Time to Train
I'd been putting it off for a while with one excuse after another, but I was finally starting to feel the need to get my body moving again.
Honestly, before enrolling I'd been inclined to dismiss the whole thing, but once I actually got in and saw for myself, the level of the academy students was no joke. Of course Griffin Academy was the place that gathered people like that in the first place, yet they still blew right past my expectations.
Just looking at Ann and Celian alone, they already possessed strength far beyond their years. And from what I'd heard, there was some kind of monster in Swordsmanship Class 2 as well.
If I wanted that scholarship, I had to push past every last one of them. I wasn't exactly confident in the written exams, so at the very least I needed to land in the absolute top ranks for the practicals if I was going to have any shot.
Which meant starting today, it was time to resume training!
I headed for the academy's comprehensive athletic facility. Looking around, most of the people seemed to be from the swordsmanship department, but there were also students from other departments who'd come out for some light fitness work.
Since the place was meant for every student at the academy, the equipment ranged from light dumbbells all the way up to machines that could handle several hundred kilograms. As a country bumpkin, I even spotted a few machines I had no idea how to use.
Beyond that, there were sparring areas and a full running track, giving us plenty of open space.
Today I planned to start with the fitness test I'd been putting off for so long.
Ever since becoming a woman, I needed a clear grasp of exactly how much my physical abilities had changed.
Knowing your own condition inside and out was the most basic of basics. Before knowing the enemy, you had to know yourself.
First up was the foundation of everything: cardiovascular endurance. You know that saying about how stamina is national power? Or is that not a thing? Whatever, never mind!
There seemed to be a swimming pool off to one side of the facility, but of course I didn't have the money to buy a swimsuit or anything. So I headed for a quiet corner of the running track, figuring I'd just go for a run. Truth be told, even the workout clothes I was wearing right now were just something I'd personally altered from my assassin days...
Among the old assassin outfits I'd used, there was a pair of highly elastic black tights—what we used to call "skin-tights." They looked a little ridiculous, sure, but the stretch and breathability made them incredibly practical for moving around.
Since they were already so stretchy, a little tailoring was all it took to make them fit my much smaller current body. Of course I didn't have the spare cash to pay someone else, so I did the alterations myself. Who knew? Maybe I was secretly a sweet guy after all.
Once I put the mended clothes on and checked myself in the mirror, it was a little embarrassing from a former guy's perspective. The way they clung to every curve of a woman's body made them look somehow lewd. But I'd heard somewhere—and confirmed it myself on my last outing—that women often wore something called leggings for exercise, clothes pretty similar to what I had on. So as long as I could put up with the personal embarrassment, there shouldn't be any real problem.
With that judgment, I threw on one of the few T-shirts I liked from the ones lying around, paired it with the leggings, and headed out to work out.
Before starting my run, I loosened up with some simple stretches. I rolled my wrists and ankles, did a few jumping jacks in place, then bent forward with my legs straight and tried to touch the floor with my fingertips.
Sure enough, I was more flexible than when I'd been a man. Not just my fingertips—my whole palms reached the ground far more easily than before. Even holding the position for a long while, my hamstrings didn't protest at all. I'd have to keep that in mind for when I swung a sword.
After the quick warm-up, I started running. Just a light jog at first.
Once I'd completed a full lap of the track that circled the facility, I picked up the pace a little.
I was starting to sweat, but it still wasn't much of a strain. If I'd been worn out by this much, my old male body would have been pounding the ground and wailing in despair.
After another lap, I kicked into a proper run.
Just shy of an all-out sprint. I didn't know the exact speed, but it didn't feel drastically slower than in my male days. The bouncing of my chest got a bit uncomfortable the faster I went, but not enough to really mess with my running.
One lap, two, three, four, five... ten...
I could feel my breath starting to catch. One last push. I went for a full sprint.
No time to suck in oxygen. No thought for pacing afterward. I forced myself to ignore my body's screams of protest and somehow finished one more lap at full power.
Confirming I'd returned to the starting point, I gradually slowed to a brisk walk. Part of me wanted to just flop down and gasp for air, but finishing a workout properly was important.
