LDM 558 – Taking a break from training.

I decide to laze around on the fluffy bed with Niku as my hug pillow. Today is a day off from training, for the surprisingly reasonable reason Leona says it’s not good to overdo it.

“But even though I specialized in magic, I can cut rocks now, huh?”

“Master, you’ve become so strong, I’m worried my turn will decrease.”

“Don’t worry, Niku. I still plan on having you work plenty from now on.”

It’s scary how my body doesn’t feel like my own. I must strive to laze around in my room…

“Still, I feel like I got sore muscles because of cutting the rock…”

“What are you talking about? You’re a mage, cutting a rock should be normal.”

As I was thinking about that, Rokuko had come into the room and said such a thing. Casually sitting on the opposite side of Niku, she slipped under the fluffy bed. What is she doing? Oh, it’s cold, so she wants to get under the covers? I guess I have no choice.

“Don’t you use 【Healing】?”

“Do you know, Rokuko? It’s said that it’s better to let the muscles recover naturally. It’s definitely not an excuse for lazing around.”

If healing magic could make us stronger, Leona would say something like, “If you cut off your arm and heal it repeatedly, you’ll gain muscle easily.”

“I never thought I could cut a rock… But I don’t remember training that much. At most, just a little in the demon country.”

“Maybe you’re using body-strengthening magic?”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”

If I could cut rocks, it would be strange not to be more muscular, and I thought it would be hard to adjust the power in daily life, but that’s resolved.

That’s right. This world has magic, and I can use it freely. It’s already in the realm of superpowers; if I want to bring something far away to my hand, I can activate wind magic without chanting and it flies into my hand as easy as pie.

The attraction magic I learned because it was too troublesome to get out of the fluffy bed. Of course, I can also return things to their original place. Wind magic or even 【Teleportation】 is fine.

“Nerune was praising that as the true essence of magic while lamenting that it’s a waste of magic, right?”

“What’s that? Like how money is meant to be spent lavishly?”

Anyway, I use magic like my hands and feet. So it’s not strange that I unconsciously use magic while moving my real hands and feet… yeah.

On the other hand, isn’t my strength without magic really dropping? I might be lazing around too much. Recently, I’ve been moving my body during Leona’s training…

“…After the training is over, I have a feeling it’s bad if I don’t exercise a bit.”

“Oh, Suira was saying there’s a good exercise for that. It’s an exercise for men and women to do together. Niku, do you want to try?”

“Rokuko-sama, please tell me more.”

“Wait. You must not take what a succubus says seriously. Their race and culture are different.”

That’s definitely the kind of exercise that would get me punched by Haku-san.

…No, is it already forgiven? That one?

***

In Gollen Village, there are people called villager adventurers.

Technically, they were originally adventurers, and villagers were added later. However, if you trace back even further, before becoming adventurers, they were things like the third son of a farming family, so they were villagers in the first place. Either way, it doesn’t really matter.

These villager adventurers basically enter dungeons, hunt goblins and golems, and earn rewards from the Adventurer’s Guild to make a living.

To live a somewhat decent life, it is essential that they have at least enough power to hunt Iron Golems as a party.

Therefore, villager adventurers are actually all quite skilled.

Villager adventurers chat while drinking at the tavern.

“Don’t you think the village chief has some kind of aura recently?”

“Oh, you noticed too? It’s like he’s got the aura of a strong person now.”

“I knew he wasn’t just an ordinary person, but now it feels like his deceptive appearance is gone, right?”

These villagers were very sensitive to the improvement in Kehma’s strength.

Lately, Kehma has been going to the dungeon every day without fail and seems to be getting stronger day by day.

“After all, he’s a man who can beat the Hero Wataru.”

“Well, it’s kind of like cheating.”

“Even Wataru himself admits that he can’t beat the village chief, although it’s cheating. … On the other hand, if he challenged him head-on, wouldn’t Wataru win for the first time?”

The others nodded in agreement.

“Huh? Are you talking about me?”

At that moment, Wataru himself arrived.

“Oh? Hey, Wataru. Are you here to pay tribute to the witch again?”

“Ahaha, well… you’re not entirely wrong.”

Wataru, scratching his head and blushing, admitted.

The villager adventurers all wondered why he was so smitten with that witch, Nerne, when he could have any woman he wanted.

While she may seem plain at first glance, no one denies that she is beautiful.

Moreover, the nickname “witch” does not refer to her actually being a witch, but rather to her being a demonic woman who ensnares the hero. (Nerne herself is quite fond of this nickname.)

“So, is it true that Kehma-san has become stronger?”

“Oh, no doubt about it. Well, he was strong to begin with…”

“That just makes it even more difficult for me to win.”

Wataru said, looking somewhat happy.

“Between the witch and the village chief, Wataru, you’re a strange one, aren’t you?”

“You enjoy losing. Well, it’s not a problem.”

“I have won so much that I have gotten tired of winning! It’s strange to say it myself.”

“Hahaha, well, you are the Hero after all.”

A villager adventurer slapped Wataru’s back heartily. A merchant who had been watching from a distance shuddered.

“So, is there any reason why Kehma-san has become stronger?”

When Wataru asked, the villager adventurers began to discuss.

“Hmm? Let’s see… It could be because his wife’s escort was sent back recently?”

“No, he was lazy for a while after that. It must be his daughter’s birthday!”

“I can’t think of anything… Oh, it could be since that black-haired woman came?”

Hearing the words “black hair,” Wataru reacted.

“Black hair? Like mine and Kehma-san’s? With black eyes?”

“Yeah. The village chief has the same jet-black hair. But her eyes were red.”

“Black hair and red eyes… Hmm, there’s a possibility that, like Kehma