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.

the training grounds after

"Alright, let's begin!"

back and forth. "We've already reached the climax of your training under me. There is no time to

mind and body to be at their absolute

She nodded.

even the past few years will be utterly meaningless if you do not take appropriate care of your mind and body for when the time comes," Rui warned her. "In fact, an intense workout will coincide the day before the exam where you will be denied rejuvenation potions so that you can get a real organic night of sleep to time it right so that you

impatiently nodded. "Let's begin

usual, let us begin with mental fortitude training."

narrowed as she

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

of course. Otherwise, Rui would be very pessimistic about

him dead in the eye. She had a brave

he eased up. "Well

massaging her sweaty

should ensure you're at 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 emotional state or concentration is sub-optimal, you will

She grumbled. "I did just fine this time and many

harm in

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 tell her this for fear of her letting her guard down and making a blunder causing her

hour of continuous mental resistance training

Rui lightly complimented her.

a mental rejuvenation

minute later, she was on

sparring, as usual." Rui casually said. Yet she stiffened at

This is