Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate!

The next day, I resumed training the heroes as usual.

They'd grown used to my methods by now. The grumbling and confusion from our first sessions had long since faded. Now, they followed my directions with discipline, determination, and even a sense of anticipation.

Their magical endurance—especially in relation to their familiars—had noticeably improved. They could now maintain their summons much longer than before. Some even experimented with calling upon their familiars in rapid succession, testing the limits of their stamina and connection.

Soon, I believed they'd reach the next milestone: actually being able to speak with their familiars. Once that communication was established, their combat coordination would reach an entirely new level. I was confident they'd succeed in just a few weeks.

Serena, Cain, Theresia, and Freya were giving it their all. Their spirits were high, and I could see the beginnings of pride in their eyes—not arrogance, but a quiet awareness that they were getting stronger.

Around midday, something different happened.

During our forced aura training session with Mercenary King Yunho and Mercenary Queen Mina, a few new faces unexpectedly joined us.

Serena, Cain, Theresia, and Freya looked surprised. And understandably so—the newcomers weren't strangers.

They were our friends.

Marius, Luna, Leopold, and Termina had joined the session, along with several other A-rank knights. Even Garren, the commander of the 8th Knight Division, was among them. His presence added a certain weight to the atmosphere, as if signaling that this training was no longer just for heroes-in-training but a serious battleground for growth among the elite.

We waved at them, and they came over to greet us.

Theresia immediately hugged her younger sister, Termina. She asked what she was doing here, and Termina simply replied that she didn't want to fall behind—not from us, and not from Julius, who was currently undergoing the Hero's Trial.

Theresia was moved by her little sister's determination. With tears in her eyes, she jumped and hugged Termina tightly, full of pride.

It looked... hilariously strange. Theresia may have been the older sister, but her petite frame made her look like the younger sibling in Termina's arms. A few of the knights nearby chuckled under their breath at the sight.

I saw Marius and Leopold struggling not to burst into laughter. Luna, as usual, wore her trademark expressionless face.

I greeted them.

"Long time no see… Marius, Leopold, Luna."

"Yo Naoki, I'm here now! No one's gonna lay a finger on you! Because I will be your shield!" Marius declared with dramatic flair. "But—do you know what the difference is between me and a regular shield?"

Before I could answer, he grinned and flexed. "A shield can break. But I? I'm unbreakable! Look at these glorious muscles!"

This muscle-brain really couldn't land a joke if his life depended on it—but somehow, that was part of his charm.

"Wow, that's amazing, Marius. I'll count on you then—Strongest Shield in the World, Marius Stone."

To my surprise, that actually made him burst into joyful laughter. His booming voice echoed across the field, earning a few confused looks from the new recruits.

Next, I turned to Luna.

"Hey, Luna. We met at the Hall of Ascension the other day… how have you been?"

"I'm fine," she replied flatly.

"And Julius?"

"Still doing the Hero's Trial, obviously." Again, short and cold. Maybe that's just how her character is wired. Or maybe… she was just bad at small talk.

Then I looked at Leopold. "You look a bit different today, Leopold. Your eyes… they seem more alive."

"That's right, Naoki. Well, without Freya and Brother Cain at the Flamemore mansion, training felt lonely. So I thought—why not join in here? Haha!" He struck a ridiculous pose, one hand behind his head, the other pointing skyward like he was trying to channel some kind of heroic energy.

Suddenly, Cain appeared behind him—looking very unamused.

"Leopold... I told you to stay at the Flamemore mansion!" Cain's tone was sharp, his aura intense, and his eyes literally flaring with fire.

"Eek! I-I'm sorry, Brother Cain! I just... I don't want to stay weak forever! I want to be strong like you and Freya!" Leopold replied with surprising boldness, trying to hold Cain's fiery gaze.

Freya quickly stepped in to separate the two before things escalated.

I thought Cain would lash out, but instead, he gave a small sigh and muttered, "Do whatever you want."

He walked away, leaving Leopold visibly relieved.

Marius, Freya, and I couldn't help but laugh. It was funny to see Leopold—the lazy one—finally trying to put in effort, only to get scolded like usual.

Then Marius turned to me and asked, "Is this training really that important, Naoki? I mean, I just got back from accompanying Mark, Milly, and the other Blackmore members on dungeon expeditions for a week, per your orders. I thought I'd be doing that for months. Why the sudden call back?"

"You'll understand once you go through the training, Marius," I said. "And thank you, by the way, for looking after those two dumb siblings of mine. But I think Vivin can take over your role there."

"That's fair, Naoki... But why me? Why didn't you call Mark, William, or Alan too?"

I leaned in and whispered, "Because I trust in your potential, Marius. You have something they don't. I promise—after this training, you'll be many times stronger. Your muscles will love this."

Marius lit up at my words. He swore he'd give it everything he had.

He even tried to hug me out of gratitude—but I dodged him quickly.

No way I was getting squished by those absurd muscles of his.

Now, it was time for the Mercenary King and Queen to take over the training session.

Mercenary King Yunho stepped forward and announced, "Alright, as usual—we start with physical training. 100 sit-ups. 100 push-ups. 100 squats. 100 pull-ups. And finally... a 10-kilometer run around the kingdom walls."

The new recruits gasped in shock.

Leopold, Luna, and Termina visibly wilted at the mention of the routine.

Meanwhile, the rest of us—Serena, Theresia, Freya, and I—couldn't help but laugh. Their reactions were exactly like ours on the first day.

But one person stood out: Marius.

True to form, my muscle-brained friend lit up with excitement. He jumped up, practically cheering at the intense workout plan.

Yup. That's the Marius I know.