Chapter 21: Either way, it’s a source of trouble

“Well, that’s about it. Sensei, it’s fine if I win, right?”

“Uh, yes. That’s right.”

One student faced off against over thirty others in a single match.

Upon hearing this information, the students, convinced that Ishud would lose no matter what, couldn’t stop grinning.

However, the results were completely the opposite.

The grinning expressions quickly turned into disbelief, and unable to accept the scene before them, their faces turned pale.

(…I knew he had reached the third job, but this is now confirmed.)

The students who decided to challenge Ishud, while inferior compared to Christille and Michela, who were considered elites, still faced him in the match. None of them accepted Ishud’s proposal, and as a result, each one received a solid punch to the face and had their limbs shattered.

“Ugh, wow… Hey, is that what they call a scene from hell?”

“Yeah, it seems that way. According to rumors, the young heir of the Regula family suggested an outcome that wouldn’t push them to such extremes, but they apparently refused.”

“Hmph! What an uncouth way to fight.”

Watching from the training ground are students who could be considered Christille’s colleagues—members of the student council.

Naturally, Christille is also there.

“Even though it’s uncouth, he’s overpowering over thirty classmates with his bare hands. One can’t deny that his strength is the real deal.”

The third-year student, a large man who uses his well-trained muscles in combat, doesn’t harbor any discomfort toward Ishud, even though he hails from the Regula family.

Rather… the fact that he disposed of over thirty classmates without seemingly using any technical skills, relying solely on physical abilities, secretly surprised those watching.

“Yes, that’s true. The recent match against Michela was a clear victory as well. Additionally, I heard there were some technical moves not relying solely on physical abilities in that match… well, I agree it’s not very noble.”

The student council president, Christille, agreeing with his opinion, causes the bespectacled student with a distinctly intellectual aura to wear a smug expression.

“But… if possible, I’d like to avoid a clash with him.”

“Well, that… it’s hard to predict what might happen.”

“That first-year, Ishud-kun, right? Good or bad… it’s mostly bad, isn’t it? Anyway, he stands out, and he even took the top spot in the entrance exam results, including internal transfer students.”

“He can excel in academics with that face. It’s quite terrifying in its own way.”

“…”

The big guy’s words made the intellectual student refrain from making any careless remarks that might question the teachers’ supervision skills like his usual habit. 

Still, his expression was bitter.

“But, but, with a kid that insanely strong, the first-year team should definitely be able to win, right?”

“Do you really think we can send such a violent student to the competition?”

“As inflexible as ever, huh? Even if he’s rough, he can silence everyone with results. If he wins, it’s undoubtedly a plus for Flaveld Academy.”

“Well, but…”

While the student council members were discussing various things, Ishud had disappeared from the academy along with his only friend, Gulf.

“…I just thought, even if we ask him to participate from our side, considering Ishud’s personality, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll easily agree.”

“It’s an unthinkable choice for ordinary students, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he did that.”

No matter what choice Ishud made, he was bound to become a source of concern for the student council in the future.

***

“Even so, Ishud holds back a lot, you know.”

“Of course. If I went all out, they would be dead.”

The fists slammed into the faces of the boys who wanted to impress Michela, shattering the students’ teeth and nasal bones.

However, if Ishud had been serious, it wouldn’t have stopped at breaking nose bones; it could have escalated to crushing the skull, destroying the brain. Even punching through the face might not have been out of the question.

“Well, this is thanks to training and honing my muscles in both exercises and real fights.”

“…Certainly, Ishud’s muscles feel… somehow different from the other students with trained muscles.”

“Hmm… Do you understand, Gulf?”

Not a brainless musclehead down to the bone marrow, but still, when praised for having muscles different from others, Ishud couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, I don’t build muscles easily.”

“Don’t worry, Gulf. I have an older brother named Dante among my three brothers, and he’s good at magic.”

“Huh, really?”

It was a shocking revelation for Gulf, who was beginning to learn about the Regula family to some extent.

“Of course, he has a physique that looks like it, but he can kill an ogre with his bare hands.”

“Eh, really?”

“Yeah, seriously. I was super surprised the first time I saw it too.”

Even professionally, Dante doesn’t seem like the type capable of powerful attacks. However, in reality, he punched down an ogre, a demonic humanoid monster, right in front of Ishud.

“So, Gulf, if you believe in your muscles and keep training, you’ll gradually develop good muscles too!”

The conversation took on a slightly muscle-evangelical tone, and the next day, which turned out to be a holiday, Ishudoand Gulf were nowhere to be seen on campus from early in the morning.

“…They’re not here.”

That day, Christille, who wanted to have a little chat with Ishud, and incidentally with Gulf, searched for them but couldn’t find them anywhere.

“Byron sensei, do you know where Ishud-kun is?”

“…Why do you want to know?”

Heading to Byron, their homeroom teacher, Christille couldn’t help but utter words that she thought Byron would surely know.

“I have something to discuss.”

“I see. That’s unfortunate. The two of them have already left the academy.”

“Are they touring the capital?”

“…If only it were just sightseeing.”

“???”

Although he reassured himself that there was no problem, the unease in Byron’s head didn’t vanish.

“All right!!! Next up are those kobolds!!! Go for it, Gulf!!!”

“Yeah!!!”

The two of them not only submitted an outing notice but also a notice for an overnight stay. They had come to a forest quite far from the capital.

The reason for doing something foolish on their first holiday after entering school was simple — to train Gulf in real combat.

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