Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 41

EP.41 I’m So Glad! This Is Such a Relief!

“Kyle!”

After the mentally exhausting training session with the saintess, Kyle finished his morning lecture and saw Tisha running towards him.

Yesterday’s dinner, and the conversations they had while strolling around afterward.

Of course, there were discussions about spell, but they talked more about other things.

How each of them had been living, what their future plans were, and what they needed to do to achieve those plans.

Engaging in such deep conversations made them feel much closer.

Thanks to this, Tisha seemed to have gained a bit more confidence and approached him more actively.

“Looks like you finished your morning lecture?”

“Yes. And it seems like you’re on your way to the library, right?”

At Kyle’s words, Tisha gave an ‘Ah.’ and a sheepish smile.

“It’s good to go and research spell, but don’t skip meals. We made a promise yesterday, remember?”

This was the condition Kyle had set during their conversation after dinner yesterday.

It was fine to read the spell books he had provided, but she shouldn’t skip meals or lose sleep over it.

The main point was to take care of her body while studying spell.

‘Why skip meals? It’s not like you’re trying to lose weight.’

Whether chewing on chicken breast or munching on salad like a rabbit,

Kyle believed that one should eat something at mealtimes.

Skipping meals entirely was something to be avoided. Even if trying to lose weight, one should still get the necessary nutrients.

Otherwise, the body would deteriorate. Recovering a damaged body is extremely difficult!

“I said I’d confiscate the books if you broke the promise.”

“Th-That can’t happen! Absolutely not!”

“So don’t skip meals. Got it?”

Tisha nodded slightly at Kyle’s words.

It had been a long time since someone worried about her meals. No, it was almost the first time.

So, it felt a bit unfamiliar, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“And after dinner, come to the indoor training hall.”

“What? Um… I usually go straight to the library after dinner….”

“Don’t skip meals. Don’t cut down on sleep. And there was one more thing, right? What was it?”

“Exercise….”

“Yes. You asked me to teach you how to exercise. So, we need to do it.”

Kyle hadn’t been the one to suggest it first, it was Tisha who had asked him to teach her.

So, he would just do his best to teach her about exercise.

There would be no quitting or dropping out in the middle. Even if it’s just one hour a day, it must be done.

“Don’t think of it as losing time to read. To read for long periods, you need good stamina. Can you focus on the book’s content if your body isn’t in good condition?”

“I can, though?”

“Really? Even when your shoulders are stiff and your back hurts?”

“Um… then it might be a bit difficult.”

“Exactly. Basic exercise is essential. Especially for someone like you who has to sit at a desk for long periods! Got it!?”

“Eh? Ah, yes. Yes!!”

As he passionately lectured, the saintess naturally came to mind.

A woman who always knelt and sat, praying and giving thanks to God.

Whenever she traveled, she would always ride in a carriage to avoid exposing her figure.

She was already suffering from a serious lack of exercise.

If her health deteriorated, it would be a big problem.

Even if she had divine power, it would be useless if her body’s balance was disrupted.

“Ah.”

Suddenly, Tisha let out a small sigh.

Then she scrunched up her face, and there was only one reason for such a reaction.

“Ian.”

“Kyle.”

It was the sudden appearance of the man who hadn’t been seen much lately.

‘Are you here to pick a fight with Tisha again? You’re really something.’

In his mind, he was probably trying to show interest or have a light conversation.

But to others, it just looked like he was picking a fight as soon as he arrived.

At least Tisha could handle him with a somewhat cold tone.

If it were someone else, they might have drawn a sword, cast a spell, or hurled insults.

“…?”

But today, Ian’s reaction was a bit strange.

Normally, he would fix his gaze on Tisha, who was beside Kyle.

“…”

Today, however, his eyes were focused precisely on Kyle.

‘What’s with this guy? Does he think I stole his girl?’

In reality, you couldn’t even say that. Such a concept didn’t even apply.

Did Tisha ever like Ian? Judging by her current reaction, she seemed to dislike him intensely.

In fact, she was closer to Kyle himself.

So, in this situation, it was actually this troublemaker who was being a nuisance.

‘Or maybe he’s awakened to something strange…’

If that’s the case, he’ll be dealt with immediately.

“Kyle.”

“What is it?”

Clenching his fist slightly, Kyle looked at Ian.

If he saw even the slightest suspicious sign, he was ready to punch him right away.

If any issues arose, he could just say that Ian started it.

In such cases, pro-provocateur Ian would attract even more suspicion.

