30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 32

"I may have told you to hit 10,000 repetitions, but I never set a deadline for when to complete them. What I want is not for you to reach the number itself, but for you to build the stamina and endurance to spin those metal ropes 10,000 times reliably. Don’t just aimlessly fill in the numbers! How many times do I have to tell you to stop focusing on the number and pay attention to your body! Feel the strain, notice how your muscles are moving, and understand how your limbs are functioning!"

Ihan didn’t hold back in his scolding of the cadets, especially the ones with red-marked ropes—the so-called "young masters."

"Is it because you’re all young masters? Should I personally attend to each one of you to get you to listen? Why are you so slow to understand?"

"...I’m not a young master."

"Oh really? You sure act like one. Or maybe you grew up without realizing you were a pampered brat?"

"You...!"

"Frustrated? If you’re that upset, why don’t you actually try harder? Why are you so weak that a demoted knight like me has to chew you out like this, tsk tsk."

"Just wait! One day I’ll put a sword through that smug face of yours!"

"Oh, I hope you can make that happen."

"!?"

Ihan’s ability to provoke them was truly masterful. With nothing but his tongue, he led them by the nose. He smirked inwardly, fully aware that they were cursing him inside.

'Curse me all you want. It'll just keep you alive longer.'

His mentality was far too tough to be shaken by mere insults.

Ihan didn’t stop berating them, constantly pushing them to their limits.

However, he didn’t only focus on the so-called young masters; he made sure to keep an eye on everyone.

First, there were those with yellow-marked ropes.

The so-called "chicks."

Most of them were women who had neither learned aura techniques nor even basic swordsmanship.

And so...

"You chicks aren’t even ready to hold a wooden sword, let alone a real one. What you need right now is to focus on building basic strength and stamina. Oh, and don’t worry about the ridiculous idea that working out will make you too muscular. Muscles don’t develop that quickly, and doing this kind of exercise won’t turn you into a bodybuilder."

He was being kind—not because they were women, but because they were complete novices. It would be cruel to berate someone who didn’t even know how to use a treadmill. If anything, he was being gentle.

"Instructor, um, will this jump rope thing really help us build stamina?"

"That’s a great question, Number One Chick."

"Uh, can you just call me Levy?"

It was a serious and diligent question from Levy Folt, whose positive attitude had left a good impression the previous day.

Well done. As an instructor, he now understood how valuable it was to have students who asked earnest questions.

Suppressing the urge to give her extra points, Ihan softened his tone further as he explained.

"Jumping rope doesn’t just build stamina. It also improves endurance, strengthens your heart and lungs, enhances balance, and increases your overall athletic ability. Of course, you won’t see results right away, but if you keep at it every day, you’ll notice a change in your body eventually."

"Oh..."

"It’s also one of the best exercises for weight loss."

"!!!"

At this, every female cadet perked up like meerkats, suddenly paying close attention.

Motivation.

Ihan had given the chicks a reason to work hard.

"And that’s not all. If you follow my training, you’ll find that wearing clothes becomes a lot more enjoyable. Fashion-conscious cadets might know this already, but no matter how well your clothes fit, they won’t always look good if your body isn’t in shape. But when your body becomes more toned, even outfits that didn’t suit you before will start to look good."

"R-Really?"

"I never lie. Here’s something even more tempting. Maid!"

"Yes, sir!"

Rayla Winter appeared the moment Ihan called out, and the female cadets' eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the royal maid’s uniform.

For many of them, working as a royal maid was a dream job.

"For example, maid, why don’t you show them?"

"Yessir."

Despite her languid tone and demeanor, the moment she executed a perfect curtsey, the female cadets' expressions shifted to one of awe.

“Wow, she’s flawless.”

It was a genuine comment from a noble lady, and the others agreed. Rayla’s posture was indeed graceful and beautiful.

"As you can see, the maid’s form is impeccable. That’s because her balance and posture are perfect. And for that, the strength in her back and glutes plays an essential role. Now, do you feel motivated to work harder?"

"...Yes."

"I’ll take that as a yes. I promise you this: if you follow the training schedule I’ve set, you’ll be able to hold yourself with as much grace as the maid, and anyone who sees you will think you’re beautiful."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

And just like that, the chicks had pledged to follow him, as devoted as worshippers to their god.

After all, what drives people more than their deepest desires?

Ihan found himself amused at how far he was willing to go, but it was necessary to be kind to novices.

On the other hand...

"Green sprouts."

"...Are you talking to us?"

"Yes, I’m talking to you."

"...It doesn’t sound like an insult, but it doesn’t feel great either."

The cadets with green-marked ropes were in a strange in-between stage, not complete novices but not yet fully trained. This required Ihan to be particularly strict with them.

"You guys have learned basic swordsmanship. While you haven’t learned aura techniques, I assume you’ve been training in swordsmanship since childhood. As a result, your fundamental stamina is decent. You’re better off than those red-rope ‘young masters’ over there."

"...I'd rather be called a sprout than that."

"Maybe aim to be weeds. That way, you’ll survive."

"That’s not much better."

"Enough. Let me give you a serious piece of advice. If you really want to become knights, you shouldn’t be here at the academy at all. I’d recommend dropping out immediately."

"...Wh-why would you say that?"

After a moment of silence, they asked.

They knew Ihan never spoke without reason. And, just as expected...

"Because you haven’t learned aura techniques."

"...Ugh!"

The mention of aura techniques made them face the harsh reality they had been trying to ignore.

"Some of you already know this. There’s a huge gap between those who’ve learned aura techniques and those who haven’t. It’s as unfair as pitting a child against an adult in a fight."

Even a full-grown man known for his strength in the village would be easily overwhelmed by a child trained in aura techniques. That’s why knights, who train these techniques to the extreme, are both revered and feared.

"Sure, the academy provides basic aura training, but it’s a weak, low-level form of it. Think of it as a sandwich with just bread and vegetables, without the ham, cheese, or sauce. Now, if any of you are extraordinary geniuses, you might be able to make the most out of such basic techniques and push them to the limit."

"...Ha."

It was a sweet dream, nothing more.

If any of them were truly that talented, they would have already been scouted by a noble family’s knight order—not stuck at the academy.

"Nothing in life is guaranteed, but I don’t think staying in the academy’s swordsmanship department is the best path for you. You’d have a better chance if you joined a top-tier mercenary group or the warrior guild, where you could learn proper aura techniques. Although, you’d be risking your life to do it."

"That’s exactly why we came here instead."

One of the sprouts spoke up.

Ihan nodded in understanding.

Mercenaries were constantly dying, and the warrior guild was known to be shady and brutal, taking on any job that paid well, no matter how underhanded.

It wasn’t a path one should take lightly.

But Ihan knew the reality.

"Ahem, anyway, I don’t see a bright future for the sprouts here in the academy."

Crack!