The unit members who finished the training were completely exhausted.
“Today’s training has ended. 35 injured.
No deaths!”
Theo reported on the results of today's training, and Elia felt relieved.
It was a relief that there were no deaths.
Of course, it seemed that someone like Keisha wouldn't even care if one of his subordinates died during training.
In any case, the members of the unit who were injured had completely completed treatment.
Their bodies were completely healthy, but their minds seemed a bit scattered.
They were trembling violently and averting their gazes as soon as their gazes crossed with Keisha…
By the way, what a crazy workout like that on the first day!
But there was something a little strange.
'That unexpected rockslide.'
It was impossible for Keisha not to expect something like this.
He was the kind of person who would have deliberately caused a rockslide for the purpose of training if he had known in advance that the mountainous terrain was weak enough to cause a rockslide!
But from his previous reaction, it didn't seem like that.
'By the way, what interesting training exercises will be held starting tomorrow?'
A groan that actually sounded like death came out of Elijah's mouth.
Typically in the military, exercises in outdoor field exercises are sequenced in a “weak-medium-strong” sequence.
First, they create relatively tolerable exercises for soldiers to keep up with, then gradually increase the intensity.
Especially on the last day, they put in a training that is really exhausting to the point of nausea.
But the possibility of Kesha's training being "strong-strong-strong" was high.
'No, maybe even 'strong-very-strong-very strong'...!'
A shiver ran down her spine.
However, this means that it will never be less than that, but perhaps more.
Just thinking about it almost made her nauseous.
Elia repeated in her mind a magic phrase that would enable her to calm herself in the most painful situations:
'No matter how unpleasant it is, time flies...'
No matter how bad it gets, outdoor field training has a schedule, and that schedule is bound to end eventually.
The same applies to all military life, not just outdoor field exercises.
Even in this moment when you are complaining, time is ticking away.
'You're one second short of the end of the outdoor field training!
What fun!
This is great!
As she was heading toward the barracks, achieving a weak psychological victory, someone called her.
“Elle, let me talk to you for a moment.”
It was Yusar.
Ilya looked at him and felt a strange feeling.
The sly smile he always wore as he looked at her disappeared from his face.
Yusar opened his mouth calmly.
“I sincerely thank you for saving me today.”
This was the first time he had said hello in such a serious voice, it was very embarrassing.
“No need to thank~ I didn't do it for you, I did it for me.”
She waved her hand lightly in an attempt to lighten the mood, and continued her speech.
“Yusar, if you weren’t there, I would have difficulties too.
You know very well that we are in the same boat, and you know best.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Yusar's mouth.
“Then there is no need for you to bear too much psychological burden.
If you think I have held a weak point against you because of this, just treat me kindly.”
Perhaps the mathematically minded Yusar considered this incident to have him under her control.
As it is said, everyone sees with the eyes of his own nature.
Isn’t he a person who achieved what he wanted throughout his life by seizing on the weaknesses of others?
“Indeed, you really caught me on the weak side because of this.”
Yusar smiled faintly.
“Elijah, I have to work harder to like you.
So, see you tomorrow.”
Yousar was about to return to the barracks when he finished speaking.
“Just a minute, Yusar.”
“…”
Elia called him and Yusar turned.
Elia looked at him and began to speak.
"Don't feel bad about comparing yourself to others.
You're already doing well enough."
“Suddenly, what is this talk?”
His body stopped for a moment.
“Didn’t you put in a lot of effort today because you didn’t want to lose to Axion?”
He didn't object.
“There's no need to compare yourself to others, especially Axion.
What's even more amazing is that you've lived so far without anyone's help.”
When comforting her, Yousar's eyes shook.
Ilya felt close to Yusar.
She felt sympathy for him because the way he looked, striving to overcome his miserable past by any means and achieve success, looked similar to how she looked struggling in her previous life.
“Do you understand?
Instead of comparing yourself to others, let’s achieve what we strive for.”
After she finished speaking, she gently put her hand on Yousar's shoulder and patted him.
Yusar looked at Ilya in front of him.
In his entire life so far, no one had said anything like that to him.
His eyes filled with tears.
He felt as if something that had been condensed and hardened inside his chest for a long time was beginning to dissolve.
“Elijah.”
