The First Day of Training and Aurora Dreams
But what have you been doing lately, Sophia?
Elin's question came up during our tea time.
I really haven't been doing anything.
Right after yesterday, I just left my room, wandered around the castle, and came back to sleep.
Of course, in two days Kyle will be back, so I won't be able to do that anymore.
"Yes."
"Hmm... Well, it seems like you don't have much to do. Is your schedule empty today as well?"
"Yes."
My schedule was empty today too.
After all, since Kyle left, my schedule had always been empty.
I basically just did the same thing all day long.
Oh, sometimes I even considered submitting a resignation and thinking about what to do.
I thought about what gift to give to my mom when I return home.
As for my father, since it's mana herb, it should be enough.
But what if she did a move?
If she secretly moved, I'd be truly disappointed.
No matter how little she contacts me, she wouldn't hide the fact that she moved.
"Then, would you like to do some exercise together today?"
"Exercise?"
"Yes."
Exercise...
I had to do it.
But honestly, I didn't really want to.
Exercise is hard.
"You said you'd exercise last time. Since you have nothing to do, let's do some exercise together! I'll help you well."
"..."
Elin said that with an incredibly bright smile.
Just looking at her, one might think she's a pure heroine from an animation.
Of course, to me she's not a heroine, just a friend.
"After all, you have nothing to do today. Let's do some exercise together."
"Ugh..."
I didn't really want to, but Elin's expression was so bright that I couldn't refuse.
So in the end...
"Hey."
"... Sorry."
"Well, shall we start by walking around the training ground once?"
"..."
"You're really mean."
We moved to the training ground.
I was wearing clothes that could absorb sweat.
And I included Louise.
"Louise, we're like eating bread together, right?"
"Tsk..."
Even if Louise didn't like it, it was already too late.
The moment I didn't immediately refuse, Elin got excited and pulled us along saying it was good.
"Okay! Let's start!"
So the exercise began.
As Elin said, we started walking around the indoor training ground once.
What kind of people are knights that they exercise in such a hot indoor place?
Instead, if we did it outside, we wouldn't feel the heat because of the cold.
"Ha... ha. Haa..."
"Huff... huff... huff..."
"..."
Louise and I were running while breathing heavily.
And beside us, Elin was running too.
"..."
Without making any sound, in perfect posture.
To us who were used to her, what was Elin...?
She felt like a younger sister.
Her age was actually younger than ours, and unlike us two, she was younger, so she showed her bright side often.
Her actual personality was also extremely bright.
So we might have underestimated her a bit.
As a knight, Elin.
"Heh... heh..."
"Sophia... you're really going to make me regret this... hek..."
The intention to run one lap had now turned into five laps.
Even the indoor training ground wasn't small.
"Hek... hek... Elin, shall we rest for a bit...?"
"Already?"
Despite not resting after five laps and continuing to run, Elin wasn't sweating at all.
Her breathing was just like when she drinks tea during tea time.
"Hek... hek... Five minutes... No, three minutes would be enough..."
"Eh..."
Was our stamina worse than I thought?
Elin showed an incredulous expression.
Yeah, I understood.
I didn't know my stamina was this low.
No? At this level, I think I did well!
After not having done any exercise for years, I was running five laps!
"Then, let's rest for five minutes."
"Hek!! Finally!"
Louise said that and lay down on the floor.
I, being extremely tired, started sitting on the floor to rest.
"Are you tired...?"
"..."
Elin's question now was really pure intention.
She was asking out of curiosity if it was really that hard.
She was asking if it was really that exhausting.
Louise and I both couldn't answer easily.
After all, we usually acted like older sisters to Elin.
Although the age difference wasn't that big, we had a slight pride in being older sisters.
Usually, we said to Elin a lot, "Elin is still young~"
"Since she's still young, she should date now, right? It's okay even later, something like that."
"U... No?!"
"It's fine!"
That's why we forced ourselves to say it was fine.
And that choice was a very wrong choice.
***
"Hah... ek..."
"S... Save me... Sophi..."
One hour later, we were lying on the floor exhausted.
