Chapter 3: No Expense Spared for Muscle

Lush green wheat fields stretched endlessly along the roadside.

Among the scattered, ramshackle houses, a lightly dressed, bearded old man sipped water as he rested.

"...Look, Irine."

"Yes."

After passing through the seemingly boundless fields, we finally arrived at farmland.

Walking along the narrow path between the still-green crops, we spotted a house nearby.

And then—

"We’ve finally arrived, haven’t we?"

Beyond the dilapidated house and the fields, the town we had been aiming for—Lewin—came into view.

"Two days, huh? We got here faster than I expected."

"That’s because Irine had more stamina than I thought."

"Fufufu, not all nobles are weak and lazy, you know?"

Karl had admitted he was surprised I could keep up on the journey.

Apparently, between the two of them, they had assumed I’d be dead weight. From what I gathered, the middle-aged noble they once escorted as bodyguards had collapsed after just a few kilometers.

No matter how skilled you are with magic, if you can’t handle travel, you’re nothing but a burden.

And given that I look every bit the delicate noble lady, they likely assumed I wouldn’t have the stamina to keep up. They probably even whispered among themselves that I might give up halfway and return home. She’s the investor’s daughter, so let’s be polite if that happens.

Well, I do look like I don’t have much muscle at first glance. But if you touched me, you’d find me rock-solid, my inner muscles bursting with strength.

"Irine, have you been to this town before?"

"No, this is my first time. I’ve had no dealings with the nobles here."

"Then we’ll book a place at an inn we know. That alright with you?"

"Yes, I’ll leave it to you."

Seems Karl and the others weren’t new to Lewin.

If they knew the area, I’d trust them to handle lodging.

"Haaah, finally, a roof over our heads."

"...Tired."

Maika leaned against the fence at Lewin’s entrance, bending at the waist as she stretched with satisfaction. Hmm, her chest was emphasized—sexy. Nice pair.

Lev-chan mimicked Maika’s stretch. ...Flat as a board, but the way she’s straining upward is adorable.

"Lev did great too. This time, she walked all on her own without needing to be carried."

"Ehehe…"

Karl laughed, patting the little animal-like Lev on the head in praise. Lev-chan narrowed her eyes happily at the attention.

These two seemed to get along really well despite the age gap. Siblings, maybe?

"..."

Meanwhile, Maika watched this heartwarming scene with quiet eyes—a complicated mix of emotions in her gaze.

Jealousy? Hmm, hard to say. I still didn’t quite grasp the relationship between these three.

Maybe I’ll ask about it tonight.

---

"Karl and I are from the same hometown."

"Childhood friends, you could say. We played together a lot when we were kids."

Dinner.

Having taken a commoner’s inn on Karl’s recommendation, we savored a warm meal—our first in a while—as we chatted around the table.

"Karl’s always been a devout follower of the Goddess Church. Ever since he was a brat, he idolized heroes and swung his sword around every day, saying it was ‘training.’"

"Ugh… What’s wrong with a guy wanting to be a hero?!"

"At the very least, it’s stupid. You got scolded so many times for sneaking swords out of the village storage."

Apparently, Karl had spent his youth as a chuunibyou-ridden boy obsessed with becoming a hero. Despite being born to farmers, he kept swinging his sword, chanting "Training! Discipline!"

Hmm, so that’s why he had such solid muscle when we first met.

"Since we were little, I was stuck as this idiot’s watchdog. Leave Karl alone, and who knows what he’d do? Sneak into forbidden caves to fight monsters, try to climb cliffs for ‘training’ and fall, getting himself badly hurt…"

"My, my, what a troublemaker. giggle"

"D-Don’t laugh, Irine. Maika, that’s enough about the past…"

Karl was calm now, but back then, he’d been quite the delinquent.

If something piqued his interest, he’d charge straight in—danger be damned—and usually fail spectacularly, earning himself an earful.

Honestly, what a handful.

