I was running like a madman being chased by the dread of failure, jumping great heights not normal from a person from Earth to avoid deadly crevices and obstacles in my path down this godforsaken mountain.

I was sweating bullets, my clothes grossly sticking to my body as I took large breaths, heaving  however even in this condition I was still able to keep running, like a machine built just to traverse these stones. 

Maybe because of the energy inside me, circulating throughout my whole body that was keeping me going or the thought of being unjustly punished in the case of failing this training regime. 

Those were my thoughts as I plopped down in the cold ground, having come down from the perilous mountain path for the 2nd time this week, opening my eyes slightly to see that it was night, the stars seemingly being the only bright thing in this world.

'Ah it's night' I lamented, exhausted in mind and especially in body. All my muscles were screaming, in addition, my circuits led to me feeling lethargic as I was still forcing it to circulate.

"Colt Pelter!" A loud voice called out to me, a familiar sound that has resounded in my ears the time we stepped into this hell.

"You've ultimately failed this exercise, still missing  3 laps and thus you will be punished with an extra 5kg the next session! Your two companion have finished this course with near complete laps. Do better in the morning and make sure to wear the weight..You are dismissed" he said as he turned around not even lending me a hand to get up.

As I laid there, a woman with platinum hair approached, walking with a bottle on her hand.

"Colt, don't just lie down there, dinner's ready. I want to finish our training soon right away so here, be thankful I personally gave you this" said Leyana as she crouched down and placed a healing potion right beside me. She looked at me with eyes urging me to drink.

"F*ck this..." I whispered particularly to the wind as this was the 2nd day of training

-----

[Day 3]

"This really just got harder..." I complained, feeling the weight of the extra band as I climbed through the halfway point. My aching sides doesn't also help as I awoke feeling banged up this morning thanks to a certain princess.

 Alas the training resumed, with an added band as promised by our superiors.

I looked in front of me as I continued to move, Rea and Ben were already going to the top. Ben just punching away and surprisingly Rea was nimbly avoiding those spikes in a consistent manner.

'How in the world?, Im pretty sure we all got the same band right?' I mused, confused to their rapid progression. Compared to those two I was doing worse than before.

"Ah I don't think Im going to be able to finish this again~" I said as I looked at the setting sun.

-----

"Colt Pelter! 6 laps missing! Another extra band! You are dismissed!" Mr. Harold shouted as he looked down on this unmoving man.

"Yes..sir" I managed to reply.

"Colt you ok?" asked Ben as he drank a healing potion.

"I think so, probably" I said as I also drank.

"Man today was hard wasn't it" he exclaimed as he rubbed his metal bands.

"Well you did better right, you and Rea had only 3 laps each to finish" I asked curious as to how they did it although inside my mind I had an inkling as to what the answer already was.

"Hmmm, I don't really know but I just adjusted from what I did from before and worked around the extra weight from there" he nonchalantly said.

'I see...yup these twins are talented' I mused

"Yeah right..hey lets go, I wanna eat right now~" I said as I stood up and walked towards the camp where Rea was already eating. 

"Wait up" said Ben

I clenched my hands as I walked.

-----

"Now circulate, we don't want you to faint again do we Colt" said Leyana as she handed me my training sword.

"Now you tell me that ? I'm the one who had to remind you of that on our second day of training" I said grinning

"Your pretty clumsy huh, for a princess" I said, laughing a little as I readied myself , my hand holding the sword, my arcane circulating.

"C-clumsy?! I am not!" She said fuming, her cheeks reddening as she glared.

"Sure~ your not, anyway teach me properly this time, " I said, not minding her glare.

"..You.." she sighed, breathing in as she mumbled.

"Calm yourself Leyana, uphold the dignity of the royal family" she said with her eyes closed.

'I thinks that's too late for you to think about honestly' 

"..Let us start.." she readied her elegant stance.

I also paid full attention, mimicking a standard stance she taught me earlier. I sweated as I anticipated another beat down.

"Hah!" her shout thus signalled a cycle of pain for Colt Pelter

-----

[Day 5]

It was looking very bad for me, my focus waning from the weight, I couldn't keep circulating as I jumped over a stone spike, however it had scratched the side of my thighs.

