Suddenly thrust into the suburban training, I found myself bewildered in several ways. However, I managed to regain my composure—or rather, I had to. Out in the field, losing your cool could easily cost you your life.

Lingering on past mistakes wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Just as I had advised Alice, the outside world was riddled with dangers. A moment's carelessness or a split-second mistake could place one’s life in jeopardy. Once you entered the forest, you had to maintain constant vigilance of your surroundings.

That said, the march toward our destination was anything but easy. Carrying four days' worth of rations, water, and a full survival kit, we trudged along monotonous paths for an entire day. It was mentally exhausting.

“Ugh, I’m so tired… How much longer until we get there?”

We had left the royal capital at dawn, and by now, the once-high sun had almost completely set. Although we had taken short breaks here and there, the knights were clearly exhausted after traveling nearly nonstop. Complaints had started to arise.

“Rill, don’t say it out loud! It feels like the more you say it, the more tired we all get.”

“Exactly! Besides, look at young Clay over there—he’s not whining. You should take a page from his book.”

“Ugh… But how is Clay looking so unfazed?”

A trio of knights grumbled among themselves, keeping pace without disrupting the formation. Despite my sudden addition to their group, Gordon and the others welcomed me warmly instead of expressing dissatisfaction. Their camaraderie and cheerful attitude were undoubtedly what made the journey bearable.

As the conversation shifted toward me, I decided to join in.

“That’s not true, Rill. I’m at my limit too. But since we’re almost there, let’s hang in there together.”

“Yeah, right! That’s such a lie—you don’t even look tired!”

“Well, he’s been enduring Lord Feid’s training every day. His level of conditioning must be on a completely different scale!”

“Hahaha, no doubt about it!”

“Hey, you two! Don’t gang up on me like that!”

Although they took my words as modesty, the truth was I really was feeling the strain. My legs were numb, and if I had a choice, I wouldn’t take another step. However, mentally, I still felt fine.

Sure, Lord Feid’s grueling training played a role in building my stamina, but more than that, I had been secretly cheating—using Blood Flow Manipulation to enhance my physical abilities and speed up recovery.

Somehow, I couldn’t help feeling guilty. The three knights praised me so earnestly, without a trace of malice, that I felt a twinge of remorse. The more I used Blood Flow Manipulation, the more it became second nature, unlocking new possibilities. Though it was a basic type of magic, its versatility was no joke. Looking back, I was a fool for not realizing its importance during my first life.

“Heh…”

Lost in thought, I found myself smirking self-deprecatingly as we finally arrived at the edge of Bayralell Forest. As instructed, the first day was solely for travel, and we would camp outside the forest tonight to prepare for the real training starting tomorrow.

“All right, begin setting up camp!”

Despite their exhaustion, the knights swiftly got to work on the setup without complaint.

“Okay, let’s get moving too. Clay and Rill, you handle the tents. Luid and I will take care of the fire.”

“Got it!”

Following Gordon’s instructions, we immediately began preparations. Judging by their movements, the three knights were clearly accustomed to this from their regular training. Their efficiency was reassuring.

“Let’s get this tent up quickly,” Rill suggested.

“Right.”

I joined Rill in setting up the tents.

Was my excitement showing? This was my first time camping, and while I wasn’t as outwardly giddy as Freesia might be, I couldn’t entirely hide my enthusiasm.

Honestly, I was having fun.

The second day of suburban training dawned. From today onward, we would venture into the forest for a two-day, one-night survival mission. Our task wasn’t just to survive but to hunt specific monsters.

“The objectives are to slay 20 Howl Wolves, 30 Hide Goblins, and—”

“What an absurd number…”

“Seriously, can we even take them all down in just two days?”

At sunrise, before entering the forest, each group received an instruction sheet detailing their objectives. Seeing a list of 100 monsters, we couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

Bayralell Forest grew increasingly dangerous the deeper you went. The monsters on the list included ones that were difficult to encounter without traveling into the forest’s middle depths. Lord Feid’s ruthlessness was evident.

“By the way, Clay, do you have any experience fighting monsters?”

“Not much, but I do have some. However, I’m still inexperienced, so I might end up being a burden.”

I answered Gordon honestly. I’d only fought monsters once when my granduncle had taken me beyond the city outskirts. Even then, the battles were against low-threat creatures, and after only a few skirmishes, he’d abruptly said, “Good enough. Let’s go back,” and resumed my usual training.

Knowing how he operated, it wasn’t because I had failed or lacked potential; there was likely some other reason.

“Well, from what I’ve seen during training, I doubt you’ll have any trouble with monsters. Don’t stress over it too much—you’re not fighting alone.”

“That’s right!”

“Just take it easy.”

“Thank you.”

Encouraged by the three, I proceeded deeper into the forest while reflecting on past events. Thirty minutes in, there were still no signs of monsters.

It wouldn’t be surprising to encounter some any time now…

I scanned my surroundings, keeping my focus sharp to catch even the slightest change. Suddenly—

“!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted movement in the bushes. The sound of rustling foliage reached my ears, and Gordon and the others immediately shifted into a battle-ready stance. I followed suit, drawing my sword. This wasn’t the blunted training sword I usually used but a real blade, forged to cut flesh.

There was no discomfort in my grip. The weight and length were identical to my training sword, perhaps even lighter.

From the bushes emerged four beasts.

“Bow!”(TL/N:The English word 'Bow' was used by the author. I think he was using this to represent one of the sounds wolves make that is a combination of bark and howl)

“Howl Wolves. There are four! We’ll take them down one at a time!”

“Got it!”

Following Gordon’s orders, we broke formation and spread out. The battle against the howling beasts had begun.