But I get it. The desire to become a hero, to train yourself, to seek battles with strong foes—that’s the instinct of a man.

Mm, I was right to see him as a worthy opponent.

"In the end, all that pointless sword-swinging made Karl one of the better fighters in the village. Eventually, people started saying he should just become an adventurer."

"Oh dear. Adventuring is such an unstable profession, no? I never thought it was something one would choose willingly."

"I said the same thing. So, Karl, what was your response to my warning again?"

"...P-Please, spare me…"

Maika’s slightly alcohol-tinged breath brushed against Karl’s neck.

With a mischievous grin, she suddenly sharpened her gaze, mimicking someone’s tone.

"‘Don’t stop me, Maika! I’ve made up my mind! Adventuring might not pay, but it’s got ROMANCE!!’ And just like that, he became an adventurer. Even I was stunned."

"S-Stop it… No more digging up the past…"

"And what was it again? ‘Come with me, Maika! I’ll get rich and treat you to fancy steak every night!’ Reality’s a far cry from that—now we’re just broke adventurers bowing to nobles for travel funds."

"Ugh…"

Hmm. ‘Romance,’ huh?

Yeah, that’s the only reason anyone would choose to be an adventurer. Living free, unbound by status—a true wanderer.

Though in reality, adventuring must be brutal.

"So that’s when you two formed a party?"

"...Well, no. Actually…"

"Wrong. Back then, I said ‘No way I’m getting into something as unstable as adventuring’ and flat-out refused. We only teamed up recently."

......

All that posturing, and you still got rejected by your childhood friend, Karl?

"I’m the pragmatic type. …But this time, this idiot started going on about being ‘chosen as the Hero.’ I couldn’t just leave him to it, so I decided to tag along."

"Maika was living a stable life as a hunter back in the village up till then. Honestly, I kinda hoped she’d come with me from the start. We’d been together since we were kids, y’know?"

"Of course I’d refuse. I’m not stupid—I know exactly how dangerous and broke adventurers are."

So Karl hadn’t scored as many points with Maika as he’d thought. When you’ve been together since childhood, it’s hard to see each other as anything more than friends.

Maybe they just had a buddy-buddy, same-gender friendship dynamic.

"Even now, if not for the whole Goddess business, I’d still be against him being an adventurer. Going back to the village and finding steady work is the smartest move."

"Man, you’ve got no sense of romance, Maika."

The realist Maika and the dreamer Karl. Not a bad duo.

…Wait a second. Something about Maika’s tone felt off.

The way she said it—it wasn’t that she hated adventuring. Maybe…

"…Oh! Could it be that the reason you didn’t go with him at first, Maika, was because you wanted to keep a home for Karl to return to?"

"Pffft—?!"

Ah. That made sense.

Injuries are part of the job for adventurers. And an adventurer who gets hurt bad enough to quit? They’re left with nothing.

The pay’s already garbage, and if you get crippled mid-job, that’s it—game over.

"You stayed in the village because you were thinking about what would happen if Karl gave up adventuring or got too hurt to continue, didn’t you? My, how kind."

"Wha—n-no! That’s not it at all! I just didn’t want to be an adventurer, plain and simple!"

"…Maika. Is that true?"

"It’s not!"

Yep, she’s lying. So that’s how it was.

Maika had stayed behind to keep a safety net for Karl—a place to return to if things went south.

In other words, Maika was the loyal, tsundere childhood friend who guarded his homecoming. The prickly attitude? Just a front.

Heh. So Karl did have her affection all along.

"I-I wasn’t thinking anything like ‘I’ll take care of Karl if he gets hurt’ or whatever! That’s just a hassle!"

"…Is that so? giggle"

"Hahaha, exactly! Don’t get the wrong idea, Irine. This girl’s not nearly that noble. She’s always been the type to smack people with cold, hard logic and enjoy it—total sadist."

"…"

"Maika’s stubborn and set in her ways. There’s a time in a man’s life when he has to chase his dreams. But she just doesn’t get it—cuts him down with ‘reason’ like it’s nothing."

