Training

Three days slipped quietly by at a brief rest stop on their journey north.

Lupa's old, bloodstained dress was long gone, replaced by a neat white cotton bodysuit, a bright red cropped jacket, matching trousers, and a sturdy pair of leather boots. The outfit made her look much more spirited. Though the grief deep in her eyes had yet to fade completely, a new light called "purpose" was burning stubbornly within them. She had made it clear to Lowell that she wanted to become a warrior, fighting with her body and martial skills like Eisen rather than studying complicated magic.

Her choice made Lowell breathe a private sigh of relief. Teaching a mage was indeed troublesome, requiring a profound understanding of the nature of mana, elemental attunement, and much else besides. The warrior's path, at least for a beginner, focused on more tangible things: physical fitness, willpower, and control over one's body and basic mana.

Of course, in this world, even warriors needed a certain amount of mana to strengthen themselves, whether for bursts of speed, the resilience to withstand magical impacts, or the destructive power added to a swing of their weapons.

So Lowell drew up Lupa's initial training regimen, simple to the point of cruelty: 500 push-ups, 500 sit-ups, 500 squats, and a ten-kilometer cross-country run with weights every day—an advanced version of a certain bald man's workout from another world.

An ordinary teenage girl could never withstand such a workload? Perhaps. But in this party, "common sense" often needed redefining.

Heiter, a priest only sixteen years old, could cast a powerful blessing without batting an eye, allowing multiple people to "survive for two months without eating, drinking, or breathing."

By comparison, quickly repairing torn muscles and restoring spent energy were little tricks he could perform effortlessly, with immediate results. The exhaustion and injuries from training quickly became the foundation for growth beneath the gentle holy light Heiter casually cast—though that did nothing to lessen the pain of the process.

Lupa gritted her teeth, sweat soaking her red clothes. Every time she collapsed from exhaustion, she got back up amid Lowell and Heiter's encouraging smiles and healing light.

Ruby finished a session of magical meditation and walked over to Lowell. Watching Lupa sweat buckets, her green eyes filled with amazement and a hint of sympathy. "Mr. Lowell, isn't this training a bit... excessive? She's still a child..."

Lowell was leaning lazily against a broken wall. He didn't even raise his eyelids as he replied evenly, "She's older than you. Besides, a warrior's path has always been paved with sweat and even blood. If she wants to walk it, she has to endure the hardship. When mages study theory and construct spells, they need brainpower and fine control over their mana. Their hardship is internal. Warriors temper their bodies and sharpen their will. Their hardship is external. Each path has its own difficulties."

He paused, glancing at Lupa's trembling figure as she continued without stopping, and added, "Besides, she can't neglect basic mana accumulation and circulation within her body. In this world, brute strength alone has too low a limit. To surpass her limits, she'll ultimately need the added boost of mana. Some mana also comes from physical fitness, in addition to meditation, cultivation, and so on. Once she's built a solid physical foundation, I'll teach her how to make mana flow through her body like blood, boosting her speed and strength."

Ruby stuck out her tongue. "Good thing I chose to be a mage... But Lupa really has incredible determination."

Himmel wiped his sword, his blue hair gleaming in the morning light, and smiled. "Every path has its hardships, Ruby. Miss Lupa's resolve is truly admirable." He looked at Lupa with appreciation and support.

In stark contrast to the sweaty scene on the training ground was the "comfort zone" on the other side.

Frieren had been living an exceptionally comfortable life these past few days. In the morning, when Ruby came to wake her as usual, she would often find the silver-haired elf still wrapped in her blanket, with only a few unruly strands of hair sticking out.

Beside her, there was always Lupa, who had just finished her ten-kilometer run and was panting and soaked in sweat. After merely wiping her face with a towel, she would ladle out a bowl of still-warm meat and vegetable porridge, carefully blow it cool, and feed it to Frieren one spoonful at a time.

