Chapter 27
The afternoon sun hung high above the estate, bathing the backyard in warm golden light.
A gentle breeze drifted through the trees surrounding the training grounds, carrying the scent of fresh grass and earth.
The spacious backyard stretched far into the distance, measuring nearly one hundred meters in length and sixty-five meters in width—large enough to rival a football field.
Standing at the center of the training area was Damnern, his arms folded across his chest as he waited patiently. Not far away, two small figures slowly emerged from the house and made their way toward him.
Eldern yawned as he rubbed one eye. Beside him, Elyra looked equally sleepy, her blonde hair messy from her nap as she rubbed both eyes with her tiny fists. The siblings shuffled forward with sluggish steps, still half-asleep.
Damnern couldn't help but chuckle.
"Looks like neither of you fully woke up."
Eldern scratched his cheek.
Damnern shook his head helplessly.
"Today we'll only be training sword techniques."
The two children immediately perked up.
"But before that..."
Damnern pointed toward the perimeter of the yard.
"Both of you will jog around the yard twice."
The siblings froze. The training ground was enormous, and two laps meant covering hundreds of meters.
Damnern then turned toward Elyra.
"And no exceptions for you, Elyra."
A teasing grin appeared on his face.
Elyra blinked.
Like I'd ask for special treatment.
Besides...
Two laps?
That's easy.
Back then, I used to run through forests for hours.
This is nothing.
With that confidence, Elyra stepped forward.
"Ready?" Damnern asked.
"Ready!"
"Go."
The two children immediately began jogging.
At first, everything felt manageable. The breeze felt refreshing, the grass swayed gently beneath the sunlight, and Elyra even felt slightly amused.
This is training?
I've done far worse.
However...
Only a few minutes later...
Her breathing began growing heavier.
"Hhh..."
Elyra frowned.
Strange. Her legs already felt slightly sore, but she continued running.
Five more minutes passed.
"Hhh... hhh..."
The soreness spread throughout her tiny body, and each step felt heavier than the last. The rhythm of her breathing gradually became uneven, while ahead of her, Eldern continued jogging at a steady pace. Elyra gritted her teeth and kept going.
Come on.
It's only running.
Don't embarrass yourself.
Yet her body refused to cooperate. Her chest burned, her legs trembled, and her vision occasionally blurred from the strain.
Ten minutes later...
"Hhh... hhh..."
Elyra staggered forward, her face bright red and her clothes soaked with sweat. Every breath felt as though it were tearing through her lungs. Ahead of her, Eldern suddenly slowed down before turning around.
"Elyra?"
His eyes widened.
"Elyra, are you okay?"
"Hhh..."
Elyra opened her mouth, but no words came out—only ragged gasps for air. Eldern looked around, then glanced at the distance they had covered. His expression immediately became awkward.
"And that's not even half a lap yet..."
At that moment—
"Eldern!"
Damnern's voice echoed across the training ground.
"Keep moving!"
"Yes, Papa!"
Eldern hesitated.
He looked at Elyra one last time.
"Sorry, Elyra."
"If you can't continue, just rest."
Then he resumed jogging.
Meanwhile, Damnern quickly approached, concern clearly written all over his face.
"Elyra."
He crouched beside her.
"Are you okay, dear?"
"I'm otay!"
The answer came instantly, though it sounded more like a desperate gasp than actual words.
Damnern reached out, but immediately Elyra slapped his hand away. The action stunned him. Then she forced herself forward again—one step, then another, then another. Damnern followed behind her, his expression growing increasingly troubled.
"Elyra."
No response.
"Elyra, that's enough."
Still no response.
"Elyra, please."
She continued moving anyway, her tiny legs shaking with every step. Her breathing sounded painful and uneven, but she still refused to stop.
Finally, Damnern's voice softened.
"Elyra... Papa is begging you."
"Please stop."
For a brief moment, Elyra almost stopped—almost. But then memories surfaced. Back then, weakness meant death; weak people didn't get second chances. So she kept moving.
"Hhh..."
"Dis much..."
"Hhh..."
"...ith nothin' yet..."
