Entering the Game with a Cheat Physique

Episode 41 Monster Festival (3)

Episode 41 Monster Festival (3)

The lush natural scenery unfolds below, a breathtaking view.

A line of trees flows through the south forest, stretching east and west.

And within that forest lies a lake, and following the stream from that lake, the sea unfolds.

Not only that, above the sea forest, a vast, deep blue sky spreads out.

White clouds seem within reach in the sky, and I quietly survey my surroundings from there.

Around us, several other students can be seen flying on their zephyrs.

Right.

This is the very setting of ＜Song of Sword and Magic＞.

The bird’s-eye view of Olympia Academy.

“Ooh-hoo-hoo. It’s the first time I’ve ever flown this high. Isn’t it amazing?”

Penel’s voice is full of excitement.

The warmth of her body radiates from Penel’s shoulder as she sits close to me on the zephyr.

She leans her head slightly on my shoulder and speaks.

“They say no one rides a zephyr just once, even if it’s their first time. I really agree, you know?”

“You seem to like it quite a lot.”

“Heh heh heh. You bet.”

Looking at the other zephyrs, most situations are similar.

No one is embarking on the strange journey of two people of the same gender riding together.

Everyone is a couple, snuggled together and sharing their affection.

…Just from Penel leaning her head on me, I can already predict what’s going to happen next.

Whoosh─

The wind whistles through the air.

As the trained zephyr gently carries us and flies.

Penel hums a tune, savoring this moment.

“Hmm, hum.”

Like something utterly precious.

As if wanting to etch this page of memory into her mind.

That feeling of peak youth inexplicably pricked my chest.

“Herak.”

At the word that suddenly spilled out, I turn my head.

Meeting her gaze, those pink pupils, Penell smiled softly.

“Do you know?”

“Know what?”

“That I fell for you the moment I first saw you.”

There’s no way I wouldn’t.

She was so obvious, not noticing would make me less than a man.

How could I not know that Penell’s gaze was overflowing with affection?

Penell didn’t lose her smile, seemingly pleased with my silence.

She reached out a hand and touched the back of mine.

A soft, sliding touch.

The warm, gentle sensation landed on the back of my hand, the one holding Zephyros’s reins.

“But you know, regrettably, a duke’s daughter can’t just choose anyone. She can’t just love anyone.”

“……”

“Of course, I definitely hate someone like Apollon, but I might end up paired with a man similar to him. That’s the way of a noble’s life.”

“Yeah.”

I know.

It wasn’t for no reason that the Duke, Penell, was harassed by the Marquis, Apollon.

Nobility implies a high chance of being paired with a noble as their future spouse, making easy severing of ties impossible.

That’s why Penell, despite her abhorrence, couldn’t shake off Apollon.

But now it’s different.

Apollon was expelled from the Academy.

And the one who brought that about was.

No longer the substitute of the magic department she once was, but completely changed.

Now called a ‘Battle Mage’.

“That’s why, I was so happy that you changed.”

Penel chatters, her lips moving like she’s singing.

A confession offered to her beloved.

That resolute will, it radiates.

“The person I’m drawn to, the one I’ve deemed fit to be my partner. How could I not be overjoyed?”

“……”

“If I were to pick the moments you entered my heart, there would be countless, but hmm– what truly sticks out is probably the time you shook off Apollo, wouldn’t you say?”

“I wasn’t exactly trying to win you over, you know.”

“That’s what makes it good.”

Penel moves my hand.

Leaving one hand holding the reins, she pulls the other in.

She nests it between her soft breasts.

“Looks, abilities, a pass. But even your character has won me over, so there’s absolutely no way I can let you go. Women, we’re just creatures like that.”

“…..Okay.”

“Herak.”

Penel.

She softly grasped my hand, nestled in her cleavage, with both of hers, and whispered sweetly.

“You know, I like you?”

Perhaps, a confession of a lifetime for her.

*

Far away, the sky where Zephyros fly is visible.

Penel’s friend, Berry, sits hunched over, her face contorted with exasperation.

She sighs deeply, a breath reaching her chin.

“Haa.”

I don’t know how many sighs this makes.

Yet, I can’t stop.

There is no way to resolve this frustrating heart, so I just end up exhaling uselessly.

