The Martial Unity

"You're late!" Crea huffed

"I'm actually exactly on time." Rui retorted.

"If you arrive just on time, then training begins late, so you're late!"

"Training begins after I arrive and I arrived on time, thus training begins on time as well."

"The entrance exam is in a week. We don't have time for delays!"

"Well, you're the one delaying it now with your little tantrum, you know."

Rui chuckled as she glared at him, doing her best to intimidate him, in vain of course.

"Colonel Jenken." Rui bowed lightly, happening to run into the man on the way to the training grounds.

"Squire Quarrier, I'm glad to see you've arrived on time." He nodded stiffly, ignoring his daughter's reaction to his words. "The entrance exam is just around the corner, and we're in the final stretch for preparation. She's made incredible improvements at your hand, validating my decision to commission you. Good job and good luck."

He turned towards his daughter, bending to her as his military posture relaxed a little as he smiled. "You've already made me proud. Do your best. I love you."

She nodded, a little embarrassed.

He got up, turning back to Rui. "Alright then, I've got to head to work, as you can see."

He gestured to his military garb and adornments. It was an ostentatious uniform with badged, medals, and several stars. None of which were adornments that would decorate the uniform of an ordinary Martial colonel, Rui was sure.

and Crea quickly reached the training grounds after bidding

"Alright, let's begin!"

is no time to

towards her. "... Condition your mind and body to

She nodded.

an intense workout will coincide the day before the exam where

Ok." She impatiently nodded. "Let's begin

let us begin with mental fortitude training." Rui

narrowed

exerting just a little above what he had experienced from the Martial Apprentices in the first round of the exam. This was the only round of the entrance exam that didn't change because of how important and useful it was. Thus, Rui paid an immense amount

be very pessimistic about her chances of cracking the

gritted her teeth as she stared him dead in the eye. She had a brave face

he

exhaled deeply, massaging her sweaty

your mental peak," Rui advised. "It takes the entirety of your focus to muster up the mental fortitude needed to resist the pressure you will experience in round one, if your

just fine this time and

in reminders."

hadn't informed her that he was actually exerting more pressure on her than what she would be subjected to in the entrance exam. This was to increase her chances of nothing going wrong in the entrance exam. He didn't want to

mental resistance training later, she was

good." Rui lightly

her a mental rejuvenation

a minute later, she was on her feet,

sparring, as usual." Rui casually said. Yet

with that face? This