I Became the Son of a Corrupt Lord, so I’ll Enjoy an Easy Life in Another World ~but Please Stop Revering Me as a “Saint”!~

Stage 3-6. Alice And The Abs Challenge

After that, we spent a few days indulging in leisure activities to relieve the stress that had built up from constant work.

While a student must study, taking breaks is essential for mental well-being.

Especially since the king seems intent on forcibly involving me in his schemes, I’ll likely face more gruesome situations in the future.

Pushing myself even during downtime would be a recipe for burnout.

With that in mind, I agreed to their request to visit a private beach.

“…”

“…What’s wrong with my abs, Karen?”

“Ah! No, it’s just… your body is amazing, Ouga!”

“Well, I’ve trained it extensively.”

Now that I think about it, this must be Karen’s first time seeing my physique up close.

“Can… can I touch it?”

“Feel free.”

“O-okay…”

Blushing as red as her hair, Karen tentatively grabbed my arm.

“W-wow, it’s so thick…”

“…”

“And so hard! I can’t even wrap my hands around it!”

“…”

For some reason, her words and expressions made the situation feel oddly inappropriate.

Her wet hair clinging to her cheeks added an air of sensuality.

Of course, acting on any inappropriate desires here would surely result in disaster, so I firmly suppressed such thoughts.

“Your chest is so broad… so strong.”

Karen gently pressed her face against my chest.

The coolness of the water made her warmth all the more noticeable.

The realization that we were touching skin-to-skin, without clothes as a barrier, made me slightly self-conscious.

…But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

As we stayed like that in silence, the shouts of Mashiro and the others broke the quiet from behind us.

“Wow! Alice, your abs are rock-hard! That’s amazing!”

“Poking them doesn’t even leave a dent…”

“Heh. As Ouga-sama’s sword, I can’t afford to let myself go dull.”

Looking back, I saw Mashiro and Reina marveling at Alice’s six-pack, poking at it repeatedly.

…Seeing her body, most average men would probably lose confidence.

It was clear at a glance how well-trained she was.

“Poke, poke.”

Reina continued poking Alice’s abs before suddenly shifting her attention to the nearby glutton.

“…Boing.”

“Reina! That’s enough! I’ll get angry!”

“Haha, sorry~!”

Turning red with anger, Mashiro began chasing Reina around.

But sadly for Mashiro, her physical abilities were no match for Reina’s.

Given Reina’s enhanced physique, Mashiro couldn’t catch her.

Well, it’ll be a good exercise for her, I thought, watching the scene unfold.

Then Karen turned her attention to Alice’s abs.

“Hmm…”

“Is something the matter?”

“I was trying to compare Ouga’s abs to yours, but… I couldn’t tell.”

Karen shrugged.

Interesting. I’ve never actually tested that before.

While Alice frequently inspects my physique during training, I rarely have the chance to touch hers.

…Now I’m curious too.

“Alice, mind if I feel?”

“Y-you as well, Ouga-sama!? T-they’re nothing special, but… if you wish, go ahead.”

For once, Alice seemed flustered but quickly composed herself, presenting her abs.

With her permission, I gently placed my hand on her stomach.

Wow… incredible firmness…

There wasn’t a single spot to pinch.

It felt like pressing against a massive fortress wall.

Comparing it with my own abs, they didn’t feel nearly as solid.

It seems I still have a long way to go.

To reach her level, I’ll need to push my body much harder.

In other words, there’s still plenty of room for growth, both in magic and physical strength.

Realizing that was reason enough to be glad I touched her abs.

…No, I’ll correct that.

The best part was seeing Alice’s cheeks flush red.

That was the real treasure.

“Ouga-sama… is that enough for now?”

“Ah, thank you. I learned a lot.”

“If I could be of service to you, that’s all that matters. …Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off for a swim!”

“Huh?”

“Alice!?”

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Alice dashed across the sand with incredible speed, leaping a dozen meters into the water before starting to swim.

Her momentum was extraordinary, creating a massive splash as her figure receded into the distance.

Eventually, even her shouts faded away.

“…Will she be okay?”

“…It’s Alice. She’ll be fine. More importantly…”

Looking back, I saw Mashiro face-down on the ground while Reina playfully poked her squishy belly.

I had a feeling this would happen when Mashiro’s voice stopped earlier.

“…Let’s carry her to the parasol.”

“Haha… yeah, let’s.”

Chuckling, we went to tend to Mashiro.

For the record, Alice returned three hours later, carrying a fish as big as she was around her waist.