Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 72

EP.72 The Inevitable Has Come… But Isn’t It Too Soon?

Tisha was bewildered. Very much so, extremely bewildered.

It had been almost two months since she got to know Kyle.

While it might be considered a short time, it was enough to understand who Kyle was.

The Kyle she had known so far was polite, kind, and certainly not timid.

On the contrary, he was confident, assertive, and had a very masculine demeanor.

However, the Kyle she saw now was completely different from his usual self.

He looked utterly intimidated, his gaze unsure of where to settle.

Moreover, seeing him sweat profusely, it was clear he was extremely nervous.

‘He definitely called them brother and sister. But why….’

Had he been subjected to harsh bullying by his brother and sister?

Looking at his brother, she thought it might be possible, though she wasn’t sure about his sister.

Kyle wasn’t short by any means, but his brother was at least a head taller.

His robust physique made even the sturdy Kyle seem insignificant.

It seemed like if he grabbed someone’s head, it would crush with a crunch!

‘But… judging by his voice and eyes… it doesn’t seem like it.’

While his body was intimidating, his face wasn’t particularly menacing.

In fact, he had a very kind face, almost to the point of looking simple.

And his eyes, when looking at Kyle, were filled with concern for his younger brother.

He didn’t seem like someone who would bully his sibling.

“Hello, brother and sister.”

Meanwhile, the Saintess put down her spoon and quietly stepped in.

“Nice to meet you. Kyle just called you brother and sister….”

“He is our youngest brother.”

A very low, deep voice flowed out.

It was so chilling that it made the listener bow their head.

For Leo, this was his most high-spirited tone, though.

“Ah. Brother, this is the Saintess of the Church. And next to her is my friend, Tisha.”

“Saintess? You’re the Saintess?”

“I’ve heard of you. One of the two symbols of the Church, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Leo Jonathan, Saintess.”

“Nice to meet you, Saintess. I’m Lea Jonathan.”

It seemed that their time at the academy hadn’t been wasted.

Both Leo and Lea looked somewhat surprised as they gazed at the Saintess.

“But the Saintess looks so frail.”

“Are you eating properly? Look at these arms. My goodness….”

Their surprise wasn’t because of the Saintess herself, but because of her physique.

Leo and Lea immediately approached the Saintess, examining her with curious eyes.

From their perspective, her thin arms and legs looked like they could break with a touch.

Her small, delicate appearance, almost like a child’s, was extremely fascinating to them.

“Wait, wait a minute. Brother, Sister? When did you arrive at the academy?”

“We just got here.”

“We haven’t been here long.”

“But how did you find me so quickly?”

“As soon as we entered the academy, we could feel your presence, Kyle.”

Kyle was about to ask what Lea meant when Leo quietly provided the answer.

“When we came in, the only strong presence we felt was yours, little brother. So, it was easy to find you.”

In other words, they entered thinking it was a forest but found it to be a plain, with one large tree standing out clearly.

So, they could find their way here in no time. That was the gist of it.

“That’s not the point, Kyle. Hand that over. It’s not good for you.”

Lea suddenly snatched the ice cream from Kyle’s hand.

She sniffed it and muttered, “As expected, it’s full of sugar….”

“The person next to you is your friend, right?”

Despite his intimidating appearance, Leo also took care of Tisha.

He slightly bowed his head and introduced himself again.

“I’m Leo Jonathan. If my little brother has been a burden….”

“Oh, no! Um… Leo… sir? Anyway! Thanks to Kyle, I’ve been working harder on my sorcery, and he’s taught me exercises that have made me healthier. If anything, I’ve been the one relying on him.”

“Ho.”

Leo quietly expressed his admiration at Tisha’s words.

It seemed he was more interested in the fact that she was learning to exercise than in her saying she owed Kyle.

He quickly scanned Tisha’s body and nodded in satisfaction.

On the way here, most of the students, with a few exceptions, were disappointing.

Many lacked even basic physical fitness, let alone consistent exercise.

Technically, they were Leo’s juniors.

While he didn’t have a particular affection for the academy, he did have some attachment to a place he had once been part of.

So, seeing the state of the students made him feel even more regretful.

But seeing Kyle’s friend, a female student with a well-balanced physique, made him feel proud.

It’s good to exercise, but it’s also good to show the benefits to those around you.

What could be more beautiful than everyone diligently training themselves and becoming stronger?

