Of course, Mog signed up to protect the Valley of the Wind, and it had absolutely nothing to do with getting a free meal.
He also inquired with friends and learned that the militia's daily tasks were not heavy, mainly patrolling, standing guard, and occasionally helping villagers with some physical labor, which was much easier than farming.
This morning, he and more than fifty other new recruits, wearing their newly received leather armor, excitedly assembled at the training ground.
They were also told that the Blessed Warrior would train with them, serving as role models and instructors.
Everyone was excited and looking forward to the next training session.
Is it to learn that dashing swordsmanship? Or practice marksmanship? Or perhaps, have the chance to experience that magical " Incantations "?
Then they realized something was wrong.
The first training exercise wasn't having them handle knives and guns, but rather—standing as punishment.
However, the older generation called this "standing posture practice".
"Stand with your legs together, toes pointing outwards at a 60-degree angle, head up, chest out, abdomen in, shoulders naturally lowered, and hands with fingers together, pressed firmly against the sides of your thighs."
Por gave a brief demonstration. "Just stand like this for thirty minutes, and you'll have a snack at noon after the training."
Extra meal!
The recruits' eyes lit up; since the arrival of the Blessed Crops, the taste of the food in the valley had improved dramatically.
What good stuff will this extra meal be? Meat? Eggs?
"Everyone, hang in there!" Por, standing at the front of the line, added in an enticing tone, "I heard this extra meal is the most delicious I've ever seen."
Upon hearing this, everyone tensed up, standing straighter than trees, eager to make a good impression on the Blessed Warrior.
Who knows, maybe some senior colleague will take notice and promote you?
"It's just standing still, isn't it? I can stand all day long when harvesting wheat!"
Mog thought to himself, "Thirty minutes is nothing."
Ten minutes later, he realized he was wrong.
This standing posture is completely different from normal standing; every part of the body must exert force to maintain the posture.
It was okay at first, just a little awkward.
But just ten minutes later, my calves started to ache, and after fifteen minutes, my back muscles started to protest. By the time I had persevered for twenty minutes, sweat was pouring down my face uncontrollably.
He felt every muscle in his body trembling; it was more tiring than carrying a sack of wheat from one end of the valley to the other.
The Blessed Warrior patrolled the ranks, occasionally pointing out corrections. Those whose names were called on would shudder and quickly adjust their movements.
Because, as Por said, those whose posture is seriously incorrect will be disqualified from receiving extra food.
Thirty minutes felt like an eternity.
When Por finally uttered the word "rest," a collective sigh of relief filled the ranks.
Mog tried to move his leg, and a wave of tingling and numbness washed over him, almost making him kneel on the ground.
He looked around; almost everyone was drenched in sweat, grimacing as they loosened their joints.
So, just standing still can be this tiring.
Fortunately, no one was eliminated because of poor posture; it's just standing at attention, and you can grit your teeth and persevere.
The rest period lasted only ten minutes. Just as Mog was beginning to feel his feet again, the second training session began.
"Next, we'll do a shuttle run. Run along the base of the wall to the end and then back to the starting point. That counts as one round trip. There will be a total of five round trips!" Por said, pointing to the stone wall at the edge of the forest.
Someone asked in a low voice, "What if we can't finish running?"
"If you don't finish the run, lunchtime will be postponed. You can eat whenever you finish the run."
Kamlin took over the conversation, his smile quite "amiable".
The recruits swallowed hard. "Are you devils?!"
"On my command, run!"
There was no other way; in order to get extra food, the new recruits had no choice but to reluctantly begin their march.
At first, the line was fairly well-organized, and most people were able to maintain their formation during the first turnback.
The second time, the line began to stretch out, and the panting became more noticeable; the third time, they were panting heavily, their steps heavy.
By the fourth time, the line had completely fallen apart; everyone's face was flushed, their eyes were unfocused, and they were moving their legs instinctively.
When Mog reached the last lap, he felt a metallic taste in his throat, each step felt like wading through mud, and even the scenery in front of him began to sway.
When he finally mustered his last bit of strength and crossed the starting line, everything went black and he collapsed to the ground.
There were many others like him, lying haphazardly along the edge of the training field.
"Finally... it's finished..."
At the edge of the venue, Mito and the two elderly women kept a close eye on everyone's condition, ready to go up and provide treatment at any time.
" Divine Tree, isn't this training too difficult?"
He asked Mu En, who was also paying close attention to the training, in his mind, his tone somewhat worried.
Each round trip is about two kilometers, so five round trips would cover ten kilometers.
Even for the people of the Valley of the Wind, whose physique far surpasses that of Mu En's previous life, it is still a considerable challenge before they have undergone any adaptive training.
Not to mention, there are 30 minutes of extremely mentally taxing military posture practice beforehand.
"To train truly powerful warriors, one must put in the corresponding hard work; not everyone is as gifted as Yupa or Nausicaä."
Mu En wasn't worried about the soldiers at all; he had already made thorough preparations.
Besides the grandmother who was skilled in first aid and the Blessed Warrior who possessed the Erdtree's Favor, he had also asked Beruto to prepare enough food to replenish his energy.
Moreover, he knew very well that he could not apply his past life's experience to these Valley of the Wind soldiers.
Any old man with a white beard could easily lift a 200mm howitzer and act as a loader; a group of farmers with hoes and flamethrowers dared to confront the heavily armored soldiers of Tolmekia.
Then look at "freakish" individuals Yupa and Nausicaä...
He even doubted whether the humans of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and the humans he knew were the same species.
After all, the people of the Valley of the Wind are descendants of a technologically advanced ancient kingdom, so it seems reasonable that they have some genetic advantages.
However, talent is one thing, but without systematic training, even the most talented person will remain unknown.
Just as Mu En and Mito were talking, the last recruit scrambled across the starting line.
He was a tall, thin young man who collapsed to the ground and began to retch after crossing the finish line.
Por walked over and kicked his shin. "Get up, don't lie there, walk a few steps slowly."
The tall, thin man struggled to his feet, his steps unsteady, but he managed to stand.
As Mu En expected, none of the fifty people fainted or were injured. The most serious injuries were leg cramps and general weakness; they were far from their physical limits.
At this moment, the new recruits on the training field gradually recovered from their half-dead state.
What followed was anger and resentment.
"What kind of training is this?"
"What's the point of standing there for so long and then having to run for so long?"
"Weren't you supposed to be teaching swordsmanship and spear techniques...?"
The complaints gradually grew louder, and many people felt dissatisfied, believing they had been tricked.
They enlisted because they witnessed the heroic fighting spirit of the Blessed Warrior and longed to join the army, not because of this grueling training!
Just then, a unique fragrance "happened" to drift in on the wind.