I was concentrating my utmost trying to balance my posture while I proceeded to the next log swinging, my face covered with sweat.

"Sh*t shouldn't it be easier if it's ranked lower"

I complained as I took another step, going over the next log on time, although I couldn't prevent the residual force behind the step, making it unstable.

"Uggh!"

I jumped off the log, trying to avoid the other swinging logs that have gone way off course. I sighed, deactivating {Gliding Strides} as I sat down on the ground.

I have been repeating this practice for 3 days now. I thought it would be easy from how it was depicted as a low rank art but I was really wrong on that front.

'What am I doing wrong?' 

"Colt Pelter"

"Huh?"

I turned my head to the voice that called out to me. There he was, Mr. Harold with his arms crossed looking at me with a curious look. I immediately became stressed.

"Damn..it's you"

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his brows twitching.

"I meant, what is it sir~"

"...So what are you doing?"

I wasn't really fond of this guy since most of my time here has been hell because of his rough treatment. 

'What is he even doing here?'

During our arts training, Mr. Harold has been focusing on Ben while Mrs. Nellie on Rea. For me, they alternated but most of the time it was Mrs. Nellie who instructed me the past few days.

If I was given a choice I prefer her to teach me instead.

"Umm practicing..Is it not obvious?" I replied

He looked over the swinging logs, seemingly thinking about something.

"{Gliding Strides} is it? A stealth art but not that good, why did you pick it?"

"Ummm I just thought it complements my ability and fighting style sir" 

I hurriedly answered, feeling a little tense from his questioning.

"Does it now?" 

He said as he looked over the twins' training spot. Ben was still practicing {Grand Charge}, having achieved greater distance from before.

Rea on the other hand was doing some type of parkour using {Sky Steps}, nothing much changed except that she was more adept at it than before.

I looked over my back, observing his behavior. His eyes were reflecting a heavy look somehow even though they were doing actually great.

"..Yeah~ so Im going to get back to practice now-" 

I tried to end the conversation short as I didn't know what he came here for.

"Concentrate arcane at the tips of your soles, not the whole of it"

He walked towards the logs as he talked.

"What?"

"Its the root of your problem. You tend to focus arcane all over your whole soles. If you want less contact on the logs then do so"

"...."

'..Is this an advice? Well this is new, he never gave me advice before'

"What are you waiting for trainee, lets start"

"....yes sir"

I reluctantly followed along as he instructed me on my shortcomings throughout the day.

-------

I was on my 14th log, my feet pointed. The logs didn't move whatsoever to my movement beforehand, maintaining its momentum and keeping the course stable.

I stepped up for the last platform. Arcane focused on my toes specially, my one hand in a gun stance. Again, the log wasn't disrupted, signalling the end of my obstacle exercise  as I jumped and landing on the ground as the noise from the jump was audibly lower than humanly possible.

I was heaving for air as I basked in the afterglow of my success on my training, the night replacing the day.

"Finally~"

I exclaimed as my whole body relaxed.

"Good work trainee, you may be dismissed"

Mr. Harold was beside me, a grin on his face.

"Yes sir but did you really have to increase the logs?"

It was originally 5 logs in total but after he observed my progress, he added 10 more.

"Of course, so add more for your future practice"

'Sh*t'

He walked a few steps ahead, stopping one of the logs from swinging  with a single finger only. Silence ensued.

"....I was wrong about you Colt Pelter"

'What? are my ears working right?'

"Huh?"

"You've clearly shown me that all three of you  exceptional althroughout these 3 phases of the training"

I was shocked, not expecting to hear those words from the person in front of me.

"You're joking right~"

I replied, not feeling particularly great from what he said.

"Im serious trainee" he replied in a serious tone, his face unchanging.

From his voice I could tell that he wasn't spouting nonsense for small talk. I replied, slight hesitation in my voice.

"That's just because of my..."

I looked towards my hands, the habit that I always did whenever we trained.

"I'm aware that the princess taught you a mental trigger"

'...He knew?'

"It's nothing special really, most soldiers need something to keep their sanity when going to the battlefield but that does not always ensure that it works all the time" he paused.

"Sometimes they get lost within it's security, some might say it's foolish...but in my eyes, it couldn't be wrong...as long as you're in this world"

He leaned on the still log, his face showing a nostalgic and pained expression.

As I looked at his figure, I didn't see a strong and boisterous man but someone that was tremendously exhausted.

"So it's fine to take my compliment as it is trainee"

"..But Im not like that.." I clenched my hands.

He stayed silent after I replied. Looking at me with his brows knit. The wind blew as our clothes ruffled.

"Sir?"

"Colt Pelter, a piece of advice, ...stop pretending to be something that you're not"

"Your friends clearly knows what they want, what about you?"

After I heard those words, an undescribable anger flared within me but also a sense of doubt.

"With all due respect sir, you don't know a damn thing about me or any of us for that matter"

He stared at my glaring eyes, not affected by it in the slightest.

A large sigh escapes his mouth as he straightened his posture.

"Forget what I said. Anyway rest for now because tommorrow we will advance to the fourth phase of the training"

He walked away just like that, leaving me alone on the training grounds.

"F*ck,...I'm not pretending.."

I swung at the log that had stood still, making it move once again.

------

"Did you really have to say that dear?" 

Nellie said as she stared at a platinum haired girl and a black haired boy fighting in the distance.

The boy had been parrying the girls' strike allthroughout their session while the girl only had made simple swings.

"Honestly I really shouldn't have but I wanted to give him a little push you know"

Harold replied staring at the two training.

Both of them had left Rea and Ben respectively to train on their own, believing that some rest was needed before the fourth phase.

Specially Rea as she had practiced {Scope} before they were allowed to practice any other arts for safety reasons.

The same could be said for Ben because his art will mangle his body if he didn't learn {Coating} beforehand although slight damages could still be seen from his body.

As for Colt, he clearly didn't get the memo, asking the princess for extra sessions of beatdown.

"He hated you in the first phase and now you made him hate you more... you're really not good with kids"

"Don't talk to me about kids, it will just make me depressed honey"

Harold's slumped down in sadness.

"Well I will miss them too you know and I wanted to fight alongside them at least" she replied with the same feeling as her husband 

"I might hate our King and prince now for their choice"

She added, her face contorted.

"Well, the Queen will kick their as**s for hiding it from everyone" he chuckled.

"And besides everything is not set in stone yet"

He glanced to the right, a girl with brown hair was holding her bow, her eyes shining pale blue.

To the left, a boy with brown hair could be seen practicing CQC furiously, sweat evident in his glistening body.

He looked at the pair in front. Leyana could clearly be seen pouting as her face went red while Colt was clearly cursing as he was buried inside a rock after being flown away.

"They have yet to make their own choice, wether this kingdom will fall or not"

The couple looked at each other, a faint smile on their lips and in their hands a letter with the royal crest in it.

On its cover, the date could be traced back before the champions were ever summoned to this world.