Harem Training System: Every Girl I Train Makes Me Stronger!

Chapter 63: 63. Went to the Archive for Sword Theory And Got Aggressively Flirted With

The woman was reorganizing a section of reference texts, perched on a small step stool to reach the higher shelves. Her hair was a pale, muted shade of blue, cut sharply just above her shoulders, catching the dusty light filtering through the high windows.

When she heard their approach, she turned with an easy, unhurried grace that spoke of someone who was utterly, unapologetically comfortable in her own skin and perhaps a little too comfortable in her own territory.

"Oh my... my..." she breathed.

Her eyes didn’t just look at them; they tracked over William with an open, shameless appraisal that made the scholarly air of the library feel suddenly charged with electricity. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"We don’t usually get visitors this interesting in the reference section," she continued, sliding off the stool with a fluid motion that was more feline than human. "But since both of you are eager instructors, I suppose... I’m supposed to act neutral about this."

"Professionalism and all that boring nonsense."

"Oh! Uhm... you must be new," William said, clearing his throat. "I don’t think we’ve met before."

"Selena Ashbourne." She didn’t just extend a hand; she closed the distance between them, stepping into his personal space with zero hesitation.

When he took her hand, her grip lingered not just for a half second longer than necessary but with a deliberate, warm pressure that sent a clear message. "New combat theory instructor, three days into the job, and already thoroughly unimpressed by everyone I’ve met so far."

Her gaze traveled over him again, slower this time, deliberate as a blade tracing a whetstone. "You, though... You might change my opinion of this place..."

"William Wade." William offered a polite smile, but internally, his mind was racing. ’She’s bold... a dangerously bold one, I could say that.’

’And that outfit... she’s wearing combat gear like it’s evening wear... Is she trying to provoke a fight or a scandal?’

"Oh, I know exactly who you are~!" Selena giggled, the sound bright and almost musical. "Everyone in this building knows who you are, Instructor Wade."

Before William could respond, she reached out, her fingers brushing lightly, almost accidentally, against his forearm as she gestured toward him. "You’re the one who kicked Reinhardt’s ass in front of all the students."

"And the one who killed a Tier Five Reaver with a five-mode sword on a rest day... apparently. Which is either the most impressive thing I’ve heard all month or the most reckless." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Honestly? I find both qualities equally attractive."

"Ooookay...?" William said, caught completely off guard.

A genuine laugh escaped him before he could suppress it. "That’s... an interesting way to phrase a compliment."

"I don’t do subtle," Selena said, stepping even closer, her perfume something sharp, like citrus and steel, filling his senses. "Because life’s too short for subtlety."

Her gaze slid past him, suddenly sharpening as it landed on Catherine. "Vice Headmaster Blackwood."

The temperature in the aisle seemed to drop ten degrees. Catherine had gone completely rigid, her arms crossed in a posture that screamed ’impenetrable fortress.’

"It’s lovely to see you again." Selena smiled with her eyes closed, the picture of innocence, though the edge of her words suggested otherwise. "I’ve heard you’re personally overseeing Instructor Wade’s integration into the academy... how very thorough of you."

"It’s part of my role now," Catherine said, her voice clipped and cold enough to freeze water.

"Of course it is." Selena’s smile carried the faint, knowing edge of someone who had just hooked a fish and was enjoying the tug on the line. "Purely professional, I’m sure..."

"Entirely professional." Catherine’s jaw was set like granite.

"Mm." Selena turned back to William, ignoring Catherine’s obvious irritation entirely.

She tilted her head, studying him with theatrical consideration, her hand now resting lightly on the shelf beside his shoulder, boxing him in slightly. "So. Instructor Wade..."

"What’s your type? I ask because I have a policy of introducing myself properly to anyone worth knowing, and I like to know what I’m working with."

"My type...?" William repeated, wondering if he had accidentally wandered into a tavern instead of a library.

