For a while, I kept procrastinating with various excuses, but I’m starting to feel the need to get moving.
Honestly, before enrolling, I tended to look down on it, but after joining and seeing for myself, the level of the academy students is far from ordinary. Of course, it’s Griffon Academy, a place that gathers exceptional individuals, but they surpass my expectations by far.
Just looking at Anne and Selian, they possess strength beyond their years. I’ve also heard that there’s some kind of monster in the second Swordsmanship class.
To secure a scholarship, I’ll have to surpass all of them. Considering I’m not confident in the written exams, I need to aim for the top ranks in the practical sections.
So, let’s get back to training starting today!
The place I walked to was the academy’s comprehensive training facility. Most of the people around look like students from the Department of Swordsmanship, but there are also students from other departments who’ve come to work on basic physical conditioning.
As it’s a facility available to all academy students, it’s equipped with a wide variety of exercise machines, adjustable from light dumbbells to weights reaching several hundred kilograms. Some of the machines were completely new to me—I had no idea how to use them.
In addition to sparring areas and running tracks, there is ample space for various activities.
Today, I planned to conduct the postponed physical tests.
After becoming a girl, I needed to clearly understand how much my physical abilities had changed.
Knowing your own condition is the most basic step—it’s essential to understand yourself before you can understand your opponent.
First, I should check my cardio-respiratory endurance, the foundation of all physical fitness. After all, there’s a saying, “Physical strength is national power,” right? Or something like that!
Off to one side, there seems to be a swimming pool, but obviously, I have no money for a swimsuit. So, I headed to the corner of the running track just to jog a bit. To be honest, the sportswear I’m wearing now is modified assassin’s attire…
In the past, I had stretchy, black tights known as jeggings among assassins. They might’ve looked odd, but due to their great elasticity and breathability, they were quite useful for movement.
Since it’s already stretchy material, it was easy to alter it through minor repairs, making it fit my now much smaller body. Without the budget for professional tailoring, I did the alterations myself. Who knew, I might actually be kind of handy?
When I looked at myself in the mirror after wearing the altered clothes, I felt a bit embarrassed from a male perspective. The curves of a female body were too clearly visible, but I heard somewhere—and confirmed during my last outing—that many female students wore similarly stretchy leggings for their workouts. If I could endure the personal embarrassment, there shouldn’t be any problem.
With this judgment, I decided to pair a comfortable T-shirt with the leggings and headed out for some exercise.
Before starting, I did some light stretching to loosen up my body. I rotated my wrists and ankles, did a few jumps, and leaned forward with my legs fully extended to touch the ground with the palms of my hands.
Sure enough, compared to when I was male, my flexibility had improved. What used to take effort to reach with my fingertips now came easily with my entire palm touching the ground. No cramps either, despite holding the pose for a while. I’ll need to refer to this when practicing sword techniques.
After the warm-up, I began jogging lightly.
I took a lap around the running track inside the facility, then gradually increased my speed.
Though I’m breaking a sweat, I’m not overly strained yet. Honestly, if I had given up this early back when I was male, I’d probably have been weeping in frustration.
After another lap, I started to run in earnest.
I ramped up my speed to just below an all-out sprint. While it might seem slower compared to my past life as a man, it’s not significantly so. My chest bouncing slightly as I run feels a bit inconvenient, but it’s not enough to significantly hinder me.
One lap, two laps, three laps, four laps, five laps… ten laps…
I’m starting to feel out of breath now. Let’s go all-out for the last lap.
No time for breathing, no thought for stamina management. Ignoring my protesting body, I managed to complete a full-out sprint around the track.
After confirming I had returned to the starting point, I gradually slowed down to brisk walking. Although I might want to lie down and take deep breaths, it’s important to finish exercising properly.
To avoid colliding with others running from behind, I glanced around occasionally before moving off the track.
?
When did so many people show up on the track?
I was so focused on running that I didn’t notice, but compared to when I started, many students are now running.
Running is the most fundamental part of exercise, but it can be boring, leading some to rush through it. However, the academy students, called talents, don’t seem to neglect running.
Anyway, other people are other people; there’s no reason to care too much about what others are doing. So, I let it go and moved to the benches outside the track to rest.
Now is not the time to worry about sitting properly like a noble young lady. Who would suspect I’m male even if I sit casually with my legs spread? Besides, I’m wearing pants, not a skirt, so I let my legs spread comfortably as I tried to catch my breath. I even took a sip from my water bottle. Although I spilled a bit in my haste, it doesn’t matter since I’m already drenched in sweat. Surprisingly, the refreshing cold water felt great.
Sweat feels sticky when you’re sweating from the heat, but sweat from running fills me with satisfaction. As sweat trickled down the corner of my eye, creating irritation, I thought, “Next time, I should bring a sports towel,” when a familiar voice called out:
“El!”
From afar, Anne noticed me and ran over. Although Anne is petite, her red hair made her stand out.
Of course, someone with Anne’s skill level wouldn’t skip training. She must’ve come here to work out as well. Thinking this, I raised my hand to greet her…
Slap!
“Are you crazy? Crazy!”
She started slapping my sweat-soaked arms.
Wait… Wait a second!
They feel extra sensitive from the sweat; it’s genuinely painful! It’s so painful that tears are welling up in my eyes!
“Kyaa!”
Thankfully, my cry of pain seemed to make Anne stop her assault.
Ow… Back in my assassin days, I endured torture training without shedding a tear. My past feels completely disowned right now.
“Hurry up and follow me!”
Regardless of my thoughts, Anne grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the changing room with a fierce glare at anyone nearby.
It’s fine that we came to the changing room and all…
But why am I kneeling in front of Anne?
“Um… Anne…?”
I raised my head slightly to observe her expression, only to be greeted by a visage more terrifying than any evil spirit. She’s genuinely frightening…
“You! What exactly were you thinking when you wore THAT outfit?!”
Clothes? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?
“Is… the puppy pattern bothering you?”
Shocked! This is one of my favorite T-shirts! A white one with cute puppies drawn on it.
Look! Look closer! Isn’t this puppy sticking out its tongue and smiling innocently adorable?
“It’s not the pattern! Why are you wearing a T-shirt for a workout? No, it’s not just the T-shirt! Why are you wearing pants?!”
Ah, thank goodness it’s not the puppy pattern. Of course. My sense of fashion is impeccable. Maybe I’m a fashionista?
“This is a leotard?”
I double-checked the leggings I was wearing, wondering if there was an issue. Although they were originally modified assassin attire, I had confirmed during my last outing that they are not much different from commercially available leggings. There shouldn’t be any problems, right?
“The leotard itself isn’t the issue… sigh…”
Anne sighed deeply, covering her face with her hand, seemingly at a loss for words.
“Alright, never mind. I knew you were a bit clueless, Ellisia, but I didn’t expect THIS much. Just don’t wear this when exercising. Better yet, I’ll confiscate that outfit.”
And with that, she lunged at me and started forcibly pulling off the leggings I was wearing.
“Wait, stop! They’ll tear! They’re tearing!”
Despite my protests, Anne mercilessly tore the leggings off of me using her monstrous strength.
“If only Ellisia was a little less dimwitted… it’s no use. From now on, I’ll make sure you exercise with me every time!”
Placing her hands on her hips, Anne declared, leaving no room for negotiation.
“Reply!”
“Understood, ma’am!”
Gym clothes… can I afford them with my current budget? I need to save money, though…
(End)
