"You're lucky," General Howard said in his commanding tone. "A minute longer, and you would have gotten a warning you never imagined."
"Yes, we apologize, General. The maids had some trouble waking two of us, but it won't happen again. From now on, we'll take care of it ourselves."
Alexandre's words had a menacing tone that made Daniel and Hector shiver.
Michael looked around and noticed something.
"General, where are the other soldiers?"
"This isn't the usual time for training," Howard replied. "But since you have so little time to improve, you'll have to work twice as hard, or rather three times as hard, as the others. That means more training hours."
Hector sighed desperately. "I just want to go back to sleep..." he muttered to himself.
"First warm-up, then thirty minutes of running around the perimeter. No one is left behind."
The boys began their warm-up exercises.
…
After a few minutes of running, everyone still seemed fine, except Hector and Daniel, who were already struggling.
"Ugh, come on, we can do this!" Daniel said, trying to convince himself.
Leon gave him an incredulous look. "It never occurred to you to train in our world, did it?"
"All right, boys," the general approached. "Another thirty minutes of running, but this time you'll be wearing armor."
"Armor!?" Hector exclaimed in shock.
"Exactly. Go get them: they're near the main gate."
The boys put on their armor, and Michael glanced at Leon. "Leon, with that massive body and that armor, you really look like a soldier!"
"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment..."
"Hurry up! Less talking, more running!" the general ordered.
They resumed running in their heavy armor, while Hector and Daniel dragged themselves across the field, exhausted.
…
Hector, Daniel, Michael, and Alexander collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Andrea was bent over, catching his breath, while Enea and Leon were the only ones still standing.
"Well, now..." the general was interrupted by the arrival of several soldiers.
"Good morning, General!" they shouted in unison.
"Good morning!"
"Oh, General Howard, good morning!" said one of them, stepping forward.
The general looked him over for a moment, then his face lit up. "Captain! I didn't expect to see you at a morning exercise!" He turned to the boys. "Come on, boys! I have someone special to introduce you to!"
Curious but tired, the boys gathered around.
"Boys, this is Captain Edward of the Third Unit, a true hero of the Anima Empire! And these," he said proudly, "are the future heroes summoned to fight against the Demon King's Kingdom!"
At those words, all the soldiers turned to look at them, whispering among themselves and criticizing the boys' poor condition.
"I don't think they like us very much..." Leon murmured to Enea.
"Just ignore them," Enea replied calmly.
"These are the heroes the clerics summoned yesterday?" the captain asked, examining them with a sharp gaze.
"Yes, that's right."
"They're in terrible condition... I hope I don't have to lead them to the battlefield in this state."
"Not while they're under my command," the general said firmly. "They need time, not a grave."
"I see..." The captain finished examining them, then turned to leave. "I'll be curious to see their progress," he said in a superior tone.
Everyone watched him walk away.
"What a pleasant man..." Andrea muttered.
"The army isn't in good shape," the general explained. "We've suffered defeat after defeat, and captains like Edward are paying the price..." He looked at the boys seriously. "I ask you to tolerate their behavior. They want immediate help, not just promises."
Andrea nodded at the general's words.
"Anyway, if you get results, the soldiers will start to see you differently. So work hard!" The general clapped his hands loudly. "Good! Let's move on to endurance training!"
"Yes, sir!" the boys shouted in unison, more determined than before.
...
The boys were completely exhausted: even Enea and Leon could barely stand.
"Great job!" said the general, looking up at the sky. The sun was already halfway up. "That's enough for now. Go wash up and get something to eat. See you later."
"If this is just the beginning... I don't even want to imagine what the war will be like," Daniel groaned, utterly exhausted.
The group staggered away from the training camp. As Enea was about to pass through the gate, he noticed Princess Alexia watching them from a high window. When she realized she had been seen, she quickly turned away with an air of superiority.
"Is something wrong, Enea?" Michael asked, noticing that he was looking away.
"No, nothing," Enea replied, rejoining the others.