Entering the Game with a Cheat Physique

Don’t Flip Through If You Don’t Want To Die

Don’t Flip Through If You Don’t Want To Die

After the [Theoretical Magic Studies] lecture ended.

Penell sat blankly in the empty lecture hall, where all the students had left.

The sensation she had just felt was still vivid.

‘It was firm…’

She remembered the hot blood flowing down her arm.

She remembered the effort etched onto the man’s rough skin.

And she remembered Herak’s firm muscles, symbolizing his special power.

“Haa…”

How could his body be so well-built?

The Herak I remembered wasn’t the owner of such a physique.

He was… thinner, more like the other mages. Yeah.

‘Though his face was handsome, of course.’

Honestly, from the first moment Penel saw Herak, she’d already given his looks a passing grade.

Setting aside secondary things like physique, she’d purely fallen for his face.

That’s why Penel was actually proud of herself.

‘I’m different from you guys.’

The question about who wanted to touch Herak’s skin.

She remembered the female classmates who had raised their hands along with her back then.

Really, it was just absurd. You guys weren’t even interested in Herak before.

‘You didn’t even like him before. I liked him from the start, I even made it known, I’m special…’

She was different from the latecomers joining the race now.

Penel Moira, she was clearly the frontrunner in the Herak competition.

…At least, that’s what she thought.

Haa. Still, it’s so vivid. That hot, hard arm. Could I touch it again…?

“…Penel!”

“Hwet!”

A deafening voice startled her.

As she snapped out of her reverie, she saw a woman glaring at her right in front of her.

Penel’s friend, Berry Rosemary.

“Snap out of it. You’ve been spacing out since class ended.”

“Oh, uh? Yeah, right.”

Penel didn’t even know what she was replying.

Seeing her friend belatedly come to her senses, flustered.

Haa— Berry sighed and cut to the chase.

“You’re thinking about Herak, aren’t you?”

“Huh?! No, it’s not like that?”

“Liar.”

Berry’s sulky gaze.

It was obvious it was about a guy, but she was still denying it.

Berry sometimes found this side of Penel unsettling.

How could she ever confess, being such a mess?

“Hey, I saw you trembling, all happy, when you touched Herak’s arm. You looked like you were gonna drool.”

“N-No way… ! That never happened… !”

“I saw it all. You might not have noticed, but the others behind you saw everything. It’s gonna be all over the place soon.”

“Ugh…”

Penel’s eyes welled up, blindsided by the shame.

Ultimately, Berry caved, her heart softening at her friend’s weak display.

“…Are you really that happy? That Herak won the grade exchange?”

Berry suddenly recalled that day.

The grade exchange. When Penel had lost to Apollon again.

How much she’d stayed by Penel’s side, consoling her as she sulked in the spectator seats.

Still, she hadn’t managed to cheer up, and Berry was trying to figure out how to help—

Wait? He won! Herak won! Is this for real?

Even in her gloom, she perks up the moment she sees her guy.

Penel, who’d been lost in the match as soon as Herak stepped into the arena, forgot her defeat the instant his victory was certain and jumped up and down.

That’s how happy she was.

If the last-place guy beats 7th place, the victory’s secured.

Which meant Penel’s defeat doesn’t matter anymore.

Of course, Berry had also been happy about that…

“It’s too much, Penel. You’re making it way too obvious.”

“U-Uhuhut. Really? Should I tone it down?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I don’t care how you handle your love life, but you should at least be discreet enough to not get caught. You could get in trouble.”

“Uh-huh… Yeah, you’re right.”

She was nodding, but she seemed totally unconvinced.

Berry decided to resort to drastic measures.

“This won’t do. You, Penel, need some advice. Someone to help you not look like such a newbie.”

“Huh? Who’d do that for me?”

Penel’s eyes blinked at her, wide and confused.

Berry’s glasses glinted as she answered.

“It’s right next to you.”

My steadfast friend, who’s conquered dating through countless romance novels.

*

I leave the lecture hall and walk the streets.

Normally I’d squeeze in a workout, but right now I don’t feel like it.

My head is filled with questions.

“Herac’s magic layer is different in principle from magic sensitivity.”

Margaret clearly stated that.

The magic layer covering my body, it moves according to my will.

But it’s a rather unfamiliar topic for me.

‘There wasn’t such a setting in the original story either.’

As mentioned in the lecture, humans use magic circulating inside and outside their bodies.

The problem is, whether you cast magic or generate aura, it’s meaningless if you can’t feel the flow of circulation itself.

That’s why magic insensitivity is an extremely powerful handicap in this world.

‘But it’s becoming an advantage in reverse.’

I don’t think this phenomenon happened solely because of magic insensitivity.

If that were the case, the original Herac wouldn’t have lived such an insignificant life.

In other words, it’s right to see this as a result of the 【Ultimate Physique】 combining with magic insensitivity.

That’s the only conclusion I can draw right now.

To go any further, I need to obtain more information.

So, who should I get it from?

‘It’s obvious.’

The reason why Herac Leonhardt came to Olympia in the first place.

The one who arranged things so specially that even his practical scores were exempted.

The academy chairperson, I have to meet her.

The chairperson is currently absent from the academy.

I already know the timing of her return.

