After finishing our meal, we immediately left the cafeteria, putting distance between ourselves and that guy.
However, he followed us.
"Hey, leaving already? Why don't you hang out and have some fun? In a situation like this, how about a drink to lift our spirits?"
"I don't really like alcohol. Besides, these two are minors."
"Isn't it fine if an adult pours it for them? Don't be so uptight. Guys who put up too many walls aren't popular. This big bro is giving you some life advice as your senior."
Life senior, my ass. If it weren't for this world, he'd be a prime example of a failed life. In the real world, living like this would get you stabbed by a woman or sued.
"No thanks. Instead of drinking and playing around, I'm going to work out."
"Work out?"
"I'm going to learn how to exercise from Leonidas. Or... want to come with?"
His expression soured at the suggestion of coming to a gym reeking of men's sweat. He quickly said no thanks and, losing interest in me, tried to flirt with Ritsuka and Mash.
"They're coming with me. And don't offer alcohol to kids. You're not some college senior. What kind of times are we in that you're forcing drinks on people?"
"What? Forcing?"
"It's always the guys who've never even been in the military that pull the most seniority crap. Just like you."
"What the hell did you just say to me?"
With the mindset of actively creating conflict, I spat out the words I couldn't say before.
"Stop hitting on the kids. You already have plenty of women, don't you? A man with loose pants like you doesn't seem sincere at all."
"This bastard, I treat you nicely and you cross the line?"
"You're the one who crossed the line. No matter what I say, you'll probably live like that until the day you die. Your life is pretty pathetic."
With that, I took Mash and Ritsuka and left. He trembled, clenching his fists, but he didn't attack me. His personality would normally have him do just that, but perhaps it was because of Leonidas.
Even though he wasn't here, he was probably scared of the fact that Leonidas was behind me. A classic case of being strong against the weak and weak against the strong.
He never changes.
"As I thought, he is a disagreeable person."
"You don't like him either, Mash?"
"Yes, I hate him more than anyone in the world."
To that extent? I've never seen Mash act like this. Even in the original story, she didn't act this way towards people like Beryl or Douman; she was only like this with Kiara. What's gotten into her?
Well, the world is different, so I'll just let it slide. What's the point of thinking too deeply about it?
It's actually a good thing, isn't it?
"I wish you wouldn't even talk to that person, Sho~"
"Still, how can I not say a single word? Our relationship isn't one I can just ignore."
It seems Ritsuka doesn't like me associating with him at all. I don't want to deal with him either, but to get my revenge, I have to maintain a connection.
Step by step, I'll build up a justification and bring him down. Even though just killing him would be easier on my mind, I have to make him suffer slowly.
Of course, the one who'll have the hardest time in this process is me. But it's something I have to do. I'm the only one who remembers that time, so I have to do it for Ritsuka and everyone else.
If it weren't for him, everyone would have been happy. Of course, given the structure of this world, they might have been assaulted by other men or monsters in other Singularities even if he wasn't around.
But in the previous timeline I experienced, he was the root of all evil.
"This is the training room. It's the first time I've come here for a reason other than cleaning."
"You've never used it before?"
"The odd jobs alone keep me busy. When I'm done, my whole body aches, so I don't have the energy to work out."
It's really tough. My predecessor was him, and he did a shoddy job before handing things over to me. Cleaning up his mess and continuing the work all by myself was exhausting.
It's more grueling than working in a parcel warehouse.
The pay is incredibly high, though. When the contract ends, they say your memories of Chaldea are erased and replaced with different ones. They even forge your resume to show you worked for a major foreign corporation and give you a huge severance package.
The pay is great for the work, which is why I do it. Otherwise, it would be unbearable. Though, thinking about it now, that pay is useless.
Anyway, we enter the training room. Inside, Leonidas is organizing the exercise equipment.
"Oh, you've arrived, Master."
"How is it? Do you like Chaldea's facilities?"
"Hmm, it is certainly a splendid place, but by my standards, it is lacking. Everything is too light."
Indeed, the weights in a modern gym would probably be too light for Leonidas. Even by the standards of his own time. They say in Sparta, even their currency was like dumbbells.
"Since you are here, shall we exercise?"