…And Karl remained completely oblivious to her true feelings. Poor Maika.

"Honestly, I was shocked she came along this time. Figured I’d ask just in case, but…"

"Look. At first, I thought all that ‘Demon King revival’ nonsense was just another one of your tall tales. But you were serious about the ‘end of the world’ stuff, weren’t you? Can’t exactly say no to helping with that."

"…Maika. I never knew you had it in you to play nice."

"I’ll twist your head off."

Hmm. Now I get their dynamic.

One’s a dreamer, the other a pragmatist. Their clashing ideals locked them into this stubborn stalemate.

Just get along already. But… maybe it’s best to let time sort it out.

Like, say, during a quiet moment mid-adventure. After a brutal fight, just the two of them under the night sky—until, by chance, they finally see each other. And then…

…

Yeah, classic! And when those two lovebirds finally get together, I’ll be ready with the teasing. Better practice my wolf-whistling.

…Wait, how do you train your mouth muscles? Just strengthen your jaw?

"I see. I believe I understand your relationship now."

"Yeah. So, that’s how Maika and I ended up partying up."

"To think you invited her first as a party member under the Hero's blessing means she must be quite exceptional, right?"

"Yeah. Maika's a hunter, so she's great at concealing her presence, excels with traps and bows, and never forgets terrain once she's seen it. She's literally the ideal scout."

Ah, a reconnaissance role. That makes sense - a hunter would be perfect for that job.

"I'm also good at spotting prey and traps. My role in this party combines long-range sniping with scouting as a ranger."

"Maika's smart. She can assess situations and adapt optimally on the fly. I've always decided that if I ever went traveling, she'd be the one person I'd absolutely bring along."

Fufun

"......"

Karl had completely changed from earlier and was now showering Maika with praise. They clearly respected each other's strengths - their relationship kept getting better.

"Plus, let's face it - Maika's cute. She's fun to be around, and we know each other so well there's no need for formalities. That's the biggest thing really."

"Ahahaha! See, Karl? You totally need me."

"Absolutely. When traveling, you want easygoing companions."

As they said this, their cheeks slightly reddened as they gazed at each other.

...Huh? Wait a minute - are these two already dating?

Their conversation was gradually turning into that coupley lovey-dovey talk. So saccharine it's making me want to vomit sugar.

"Honestly, there was a day when Maika didn't come with me - I was so shocked I stayed in bed depressed. I'd been so sure you'd come."

"W-well, adventuring is such an uncertain profession..."

"That's why having you right here beside me now makes me truly happy."

"Eh, um, that is..."

What's up with Karl? Did some weird switch flip inside him?

Under the onslaught of dead-serious compliments from Karl, even Maika was starting to look genuinely flustered.

"I've always been the one relying on Maika since we were kids. I'm grateful to you - from the bottom of my heart."

"Ah, yeah, well... we are childhood friends after all?"

"I'm so glad we're from the same hometown. Whenever I need to rely on someone, your face is the first that comes to mind."

"Aha, ha..."

Bombarded with such direct affection, Maika's cheeks gradually reddened as her eyes darted around nervously.

"............"

Next to Maika who was now squirming with her face completely red, the small animal-like girl was watching the lovey-dovey pair with an expressionless stare.

Well, if you suddenly had people being all lovey-dovey right next to you, you'd probably react like that too. I'm pretty sure I'm making the same blank expression right now.

"A-anyway! Karl, what about Lev? What do you think of Lev?"

"Lev? She's a good, honest girl! I'd take a bullet for her - she's like family!"

"Eh......"

Perhaps sensing the dangerous aura emanating from Lev, Maika quickly redirected Karl's praise barrage toward her. As expected of a childhood friend - she knows exactly how to handle Karl.

"Lev, your eyes are so cute. Big and sparkling, full of charm."

"Ah, that's..."

"And what I love most about Lev is how earnest and hardworking she is. Like how she's been secretly doing those running exercises lately."

