Chapter 7 - Highly Developed Muscles Are... (1)

After the long 10 days before school started,

Now it's time to attend lectures as a Magic Department student.

I gathered with my classmates for the [Introduction to Elementology] course.

Everyone was quietly focusing on the instructor's words.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Angelina, the instructor for the [Introduction to Elementology] lecture."

A magician wearing an elegant pointed hat and robe smiles brightly.

Following that, clap clap clap... the students' applause continues.

"First, I'll call the roll. The order is based on the 1st-year performance rankings. Penel─"

A wide, grassy plain, a sky with fluffy white clouds drifting by, warm spring breeze carrying flower petals.

As Angelina's roll call echoes across the training ground welcoming the new semester.

────────────────

【Strength has increased!】

【Stamina has increased!】

【Agility has increased!】

────────────────

I continued my training silently.

'It's not increasing as well as usual.'

Of course, I can't openly exercise during the lecture.

I'm doing a simplified workout, so the rate of increase for strength, stamina, and agility is slower.

'Well, I should be grateful that I'm growing even with just this much.'

The exercise I'm currently doing is a dumbbell curl.

Originally, I should be holding an actual dumbbell and lifting it up and down.

But since I can't do that now, I'm making do with a rock I found nearby.

Surprisingly, even this much produces training effects.

────────────────

【Ultimate Physique】

※ Heavenly Martial Body: A destiny born for martial arts.

Stats (strength, stamina, agility) grow rapidly with each body movement.

────────────────

'The Heavenly Martial Body doesn't necessarily require proper exercise to activate.'

The criteria for "moving the body" is quite lenient.

Even simply moving the body lightly causes the stats to grow, albeit minimally.

Therefore, even with this simplified exercise during the lecture, I can reap stat gains.

─What is he doing?

─He's exercising even here. He's really crazy.

─Leave him be. He's hopeless anyway.

The Magic Department classmates around me are still badmouthing me.

But regardless of that, I continued exercising.

In life, you need to be thick-skinned to succeed.

"...And lastly, Herak."

"Yes."

Angelina's roll call.

I answer nonchalantly without stopping my arm movements.

Angelina's eyebrows furrow slightly as she looks at me, but.

Eventually, she shrugs.

It means she's letting it slide.

'I wonder what the Chairwoman said to her.'

To allow me to do other things during the lecture like this.

"Well then, now that we've taken attendance, let's start the lecture. From today, we'll be learning about 'Variations in Magic Casting'."

Snap!

Angelina snaps her fingers.

Simultaneously, a huge boulder falls with a thud─ in the center of the grass field.

'It's enormous.'

Just by looking, you can tell it's too heavy for a person to lift.

Moreover, it looks so solid that first-year students probably couldn't even scratch it.

"You all learned Wind Gun in your first year, right? You should have learned about its element, rank, nature, and casting method. Is that correct?"

"Yes!"

At the students' response, Angelina raises her arm.

Then, like the common shooting stance in my previous life, she extends her thumb and index finger while curling the other three fingers.

"This is the original casting method for Wind Gun. Although it's a low-level spell, its power varies depending on the caster. As proper second-year students, you should at least be able to scratch that boulder. Right?"

"Yes."

"Mm. Good."

Angelina smiles gently at the clear affirmation.

Then she changes the position of her fingers.

She lowers her index finger and places her thumb on top of it. The other three fingers are extended upwards towards the sky.

It's commonly known as the 'flick' position.

"But the moment you change the casting method, the power drops drastically. Casting magic in your own way, not the original method. At first, you're not used to it, so it doesn't reach its full power, but..."

Angelina's fingers tense up.

She's casting Wind Gun in her own way.

"...Once you get used to it, it becomes even more powerful than the original."

Whoosh─ Bang!

A faint sound of wind gathering at the tip of Angelina's index finger is heard.

Then, the bullet of wind she shot hits the boulder.

Boom! Crumble......

The boulder shatters in one hit.

─Wow. What was that?

─The boulder in one go...

─So this is an instructor.

─Can it change this much just by altering the casting method?

The students' exclamations.

After confirming their reactions, Angelina snaps her fingers again.

Following that, the shattered boulder is magically restored to its original state.

"The task I'm assigning you from now on is simple. Modify the Wind Gun casting in your own way and scratch that boulder. If it's difficult, you can follow my method."

"Do we have to do it today?"

"No. You don't necessarily need to succeed within this week. I'll give you plenty of time, so focus on succeeding. If you can make even a small crack, you pass. I don't think this will happen, but if someone manages it today..."

"......"

A meaningful trailing off.

With all the students' attention focused.

