Part 26: Hard Training
Joe Hyper: "Yesterday you escaped my training because of the old tradition and celebration. But today, no excuses—you'll complete the exercises."
"You must do three drills. The first is a running test."
Easy… like drinking water, I thought.
Joe walked toward me. I froze, worried I had slipped again.
Joe Hyper: "Did you say something?"
"Uh… what?"
Joe Hyper: "Can't you hear? What did you say?"
"I was wrong, teacher."
Joe Hyper: "Since you admit it without explanation, you'll run ten laps more than the others."
I could feel Hardy's mocking smirk.
Joe Hyper: "Everyone runs fifty laps. Tam Breach, sixty. And the last ten finishers will clean the entire training grounds."
Fear spread among the students. But I smiled.
Joe Hyper: "I'll count to three. Anyone not running will be punished. One… two…"
The students bolted forward.
For Den and Henry, this was nothing—they were destined for the top three. But me…
Joe Hyper: "Why are you standing still? Aren't you going to start?"
I smirked.
"Of course, teacher. I'll begin now."
And just like that, It was over.
I finished the sixty laps effortlessly and walked to Joe, who was watching the race.
"Teacher, I'm done."
He spun around, startled.
Joe Hyper: "What!? Already?"
"Yes, sixty laps. Don't forget—I wield wind magic."
Joe sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Joe Hyper: "You're right. This test is meaningless for you. Sit down."
I sat and watched the fierce duel between Henry and Den.
Den and Henry pushed themselves, neck and neck, far ahead of the others.
Behind them were William, Adriana, then Prince Estio and his guardian.
And Hardy… dead last, gasping for breath.
Let's see what you do now, tomato girl.
From Den's Perspective
The final lap. Henry was beside me, trying to overtake.
No—I couldn't let him win.
Henry Flor, of the Flor family—the eternal enemies of the church and the gods. He must never come first. Not here, not anywhere.
I gathered the last of my mana and crossed the finish line. Fifty laps complete.
"Yes! I did It. I'm first!"
I pointed at Henry, who finished second.
"See? I beat you—and Tam too."
Wait… where was Tam? He wasn't even among the runners.
"Would you like some green tea?"
Who said that?
I turned—and to my shock, Tam was sitting with Joe, sipping tea.
"How? How!?"
From Tam's Perspective
The race ended. Den was first, Henry second. But in truth, I was first.
Den celebrated his victory.
"Want some green tea?" I asked.
During the race, I had gone to the cafeteria with Joe's permission, prepared tea, and returned. Now we were enjoying it together.
Den stared at me in disbelief.
Den: "How…?"
"Green tea relaxes the nerves and muscles. Try it."
He was speechless.
"Maybe instead of exhausting yourself, you should use your brain. After all, I wield wind magic—I'm faster than anyone."
I offered Henry some tea too.
Final Results
1. Tam – Wind Magic
2. Den – Lightning
3. Henry – Ice
4. William – Light
5. Adriana – Ice
6. Estio – Courage
7. Guardian John
…
Last place: Hardy (Agnes) – Fire
Joe Hyper: "The first exercise is done. Honestly, except for Tam, Den, and Henry, the rest of you didn't perform at the level of elite students. You looked more like children chasing butterflies with nets meant for roses."
I burst out laughing.
"Ha ha!"
Joe Hyper: "Tam, what are you laughing at?"
"Teacher, we don't use nets for roses… those are fishing nets!"
I laughed again.
Silence. No one else laughed.
Joe Hyper: "So you think you're funny, kid? Since you're such a comedian, the second exercise will be done blindfolded."
Damn. Ever since childhood, I always spoke when I shouldn't—and always paid for it.
But his next words eased my worry.
Joe Hyper: "The second exercise is archery. You must hit ten arrows in under ten minutes. Tam, you're first—blindfolded."
He handed me the bow and a cloth. I tied it over my eyes, imagined the target, and loosed the arrows one by one.
When I removed the blindfold, the students and Joe stared at me, mouths open.
"Teacher, I'm done."
From Den's Perspective
Damn. Because of his joke, Tam was punished—forced to shoot blindfolded.
Impossible.
This idiot interrupted Joe, the most sensitive instructor. If you cut him off mid-sentence, you're finished.
Tam stood blindfolded, firing arrow after arrow.
And… he hit them all. Thirty arrows, blindfolded.
"Is he really the miracle of the gods?" I thought.
From Tam's Perspective
I returned to the group.
Joe Hyper: "After what Tam did, my expectations are higher. Now all of you must hit the target In under two minutes."
I could feel their hatred. Their eyes burned into me.
Joe Hyper: "Next—Henry Flor."
The archery test ended. The rankings were clear:
- 1st: Tam
- 2nd: William
- 3rd: Adriana
- 4th: Estio
- …
Shockingly, Den and Henry were 10th and 11th. They had no skill in archery, always weak in this area. Strange, since the author of the story always favored Henry.
There was another detail: Henry's wish was never fulfilled. Denrys's strange illness was never cured, even after Henry sought help from the Black Pope. And the source of conflict between the Flor and Breach families—the death of Henry's mother and father, Arin Flor—was never explained. Only a fire was mentioned. The author never even gave Henry's mother a name, focusing instead on his romances.
Joe Hyper: "Now, the final exercise—hand-to-hand combat. Step forward when I call your names."
Joe Hyper: "Tam Breach and Den Hyper. Step forward for the duel."
We stepped forward, bowed to each other, and began the duel.
Den launched the first attack. I dodged, moved behind him, and punched—sending him to the ground.
He quickly stood, swinging again. I dodged twice, then caught his arm as it brushed near my neck. I locked his other hand, struck him hard with my leg, forcing him to bend, then kicked again—knocking him down once more.
I wanted to strike again…
From Henry's Perspective
Den attacked recklessly, as was typical of the Hyper family. They always saw fights as battles to win at any cost.
But Tam's movements were precise, trained, calculated.
In one swift motion, Tam struck Den, sending him crashing to the ground.
Joe Hyper: "Enough!"
Den protested, but Joe silenced him. "That's enough."
From Tam's Perspective
The final rankings were announced:
1. Tam Breach
2. William Jordan
3. Adriana Flor
4. Den Hyper
5. Henry Flor
6. Estio Afrina
…
22. Agnes Melodia
Those ranked 20th and below had to clean the training grounds. That meant Agnes.
I laughed.
"Ha! You mocked me, tomato girl. Now you'll be cleaning. Ha ha!"
Suddenly, Agnes hurled a fireball at me.
"What are you doing, crazy girl!?"
Agnes: "Stop mocking me!"
"Stop? You started it!"
Agnes: "Pervert!"
"Tomato girl!"
She prepared another spell, and I readied myself too—until…
"Ow!"
Joe Hyper grabbed both our ears.
Joe Hyper: "You're no better than children. For punishment, you two will clean the entire training grounds and the whole school. Until it's done, you're not allowed to leave."
"What!? No way!"
Agnes: "It's all your fault!"
"My fault? You mocked me first, then threw a fireball!"
Agnes: "Pervert!"
"Tomato girl!"
And so our bickering continued until the cleaning was finally finished.
End of Part 26