If Kyle managed to influence even one person at the academy in that way, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Leo Jonathan nodded and patted Tisha’s shoulder a few times.

“I’m glad my little brother has a good friend.”

“Pardon?”

“Please continue to get along well with my little brother.”

Despite his intimidating appearance, his tone was very gentle.

Tisha felt a sense of relief and then happiness as she looked at Leo.

She had been recognized as a good friend by the person Kyle called brother.

After all, Jonathan was a noble family, and she was a commoner.

Recently, she had been feeling a bit uncomfortable with the frequent meetings between Kyle and Elga.

But she thought this encounter might have a positive influence.

“Kyle.”

After finishing his conversation with Tisha, Leo turned back to Kyle.

Seeing the ice cream in front of him, he clicked his tongue.

“You’ve eaten quite a lot.”

“I only had a little, brother.”

At Kyle’s excuse, Leo looked at the ice cream of the Saintess and Tisha.

Compared to theirs, the amount Kyle had eaten was far from little.

“Are you okay? No rapid heartbeat or difficulty breathing?”

“None of that.”

Tisha looked at Leo with a puzzled expression, wondering what he was worried about.

The Saintess also blinked her eyes and tilted her head in confusion.

“I had something to discuss, but it seems we’ll have to talk while exercising.”

Immediately after, Leo and Lea dragged Kyle off to the gym.

Of course, they paid for the ice cream Kyle had eaten.

“….”

“….”

It felt like a storm had just swept through, leaving Tisha sitting dazed and the Saintess nibbling on her ice cream.

And then…

“One coffee, please.”

The Minister of Education, who had been quietly observing the situation, churched a coffee.

“Minister?!”

Tisha, who had recently received a commendation with Kyle, recognized him instantly.

Thanks to that, she remembered the Minister of Education’s face very clearly.

“Nice to see you again, Tisha. How’s your sorcery research going?”

“Yes, it’s going well. But why are you….”

“Why am I at the academy again? I’d like to say I came for a cup of coffee.”

Should I just resign? Lately, it feels like my remaining lifespan has been cut in half.

As he sipped the coffee brought by the server, the Minister of Education seriously contemplated his dilemma.

His inner conflict was so intense that he even forgot to add sugar to his coffee.

“…It’s bitter.”

Yes, it was very bitter. Just like his life. Especially today, his life felt even more bitter.

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`Murmur, murmur-.

A slight commotion spread among the students who were exercising.

“Who are those two people next to Kyle? I’ve never seen them before.”

“Wow… they’re a head taller than Kyle. How tall are they?”

“If I bumped into that guy on the street, I’d probably break something.”

“…Hey, wait a minute. That woman… isn’t she…? I think she is.”

Leo had graduated from the academy several years ago and hadn’t caused any incidents, so there was no reason for the students to remember him.

However, Lea was different. It hadn’t been long since the incident involving her.

There were still students at the academy who had enrolled at the same time as her.

Thanks to that, some students vaguely recognized Lea.

But Lea and Leo were too focused to pay any attention to that.

“Just as expected… right, brother?”

“It seems so.”

Leo and Lea both muttered in a somber tone.

Then, with a look of pity, they gazed at Kyle standing before them.

“You look out of shape, Kyle.”

It was a truly dreadful statement.

“Little brother, have you been neglecting your training?”

“Absolutely not. I’ve been working hard.”

“Your body doesn’t seem to agree.”

“Well, maybe not as much as at home, but I’ve kept up the basics.”

“Be honest, Kyle. This sister can see everything.”

Under the dual pressure, Kyle couldn’t hold out any longer.

“…I’ve always exercised. But I couldn’t control my diet.”

“I expected as much. You were eating that sugar lump just now.”

“You haven’t been eating at night, have you? Right, Kyle?”

“I’m sorry, sister. I did have some snacks at night….”

“Some?”

“…A lot….”

Reading turned out to be more fun than he thought, and late-night snacks were even tastier.

So recently, he had been munching on snacks while reading at night.

It seemed that even this had been caught by the Jonathan radar of these two.

“No wonder your body is out of shape.”

Leo Jonathan clicked his tongue.

The students standing behind them murmured to themselves, “Out of shape? What’s out of shape?”

Kyle’s body, which was supposedly out of shape, looked solid and lean to anyone.

Hearing that, the students glanced down at their own bodies.

Then they quietly returned to their spots and resumed their exercises.