Battle Race in the Fantasy World

EP.121 A Coincidence Disguised as Inevitability

Before boarding the teleportation circle heading south, the supervising professor checks the luggage.

Although inspecting personal belongings is a sensitive matter, it can’t be helped.

Sometimes a few students try to smuggle in alcohol without permission.

While other things might be overlooked, alcohol is strictly regulated by the academy.

If someone were to drink secretly and cause an accident, it would be a real headache.

For this reason, they had no choice but to check for any hidden alcohol.

‘…What’s this?’

However, while checking the luggage, something appeared that made him doubt his eyes.

It was none other than a long bar and plates to fit on that bar.

Next to it was someone’s luggage containing four dumbbells and even a kettlebell.

At first, he thought it belonged to Kyle from the much-talked-about Baron Jonathan’s family.

Just like the eldest son and daughter of Baron Jonathan who had previously enrolled.

After all, all the academy staff knew that Kyle was also obsessed with exercise.

“It’s not mine?”

But Kyle denied that it was his.

He even held up his own extremely ordinary-looking bag that was placed next to it.

Tilting his head in confusion, the professor checked inside and found only clothes.

Thanks to this, the supervising professor was left wondering whether to believe it or not.

“That’s mine, Professor!”

“…The one next to it is mine.”

“And the one next to that is mine.”

In order, it was Nell, Ian, and then Leto.

These were the identities of those who had packed the incomprehensible luggage that Kyle would typically pack.

The professor couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the words of the three male and female students.

Who on earth are these students? What’s going on here?

Is this some kind of new form of rebellion? Are they planning to do something terrible with these?

“Students. Why on earth did you bring these things?”

“We brought them to exercise!”

“…Exercise?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Nell answers energetically. Leto looks sheepish.

Lastly, Ian with a blank stare as if asking if there’s any problem.

He had seen students trying to sneak in alcohol before, but it was the first time seeing someone trying to sneak in exercise equipment.

Although the academic field trip has scholarly purposes, it’s also a trip just for the freshmen.

Instead of thinking about resting and enjoying themselves, they’re thinking about exercising?

The supervising professor, tilting his head in confusion, finally decided to let it slide.

It’s a bewildering situation, but there’s nothing problematic about it either.

Self-discipline is even encouraged by the academy, so all the more reason.

“You must only use these for exercise. Understood?”

At the professor’s words, Ian makes an even more bewildered expression.

Of course they would use these for exercise, who in their right mind would use them to fight?

Where in the world are there people who would fight with things like these!

Meanwhile, as the supervising professor disappears, Kyle quietly approaches.

Then he starts rummaging through the luggage of the three, checking something.

“Did you bring all this by yourself, Nell?”

“Yes. You said we shouldn’t neglect our training no matter where we go, so that’s why I did.”

“Hmm…”

If it were an ordinary person, they might have said, “Even so, do you really need to do this for an academic field trip?”

They might have said to just work hard to make up for what was missed after returning.

But Kyle was different. After checking Nell’s luggage, he tilted his head.

“The bar, the plates, the dumbbells… What about the kettlebell? Didn’t you bring that?”

“Eh? Ah, aah… I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“Next time, bring that too. I strongly recommend using kettlebells.”

He even goes as far as to advise bringing one more piece of equipment in this situation.

He explains how barbells and dumbbells have their center of gravity in the hand, while kettlebells have it on the outside.

So even with the same weight, the strain on the body is completely different.

The more bewildering thing is Ian, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, chiming in.

“I brought a kettlebell. Kyle.”

“You brought one? Oh. That’s a bit unexpected. Well done, Ian.”

It was a moment when Kyle, who had been nagging them every day, for the first time praised him and even patted his shoulder.

===

**

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Still, Kyle noted that things had gotten much better compared to before. He had expected it from Nell and Ian, but to think even Leto would bring equipment on his own.

As a trainer, it was a moment that made Kyle’s heart swell with pride. He couldn’t help but think, what could be more enjoyable than seeing his members show such enthusiasm?

‘When I get bored later, I should try lifting with what those three brought.’

If the weight isn’t enough, he could probably manage somehow by procuring more locally, Kyle thought, in a way that would make other students cringe if they heard it.

Now that the supervising professor’s luggage check is over, all that’s left is to board the teleportation magic circle.

As he stands quietly in place waiting for the order to move, he hears someone calling him from behind.

“Kyle! Kyle!”

Turning his head, he saw Tisha approaching with a bright smile.

She usually wore dark-colored clothes, but this time was different.

The sky-blue outfit suits her very well, as radiant as the smile she’s wearing.

“Are you all prepared?”

“Yes. As you can see, perfectly.”

As you can see, he was fully prepared to deal with the ‘target’ during the academic field trip.

He doesn’t know the exact location, but there’s something called a Jonathan sense.

As he wanders around here and there, he’s bound to feel something go ‘pop!’

