet tried to pump himself up and energetically...
Thump, thump!!
"Cadet, are you alright? You're not controlling your breathing well."
"......"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"...Instructor-nim, what is that you're dragging right now?"
"Hmm? Just cornmeal and potato sacks?"
"W-Why those..."
"We need to have the food the cadets will eat for a month, don't we? What Cadet Kunta is carrying is nowhere near enough."
"......"
...That's not what I was asking right now?
The cadet was dumbfounded.
The backpack weighing dozens of kilograms was one thing, but seeing the instructor pulling a cart piled with dozens of sacks of cornmeal and potatoes by himself made them dizzy.
What was that?
...Terrifying.
"...Instructor-nim, I know I'm asking this out of the blue, but are you really human?"
"Haha, I know what you're thinking, but don't worry. I'm an extremely ordinary human. And you, cadet, will be able to become like me once this field exercise—no, this special intensive training—is over."
"......"
...I don't think that's going to happen.
The cadet swallowed these inner thoughts.
At that moment.
"Ah, it's finally in sight."
"Pardon?"
"If we just climb up there, we'll arrive at the training ground."
"Where are you talking about..."
"Over there. See that mountain peak where the snow hasn't completely melted? We just need to climb that."
"...Pardon?"
"Haha, just think of it as a light hike after a long time."
"......"
The instructor pointed at the mountain with an elevation of 1,384 meters, and they fell silent.
...Along with a serious consideration that dropping out right now might be the right choice.