Part 26 – Hard Training ‑‑
JoeHyper: "Well, yesterday because of the old tradition and festival you managed to escape my training, but today that won't happen. You must complete the training."
"You will do three exercises. The first one is the running test."
So easy. Like drinking water for me.
Joe walked toward me. I got scared—maybe I messed up again.
Joe Hyper: "Did you say something?"
"W‑what?"
Joe Hyper: "Can't you hear? What did you say?"
"I made a mistake, master."
Joe Hyper: "Since you admit your mistake without any explanation, you'll run ten more laps than the others."
I could feel Hardy's mocking smirk.
Joe Hyper: "And all of you must run fifty laps. Tom Breach, as punishment, sixty laps. And the last ten people will clean the entire training grounds."
This time I could feel the fear and despair from the kids.
And this time I smiled.
Joe Hyper: "I'll count to three. Anyone who doesn't start running will be punished. One… two…"
After that, the kids started running.
For me, Den, and Harry, this wasn't hard.
We would definitely be first, second, and third.
But me…
Joe Hyper: "Why are you standing still? Aren't you going to start?"
I smirked.
"Sure, master. I'll start."
And it was over…
I finished the first exercise easily and walked toward Joe Hyper, who was watching the competition.
"Master, I'm done."
Joe turned quickly, clearly startled and surprised to see me.
Joe: "W‑what? You finished!?"
"Yes, master. I ran all sixty laps. Looks like you forgot—
I have wind magic!"
Joe Hyper sighed and put his hand on his forehead.
Joe Hyper: "You're right. This exercise is meaningless for you.
Go sit over there."
I went and sat on the bench, watching the intense competition between Harry and Den.
Den and Harry were pushing themselves hard, competing fiercely and staying far ahead of the others.
After them were William, Adriana, then Prince Steve and his guard.
They were also ahead of the rest.
The funny part was Hardy—she was dead last, panting heavily.
Let's see what you do now, tomato girl.
Finally, they reached the final lap, and the competition between Den and Harry got even more intense until—
…Den's Perspective…I finally reached the final lap.
I looked beside me and saw Harry trying to overtake me.
No. I couldn't let him win.
Harry Flor, from the Flor family—
the ancient enemies of the Church and the gods—
he couldn't be first.
Not in this competition, not anywhere.
I gathered the remaining mana in my body and reached the finish line, completing all fifty laps.
Yes! Yes! I did it! I was first!
I pointed at Harry, who was second, and said:
"See? I was first! I beat you and Tom!"
Wait… where is Tom?
He's not even among the runners…
"Would you like some green tea?"
Who said that?
I turned around—and to my shock, Tom was sitting with Master Joe, drinking green tea.
"W‑what? How!?"
…Tom's Perspective…Finally the competition between Den and Harry ended.
Den was first, Harry second, and Harry third.
Because I was first.
Den was celebrating loudly.
"Want some green tea?"
During the competition, with Joe's permission, I went to the cafeteria, made green tea, and brought it back.
Now I was drinking it with Master Joe.
Den turned and stared at me in disbelief.
Den: "H‑how!?"
"They say green tea is good for relaxing nerves and leg muscles."
Den: "How!?"
"I think your tongue is stuck. Maybe step away from the competition and use your brain a little so you can understand what's going on."
The idiot didn't understand—
I have wind magic.
I'm faster than everyone.
I pointed at Harry to drink his tea.
After the first competition, the rankings were clear:
Me first
Den second
Harry third
William fourth
Adriana fifth
Steve and his guard sixth and seventh
Hardy was last.
Joe Hyper: "Well, the first exercise is over. And unlike my expectations, all of you performed poorly. Except Tom, Den, and Harry, none of you acted like elite-class students. You looked more like kids chasing butterflies with rose‑collecting nets."
I started laughing.
"Haha!"
Joe Hyper: "Tom, what are you talking about?"
"Master, we don't have rose‑collecting nets. Those are fishing nets."
"Haha."
The kids' reaction and Joe's reaction: "…"
"Net… haha… net…"
No one laughed.