Angelina offered a carrot with an alluring smile.

"...I'll grant complete freedom until this assignment ends. You can do whatever you want. So, do your best, understood?"

"Yes!"

"However, I think it might be difficult to accomplish alone. So I'll specially arrange you into teams of two. Of course, the performance evaluation will be based on teams, not individuals."

Teams of two.

Tsk─ I clicked my tongue without realizing.

'This is going to be troublesome.'

My practical scores are a lost cause anyway, so I don't need to bother.

I was planning to ignore everything and just exercise on my own, but if I'm paired with someone, it's bound to be annoying.

Moreover, if it's not an individual evaluation...

'I'll probably hear some nagging.'

"I'll assign teams considering the grade differences between students. Now, first..."

Teams are formed according to Angelina's roll call.

I quietly look around. I wonder who will be my partner.

'If teams are formed considering grade differences.'

...Given that I'm the loser, there's only one most likely possibility.

"...And lastly, Penel and Herak."

"...!"

As soon as the names are called, I see someone's eyes widen.

Long cherry blossom-colored hair, accented side hair, bright pink eyes.

It's Penel, the top student of the 2nd year in the Magic Department.

"...Ufufu. Hello, Herak?"

Somehow, she's smiling at me meaningfully... It seems like she's thinking something strange.

'Of all people, it had to be Penel.'

It looks like I won't be able to exercise with her attention on me.

I really hope they'd change it.

Well, of course, that's not going to happen...

"Instructor!"

"What is it?"

At that moment, a voice stops Angelina as she's about to leave.

Carelessly braided pigtails and a plain appearance.

It was Penel's friend I saw at the library before.

"I want to be on the same team as Herak. Please pair Penel with someone else."

"Hm? Why is that, Miss Berry?"

Angelina tilts her head.

With an expression of complete incomprehension.

I feel the same way.

'Is she crazy?'

The moment she teams up with me, she's adding dead weight?

Why is she voluntarily trying to lower her evaluation score?

However, the extra called Berry raises her voice even more, as if she can't back down.

"As the top student, I think Penel has the right to be in a better team. I'll team up with Herak instead."

"...Hmm. Well, if Miss Berry herself says so."

Angelina shrugs and allows it.

Thanks to that, it's Penel who has her eyes wide open.

"B-Berry? Why are you doing this?"

"Penel. Are you trying to get involved with Herak again? I know everything."

"No, that's..."

"Absolutely not. You're our year's top student. We're already getting scolded for falling behind the Knight Department, are you going to lose points here too? That's not okay."

"But..."

Berry firmly pushes away Penel, who seems to want to object.

Then she sends her to her original teammate and approaches me.

"Hello."

"......"

Along with a greeting mixed with a strange snort.

Berry's pitch-black eyes are narrowed. It means she's not too pleased about being teamed up with me.

Yet she came to team up with me of her own accord.

Even sending away her friend Penel to do so.

Considering all this, the answer I gave was just one:

"Do you like me?"

"No, I don't!"

Flare─ A fierce aura as if she could kill with just a glare.

However, I'm the one who's dumbfounded.

"You think I'd let you and Penel be on the same team? She's precious. She needs to get good scores. You can't interfere with that!"

"Why are you worrying about that? You're really meddlesome."

"Hmph! What do you know?"

Her tone is harsh as she speaks with pouting lips.

If she really feels that way, I wonder why she became my teammate.

'Does she like Penel?'

All this fuss about changing teams to look after her friend's scores.

I shook my head and continued my exercise.

"...Hey, you're doing that again? I heard you've been exercising lately, but you're going to do it during lectures too?"

"It's none of your business."

I give a disinterested reply.

I hope she doesn't bother me and just focuses on the assignment.

I can't handle magic anyway, so it's better for me to just exercise.

Let's each go our own way.

"Hmph. I'm not thrilled about someone like you either..."

***

Quite some time has passed since Angelina left.

─Challenge!

─M-Me too, I'll challenge!

─Should I give it a try?

During that time, many students approached the central boulder.

It's only been a few hours since they changed their casting method. It would be difficult to adapt in such a short time.

...I'll grant complete freedom until this assignment ends. You can do whatever you want. So, do your best, understood?

The carrot Angelina offered is that tempting.

Enough for everyone to try impatiently.

However, if it were that easy, this wouldn't be an assignment that takes weeks.

─Wow, shit. Not even a scratch.

─The power doesn't come out properly when we change the casting method.

─Is this even possible...?

Everyone is realizing and shocked by the difficulty of the assignment given from the first lecture.

While they return to their seats, practicing Wind Gun and sighing.

"...Damn it."

