Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 67

EP.67 If You Can’t Handle It, You’re Weak!

Judging from what he had seen so far, Nell’s determination was beyond expectations.

The effort to keep up with Kyle’s sprint was quite impressive.

Of course, he had been on the verge of collapsing from hyperventilation.

But the fact that he didn’t give up and ran until the end was what mattered most.

Furthermore, that alone was an incredible feat.

Even seasoned knights wouldn’t be able to follow so easily.

‘Since he’s not a complete beginner, maybe I should start a bit more intensely.’

It wasn’t free personal training; he had received a fair amount of money.

In this case, it was right to give his utmost effort in guiding him.

Kyle led Nell to the gym, or rather, the indoor training hall.

As he entered, a group of students simultaneously turned their heads.

‘Lately, it seems like there’s been a sudden increase in people working out.’

It wasn’t just a feeling; it was true. The number had doubled compared to before.

Kyle walked further inside, wondering if there was some sudden fitness craze.

He seemed unaware that the sudden fitness trend at the academy was because of him.

Now, how should he start? The goal wasn’t simply to lose weight or build a better physique.

Nell needed to become a knight. And to become that knight, he needed to have the best body.

Given this, he would probably need to undergo training similar to Leto’s.

However, since his determination and perseverance were much stronger than Leto’s, starting with punches wasn’t necessary.

“Let’s start by warming up lightly.”

“Lightly… you say?”

“Yes, lightly.”

Nell looked at Kyle with a slightly bewildered expression.

He said they would warm up lightly, but he brought out that thick bar.

Wasn’t warming up supposed to be done with stretching or something similar?

“You haven’t done this before, have you?”

“No… actually, I’ve only ever swung a sword….”

“Swinging a sword is good. But just swinging a sword won’t improve your arm strength. The same goes for your upper body. It can provide support, but it will never be the main focus. Honestly, you feel it, don’t you?”

Nell nodded slightly. In his position, it was inevitable.

Unlike other knight candidates, he didn’t have a senior knight to teach him everything.

He had to prepare and hone everything on his own, learning by watching others.

So, if he had achieved anything in a systematic way, that would have been stranger.

“I made it clear, Nell.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know swordsmanship. The only thing I know is how to train the body.”

“I understand. So, you don’t have to worry….”

“Listen to the end. That’s not the important part.”

Kyle took a step forward.

His face turned serious, devoid of any playfulness.

“From now on, we’re going to do this properly. You brought this upon yourself, so handle it.”

He intended to fully instill the Jonathan way into this member.

Work as much as you’re paid. It was a simple and obvious principle.

====

***

====

Humming a tune, the saintess was dusting the chapel.

Her guards tried to stop her, saying they would do it and asking why she was doing such menial tasks.

But the saintess shook her head. What was wrong with the person serving God cleaning the place where God was worshipped?

In fact, she believed that making others do her work was something she should never do.

Having convinced everyone who tried to stop her, she finally finished cleaning the chapel.

‘It seems like it’s about time for him to come.’

He was a man who had never been late, always coming to see her at the exact time.

To be precise, he came to check on her training progress, but she didn’t mind.

If the most wonderful person in the world was coming to see her, that was enough to make her happy.

“Saintess.”

A moment later, the chapel door opened, and Kyle stepped inside.

The saintess beamed and was about to greet him warmly with a “Brother!”

“Excuse me….”

But today, Kyle wasn’t alone, he had brought a student with him.

The saintess, who was about to greet Kyle warmly, tilted her head in confusion.

She noticed the first-year badge on the student’s chest.

It seemed the student was a freshman like Kyle, but it was hard to tell if they were male or female.

Judging by the male attire, she could barely tell he was a male student.

The only other noticeable thing was that he looked utterly exhausted, almost on the verge of collapsing.

“Brother Kyle? Who is this beside you…?”

“This is Nell. Like you, he’s another student I’m training.”

“Ah! I see. Nice to meet you, Brother Nell!”

“Nice to meet you, Saintess….”

His voice also clearly reflected his exhaustion.

‘It’s a bit sudden, but… it’s not unusual.’

She already knew that Kyle was helping others with their training.

After all, wasn’t there a girl named Tisha before herself?

It would be strange if people didn’t gather around such a wonderful and kind person.

Thinking this, the saintess shifted her gaze from Nell back to Kyle.

‘Is Brother Kyle alright? It must be very tiring to look after so many people.’

Should she bless him again? She was pondering this when Kyle suddenly approached her with a serious tone.

“Saintess, if possible, could you grant me a favor?”

“A favor? Of course! Anything for you, Brother!”

Instead of asking what the favor was, she immediately agreed to do anything he asked.

Touched once again by her kind heart, Kyle got to the point.

“Could you perhaps bless Nell once?”

“Well… I think I can. But I might not be able to do it multiple times….”

“Of course, I wouldn’t be so rude as to ask repeatedly. Just once today will be enough.”

Perhaps he had tried to push too much into the first day.

Unfortunately, Nell had completely collapsed by the afternoon and couldn’t get up.

There was so much to teach and instill in her today, and this was problematic.

“If you insist….”

The saintess approached Nell and gently touched his head.

Unlike with Kyle, there was no kissing of the forehead.

After a moment, a golden aura emanated from her hand and enveloped Nell.

“…It’s done, Brother. After a short rest, he should be able to move as usual.”

“Thank you, Saintess. Truly, thank you.”

“I’m glad you’re happy. The favor you asked wasn’t even for yourself but for someone else. You’re quite an unusual person, Brother.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Jokingly, Kyle led the saintess to the back of the chapel.

The third member, Nell, took a short break, and now it was the second member, the saintess’s turn.

“Alright. Let’s see how much you’ve improved today.”

“I’m confident in my form and the number of reps now!”

The saintess exclaimed confidently.

Kyle laughed heartily at her enthusiasm and looked pleased.

Even someone who’s not naturally athletic can achieve a basic level with effort.

“That’s great, Saintess. I was thinking of increasing the reps soon.”

“W-what did you just say…?”

“Don’t worry about it. Now, shall we increase them?!”

“Eek?!”

The saintess suddenly felt the truth of the scripture saying that the tongue is a sharp blade.

====

***

====

While Kyle was helping the saintess with her workout, Nell managed to get some rest.

When Kyle woke him up a bit later, he realized his body felt incredibly light.

Though surprised, his first emotion was bewilderment.

He never imagined Kyle would ask the saintess to bless her directly.

“I never thought you’d ask the saintess for such a favor, Kyle.”

“The saintess is very kind-hearted. I thought she’d agree if I asked.”

Kyle then asked Nell, “Does your body feel lighter now?”

Nell rotated his arms and legs a bit and nodded.

“It feels very light indeed. Refreshing, even.”

“That’s good to hear. The exercises we did this morning and afternoon were quite tough.”

“Oh… no wonder I felt so drained….”

“That’s normal. It was originally a male-specific routine, but I believed you could handle it because of your strong will. You did well.”

Nell nodded at Kyle’s words but then suddenly paused.

“…Wait. Hold on.”

He sensed something odd in Kyle’s words.

Why did he keep emphasizing that it was a male-specific routine? Why?

“Kyle, by any chance….”

“What? Are you asking if I know you’re a woman?”

“Uh, uh…?”

“Of course, I noticed. Do you think I wouldn’t know the difference between male and female body structures?”