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Chapter 13: The Female Knight Puts Me in My Place (1)
The day ended and early morning arrived.
When I woke up, I was soon greeted by the servants who came to attend to my morning routine.
"Uh, Sir Adrian. We've brought your breakfast."
"We'll help you change before your meal. Please lift your arms..."
"Just leave the clothes and food and get out."
"E-excuse me?"
"I can handle it myself, so just get out."
They meant well, but I ended up speaking harshly to them.
I knew they weren't malicious, but their very presence triggered my masculinity and resistance.
If I spoke politely, they'd just keep hovering, so it was better for me to be blunt and sharp.
"Ah, okay..."
Reluctantly, the servants left the things and departed.
As I was about to eat, I overheard them whispering outside the room.
"Why's he so cranky?"
"Is it his time of the month?"
"He should learn to be patient. We're all men here..."
"Just because he's got a nice body, he's so arrogant. What a pain."
...Heh, so they gossip about me just because I don't get friendly with them.
It's like they're acting like gossipy girls, but in this world that's normal, so I decided not to care.
From their perspective, I'm the bad guy, but as long as they don't pick a fight, I'll let it slide.
"Sir Adrian, Lady Renes has sent instructions."
After I finished eating and changing, another servant came to deliver Renes's orders, and I immediately paid attention.
No matter what, she's the one holding my leash, so I can't ignore her.
I quietly told him to go ahead, and he relayed Renes's message.
"There will be a new match in one week, so please spend the time preparing for the event. In short, she wants you to focus on training and conditioning."
Training, huh. Makes sense, since I can't just sit around doing nothing.
I need to stay in her good graces to keep my current lifestyle.
Realizing my situation, I asked the servant a question just in case.
"Can you tell me who my opponent will be in the match next week?"
"She said that's a secret. She thinks it'll be more fun if you find out on the day."
Heh, that damn woman. She doesn't want me to prepare for my opponent in advance.
She probably thinks it's more entertaining if I'm caught off guard.
But she's the one in control, so I have no choice.
"There's a place to train, right?"
When I asked, the servant nodded and led me to a certain location.
"This way."
We left the room, walked down the hall...
At the end, we arrived at an outdoor area surrounded by a fence, with wooden weapons and dummies scattered about.
And there, I spotted a familiar face.
"...Helia?"
"Yes, it's Helia."
She nodded, facing me.
But her outfit was very different from when we first met.
She wore a white shirt exposing her navel and short shorts what you'd call casual clothes. She spoke to me with a slightly apologetic tone.
"So you've decided to train for the match. You could have chosen to avoid hard work since you're a man."
"Well, yeah... but since I have to do it, I can't just do nothing."
With nothing else to do in this world, becoming a gladiator seemed like the best option for now. After expressing that, I asked Helia another question.
"But why are you here, Helia?"
Why was Renes's loyal knight here?
Helia paused, then answered in a firm voice.
"I was waiting for you. Or maybe I should call you Adrian now?"
"Yeah, please call me Aid."
"Alright, then, Aid."
With a small sigh, Helia explained her reason for being here.
"If you don't mind, could I be in charge of your training from now on?"
"Huh? My training?"
"I already got permission from the lord. As long as you're okay with it, I can take full responsibility for your training."
Full responsibility for training.
Honestly, I've never really been to a gym, so trying to train alone wouldn't get me far.
So having someone experienced like her guide me was probably essential.
"...Please let me have a chance to take responsibility."
Hearing her somewhat troubled voice, I asked her directly.
"What do you mean, take responsibility?"
"It was because I mentioned you that the lord took an interest and all this happened to you."
Ah, right. If Helia hadn't spoken up, Renes probably wouldn't have noticed me.
The illegal entry thing was just an excuse; normally, if they didn't need someone, they'd ignore it.
"Even though you managed to win your first fight, being a gladiator is tough for a man. And the lord doesn't care about ethics in these matches if you lose, you could be seriously hurt."
Maybe she felt deeply guilty. Looking pained, Helia bowed her head and pleaded.
"So at the very least, I want to help you endure the trials ahead. Please, let me atone by helping you."
"No, you don't really need to atone..."
"Please. Let me help you."
Her knightly resolve was clear. She was worried about me, but I wasn't used to that kind of concern and found it heavy.
Honestly, it wasn't really her fault.
She was just doing her job; the real problem was Renes, who grabbed an innocent man for her entertainment.
So was it really right to hold Helia responsible...?
"...Alright."
But if I refused her out of discomfort, it would only trouble her more.
So I decided it was best to accept her help and told her so.
"I was actually at a loss for how to train alone, so if someone like you could guide me, I'd be grateful."
"Are you really giving me permission?"
"Yeah, I think it'll be good for both of us."
Helia's face brightened. She bowed deeply and took my hand in gratitude.
"Thank you. I'll do my utmost to guide you and make you a proper gladiator."
