Chapter 9

EP.9 It’s a Given that Things Get Twisted from the Start

Becoming an academy student also meant meeting the conditions for dormitory residency.

In other words, Kyle and Ian had to go to the boys’ dormitory, while Tisha had to go to the girls’ dormitory.

“Sorry for dragging you around all day, Kyle.”

“No, I actually enjoyed it.”

Looking at Kyle clapping his hands with a slightly exaggerated expression,

Tisha found herself smiling softly without even realizing it.

She knew quite a bit about Baron Jonathan.

People who couldn’t understand anything beyond the combat aspect.

They were said to be the kind of people who would face the entire empire with a smile.

‘I used to think only orc-like people lived here…’

Since meeting Kyle of Baron Jonathan, she completely changed her mind.

Though they could be categorized as a warrior race, solely valuing strength,

Kyle’s demeanor was surprisingly gentle.

What she liked most was his consideration and thoughtfulness.

He wasn’t as brutish as the rumors portrayed him.

In fact, he was much better than Ian, whom she considered relatively normal.

‘He speaks so smoothly. Much better than that guy.’

And most impressively, his physique was quite impressive, not inferior even compared to knights.

He must be covered in armor, yet his muscles still show through…

Anyway, having Kyle around was truly fortunate.

All the way to the academy, and even after arriving.

If she had been with that man Ian, they would have surely had a big fight.

‘Compared to Kyle, Ian, that guy… ugh. He’s just the worst.’

He may look normal, but nothing else about him appealed to her.

Starting from speaking without thinking, which made her blush.

He didn’t even apologize until Kyle told him to.

And he had a strong tendency to act selfishly.

He didn’t know how to consider others, nor did he have any caution.

He wasn’t completely evil in character, but he wasn’t good either.

He was one of the types Tisha hated the most.

The academy semester officially begins next week.

Until then, students are guaranteed freedom and can do whatever they want within the academy.

‘I should keep hanging out with Kyle, talk about sorcery, go to the library together. I thought I’d be alone in the academy, so I’m really lucky.’

If Kyle heard this inner thought, he might have jumped with joy.

Of course, there was no way he would shout that he wasn’t interested in sorcery or didn’t want to know more.

Inside, he might have screamed, “Is it from a fitness hell to sorcery hell.”

As Tisha reached the dormitory and was about to go up to the second floor,

she heard voices of two men and a woman from the first floor entrance.

And among them, the woman’s voice was clearly that of the noble lady Elga she had heard earlier.

“Thank you for your hard work today, Leto.”

“No, my lady… I, I’m sorry. Lady Elga. Please rest well.”

As Leto bowed politely, Elga sighed.

It was a lamentation for her childhood friend who only became more frustrating as time went on.

To Tisha, who didn’t know the circumstances, it seemed like arrogance from someone accustomed to being in charge.

“So, this is what nobles are like…”

To Tisha, nobles were humans who lived off their own arrogance.

They had no abilities, talents, or even the intention to make an effort.

They were just lowly beings standing above everyone else thanks to their pathetic bloodline.

Just look at how she was targeting Kyle just because he’s a noble lady.

She must have used her status to pressure Kyle, who was nothing more than the son of a viscount.

Wasn’t that the atmosphere between them?

“Hm?”

Did she feel someone’s gaze on her from somewhere?

As Elga, who had sent Leto away, suddenly raised her head and looked around.

And precisely, she met eyes with Tisha, who had been looking down at her.

‘The girl who was next to Kyle.’

What was her name again? She wondered if she would remember.

Elga, who had been giggling incessantly, finally remembered the name.

‘Tisha. Yes, Kyle definitely called her that.’

Tisha, Tisha, no matter how much she thought, nothing came to mind.

She might be from some secluded noble family, or she might be a commoner, one of the two.

It’s not about her background. She’s just worried that it might lead to trouble.

I heard that sometimes aristocratic families mark those they like.

But if someone else shows interest without knowing that, it could lead to war or something.

It could even escalate into a confrontation between families, a memory vaguely heard from the nanny.

Honestly, it seems unnecessary to do such things for a passing first love.

If it’s a lifelong commitment, then who knows, but isn’t youthful passion fleeting?

However, it seemed like a sincere effort to express one’s feelings.

‘But why are you staring at me like that? It’s uncomfortable.’

As if telling Tisha, who was looking at her.

Elga gracefully walked towards her room.

Certainly, she felt a sense of dignity, perhaps because she was from the grand duke’s family.

‘Good grief. What a bizarre thing to do.’

Of course, Tisha was critical of nobles.

With a inwardly trembling head, she too moved towards her room.

As they each grasped their room doorknobs, the two women simultaneously thought:

‘I don’t like it.’

