[Does training while tired really make me stronger] Kotori thought as the sun steadily crept across the sky into the early morning.

While she would normally be okay waking up this early the events of last night made her sleep later than usual.

Amelie and Kotori went back to the house quite late that night. Amelie, herself seemed to be in a very good mood after having her heart to heart with the boss. Kotori on the other hand was not amused.

"The Boss is a really nice person isn't she," Amelie said

"Mhmm" Kotori mumbled

To be quite honest, Kotori was really tired. They had spent a long at the boss's house and she wanted to go home. Amelie kept talking on and on with the boss about many topics. The Boss tried to listen intently and connect with Amelie.

Kotori herself spent most of the time sitting there wishing for the ordeal to be over

Her inner monologue was screaming "You've made up already! Let me go home and sleep!"

Unfortunately, Amelie brushed off her pleas and kept spending more time with the Boss.

Thus they got home and retired to their beds very late last night.

The same morning they were awoken by a rude knock at their door.

"Oi! Time to get up" a muffled female voice said

"Who is here this early?" Amelie mumbled dragging her body to the door.

Amelie sleepily opened the door to find Mari standing in front of it. There were several women behind her. Kotori recognized them as Zenovia and Kali, they were some of Mari's friends in the Bosses party.

"Oh it's you, Mari, why are you here so early," Amelie asked

"It's time for training!" Mari said cheerfully

Amelie immediately stiffened

"Training! This early." Amelie said. She was surprised to say the least.

"When else are you supposed to train," Mari said as if Amelie asked the dumbest question in the world

"I guess that right," Amelie said standing there dumbfounded.

Mari looked impatient

"Well, what are you waiting for get ready! Just letting you know I'm not waking you up tomorrow!" Her voice snapped Amelie into reality

"Yes ma'am!" She squeaked Amelie hurriedly ran back into her house to prepare. That was when Mari took a look at the sleepy Kotori and also barked

"You too! The boss said that you weren't exempt either."

The gaze Mari gave was quite frightening and Kotori hurriedly began to get ready as well. Less than 10 minutes later they were running laps around the village under a very strict timer kept with a water clock.

[This is spartan training] Kotori thought while panting.

The time in the village had made her soft. She hadn't been moving very much and thus the lean farmer constitution she once had was replaced by the typical baby fat of a child. Although Kotori was not running as many laps as Amelie on account of her age it was still enough to make her want to cough blood*

*Sorry this is Chinese expression I use a lot IRL.

Many of the remaining villagers in the village looked at them with bemused expressions. All of them were old and unable to work and thus stayed in the village. Many of them gave words of encouragement.

Amelie herself seemed to have a smile plastered on her face. Despite her face being red and gasping for air, the happy smile never left her face.

"Whatcha smiling for Amelie! Think the run is too easy!" Mari barked

"Drop and give me 20!"

Amelie quickly wiped her smile off her face. And quickly began to do pushups

[What is this? A military movie?] Kotori was grinning slightly

"Do you have something to say Kotori!"

Kotori quickly cleared her face of any emotion.

"Drop and give me 20 as well!"

Any humor Kotori found in the training was quickly eliminated with a strong hatred for the training itself and Mari who gave the commands.

After running they were given a small break to eat. It was very short and they had to eat quickly.

"Did you enjoy your warm-up? you hunks of fat!"

Mari gave a devious smile then said

"Get ready for hell"

Kotori only dread what that could mean

She soon found that hell was very simple.

They were told to stand and hold a water pail above their heads without spilling it.

Despite being very simple it was brutal. The water pail itself had a constantly shifting balance which meant the hold had to be very still. Occasionally, Mari would use a light switch to whip you and if you didn't avoid the hit or accidentally spilled some water you would be forced to do more pushups. After one's arms would already ache from holding the pail, doing push-ups makes your arms lose feeling. This training would go until the sunset.

Kotori would be let go early since she was still a child but she would apologetically look back at Amelie who still held her pail.

Kotori would limp back to Amelie's house and Amelie would arrive about an hour and a half later. Their arms and legs would feel leaden. They would eat simple meals their arms too weak to make anything else. Afterward, they would collapse in bed and sleep until they were woken up the next morning to start all over again.

[This woman is a devil] Kotori would begin to think

Mari seemed to delight in giving them training their gasping facing and pained expression made her expression grow even better.

[Don't tell me she is a sadist]

Indeed, did Mari enjoy giving training to newbies. So much so that she often volunteered for it. But there was also another reason why she enjoyed this training so much. Mari had been the boss's right-hand woman for years and is one of the few warriors in the village who remembers when the boss had brought back Amelie. She watched the women she admired so much come back to the village. Her muscle rippled arms were covered in scars and ghastly wounds holding a small child with the gentlest of embraces.

The moment she entered the village she collapsed. Her gaze was filled with a determination that scared Mari. The Boss looked as if she hadn't relaxed until the moment she reached the village boundaries.

The girl that was brought back always fascinated Mari. What kind of girl would make the boss travel into the capital of Faramouth and disappear for a month. She was disappointed to realize that the girl was fairly average, but still, the girl enticed her. Her squirrely personality and the way she got along with the other warriors made Mari inextricably like her and wanted to root for her.

So when she saw the boss accept Amelie's request for a conference and was subsequently told to train Amelie and Kotori by the boss she was overjoyed to see the little girl she watched grow up and finally get her wish to learn how to fight.

Kotori herself was beginning to feel a change in her body. Over the course of the 9 months, the training was beginning to get easier. She felt her muscle turn back into the lean farmer physique she once had but the wiry muscles she developed and acquired were harder than her previous fitness. Amelie was also having changes herself, the baby fat melted away from her face and her face had become angular and wolfish like the other hunters in the village. Dodging the switch became easier and Mari steadily had to get faster to hit them.

The week Kotori noticed these changes Mari had made a sudden announcement.

They were going to be entering a dungeon.

 

Sato Kotori

Race: [Human] Age: 6

HP: 15 (+5!!)

Mana: 10 (+5!)

Agility:  11 (+5!)

Strength: 9 (+4!)

Defense:  5(+3!)

Karma: -100,009,668 (+304!)

Skills: [Magic Musician], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed)

Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo]