Train 'til mush! Step 'til Splooch!

Seven days later.
“It did not feel like I had a seven day rest!”
Shut up. Listen to your trainer.
“Who am I even talking to…”
“Um… Hero, is something the matter?” asked the elf in front of him.
Today, Felra is in one of the corners of the spacious training ground with an oval track with a length of three thousand eight hundred meters surrounding it.
It has been decided that for three months, he will be training with the elf in front of him to increase his stamina.
An elf with well toned muscles.
Kind of an unusual sight on the elf race as they're notably known for their slim figures. And while the majority of the elves focused on honing their magic, this elf trained his body instead.
He developed his muscles with rigorous training, which was thought impossible for their race.
That being said, it's not like he doesn't use any magic. He is using one and that's [Physical Enhancement] that is constantly active even if he's unconscious. Making a buff to be active 24/7 is nigh impossible, but by making use of their long life span, he was able to achieve such a feat.
Well, it's mostly because he's talented. But still, he would not have achieved it if he didn't work hard. So I guess you can say that it's the combination of both that got him that far.
“Ah, no…”
It's my first time seeing an elf. Are they all like this?
They are not.
You can't really fault him for thinking that way. After all, there are only humans residing on their village.
“Really? That's fine, then. In any case, our training will start tomorrow in earnest. For now, I want to know how much stamina you have. We will run one lap,” came the horror from the elf's mouth.
“...”
“Hero?”
“Y-You mean run around that long, long track that would probably take me 10 years to finish one lap?”
“Haha! You're funny, Hero. But yes, it's that one.”
“… Can we like, not do that?”
“No can do,” the elf replied firmly.
“But—”
“No. Can. Do.”
There was no room for negotiation.
“Fine…” Felra sighed, knowing that further resistance is futile.
And with that, they first did their stretching and started running…. If you could even call whatever he's doing running…
“I was informed that you are lacking in stamina but… I did not expect it to be this severe… We're only at the 60 meters mark.”
There's our hero, crawling on the ground like a worm. He's breathing so hard that you'd mistake him for someone making love with the ground.
“Hah…. Hah… Hah… Can we… take a break…?”
“That seems to be our only option right now.”
Seeing Felra struggling to stand, he went to lend a helping arm.
He easily picked him up and carried him like he's a knight in shining armor.
Princess carry style.
But then again, Felra does not really care how he's carried as long as it feels comfortable… Which is not happening right now…
This dude's muscles are too hard… he complained, he did not dare to voice it.
The day went on with this repeated rest and running or whatever the heck he's doing.
All in all, he ran an outstanding one thousand meters.
In 30 consecutive attempts…
*
The elf trainer was in his room, writing today's result.
Their first day of training was finished and they'll continue after three days.
Such was their arrangement. Not really ideal if your aim is to increase a person's stamina. Then again, after testing the Hero's body today, this was the schedule the elf trainer decided to do.
The reason...
The Hero's constitution is strange. It tires quickly but it recovers much faster. With this in mind, I will focus on pushing his body to the limits with the hopes of increasing his base stamina.
Is what he thought and wrote on his report for the day.
“Hopefully, this will help his body develop some muscles too. He looks a little thin for someone his age," he chuckled.
With that, the elf trainer concluded his report for today.
*
That night, Felra dreamt about his father’s words when he was 5.
`Listen here, my son! Women are like wine! The older the–`
Wait, not that! What the hell was he saying to a 5 year old…
Anyway, it was…
…
“What was it again?”
Felra woke up in the middle of the night, trying to remember his father's words.
“...So annoying…” he sighed, and tucked himself to sleep once again.
It's not like he hates his father. It's just that…
Well…
That's something he'll have to face soon. In the meantime, he will sleep to his heart's content.
Who would've thought that he'd actually have a well-deserved rest.
*
The next day, Felra woke up and decided to take a ‘walk’ around the palace.
The maids, who were busy doing their own designated chores, saw Felra as a suspicious figure. They all thought that some random person had somehow gotten into the palace's garden so they called the guards on him.
Who could blame them? His pretty long hair was so unkempt that he looked like he came from the slum, his walk was so sluggish and wobbly, and the fact that he is only wearing the lower half of his pajamas did not help either.
Well, everything got cleared up without any other problems and one of the maids went to fetch the other upper half of his pajamas in his room and apologized, so that's that.
Anyway, he might be walking in the garden but that was not where he was going, he was just passing by. His destination is at the back of the palace. Specifically, it's the place where a small collection of trees are located.
After all, it's that time of the year where the trees’ brown leaves fall.
That's right.
One of Felra's entertainment is stepping on the brown leaves, listening to the sounds it makes as he steps on them.
“Ohhh!” Felra’s clearly pleased from what he's seeing.
A sea of fallen leaves is now presenting itself before Felra, waiting to be stepped on!
“That doesn't sound right…”
“What doesn't sound right, Hero?”
“Aghh!!”
“Dear me! What are you shouting for?”
“It’s because of you! Who the hell are you!?”
For some reason, a woman with a big red hat suddenly appeared behind him, surprising the living hell out of Felra.
“So it seems. My apologies, I did not mean to scare you,” the woman curtsied. “I am Creselda. The Wood Witch and the keeper of these trees.”
“O-Okay… I'm Felra and…” Felra introduced himself. “A Hero, they said.”
Hehe… 'They said,' thought Creselda.
Felra noticed her giggling to herself.
“Uh… Did I say something funny?”