"Sounds good. That's why I came. Is today the start of my Spartan training?"
"Ah, no. We will start with light exercises. Master, you have a lot of accumulated fatigue in your body. Therefore, starting with intense training from the beginning would, on the contrary, ruin your body. Rest is also important! Thus, we will only do light exercises to loosen up your body."
"That's a relief. What about you, Mash and Ritsuka? Want to join?"
"Yes! I'd love to! What about you, Senpai?"
"If Sho is doing it, I'll do it too."
And so, we decided to participate in Leonidas's light warm-up training. We went to the locker room to change into workout clothes. I came out in a simple tracksuit, but...
"M-Mash?"
"Ah, you're out."
That's not a tracksuit, that's her basic Servant attire. Just without the armor.
No, wait, Mash wore this for training in the VR simulator too.
"So that's your basic outfit."
"Yes. It is also my combat attire as a Servant. In other words, it is my training wear."
"Hmm. I feel the spirit of Sparta from it. Could it be, Miss Mash, that you are a distant descendant of Sparta?"
I don't think so.
Is it a leotard, or a high-leg? Anyway, because of the style, my eyes keep involuntarily drifting towards her crotch. Honestly, it's distracting.
Since this is fundamentally an eroge, all the women's outfits are something else.
I'm wondering what the difference is between this and a swimsuit. Isn't this actually more suggestive?
"Have you all been waiting?"
A moment later, Ritsuka comes out of the locker room. I thought she would be in normal workout clothes, but...
She wasn't. I was the only one in a tracksuit. Ritsuka's outfit wasn't normal either.
"What is that?"
"It's a Chaldea combat uniform. What do you think? Does it suit me?"
"It suits you, but..."
Why is she dressed so seriously? And why that one in particular?
Thinking about it now, it's a pretty perverted outfit. I don't even know why the chest is open. I don't get what makes it a 'combat' uniform.
"Well then, since everyone is here, let us begin! The Leonidas Muscle Club is now in session!"
Anyway, after all the twists and turns, we finally started exercising.
==========================================
(Ryuuji's POV)
"Tsk, arrogant bastard."
Ryuuji went to Da Vinci's workshop. He clicked his tongue and sat down in a chair. He roughly popped the cap off a beer and started chugging it straight from the bottle.
"What's wrong?"
"Kuriyama, I don't like that guy. I don't like how he's acting all tough just because he has a big guy behind him."
As Sho had predicted, he didn't mess with him because he was afraid of Leonidas. Parvati? He was the type to look down on women and see them as beneath him, so he was only afraid of Leonidas.
"A good-for-nothing janitor, getting all high and mighty just because he became a Master and got a Servant!"
He himself had been a janitor, but he was under the delusion that he had worked hard to become a full-time employee.
In a way, it could be called effort and self-made success. He had gotten promotions through his connections with women. Not that it was a clean way to do things.
"So, what do you want me to do? You didn't come to me without wanting something, did you?"
Da Vinci sat down next to him with a lustful smile, and he nodded.
"A Servant."
"Huh?"
"Is there any way I can get a Servant too?"
"Hmm, no. You're not a Master. But I'll look into it. Maybe I'll find something if I dig through the Chaldea database. But, if you don't have Master aptitude, you can't summon a Servant. That much is certain."
"I don't care. What does it matter if I can't summon one? I can just take one."
He didn't care if he was a fake Master who could only contract with Servants, not summon them. He wasn't interested in summoning. He could just take one.
Was it the logic of the strong, or was it just his preference?
"Hmm, even so, that's a bit... Don't you think taking their Servants is a little too much?"
Da Vinci, feeling that this was going too far, said a word, but he threw the beer bottle and grabbed her.
"Kya!"
"Don't talk back. You just do as I say. Or do I have to carve it into your body one more time? That I am your master."
"Th-that's..."
"If you talk back to me like this, I might just stop giving it to you."
"That, no. I don't want that. Okay, I'll do it. I'll do as you say."
Da Vinci was already in Ryuuji's grasp. Her body and mind were already his slaves.
In the end, she submitted to him and began to search for a way for him to become a Master.
And, on the ceiling of the workshop, a small surveillance camera glowed with a purple light, observing the scene.
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