Chapter 8 - Highly Developed Muscles Are... (2)

A silence falls over the [Introduction to Elementology] training ground.

Thud, thud─ 

Towards the massive boulder placed by Instructor Angelina herself,

A student was approaching. One that no other student had dared to even scratch.

However, the reason all students were maintaining silence was.

Because the identity of the student challenging the task was so unexpected.

"...Is he crazy?"

Someone's muttered whisper.

Soon, as if in response, the entire training ground begins to fill with the students' mockery.

"Has that bastard lost his mind? Why is he taking on that?"

"He's a complete nutcase. What does he think he's doing when he can't even use magic?"

"Hey, hey. Leave him be. He's trying to do something, at least."

"I'll acknowledge him if he can move even a speck of mana."

No one expects Herak to perform well.

They all know the infamous reputation Herak has among the 2nd year Magic Department students.

'Loser.'

Originally someone who shouldn't have been admitted to Olympia.

A talentless individual who wouldn't have been seen if the Chairwoman hadn't personally recommended him for special admission.

Moreover, even after admission, he couldn't use any magic at all, and was hanging on by the special privilege of being exempt from practical scores.

Some suspected he had 'magic insensitivity' or something.

If that were true, it would be truly laughable.

A mage who can't sense mana? It's like a knight without arms and legs.

"A disgrace to the Magic Department."

That's why Herak was disliked among his peers.

The fact that he was in an equal position with them despite not being able to use magic.

The fact that they were mocked by the Knight Department for having a loser admitted through special measures.

They looked down on Herak, not liking anything about him─

"...Haah."

Berry's brow furrows as she reads the atmosphere.

The mocking gazes from her classmates are merciless.

If she were the target of those gazes, she truly wouldn't have been able to sleep out of shame.

But.

"I don't know what he's thinking..."

Her teammate. Herak had willingly walked into a hellfire pit.

He stood proudly in front of the boulder, being visually slaughtered by his classmates' gazes.

Berry was almost in awe of his boldness.

'Can he do it?'

Given how confidently he stepped up, he must have some plan.

No, it would be troublesome if he didn't.

"......"

Herak didn't say a word.

He simply stood straight in front of the boulder, recreating the motion Instructor Angelina had made.

He raises his arm. Extends it towards the boulder, curls three fingers.

Then tenses his index finger and thumb against each other.

From the outside, it looks like he's just taking the same posture, nothing special.

However.

"...What's that?"

Suddenly, Berry noticed.

The muscles from Herak's hand, to his arm, to his shoulder were twitching.

The muscle cells are trembling and screaming. Because they're receiving the maximum force they can produce.

As if in extreme concentration, Herak's eyes are fixed unwaveringly on the boulder.

The sweat rolling down his cheek somehow exuded masculinity.

The moment she saw this, Penel immediately came to mind.

When she turned her gaze to Penel, she was already watching with sparkling eyes.

"Haah. That idiot."

As expected.

She knew well that Penel was interested in Herak.

In fact, it was because she knew that she was trying to prevent them from getting involved.

'She said she fell for him at first sight...'

Penel had secretly told her that his appearance was her type.

In truth, most male students in the Magic Department look similar.

Skinny bodies without muscles, befitting mages.

In other words, she fell for him purely based on his face.

And then.

"Gulp."

After an unknown person's swallowing sound.

Herak flicks his finger.

In that instant, the boulder exploded.

BOOOOM─!!!

"...?!"

Berry's eyes widen in shock.

'W-What?'

A sight unbelievable even to her own eyes.

The moment Herak flicked his finger, the boulder lost its form.

The huge, solid rock that hadn't even been scratched before.

Now it had lost its shape, shattered into pieces scattered on the ground.

Crumble......

The belated sound of falling rock fragments.

Followed by the acrid air filling the training ground.

The students belatedly began to react, stepping back.

"What the hell, shit. Cough!"

"Did he break it? Did he really break it? Is that possible?"

"D-Did he use magic...? That bastard?"

"The boulder is shattered...?! Shit, he didn't just scratch it, he completely destroyed it!"

Incomprehensible reality is often met with loud voices.

The students tried to draw their own conclusions about Herak's actions.

They showed various emotional reactions including shock, denial, and jealousy, but.

There was one fact that everyone had to acknowledge.

"...He did it. That bastard."

The task given by Instructor Angelina.

***

"My arm hurts."

I press the aching arm muscles with my other hand.

The pressure massage helps a bit, but it's not muscle soreness that will heal easily.

It's because I exerted such great force.

'I used too much strength trying to break the boulder.'

It looked so solid that even scratching it seemed difficult.

Thinking it would be hard to damage even with my 【Ultimate Physique】, I went all out.

I managed to shatter it, but now my arm feels shattered too.

"...My goodness."

As I'm massaging my arm in front of the crumbled boulder.

Eventually, Angelina, who had been far away, appears.

Tap, tap. 

Her reaction as she approaches me is simple.

"What is this?"

Pure curiosity.

"I did say I'd give a reward if someone finished it today, but I didn't expect a student to actually do it."

