Three minutes later, in the Knight Department's training field.
Aisha lay sprawled on the cold floor of the training ground.
"I...I never expected it to be this much."
Aisha, with a dazed look, stared down at the floor beneath her.
Until now, she had hidden her sword skills, thinking that if her abilities improved too quickly, Theo might be reluctant to teach her.
But...
Against Irene, things wouldn't have changed even if she revealed them.
'It's like an insurmountable wall.'
Even if Aisha had not concealed her abilities and had charged with all her might, the gap was so overwhelming that she would have lost 100 out of 100 times.
'This is the skill level of one of Waldeurk's future leaders...'
Aisha stole a glance at Irene.
Irene's eyes were icy, but the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
'Bow to me. This... is the difference between our levels.'
It felt as if Irene's face conveyed that message.
All Aisha could feel was despair.
'She's so strong.'
Even if Aisha had her primary weapon, the bow, she had no confidence in winning a one-on-one.
While a bow wasn't necessarily the ideal weapon for such duels, and the terrain would heavily affect the outcome, Irene looked down at Aisha and spoke.
"Hmm, you seem to have the basics... But it's a shame. From what I know, you possess the [Weapon Master] trait. But more than anything, you're too scared. The moment I press even slightly, your stance crumbles. From what I see, swords really don't suit you."
"...I see."
Aisha lowered her head even further with a gloomy expression.
She had nothing to say; Irene's analysis was spot on.
...She had taken up the bow because she was afraid.
Close-ranged weapons like swords, spears, axes, and maces terrified her.
It wasn't a lifelong fear.
It started from an incident three years ago.
During a spar, she accidentally pierced her opponent with a spear.
And quite deeply.
The warm blood from her opponent splashed onto her and a tingling sensation rose from the hand holding the spear.
It was a horrific feeling.
The screams filling her ears from that day still haunted her.
Thanks to her trait [Sharp Vision], her vivid sight captured that scene even more vividly.
It was a relief that her opponent didn't die; if they died, who knows what trauma she might be experiencing now.
Of course, since then, she has compensated that person, and although they reassured her they were fine and asked her to stop worrying, the weight on her heart remained.
"To be honest, your technique is quite good. I've seen moves Theo uses in your style. But more important than that is the courage to penetrate an opponent's guard. Aisha, the sword isn't for you.
Probably, other close-ranged weapons like spears, axes, and maces might be the same. The bow suits you best. If I were you, instead of learning swordsmanship, I'd focus more on archery."
Irene said with genuine sincerity.
It made sense that Irene would feel that way.
From the time she was little, crawling around, she had been around countless warriors and knights.
She grew up constantly sparring with them.
Among the first-year students at the academy, possessed a combat instinct in close combat as honed as Irene's.
"...You're right. I guess I'm more suited for a bow than a sword..."
Aisha, still sitting and gazing unfocusedly at the ground, muttered to herself.
'It seems I no longer have an excuse to use to get close to Theo...'
She felt defeated.
Drowning in a sea of despair, Aisha couldn't find the strength to get up.
Without a word, Theo moved toward the entrance of the Knight Department's training grounds.
He intended to turn away anyone trying to enter, concerned about how others might perceive Aisha in her current state.
That was his first thought.
'Aisha is extremely conscious of how others see her. It's no different with Irene and me. Yet she doesn't even think to stand up... She must be deeply shaken.'
That was his second thought.
By the time Theo had turned away the fourth student trying to enter the training grounds,
"Thank you for the wake-up call, Irene. I should get going now."
Aisha finally rose from her spot.
The previous sorrow in her eyes had dried up, replaced by a determined resolve.
'I still want to stay close to Theo... If not during sword training, then during club meetings.'
However, club meetings wouldn't be just the two of them.
'Right.'
Aisha bit her lip, resolute.
'I'll show you a changed version of me, Theo. I'll prove that I can achieve anything if I set my mind to it...!'
She decided to confront her own trauma.