Yusar took long strides towards Elijah.
His face came closer to hers.
“Huh, are you starting to flirt again?”
While Elia thought, as usual, that he was cunningly approaching her again, and she stepped back a little.
tightly-
Yusar hugged her with all his strength and whispered.
"……Thank you."
I felt Yusar's huge body trembling slightly.
His behavior was completely different from usual.
At this particular moment, he was not like the elaborate schemer in the original novel, but rather like a younger brother begging for pity and sympathy.
Illya sighed softly and smiled.
Well, if that relieves him, then so be it.
Unusually, she showed human emotion and allowed Yussar to hug her.
•
Bambababara- Bam-Bam-
“Ah……I couldn’t sleep well all night.”
The wake-up horn sounded loudly in the mountains, and Elia muttered as she opened her eyes on the bed.
In fact, it was just a hard wooden platform covered with straw, which could hardly be called a bed.
She felt excruciating pain in her neck, shoulders and back, as if she was going to die.
Moreover, five people were sharing one room.
She was worried that she would be exposed as a woman, so she couldn't sleep well, and was constantly yawning.
I realized again how luxurious the Grand Duke's private residence was.
She massaged her waist and got up, then changed into her training uniform first and walked out of the dilapidated barracks.
Her job as unit leader was to wake up first and take care of the unit.
In the barren training ground, Axion was standing alone.
He was wearing his training uniform perfectly.
'When did this really wake up?'
Does he never sleep?
As soon as he met her eyes, he quickly turned his face.
Does he think I will lose?
She also suddenly turned her head to deliberately ignore him.
Click-
Her neck, stiff from the hard bed, made a loud noise.
'Death pain!' It's all because of Axion.'
While she was holding her neck and cursing secretly, the unit members started to leave one by one.
•
When the entire unit gathered, Keisha appeared.
“We're moving in today for training.
Go!”
They walked about an hour through Mount Kenya until they reached the training site.
“Wow, it's so cool!”
“That such a place really exists…….”
The unit admired the sight before them.
There was a large, clear lake.
Because of the cold weather, the surface of the lake was covered with a thin layer of white ice, which looked beautiful as if a fairy had placed a net on it.
But Elia couldn't admire the view like the rest of the unit.
'Wow, what hideous training did he think of this time!'
He wouldn't ask us to dive into those freezing waters, right?
“Today’s training is water training.”
Bingo.
As expected, sad forecasts are never wrong.
"But just getting into the water like idiots is boring.
It's not like we're showering."
After he finished speaking, Keisha took something out of his pocket.
It was a small ball that radiated a bright light.
It was the Aura Stone.
“It doesn't have a strong halo, but it's bright enough to be visible in the dark.”
After he finished speaking, he threw her with all his might into the lake.
Quack!
scrimp!
The corona stone broke through the partially frozen surface of the lake and sank into the water.
“Today’s training is for you to form pairs of two and bring that aura stone over here.”
The unit's faces already looked frowning just thinking about having to dive into that cold lake.
“Look at their facial expressions.”
Keisha continued talking with an upset face.
“I was going to tell you later, but there is no way.
I will give a reward to the first ones who come back.”
When the word “reward” was mentioned, the ears of the unit members, who had frowning faces, listened.
“Free exit permit for one day after returning to the Grand Ducal Palace.”
At that moment, the unit's eyes widened.
The air of the outside world!
This is exactly what everyone here desperately wanted.
“Are you ready now?”
“Ready!”
The unit answered Keisha's question in a voice full of enthusiasm.
Elia also coveted an exit permit.
Although going out for a day was only half a day, she wanted to catch her breath even for a moment from this miserable life of loneliness.
Fortunately, there was a beach in the Baron's fiefdom, so she was confident in her ability to swim since her childhood.
Moreover, she had also thought of a way to handle this training.
'Because I have a great plan in time.'
Of course, she hadn't prepared the plan in advance.
This was even possible because today's training was about finding the Aura Stone within the lake.
'I was lucky.'
With that plan, she could find the Aura Stone in that vast lake more easily than others.
“Then I will form the teams.”
Keisha started forming teams as he called out names from the list.
“Next is Erhan Trincin, and…….”
God, if only I had a normal person as a teammate…….
“……Accion Rubelt.”