She lifts her head again.

Up in that sky, on one of the Zephyros, her friend rides.

And probably… the man her friend loves too.

To confess to me, Herak.

That was a declaration I’d heard not long ago.

To tell the man she’d been pining for since freshman year that she loved him.

She’d informed Berry of this decision beforehand.

‘Why?’

That was my first thought.

Why on earth was she telling me that?

She could just go ahead and do it, without saying anything.

Oh, she was just trying to gather some courage, right? Saying it out loud gives you a bit of strength, doesn’t it?

If it had been before, Berry would have nodded.

No, she probably would have cheered her on.

It was her friend’s romance, after all.

The stronger the friendship, the greater the desire to support it.

Yeah, that’s how it should be, but—

‘……No way.’

Was Penelope speaking only from such a good-natured place?

No, of course, that was a big part of it.

Penelope was a kind person.

That’s why she’d become Berry’s friend, so there’s no reason to suspect her.

Even so…

‘……An intention to keep me in check.’

Surely it couldn’t be only that.

That day.

When Herak rescued me from Apollo.

My odd behavior I’d shown then.

She must have remembered that deep down.

Penelope was keeping Berry slightly in check.

As a rival.

Therefore, Penelope had declared it.

He’s my man, so don’t you touch him, understand?

That’s what she was saying, in other words.

It irks me that my friend’s intentions are like this.

Even so, there wasn’t any need to be so blatantly on guard, was there?

Even though I want to say that.

Thinking about myself, all worked up like this, moping alone.

Ah, Penelope is truly clever.

That’s what I thought.

“Hey. Miss. How long are you going to be like that? If you’re not gonna do it, get out.”

Was it because I was so engrossed in thought?

The circus member in charge of the stall grumbled.

In front of Berry’s eyes was a puddle of water.

Inside were fish monsters, and the game was to use magic to scoop them out.

At first, she was just sitting here to kill time.

But she couldn’t scoop out a single one, no gains at all.

Recently, after consuming 【Werewolf Blood】 her magic had become stronger, so why was this?

The reason goes without saying.

Because she was just that upset.

“I don’t know what’s up, but if you can’t do it, you should know when to give up. From the start, this wasn’t really your thing anyway.”

“……Thanks for the advice.”

It really was unsolicited advice.

It also felt like it was hitting the nail right on the head of her own situation.

Berry got needlessly angry.

She uses magic again.

Raising a wind, she targets the monsters in the water.

If she can just scoop them up like this, then she can go home—

Just as she was thinking that.

“What are you doing.”

“Wha…!”

Startled.

At the voice from behind, Berry hurriedly stood up.

Why?

That tone… it shouldn’t be here right now.

That guy, he should be off somewhere having a sweet time with his friend.

Why is he here, looking for her—

“What’s with the surprise?”

Dull, blonde hair.

A body built solid with muscle, not what you’d expect from a mage.

Herak scratched the back of his head as he walked towards Berry.

“You, you… what? Why are you here?”

“What? You starting something again?”

“N-no…!”

He gets angry but it’s also sad.

Ever since some point, he’s been saying “again?” a lot every time she talks.

It’s probably because Berry was always picking on him.

Now that just felt pitiful.

“…Just. You shouldn’t be here. …You should be with Penelope.”

“……”

The end of the sentence was practically swallowed, a mumble.

But Herak must have heard clearly, he briefly furrowed his brow.

Then he said,

“You… you heard about it?”

“…Yeah. Penelope said she was going to confess.”

“Ha, yeah. Real slick, huh….”

Herak shook his head for a moment.

Then, he blurted out,

“Bothering you?”

“…W-well, yeah. A little. …Still, she probably accepted his confession anyways, right?”

“……”

Herak doesn’t answer.

He just stares at her silently, and Berry comes to a sudden realization.

His demeanor is still as hard and unyielding as ever.

Of course, this guy acting so indifferent isn’t exactly a new thing.

But there’s a limit.

To be this apathetic after getting confessed to by a beautiful woman? It’s impossible.

If he’d accepted the love, he’d be plastered with signs of it.

No, actually, he wouldn’t even be here in the first place.

Yeah, maybe Herac—

“You… you rejected her?!”

At Berry’s bewildered question,

Herac recalled what had just happened.