She won’t be back at least by this point.

“Because I have to replace that magic stone, you see.”

I stop walking.

At the end of my gaze, a tall tower pierces the sky.

The central point of Olympia, a tower whose peak is visible no matter where you stand.

Inside, the ‘Mana Stone’ that shapes Olympia’s environment is contained.

The Mana Stone’s role is simple.

To make Olympia’s mana density much more concentrated than the outside, accelerating the growth of the students.

But that thing is old and worn out at this point, and that’s why the Headmaster went on a trip to find a replacement, a little behind-the-scenes info.

“Hmm.”

There’s no immediate way to meet them.

But I want the Headmaster to know that I want to meet.

So what should I do?

While I was pondering, a bright, clear voice called out to me.

“Oh! Greetings, Senior Herac!”

Despite her small frame, she exudes an energetic vibe.

Ruby from the newspaper club waves her hand back and forth, greeting me.

“Wow, I saw your last duel. It was really amazing!”

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Thanks to you, my article was really popular. Hehe, I was so worried about how it would turn out at first. But you had that level of strategy… I was impressed.”

Why is she so hyped? She doesn’t even listen to what I say.

Ruby circled around me again.

She keeps talking while drawing a circle, probably because she’s just that excited.

“There are still so many newsworthy stories about you, Senior. The Academy’s even urging me to look into it more….”

“Oh.”

Hold on.

Now that I think about it, there’s someone perfect.

Not someone hard to meet or who’d be awkward like the Vice-Headmaster or the instructors.

But a student like me, who’s also closely connected to the Academy.

Ruby Duer.

If it’s her, she could mention it to the Headmaster through the Academy.

“…Actually, I have a lot I want to ask you too. But whether you agree to an interview is up to you, Senior…”

“Ruby.”

“Huh?”

Ruby, who had been chattering away, widens her eyes.

I made a proposition to her.

“You said you wanted an interview, right? Let’s do it.”

“…Ooh?! What’s going on, Senior?!”

“But.”

Grant me one favor.

*

The Knight Department’s clubroom.

A space where only second-year students, and among them, those with high rankings, gather.

There, someone was trembling, kneeling.

“P-please, forgive me!”

The man’s body, his voice quivering, was a mass of dark bruises.

Patches of blood and wounds were visible here and there.

At the scene of clear violence, Jackson begged and begged.

“Apollon! I just made a mistake… I’m definitely not useless!”

“Is that so, Jackson?”

Several knights surrounded Jackson.

There were students whose rankings were lower than Jackson’s, but no one hesitated to inflict violence on him.

Because the head of the group had cast Jackson out.

“You lost to the Magic Department. Even to a piece of trash who’s only last place… As a result, we gave away the victory in the inter-departmental exchange competition.”

“H-heck…”

“Is there any reason why I should forgive someone like you?”

In front of the kneeling Jackson.

Apollon, sitting on a chair, slicking back his hair, his eyes cold.

It meant he had no intention of forgiving Jackson whatsoever.

It was unavoidable.

If Herak hadn’t pulled off the upset, Apollon would have won this time too.

“Until now, our family has been looking out for you, but it seems that’s coming to an end soon, Jackson.”

“N-no! Please forgive me! If you give me just one more chance…!”

“Drag him.”

Apollo’s chin jerked, and the knights surrounding Jackson moved.

They seized the flailing Jackson roughly, yanking him out of the room.

They already knew, of course.

Anyone who fell out of Apollo’s favor could no longer stay with the pack.

Jackson, who had always strutted around, tormenting the weak students, would now be on the receiving end.

“Hmph. I truly don’t understand.”

Once Jackson had vanished from the room.

Apollo tapped the armrest, a show of irritation.

Tap, tap, tap. Each time his fingers hit the armrest, his eyes narrowed.

“How could he lose to such trash?”

It was a genuine question to him.

Just a mere substitute, wasn’t he?

Though lately he was being called a ‘battle mage’ or whatever, Apollo didn’t believe it for a second.

He must’ve won with mere luck and conspiracy.

Compared to Apollo, the top student of the knight department’s second year, he was nothing more than a worthless peasant.

…However, there was one thing about Herak that bothered Apollo.

‘Penel.’

My small and adorable Penel.

The deeply unsettling rumor that she secretly liked Herak.

That rumor had spread beyond the magic department, even reaching the knight department, grating on Apollo’s nerves.

‘That peasant doesn’t know his place…’

Daring to be with Penel?

The woman I will personally pluck and defile like a flower?

As Apollo, feeling unsettled, furrowed his brow even further.

Another group of his cronies approached him.

To convey the news they had just heard.

“What is it?”

“Apollo, there’s a rumor that just came out…”

Apollo’s crony whispered something into his ear.

Today’s incident in the [Theoretical Magic] lecture hall.

The story of Penell liking a man, caressing his arm.

“……Grind.”

Apollo grinds his teeth the instant he hears the story.

A boiling rage within him.

Why is Penell giving attention to such a lowly, trashy thing?

Ignoring me, Apollo, a scion of the Marquis family?

“I need to go.”

Apollo immediately stood up from his seat.

This won’t do. The rage fueling his chest drives him.

He’ll go meet Penell and let her know.

Who is worthy to possess her.