Originally, they should have focused more on the two men, Ian and Leto, respectively.

Tisha sometimes argued with Ian while coming to the academy, but they also grew a bit closer.

Elga simply walked around the academy without any trouble and had more conversations with Leto.

Thus, the course of events should have proceeded as usual.

But at some point, everything was gradually, yet definitely, becoming twisted.

“Wow. This room is freaking awesome.”

And the culprit behind all of this, unaware of his role in the chaos since coming to the academy,

was rolling around on the bed, muttering nonsense like, ‘The cushion feels good!’.

“Academy! Damn it! I’m here! I’m not going to exercise anymore! I don’t have to! Wheeeee!!”

Little did he know, things had already gone terribly wrong.

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“Kyle.”

“….”

“Wake up, Kyle.”

“Huh? Wha- Master?”

“Wake up. It’s time for upper body training.”

“What? Uh, just a moment. Why are you here, Brother?”

“Is your room someplace I can’t enter?”

“That’s not what I meant. I mean, why are you here at the academy?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

At that, Kyle urgently got up.

His body, which should have been on the bed, was lying on the bench!

“Uh?! What, what’s going on!?”

“You’ve been like that for 3 minutes already. Let’s get started. We’ll do 5 more sets than usual today.”

Kyle urgently looked around.

His uncle, sister, father, mother, and all the family members.

They were all working out in the stamina training ground, the largest one made in Baron Jonathan’s estate.

“And today, we’ll increase the weight too.”

“Just a moment, Brother! Just a moment!”

“You are of Jonathan’s lineage. You can easily handle this.”

Even as the weights were rising like crazy, Kyle’s brother, Lea, showed no signs of stopping.

Finally, when the entire barbell was filled with weights, he smiled broadly.

“Now, Kyle. Let’s begin.”

“H-How can I do this! I can’t! I can’t! Aaargh!!”

It’s a nightmare, this is a nightmare! A terrible nightmare!

But what’s even more terrible is that he himself was the one holding it all up!!

“Aaaargh!!”

Kyle, who was floundering, sprang up like a spring.

Looking around desperately in a half-dazed state, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Indeed, the nightmare-like situation turned out to be just a dream.

“…Why am I having dreams like this, damn it..”

Kyle, with his face buried in his hands, sighed as he looked out the window.

It was still early dawn, with the sun yet to rise. It was a time when most people were still deep in slumber.

Only the diligent ones would be waking up just now.

But for Baron Jonathan’s people, it was the time when their daily routine began.

Getting up at this hour and doing light cardio together was a daily routine.

‘Of course, ‘light’ is just a saying. Who runs 15km from dawn?’

Honestly, it could be a longer distance than 15km.

I’ve had experience running 5km before possession, and it took over 30 minutes then.

Being far from being someone who exercised regularly, it was only natural.

Even after being possessed by Baron Jonathan, and even though he had somewhat adapted to the idea of exercising.

Thinking about how he had run for well over an hour, even though he had never run much before.

Kyle’s estimate was that he was running at least 15km, if not more.

Anyway, the conclusion was clear, they were definitely insane people.

“Phew.”

I was wide awake now after having a crazy dream.

Sitting there dazedly, Kyle was surprised when he suddenly thought, ‘Should I exercise?’

‘Have I finally lost it? I’m thinking about something so absurd.’

Exercising from dawn, absolutely not.

Wasn’t the reason for coming to the academy to escape from that tedious routine?

From now on, he would do whatever he wanted every day, play, eat, sleep, and laze around!

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***

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‘…Damn it.’

They say the scariest thing is habit.

In the end, the only place he ended up was the academy indoor training ground, or by Kyle’s standard, the ‘academy gym’.

He never wanted to come here, but his ingrained habit led him here.

It was too early, and not a single person was in sight from the dormitory exit.

The gym was the same. It was completely empty, not a single student in sight.

If it were Baron Jonathan, by now everyone would be showing off their muscles, regardless of age or gender.

‘…Yeah. This is normal. It’s abnormal for me to be here at this hour.’

Thinking like that, Kyle lightly stretched his body.

A light stretching before exercising was essential.

Even the Jonathan people, who were battle-oriented, always adhered to this part.

‘Well, since I couldn’t do it on the way to the academy. Then, maybe just a light…?’

No one would be around anyway, so there was no need to worry about the equipment order.

With that in mind, Kyle leisurely started with his arms, rummaging through the dumbbells.

‘…Is this all there is? No, who would even use these?’

No matter how much he searched, all he found were light weights.

At this rate, it wouldn’t even make a difference. So, as Kyle was rummaging around,

– Creak. –

The door to the indoor training ground opened, and someone walked in.