*** Snowkeep Church - 2 Days After ***
"Come on, you can do better than that!"
Cassia's yelling filled the room, along with heavy and laboured breathing that could only come from harsh training or labor.
Justinian was finally actually training his body.
His mind may be his greatest weapon, but he can't just deny his own body in a world where magic exists; even a single person could change the tides of battle.
And he wanted himself to be one.
[Duke of War Activated]
'What...?'
Justinian questioned while doing push-ups, already on his fiftieth out of a hundred, Cassia's training routine didn't start simple at all, despite her earlier concerns.
Even someone like her wouldn't compromise on training, even if it was on Justinian himself.
[100% Physical Growth Rate and 100% Stamina Regeneration Rate Activated]
'I guess the merging had secret stuff in it after all... just like false divine.'
"You're slowing down, keep up the pace!"
Cassia noticed Justinian's moment of distraction and immediately corrected him; she was as stern as Lucan, it seems.
'And I thought she was supposed to be concerned about my health...'
He laughed, but he liked it; he didn't want to be looked at as weak, so he actually loved his harsh treatment, even if it may make him sound like a masochist.
*** Snowkeep Church - 3 Days After ***
This time, Justinian was tasked with doing laps all around the church's interior, aiming to build up endurance and stamina since it was currently his biggest disadvantage.
From every fight up until now, he was always the one who got tired the fastest, but just kept pushing through willpower, and Cassia planned to solve it today.
"Come to think of it, where are the priests?"
Justinian thought, he didn't think about it much before, but now that he had spent three days in the church, it was strange how he didn't even see a single one.
This caused him to try to remember details in the novel for any possible explanations.
'Come on... think!'
Justinian muttered to himself as he continued on his laps; even in thought, he didn't want to rest.
"Right...!"
He yelled out, now remembering exactly why the priests were missing.
It was currently Julius' crowning as count of a new southern land, one that required the presence of all neighboring priests.
And in the novel, it was described as territory just south of the great mountains that protected the Thirell Duchy, land that was given to Julius by his rivals in court to attempt to sever his connections with the king.
But backfired badly when he managed to turn his lands into a prosperous utopia.
'Come to think of it... after that should be the arc where he finally met the main heroine.'
'Well... not my problem!'
Justinian sped up his pace; he still had more to do after the simple laps. His training was harsh but productive, but was made easier by his trait.
Even now, he couldn't escape the cronyism of the system.
*** Snowkeep Church - 5 Days After ***
The days had gone by in a blur, his movements now faster and more efficient as his body started to develop and grow accustomed to work; its growth was significantly increased by his trait.
"I'm surprised... most people would take months to grow this much."
Cassia remarked, sitting by a chair while she observed Justinian swinging an ebony steel sword, one granted by the lordsworn equipment he had bought with prestige a week prior.
"I think you know the reason for that already!"
Justinian replied with a pained breath, half-naked, endlessly swinging his sword to techniques to develop his body's ability to maintain a battle.
"Is there any news from Matthias or Darius?"
He asked as he swung his blade horizontally, his legs nearly giving out from the action as he felt his muscles ache from the continuous daily training.
"No, there has been no significant news that needed your presence. It looks like you have quite a lot of free time after Rhyne was defeated."
"I see... huff... good to know!"
*** Snowkeep Church - 1 Week After ***
"Hraghh!"
THWACK!
THWACK!
It was the dead of night, but the sounds of training continued as Justinian and Cassia sparred each other with wooden swords, but unlike before, Cassia's composed demeanor was straining.
"We should stop for the night!"
THWACK!
"I still have some energy left!"
Justinian replied with a grin as he blocked one of Cassia's blows, counterattacking with a thrust that was easily redirected.
It was an equal fight due to Justinian's fatigue, one that made the fight a stalemate despite Justinian's overwhelmingly better skill.
And the thrill of challenge alone gave him a reason to keep going; he was actually having fun fighting an opponent that lasted more than a few seconds.
THWACK!
THWACK!
"I know I was harsh-!"
Cassia ducked a swing from Justinian before recovering.
"But you don't need to go this far!"
She noticed the way Justinian moved, his movements rabid and uncoordinated, but surprisingly deadly in how he performed.
It was like seeing a berserker fight than a duke.
"Just a few more minutes!"
Justinian urged her on, his movements growing faster as he tried to end the spar as fast as he could.
THWACK!
THWACK!
"There!"
Justinian felt a weird sense of power rush into him, a weird red thread connecting from his sword and onto Cassia's arm, an opening that only he was able to see.
It was an experience Justinian wasn't able to explain, as if time itself froze, only his mind usable as he processed the information.
'What...?'
Justinian tried to move his body, but it refused, the system chiming in.
[Duke of War +1]
'Huh...!?'
THWACK!
Time suddenly moved once more, and before Justinian had time to recover, he somehow found himself disarming Cassia, his wooden sword just inches away from her neck.
"H-how... how did you catch that opening!?"
Cassia yelled out, falling onto her knees as she felt her heart stop for a quick second. She genuinely felt danger despite using wooden swords.
Justinian's maneuver was unlike anything she had seen before.
"I-I think that satisfies you enough to rest for the night... huh?"
She laughed, trying to calm herself down.
"Y-yeah... I guess."
Justinian replied, feeling his hands tremble, his entire arms feeling the aftereffects of the sudden enlightenment he had achieved mid-spar.
'I knew I would unlock something if I kept it up...!'