Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

The main road connecting the Rangar region with the mainland of the Rondel kingdom was large and wide, and it had been well maintained.

Despite the intimidating name ‘demon realm’, merchants leisurely traveled back and forth between the mainland and Rangar region.

“Huh. I was all tense thinking Rangar was going to be dangerous, but it’s even more comfortable than starting a business trip from the mainland,” remarked Eisn, a young man leading a group from a trading company, as he glanced at the captain of the guards beside him, seemingly caught up in the calm atmosphere.

When his father first ordered him to go to the Rangar region for business, he despaired, thinking his father might be trying to toss him aside. Moreover, the number and armament of the guards accompanying him made him tremble with fear.

However, it turned out his worries had been misjudged, as the Derin Vicounty, known as the bridgehead between Rangar region and the mainland, was exceptionally peaceful.

“I’d love to start trading with the Worden or Cotra families during this opportunity.”

“That’s impossible. Those places…”, the guard captain began, but Eisn interrupted.

“I know, I know. Cross the line, and Miles won’t just stand by. But how can I ignore the tempting prospect?”

The Viscount Miles family indeed controlled everything about monster byproducts, but they did not monopolize items like grain from Viscount Derin or the ore from Baron Humbleton’s estate.

The volume of trade for these items, even if limited, was significant enough to make the Rangar region a crucial trading destination.

However, the guard captain’s concern was not about these political power struggles.

“That might be, but the path there is too dangerous.”

“Danger, my foot. Rangar region being a demon realm, it’s just a country backwater.”

The territory of Viscount Derin, with its immensely vast fields and orchards, had exceptionally fertile soil, producing top-quality crops in massive quantities.

The weather was mild, neither too cold in winter nor too hot in summer, and the rainfall was ideal for cultivating crops, making it one of the top regions in the western continent.

But compared to the big cities he had been born, raised, and traveled through, these rural parts were nothing but countryside.

To Eisn, it appeared as nothing more than an estate stuck in the backwoods of Rondel kingdom, peaceful, quiet, and uneventful.

“Anyway, the volume of trade was more than expected. I can boast about it to my father when we return, right?”

“Certainly. It was a highly profitable trade.”

“Well, this is nothing.”

The amount of various crops loaded onto the twenty-plus wagons was substantial enough to make him puff with pride.

Given the typically stern captain of the guards was offering praise to impress Eisn, his mood was improved.

“Ask them to speed up a little.”

“That’s not possible. You must maintain this pace until we leave the Rangar region to ensure the safety of both the surroundings and the porters.”

“They should be strong from doing business trips so often. What harm would come from going a bit faster…?”

“The most important thing on a trip is the distribution of stamina. Manage it well to deliver goods on schedule.”

“Tsk…”

In commerce, the key factors are information, trust, and how well you can deceive the other party.

However, in the return journey after a transaction, carrying the load, the most critical element is stamina.

As the captain of the guards mentioned, preserving and economizing stamina was essential to transport goods accurately on time.

However, Eisn did not understand this. He thought it unreasonable that the schedule would be disrupted by merely speeding up a little.

“Anyway, I want to get back a little sooner, so push them to move faster. That’s an order.”

“…”

The captain of the guards looked silently at Eisn for a moment. Eisn also showed no sign of backing down from his stance.

“Huh. Everyone, speed up…”

As he raised his voice, as if he had no choice, intending to shout to everyone, it happened.

Thud thud thud thud thud—!

“Hmm?”

The ground vibrated.

It was the sound of something fast approaching. The captain, his expression hardening, dismounted and placed his hand on the ground, trying to gauge the vibrations coming from afar.

‘A monster? No, that’s the sound of hooves and wheels. Moreover… given the smaller hoof sounds and larger wheel sounds, it must be a rather large two-wheeled wagon?’

As the sound drew closer, their anticipated paths seemed to coincide.

The captain of the guards pulled back the porters and troops, then stepped back onto the main road, looking in the direction the sound was coming from.

And what he saw was…

“……?”

A little unexpected.

Their lengthy trading group occupied the right side of the road, while the left side of such a major road was typically left vacant for possible oncoming traffic.

A wagon speeding recklessly from afar was approaching on the left side of the road.

It seemed the slow pace of their trading group was bothering it, as it appeared ready to overtake them.

In light of this, the captain of the guards rapidly made his way back toward the wagons.

“Why? Is there a problem…?”

Thud thud thud thud thud—!

“Hmm?”

Eisn also turned his head, his face stiffening, having noticed the wagon racing madly from far away.

The outrageous speed of the wagon indicated a sense of urgency…

“What, what is that?”