"Auu, auuu..."

And thus the praise massacre began anew. With his face still red, Karl moved directly in front of the small animal girl and started showering her with compliments.

What the hell is with this guy? Some kind of praise maniac?

"Um... Maika-san, what exactly is this about?"

"...He's basically drunk already. Karl here is ridiculously weak to alcohol."

"Huh."

Drunk, huh.

True, we did just toast to celebrate arriving at Lewin... but we've only had one mug of ale so far?

"That idiot turns into this outrageous praise-drunk when he's intoxicated. When sober we're constantly arguing, but when drunk he lays on the compliments so thick he becomes impossible to deal with."

"Ah, so that's his nature then."

"When drunk he flatters you like he's trying to seduce you, but when he sobers up all memories of the drinking session vanish completely. It's the worst."

"Oh dear. He doesn't remember any of it?"

"Nope. That's why you must never engage with that drunk. You'll get stuck nursing his passed-out ass after being praised until your face burns with embarrassment."

Spoken like someone with experience. Apparently Maika's been through this multiple times already. Karl seems to have quite the interesting drinking habit.

But if all he does is praise people, isn't that a relatively good way to be drunk?

"At least it's better than some, I suppose. Far more harmless than those who start spouting insults when drunk."

"...You'd understand if you experienced it. I could never call that 'harmless' with a straight face."

Maika seemed to recall something, her eyes growing distant. Probably some unpleasant memories.

"It's about how many girls he's made misunderstand with that habit of his."

"...Ah."

Right. That earlier display was basically him hitting on her.

"Lev does know about this bad habit of his, but..."

"She's bright red right now."

"Even when you know what's coming, having it directed at you is... well. The idiot genuinely means every compliment, which makes it all the more embarrassing. You should be careful too, Ileine-san."

Sounds amusing. Maybe I'll sit across from him next time he's drunk.

Not that I'd get flustered being praised by another guy. But if this came from the opposite sex, I'd probably misunderstand too.

"You're amazing, Lev. Always pushing forward with that slender body of yours. You're such a help."

"...Uu..."

"Your smile is adorable. I wish you'd smile more."

"...Auuu..."

Steam might as well be rising from Lev's face now.

She's on the verge of being knocked out. Maybe she actually has feelings for Karl too? Could this be a love triangle...?

Actually, I still haven't heard about Lev and Karl's relationship. Karl did say they're "like family," so they're probably not actually related.

"By the way, how did Lev-san come to join this party?"

"Ah... that's, hmm... Sorry, I'll explain after getting her permission. Unlike me, that girl's carrying some pretty heavy baggage."

"...I see."

"Role-wise, she handles close combat and demolition. Though I've never actually seen her do that stuff, so I can't vouch for her skills."

"Understood."

I see. So little Lev's the melee combat specialist──

"Wait just a moment! So you're saying our party's basic formation involves putting little Lev on the frontlines?!"

"Well, theoretically that would be the case."

"That's absolutely unacceptable! She clearly looks younger than us. How could we possibly hide behind such a small child in battle—"

"Exactly! That's why Karl kept shouting 'I can't put Lev in danger!' in such a frenzy."

Hmm, I see. So they must have worked out some solution.

"We positioned Lev as my bodyguard behind Karl. Our current basic formation has Karl charging the frontline to scatter enemies, and that's usually enough to end most fights."

"......"

"To be honest, we're not much use in combat. Karl's become so strong he instantly wipes out most enemies. My role is scouting, Lev handles covert operations—we specialize in information gathering during non-combat situations."

I see. So Karl handles all the fighting by himself.

...Wait, then what's my role here?

"Though even Karl can't use advanced magic yet. Having a professional mage like you join us is a godsend, Irine."

"Oh my, is that so? Well, I'll do my best to protect this world."

So close combat is entirely his domain, huh? Damn, what if they find out I'm actually a muscle-bound melee specialist?

