As expected, perhaps you could say, Fii was the apprentice with the least stamina.
And naturally so.
On the other, you had a girl who lived as a princess, and what’s more, she had done nothing except etiquette lessons over the last few years.
It was impossible to expect a fair challenge.
Because the running exercises were designed to build stamina, even the well-trained boys had a tough time completing the numerous laps.
The one at the forefront was Gorms.
He stayed a perfect distance from Gorms and followed his pace.
Apparently Gorms wasn’t good at long distance. Because his body was big, it would always take more energy to move his body compared to others.
(If I remember right, this guy is with Heath a lot. Since he had an expression like a carefree lamb I never thought he’d be able to run this far. But I’m not gunna lose.)
Gorms pumped himself up and maintained his lead.
Both Slad and Geith were in the middle.
Slad looked entirely unamused, while Geith had the same expression as ever.
And then, dead last, was Fii.
By the time she had gotten halfway through a lap, her face was pale blue.
Yet she never complained once.
“Heath, you okay?”
Even Hislo, who the apprentices called the instructor from hell, found himself worrying for her and called out numerous times.
But the student in front of him had not only reached her limits, but was attempting to continue past them.
“Heath, if you think it’s too much, you don’t have to run.”
“I’m fine… Sorry… I can’t… breath, so… please don’t make… me talk…”
In other words, she was having it so bad that she couldn’t even speak.
Despite that, her eyes showed no intention of quitting.
Hislo wasn’t sure whether to stop her either.
All the other students besides her were beginning to reach the goal.
“Is that kid gunna be okay…?”
Gorms watched the unsteady, but still running Heath.
Gorms was the first in the Northern Dormitory to reach the goal. He had shaken off Remié’s ghosting and dashed near the end.
“I’m a little worried…” said Remié, who had reached the goal just after Gorms.
More and more, the others were beginning to hit the goal as well, and eventually only Fii was left running.
“You don’t have to overdo things.”
“I can do it…”
Fii’s reply to Hislo was immediate.
As her endurance and strength was used up, eventually she couldn’t even lift her legs.
But having seen the difference between her and the boys around her had made her all the more determined to, at the very least, finish the training.
“If you… can’t wait for… me, then… please move on… to the next… item… I’m… going to finish…” she said between laboured breaths.
“Heath… Try your best…” prayed Remié.
“Hahaha, I knew it was impossible for a midget to become a knight.”
“Yeah. This is what happens when the poor overreach themselves.”
The two boys who picked a fight with Fii last night made rude remarks but,
“Shut the fuck up. If you won’t, I’ll make you.”
“I won’t let you go if you make fun of him.”
“I won’t either.”
“Same…”
Not just Gorms, but Slad, Remié and Geith all glared the duo into silence.
Even as her consciousness became hazy, Fii continued to move her legs.
At any rate, she needed to catch up to them. For the sake of the first person to have ever needed her in her life. So that she could be useful to Captain York.
Because they couldn’t all wait for Heath alone, the other apprentices moved onto muscle training.
But Gorms and the others still watched Heath run.
And then, finally, she finished her lap and reached the goal.
She was drenched head to toe in sweat.
“You did well, Heath…”
When it came to Remié, he was already teary.
But what the other three felt, as they watched the completely pale Fii, was that perhaps they should be worrying instead.
And just as they predicted, only a few seconds after passing the goal, Fii collapsed like a sack.
“Heath!”
Both Hislo and the boys all ran to her.
It had happened when the King, Roy, was in the middle of conversing with an official.
Crow suddenly barged in.
“Oooi! Roy!”
“What’s the matter?”
Crow’s tone was the same as ever, even in front of an official.
“Why if it isn’t the esteemed son of the Harbard Duke’s family.”
The official respectfully bowed to him.
“Haha, please stop that. My dad might be a VIP, but I’m just a knight.”
“No, no, I cannot do that.”
(Honestly speaking, it’d be easier to deal with people who just get angry like that Prime Minister. Still, I’m not going to change though…)
Crow was the son of a powerful duchy and Roy’s childhood friend.
Still, it was his fault for speaking so casually to people no matter their station, including the King, so he couldn’t really say anything.
“Well what is it?”
“Ah, well, you told me to look after Heath, right? That kid overdid things at training and collapsed just now,” Crow said, as he scratched at his head.
“I see.”
After a nod, Roy turned back to the official.
“Something has come up. I will be leaving for a while.”
“Y-, Your Majesty? There is a meeting in five minutes, you know?”
“I should have already roughly told you the general outline and goals for that meeting. Please take care of the rest yourselves.”
With that, Roy left the official behind and headed for the Northern Dorms.
Following right behind him was Crow with a knowing smile.
“Where is Heath?”
“He’s currently sleeping in the infirmary.”