“I’m looking forward to the academic field trip. And it’s even in the south!”

“You seem really excited.”

“Of course. It’s so hard to see the ocean where I was… no, where we were in the north. I mean, specifically, a sea with warm sun, sandy beaches, and blue waves rolling in. An ocean where you can splash around and dip your feet in.”

There is an ocean in the north too. The problem is that it’s a place where icebergs float around.

If you go in once, you’ll freeze to death right there, so you can’t go in.

‘Jonathan go in just fine though.’

It’s a daily routine for Jonathan to jump into that ice sea at least once a month.

There’s no special reason. They just go in to swim and aim for overall physical improvement.

‘I think I once stayed in the sea for three days straight while hitting icebergs.’

That was a bit tough. Really, damn tough.

“I’ve always wanted to see that kind of pretty ocean.”

Tisha shakes Kyle awake from his momentary immersion in past thoughts.

Certainly, when you think of ‘ocean’, that’s the typical image.

“I saw in the schedule that they’re giving us free time at the beach. Kyle, you know how to swim, right?”

“Yes. Of course I do.”

Everyone from Jonathan knows how to swim.

They didn’t learn it separately. You just end up doing it to survive when thrown into the ice sea.

Later on, you get used to it and even say the ice sea is warmer than the outside.

“I know how to swim too! Then we can go swimming together when we get there!”

Kyle nods with a smile at Tisha’s words.

But he couldn’t give a definite ‘let’s do that’ answer.

Probably because he might have something else to do when he gets to the south.

‘If I’m gone for too long, Tisha might get upset again. It’ll be a week at most, I guess.’

Anyway, Kyle himself has no intention of investing any more time than that.

After all, it’s an academy field trip. It’s like a fantasy world MT.

He absolutely won’t drink alcohol, and he’ll exercise in between, but he should enjoy it nonetheless.

It would be a bit, no, very unfair to spend all that time looking for those damn Roiders.

Fortunately, news came that would help Kyle’s future plans.

A red-haired female student who had been closely observing the intimate scene between Tisha and Kyle.

It was Elga, the princess of Litorio, who could no longer hold back and approached.

“Tisha, Kyle.”

“Ah. Welcome, Lady Elga.”

“I heard you talking about the southern sea. You seem really excited?”

“Yes. Since I’ve always been in the mountains, I’ve never even been near the sea.”

“It’s a beautiful place. Just as mountains have their beauty, and lakes have theirs, so does the sea.”

She first engages in conversation with Tisha, erasing any displeasure about possibly splitting up the conversation.

Then, judging that the situation has been adequately set up, she turns to Kyle.

“Kyle. Do you remember what you told me last time?”

“What I said last time… Ah. You mean when I went to the imperial palace?”

“Yes. You told me then that some groups from the Western Kingdom Alliance had headed south.”

As he nods, Elga smiles.

It’s a bit different from the radiant smile Tisha showed earlier.

How should I put it? It feels a bit more dangerous?

“I found it.”

“…Just a moment. Lady Elga? What did you just say?”

“I said I found it. Where those fugitives from the alliance headed.”

Probably no one but the imperial family knows this information.

Releasing such potentially sensitive information in this situation is a dangerous thing.

If not careful, it could draw suspicious glances from the imperial family.

But the other party is none other than Kyle. He’s Jonathan.

Even the imperial family invited him to the palace to show his face in state affairs.

There’s no reason to say anything about providing information to such a figure.

“Lady Elga.”

“Yes, Kyle.”

“Where is it?”

Kyle’s face is as calm as usual.

However, Elga felt the faint anger and heat emanating from within.

She realizes once again that her prediction was spot on.

That this information could score more points than anything else!

It’s a bit sorry for Tisha, but this is war.

In war, you don’t consider the other side when devising and executing strategies and tactics!

“Do you want to know?”

“Yes. I want to know.”

“It might be difficult with just words. I struggled quite a bit too, and put in effort…”

Saying that, Elga stares intently at Kyle.

A silent question: ‘I can give you this, what can you give me in return?’

“…”

Kyle briefly turns his head to check his surroundings.

Fortunately, they’re a bit away from the other students, so there are no watching eyes.

He momentarily wondered if this was really necessary.

But that thought soon disappears, replaced by a desire to ‘just want to see those guys’ faces quickly.’

If he can end this quickly, what wouldn’t he do here?

“Please, I ask of you.”

So he grabs Elga’s hand, brings it in front of him.

Before she can react, he kisses the back of her hand.

So that the other party can’t demand better conditions.

“…Uh, uhh?”

Thanks to this, Elga’s face turns as red as her hair.

No, even redder than her hair.

“Ah, uah? Uaah?”

Could it be that she didn’t expect this?

Elga is so surprised she doesn’t know what to do. She looks like she might start bouncing around.

But Kyle doesn’t care about that, he only demands one thing.

“So where is it? That place.”