Chapter 14: Growth (4)  

How is physical and mental strength related?

It wasn’t a question with an answer. Both are difficult to compare, and the case varies for each person.

But people who depended on training their body...

Especially knights and soldiers, will give the same answer.

“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.”

Yes, most people would think that the mind and body have a strong relationship for growth.

Among them, they think that the growth of the body comes first and the mind follows.

‘It is natural. Would the mental power of a kid who has never done anything difficult in his life be strong, or would the mental power of a knight who overcame pain and boredom wielding the sword everyday for 10 years, training his body, overcome the pain?’

Quite convincing enough that even an ignorant mercenary would learn.

Instructor Ahmed held such a view for a long time.

By training day and night, the body would surpass the efforts little by little, and endure greater pain every day.

In that process, mental strength also grows.

Just as the muscle fibers are torn and recovered, there are invisible muscles in the human mind too.

Obviously…

“The mind controls the body.”

Krono’s school master Ian’s evaluation of Irene was different from Ahmed’s.

Of course, it wasn’t incomprehensible. It is something everyone has heard.

The story of a mother who exerts superhuman strength to save her child who was about to get crushed by a rock.

But they never thought that it would apply to this case.

Ahmed didn’t stop talking to Ian, and Ian didn’t care what Ahmed was saying.

He simply continued to think while touching the teacup, which had cooled down a long time ago.

“Strange one. Weird too. Of course, it isn’t impossible. Because there are cases where mental power dominates the body resulting in enormous power. I have also received such help in desperate times. How about you?”

“Just once.”

“I too…”

“But it is a miracle which works only in momentary situations.”

“…”

“As continuously…. I have never had such an iron-like mentality in my 90 years of life.”

Saying so, Ian closed his eyes.

And he remembered the image of the trainee he saw, Irene.

The tremendous power in that pitiful body.

A body that is forcibly growing to catch up with the supreme mental power, or rather evolving.

Even though it was evident that he reached his limit, the trainee kept moving his body forward. Ian had no choice but to be surprised when his common sense about training had been destroyed.

‘The word magic won’t be enough. It was as if someone had casted some magic on him.’

A mental power that was maintaining the strength of his body, keeping the bones from breaking and absorbing the energy in the world to recover.

Then, after applying enough weight to the body, mental energy was repeating the same process.

Ian took a deep breath.

A breath of anticipation and a little ecstasy.

The boy's future was being pictured in his mind.

Ian opened his eyes and spoke.

“As I said before, don’t touch Irene for a while.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Ahmed and Karaka answered.

It didn’t mean to let Irene ruin his body. But because they knew that the school master knew something.

And in the following words, they were flustered.

“By the way, the child, Judith….”

“Hmm.”

“That…”

To stop Judith, Irene had to stop.

But now they couldn’t do that.

The wrinkles on Ian’s forehead deepened.

“We have a lot of unique trainees this time. At other times, it was hard to see even 4 talented ones… hahah.”

Ian’s laughter echoed through the room.

The midterm would determine the ‘pass’ and ‘failure’.

Most kids stayed in optimal shape.

All the top ones, Ilya Lindsay and Bratt Lloyd and the other kids too.

Only a few tensed ones couldn’t stand the pressure and ran around.

However, Judith is a commoner.

And Irene Pareira came in wearing the stigma of being a deadbeat. They were both different.

They continued their training desperately as if they had forgotten what tomorrow was.

“Those crazy bastards.”

“Have they really gone crazy? What are they thinking?”

“Their bodies will collapse, they won’t be able to participate tomorrow.”

“Too bad. If this was an evaluation, it would be a good match for those two….”

Looking at those two, the other kids shook their heads.

Even Bratt and Ilya, who returned to their rooms, were shocked.

Nevertheless, they didn’t stop.

And the night came.

Thud!

“Pant! Pant! Pant!”

Sitting on the outside floor, Judith looked at the indoor training room.

