Day Two of the Hero’s Special Training

“When do you plan on waking up, you lazy fool!?”

The day began, as usual, with the task of waking up the fool who was still indulging in a blissful slumber. Despite having endured the first day with astonishing adaptability and displaying remarkable determination, this hero still seemed to have a catastrophic aversion to early mornings.

“Gyaaahhh!?”

Like some grouchy old man, I dragged Weiss out of bed and straight to the backyard. Whatever trauma he had from the first experience had clearly been wiped away. Perception is truly a frightening thing.

Though today’s weather was overcast, the sky didn’t matter when it came to training. Whether it was pouring rain or blazing sun, the only thing that mattered was completing the training once started. As expected, the backyard was already buzzing with dorm residents working on their own training.

“You overslept again! That means 600 extra swings as punishment today!”

“Si-Six hundred!? That’s more than yesterday…”

“The only responses I want to hear are ‘Yes’ or ‘Understood!’ Got it!?”

“Y-yes, understood!”

Ignoring the annoyed stares from those put off by our noisy start to the morning, I pressed forward. After all, I’m taking this seriously too.

“Alright then! Get started!”

Weiss, clearly flustered by my yelling, quickly nodded and began practicing his swings. Thus, another day of rather unconventional training commenced.

“705! 706! 707!”

“What’s with those weak, half-hearted swings!? Are you even trying!?”

Though his stance was still sloppy and his strikes lacked sharpness, I could already see the effects of training on day two. After pushing him to exhaust every ounce of mana in his body yesterday, his ability to strengthen himself using mana had improved significantly. His mana reserves had also surged back thanks to an almost miraculous recovery effect from his voracious appetite.

Marvelous.

To be honest, I hadn’t expected him to improve this much from just one day of training. Even though he is a bundle of untapped potential, this confirms the extraordinary nature of the Hero lineage.

“What’s with that? Scary…”

“That’s not the kind of sweat anyone should be breaking in the morning…”

The surrounding residents were clearly disturbed. It’s true that, by ordinary standards, this level of training would be absurd to undertake first thing in the morning. But for someone serious about growing stronger, this was still far from sufficient. I was already holding back, after all.

“Fugh!”

With the force of his swing, Weiss collapsed face-first into the ground. He had been keeping up remarkably well despite the insane regimen, but there was no avoiding his limits. While I wanted to praise him for his effort, I knew that wouldn’t benefit him in the long run. So I steeled my heart.

“What’s this? Tired already? Is it too hard for you? Thinking of quitting!?”

When I teased him, he hurriedly got back up and glared at me. In just one day, he was already transforming. The timid Weiss Brightness from yesterday was starting to fade away.

“I… I’m not giving up! Claym, you’re helping me so much—I’m going to see this through to the end!”

“That’s the spirit!”

Though he usually comes across as weak and timid, there’s a solid core of conviction beneath it all.

No wonder he’s improving so much.

People like him tend to grow on their own, even without interference. It’s inevitable that someone like Weiss would shine eventually. I had simply come to terms with that. However, I wasn’t planning to stop guiding him.

If someone destined to grow strong can be nurtured further, their potential rises exponentially. This was becoming rather enjoyable.

Day Three of Training

“Oh my, skipping classes to train again today?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“You’re so dedicated! Make sure you eat a lot!”

“Thanks.”

Having completed the morning’s training session, we were now at the dormitory cafeteria for lunch. Over the past few days, the cafeteria staff had come to recognize us. Being polite here had its perks—they’d add extra portions to our meals.

I hadn’t come here during my first run at all. What a waste.

Most students ate lunch at the school cafeteria, leaving the dorm cafeteria quite empty during the day. This meant no lines, and we could eat right away.

“You’re getting used to eating, huh?”

Taking a seat at an empty table, we started eating. In just three days, Weiss had completely adapted to eating larger portions.

“Yeah! I’ve always liked eating. Once I got used to it, it became fun!”

“Never expected you to turn into a foodie…”

Spending so much time together, I kept learning new things about him that I hadn’t noticed during my first time through.

Loves sleeping and eating… Is this really the same arrogant Hero I remember???

Though my initial biases had faded significantly, there were still plenty of surprises.

Day Four of Training

“Alright, today you’ll run 100 laps around this training ground.”

“One hu—!?”

“Of course, you’ll use full-body reinforcement.”

“Full…?”

“After that, we’ll have an endless mock battle.”

“What is that!? I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds like hell!”

“What’s your response?”

“Yes…”

By now, he had grown used to the morning swings, so I decided to shake things up with a different regimen. His reaction wasn’t enthusiastic.

I thought this would be better than endless swings…?

Training someone is harder than it seems. Lately, I’ve come to appreciate how much thought that muscle-brained old man must have put into crafting his training regimens.

Day Five of Training

“I came to check on you, Clay.”

“Why are you here…?”

“Oh wow, what a stunning lady… Clay, what’s your relationship with her???”

“Clay and I are eternal rivals and nemeses!”

“This is Freesia. She’s… well, my fiancée.”

“Your fiancée!? Wow, Clay, you’re so mature…!”

“Not much of one, though…”

Occasionally, weird interruptions like this would happen, but for the most part, Weiss’s intense training regimen continued smoothly.

Day Six of Training

In just six days, Weiss’s foundations had solidified. His stamina had reached an acceptable level, and his mana reserves had increased dramatically compared to day one. With the basics now established, I decided to work on the core of what made a Hero a Hero.

“Clay? What’s going on? We’ve only done light swings this morning. No running or drills?”

Weiss looked at me with suspicion. After days of grueling training, the idea of a lighter session seemed to unsettle him.

Maybe I overdid it?

Still, there was no turning back now. Strengthening him was the priority.

“Today is magic training. Weiss, your magic isn’t ordinary, is it?”

“...You’re amazing, Clay. You figured that out in just a few days.”

Weiss seemed impressed, but the truth was, I already knew. From my first run, I was well aware of the unique nature of his magic. There was no need to be surprised—though, of course, Weiss didn’t know that.

“Can you explain it in detail? Your Bloodline Magic: Primal Magic?”

“Of course. I’ve been meaning to tell you, Clay. Normally, we’re not supposed to share this with anyone outside the family, but… given my circumstances, and my magic—Radiant Arts, I think you should know.”

That day, I finally uncovered a glimpse of the source of the Hero’s strength.