The words escaped her lips, and Damnern suddenly froze, a chill crawling down his spine. Slowly—very slowly—he turned around. Standing several meters away was Elina, wearing a gentle smile, a terrifyingly gentle smile. Beside her stood Maid Rina, holding a large jug filled with cold water.
Damnern immediately looked away, his survival instincts screaming at him—danger, extreme danger.
After nearly thirty exhausting minutes, Elyra finally crossed the point marking one full lap. The moment she did—thud. She collapsed face-first onto the grass.
"Hhh..."
"Hhh..."
"Hhh..."
Her entire body trembled. She couldn't even move her fingers properly, every muscle aching and every breath hurting.
I used to run through forests all day just to survive...
And now...
Something like this almost kills me...
A look of frustration crossed her face.
Damn it.
I couldn't even finish two laps.
Nearby, Eldern had already completed both laps. He walked over before dropping onto the grass beside her.
"That was amazing."
Elyra slowly turned her head.
"Hhh..."
"What..."
"Hhh..."
"...was amewzing?"
Eldern smiled.
"When I first trained with Papa..."
"Three months ago..."
"I couldn't even finish one lap."
His smile widened.
"But you did."
Elyra stared at him.
Of course.
I trained much harder than this in my previous life.
Still...
The praise felt strangely nice.
At that moment, Elina hurried over.
"Here, dear."
She handed Elyra a cup of cold water, and Elyra grabbed it immediately.
Gulp.Gulp.Gulp.
She drained the entire cup within seconds. Only then did she finally feel alive again. Elina sighed, then gently brushed Elyra's sweaty hair aside.
"Elyra..."
"This isn't something little girls normally do."
"Mama didn't expect Elyra to be this serious about training."
Elyra looked up at her mother, her exhausted eyes suddenly turning serious despite her fatigue.
"Eyya wants to pwotect Mama."
The simple answer stunned Elina. For a moment, she didn't know what to say—her heart melted, even as her worry remained.
"It's fine if you want to train."
Elina gently pinched her cheek.
"But don't ever push yourself like that again."
Her expression turned serious.
"If you do..."
"Mama won't allow you to train anymore."
"Understood?"
Elyra immediately nodded.
"Understood, Mama."
Elina then slowly stood.
"Damnern."
A slow smile returned to Elina's face—the same gentle, slightly dangerous one from before, the kind that made even Damnern instinctively avoid eye contact.
"Come with me for a moment."
Damnern visibly paled.
"...Yes, dear."
The couple walked away.
A few moments later—
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"
Damnern's suffering echoed from afar.
Eldern shivered.
"Hehe."
He looked at Elyra.
"Mom is scary, right?"
"Even Papa can't win against her."
Thirty minutes later, Damnern finally returned. His shoulders were drooped, his expression completely defeated. In his hands was a container filled with wooden swords.
"Let's continue training..."
His voice sounded lifeless. Eldern quickly grabbed one, while Elyra approached another. She wrapped both hands around the handle and pulled—she managed to lift it. But the moment it left the ground, her arms trembled under its weight. Her eyes widened.
A wooden sword this heavy?
Damnern immediately noticed, his expression shifting at once. Without hesitation, he strode forward and placed a hand on Elyra's shoulder.
"Elyra."
His voice was firm.
"Stop."
Elyra froze.
"If you keep forcing yourself like this, you'll get hurt."
Damnern gently took the wooden sword from Elyra's hands and, without a word, returned it to the container.
"Papa won't allow this training to continue."
Silence.
Elyra stared at him.
Then—
"Why?!"
The shout echoed across the backyard.
Damnern's expression softened.
"You're still too young for this kind of training, Elyra."
"We're ending your training for today."
"What?"
Elyra blinked.
"Why?"
Damnern didn't answer.
Instead, he picked up the container and turned away.
"Elyra..."
Eldern called out softly, but Elyra didn't respond. Her fists tightened as frustration burned inside her chest.
Why?
Why was everyone stopping me?
First my body.
Now Damnern.
At this rate, how long would it take before I became strong enough?
Elyra bit her lip hard. Without saying a word, she turned around and walked away, leaving both father and brother staring after her. The afternoon breeze continued to blow across the silent training ground.
End of Chapter 27