Before leaving, Aisha looked at Theo and said,
"Next time, I want to learn from you. I'll work hard... Really hard. So, please...!"
After Aisha left the training ground, Irene and I dined together before diving back into our training.
Tomorrow, I need to wake up early to attend the association's academic seminar with Mari.
But I can't go home yet.
There's important business to attend to.
'Seria.'
I need to recharge the mana of [Magic Cartridge] from Seria.
Since she's discovered my true identity, communication should be easier.
And ever since, my left side, where [Magic Cartridge] is engraved, has been aching every once in a while.
I should ask her about this too.
In the game, every time there was a change in [Magic Cartridge], Neike would feel a sting.
But that was based on Neike's body.
Given that I'm a unique case with 0 mana, it might be different for me.
With that thought in mind, I glanced at Irene, who was dripping with sweat nearby.
"Hmm, Irene, your sword thrusts have improved."
"Huff, huff... As you know, Theo, I couldn't land a single hit on Neike."
"I remember."
I wanted to add, 'You should give up.', and 'That guy's like a natural disaster.'
But seeing the determination on Irene's face, I swallowed those words.
In the game, the spear user route was easy enough for even beginners to clear.
This basically means Neike, a spear user, is ridiculously strong.
'I could understand mages being overpowered, but spear users?'
Not only Irene but also every other student at the academy won't be able to defeat Neike even once before they graduate.
In the episode titled [Hero Department Mass Hallucination] from the first semester of the second year, dozens of students charged at Neike with real swords.
However, he effortlessly overpowered them all without a scratch.
Just think of him as a beast from another dimension.
There's such a gap in strength that one wouldn’t even feel inferior or envious.
Right now, Neike can easily take on most active mid-tier heroes.
I can say this with confidence as someone who played the original game for over 20,000 hours before my transmigration.
However, Irene seemed to have a different perspective.
"Huff...huff! I might not be able to defeat him, but I'll at least land one solid hit!"
Saying so, she once again grabbed her practice longsword and began her drills.
Truly, she possesses the spirit fitting of the future greatest knight in the human realm.
"I'm cheering for you, Irene. I'll take my leave now."
After leaving the training ground, I headed towards the Magic Department.
9:55 PM.
5 minutes before Seria comes out.
If nothing unusual happens, Seria is usually holed up in her research room until 10 PM.
As I wait in the bushes outside her lab, where I've hidden several times...
"..."
The research room, which was right before my eyes just moments ago, vanished without a trace.
In its place, only dust swirls in the air.
Such a large research room disappearing suddenly without any sign...
"Sigh."
It's likely one of Seria's nasty tricks.
I'm probably under the effect of [Confusion] magic right now.
Since Seria is a mage, she probably cast a wide-area debuff spell rather than target me specifically.
'I need to find the source of the magic.'
I don’t know where, but that doesn’t matter.
First, I dispelled the [Confusion] status on me using [Magic Nullification].
And just when I was about to amplify [Magic Nullification] with [Amplification Orb] to erase all the magic in the area...
"Hehe, we meet again, Mr. Theo. What brings you here?"
A teasing female voice echoed from ahead.
Wavy, long, violet hair.
A green shoulder badge on her uniform, symbolizing the Magic Department.
A choker necklace encircled her pale, slender neck.
And, attached to her chest are... unmistakably, it was Seria.
‘Damn, this isn't the time to amplify [Magic Nullification].’
Before my eyes reflexively drifted to her chest, I enhanced [Twisted Noble's Dignity] using the [Amplification Orb].
"Nice to see you."
I was able to respond with my usual composure.
With a devilish grin, Seria remarked,
"...It's nice to see you too. But why not use that curious ability? You might fall under [Confusion] again."
"..."
She came prepared, knowing everything.
‘Of course she did.’
I need to deal with the source of the magic first.
...But now I know exactly where it is.
Turning my back to Seria, I gathered [Magic Nullification] into my right hand—
"Kyaa, wha—?"
And immediately grabbed her by the shoulder.
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