Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 2: My Lord Saves the Citizens - Chapter 48

Aldric slept well, surprisingly enough, and when he woke, it was dawn. Despite his reluctance in leaving Quinn's side, he gently peeled himself away from her, got out of bed, and headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face, and change. Fifteen minutes later and in his gym shorts, t-shirt, and running shoes, he paced along the colonnade walkway, heading toward the military building, which was located a short walk away.

The gym was a colossal hall and took up three of the five floors and half the length of the military building. Within the space were various stations and equipment designed specifically for trainings, the likes of which neither Aldric nor his men had never seen before. That first day when they had stepped foot into the now much loved, much used facility, they had been awed, and indeed, overwhelmed.

The old training ground had been the bare basics, nothing more than an open space within the courtyard of Norsewood Manor where newly recruited soldiers would be tutored and the veterans sparred one another to sharpen their skills, a space that could not be used come winter when snow was thick and heavy and the temperature dropped below freezing. This gym, however, was indoors where it was warm and dry and could be used always, regardless of the changing seasons, and it was anything but basic.

This, Aldric thought, far surpassed the training ground in the capital he had had the honor of using, which was famed for its extravagant halls and top-notch mock weapons. Indeed, the kingdom military did not even have training equipment, let alone the likes of what Quinn had magically created for them.

Across the gym there were the fitness station with treadmills, spin bikes, cross-trainers, and more; weight training with various dumbbells as well as barbells with the weight ranging from ten pounds to five hundred; two sparring courts with platforms and various mock weapons ranging from swords to spares to axes and more; a rock-climbing station where a hazardous, deeply inclined rocky wall with the slippery surface automatically shifted and changed every few seconds; and a pool where the soldiers routinely did laps to strengthen their bodies and swimming ability.

Always the first to arrive, Aldric picked up his weight straps and vest, items that added mass to one's body while training, and after he fastened the straps around his forearms and lower legs, and the vest around his torso, he headed to one of the treadmills.

The moment he stepped onto the platform, Vicky appeared on the screen in front of him.

Good morning, my lord.

"Good morning, Vicky," he greeted.

How much weight would you like to add on?

"Six thousand pounds," he said, using one of the imperial units of measurement in Athol.

Six thousand pounds has been added, Vicky stated. Seven hundred and fifty pounds on each strap and three thousand on the vest.

The straps and vest glowed, and instantly, Aldric felt the load on him, not that it bothered him much since he had been training with them on for one month now, steadily increasing the weight each day as he progressed.

What incline would you like?

"Fifty percent incline," he said.

Fifty percent incline has been inputted.

Aldric felt the platform of the treadmill shifting until the tip angled upward at fifty percent. Then he started jogging, slow at first as he warmed up, and then faster and faster, until he felt his heart pumping louder and more furious in his chest. When thirty minutes passed, he slowed down, just when Vincent, along with the soldiers, Liam among them, started filing into the hall for their morning drill. He was sweating and his muscles felt good, having had a good start at working out.