Amy quickly scanned the menu, trying to pick a dessert to order.
Meanwhile, Theo stared intently at Seria.
Feeling his gaze, Seria smiled brightly.
"Do I have something on my face, Theo?"
"Seria, our paths seem to cross quite often."
Theo's eyes narrowed.
He had not told Seria where he was going after the [Artifact Competition].
Yet, out of the many cafes in the Knight Department, they had run into each other again.
'It's already started. This is typical of Seria.'
In this story, Seria shows an obsession comparable to Siena's when she sets her sights on someone.
While Siena is impulsive and charges headfirst, Seria is strategic and calculating.
'But if I want to have her under my control, I'll have to tolerate this much.'
There's no doubt that Seria's talent is 'real'.
Among the students at the academy, the only person who could confidently be said to have more magical talent than her is Neike, when he is on the mage route.
She just tends to use her rare talents in peculiar ways.
Seria still had a bright smile on her face.
"Oh my, what a coincidence. It seems like Theo and I are really compatible."
Of course, it was anything but a coincidence.
After the [Artifact Competition], Seria had used tracking and eavesdropping magic to follow Theo.
Her tracking skills were on par with those of the Exploration Department students.
She wasn’t a mage who only relied on the power and variety of her magic.
She knew how to creatively and effectively use magic at the right time and place.
'Hehe, it's Theo’s fault for being so handsome.'
Seria calmly met Theo’s gaze, then looked down at her feet.
A small white-furred puppy was looking up at her.
"What a cute puppy. Is it your pet, Theo?"
"Yes."
"The breed is... a Pomeranian, I think? It seems to be just a few months old. What's its name?"
"Little Fist."
"Pfft."
Seria couldn't help but laugh.
It was somewhat a trivial name, yet strangely, it matched the puppy's appearance.
'Still, how can a puppy be named Little Fist... Theo has a surprisingly odd side.'
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was a very fitting name. May I hold him?"
"Sure."
As Theo nodded, Seria reached out to Little Fist.
As if waiting, Little Fist hopped into Seria’s arms.
Seria smiled mysteriously.
'Hehe, Theo brought his pet along today. Lucky me.'
She looked down at Little Fist, quietly nestled in her arms.
'Think of this as a favor for your master and me. I'm sorry, little puppy.'
With that, Seria cast an [Eavesdropping] spell on Little Fist.
She had prepared the magic beforehand, so there was no need for an incantation.
Furthermore, unlike the usual eavesdropping spells that have a short range, the one Seria used had a range several times longer.
'Hehe, I've filled it with plenty of mana, so it should last at least two weeks. Thank you for becoming the Cupid between me and your owner.'
However, Seria’s wish did not come true.
Because her magic did not take effect.
Her eyes filled with panic.
'What, what is this...? The magic didn’t work?'
It wasn’t a failure due to the spell.
The mana had been consumed.
'Magic... immunity?'
There was no other way to explain it.
The [Eavesdropping] magic literally evaporated.
'No, what on earth is this puppy? I've never heard of or seen a puppy with magic immunity...!'
Magic immunity is an extremely rare ability.
Even in the magic tower overflowing with talents possessing all kinds of magical abilities, there is not a single person with magic immunity.
Seria’s panic turned into even greater dismay.
Growl, growl, growl!
Because Little Fist had bitten onto Seria’s arm.
"Kyaaaa!"
Quite ungracefully, Seria screamed in the café bustling with people.
She was so shocked that a tear welled up under her eye.
Kiiing, kiiing!
Bouncing up, Little Fist escaped from Seria’s embrace and ran to Theo, hugging him.
Then, glaring at Seria, he growled.
Theo immediately understood.
'Seria must have used some creepy magic on Little Fist. It’s probably the [Eavesdropping] spell.'
Little Fist is, after all, a divine beast.
He is automatically immune to status effects and debuffs from spells below the 5th Circle.
But of course, Seria wouldn’t know this.
Theo looked at Seria calmly and patted Little Fist.
'Good dog.'
Of course, he only said it in his mind.
After Seria hurriedly left the café, Theo started a serious conversation with Jang Woohee.