Half disbelief, half amazement.

Angelina's gaze slightly turns towards me.

"Are you Herak? The one who broke this?"

"Yes."

I answer calmly without showing any reaction.

My arm hurts too much to bother with reactions.

"Hmm. That's impressive..."

She says this as she slowly approaches the boulder.

Then she picks up a piece of rubble and examines it.

At that moment, someone among the students shouts.

"Instructor!"

"Yes. What is it?"

"It might be a trick. He might have used some dark art!"

"...?"

Angelina blinks her eyes.

I'm equally dumbfounded.

'Are they crazy?'

They saw me break it with their own eyes, yet they're denying it.

"That guy can't use magic, right? He might have used some other strange technique to break it. Please check it!"

"W-Well, that might be..."

Other students nod slightly at the claim of the student suspecting foul play.

They're all jumping on this irrational train of thought because it's so unbelievable.

"Hmm."

Angelina glances at the rubble.

Not swayed by the students' forced claims, her assessment as an excellent mage is─

"It is magic."

"...Pardon?"

A clear fact.

"I can feel traces of mana in the rubble. This is what happens when you mix mana with wind and shoot it. It's definitely a magical phenomenon."

"Uh, uh..."

"Well, I'm not sure if it's Wind Gun though. The result is a bit different from what Wind Gun would produce. Even I'm not sure what technique Herak used, but..."

She shrugs and looks at me.

Her gaze is quite intrigued.

"...A pass is a pass. Herak gets full marks."

Full marks.

Herak Leonhardt, who had never received any practical scores until now, got full marks.

The students' mouths clamped shut.

"And the student who said it was dark arts? I remember you clearly."

"Ugh, that's..."

"If you want to slander others, you should prove yourself first. If you fail to complete the assignment..."

The corners of Angelina's mouth curl up.

Her smile alone looks like it could kill someone.

"...Look forward to it?"

"Eek!"

A pathetic scream.

Regardless of that, let's confirm the important things first.

"So am I free now?"

"Yes. Herak is free until the other students complete the assignment. You can spend your time as you like."

That's quite pleasing.

I didn't have much interest and only tried because of Berry. But the result was good, so it's a win.

Now I can focus on exercising.

'Come to think of it, she said she felt mana.'

It wasn't intentional. It's impossible in the first place due to my magic insensitivity.

Probably my physical cheat caused an unrealistic phenomenon.

Enough to make a simple act of flicking wind with my finger be mistaken for magic.

I turn around, satisfied.

Let's go back to where I threw the rock earlier. I can do dumbbell curls there again...

'Ah.'

There's one person with a dumb expression behind her glasses.

Berry is staring intently at me.

Feeling a bit concerned, I asked Angelina.

"What about Berry then? Since it's a team score, does she get full marks too?"

"Ah, you mean Miss Berry. Of course, she gets full marks too. Changing teams turned out to be a good thing in the end."

"Hmm."

Somehow, I ended up doing something good for someone else.

'Well, it's fine.'

If this makes Berry shut up and not bother me, that's good enough.

"......"

Thud, thud─

I move forward, parting the crowd. The classmates standing in front of me all avoid my gaze and step aside.

'Tsk tsk.'

They were so eager to put me down before. Now that the result is different, they're all keeping quiet.

"Hey."

"......"

"Got nothing to say?"

I finally stand in front of Berry.

She looks up at me with a dumbfounded expression.

"Sigh. Just don't bother me anymore. I'll do my own thing."

"H-How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"The boulder, how did you break it?"

Her voice is quite shaky.

Where's the sharp-tongued girl from earlier?

She's become quite a docile woman.

Of course, I have no need to tell her anything, she wouldn't believe me even if I did.

"Well."

"What?"

"Mind your own business. It's not something I can explain."

"A-Are you crazy? What kind of confidence is that? Do you think that makes you look cool?"

Berry chatters away, getting worked up on her own.

I wave my hand casually, gesturing her to move aside, and sit down.

Picking up the rock I had left earlier.

Time to start exercising.

'I should rest my sore arm.'

I'll go to the infirmary for treatment when I'm done.

***

While Herak was focused on his exercise.

Berry, who had already finished this assignment thanks to him, went to find her friend.

"Congratulations, Berry. Full marks."

"Yeah..."

Penel welcomes her with a bright smile.

Usually, seeing that smile would warm her heart and make her worries fly away, but─

"Herak is really amazing, isn't he?"

"......"

"I wonder how he did it, hmm. I'm curious. Did you hear anything?"

"...No."

For some reason, this time it wasn't so easy.

"Haah."

It's giving me a headache.

Berry sighs and rubs her forehead.

"Penel."

"Yes?"

"I think I understand why you're interested in Herak..."

"Ufufu, is that so?"

There's not a hint of doubt in that seductive smile.

Falling for someone is really scary. To think that the clever Penel could be so smitten.

'I really need to protect her.'

I understand that Herak seems to have some impressive aspects.

But still, it's not okay.

Penel is Berry's precious friend. She can't let her get swept away by a man.

That's all there is to it.