Three months had passed since I began undergoing that old bastard’s training.

“Get up, Cla───!”

“I’m already awake... Also, could you stop coming to wake me up every morning?”

“Grr...”

By the time the morning sun started to rise, I would wake up naturally and find myself waiting for the old man, who was annoyingly punctual about waking me up. From there, heading outside to practice swinging my sword had become the norm.

Even though my mind questioned why I needed to get stronger, my body no longer resisted the daily routine of sword practice. In fact, skipping it made me break out in a strange sweat, and sometimes I’d even start trembling—it wasn’t funny. It felt like both my mind and body were being reprogrammed in a bad way, but at this point, it seemed too late to do anything about it.

I really don’t want to accept this...

Despite my weary thoughts, my body swung the sword with full force, a truly hopeless situation. The only consolation in this otherwise drab morning training was the new addition of a bright flower to the scene—a cheerful girl’s voice could now be heard alongside the gruff ones of the men.

“Fifty-six! Fifty-seven! Fifty-eight!”

“Alice! Don’t just use your arms—put your whole body into it!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

As you can see, Alice had recently started joining in on the training, albeit sporadically. Today seemed to be one of her early-rising days, and she was practicing enthusiastically right next to me. Of course, she was using Blood Flow Manipulation to enhance her body and increase the difficulty level.

The once monotonous morning training sessions with just the old man and me were now livened up by her charming voice. After completing my routine amidst the bustling movements of the servants coming and going from the back entrance, I wiped off a light sweat and sat down for breakfast.

“Let’s eat.”

“Let’s eat!”

Ever since training became a daily occurrence, my appetite had grown alarmingly large. In the beginning, I’d felt too nauseous to even eat properly in the mornings, but now, if I didn’t eat enough, my body wouldn’t function well for the rest of the day. As such, breakfast became my biggest meal.

After all, there’s more training to come later.

The amount of food I consumed daily would have been unimaginable in my first life. This must have increased the workload of the chefs who prepared the meals, but strangely enough, they seemed to take even greater pride in their cooking. If I ate even a little less than usual, they’d worry and say, “Are you feeling all right, young master!?” It was a bit unsettling how well they kept track of my intake.

“Thank you for the meal.”

After finishing breakfast with my family as usual, I was free for the morning. Since it was a rest day from studying, I’d usually join the knights at the garrison for their training. However, the old man had an unusual work engagement today, so that plan was off the table.

So he actually works...

It was hard to believe, given how much time he dedicated to overseeing my training. I had my doubts, but apparently, the old man was still an instructor for the Kingdom’s Order of Knights. Faced with a rare true day of rest, I suddenly found myself at a loss for what to do.

“What should we do, Brother?”

“Well...”

As I considered spending the day with Alice, who looked at me with hopeful eyes, an unwelcome voice suddenly interrupted.

“Clay! Clay, where are you!?”

“Oh! That’s Lady Freesia’s voice!”

“...”

Hearing the persistent calling of my name, I reflexively looked to the heavens. Before I knew it, the source of the voice had reached me from behind.

“There you are, Clay! Today, I’ll definitely defeat you!”

“You again, Freesia...?”

Ever since my duel and bizarre declaration of rivalry with Freesia, the Duke’s daughter, she had started visiting the Bradley estate frequently. Her proclaimed goal was, of course, to defeat me (according to Freesia). In my first life, we’d cross paths maybe once or twice a year if that. But now, in my second life, she came at least once a month—sometimes even weekly. And every time, she’d noticeably improved her skills.

Was she always this berserker-like?

No, she used to be more of a tactician, someone who excelled at strategizing rather than charging headfirst into battle. What had changed her so much?

The answer was clear: it had to be because of the existence of Claym Bradley, the scourge of this world.

“This is already your third time this month. Cut me some slack…”

Her frequent visits had become a new source of stress for me.

“Let’s duel already!”

“Duel, my foot. I’m planning to spend a relaxing day with Alice today.”

“Wha—what’s that supposed to mean!? I’m jealous—so jealous!!”

“Well, there you go. Let’s reschedule.”

I’d long since given up on being polite to Freesia. There seemed to be no chance of repairing our relationship this time around—it felt even more strained than in my first life. It was hopeless.

“Life never goes the way you want, huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing. It’d be hard for you to understand, Alice.”

Her innocent head tilt was a balm to my soul. Meanwhile, I racked my brain on how to send this troublesome, battle-obsessed lady back home. Dealing with her in her new unruly form was exhausting, especially on a rare day off.

Just as I began to feel the weight of despair, another voice called out my name.

“Clay! Where are you, Clay!?”

“Now it’s Uncle Feid’s turn!”

“...”

I recognized that voice immediately—it was unmistakably the old man.

Didn’t he have work?

Why was the old man, who was supposed to be at the castle, back at the estate? I neither knew nor cared to find out. But the fact that his voice was getting closer was a bad sign. Ignoring him wasn’t an option, so I reluctantly went to meet him, knowing full well that something troublesome was afoot.

Sigh...

“There you are, Clay!”

When I reached the entrance, the old man seemed oddly rushed—a rare sight. I tilted my head in confusion.

“What’s with all the commotion? Did you finally lose your job?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve got good news for you!”

“Good news?”

Alice and Freesia, who had followed behind me, also tilted their heads curiously.

“That’s right! The good news is that you’ll be joining the Knights’ field training starting today!”

“...What?”

Once again, the old man had casually dropped a bombshell.

“Of course, you’re coming, right?”

Naturally, it was a command disguised as a question, and his “invitation” was non-negotiable. If he said I was going, then I was going.

“Wait, WHAT!?”

All I could do was gape in disbelief.