The topic was breathing techniques.
"I... I want to know your breathing technique, Jang Woohee."
"...I'm not good at teaching."
Jang Woohee replied calmly.
Her words were true.
She was good at learning, but she had no talent for teaching others.
She was also not very eloquent.
Theo, while stroking Little Fist in his arms, said,
"It doesn’t matter. Just tell me what you know, and I'll try to figure it out myself."
"…Okay. But—"
Jang Woohee paused and glanced at Amy, who was eating a chocolate cheese cake.
She was wondering if it was okay to share a secret between Theo and herself in this setting.
Theo spoke calmly,
"I understand. I can tell you what you want..."
"When should I teach you?"
Jang Woohee cut in abruptly.
'Finally, I can search for Hyoyeon.'
Woo Hyoyeon, the only friend who had disappeared without a trace one day.
A life of 15 years stained with the pains of rigorous training and emotional trauma.
A confusing life where she questioned the purpose of her own existence every day.
The time spent with Hyoyeon was just a short three months, but it made her realize that 'life isn't just about hardships.'
Theo said,
"The sooner, the better."
"…I’ll tell you right now."
Theo and Jang Woohee moved to the Hero Department's training ground.
They chose this location to avoid any potential encounters with others in the Knight Department's training ground.
As expected, there was no one in the Hero Department's training ground, and the two entered a private room.
Theo spoke up,
"I will tell you what you want to know after I've learned the breathing technique."
What Jang Woohee wanted to know was the whereabouts of Woo Hyoyeon.
Of course, Theo knows where Woo Hyoyeon is and intends to tell Jang Woohee.
However, Jang Woohee has a deep attatchment for Woo Hyoyeon.
If he told her before he learned the breathing technique, it would be difficult for her to keep her calm during the session.
Jang Woohee nodded,
“...Alright. Then, I’ll tell you straight away. As I said earlier, I am not good at teaching.”
“That’s fine. Just show me how.”
“Watch my body... pay attention to how I breathe, mainly through my throat and stomach.”
Standing upright, Jang Woohee started to breathe in and out.
“Hoo, hoo…”
She repeated this action about ten times before picking up a practice dagger.
Hoo-woong, hoo-woong.
Then, she swung it through the air, performing basic moves comprised of slashes and thrusts.
Her dagger skills were fast and precise.
Theo watched her carefully, noting every detail.
‘So, exhale like this while using…’
He realized he was already unconsciously using this method, but there were subtle differences.
Jang Woohee’s dagger skills contained more power and were faster.
Without stopping her dagger, Jang Woohee spoke,
“...I will continue.”
Hoo-woong─
She mixed kick techniques with her existing slashes and thrusts.
Just like before, her moves were more powerful and faster compared to Theo’s.
‘It’s not a matter of stats. With amplified [Overload], my stats are higher than Jang Woohee’s. In terms of sheer destructive power, I should be stronger.’
However, Jang Woohee’s techniques had a refined destructiveness.
If his technique was a hammer that crushed everything in the area of impact, her technique was more like a needle, piercing deeply into a specific spot.
‘...Aha.’
He felt like he was starting to get the hang of it.
Let’s say he has a total of 100 energy points to use.
Usually, he would put strength into every small movement, not just his attacks.
Naturally, this meant he used up energy on these small movements, leaving him with less for his actual attacks.
On the other hand, Jang Woohee did not put any strength into her smaller movements, reserving her energy only for her attacks.
Naturally, this meant she had more energy to use when she needed it.
‘Is this the basic concept of internal energy? This looks really complex. I understand it in my head, but it’s another thing to get my body to follow.’
While Theo was observing Jang Woohee's movements and pondering these thoughts, time continued to pass.
Jang Woohee's movements came to a stop.
"...I can only teach like this. Did you understand?"
"To some extent. Will you show me other techniques as well?"
"...Alright."
Jang Woohee picked up her dagger again.
Swoosh, whoosh─!
This time, it wasn't just simple stabs, slashes, or kicks; it was a complex dagger technique.
Theo began to observe her movements once again.
About two hours passed like that.
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