“Huff… khuk… huff…”
My whole body was drenched in sweat.
All because I’d carried a few books and walked quickly. That was it.
“Damn this stamina.”
I muttered while clutching my trembling legs.
My room here is on the third floor.
At a glance, it doesn’t look very high, but that’s not the case. The ceilings in the Herein dorm are absurdly tall.
And if the ceiling is tall, of course the stairs are many.
Since the ceilings here are about twice as high as those in an ordinary building, my room on the third floor is practically the sixth.
“…My legs are shaking.”
For Adel’s stamina, these stairs might as well be the Stairway to Heaven. By the time I reach the top, I’m basically dead.
“S-Still… if it’s this exhausting… maybe my stamina went up by at least 1…”
With that faint hope, I lifted my head and looked in the mirror beside the bed. I opened Adel Bliss’s status window…
◆ Stamina: 3
“……”
Not a single point had gone up.
Three.
The moment I saw that number, a chill ran down my spine.
Physical training.
In the game, it was something I did with just a mouse and keyboard.
Stats that used to go up easily with a few simple inputs had now turned into something as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.
Which means—
I now have to feel moment by moment the passage of in-game time that used to fly by in a few minutes of real time, sweating buckets every single day as I exercise…
Stop training!
With a hopeless feeling, I walked out of Herein Hall. The magic books I’d put down carelessly rolled across the floor, but it didn’t matter. With the NP I had, I couldn’t learn any spells anyway.
***
In this world, there are things you have to do even when you absolutely don’t want to.
From keeping promises with others to taking care of yourself.
The reasons vary from person to person, but if you zoom out, it all comes down to one thing:
Survival.
A human being can do anything if it’s to stay alive.
This primal survival instinct engraved in our genes yet long forgotten by modern humans is what allows a person to become something close to superhuman.
“Huff… ngh… huuuff…”
Yeah.
That was exactly why despite feeling my vision spin I was still able to run.
This was the gym located next to the main building of the Academy’s Department of Magic.
It was open to all students until 7 p.m., so anyone could come here to exercise.
“Huff… urk. Khhhh…”
I felt like throwing up. Nausea surged up my throat, yet my mouth was so dry that it didn’t even feel like anything would come out.
It hasn’t even been two hours. Damn this useless body.
A rational thought flickered briefly through my mind, but with all the sugar drained from my muscles, my brain couldn’t hold onto it for long.
All I could focus on was my body’s desperate plea for rest, the overwhelming urge to just collapse right where I was.
…Yeah. Let’s lie down. After sweating this much, it doesn’t matter that the floor is the gym floor or that Adel was originally born a noble.
If I just lie down, everything will feel easier. I’ll catch my breath for a moment.
Then I’ll go back and shower. Maybe I should use the bath in Herein Hall…
.
.
.
That was when it happened.
A thought flashed sharply through my mind.
…I’ll die. Camilla is going to kill me.
“……”
I straightened my posture and wiped my sweat.
“Damn it!!”
I had to run. This was the kind of moment in life where you absolutely must not give up.
Because if I give up, I’m dead!!!
And so, I forced my legs to move again.
– …Who is that guy?
– No idea. Doesn’t look like someone from the Knight Department…
– He’s running like he’s possessed.
I ignored the murmurs around me. This was… yeah, this was also a chance to properly test my body’s limits.
“…Training like that will only ruin your body.”
Suddenly, I stopped at the unexpected interruption.
“Your body doesn’t even have the proper basics built. Running yourself into the ground like that won’t change anything in a short time.”
…Did it work? The gym-speedrun trick.
I roughly pushed my fallen bangs aside and looked toward the voice.
A neatly handsome face. Blonde hair.
“….…!”
Perfect. I celebrated inwardly.
The person who spoke to me was clearly the one I’d been looking for…..Aaron Damir. I wasn’t absolutely certain, but I was certain enough.
There was no one else here who would bother talking to a complete stranger just because he was running like he was desperate.
“Haven’t seen you around. Doesn’t look like you’re from the Knight Department. Something going on?”
“…Then, what should I do?”
I spoke in a murmur. A gloomy voice slipped from my throat.
It wasn’t an act. It was real. The frustration had been building up from all the hardship I wasn’t meant for.
“…How about taking a short break? I can at least hear you out.”
***
7:00 PM sharp.
The gym next to the Department of Magic.
From the little angel statue above the entrance, a melody resembling a wind instrument began to play.
It signaled the gym’s closing.
From this point on, only those with authorization could use the facility.
And right now, I was sitting face-to-face with a blond man, trying to become one of those “authorized individuals”.
“You want to continue training?”
“Yes.”
“Why? You’re from the Department of Magic, aren’t you? You must’ve enrolled in this academy to become a mage.”
“…I want to become stronger. No, I have to become stronger.”
“…Hmm.”
The man hesitating in front of me was none other than Aaron Damir.
A third-year student in the Knight Department.
A well-known character among players for his upright and honest nature.
With his neat appearance and decent skills, he was such a standout that even as a third-year with nearly two years left until graduation, external knight orders were already reaching out with direct offers.
The model golden boy with a warm personality.
He was a popular figure, regardless of the player’s gender.
And it made sense. He was kind, well-groomed, and so prim that his nickname, amusingly enough, was “Ada”.
Short for Aaron Damir…Ada.
Maybe. But to be honest, it probably wasn’t just because it was a simple abbreviation.
He was like a model of righteousness straight out of a painting. And he had the kind of personality that imposed that same standard on those around him.
He couldn’t stand people littering, thought long hair on men was unmanly, and believed girls in short skirts should be more mindful of how they carried themselves.
There were even rumors that he once pushed away a female student trying to kiss him, dismissing it as “inappropriate behavior for a student”.