"Don’t overthink it~! Simple question, really." She winked, the motion playful and devastating. "Do you prefer bold women? Quiet ones?"

Her hand moved, her fingers tracing a lazy circle on the fabric of his sleeve. "Or someone who can match you blade for blade, maybe, given your reputation?"

"For what it’s worth, I happen to check most of those boxes myself... Just putting that out there."

William stared at her, a strange thought crossing his mind: ’There’s always one...’

’The one who treats every conversation like a duel and every glance like a challenge...’

’The kind of woman who makes you wonder if you’re fighting for your life or fighting for her attention.’

"I think we’re actually here for a book," Catherine cut in, her voice cutting through Selena’s flirtation like a guillotine blade.

The sharpness in her tone was unmistakable. "Sword stances and formal combat theory."

Selena didn’t flinch; she simply arched an eyebrow, looking thoroughly amused by Catherine’s obvious discomfort.

"We were hoping the reference section might have something useful," William added quickly, grateful for the lifeline Catherine had thrown.

"Oh~! I can absolutely help with that." Selena pushed off the shelf, apparently entirely willing to redirect her focus, though not without one last, lingering glance toward William that made her priorities perfectly clear.

She scanned the shelf beside her, pulled a thick, well-worn volume free with practiced ease, and held it out. "Foundational Stances and Elemental Alignment."

"Standard text, but a good one..." Selena smiled. "Covers the eight formal stances most academies teach as the baseline for advanced technique."

"Eight?" William took the book, flipping it open to a page of detailed illustrations, figures locked in various guard positions, each labeled with an unfamiliar term.

"Yes~! Eight varieties," Selena confirmed, tapping a finger against the table of contents. "Each one tied loosely to an elemental principle, though the ties are more philosophical than literal most of the time."

"Ember stands for aggression and forward pressure, while tide represents redirection and flow—that sort of thing..."

"Most swordsmen only ever properly master two or three in a lifetime."

"The rest tend to conflict too much with a person’s natural instincts to be worth the effort."

"That’s actually useful," William said, genuinely interested despite himself, already thinking through which of Lia’s instincts might align cleanly with one of the listed stances and which might require the kind of deliberate, uncomfortable retraining she’d already been wrestling with.

"What about the other four?"

"Depends on the swordsman." Selena perched on the edge of her stepstool, apparently pleased to have found someone who actually wanted to talk shop rather than just check out a book and leave. "Stone for pure defense, if you’ve got someone who’d rather absorb a hit than dodge it."

"Wind for speed and repositioning, best suited for someone who never wants to be where their opponent expects."

"Ash is for misdirection, feints, and false openings—nasty if your student’s clever enough to use it properly instead of just looking clever while doing it."

"And then there’s Thorn, which most instructors don’t bother teaching anymore because it’s brutal on the body, close range, high risk, and high reward."

"You said eight total... That’s six, though?"

"I did say eight." Selena’s smile turned faintly mysterious. "The last two aren’t in that book."

"They’re rarer, tied to bloodline or a very specific kind of talent rather than something you can just drill into anyone with enough patience."

"I could tell you about them, if you’re interested, but that’s more of a private lesson kind of conversation."

"Of course it is," Catherine muttered.

"You wound me, Vice Headmaster~! I offer genuine academic generosity, and you assume the worst."

"I assume exactly what the tone of your voice suggests I should assume."

Selena laughed, unbothered, and turned back to William with a considering look. "Your student, the one you’re building this around..."

"What’s her instinct like? Aggressive, patient, something else?"

"Technically flawless, but rigid... She’s been working on loosening up, letting force redirect instead of meeting it head on."

"Sounds like Tide, honestly, or possibly Wind if her footwork’s fast enough to support it."

"Tide would suit her better long term, I think, given the rigidity you’re describing because it rewards patience and control, which it sounds like she already has plenty of."

"She just needs to stop fighting her own instincts about what control is supposed to look like."