Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 49

EP.49 God Whispered, “Do Some Exercise”

“In the beginning, when God created us humans…”

Yes, priest. In the beginning, humans were much stronger to survive than they are now.

Even if they were short and unimpressive, at least they wouldn’t have arms as thin as yours!

“Humans, with their broad hearts…”

Not just broad hearts, but other parts need to be broad too, priest.

Look at those thighs. Wow, I could snap them with just a little force.

Why are they so thin? They’re not on a diet, so what is that all about?

“We must embrace everyone with a compassionate heart…”

Can you even spread your arms to embrace someone? They look like they would snap with a light tap.

Are those arms or chopsticks? It’s pitiful just to look at them!

Kyle internally screamed and sought God intervention multiple times.

‘Commander Priscilla was perfect, and most of the holy knights were decent. Did I set my expectations too high? Should I lower them for ordinary priests?’

Kyle thought this, not just once, but dozens of times.

Let’s try to understand. Let’s make an effort to understand. This isn’t Jonathan, right? I also dislike exercise…

‘…But still! This is crossing the line! This is just too much!!’

He even changed locations on purpose, walking and climbing around.

But the priests quickly started panting heavily.

It’s not like they’re climbing Everest, just a few dozen steps, and they’re already meeting God?

Does this make sense? How little exercise do they do?

They’re not even overweight! They’re so frail, yet they don’t exercise?! They’ll collapse with one blow!

After the unpleasant meeting with the priests, Kyle held his face in his hands.

Seeing the Saintess, he had sensed that something was off with the church.

Or maybe this was how it was supposed to be. It could be the natural order.

Is the Empire as chaotic as it used to be? No. Those days are over.

With the ongoing wars, there was no reason for priests to travel all over the Empire.

They just needed to build chapels near those who wanted to believe in God and offer prayers.

In the past, they were the last lifeline for those struggling to survive each day.

Now, a quiet whisper praying for tomorrow’s peace was enough.

That was the role the church currently played in the Empire.

Therefore, there was no reason for priests to be as close to combat priests, fighting monsters and traveling all over the Empire on foot.

‘Who knew that the history books I read while following Tisha to the library would be this useful.’

This must be why Tisha loves the library so much.

It helps accumulate knowledge, encourages more thinking, and instills a sense of culture.

Plus, if you use the books to quietly exercise, it’s the perfect combination.

Anyway, looking at it objectively, there’s no helping that the priests are so frail.

Humans are creatures that stop doing even what they used to do regularly once the need disappears.

It’s fortunate that the Holy Knights are still well-maintained in this era of peace.

“Brother Kyle!!”

After the somewhat pitiful meeting with the priests,

Kyle returned to the guest quarters, where the Saintess came bounding towards him.

“Did you meet with the priests of the church?”

“Yes. I met as many as I could and heard many stories.”

“How was it?! Did they say many good things!?”

It was serious. Their hearts are rich, but their bodies are not.

Kyle barely managed to suppress the urge to say that.

“They were all truly kind and bright individuals. It felt like my heart was being enriched. It made me think that this is why the church exists.”

“Really? That’s a relief! If Brother Kyle says it’s good, then I’m happy too!”

Saying that, the Saintess grabbed both of Kyle’s hands.

As a result, Kyle’s face momentarily turned red, but the Saintess didn’t seem to notice.

“I was worried that I might have done something unnecessary. That bringing you to the church might have only added to your fatigue. Brother Kyle thinks so highly of me…”

“I’m really fine. Not tired at all.”

This couldn’t tire him out. He had endured a month of hellish training between his brother and sister.

If it were any ordinary person, they would have fainted or been carried away from exhaustion that same day.

“Brother, you are truly…”

Of course, from the Saintess’s perspective, it probably just looked like the strong facade of a man pretending not to be tired.

“…Ah, Saintess.”

The atmosphere was good, and it seemed like he had maxed out his favorability.

Kyle decided to muster a bit of courage. Was he going to ask her out on a date? No way.

“Um, for the health of the Saintess and the priests… Of course! You are healthy now! Yes, you are healthy!”

“Right? There’s nothing wrong with me. But why do you ask?”

“After observing the church and listening to the priests, I thought there was a lack of facilities to help you become even healthier.”

“Uh… really? That’s strange. Others say that just walking around the area is enough.”

Is that even exercise? It doesn’t even count as a walk.

