Ah, this is going to be horrible.
What if we have to fight with real swords?
If it comes to that, I’ll…
I’ll try my best.
As we walked down the hallway, my head remained lowered, my thoughts running wild.
Overthinking.
Imara glanced at me and raised an eyebrow.
“You’re acting like you’re heading to your execution.”
I stopped abruptly and turned toward her.
“I basically am.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“I have no combat experience.”
Imara placed a hand on my shoulder.
“You’ll be fine.”
I looked down at the floor.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
She patted my head.
“Because you will be. Trust me.”
Then she grinned.
“Now come on. Let’s show them what we’ve got.”
We eventually arrived at the combat training grounds.
The area was enormous.
Unlike our previous classrooms, this was mostly outdoors.
Training equipment was scattered around the field, while shelves along one side held various weapons—swords, spears, axes, hammers, and blades of all shapes and sizes.
Students had already gathered in small groups.
As my eyes scanned the area, I spotted a familiar face.
“Rowan?”
The boy turned around immediately.
His eyes widened.
“Li Qiang!”
I smiled and walked over, with Imara following behind me.
“Rowan, this is Imara.”
Imara offered a hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
Rowan shook it.
“You too.”
Imara smirked.
“So you’re the roommate I’ve heard so much about.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“Of course, all good things,” she added.
“Don’t worry.”
Rowan laughed.
“That’s good to know because our first meeting was pretty embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing?” Imara asked.
I shook my head.
“Nah. I’d call it exciting.”
“Only for you,” Rowan replied.
Before we could continue talking, the atmosphere shifted.
A man had entered the training grounds.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, with scars running across one side of his face.
Immediately, whispers spread among the students.
“Wait…”
“I know him.”
“That’s Darius Voss.”
“The former Magic Knight?”
“No way.”
The man walked to the center of the field.
“Everyone gather up.”
The class immediately moved.
Once everyone had formed a group, he crossed his arms.
“I am your instructor.”
“My name is Darius Voss.”
The whispers grew louder.
“I will be teaching this class for the entire year.”
He paused.
Slowly, his gaze swept across the crowd.
“In my class, I appreciate people who are willing to work hard.”
“I don’t care if you’re royalty.”
“I don’t care if you’re a noble.”
“And I certainly don’t care what rank you entered with.”
The training field became silent.
“Anyone who slacks off should know one thing.”
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
“I will personally make your life miserable.”
Some students looked terrified.
Others looked impressed.
“Good.”
He clapped his hands.
“Fifteen laps around the field.”
A pause.
The entire class froze.
My face probably looked just as horrified as everyone else’s.
Meanwhile, I glanced at Imara.
She looked excited.
Professor Voss pointed toward the track.
“Move.”
The difference in athletic ability became obvious almost immediately.
Some students shot forward like arrows.
Others quickly fell behind.
Imara was among the leaders.
She looked like she was having the time of her life.
Rowan was a little ahead of me, breathing heavily but still maintaining a steady pace.
As for me?
I was suffering.
By the eighth lap, several students looked ready to collapse.
Then disaster struck.
One student stumbled.
His foot caught the ground.
He fell.
The students behind him couldn’t react in time.
One tripped.
Then another.
Then another.
A domino effect swept through the group.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then—
“Pfft!”
Imara burst out laughing.
Soon even the students on the ground started laughing too.
The tension immediately disappeared.
Eventually, Imara finished her laps.
Instead of resting, she jogged beside me.
“Come on!”
“I am coming!”
“Faster!”
“I’m trying!”
She laughed.
Somehow, that made me keep going.
One by one, students crossed the finish line.
Even poor Linda eventually finished her extra two laps.
The moment everyone was done, the class collapsed onto the grass.
Panting.
Sweating.
Barely alive.
“Good work.”
Professor Voss stood before us.
“Catch your breath and form a circle.”
After a few minutes, everyone had gathered.
Voss stood in the center.
“As many of you have probably realized, magic combat isn’t about casting spells alone.”
He began walking around the circle.
“Many powerful mages believe that having strong magic makes them untouchable.”
His expression hardened.
“I’ve seen plenty of those people die.”
The entire class went quiet.
“That is why physical conditioning matters.”
He held up three fingers.
“There are three foundations of magic combat.”
“Physical conditioning.”
“Mana control.”
“Combat awareness.”
“For the next three weeks, we’ll be focusing on physical conditioning.”
A hand immediately shot into the air.
Professor Voss pointed.
“Go ahead.”
A girl stood up.
“Professor, what exactly do you mean by physical conditioning? Just strength?”
“Good question.”
Voss nodded.
“Strength is important.”
“But so are endurance, flexibility, balance, and technique.”
He pointed toward the class.
“A mage doesn’t need to be the strongest person on the battlefield.”
“But endurance can determine whether you survive long enough to cast your next spell.”
Several students quickly wrote down notes.
Then Voss clapped loudly.
“Alright.”
His eyes scanned the group.
“Who wants to spar?”
Then—
Imara raised her hand.
A smile immediately appeared on my face.
Of course she did.
A second hand went up.
One of the A-Class nobles.
He was taller than Imara and noticeably bigger.
“Good.”
Professor Voss nodded.
“You two.”
The pair walked over to the weapon racks.
Imara selected a spear.
The noble picked a heavy sword.
They stepped into the center of the field.
The noble smirked.
“I’ll go easy on you.”
Imara twirled her spear once.
“I would recommend you don’t.”
Several students laughed.
Professor Voss stepped back.
“Positions.”
The two moved into stance.
“Begin.”
CLANG!
Their weapons collided.
The noble immediately launched a series of heavy attacks.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The force of each strike echoed across the training grounds.
“Need me to slow down, Princess?”
Imara said nothing.
Instead, a small smile appeared on her face.
Suddenly, she stepped forward.
The noble’s eyes widened.
He clearly hadn’t expected it.
Imara drove forward with surprising strength.
His footing faltered.
He stumbled backward.
Then—
THRUST!
LIFT!
CLANG!
The spear struck the flat of the blade and launched it from his hands.
The sword spun through the air before crashing into the grass.
Silence.
Then the entire class erupted.
“Wow!”
“That was amazing!”
“No wonder she’s Rank Two!”
Imara simply lowered her spear.
Professor Voss stepped between them.
“Well done.”
He looked toward Imara.
“However, your swings were occasionally too wide.”
“It leaves openings.”
Imara nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
He then looked toward the noble.
“And you.”
The noble straightened.
“You lost the moment you underestimated your opponent.”
The boy winced.
Several students nodded.
As Imara returned, she sat beside me.
“That was awesome.”
A bright smile immediately appeared on her face.
“Thank you.”
Professor Voss turned back to the class.
“If there is one lesson you take away today, it’s this.”
He pointed toward the sparring area.
“Never underestimate your opponent.”
“Because the moment you do…”
He folded his arms.
“You’re already losing.”
The class nodded.
“Good.”
He glanced toward the clock.
“That’s all for today.”
A collective sigh of relief swept through the field.
Professor Voss smirked.
“Class dismissed.”