And to avoid colliding with anyone coming up from behind, I kept glancing back as I stepped off the track.
?
When had so many people gotten onto the track?
I'd been so focused on my own running that I hadn't noticed, but compared to when I first started, a fair number of students were now out running.
Running was the most basic of basics among exercises, so it was important—but it also tended to be boring, which meant a lot of people half-assed it. Yet true to their reputation as prodigies, the academy students didn't seem to be slacking on it.
Well, other people were other people... I didn't have any particular reason to care what they were doing, so I just shrugged it off and sat on a bench outside the track to rest.
At this point I had no energy left to worry about sitting primly or anything. Was anyone really going to look at my posture and suspect I was a guy because it wasn't ladylike enough for a noble young lady? Besides, I was wearing pants, not a skirt. Making that excuse to myself, I sprawled my legs comfortably and focused on catching my breath. I took a swig from the water bottle I'd brought. I drank too fast and spilled a little down the side, but I was already soaked in sweat anyway, so who cared? The cold water actually felt nice.
Sweat from the heat was just sticky and unpleasant, but the sweat from running brought a sense of satisfaction. Some of it ran into my eyes and stung. I made a mental note to bring a sports towel next time, and the moment I stood up from the bench—
"Elicia~!"
From far off, Ann spotted me and came running. She might have been short, but that bright red hair made her impossible to miss.
Of course someone as skilled as Ann wouldn't skip training. She must have come to work out too. Thinking that, I raised a hand to greet her—
Smack!
"Have you lost your mind?! Completely lost it!"
She started slapping my sweat-slicked forearm over and over.
Wait...! Hold on a second!
My senses were already hypersensitive, and with the sweat making everything worse, that really hurt, you know? It hurt so much I was about to cry!
"Hyaah!"
Whether she heard my pained cry or not, Ann finally stopped hitting me.
Ugh... Back in my assassin days, even during torture training I never shed a single tear... This felt like a complete denial of my past self.
"Hurry up and follow me!"
Whether she understood how I felt or not, Ann grabbed my hand, glared fiercely at everyone around us, and dragged me straight to the changing room.
Getting to the changing room was fine and all, but...
Why exactly was I kneeling in front of Ann right now?
"Um... Ann...?"
I cautiously lifted my head to check her expression. She looked like a demon out of hell. She was genuinely terrifying...
"You! What! On earth! Were you thinking! Wearing! Clothes! Like that!"
Clothes? What was wrong with what I was wearing?
"Uh... is it the dog pattern you don't like?"
Shock. This was one of my favorite T-shirts, I'll have you know... A white shirt with a cute little dog drawn on it.
Look at this! Look closely! Isn't this dog sticking its tongue out and smiling so innocently just adorable?
"It's not the pattern! Why are you wearing a T-shirt like that to work out! No—forget the T-shirt, why the pants!"
Ah, so luckily it wasn't the dog pattern. Of course not. My fashion sense was flawless. Maybe I was a fashionista after all?
"These are leggings, though?"
Wondering if there was some issue, I looked down at the leggings I was wearing again. Even if they were altered assassin gear, I'd confirmed on my last outing that they weren't all that different from the ones sold in stores. There shouldn't be any problem, right?
"The leggings themselves aren't the problem... Haaah..."
Ann let out a long sigh and pressed a hand to her forehead, looking like she'd completely run out of words.
"You know what, never mind. I already knew Elicia was a little airheaded, but I never imagined it was this bad... Just don't wear that when you work out from now on. No—those clothes are confiscated."
And with that, Ann lunged at me and started forcibly peeling the leggings off.
"Wait, wait! They're going to tear! They're going to tear!"
As if she didn't care whether they tore or not, Ann yanked the leggings off me with brute strength.
"I knew El was a bit of an airhead, but this is ridiculous... This won't do. From now on, you're working out with me every single time!"
Ann planted both hands on her hips and made her demand. No—it was more like a declaration that this was simply how things were going to be.
"Answer me!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Gym clothes... Could I even afford any with the money I had right now...? I really needed to save...