Suzune and Kazuki visit Ken at the Rescue Team HQ, resplendent in their new uniforms. They’re greatly relieved to learn he’s okay. Despite the fact he’s about to start “training from hell” with Rose, Ken is determined to push through in hopes of becoming useful.
Suzune expected he would, which speaks to her trust in his character, while he also inspires Kazuki to set aside his anger and being brought here and do his best. These kids are so damn wholesome and kind. I love them.
Ken soon learns that “Kind” isn’t in the vocabulary of his new master teacher Rose. When Day 1 is simply meditation to make him more aware of the mana within him, and Day 2 is studying texts (that he can read thanks to translation magic that occurred when he was summoned—a neat detail). But after that, Ken runs … and runs …and runs some more.
When his muscles won’t work anymore he collapses, but Rose heals him. The muscles are repaired and the pain is gone, so he gets up and keeps running. At first he lags behind his burly roommates, but he gradually gains speed and stamina.
When hundreds of nightly pushups are added to the daily running, it soon clicks for Ken: he starts manifesting healing magic, and casts it instinctively whenever he’s tired or in pain. It’s the fitness buff’s dream come true: continuous exercise with instantaneous recovery. Lactic acid is a thing of the past!
But while undergoing this amazing transformation, Ken still lingers on his self-worth compared to the two school idols. Will he really be able to help them when his training is nothing but running and pushups?
But here’s the thing: it is about more than running and pushups. Any healer worth their salt has to start with strength and speed. As Rose reveals to her, everything he’s doing is to make him a faster healing mage. The faster he is, the faster he can help or save others. The tougher he is, the longer he can hang in a battle.
When Suzune and Kazuki visit him in the woods, they’re shocked by what they see: Ken is doing pushups with a car-sized block of stone on his back, and Rose sitting atop the block. They also learn he’s taken not only to Rose’s training but her personality like a fish to water.
While she’s never shown it during his three weeks of training, Rose is impressed with his progress, such that she tells the Knight Commander training Suzune and Kazuki that she intends to make Ken her right hand man.
I loved the casual bliss of enjoying a picnic with Suzune and Kazuki, along with Princess Celia, who they’re protecting. Suzune can’t help but lift up Ken’s shirt to reveal rippling muscles, of which she greatly approves. When Kazuki asks if his training is always so intense, he tells them this was a light day.
Kazuki is worried this Miss Rose isn’t properly looking after Ken’s well-being like their knightly commander is looking after his and Suzune’s. Ken admits it’s tough, and he wanted to run at first, but no longer. Now it’s becoming fun. Suzune congratulates him for finding his place, though he says he’s simply been too stubborn to quit or give in.
There’s no more reassuring display than when Ken’s roommate brings him a lunch, Ken gets into it with him for stealing his lunch originally, and the two end up in a fist-and-kick fight, all with heightened expressions and dramatic music.
But despite the nervous sweat drops, it is reassuring because now Suzune and Kazuki know that not only is Ken going to be okay, but so are they, and perhaps sometime soon they’ll be able to fight side by side. I for one can’t wait for that!
But so far all he’s done is physical and mental training. Now it’s time for him to use what he’s learned in an uncontrolled environment. One morning, without warning, Rose tells him they’re “going out.” While at first I’d hoped that meant going on a cute date in the city, that would probably be too goofy.
No, by “out”, Rose means the wilderness beyond the city walls. She’s leaving him out there, and he can’t come back until he’s bagged a grand grizzly. Ken knows from his texts that a grand grizzly is formidable beast and wigs out, but Rose wouldn’t have brought him here if she didn’t think he was ready to handle one.
This was a brilliant, entertaining, funny, almost perfect training episode that only endeared me more to Ken, Suzune, and Kazuki, all of them irrepressibly grand kids. I only wish we got to see more of Suzune and Kazuki’s training!
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