Chapter 8: "You Call This a Normal Day!?"
I was trapped.
There was no way out.
After my failed escape attempt, Velzaria gently dragged me back to the dining hall, while Seraphina continued taking notes on my misery.
Reina?
She just watched, eating her breakfast, offering no help.
This was my life now.
---
Seraphina flipped a page.
"Now that breakfast is concluded, we will move on to the next part of the observation process."
I froze.
"…There's a next part?"
She nodded.
"Naturally. The structure of your daily routine must be examined."
I stared blankly.
"You call this normal!?"
She blinked.
"Yes."
I felt my soul shatter.
---
Velzaria placed a hand on my shoulder, speaking smoothly.
"You must develop habits fitting for your position."
I jerked away immediately.
"I DON'T HAVE A POSITION!"
She smiled faintly.
"You are my husband."
I nearly choked.
"NO, I'M NOT!"
---
Seraphina clicked her pen.
"Subject Eldric remains resistant to marital integration. Predicting sustained reluctance."
She clicked it again.
"Fascinating."
I slammed my hands on the table.
"STOP DOCUMENTING MY SUFFERING!"
She blinked.
"No."
I grabbed my head.
"This is hell."
---
Reina finally put down her fork and sighed.
"Alright, I'm gonna say this once, Eldric."
She gestured toward Seraphina.
"She's not gonna stop."
Then toward Velzaria.
"She's definitely not gonna stop."
Then at me.
"So just deal with it."
I felt deep betrayal.
"YOU'RE GIVING UP ON ME!?"
She shrugged.
"I never had hope to begin with."
I wanted to cry.
---
Seraphina tapped her notebook.
"Now then. Let's begin."
I snapped my head toward her.
"BEGIN WHAT!?"
She nodded.
"The morning training regimen."
I froze.
"…Training?"
She nodded.
"Physical improvement is an essential component of long-term survival."
Velzaria smirked faintly.
"Agreed. As my fated one, you must be stronger."
I felt my stomach drop.
"NO. WAIT. HOLD ON!"
---
Reina leaned back in her chair, smirking.
"Yeah, Eldric. Hold still. This is gonna be great."
I glared at her.
"HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS!?"
She patted my shoulder.
"Because for once, I'm not the one suffering."
I wanted to throw myself out a window.
---
Seraphina stood up, closing her notebook.
"Come. We will begin in the courtyard."
Velzaria followed, clearly entertained.
Reina stretched, cracking her neck.
"Welp. Guess I'll watch."
I collapsed onto the table.
"…I hate my life."
---
I stumbled into the courtyard, dragged along against my will.
Seraphina walked ahead, flipping through her notebook, completely in control.
Velzaria walked beside her, amused.
Reina?
She stretched lazily, clearly not planning to help me at all.
I felt doomed.
---
Seraphina clicked her pen.
"We shall now begin."
I gasped.
"BEGIN WHAT!?"
She looked at me like it was obvious.
"The physical training regimen."
I froze.
"…You're serious?"
She nodded.
"Naturally. An adventurer must maintain physical discipline."
Velzaria smirked slightly.
"And as my fated one, you must be stronger."
I felt my stomach drop.
"NO. WAIT. HOLD ON!"
---
Reina crossed her arms, watching.
"You know, Eldric, this might actually be good for you."
I snapped my head toward her.
"TRAITOR!"
She shrugged.
"Not my problem."
I wanted to throw myself into a hole.
---
Seraphina flipped to a fresh page.
"Let's begin with endurance testing."
I swallowed hard.
"Endurance?"
She nodded.
"A short sprint, followed by an assessment of stamina output."
I stared at her.
"…You mean running?"
"Yes."
"LIKE NORMAL RUNNING?"
"Correct."
I let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Oh. Oh, thank the gods. That's fine."
I could do this.
I could ru—
---
"Begin," Seraphina instructed.
I took off.
Three seconds later—
"I'M DYING!"
---
Seraphina calmly clicked her pen.
"Subject Eldric exhibits alarmingly low stamina. Predicting near-immediate exhaustion."
She clicked it again.
"Fascinating."
I collapsed onto the ground.
"This is hell."
---
Velzaria approached slowly, looking down at me.
"You must push forward," she said smoothly.
I wheezed.
"I CAN'T!"
She tilted her head.
"Then I shall assist."
I froze.
"…What?"
She leaned down, grabbed me by the collar, and lifted me effortlessly.
I let out an unholy screech.
"PUT ME DOWN!"
---
Reina was losing it.
She leaned against a nearby wall, laughing.
"This is the best thing I've ever seen."
I gasped for air.
"HELP ME!"
She wiped a tear from her eye.
"Nah."
I hated my life.
---
Seraphina flipped a page.
"Subject Eldric exhibits strong emotional distress when faced with assisted movement. Predicting further panic responses."
I felt my soul leave my body.
---
Velzaria smiled faintly.
"You will become stronger," she murmured.
I whimpered.
"…I don't want to."
She ignored me.
"You will."
I wanted to cry.
---
I could not move.
I lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, my arms completely useless.
This was not normal training.
This was torture.
And yet—
Seraphina stood calmly nearby, flipping through her notes.
Velzaria watched with a faint smile.
And Reina?
She was just sitting under a tree, drinking water, completely enjoying my misery.
---
Seraphina clicked her pen.
"We will now begin strength assessment."
I twitched weakly.
"…Assessment?"
She nodded.
"You must demonstrate basic lifting ability."
I groaned.
"I don't… want to lift anything."
Velzaria tilted her head slightly.
"You must," she said smoothly.