"Ughh!?" I screamed as I clutched my bleeding leg.

"Colt!? are you ok!?" shouted Rea with concern. She turned back to check on me even though she was ahead already by 2 laps.

"Im ok~ it's just scratch. Go ahead Rea...I dont want you to get punished just because I slowed you down" I said while hiding the furrowing of my brows due to the pain.

I went ahead although noticeably slower.

It seemed that Rea wanted for me to stop but she held it in as she run past me.

"Damn it.." I said, alone I trudged ahead, ultimately failing again but this time only myself.

------

"Colt keep your center of gravity down if you aim to block" Leyana instructed as she swung diagonally from the right.

I tried to block it, minding to bend my knees as instructed although that kept me from circulating for a moment as my sword flew out of my hands.

"You stopped circulating again in the middle of combat Colt" she strictly said as she rested her sword hand.

"...." I stayed silent as I retrieved my sword from the ground, readying myself again.

Leyana had been properly teaching me since the accident on the first day although it was kinda weird that all she taught me were blocks, parry and counterattacks although the latter two techniques were shelved for later.

"...Colt let's stop for now, you have been having several slips of concentration" she said as she proceeded to store the sword.

I couldn't reply as I also stored my sword. Those words of her rung throughout my head. 

It was evident to me that I couldn't adjust to active circulation. My focus slipping more and more. I had to find out a way if I wanted to break through this bottleneck in my progress.

"..Hey Leyana do you know a trick in active circulation...I've been struggling a little actually~"  I shyly scratched my cheeks.

"I figured that out from the first day we met Colt, that you are a man of very little focus so I expected this already" she stated nonchalantly.

"...You sometimes say some hurtful things from time to time" I remarked.

"That is  your issue though Colt, you can't do two things at the same time like the people here could" she said sitting down on a log. I also let myself sit, exhaustion creeping up on me.

"...Well I can't deny it...I don't have what they have.." I said in a sarcastic way, as I looked down on my hands.

Leyana strangely reacted to my words, looking suddenly sad as she held the sheath of her rapier. The mood gradually became heavy, although it dissipated when she talked.

"But you do have something don't you, that rune inside you" she said in a soft tone as she pointed towards my chest.

"Wait how does that help me in circulation? and besides we're not allowed to use our abilities during the course" I said, I was confused to how it could help me improve.

"Do not rush me Colt, try to be a gentleman for once,... I regress,  so here's my suggestion for you-" she said as she laid out her idea.

In summary, Leyana suggested that I should keep writing my rune all throughout the day while training and even on my free time but Of course without activating it.

It would be just practicing how to write it. She had explained that this was a form of a mental trigger as she had observed from our time together as we traveled, the amount of concentration I put in when I practiced on my free time.

I was kind of doubtful If I did have that type of focus but I decided to believe in her words knowing that it would be obvious on her face if she did try to lie.

"Be thankful Colt because Im sure this will work. I have observed that you tend to put emphasis on mundane things hence this suggestion"

"Mundane things? like what?" I asked curious.

"Such as being a mage" she stated with a straight face.

'That's not mundane!' I lamented inside. I didn't say it to her face since I did owe her a favor for this one.

"Well, just follow my advice and you'll be alright Colt,....so stop brooding and cheer up ok" she said with a soft smile, something that I haven't seen from her beautiful face, it was kind of dazzling actually. I caught myself staring into that sight.

"Colt?" Leyana called out to me, tilting her head slightly. It brought me out of my daze as I replied, flustered.

"Y-yeah I'll d-do it~" I feigned as calmly as possible trying to hide my face.

Leyana seemed confused to my reply as she stood up.

"Well... let us rest for the night Colt and remember to be thankful, Goodnight" she said as she waved goodbye to me before going inside her tent.

"....Goodnight to you too.." I waved back still feeling out of my usual self.

'...I should try a little harder..' I thought that night.

-----

[Day 7]

"Colt Pelter! you have-" Mr. Harold shouted as I got down the base of the mountain. Although he got interrupted by my sudden shout.

"Done with10 laps old man!" I shouted, not minding the consequences of what I just said as I savored the taste of the rays of the gradually setting sun behind my back.