Treasure Hunt
As always, I was holed up in the personal training room, grinding through my usual drills, when the door swung open and Sara Caiman stepped inside.
“Long time no see!”
“You actually showed up today?”
“Sorry, sorry. I’ve been swamped.”
“Last week too?”
I could understand if it was exam season, but even after the tests were over she was still busy? With her superhuman physique, grading papers herself would’ve taken her only a few hours at most.
When I asked, genuinely puzzled, she flashed an awkward smile and offered up an excuse.
“Ahaha… Last week I had a date with Professor Verdan. Cut me some slack, yeah? I need to get married before I hit thirty. Right?”
“I’m not blaming you. I’m not that petty. Sounds like it’s going well, though—another date already?”
In the game, I was pretty sure Professor Verdan died before the second-year storyline even kicked off, long before they started dating properly. At this rate, they were on track to become lovers way faster than in the original story.
When I subtly fished for details, Sara grinned wide and thanked me.
“Yep. Come to think of it, you were the one who told me not to put on airs. The moment I started acting normal, he seemed to like me even more. Thanks.”
“See? I was right. Honestly, I bet even Professor Verdan hesitated a little. Everything else about you is fine, but you were acting way too much like a nagging auntie. You’re gonna have to repay this favor someday, you know.”
“I know, kid. That’s exactly why I came—to pay it back.”
“Huh? You came to pay it back?”
“That’s right. Follow me. We’re going somewhere.”
Sara jerked her chin toward the door and strode out of the training room without waiting. I stood there dazed for a second until she yelled back at me.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up!”
“Ah, right!”
I snapped out of it, shoved all my gear into my subspace pouch, and hurried after her.
We left the training building, passed the central fountain, and wove between several other structures until we arrived at the academy store. It was the weekend, so the place was deserted and peacefully quiet.
“Professor? Why are we here…?”
“I realized I probably won’t be able to come teach you fist and kick techniques very often from now on. Besides, I’m not exactly a master of it, so it felt wrong. That’s why I’m introducing you to someone who can teach you properly instead.”
“Someone… to teach me?”
“Yeah. Let’s head inside.”
I watched Sara’s retreating back for a moment, then lifted my gaze to the store.
Surely not…
I knew the person who ran this place. A knight once hailed as a prodigy, who lost his lover ten years ago, wandered the world seeking revenge, and eventually settled here at the academy.
The Fist Saint, Kain Klaus.
If my hunch was right, I was about to learn fist and kick techniques directly from the Fist Saint himself. The corners of my mouth shot up in a massive grin as I rushed after Sara into the store.
The interior was surprisingly ordinary. Various goods were neatly displayed, and behind the counter sat a man with messy hair, gnawing on dried squid legs while flipping through a magazine.
Sara marched straight up to him.
“Been a while.”
“…What do you want?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
“Yeah. I want you to teach this kid some fist and kick techniques.”
Only then did the man lift his head from the magazine, first toward Sara, then toward me. His eyes were hidden behind his bangs, but I could still feel a sharp, prickling gaze. It was obvious he was in a foul mood.
“Why should I?”
“Why? You still remember that debt you owe me, right? Consider this repayment.”
“…….”
The chain of debts truly never ended. To repay the debt she owed me, Sara was shoving the responsibility onto Kain Klaus, who owed her.
Kain stayed silent for a long time.
“I’m not asking you to teach him everything you know. Just the basics and some practical applications.”
“Give me the exact scope.”
“Hmm… At minimum, he needs to reach the level where he can use strong ki before he graduates. Yeah, that should do it.”
Sara spoke with brazen confidence, as if it were the most reasonable request in the world. Strong ki wasn’t some random dog’s name—most people never reached that realm even after a lifetime of training. There was no way Kain would accept such an absurd proposal.
He stared at her for a moment, then firmly narrowed the terms.
“I’ll teach him until the end of this semester. Nothing beyond that.”
“Perfect! Then I’m counting on you.”
“Wait, what?”
“Luan, you behave and listen carefully. He might be a little lacking in social skills, but he’ll teach you properly. Anyway, I’m off! See you later!”
Having gotten exactly what she wanted, Sara gave a quick goodbye and vanished before Kain could protest.
Crack!
The magazine in Kain’s hand crumpled like it had been through a trash compactor. A moment later, he rose from his seat.
“Follow me.”
“Yes! Master!”
“…Don’t call me that. Just use Kain.”
“Understood.”
I’d tried to close the distance with a respectful title, but it clearly hadn’t worked.
It’d be nice if I could become his official disciple.
Clicking my tongue in mild disappointment, I followed Kain to a clearing prepared behind the store.
He removed the restraint-like devices from his wrists and ankles and tossed them to me.
“Catch.”
“Whoa—!”
I snatched them out of the air, but the sudden weight was too much. My arms gave out and I dropped them. Yet the moment they hit the ground, they landed with eerie silence, as if they weighed nothing at all.
What the hell is this thing?
My strength was nearing 50 now. I could casually lift 200-kilogram barbells. This, however, was on another level.