I felt my stomach drop.
"Must I, though?"
Velzaria nodded.
"Yes."
I wanted to cry.
---
Reina stretched lazily.
"You should just accept it, Eldric."
I whimpered.
"WHY ARE YOU OKAY WITH THIS!?"
She smirked.
"Because it's funny."
I felt deep betrayal.
---
Seraphina flipped a page.
"Begin by lifting that."
I turned my head.
There was a large, suspiciously heavy-looking stone nearby.
I froze.
"That?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
I stared at it.
"…It's a rock."
"Correct."
"It's a very big rock."
"Also correct."
I swallowed.
"You… you don't actually expect me to lift that, do you?"
Seraphina blinked.
"Yes."
I felt like dying.
---
Velzaria took a graceful step forward.
"You will try," she said.
I gulped.
"…Or what?"
She smiled faintly.
"I will assist."
I felt my entire soul leave my body.
---
Reina burst out laughing.
"Oh, this is gonna be good."
I snapped my head toward her.
"STOP ENJOYING THIS!"
She wiped away a tear.
"Not happening."
I hated everything.
---
Seraphina clicked her pen.
"Proceed."
I stared at the rock.
The rock stared back.
I took a deep breath.
Then—
I grabbed the sides… and pulled.
Three seconds later—
"I CAN'T DO IT!"
---
Seraphina wrote something down.
"Subject Eldric exhibits immediate failure in resistance-based lifting. Predicting minimal gains."
She clicked her pen.
"Fascinating."
I slumped forward, completely exhausted.
"I hate this."
---
Velzaria approached, looking down at me.
"You require assistance," she murmured.
I froze.
"Wait. WAIT. WAIT—"
She grabbed my wrists.
And suddenly—
She effortlessly pulled me up.
I screamed.
"STOP MANHANDLING ME!"
---
Reina was in tears from laughing.
"This… this is the best thing I've ever seen."
I flailed.
"LET! ME! GO!"
Velzaria ignored my struggle.
"You must improve."
"I DON'T WANT TO IMPROVE!"
She smirked slightly.
"You have no choice."
I was going to die.
---
Seraphina calmly noted something down.
"Subject Eldric enters panic state when physically guided. Predicting continued resistance."
She clicked her pen.
"Fascinating."
I let out a desperate cry.
"I'M NOT A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT!"
She blinked.
"Incorrect."
I wanted to throw myself into the sun.
---
Velzaria gently set me back on my feet.
I wobbled unsteadily, mentally broken.
"You must become stronger," she repeated.
I stared at her, horrified.
"…Why?"
She smiled faintly.
"Because you are my husband."
I felt my entire existence crumble.
---
Seraphina flipped another page.
"Training complete for today. Progress: nonexistent."
I collapsed onto the ground.
"Thank the gods."
---
Reina stood up, stretching.
"That was fun."
I glared at her.
"FOR WHO!?"
She grinned.
"For me."
I screamed internally.
---
Velzaria placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Do not worry. You will adjust soon."
I wanted to cry.
Seraphina clicked her pen.
"Observation ongoing."
I hated my life.
---
I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
My entire body hurt.
I had been dragged, lifted, and thrown into training hell.
Velzaria had "assisted" me against my will.
Seraphina had documented my suffering in real-time.
Reina had laughed the entire time.
I just wanted one moment of peace.
Was that too much to ask!?
---
Seraphina clicked her pen.
"Training session complete."
She flipped to a fresh page.
"Subject Eldric shows no notable progress."
I rolled onto my back, groaning.
"GOOD. DON'T EXPECT ANY!"
She calmly jotted something down.
"Subject Eldric remains unmotivated. Predicting continued resistance."
She clicked her pen again.
"Fascinating."
I stared at the sky in despair.
---
Velzaria stepped forward, looking down at me.
"You must develop discipline."
I closed my eyes.
"…I don't want to."
She tilted her head.
"You will."
I felt the walls closing in.
---
Reina stretched, completely unbothered.
"That was entertaining."
I lifted my head weakly.
"FOR WHO!?"
She smirked.
"For me."
I let out a strangled scream.
---
Seraphina flipped another page.
"Now that training is complete, we will proceed with bonding exercises."
I froze.
"…I'm sorry. WHAT exercises!?"
Seraphina adjusted her notes.
"As you are fated partners, structured activities will help build familiarity and compatibility."
I slowly turned to Reina.
"…Please tell me she's joking."
Reina shrugged.
"I stopped trying to understand her years ago."
I felt true despair.
---
Velzaria stepped closer, smiling faintly.
"This is necessary," she said.
I gulped.
"Necessary for WHO!?"
She leaned down slightly.
"For us."
I felt my soul leave my body.
---
Seraphina clicked her pen.
"Subject Eldric displays strong avoidance behavior in structured emotional bonding. Predicting prolonged discomfort."
She clicked again.
"Fascinating."
I rolled away from Velzaria.
"NO. NOPE. NO WAY."
She followed smoothly.
"You cannot escape me."
I felt terror deep in my bones.
---
Reina leaned against a tree, watching like this was her personal entertainment.
"You should just accept it, Eldric."
I snapped my head toward her.
"WHY ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS!?"
She sipped from a water flask.
"Because, for once, I'm not the one suffering."
I wanted to cry.
---
Velzaria stood beside me, waiting patiently.
"Shall we begin?"
I shook my head violently.
"No. We shall NOT."
She smiled pleasantly.
"But we shall."
I screamed internally.
---
Seraphina tapped her notebook.
"Observation ongoing."
I was doomed.
---