NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34: Hell Training (2)
"Hahaha! It's rare to see that boy suffering like this. Truly entertaining!"
Sitting on a chair on the courtyard balcony, Ardhis couldn't hold back his laughter.
His gaze was fixed on Merlin, who was now running laps around the mansion courtyard.
Given how vast the courtyard was, Merlin was clearly struggling.
Beside him, Livia rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"How can you be so pleased? He's your son, you know?" She scolded coldly, pinching his waist.
"Ouch!" Ardhis yelped in pain, quickly prying her hand away.
"Ahem!" He cleared his throat in embarrassment before saying, "I'm sorry, my dear. It's not that I enjoy seeing our son suffer—I just think he deserves it. For the past two years, that boy has given me such a headache I feel ten years older than I am."
A helpless sigh slipped from his lips.
Although Merlin had changed, the irritation Ardhis felt toward him lingered in his heart.
Back then, he couldn't help but lose his temper day after day. It wasn't something he wanted; anger was exhausting, and he had no desire to waste his energy like that.
Worse still, Merlin's brashness had grown to the point that he even dared to hurt Catrine.
Had Merlin not been his son, Ardhis would have beaten him senseless right then and there.
Hearing this, Livia fell silent for a moment before releasing a soft sigh.
She couldn't refute her husband's words. In truth, she also felt that Merlin's change had been far too sudden.
As a mother, she was naturally happy. Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but worry that something might be wrong with Merlin.
The boy had changed overnight, without offering any explanation to her or her husband—as if he were hiding something from them.
"Mother, Father, I brought you tea and biscuits from the kitchen."
A soft, sweet, milky voice called out from behind them.
Ardhis and Livia turned their heads to see Catrine.
The little girl carried a small tray with two cups of tea and a plate of dry biscuits.
A gentle warmth filled their hearts. For the past two difficult years, Catrine had stayed by their side, always behaving like a dutiful, loving child.
At the very least, her presence had soothed the wounds left in their hearts by Merlin's behavior.
"Thank you, my dear," Ardhis said softly as he took the tray from her hands and set it on the table.
He then lifted her up and placed her on his lap.
Catrine beamed happily, enjoying her father's affectionate touch.
But then her gaze drifted toward Merlin, still running around the field.
A flicker of panic and worry crossed her face as she asked in a small, pained voice, "Father, is Big Brother Merlin alright? Doesn't the training look too hard for him?"
Merlin had already told Catrine about the training the night before, so she wasn't surprised to see him practicing with Linda now.
Ardhis gently rubbed her head and reassured her with a casual smile. "It's alright, my dear. That boy is strong, and I'm sure he can handle whatever training Linda gives him."
"But…" Catrine's voice wavered. She was about to protest when Livia reached over and lightly pinched her chubby cheeks.
"What your father said is absolutely true. Linda and I have known each other for over a decade. In fact, she treats both you and your brother as if you were her own nieces. There's no way she would ever harm him," Livia assured warmly.
Hearing her mother's words, Catrine pressed her lips together and said no more.
Even so, her round eyes, filled with sadness and worry, never strayed from Merlin's distant figure.
***
'Hah… Hah… Hah… Damn it… This is exhausting!' Merlin cursed inwardly.
In both his previous world and this one, he despised exercise.
The fatigue and soreness that followed left him utterly miserable.
And now, even after reincarnating into a new life, he was once again forced to endure the very thing he hated most. The frustration gnawed at him.
"[Don't give up, Master! I know it's tough, but Linda is right. Your physical strength is too weak right now. Only by building it up will you be able to use magic. I believe in you! Cheer up, cheer up, cheer up!]" the system cheered enthusiastically.
The corner of Merlin's mouth twitched, but he kept silent. Complaining wouldn't change anything. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could collapse onto his bed.
With that thought, he gritted his teeth and forced his legs to move faster.
***
Nighttime…
Thud!
Merlin's body collapsed onto the short grass of the mansion courtyard.
His handsome face had gone pale, his hair disheveled.
His chest heaved, each breath ragged, as if a heavy stone were pressing down on him.
"Finally… finally, I did it!" he gasped, a joyful cheer breaking free as he raised his right hand skyward.
But the triumph lasted only a heartbeat. A sharp, excruciating pain stabbed through his right side, forcing a groan from his lips.
"Don't get too excited, kid. Your body's completely drained. Rest for a moment."
The gentle voice came from behind him. Merlin strained his stiff neck to look and saw Linda.
"Master…" he breathed out with relief, a faint sigh escaping. "I've completed a thousand rounds. Does that mean I succeeded?"
Despite the exhaustion clouding his eyes, a glimmer of hope and accomplishment shone through. Linda's lips curved into a smile.
"Yes. You did it. That's enough for today," she said softly, extending her hand.
Merlin took it, and in an instant his weary body was pulled back to its feet.
Linda checked his body and found no serious injuries.
Once assured Merlin was fine, she turned and reminded him, "Come again tomorrow morning at the same time. The training will be the same—run a thousand laps around the yard."
Without waiting for his reply, Linda walked away briskly.
Merlin stood frozen for a moment before letting out a small sigh, a helpless smile tugging at his lips.
'Looks like tomorrow will be another rough day,' he muttered under his breath.
Even so, he felt no regret for asking Linda to train him. After all, only she could push him to grow stronger this quickly.
Just as he began limping back toward his room, a soft voice called out from behind him.
"Big brother!"