Inside the grounds of the Mariules Academy, the practical class site where no other buildings are nearby.

   A wide area that would take a thirty minutes’ walk from one end to the other. It accommodates not just martial arts, magic practical lessons are also included. After all, the magic spells that have little control fired from the inexperienced students are something that the academy would like to isolate at all cost.

   Of course, the academy has their reason for doing so, maybe they were thinking that the students will not be distracted during class in this wide field, however, for the students――especially the freshmen, the wide field is nothing but a curse.

「Oraa! Keep up your pace! Run properly, freshmen! 」

   It was the angry howling of the Practical Basics instructor.

   Under the pretense of a practical class, the students were forced to run for an extended period of time, more than half of them had already become rags. Now, Kyrill and the other freshmen are undergoing this exact class.

   Practical Basics sounds like an easy class but, its true identity is just harsh exercising to build up the body’s basic functions. Before having a chance to undergo the combat lessons, students such as Kyrill and the others have to take part in this grateful yet hated program by the academy. It’s the tradition referred as the 『Ritual of Baptism』 by the seniors and graduates.

   Today, they’re using the wide grounds provided by the academy and had been running ever since the class started. It wouldn’t have changed anything even if the site were smaller since they have to run the same duration. But still, human senses are deceiving, the unreachable wall at the other end of the site is physiologically painful.

   The students who were left in this barren land had the same thoughts. Now, everyone is wholeheartedly hating the excessive size of the site.

「Good graces, how long does that instructor wants us to keep running for. 」

   Kyrill’s partner in the class, Rai was sighing as he complained.

「Honestly right. 」

   Kyrill agreed shortly. Running in the forest, now he even had to run in the academy, he started to wonder whether he was getting the lessons of becoming a magician or a marathon runner.

「Anyways, you look quite relaxed still, Kyrill. 」

「Something like that, not possible. 」

「Of course it’s possible, just look around, isn’t Kyrill the only one from the magician’s course still on their feet? 」

   Looking around as Rai prompted, Kyrill realized that everyone that is still running so far are students from the warrior course. Kyrill is the last one remaining from the magician’s course that can still run.

   The Practical Basics class are mandatory for all students, disregarding their courses. In the first place, a majority of the students that are undertaking the warrior’s course are aiming to enter the army. In that sense, the Practical Basics class makes sense for them the most.

   On the other hand, people who pursue the mysteries are often knowledge hungry, there are almost none of them who thought to train their physical body. In the end, the most harmed ones in this Practical Basics class are the magician students like Kyrill.

     Kyrill who was still an apprentice in the merchant association last year didn’t spend any time in training his body but instead used it all to be better in trading. That’s why he shouldn’t have any remarkable physical abilities. The scholars and liberal students who are exempted from this course are enviable.

「There’re even students from our course already down for the race, but Kyrill from the magicians course can still have such a relaxed face, doesn’t that just show your capability? 」

「You flatter me. 」

   Compared to Rai who can still converse like it’s nothing even after running so much, Kyrill wasn’t that great.

   For Kyrill, he thought that it would be inappropriate if he didn’t reply when he was talked to, so he did so with short replies, but actually, it already took his all to reply shortly. Don’t speak to me for now, please. That is what Kyrill was thinking.

「Rather than that, Rai. My pace, there’s no need, to match it. 」

   Kyrill who said so intermittently was met with Rai’s refreshing smile.

「Nah, it’s okay, running at this pace is quite comfortable. I feel quite refreshed. 」

   It seems that Rai is intending to match with Kyrill’s pace till the end.

「Is that so. 」

   If so, Kyrill had nothing left to say, he had decided to use his mouth for the intended purpose――that is to prioritize replenishing his depleting oxygen.

   Kyrill didn’t have that much leeway like Rai said. The only reason why he could stay running so far is because that he had been chased around the entire forest by Rona recently, gaining some stamina. Not to mention, the environment here is better too.

   The foothold didn’t have bumps all over the place. There’re no leaves and branches ahead of his vision at all times, there’re no bushes that blocks his way. With no one pursuing him, he wouldn’t even have to look for an escape route.

   Compared to the training where he would be chased by Rona over the entire forest, only and only running like this is much easier. Although it wasn’t at any way joyous for him because of his fatigued muscles, it’s a level he could manage somehow if he kept his pace.

「Alright! That’s enough! 」

   The instructor’s voice reverberated in the training grounds. The students who heard that rejoiced before plopping on the ground. 「Finally」「I’m beaten」 were what all the students said.