“I'm sorry, it's nothing. By the way,” Creselda changed the subject. “What brings you here today? I heard you only have three places you frequently visit.”
“Right. It's those leaves. I want to step on them. Can I?”
He did not hesitate to ask.
“Certainly. I do not mind. However, I want you to be aware that–”
“Hell yeah!”
“Ah! Wait, Hero!”
Aaaaand he's gone.
Creselda tried to warn him about something but he just dashed to crunch those leaves.
Felra searched for a brown leaf to step on.
*Crunch*
Pure Bliss!
Another!
*Crunch*
Plus one!
*Crunch*
He's in ecstasy.
One more!
*Crunch*
Finally, the moneymaker!
“No, Hero! That's–”
*Splooch*
“....Splooch?”
Felra looked down to his feet and…
…an animal's end produce splattered, surrounding his shoe.
Creselda's only reaction was a facepalm.
“You're joking…"
“I had tried to warn you and yet, you did not listen…,” Creselda sighed.
“Now I have to go fetch water from the well to clean this up… and the smell…” Felra groaned.
“That would not be necessary. Bring it close… or not. Please stay there,” Creselda instructed, pinching her nose.
“Harsh!”
Creselda then took out a wand and pointed it at Felra's foot.
“Please, do not move… I might miss and cleanly cut off your leg.”
“Huh!?”
“I jest.” The tip of Creselda’s wand lit up with a color of blue. “[Clean]”
In an instant, Felra's foot was covered with bubbling water.
“Ohh…!”
Although this isn't Felra's first time seeing magic, it is his first time seeing one that cleans.
I mean… I guess it's still cleaning, in a sense, when you burn things to nothingness. But that's subjective.
Creselda's cleaning magic could also be used directly on human skin.
“This smells quite nice. So magic could also produce scent?”
Hm? Strange. I was under the impression that the Hero has little to no interest in magic based on the things that I heard about him… Creselda thought.
“When it comes to water magic, there are many possibilities, and producing a scent is one of them. Additionally, with enough practice, you can also alter the water’s shape and texture like this.”
A big ball of water that's as tall as Felra formed behind him and slowly changed its shape.
“A bed…?”
“Yes. Do try laying down on it.”
“...I'm not so sure about that…”
Well, it does look like you will drown the second you try to sleep on it after all.
“Rest assured, I'm fairly certain you will like it.”
“Alright…”
He approached the bed made of water and gently pressed his hand on top. When he made contact with it, he was surprised by how it felt.
“Wow… It feels like an actual bed. The feeling of the bedsheet and the softness of the foam… Ah… No good…”
“Eh…? Hero…?”
And he's down.
He slowly succumbed to the water bed’s softness and was unable to resist the drowsiness.
“What do I do…?”
Creselda was troubled. She only meant to show an example of how amazing water magic could be.
When Felra suddenly hinted an interest at magic, she thought it would be a good time to reel him in.
After all, she's supposed to be Felra's teacher when it comes to water and wind magic.
She did succeed, but she just did not expect that it would be this way.
“Knocked out cold, I see.”
Creselda turned around to see whose voice it was.
And there was Nava, in her usual priest outfit.
“Lady Nava? What brings you here?”
“Him,” pointing at Felra who's definitely already in a deep sleep.
“I went to his room but he wasn't there so I asked the maids and they said they saw him walking towards this place.”
“Ah! Did you perhaps have a plan with the Hero today?” Creselda asked, worriedly.
“I did, but it seems like I will have to move it for tomorrow.”
“My apologies,” she lowered her head.
“I had prior knowledge about the Hero’s hobby of napping, but I did not expect that a simple water bed would make him fall asleep this fast.”
“No, this is perfect actually.”
Creselda thought for a bit about what she meant and came to a conclusion.
“I see. Are you saying that this could be a motivation for the Hero to learn about magic?”
“That’s right. You are also one of his instructors, I'd say, you made a good first impression,” Nava confirmed.
“Understood. In that case, I'm glad I was able to help even a little.”
“Mmm. You did,” she nodded.
“For now, I'll be taking over your magic, so you can go on with your day, okay?”
On the surface, Nava’s smile seemed like the usual smile she shows to others. But for some reason, Creselda felt that it was a different kind of smile. It felt a little scary.
In her mind, she knows that this is the same Nava that she always knew.
She's right.
And yet, she does not know why it all feels wrong today.
“That would be helpful. Thank you.”
Casually taking over someone else's magic without much effort… She's indeed in a league of her own… Creselda thought nothing but amazement and praise to Nava.
With a flick of her finger, Nava quickly took over Creselda's water bed magic.
“There we go.”
“Thank you very much, Lady Nava. I was at a loss on what to do,” Creselda bowed. “If you'll excuse me, I will be going now.”
“Got it. Thank you for today, Cres. I'll fetch you at your house when it's time for formal introduction."
Upon hearing Nava call her Cres, the heavy feeling she was feeling earlier was suddenly lifted and she felt relieved for some reason.
“I understand. I will be waiting.”
After saying their goodbyes for the day, Nava sat down beside the sleeping Felra after making sure that Creselda is nowhere in sight.
I wonder... Why did I act like that...
"I even lied to Cres that we made plans today..." she whispered.
While Nava is lamenting the fact that her emotion got the better of her, she was poking Felra's right cheek.
How curious... I somehow find myself thinking of you from time to time...
With a complicated feeling, she continued watching Felra's sleeping face and made sure to wake him up before his favorite time of the day.
The sunset.