Lights were shining inside. It was clear. ‘That guy’ hadn’t stopped training.

That terrified Judith. For the first time, she felt a sense of defeat that she had not felt even with Ilya Lindsay.

“Crazy bastard! That damned thing! Pant, how is he going to do the test?”

Idiot, stupid, bastard, pathetic. A constant barrage of swear words directed at Irene. The girl who sat there made her way to the dormitory.

She never backed down.

Getting enough sleep was essential for taking the test.

A reasonable thought comforted Judith, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

It was because what guided her until now had been her fiery spirit, not reasoning.

But she couldn’t help it.

Any more training was unreasonable.

‘Tomorrow, I will destroy you.’

The red-haired girl brushed her teeth, washed herself and laid in bed.

Even though all the trainees fell asleep.

Even in the late hours, Irene Pareira didn’t stop moving.

“Hmph! Hmph!”

His muscles were moving.

“Huk! Huk!”

Blood kept flowing through his body.

As a result, oxygen, nutrients, and the unknown energy was being delivered to every corner of his body.

The body, which had been damaged, was being restored as he moved again.

“Ouch, uh, uh….”

Of course, the process wasn’t smooth.

The pain was indescribable because it would take several days for him to recover.

The pain was too much that any ordinary person would give up right away. Any person would fall to the ground and burst into tears.

But not Irene Pareira.

The boy who broke out of his shell was no longer a boy.

‘A little more, I can do a little more.’

The pain that far exceeded the first physical fitness test came for him with every training.

But Irene kept on moving despite the waves stopping him.

On and on and on.

Forgetting time, pain or looking back on the bad memories of the past, forgetting all the little things which bothered him.

Like the man in his dreams, when he only worked to move forward for his goal.

Irene Pareira could feel it.

It meant that the limitations of the body that had been blocking him had shattered.

“…”

Irene stopped moving and lowered his head to look at his body.

Drenched in sweat as if he had been hit by rain.

He welcomed the faint salty taste in the sweat and a strange smell worse than the stench of sweat.

Still, it didn’t feel bad.

It was refreshing to him.

Irene took off his shirt and left the training room.

Swoosh!

Morning wind blew, sweeping his cold body. He instantly felt better.

Irene moved with a smile brighter than the one he had on the day he joined the school.

Swish!

His fists were moving faster than before.

Pah!

His body jumped lighter and reached a higher point than before.

The same was true for other actions.

Incomparable to the previous days, Irene Pareira felt curiosity and a bit of anxiety at the same time as his body moved easily.

‘What is it?’

The past ten days, Irene had surrendered to his instinct.

It wasn’t something he was sure of.

It was like holding a sword for the first time.

As if he couldn’t bear not wielding it, an impulse of not running took over him. Much more than ever.

Thanks to that, he seemed better yet a little uncomfortable.

‘… after all, this time, I got help from the dreams.’

Confused.

Only for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and opened them.

‘Let’s not focus on things that we can’t solve.’

Instead, think about what can be done and achieve it in the future.

A precious lesson he realized after having the dreams.

Irene Pareira, who quickly thought so, turned his head.

A few people followed him out of the second training room.

People who probably watched him train all night.

Ahmed and Karaka and Rune Tarhal and an old man.

Looking at their expressions, Irene asked.

“How many hours until midterm?”

“… 15 minutes left. It’s pretty tight.”

“Am I late?”

“What? Hahahahah!”

Irene asked that question with an innocent look.

Seeing that, the old man burst into laughter.

Stopping himself after a while, he spoke.

“The physical condition of the other trainees is their best. It has been a while since the others relaxed. On the other hand, you overworked your body until now, like a foolish bear.”

“…”

“Even then, will you take it seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Let’s head to the midterm.”

Ian took the lead. And Irene, who couldn’t understand the old man, slowly moved.

Following them, he realized that all three of them had serious expressions.

Finally, the midterm evaluation, which determines the future of the prospective trainees, was about to begin.