   The instructor had left them a few minutes to take a breather before speaking in front of the fatigued students.

「Just as what I expected, majority from the warrior course made it. As for the magicians……well, it’s also expected. Having just one person made it is already shocking enough though. 」

   The instructor was commenting while looking at Kyrill. The students from the magician course couldn’t run after just the first ten minute. There were even some that had retired in the first three minutes. Amidst that, there was Kyrill who didn’t look fitter than anyone but ran the whole thirty minutes, it was unexpected for the instructor.

「Was it Kyrill? Your name. 」

「Ah, yes. 」

「That wasn’t bad. You didn’t push yourself too hard, and your pace was steady till the end. Did you do some similar training before you enrolled? 」

「No, not really……」

   He’s undergoing the training by Ardis now but, that is after the enrollment.

「I see. In any case, it’s good to have stamina. The others should learn from this lesson and train yourself. Especially for the magician students, don’t think it’s unneeded. In a war, the magicians are always aimed at first, if you don’t have the stamina to even escape when that happens, you will be the one dying first. 」

   The instructor who was a part of the royal army and a mercenary before, his words held weight for the magician students. Certainly, many of the magicians would become mercenaries or enter the army in the future but, it’s not like everyone here would choose that path as their first choice.

   Many of the students here probably aimed to become a government official or some noble’s private magician. They probably didn’t even think they would hurl themselves into a dangerous fight, and they wouldn’t wish for that too. In fact, there were many magicians who lived their life without ever standing in a battlefield.

   The magician students who heard the instructor’s advice were all either expressionless or made a face like they had something bitter. There were students that had determined expression. They would probably be the ones who heed the instructor’s advice.

「That’s all for today. Dismissed! 」

   With the instructor’s words, the Practical Basics class was over.

「Kyrill. Let’s go get some food. 」

「Unn, yeah. But I need to change before that――Wait Rai! Don’t pull me! 」

   Thanks to Rai who was eager to eat, Kyrill once again had to ran with his trembling legs. That is why the person himself always had the thought, 『Why am I always running ever since I came to this academy』, even as he was dragged along to the dining hall.

「That’s what happened today. It’s too much today already, running now is……」

   When that day’s classes were over, Kyrill was brought to Ardis’s house in the forest as usual. Kyrill who had spent more energy than usual thanks to the Practical Basics class today insisted that the training that they did usually is impossible but……

「I see. That’s good then. Then let’s have a training on what to do to have the highest chance of surviving when you’re all spent on stamina today, the realism would help. 」

「Uhh……, how about calling off the training……? 」

「Even if Kyrill is tired or injured, the beasts in the forest won’t give a single thought at that? Actually, wouldn’t they just rush in at that chance? The things that you can do when your body is in perfect condition aren’t possible when fatigue caught up. Isn’t it a perfect chance for you to learn that? 」

「……Right―」

   At the more than expected cruelty of the black-haired instructor, Kyrill felt like his soul had come out together with his sigh.

「Don’t make that face. It’s true that you can’t improve much even if we extended the training period today. Let’s call it off after thirty minutes today. I’m not a demon after all. 」

   No no, you’re being too humble, you’re enough of a demonic instructor. Those were the words that Kyrill managed to swallow back.

   At the very least, the instructor at the academy would only ask the students to run thirty minutes only if they’re at their peak. Of course, Kyrill himself wasn’t at his peak but, that’s because of his activities outside the academy.

   Leaving aside Kyrill, the other students could attend the Practical Basics class under a perfect state. On the other hand, Ardis would use the fact that Kyrill is already all beaten up and say that 『That’s good then』, and make him run in the forest for another thirty minutes. Who is really the cruel one, it is obvious enough.

   In the end, Kyrill was caught by Rona a total of eight times.

   Rona was doing the predator part but, in other words, he would’ve died eight times in thirty minutes if a real threat was going for him. The result was disappointing for Kyrill but, unexpectedly, Ardis commented 「Not bad」 at that number.

「I thought you would die ten times in thirty minutes but……, you exceeded my expectations. Excellent work only dying eight times. 」

「Haa……, is that really the case……」

   Regarding that, Kyrill’s response was without any energy.

   If it wasn’t a training, then he would’ve died eight times in that short period. It wasn’t quite something he would be proud of.

「Let’s leave it for today. As for the remaining time, how about chatting with the twins? It would be good if their habit can be fixed over time. 」

   In any case, his legs had completely melted at this point, Kyrill who heard that was relieved in a sense.