Walking is good, but relying solely on it seems excessive.

If walking alone were enough exercise, everyone in the world would be like Jonathan!

“Health is like mileage… I mean, it’s hard to accumulate but easy to lose in an instant. Especially when you’re complacent, it disappears before you know it. And once lost, it’s several times, no, tens of times harder to regain than before.”

“Th-that’s true. Hearing you say that, Brother Kyle, makes me a bit worried.”

“Thank you for understanding my point. Therefore, having such facilities to prevent such unfortunate situations wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Hmm… I always think Brother Kyle’s words are right. But this isn’t something I can decide on my own. Decisions about internal church matters aren’t mine alone to make…”

Fortunately, the Saintess didn’t seem to have a negative view.

In fact, she seemed to be considering Kyle’s words very positively.

Even this much was a significant achievement.

Setting up a gym in the homes of people who don’t exercise at all? What an ironic situation.

“Then perhaps later, Saintess, you could discuss this with His Eminence… Huh? Saintess?”

Suddenly, the Saintess grabbed Kyle’s hand and started dragging him somewhere.

Normally, he wouldn’t be dragged, but it was the Saintess holding his hand.

With his heart already unlocked, Kyle had no choice but to be pulled along.

“Saintess? Where are we going?”

“They say you should strike while the iron is hot!”

“Pardon?”

“I was just about to have tea with His Eminence! Let’s go! You can present your idea confidently! Just like you did earlier!”

No, I was asking you to convey it for me, Saintess!

If a guest suddenly suggests setting up an exercise facility, who would agree to that?

They’d definitely find it strange, which is why I asked you to do it!

“No, Saintess! Saintess?!”

The Saintess held his hand and ran, her priestly robes flapping as she did.

Her earnest running in that loose robe was so adorable that

Kyle could only clutch his chest and let himself be dragged along.

“Your Eminence!”

“Oh, you have arrived… Brother Kyle?”

Cardinal Paul looked slightly surprised at Kyle’s sudden appearance.

He naturally assumed Kyle would be resting, so why had he come suddenly?

“Your Eminence! How about considering Brother Kyle’s suggestion?!”

“Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden…?”

Though he didn’t understand why the Saintess was being so proactive,

Kyle earnestly laid out his grand vision to the Cardinal.

He had heard many good words and felt grateful, so he wanted to give something back.

After careful consideration, he thought the best way was to take care of the priests’ health.

So, he proposed setting up such facilities within the church headquarters.

He wanted to hear the opinion of His Eminence, who was in charge of internal affairs.

“Hmm.”

Cardinal Paul stroked his chin, appearing deep in thought.

Kyle didn’t have high expectations.

Although the Cardinal was in charge of internal affairs, the Pope was above him.

Naturally, the Pope’s opinion would have to be sought, so a definitive answer couldn’t be given.

Moreover, installing such facilities based on the words of an outsider, not even a church member, would seem odd upon reflection.

“Let’s do it.”

“…Huh?”

“If Brother Kyle is certain that it’s beneficial, we can proceed.”

However, the words that came from Cardinal Paul’s mouth were not “I’ll think about it” or “It seems difficult.”

He conveyed a willingness to proceed immediately if Kyle strongly insisted.

While Kyle stammered in surprise, the Saintess beside him urged him to respond.

“Uh, uh… If you permit it… it would be good for everyone…”

“Understood. Let’s discuss the details further. Please, have a seat, Brother Kyle.”

“…”

What is this? Why is this going so smoothly? It’s strange. No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. This shouldn’t be happening.

Kyle muttered to himself internally but obediently took a seat.

To understand the Cardinal’s true intentions, he needed to engage with him first.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Paul thought that his predictions might be somewhat accurate.

‘One of the characteristics of the Jonathan barony, endless self-discipline and exercise.’

Why would he suddenly bring this up to the Saintess?

He needed to decide on a place to stay, but there were no such facilities outside the academy.

So, he was asking if such facilities could be established elsewhere.

If the church took the initiative to accommodate this?

It would build trust and increase favorability.

“Come to think of it, we shouldn’t be discussing this alone. Just a moment.”

At the Cardinal’s call, a Holy Knight cautiously approached.

“Go and bring Commander Holy Knight of St Elfreda.”

“Yes, Your Eminence.”

What started as a vague idea of setting up a gym in the church by a fitness enthusiast

was quickly becoming a reality through the influence of the church’s key figures.