My teammate, the extra character Berry, was frowning deeply.

"Please..."

The shape of her curled fingers looks quite familiar.

It's exactly the same as Angelina's 'flick' posture.

Judging by the fact that other students are doing the same, it must be easier to imitate the instructor.

But that doesn't mean they can copy the power as well.

"...Argh!"

Failure.

The Wind Gun that Berry practiced diligently made a pssht sound... like air escaping from a balloon, and the bullet crumbled.

Droop─

Berry's shoulders slump down.

She's been trying non-stop since becoming my teammate, but the result is a complete failure.

Berry hasn't managed to cast it properly even once.

─Hey, at least you can cast it somewhat?

─Yeah. It might be hard to scratch the boulder, but the casting itself is doable.

─So this is what they mean by varying magic casting.

In contrast, other students are making their own progress.

Although it's still impossible to scratch the boulder, everyone is managing to cast a modified version of Wind Gun.

There aren't many who can't even do that much, like Berry.

"...Haah."

Berry sits down with a deep sigh.

Meanwhile, I was continuing my exercise regardless.

────────────────

【Strength has increased!】

【Stamina has increased!】

【Agility has increased!】

────────────────

'I really wish I could do actual dumbbell curls.'

Even with just this, my strength, stamina, and agility are growing, but how much better would it be if I could use real exercise equipment?

However, I can't use the Knight Department's training grounds as a mage. It's a shame.

"...Hey."

A voice pierces my ear at that moment.

Berry is glaring at me.

"Are you really that carefree? Just exercising?"

"What else should I do?"

"Do something."

A face full of dissatisfaction.

Berry grumbled, as if venting her frustration.

"You're a mage too."

"I can't use magic."

"That's something to brag about?"

"Is that why you're making such a fuss about separating Penel from me?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"......"

As I continue exercising nonchalantly without being swayed, Berry closes her mouth.

Judging by her trembling eyes as she bites her lip, she seems upset.

"If it's that hard, why didn't you just leave Penel with me? You're not going to get a good score at this rate."

"I know."

"Then why?"

"...You don't need to know."

She says that while glancing at Penel.

Far away, Penel is smiling and casting Wind Gun with her teammate.

It's completely different from Berry struggling here.

"...I'm happy as long as Penel is happy."

"Well, that's some impressive friendship."

"Whatever. I didn't expect you to do anything anyway. ...I'll handle it myself. I don't care if I don't get a good score. I can make up for that later."

For someone saying that, her face is quite wrinkled.

It's clear that she's worried about the score for this assignment.

'Geez.'

Why did she insist on teaming up with me if she was going to be like this?

Berry continues trying to cast Wind Gun without giving up.

If I leave her like this, she'll use up all her mana and collapse.

Honestly, that's not really my problem, but─

'...How annoying.'

If she keeps drawing aggro like this while I'm exercising, it's going to lower my efficiency out of irritation.

I urgently need to grow my strength, stamina, and agility, so it's troublesome to be hindered by something like this.

'I guess I have no choice.'

I should deal with this somehow.

"Hey."

"What."

"Anyway, we just need to break that boulder, right? Then you'll get points too since it's a team score. Right?"

"...What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?"

"I'm saying this for your benefit."

I casually throw away the rock I was holding.

Standing up from my seat, I walk towards the boulder in the center.

"Wait, what are you doing now? Are you trying to challenge that?"

"Yeah."

"Are, are you crazy...? How are you going to do that? You can't use magic, right?"

"It's because you keep looking so gloomy next to me."

"......"

She closes her mouth tightly when I point it out directly.

Seems like she feels a bit guilty too.

"...W-What does that have to do with anything? You can't even cast Wind Gun anyway."

"No. I can do it."

"What? How?"

Berry looks at me with a face full of incomprehension.

I smile at her and declare:

"I'll show you. My magic."

"...?"

"Just wait and see."

I loosen up my body, rolling my shoulders.

As I approach the center, attention is drawn to me.

The eyes of my classmates, looking at me curiously at first, then turning into sneers.

Penel's eyes, wide open at first, then sparkling brightly.

Receiving all these gazes at once, I curl up the corners of my mouth into a grin as I stand in front of the boulder.

I raise my arm. Extending my hand towards the boulder, I take the 'flick' posture that Angelina took.

As my index finger and thumb tense up against each other.

The muscles in my hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder tremble slightly.

Ready to immediately execute my command.

In a situation where no one expects anything.

They think you can't do it.

That you can't use magic.

While everyone might be thinking that─

"Well, let's give it a try."

There's no need to worry at all.

Because highly developed muscles are indistinguishable from magic.