Of course, he planned to hit him lightly.

No matter how much of a protagonist he was, or even if he became one of the top ten later,

right now, Ian was just a freshman who was good with a sword.

“Me too.”

But the words that came out of Ian’s mouth were entirely different.

“What?”

“Do it for me too.”

“What do you mean, do what?”

“That massage thing.”

“…”

For a moment, Kyle considered it. Should he just punch him right now?

More importantly, how did this guy know about the massage incident?

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“The guy who used to pick fights with me has been acting weird for the past few days. So, I grabbed his shoulder to ask him about it, and he freaked out. Thanks to that, I ended up in a tough spot.”

It seemed like he knew about the massage, or rather, the torture session from that time.

But knowing about it was one thing, why was he suddenly asking for it?

“He said it didn’t hurt at all when I grabbed him. He said it hurt much more when you grabbed him.”

“…So?”

“So, I want to know. Just how strong was it? Was it really stronger than me?”

In other words, Ian wanted to confirm whether Kyle’s grip strength was really stronger than his.

He wanted to verify if it was true that it hurt more when Kyle grabbed him, as the senior who used to pick fights had said.

That’s why he was asking for the massage.

“…”

Upon hearing Ian’s words, only one thought crossed Kyle’s mind.

‘That guy… a protagonist?’

Then he changed that thought. More precisely, he was the former protagonist.

Now, Kyle intended to be the protagonist of this entire story, of all its flows.

Yeah. Then it makes sense. Sure, sure. Makes sense… not really, damn it.

“Are you crazy?”

In the end, Kyle couldn’t hold back and blurted it out.

He tried to avoid using harsh words as much as possible to avoid looking like a muscle-bound thug.

He couldn’t let the carefully crafted image of ‘a tough guy who turns out to be a gentle man’ be ruined.

So, he compromised with “Are you crazy?” instead of “Are you nuts?”

Honestly, what’s the difference, but anyway.

“Why are you suddenly cursing?”

Ian blinked his eyes, once again flipping Kyle’s insides.

“Because asking for a massage out of the blue, and the reason for it, isn’t normal.”

“I don’t understand which part isn’t normal.”

Ah, really? That was the kind of response that made Kyle want to curse even more.

Just as Kyle was about to sincerely curse again,

“Wait! Just a moment!”

It wasn’t Tisha’s voice, and it certainly wasn’t Ian’s. It was a third person’s voice that intervened.

Kyle turned his head slightly and saw another student standing there.

A face he had never seen before, and the first thought that came to mind was, ‘Is that a guy or a girl?’

Judging by the clothes, it was a guy, but with a bit longer hair and a dress, he could easily pass for a girl.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry! Actually, Ian was impressed by your strength! That’s why he suddenly asked for a massage. So please, if you could just give him one massage and let it go, we’d be grateful!”

The voice was also quite delicate. Unlike Ian, this person bowed politely as soon as they arrived.

“Who are you?”

“Ah! Nice to meet you! I am ‘Nell,’ and I serve Ian!!”

Ian? Serve? What kind of bizarre statement was that?

He seemed like a perfectly normal student, unlike Ian.

Why was he saying he wanted to enter hell voluntarily?

“You’re out of your mind! Who do you serve!?”

Even Tisha couldn’t take it anymore and shouted at Nell.

Then Nell began to explain, “Well, you see!”

“I must become a knight… No! I really want to become a knight!”

“And then?”

“I was captivated by the strength Ian showed a few days ago… I wanted to learn from him! So, I asked, and he said I could stay by his side. That’s why I’m serving him like this!”

At Nell’s response, Kyle looked at Ian standing beside him.

It was an unspoken question of whether this was for real, but of course, Ian didn’t catch on.

‘No matter how I think about it, it seems like he just told him to stay out of the way.’

More importantly, this was another character he was encountering after Princess Yurika.

Nell, Nell… Damn it. It was a name he had never heard of before.

Ian, who was getting as much, if not more, flak than Kyle himself.

If someone suddenly appeared beside Ian, they had to be at least a supporting character.

And if they were asking Ian for guidance…

Hmm, they were either in some kind of pain or had some circumstances. It had to be one of the two.

‘Past me who didn’t read the main story, thank you so much. Damn it.’

Should he consider it fortunate that someone with at least some manners was sticking to Ian?

But that thought soon vanished from Kyle’s mind.

Ian asking for a massage, Nell trying to stop him,

and Tisha looking utterly bewildered.

Each day was truly becoming more and more grandiose.