Chapter 5: Conditioning

Starting training was not easy.

During the first few days, my mentor only asked me to run laps around the courtyard, since before we could begin with anything technical, I needed a certain level of physical conditioning.

Sir Marte seemed a little nervous during the initial sessions. He must have thought I would reject being trained in the traditional way.

For a spoiled, ill-mannered child, running was a terrible way to begin any discipline. Fortunately, I loved running. I had done it countless times in my previous life, and in a way, it relaxed me.

“So tired…”

However, this body could not manage more than three laps without needing to stop. That frustrated me a little, since before, I had been able to jog for over forty minutes without slowing down to walk.

“You are doing well, Your Highness.”

Sir Marte divided his attention between my sister’s sword strikes and my laps around the courtyard.

I hated the feeling of sticky sweat running through these fine fabrics. How I missed my sports jackets and specialized clothing designed to absorb moisture. This world lacked so many comforts, and unfortunately, I had no idea how to manufacture most of them.

Six entire weeks passed with nothing but jogging. No technique. No talks about weapons.

Little by little, my endurance improved. I no longer tired so easily, and my stride became firmer. After each practice, I returned to my chambers and immersed myself in theoretical and cultural studies with Gonzalo as my tutor.

I learned more about the kingdom’s history, and I also began memorizing the duchies that made up my domain. Each duke owed me loyalty, and in the event of war, I could summon them as my banner men and march into battle.

Ah, I really hoped I would not have to fight a war.

“Mentor, will I keep running laps today?”

The tenth week arrived, and finally, the giant shook his head.

“No. Today, I will teach you the basics of swordsmanship.”

The knight handed me a small wooden sword, ideal for children.

“Oh, is my brother ready for the guard already?” Alda asked as she approached with her own little sword in hand.

“That is correct. To be honest, it was a surprise that he never complained about the circuits. All my other apprentices usually abandon my tutelage because they cannot stand running too much.”

“Did you make my sister run too?” I asked out of pure curiosity.

“Of course. There is no special treatment for anyone here.”

“Well then, Mentor, how do we begin?”

“Very well, let us see…”

Sir Marte lifted his wooden sword.

“The first thing you must master in order to become a great swordsman is your stance. It does not matter how fast or strong you are. If your foundation is poor, then you will not be able to chain your attacks together. I will first teach you how to use the sword because it is the weapon of nobles, but I will also train you in the use of every weapon in the kingdom’s armory. A good warrior knows how to use all weapons. Later, you will discover which one you wish to specialize in.”

My trainer placed his left leg forward and his right leg behind him. He leaned his waist slightly forward and held the wooden sword between his strong arms.

The blade faced forward, and his shoulders, as sturdy as oak trees, did not look tense in the slightest.

“The standard guard.”

Alda imitated Sir Marte’s pose with her own sword.

“It’s my favorite.”

“Imitate my position, Your Highness.”

“At once.”

I had no trouble adopting the standard guard. In fact, I had seen it on television many times during my previous life.

“Excellent. Now remain like that for a while. Alda, continue your repetitions of the lateral cut.”

My sister took a small step forward and then swung through the air, making her weapon whistle. Immediately afterward, she returned to her initial guard and struck toward the same side again.

She repeated that process ten times until Sir Marte told her to change the position of her legs.

A change of guard, as they called it in the martial arts of my world.

“Ugh…”

My legs began to ache, as did my arms and shoulders. Holding this posture for two straight minutes became pure torture.

“Do not give up, Your Highness. It is normal for your muscles to hurt at first. You must remain firm so your guard does not falter, no matter how tired you are. In a fight, mistakes caused by dropping your guard are often lethal.”

“O-Of course,” I whispered while screaming internally.

Sir Marte Hogan was not lying. In any martial art, posture and fighting guard were extremely important when it came to achieving victory. My old coach at the gym used to tell me the same thing.

I alternated between the two guards—left and right—for an entire hour. After that, my trainer ordered me to run around the courtyard a little to loosen up, and we finished the class with sit-ups and push-ups.

Despite having a small body, I did not feel cramped or short of breath.

But I was still very, very far from the level of endurance I had reached before dying.

On the other hand, my intellectual lessons also progressed. Gonzalo never stopped being surprised by my progress in Spanish and reading comprehension.

However, there was one subject that gave me far too much trouble:

Economics.

I came from a capitalist world, where neoliberalism did whatever it pleased left and right. The feudal economy of this kingdom, however, was a completely different beast.

There were no bills, nor was there free trade. Everything was made up of tributes, gold, silver, and bronze coins, as well as payments in food, wheat, rice, and so on.

How was I supposed to learn all of that?

Contrary to popular belief, a simplified economy could become a true headache.

“Gonzalo, why do we pay tribute in money to the Kingdom of Apolo? In theory, a tributary or vassal state should only provide a small contribution, but I have read in the reports that we give them up to half of our income.”

“It seems you are confused, Your Highness. Tributes are declared at the moment a protectorate treaty is signed. When we lost the war fifty years ago, we were forced to yield. It was either that or be destroyed. The Kingdom of Apolo is extremely belligerent. They worship the God of Conquest with excessive fervor.”

Another aspect of the culture I still did not understand was religion.

Just like in my original world, there were far too many religions in this one, and their followers had differences among themselves.

“The predominant religion in Etrica is the God of the Earth, correct?”

“That is correct, Your Highness. We pray for good harvests and favorable weather. However, the earth is also powerful, so our warriors draw inspiration from the hardness of stone and the strength of earthquakes. Our symbol, and your family’s heraldry, is a red lion, because the God of the Earth is represented by that animal.”

“Sounds complicated… But sooner or later, I’ll master it. Don’t worry.”

I had no enthusiasm for theology, especially because in my previous life, I had been agnostic.

However, whether I liked it or not, I had to become a public practitioner of the local religion in order to avoid unnecessary problems.

For now, though, divine matters meant absolutely nothing to me.

“With your intelligence, you will master it in no time. I believe it would be wise to focus your efforts on the subjects you understand the least. That way, you can catch up and move on to new lessons.”

Gonzalo handed me two religious books and a parchment listing the taxes from each duchy.

I sighed in resignation at the enormous workload.

How badly I wanted to go to my room and sleep for a while, just to indulge in laziness.

But a king could not rest.

Not when his knowledge of economics was identical to that of a stable boy.

Whether I was training in the yard or fighting with books on economics, my conditioning was progressing wonderfully. Sora and Mother always encouraged me, and Alda’s carefree smile also offered a certain peace to my heart.

Perhaps this part of my reincarnation was not so bad after all.

Despite the duties and responsibilities, I had kind people who cared about me.

A luxury that, unfortunately, I no longer had in my original life…