As I rubbed my aching forearms, Kain picked the devices back up and spoke.
“These are gravity rings. They adjust their weight according to the wearer’s physical ability. From now on, wear them every single day.”
“Even normally?”
“Yes. Even while sleeping. Don’t worry about breaking the bed. The magic only affects your body.”
“Whoa…”
I stared down at the rings in a daze. Just walking around in these would burn stamina like sprinting at full speed. And the stronger I became, the heavier they would get. There would be no comfort in progress.
Until summer break of the first semester, I’d basically have to live like I was already dead.
“Don’t want to? Then quit. I don’t care either way.”
A tiny spark of hope actually flickered in those dead-fish eyes of his, as if he were praying I’d give up. I shook my head.
“…No. I’ll do it.”
I sat down immediately and began fastening the rings. With each one I added, crushing pressure dragged my body toward the ground. Even sitting still, my muscles swelled to their absolute limit.
Finally, with all of them equipped, I forced myself to stand.
“Gaaah!”
The pain was comparable to doing four straight hours of Sara’s brutal training regimen. The slightest lapse in focus and I’d collapse.
As I gritted my teeth and held on, Kain casually scanned the clearing.
“First, run a hundred laps around the clearing.”
“A hundred?”
“It’s not that big. It’ll be quick. Finish before lunch. We’ll start proper technique training afterward.”
This fucking demon bastard!
The curses rose all the way to my tongue, but I swallowed them along with a mouthful of dry spit. Emotional appeals would be useless against the Fist Saint. I tried logic instead.
“Sir Kain. I’m sorry, but could we reduce the number a little?”
“Why?”
“This is my first time wearing the gravity rings. Shouldn’t we ease the intensity until I adapt? Pushing this hard might damage my body.”
“No. It’s the opposite. To adapt, you need to move even more. Now run. Begin.”
He shot me down so fast I doubted he’d even considered it, then pointed at the clearing. In the end, I had no choice but to endure this absurd physical torture.
──Three hours later
“Huuuugh…”
One hundred laps. I finally finished.
In a half-delirious state, I staggered across the starting line and collapsed. My heart hammered like a war drum.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It was working overtime to pump blood throughout my body. I was half-convinced it might explode. Even the cold dirt against my face felt like a blessing.
That was when Kain—previously snacking and reading magazines behind the counter—walked over.
“Good. You completed the laps. It’s lunchtime now, so eat and be back here by one o’clock.”
He turned and left without another word. I almost had a seizure when I thought I heard him casually wondering what to eat for lunch.
I staggered to my feet.
I have to eat.
If I skipped a meal just because I wanted to rest, I’d never make it to dinner. And judging by the state I was in, afternoon training definitely wouldn’t be anything normal.
Every movement sent screams of agony through my muscles, but I ignored the pain and headed for the cafeteria. Today’s lunch was banquet noodles.
*
“Hup!”
My hands flew out in rapid alternation, striking toward Kain’s vital points. It was a pretty decent attack, if I said so myself—a unique style I’d created by mixing Sara’s basics, fighting techniques I’d seen on Earth, and the Priuli family’s fist and kick methods.
But even this patchwork martial art couldn’t so much as graze the hem of Kain’s clothes.
He yawned hugely, looking bored, and didn’t even move his feet. He dodged every strike using only slight shifts of his waist and head. When I swept at his legs out of pure stubbornness, he kicked my shin as if scolding an insolent child.
Thwack!
“Aaaargh!”
It was clearly a light kick, yet the pain made it feel like my shin bone had been pulverized. With the last of my sanity, I stopped myself from face-planting and cleaning the floor with my back, but I still ended up sitting there clutching my leg.
“Sparring ends here. I have a rough idea of your level now.”
“Kuuuh… How was it?”
“Terrible. Patching random techniques together like a rag actually made things worse. You didn’t even understand half of them before modifying them arbitrarily. Of course it was bad.”
I was left speechless. I’d thought my movements flowed naturally, but apparently I was wrong. Come to think of it, even though I believed I could reach him, my body always seemed to lag by half a beat.
“We’ll start by correcting your stance. Forget everything you’ve learned until now. From here on, you’ll focus on what I teach you. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Also, I’ll only supervise training on Saturdays. On Sundays, practice what I taught you on your own. Starting next week, come early and run a hundred laps around the clearing first. And if you slack off even once, I won’t teach you again. Keep that in mind. Now, show me the basic stance you learned from Sara Caiman.”
Before coming to the store, we’d agreed I would learn applied techniques beyond the basics. Yet somehow I was back to square one.
Still, it’s not bad.
For the first time, I had a real feeling that I could become truly strong. After overcoming all these ordeals, just how powerful would I become?
Simply imagining it made motivation bubble up inside me like a fresh spring.
When I assumed the basic stance, Kain used a stick he’d brought from somewhere to correct my entire posture. Then he sat on a nearby chair and opened his magazine.
“Good. Hold that exact position for one hour.”
“One hour?”
“Yes. Move even an inch and I add more time.”
…My motivation was already starting to waver.