Chapter 53: Ivy’s Warning
A few days had passed since I started training the knight’s order. I had planned to stay in town only for a few days before going back to the forest with the group, but the sad state of the knights got the best of me, and I couldn’t leave them as weak as they were.
I used that time to incorporate Reinar and the princess into our training too. They were already more skillful in magic than any of the knights, but when it came down to physical combat, they both were as weak as someone would expect a 14-year-old to be.
However, I didn’t want them to focus too much on building physical strength but to focus on technique and reflexes. Mages as good as them didn’t need a weapon to fight, but they should be able to protect themselves if anyone was skillful enough to get close to them.
Early in the mornings, we started with cardio, where all of the knights would run around the courtyard for half an hour without breaks. After that, they were sent to the "gym section" to train their muscles.
The gym section was an area that I had created on the first day of training with the knights and took a quarter of the space in the courtyard. I used earth magic to make what was a modern outdoor gym, albeit with a bit more of a rustic look.
The gym equipment wasn’t necessarily difficult to make. It was pretty simple as long as I didn’t try to make anything too fancy. We had bars for pull-ups, a bench-press area, dumbbells for the arms and shoulders, and even a leg-press machine.
One of the first things I noticed when I met all the knights was that they needed to be in shape. Besides magic training, they needed a new training routine and diet.
After the physical training was done, I prepared lunch for everyone with the help of the maids, making them eat bull’s beef with potatoes and salad for every meal after exercising.
I wanted them to bulk up, so I told them there was no negotiating when it came down to food. Nevertheless, nobody complained, which was understandable considering the beef was really tasty.
After eating, it was time for magic theory and practice, where the knights tried using their spells without chanting. However, it wasn’t as easy for them to copy as the princess.
("Well, it’s obvious considering her skill...") I thought as I glared at the struggling knights.