For the next several hours, Garron continued leading the children deeper into the wilderness without granting them a single opportunity to rest, as despite all of them having already remained awake for well over twenty-four hours while constantly training, carrying a heavy load, and marching, he refused to reduce the distance they were supposed to cover by even a single mile.
The morning gradually gave way to the afternoon, while the afternoon slowly drifted toward evening, as one weary step simply followed another until even the children who had the best physical stamina could no longer walk straight from sheer exhaustion.
Even Riven could feel every step tugging painfully against the claw wounds across his chest, as despite the ointment easing much of the burning sensation, the fresh injuries still reminded him of the Night Panther every time his body shifted beneath the weight of his satchel.
However, despite the fatigue weighing heavily upon every child present, nobody dared ask Garron for a break, because by now, they had all learned that once the instructor made up his mind, there was very little anyone could say to change it.
It was only when the sun had begun dipping toward the western horizon that Garron finally raised one hand, bringing the entire group to a halt beside a wide riverside clearing where the flowing water remained calm while a dense line of trees offered both shade and shelter.
"Alright."
Garron muttered, as he slowly turned around to face the exhausted children.
"We’ll set up camp here."
He continued, as several of the children visibly relaxed the moment those words entered their ears.
"Since all of you look ready to collapse and this is your first day in the wild, I’ll allow you exactly two hours of sleep while I keep watch."
Garron said, as although a few children instinctively smiled upon hearing those words, the expression on his face immediately told them that the kindness came with conditions.
"After that, your lives will settle into a disciplined rhythm, unfolding exactly how I tell you they will."
He warned.
"So don’t mistake this one time exception for generosity."
He concluded, as his sharp gaze slowly swept across every child standing before him.
"Yes, Instructor..."
The children replied weakly, as before Garron had even finished lowering his hand, many of them had already begun searching for somewhere to lie down.
Some placed their leather satchels beneath their heads before using them as makeshift pillows, while others leaned against nearby tree trunks, as within only a few breaths, they had already fallen asleep.
After remaining awake for well over an entire day, they no longer possessed the strength to care whether the ground beneath them was soft, hard, or covered in stones, and so, most did not even bother correcting their posture even if they fell asleep in an odd pose.
Even Riven barely managed to lower his satchel before lying down beside it, as the exhaustion that had quietly accumulated throughout the previous thirty six hours finally proved stronger than his determination to stay awake.
As within only a few short minutes, the entire riverside clearing had fallen completely silent.
Only the gentle flow of the river, the rustling of leaves overhead, and the quiet breathing of dozens of exhausted children remained, as every one of them desperately tried to recover whatever strength they could before the journey continued.
Meanwhile, Garron quietly set his own belongings beneath a nearby tree before walking deeper into the surrounding woodland, as unlike the children, he knew that he could not rest just yet.
Instead of sleeping, he got busy and gathered dry branches, fallen logs, bundles of dead twigs, and broad leaves before carrying everything back to the clearing one load at a time.
Only after collecting enough firewood to last through the night did Garron kneel down and begin assembling a campfire, as with practiced movements, he carefully arranged the wood before striking a spark and coaxing a steady flame to life.
Once the fire had been lit, Garron drew his sword before calmly stepping into the shallow river, as his eyes silently tracked the movement of every fish swimming beneath the clear water.
He remained perfectly still for nearly a full minute, before—
*Splash*
The sword shot downward with frightening speed, as its tip pierced straight through a large river fish before Garron lifted it free from the water without wasting a single movement.
Another minute passed.
*Splash*
A second fish joined the first.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
Only after deciding that they had gathered enough food for the evening did Garron finally return to the riverbank, as he calmly cleaned each fish before hanging them from a nearby branch to drain the blood while preparing them to be roasted later.
"I have already solved the food and fire problem.... The next step is safety...."
Garron muttered, as after preparing the fish, he walked the perimeter of the clearing once more, as he searched for animal tracks, unstable ground, poisonous plants, and any signs that another predator might have recently passed through the area.
Only after satisfying himself that the campsite was reasonably safe did he finally return to the fire, as he quietly sat down beside it with his sword resting across his lap while patiently standing watch over the sleeping children.
For Garron, this was simply another ordinary evening upon the road, as he had already led the life of a camping soldier for several years.
However, for his students this was their first time in the wild, and it was now up to him to teach them how to survive in such conditions, and slowly make them accustomed to military life, so that when they eventually joined the Valdrak Army, they would not tarnish his reputation.
"Rest well today, little lambs, because once you’re deployed to a real battlefield, your captain probably won’t even allow you two hours of sleep a day.
If you think today’s march was difficult, then one day, if you survive long enough, you’ll look back on it and realize that this was the most comfortable journey of your entire military career.
Out there, nobody cares whether you’re exhausted, hungry, or wounded.
As long as you’re still breathing, you’ll be expected to keep marching, keep fighting, and keep surviving."
Garron muttered, as he let out a long sigh, before looking at the setting sun and deciding that it was finally time to wake the students back up.