Joe Hyper: "You're funny, kid. Since you're so amusing, you'll do the second exercise with a cloth over your eyes."
Damn it. Since childhood, I always talked at the wrong time and paid the price.
But Joe's next words relieved me.
Joe Hyper: "The next exercise is archery. You must shoot ten arrows in under ten minutes. Tom will go first—
with his eyes closed."
Master Joe pointed at me to take the bow from him and handed me a cloth to tie over my eyes.
I tied the cloth and imagined the target in my mind.
I placed the first arrow on the bowstring, pulled, and released.
I removed the cloth and turned toward the kids and Joe Hyper—
they were staring at me with their mouths open.
"Master, I'm done."
…Den's Perspective…Damn it. Because of Tom's stupid comment, he got punished and had to shoot blindfolded.
Doing that was impossible.
Oh, that idiot jumped into the middle of the sentence of the most sensitive man alive—
the man who destroys you if you interrupt him.
Tom stood behind the target and began shooting with his eyes closed.
It was over!
Did he really shoot all thirty arrows blindfolded?
He truly is a miracle of the gods.
…Tom's Perspective…After finishing archery, I joined the others.
Joe Hyper: "After what Tom did, my expectations from all of you have increased.
Now all of you must shoot like Tom and finish in under two minutes."
I could feel the hatred from the kids—
the way they looked at me.
Joe Hyper: "Next is Harry Flor."
After the archery exercise, the rankings were clear:
Me first
William second
Adriana third
Steve fourth
And surprisingly, Den and Harry were tenth and eleventh.
They never improved in archery and always suffered from it—
which was strange, since the author always wrote events in Harry's favor.
Also, another point:
Harry's other wish was never fulfilled—
Denris never recovered from her strange illness.
Even when Harry asked the Black Pope for help, nothing happened.
And the story never explained the true cause of the conflict between the Flor and Breach families—
the death of Harry's mother and his father Arin Flor.
It only said "fire," and didn't even mention Harry's mother's name.
The author only talked about Harry's romantic relationships.
Joe Hyper: "Well, your last exercise is hand‑to‑hand combat."
"Now, the ones I call will step forward."
"Tom Breach and Den Hyper."
We stepped forward and bowed, then began fighting.
Den launched the first attack.
I dodged and moved behind him, punching him so he fell to the ground.
Den quickly stood up and tried to punch me again.
I dodged, then dodged another punch—
his hand ended up beside my neck.
I grabbed his other arm, controlled him,
kicked him hard so he bent over,
then kicked him again so he fell.
I wanted to attack one more time…
…Harry's Perspective…Den attacked recklessly—
a signature trait of the Hyper family.
They always saw everything through fighting and charged without fear.
It was obvious Tom had trained so much that his movements were calculated.
In a sudden motion, Tom struck Den and knocked him down.
Master Joe suddenly said, "Enough."
Den protested, but Joe said it was over.
…Tom's Perspective…After the final exercise, the rankings were clear:
Tom Breach — 1st
William Jordan — 2nd
Adriana Flor — 3rd
Den Hyper — 4th
Harry Flor — 5th
Steve Afrina — 6th
Agnes Melodia — 22nd
Those ranked twentieth and below had to clean the training grounds—
meaning Agnes had to clean.
I started laughing.
"You mocked me, tomato girl! You mocked me! Now clean! Hahaha!"
Suddenly Agnes threw a fireball at me.
"What are you doing, crazy girl!?"
Agnes: "Stop mocking me!"
"I should stop? You started it!"
Agnes: "Pervert!"
"Tomato girl!"
Agnes tried to attack again, and so did I—
until…
"Ow—ow!"
Joe Hyper grabbed our ears.
Joe Hyper: "You're no better than little kids.
As punishment, you two will clean the entire training grounds AND the whole school.
And you cannot leave until you finish."
"What!?"
…
Agnes: "It's all your fault!"
"My fault!? You started it! You mocked me and threw a fireball!"
Agnes: "Pervert!"
"Tomato girl!"
And our argument continued until the cleaning was finished.
End of Part 26