"Thank you, too..."
"Ah!"
As I replied, Helia suddenly pulled her hand away in surprise.
I was puzzled, but she blushed and bowed her head again.
"S-sorry. I touched you without thinking... I shouldn't be so careless with a man."
"Huh?"
"I'll be careful not to touch you so casually next time."
...Is holding hands really something to apologize for?
I thought back to my old world like a female trainer suddenly grabbing a guy's hand. Yeah, that could be awkward.
"It's fine, let's just start training."
From my perspective, a woman holding a man's hand isn't a big deal.
As I shrugged it off, she cleared her throat, still blushing, and got to business.
"Alright, let's start training, just as you wanted."
Okay, time to get started.
As I steeled myself, Helia asked in a more serious tone:
"Let me check do you prefer to get stronger slowly or quickly?"
"Slowly or quickly?"
"I mean, would you rather take your time training, or push yourself hard to get stronger faster?"
"If I have to pick, I'd rather get stronger quickly."
I'm not good at exercise, but since I don't know what's coming, I need to get as strong as possible. So I chose the harder path. Helia nodded and set her jaw.
Then, with a stern voice, she declared:
"Alright. As you wish, we'll start with intense training right now!"
"Uh, Helia?"
"Stop! From now on, call me Instructor! Got it!?"
"Uh, okay..."
What's with the sudden change?
"Didn't you hear me!?"
"Y-yes, understood."
"Too quiet! And you're stammering! If you want to get stronger, answer with spirit! Got it!?"
"Y-yes!"
Stunned by the sudden shift, I barely managed to reply.
Before I could recover, Helia pointed her wooden sword at the training ground and barked:
"Now, run fifty laps around the training ground!"
"Huh? Fifty laps?"
"Are you saying you can't do it!? Was your talk about getting stronger a lie!?"
"N-no, I'll do it!"
I guess if you want to get strong fast, the instructor has to be tough.
Accepting that, I started running laps as Helia ordered.
"Your legs are slow! Can't you run faster!?"
"Sorry!"
"Don't waste time apologizing move your feet! If I catch up, I'll add ten more laps! If you don't want extra work, run faster!"
"Y-yes!"
...Damn. I never thought the knight I pegged as an exhibitionist pervert would be so fierce.
I thought about asking her to ease up, but my pride as a man wouldn't let me.
So I kept running, chased by her, until I finally finished all fifty laps.
"Phew...! Finally did it."
I don't think I've ever run so hard in my life.
It was exhausting, but I felt proud of doing something I'd never managed before.
Yeah, I have a body that can handle fifty laps now.
"Aid."
Just as I was feeling proud, Helia's voice behind me sent a chill down my spine, and I turned quickly.
She looked a little surprised, but this was the same woman who'd just been shouting at me to run.
"Uh... Am I not allowed to rest?"
I thought I'd done well, but maybe I wasn't allowed a break?
"No, rest is important. Good job. Let's rest in the shade for a bit."
"Ah, okay."
Thankfully, it seemed I'd completed the training. I sat in the shade with Helia, gulping down water to quench my thirst.
"Your basic stamina is impressive."
She commented as we rested.
I caught a hint of admiration and asked,
"Are you complimenting me?"
"Yes, objectively, your physical abilities are excellent. Among trainee knights, some drop out after just ten laps. For a man to run this much is almost unheard of."
So, even most women can only manage ten laps, but I did fifty.
I don't have much experience with exercise, so I'm not sure how impressive that is, but by her standards, I did pretty well.
Or maybe she just pushed me too hard.
"Did you not expect me to finish all fifty?"
"It's good to set tough goals to find your limits. If you'd quit, I would have adjusted the training plan. I'm grateful you pushed through."
"Oh, I see..."
Come to think of it, I don't know my new body's limits either.
Maybe her decision was wise. As I drank, I noticed her face was drenched in sweat.
Maybe running fifty laps was tough for her, too.
She seemed uncomfortable, so she lifted her shirt to wipe her face, exposing her upper body.
"Pffft!!"
Caught off guard, I spat out my water, and Helia quickly lowered her shirt, looking at me in concern.
"Are you alright? Is something wrong...?"
"N-no, I'm fine. Just got hot all of a sudden... haha."
Damn, why is this woman so careless about showing her body in front of a man?
I tried not to show my confusion and unconsciously lifted my own shirt to wipe my face and chest.
I didn't think much of it, just exposing a bit of my stomach.
"A-Aid!"
Suddenly, Helia's voice turned stern. I looked over at her.
She had turned away, her face bright red.
"Please be more careful with your behavior."
She spoke in a strained voice.
"You're a man, Aid. No matter how comfortable you are with me, I'm still a woman, so you shouldn't expose your body like that."
...So it's fine for a woman to show her chest, but a man showing his stomach is inappropriate?
The sexual norms of this world are seriously confusing.
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