It wasn't just running; she brought some strange exercise equipment and made us exercise, and even if we complained, she kept going...
The result was that we couldn't move.
"Eh... You two followed well, so I made you do a bit too much."
"Hek... Eeeek..."
"Save me..."
With Elin's words, we couldn't speak properly.
We could only look up at the ceiling and complain.
That was all we could do.
Anyway, the first day of exercise with Elin ended.
If I had known this, I would have done it when Kyle suggested exercising before.
If I had exercised then, I probably wouldn't be this exhausted now.
Yeah, that seems right.
Elin helped us move to the bath and assisted us in recovering from fatigue.
And I returned to my room.
"Wow... I think I'm going to die..."
It was incomparable to when I slightly exercised with Kyle before.
What kind of people are knights that they train so hard?
And how much stamina does Kyle have who received lessons from such an Elin?
It was really amazing.
When I was an adventurer, it wouldn't have been that much.
It's really crazy that a person doesn't sweat a drop while exercising for an hour...
"Ha..."
After exercising hard and showering coolly, lying on the bed felt really good.
By the way, was I too focused on today's exercise?
Unlike usual, I didn't feel uncomfortable anywhere.
Since Kyle left, the vacation period I got by chance has been uncomfortable.
I don't know the exact reason, but I always felt uncomfortable and anxious.
The feeling that it was not daily life but just life was too strong.
But today, maybe I didn't have time to feel that feeling?
It was a better day than the past few days.
I thought about doing exercise every day until I no longer felt that feeling, but I eventually gave up.
But no matter what, it wasn't that.
Really, it was so hard I thought I was going to die...
"Let's sleep."
Tomorrow I can wait for Kyle to return.
Tomorrow, it seemed like I should prepare for Kyle's return after completing the succession ceremony.
Since I was in charge of that part.
"I should prepare food that Kyle likes."
I didn't think he had a great meal in the snowy plains.
After all, as an adventurer, I had eaten in the wild.
Really, only dirty-tasting meat.
But the delicious food was probably berries.
"First, warm soup... meat stew with some spice flavor, what else would he like."
Steak was always prepared, so no need to order specially.
It seemed enough to prepare food Kyle likes and alcohol to celebrate his success.
And to celebrate his return, I would gather people.
I didn't plan to do it big like at the coming-of-age ceremony.
Just a small party with close people.
"Adela, Louise, Elin, and me."
I don't know about the Grand Duke.
I should have talked to him.
Anyway, we decided to have a party for Kyle with these four.
He'll like it.
With that, I properly decided what to do tomorrow for the first time in a long time and covered myself with the blanket.
*****
"Where should I go with Sophia."
While thinking where to go on a date with Sophia in the cold snowy plains.
I had definitely made a promise with Sophia.
When I return, let's go on a date together.
Exclude dangerous places like last time.
If I go to such a dangerous place and something happens again...
"Don't think about it."
After all, it was just not taking her to such places.
A place where I can enjoy with Sophia.
Whether indoor or outdoor, a safe place where Sophia can enjoy.
"This time, the river... No, there it's dangerous too."
If I fall into the river, it would be really dangerous.
The river was more dangerous than the mountains.
I had to go to a place where there's no possibility of injury at all.
"Ha..."
But if I do that, choosing becomes difficult again.
A place with good atmosphere, good scenery, good safety, and suitable as a date spot, where is it?
I know some good places, but those are mountains, rivers, snowy plains.
Taking someone who got injured in the mountains to the mountains, I wouldn't forgive.
Of course, I took them.
And the river...
If you fall once, it's not just injury level like mountains, but death level.
"Ha..."
The remaining place is the snowy plains with good scenery.
"...?"
While looking at the night sky, suddenly such a thought came to mind.
Do I really need to see the scenery in the daytime?
The place I was born, grew up, and live is the north.
Although the timing isn't good, when night comes, one beautiful thing appears in the sky.
"Aurora..."
Yeah, if it's the aurora, I can see it from the castle.
Why did I forget this?
Was I so lost in thoughts about Sophia that I forgot common sense?
"Ha."
Is there really only one person in my head?
My head was getting slower and slower.