Morning. The sun had barely risen, and most people were still naturally asleep at this hour. The slight chill in the air made it the perfect time to linger under the warmth of a blanket—a universally accepted truth of the early hours.
However, such soft notions no longer applied to us. From today onward, this time was dedicated to relentless training, pushing ourselves to the brink.
"Get your lazy butt up, Weiss-Goraaahhhh!!"
"Bwugh!!?"
I started by yanking Weiss, the sloth currently wrapped in his blanket on the bed, into wakefulness. By now, we should’ve already been swinging swords in the dormitory backyard, yet here he was, snoozing away as if the world owed him rest.
──This guy thinks training is a joke, doesn’t he? Looks like he underestimates it. Thinks he can afford to sleep in?
I took a page out of that old geezer’s playbook and dragged Weiss out of bed by force, tossing him onto the floor for a rude awakening.
If I’d decided to oversee his training, I couldn’t approach it half-heartedly—that would be insincere. I had no intention of providing gentle or lenient guidance… In fact, I didn’t know how. That old geezer had always been brutal and absurdly strict, but thanks to that, I’d become strong.
"Uh, C-Claym…?"
Weiss, now sprawled on the floor, looked up at me in confusion, still unable to grasp the situation. His wide, bewildered eyes stared at me as if I’d just snatched him from a dream.
"Still half-asleep, are you!?"
"Ugh!!?"
I jabbed a wooden sword into his gut for good measure, skipping any unnecessary explanations and getting straight to the point.
"Morning training! Don’t tell me you forgot!!?"
"N-no, of course not!!"
"Then get ready! A thousand practice swings before breakfast!!"
"A-a thousand!?"
"The only acceptable responses are 'Yes' or 'Understood!'"
"Un-understood!!"
Time was precious, and I had no intention of wasting it. After the bare minimum preparations, we dashed out to the backyard, where other dorm residents were already deep into their morning drills. The sight made my blood boil.
"See this, Weiss!? We’re late because of your lazy butt! As punishment, add another five hundred swings!!"
"F-five hundred────!?"
"Your response!?"
"Y-yes!!"
The quiet stillness of the dormitory’s backyard was shattered by my yelling. The other dorm residents, already immersed in their training, reacted in various ways.
"What’s all that noise?"
"Isn’t that the guy they’re calling the 'Beheader' lately?"
"Shouting and insults… A demon instructor??"
Some were surprised, others intrigued, and naturally, some were annoyed. I didn’t care. I didn’t have the luxury to. Polite, orderly training? Screw that. That wasn’t my way──or rather, it wasn’t the old geezer’s way.
──Do you think worrying about others will make you stronger?
"Let’s get started!!"
"Y-yes sir!!"
Side by side, we began practice swings—or rather, we faced each other. If Weiss dared to slack off, I was poised to whack him over the head. Our positions were carefully arranged for maximum efficiency in discipline.
The old man’s training was brutal. Kicks, punches, yelling—it was all part of the package. For someone like Weiss, starting his training journey today, this might have been overwhelming. But he had no choice but to adapt to the tempo.
The tasks were simple—basic training anyone could do. Even a kid could handle them if they wanted to.
"Keep your body enhanced with magic at all times! Use full power!!"
"Y-yes!!"
"You’ll probably run out of magic and collapse at first, but don’t let that stop you! Push yourself to the limit and find your threshold!!"
It was just practice swings. Simple yet profound. Building stamina, enhancing physical strength with magic, increasing magical reserves, and ingraining the act of swinging a sword into muscle memory—it had countless benefits.
"──Believe in the swing. It never betrays you. Swings transcend everything… I killed a dragon with practice swings alone…"
"C-Claym…?"
Chanting like a spell, I threw myself into my own swings. When I first started training, I scoffed at the idea, thinking practice swings were meaningless. But now I understood how wrong I’d been. Nothing surpasses the brilliance of practice swings.
"You slacked off just now, didn’t you!?"
"Gah!!?"
The simplicity of practice swings made them profound. At first, it might seem pointless, but the body learns over time. Those who can’t understand this are fools—and they simply haven’t swung enough. I’ll make sure Weiss’s thoughts and body fully grasp the essence of it. To outsiders, it might look like madness, but rest assured.
──I’m completely serious.
When practice swings become second nature, you gain an awareness of your physical condition, minor discomforts, muscle movement, magical flow, and even blood circulation. Anyone who mocks practice swings as trivial is a fool, a moron, and should start life over from scratch─especially me.
"Good job!!"
"I-I’m dying…"
Somehow, Weiss managed to complete the set number of swings and survived his first morning of training. Accomplishing the target on the first day was commendable. He had talent for training─for practice swings.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Drenched in sweat, dirtier than anyone else in the backyard, Weiss wore those marks like a badge of honor, proof of his effort.
"Maybe I overdid it…"
But as soon as I shifted out of drill-sergeant mode, doubt crept in. This intensity on the first day was insane. Necessary, but still insane. So, I asked the hero sprawled on the ground.
"Sorry, I can’t hold back when it comes to training. Was it too much? Do you want to quit?"
"N-no. I won’t quit. You’re helping me so much, Claym. I’ll give it my all too."
"O-oh… okay."
Despite all the yelling, hitting, and kicking—even worse treatment than that noble group yesterday—he was brimming with determination. Turns out he’s got a strong will. If that’s the case, I won’t hold back anymore.
"Alright, let’s eat. Breakfast is the most important meal. Stuff yourself until you’re ready to puke."
"────What??"
"Meals are part of training too."
"…"
Dragging a now-pale-faced Weiss, I headed back to our dorm. The Hero Training Plan was just getting started.