With that kind of attitude, it was no surprise there weren’t any girls left around him who had romantic feelings.
Senior Ada… I’m sorry in advance.
A rigid, inflexible man.
But precisely because of that, if something met his standards of righteousness, he would gladly lend a hand.
The so-called gym-authorization trick relied on that aspect of Aaron Damir.
“I’ve heard that if a mage wants to get stronger, it’s better to stay at a desk. Isn’t excessive physical training actually harmful?”
“…It may sound sudden, but I’m incapable of using magic.”
“What? Even though you’re a student of the Magic Department?”
“Yes, senior. But I haven’t given up. That’s why I clung to my studies and managed to pass the academy’s entrance exam.”
“……”
A spirit that doesn’t yield to hardship.
The mindset Aaron Damir cherishes the most.
“But when my classmates found out I couldn’t use magic, they didn’t look at me kindly. No…far from it. Ever since the day I enrolled, I’ve been bullied continuously. My blood and sweat here, the effort I put in to get accepted into Tane despite being incapable of using magic, are treated like worthless scraps of paper.”
It didn’t actually happen to me, but at least it wasn’t a complete lie.
“…Who did it? I’ll help you.”
“No!”
I shouted reflexively.
“I’ll overcome this with my own strength. As a man, I have no intention of asking a senior I didn’t even know for help with something like this.”
“……”
“But… even with that resolve, my heart sometimes wavers. I’m human too. I’ve had plenty of moments when I wanted to give up. No….every moment has been a wave of impulses telling me to quit. Even now, I want to run away.”
“……”
“But… I won’t give up… Even if I break, the one thing you’ll never hear from my mouth is the word ‘give up’.”
I clenched my teeth and tightened my fist. I even added strength on purpose so my body would tremble.
“Never.”
“…Admirable.”
“Even if you don’t help me, it can’t be helped. I’ll find some other way I can manage on my own. But from what little I’ve heard, a healthy mind comes from a healthy—”
“Splendid!!!”
Aaron grabbed my shoulders. His eyes were strangely moist. Just how high was his empathy stat…? No, moist wasn’t even the word. He was already crying!
Did I overdo it?
“What a magnificent spirit! Junior!!! I, Aaron Damir, am in awe of your upright character!!! Truly seven falls and eight rises, water dropping on stone!!”
“S-Senior…”
“What was it you needed again? Authorization to use the gym after 7 p.m., right? How could something so small ever be enough!”
“Th-That alone is more than enough…”
“No!! If I can offer only that little help to a junior like you, I’d be ashamed of myself!! Here! Take it!!!”
Saying that, Aaron removed something from around his own ankle.
Clank!
“I–Is that… metal? Why is there a metallic sound coming from an ankle guard?”
“It’s a training magic tool with adjustable weight!! Come now! Don’t refuse! My family has plenty of these! Yes! If I tell Father I gifted one to a junior like you, he’ll surely be pleased!”
“……Um, I think this is… stuck in the ground?”
“Ah! My apologies. It’s set to the weight I normally use! If you turn this here… it gets lighter like so! And take this as well! Your access card!!”
The card was practically forced into my hands. This was the thing I’d originally come for.
“After 7 p.m., the only ones who use this gym are me and a few first- and second-year juniors. Use it as much as you like!!”
I stared at Aaron Damir in a daze.
Wait.
Why was I bothering with Camilla or anything else? Wouldn’t it be easier to just ask this guy for help? Then I wouldn’t have to struggle so desperately on my own, right?
I imagined it….defeating the wicked Camilla, standing back-to-back with him as we watched the sunset, arms crossed. Forming a sworn-brotherhood bond…
……Ugh.
I felt like throwing up for an entirely different reason.
From the moment anything related to demons came up, Aaron wouldn’t hesitate to swing his sword at me.
“If anything troubles you, come find me in the Knight Department, Year 3, Class A! You can go through Professor Grimes if needed!”
At that moment, I froze in place at something completely unexpected.
“……Stay strong, junior. Whenever dark thoughts creep in, remember that starting today, there’s someone here who’s cheering for you!! Now then, I’ll step aside so you can train to your heart’s content!”
Leaving those words behind, Aaron strode off and disappeared.
“…….”
For a long while after,
I remained there, unmoving, staring into empty space.
Not because I was touched or anything like that. My eyes were simply still fixed on something floating in my vision.
◆ [Total Magical Structure Analysis] Activated……
The training magical tool Aaron left behind.
Right. It was a magical tool.
One I’d planned to go out and procure this weekend.
……A Second Rank magic tool. Even if I go out this weekend, getting a Second Rank is impossible. At best, I could’ve managed a Fourth Rank.
Much earlier than I’d expected and at a much higher rank I’d gotten my hands on a magic tool.
Did he originally give things like this? Hard to say. I must have met some kind of condition.
Anyway, this was big.
After all, I had the Shifter trait, which could draw out a magical tool’s power by more than two levels.
“He’s an incredibly good person… Senior Aaron.”
Clack.
I put it on my ankle without hesitation, and it wrapped around smoothly, almost as if it wasn’t made of metal at all.
I closed my eyes and pushed my Shifter trait to its limit.
Thump—thump—
Following my pulse, I extended the starting point of the waves unfolding inside my body just a little more……
And then I understood clearly.
“……It’s not a ‘weight increase’ engraving, but a ‘gravity addition’ magic engraving. Nice.”
At this level—
If it came down to a one-on-one fight where I had to risk breaking the magical tool… I could completely overwhelm most second-years with this alone.
“……Good.”
I knew exactly what I needed to do tonight.
I needed a way to let my body as a Shifter fully accept the magic engravings within the magic tool.
◆ Magical Tool Acquired!
◆ NP +600
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