Ugh. I really don't want to, but maybe I should start studying magic again? I did bring some beginner spellbooks at least.

Guess I'll review while working out. Can't afford to mess up incantations like last time—I shouted "Extreme Buster" when the textbook clearly states the proper name is "Elemental Buster."

Honestly surprised that even worked.

"A-uuu..."

"So cute... zzz..."

And thus our party's strongest warrior Karl, face flushed from alcohol, began snoring while hugging the younger girl. The small animal-like girl in his arms had already fainted with swirling eyes.

...This looks downright criminal.

"Seems Karl's done for the night. Shall we call it a day?"

"Indeed. I'll handle carrying these two."

"Can you manage? Karl's quite heavy."

"We have something called body enhancement magic."

I casually lifted the sleeping pair under each arm. Yeah, Karl's definitely heavy.

"Wow, magic can do that too?"

"Magic is quite versatile. I plan to teach Karl some eventually."

That's right. While each attribute has specialties, magic is generally incredibly useful.

The one spell I consistently practice—body enhancement—has no downsides beyond mana consumption, boosting physical abilities by 20-30%. Truly the ultimate utility spell.

I absolutely want Karl to learn this. Unlike attack magic, this one's full of romance!

I mean, body enhancement! Isn't that one of shounen manga's quintessential abilities?!

I've unofficially renamed the "Muscle Boost" spell as "KO Keeeeou Fist," training it as my secret trump card.

While stacking it increases mana consumption, it enables hype moves like shouting "Hang in there, body! Triple KO Keeeeou Fiiiiist!!" when punching above your weight class.

Realistically it only adds maybe 20-30% per stack, but the spirit is triple!

"Amazing, you're lifting them so easily!"

"Fufu, it's nothing."

Though to be honest, I'm not even using enhancement right now. This is pure muscle.

If I were actually casting it, I'd need incantations. Too much hassle.

"Then let's continue tomorrow morning. We'll discuss specifics then."

"Agreed."

After depositing the two in their room, I exchanged farewells with Maika and retreated to my own quarters.

...Of course, I paid for my private room out of my own pocket.

Originally, due to budget constraints, the girls were almost forced to share a room. But I managed to secure my own space by claiming "various noble circumstances" as an excuse.

After all, the travel funds came from my family's support, and since I covered the extra cost myself, no one could complain.

This way, at least until my funds run dry, I’ve secured a private space. Going forward, I’ll make sure to maintain it, even if I have to take on side jobs.

Yes, it’s only natural…

For the sake of my sacred muscle-bonding time!

♪♫ Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm!! ♫♪

This is my precious alone time with my beloved muscles. A private room means no prying eyes—just a full-on muscle festival! Heave-ho!

Ah, my tensor fasciae latae is looking particularly glossy today. And what’s this, sartorius? You seem a little down?

Haaah~ Could it be you’re sulking because I haven’t paid you enough attention? There, there, my proud, adorable muscles! I’ve kept you waiting, haven’t I? From now on, I’ll lavish you with love every single day!

That’s why I went out of my way to pay for this room!

"Squishy-squish! Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm, squishy-squish!!"

The thick, pulsating flesh. The glistening sweat, the ragged breaths.

Fwaaaah~ Seriously, working out is… the absolute best!!

♪♫ Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm, hmm-squishy-baaaaaaah!! ♫♪

---

"Huff… huff…"

"My lady…"

Meanwhile, far away in the muscle-obsessed noble’s estate…

"I told you, my lady—chasing after adventurers on foot when you’re not used to traveling is reckless!"

"Huff… huff… But I just wanted… to catch up to Big Sis… soon…"

"We’ll prepare a carriage for you tomorrow. For now, please rest."

The actual noble lady, who had recklessly tried to follow her sister’s party on foot, was now utterly exhausted, being dragged back home by her long-suffering maid.

"That commoner… I’ll remember this… huff…"

"...Poor Lady Ilia."

Incidentally, it would take her several days to recover from the full-body muscle aches.