On the other side, pink-haired Linié sat quietly by the bed, deftly combing Frieren's long silver hair, which had become a tangled mess in her sleep. Her fingers moved nimbly through it, undoing each knot with meticulous, perfectly steady movements.

"Lady Frieren! It's time to get up again! The sun's already shining on your bottom again! Huh, why did I say 'again'?" Ruby shouted from the doorway, her hands on her hips and exasperation written all over her little face.

"You need someone to comb your hair and even feed you! Are you really an elf who's lived for a thousand years?!"

Frieren groggily swallowed a mouthful of porridge, too lazy even to open her eyes. "Mm... another half hour... Any one of you can deal with those monsters anyway, right? Why do I have to get up early too...?" Her voice was thick with sleepiness and an utterly matter-of-fact laziness.

Ruby stamped her foot in anger and pointed at the "depraved" scene. "No! You can't be this lazy! It's a question of attitude! And what about all that magical knowledge you promised to teach me, Lady Frieren?" She tried to spur her increasingly lax teacher on with her studies.

Hearing that, Frieren finally forced one eyelid open and cast a lazy glance at Ruby with her green eye. Her tone was flat, but her words struck precisely at the red-haired little mage's weak point:

"Oh? How much of that Outline of the History of Magic Wars and Overview of Common Greater Demons' Ecology and Weaknesses, Frieren's Revised Edition, that I gave you a few days ago have you read? Have you finished taking notes on the first chapter?"

Ruby's little face instantly turned bright red. Her eyes wandered, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her mage's robe. "W-well... I... I've been practicing the names of the new Combination Technique moves I came up with lately! And those books are so thick, and the print is so small..."

Frieren took another leisurely mouthful of porridge and let Linié braid her long silver hair into an elegant plait before replying unhurriedly, "I see. I knew you wouldn't read them... Then come to my room tonight. I'll read them to you. We wouldn't want a certain 'number one genius mage of the Royal Capital' to have a poor grasp of the basics and suffer for it when she faces demons someday."

"No way!" Ruby jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her cheeks turning even redder. "I'm not a little kid anymore! I don't want bedtime stories! I... I'll read them myself! I'll read them in a little while!" Her words were forceful, but she was plainly lacking in confidence. Things like history books and all those different descriptions really failed to interest her.

Frieren narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, like a cat that had successfully stolen a fish, and snuggled back into her warm blanket. Enjoying the ultimate service of having everything done for her, she murmured, "Mm, good... I'm going to sleep..."

Watching this, Ruby could only give an indignant "Hmph" before turning and running off, muttering "Too lazy, too lazy" as she went. But she made no further attempt to drag Frieren out of bed.

Himmel watched Ruby run off, then looked at Frieren enjoying "queenly" treatment in the shack, as well as Linié serving her silently and Lupa's earnest expression. A gentle, somewhat helpless smile appeared on his handsome face. "Everyone... is in high spirits."

Lowell had come over at some point. He looked at the scene inside, chuckled softly, and said to Himmel, "So, how did today's cleanup go?"

"We've dealt with all the monsters roaming nearby." Himmel nodded, his gaze falling on Lupa, who had just fed Frieren the last spoonful of porridge and was carefully wiping the corner of her mouth, still bearing some sweat from her long run. His eyes held admiration. "Lupa is really working hard."

"Hatred is a driving force, but I hope she can soon find something else to sustain her." Lowell said that, then clapped his hands. "All right, break time is over. Lupa, next up is basic mana-sensing practice. Frieren, as an adult, you should set a good example for the children~"

Frieren reluctantly crawled out from under the blanket, muttering, "I've just eaten, so it's the perfect time to sleep..." But she slowly began putting on her clothes all the same.

Sunlight spread across the ruins, and another day of training and travel began. Lupa wiped away her sweat and walked determinedly toward the meditation spot Lowell had designated. Ruby puffed out her cheeks, found a quiet corner, and opened the thick notebook as if out of spite. Frieren yawned and began her daily magic practice, faint sparks dancing at her fingertips, seemingly striving toward an "explosive" effect but never quite stable.