Physical Education Class

I changed my class to Martial Artist.

I thought about testing it out with some shadowboxing, but a deep, booming voice cut me off.

“Niku! I am the physical education teacher, Nickbacca!”

The physical education teacher who introduced himself as Nickbacca was a macho, massively built man.

He was even bigger than Monsoon, a former classmate of mine.

“Some of you may already know this, but several powerful area-wide spells have been cast around this academy! A representative one is Unquenchable! A spell that lets you live without drinking water!”

Only now did I realize that I had not felt thirsty at all, even when sweating during work.

Come to think of it, I had heard about this before.

In frontier development, securing drinking water was the top priority, yet also extremely difficult.

That was why, in the early stages of schooling, arrangements were made so students would not need to drink water.

“And then there’s Repulsion! A spell that keeps monsters and wild beasts away! However, starting tomorrow, this spell’s effect will gradually weaken! Do you understand what that means!? From tomorrow onward, monsters will start entering the residential district where you live!”

Facing the murmuring students, Instructor Nickbacca pointed at them with his thick, ham-like fingers.

“That is exactly why physical education is a required subject! Through these lessons, I will turn you all into fully fledged close-combat warriors! I’ll train you hard, so prepare yourselves! Niku!”

He struck a bodybuilding pose, showing off his bulging muscles.

“Today, we’ll be practicing barehanded combat, something useful for every single class! Of course, I won’t waste time slowly teaching you fancy forms! There will be only real combat! Because monsters won’t wait for your warm-ups or your level-ups!”

Then Instructor Nickbacca ignored the many students around him and stared straight at me.

“But I’ll at least show you a demonstration! You there! What’s your name!?”

“…Don’t you already know?”

At that, Instructor Nickbacca covered his face with his palm as if saying “Oh dear,” and burst out laughing from deep in his belly.

“Nikukukukukukuku! It seems this student thinks he’s quite the celebrity! Who in the world would know the name of some unemployed trash!? Niiikukukuku!”

…So he did know after all.

After laughing his fill, Instructor Nickbacca crooked his finger at me.

“Niku! Then, celebrity boy, step forward! Let’s have a real sparring match with me!”

The students in front of me scattered, forming a ring around Instructor Nickbacca and me.

Most of them were grinning maliciously.

“Man, that trash really got picked on right away!”

“He’s gonna get beaten to a pulp as an example!”

“I hated physical education since I’m a production class, but this looks like it’ll be fun!”

Some of the girls reacted differently.

“Do your best, Leo-kun! Fight!”

“Hehe, I’m sure he’ll do it. Something amazing that we could never imagine…”

“Nin. If it’s the Leopin I raised, he will surely deliver.”

Amid the swirling jeers and cheers, I faced Instructor Nickbacca.

Instructor Nickbacca swung his arms sharply, cracking his shoulders.

“Celebrity boy! Before your face changes shape, I’ll take just the first hit with no guard!

Go ahead and land your puny punch wherever you like!”

“Is that so? Then I won’t hold back.”

I walked over toward Instructor Nickbacca at a relaxed pace.

While doing so, I activated Dexterous Body, a skill from Jack-of-All-Trades.

I converted most of my dexterity into Strength.

With this much, no one would laugh and call it a puny punch.

I slipped into Instructor Nickbacca’s guard and, in one smooth motion, pulled my fist in short.

I lightly threw a body blow, one of the Boxing Arts techniques of the Martial Artist class.

The moment that punch sank into Instructor Nickbacca’s unguarded side—

…DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

His massive body was launched into the air.

I thought, Crap.

“I only meant to give him a light tap to test things…”

Maybe 2500 Strength was overkill.

Instructor Nickbacca flew several meters before slamming into the ground, sliding along it while sprawled out.

A silent shock dominated the area.

The male students who had surrounded me to keep me from escaping were now backing away without realizing it.

“W… what was that just now…?”

“T… that was a punch… right?”

“Can someone really get blown away like that from a punch!? It looked like an explosion!”

More than anything, I thought we should be worrying about Instructor Nickbacca.

Just then, someone shouted,

“A–are you all right!?”

Looking over, I saw Monaka dash out first from among the female students in the crowd.

As expected of a Saint—she probably could not ignore an injured person.

While I was admiring that, Monaka ran straight toward me instead of Instructor Nickbacca.

She grabbed my arm tightly and shouted loudly, as if checking whether I was sane.

“Leopin-kun, please stay with me! Are you fully conscious!? Are you injured anywhere!?”

“No, didn’t you see what just happened? I’m completely fine.”

When I pointed at the fallen Instructor Nickbacca, Monaka tilted her head in confusion.

“Oh my? Instructor Nickbacca is resting in a place like this… Is he perhaps exhausted…?”

I almost slipped and fell over.

“So you really weren’t watching!?”

Monaka widened her eyes sharply, as if to say “Absolutely not!”

“That is not true! I was watching properly!

I was so worried that Leopin-kun might be injured that I kept my eyes on Leopin-kun the whole time!”

It seemed Monaka had been focused entirely on me and had not paid Instructor Nickbacca any attention at all.

Before I knew it, with the help of the other Saints, Instructor Nickbacca had regained consciousness.