At this moment, Nash felt like his arms were springs pinned under iron hammers, utterly incapable of rising again.
He really wanted to give up. But right before him stood Asta, his thumb visibly bruising from blood congestion. That had to hurt, a lot.
"Even now, Asta hasn't given up… So what right do I have to quit?"
"Number ten!"
Like a fresh sprout breaking through the frozen soil of early spring, Nash straightened his body again. His sweat had soaked his clothes completely. He'd never exerted himself so hard in his entire life.
"Good. Now give me 50 sit-ups, 50 squats, and afterward, we're running five laps around the village. That's your full training for today!"
Asta delivered the instructions without pause. Nash, who had been hoping for a break, immediately tensed up again. He chose to start with squats since both his arms were practically dead, numb and powerless. Hopefully, he could still rely on his legs afterward.
As for Asta, he moved like a finely tuned machine, every motion precise and deliberate. He looked like an old warhorse chewing cud, as even the smallest muscle from his fingers to his shoulders received intense, focused training.
Meanwhile, the chakra he'd been storing the past few days began to stir faintly within him, circulating through his limbs and clearing the blocked blood in his arms.
By the end of the day, both of them were completely drained. But Asta clearly had no intention of letting Nash rest.
"Nash, handstand, now! Let Grasshopper show you the finest views of Haji Village!"
Asta flashed a beaming smile that looked uncannily like Master Guy's, radiant and full of sunshine.
"You're a demon! More training?!"
Nash's jaw dropped. Wasn't this straight-up abuse? Boohoo!
"This… this is what youth should look like!"
With a shining grin and a thumbs-up, Asta launched into a handstand run. Nash could only grit his teeth and follow.
When the two of them returned to the church, utterly spent, they were surprised to find the place packed wall-to-wall with both adults and children.
"Asta! My little ancestor, you're finally back!"
Father rushed forward. Normally the most composed among them, even he looked overwhelmed today. The villagers were simply too enthusiastic… and none of it was directed at him!
"What's going on?"
Asta raised an eyebrow. If they were here to thank him, they could just bring more wheat or flour, then at least they could start eating proper meals instead of living off sweet potatoes.
"Asta, here's the situation, these children all want to train with you. And their parents think it's a good idea too. Better for them to exercise than to run around wild all day."
Sister Lily explained, clearly flustered from trying to manage the crowd.
"I see."
Asta arched a brow. So they were here to take him as a teacher, huh? No wonder the little brats were all looking at him with such reverence.
"Asta, so… you agree?"
A villager asked excitedly. In his eyes, physical training was still second-rate, but with the whole village backing it, surely Asta wouldn't refuse.
"Yes, yes! We even prepared generous offerings for their apprenticeship, grains and plenty of food!"
Another villager chimed in, a touch of smugness in his tone.
"I refuse."
Asta's response was cold and firm.
Don't think he couldn't see through them, these villagers still looked down on physical training.
Even the children who claimed to want to train had smug, arrogant expressions.
A group of people who didn't even respect physical training, how were they qualified to learn it?
"What?"
The villagers were stunned. They thought this was a win-win, why would he reject them?
"Come on now, we're all from the same village. Don't be so stingy!"
"You're not worried about being overshadowed by your own students, are you?"
"Asta, don't be so shortsighted. Who knows, one of these kids might join the Magic Knights someday! If they remember your teachings and repay the favor, your life could be golden!"
"That's enough," someone finally said. "Asta can't use magic, so he'll probably rely on his strength to get by. If our kids learn from him, won't that threaten his livelihood? Let's not force it."
Their chatter quickly soured the once-cheerful atmosphere.
One young man, dragging his pudgy son by the hand, snapped, "Tch! So what if you're good at physical training? Magic is what really matters in this world. Come on, son, we're leaving."
"I don't wanna go! I want to learn taijutsu!"
The plump boy clung tightly to his father's hand. He used to think magic was the coolest thing ever, until he saw Asta shrouded in that eerie green glow, leaping like a god from the earth.
That blood-pumping moment still shook his soul.
Maybe… the true power of manhood lies in the fire and fury of every punch and kick.