第１７０２堀：何とか走り切りました (Part1)
Chapter 1702: Hori: We Somehow Managed to Finish the Run
We somehow managed to finish the run.
Side: Vilia
For me, it was just another morning on the track I run every day, but...
“W-what is this?”
“I-it's incredible. The mental fatigue is far worse than the physical.”
It seemed Holy and Hiren were exhausted. Well, I suppose it's to be expected; I felt the same way the first time I ran it.
The initial sandpit and rock climbing sections are fine. But then there's the balance beam, and stepping stones in the water—now that I think about it, it's like an obstacle course I've done before. The route changes each time depending on the number of people running. This time, there was no need to overtake, so I wasn't in a rush, but if people hesitate and stop, it can lead to collisions, making it a valuable training exercise in that sense. Of course, if it rains, the environment changes, so you have to be careful not to slip. It might even be more grueling than running through natural terrain.
Nevertheless, the fact that they both completed a full lap of the track—something no novice could ever do unscathed—proves they truly are goddesses.
“That's for military training, of course. We need to be able to traverse any path, so we train here and then further train in environment-specific locations. Like snow-capped mountains, for instance.”
“Marching through snow-capped mountains, is that a thing?”
“So far, there have been occasions to go on surveys in the snow-capped mountains that separate the Zuraburu and Haiden regions.”
Ah, that's the one Agil went to investigate. Speaking of which, what's the status of that snow-capped mountain survey?
“Mhm, mhm. It's truly cold up there. We go regularly to check, but the extreme cold never changes.”
Oh, they're still going there. Indeed, it's a rare environment with unusual monsters, and they were also tracking the traces of the Dungeon Master who was active in Zuraburu, so I didn't think they would abandon it.
Anyway, that aside, the point is we've completed a lap of the track.
“Well, as soldiers, there's a possibility of operating in any environment, so we're building the foundation for marching here.”
“...I see. I understand what you're saying. But she, Vilia, looks perfectly fine too.”
“I run every morning.”
“Every morning?”
“Yes. I'm actually affiliated with the military, so I run here every morning to build my stamina before heading to work. After all, my duties are mostly administrative.”
I answered normally, but Holy and Hiren looked surprised upon hearing it. Well, I can understand why. This track, when converted to distance, is about 10 kilometers. It's a long-distance course that takes two and a half hours to walk. A normal track is about 2 kilometers, increasing to 3 kilometers with the sandpit, so it's not something an ordinary person can easily do. After all, I'm still within the framework of a young girl.
Nevertheless, if you can't complete this much in about an hour, you're not fit to be a soldier. By the way, Holy and Hiren took a total of an hour and a half. Considering they're not used to it, I suppose that's a passing grade? And with physical enhancements, they'd improve even more. If we use magic for physical enhancement, we can finish in under 30 minutes. Of course, if we seriously enhance our bodies, we can finish in under 10 minutes, but then it becomes more like leaping than running. While I wouldn't say that negates the meaning of the training, it's for marching practice, so the purpose is slightly different.
Anyway, that aside, regarding Holy and Hiren, who have now experienced running the track...
“Alright, the two of you can run reasonably well. Now, until Nina gathers information, you'll run with Vilia to confirm your coordination and do other training. As it stands, Vilia is fast, and it's important to run at the same pace.”
Yes, as my brother says, moving together at a run, other than just walking, is surprisingly difficult. If you don't understand each other's stamina, situations where one person becomes severely exhausted can occur. At worst, you could even get separated.
“...I understand. We certainly need to match her pace.”
“Ugh, so Vilia was doing this kind of training, huh~”
“It's not just me, you know? My brother, of course, and all the other older sisters can run too.”
“Yeah, I figured as much~ But you all have regular jobs too, right?”
Hiren turned her gaze to my brother.
“Yes, precisely because they have jobs. My wives and Comet are also important figures. If they can't move when the time comes, it would be fatal, so they should be running at least twice a week.”
Yes, while they can't run every day like me, even those in research positions like Agil maintain their physical fitness and undergo combat training as well. Deryu and Seraria, for example, train even Agil and the others mercilessly. Of course, this training is precisely because Agil and the others are the most likely targets.
As we were talking about this, Orelia, who had gone to check with the office, returned—or rather, seeing that we had finished running, she rushed over.
“I apologize for the delay. I thought it might be a problem to interrupt.”
“No, it's fine. Just as Orelia predicted, Holy and Hiren aren't used to it. Or rather, Orelia, weren't you bored? So, how was the track usage?”
“Yes. There's no problem today, but tomorrow and the day after, the rookie hazing... I mean, training, will begin, so it might be a bit awkward to join in then. However, if Vilia and Holy run together, it would certainly motivate the rookies... or so the office staff said.”
Orelia said this with a wry smile. Ah, that's the 'are we going to lose to a woman and a child?' scenario, isn't it? It happens often. It's the kind of thing where they use our appearance to motivate the men, but then their confidence gets shattered afterwards. For the female rookies, there's no first half, and when they can't catch up to us in the second half, they're equally stunned, wondering why.
“Ah~ Do you know who's in charge of rookie training?”
“Um, Quar is in charge for the next two days, starting tomorrow... and she'll probably gladly accept us.”
“““Ah~”””