He could not hide his surprise at the sight of people running alongside the wagon.

However, he did not consider stopping the wagon to satisfy his curiosity.

Or rather, he could not.

Even putting aside the sturdy nature of the wagon capable of enduring at high speed, the determined expressions of the three people running alongside the wagon were too intense.

Thud thud thud thud thud!

Two hoof beats and the rough sound of wheels.

Thud thud thud thud thud!

The sound of three people’s footsteps in step with them.

Having confirmed this bizarre scene passing by them swiftly, Eisn looked back at his group, bewildered.

“If I wasn’t seeing things, it looked like… someone was running like their life depended on it? Could he have been tied to the wagon as it sped along?”

“It’s no illusion. They were indeed running on two feet.”

“……”

The captain of the guards answered Eisn’s question calmly, but his face had grown serious.

It seemed as though he was debating whether to catch up to the wagon and see if he could save one of the individuals.

And after following the traces of the wagon and their rapidly vanishing figures, Eisn whispered quietly, “Let’s just take it slow. We’ll take more breaks too. I almost committed a grave mistake.”

“Yes, Sir. We’ll do as you say.”

Having seemingly realized something from seeing what he shouldn’t have, a newfound gentleness graced Eisn’s expression.

‘What could it have been?’

The captain pondered, setting the caravan into motion again.

The dazzlingly swift wagon…

‘Those laughing kids, who were they?’

The sharp contrast between the young man running as if in extreme agony and the two children smiling brightly while running would stay impressed upon him forever.

*

“Wueeeek!”

As night fell, the wagon halted just off the road, and there, a young man named Caedwin crouched, heaving with little to no contents in his stomach.

And…

“Uuup…”

Sonya, barely keeping herself from throwing up, trembled like a leaf as Liber patted her on the back. The sight of the young child trembling was truly pitiable.

Liber discreetly turned his attention to the culprits of this fiasco, the two siblings.

“Phew, I feel refreshed.”

Aira wiped sweat from her brow and beamed innocently. To Liber, the look on Aira’s face appeared different.

“Are you two really okay?”

“Huh? What do you mean, okay?”

“I mean, how come you two are unscathed? Caedwin’s state is like that, but you two…”

Christian tilted his head, as though the question were strange. He sneaked a glance at Caedwin, who was still heaving, and clicked his tongue lightly.

“Tsk tsk. It’s only twice the normal gravity, yet what’s anyone going to do with him being that weak?”

Even in his agony, Caedwin reacted violently upon hearing Christian’s voice.

“You, you insane bastard! You saddled me with something used on prisoners, and what? Weak?! You haven’t even let us rest…”

“Who said I didn’t let you rest? You had ten-minute breaks after every three hours of running.”

“How is that resting?! And this ring, why won’t it come off?”

“Oh, that’s set so you can’t remove it unless your mana sensitivity surpasses Aira’s. Otherwise… without cutting off your finger, you won’t be able to take it off at your level.”

“Have both of you siblings gone mad?! Uuuup! Wueeeek!”

His desire to shout conflicts with his body’s instinct, causing his stomach to threaten to force out its contents.

Hence, though Liber pitied him, he could not extend the kindness of patting his back as he did for Sonya.

Sonya’s complexion turned pale, seemingly provoked by Caedwin’s resumed nausea. Liber softly patted Sonya’s back, directing himself towards Christian.

“That mana tool, it’s equipped with the gravity array, right?”

“Well, yes.”

Christian replied absentmindedly, but Aira proudly showed the tool to Liber.

A set of matching bracelets adorned the siblings’ wrists.

Liber intended to ask something, but Christian spoke before he could.

“Now, I won’t be entertaining dull questions about this. It’s just our training method, and we don’t need to explain every detail.”

“Hmm…”

It’s indeed not proper manners to inquire about others’ training methods. Liber nodded gravely, observing Christian closely.

‘What kind of physique…?’

The bodies of Christian and Aira, with their outer garments removed to cool down, were not those of children stepping into adolescence, but rather belonged to those of seasoned warriors.

‘What on earth are they preparing for?’

Body training is usually a path for those without talent in magic.

But these siblings, who have already awakened mana waves at a young age, did not need to obsess over physical training. Especially during their growth phase.

‘Is there something I don’t know?’

Liber’s interest was natural.

“Say, Christian, perhaps you…”

“Alright, let’s wash up and have dinner. We should eat well to prepare for another early start tomorrow.”

“Ah, yes, let’s do that then.”

Though determined to ask, when Christian nonchalantly turned and took Aira into the wagon, Liber could only sigh and watch them go.

The feeling that Christian had built an invisible wall between them refused to leave Liber’s mind.