"You want me to tell you how to get stronger?
Why me, of all people?"
I couldn't quite understand why Arthur was asking for advice. He was the third prince of the Soladin Kingdom, renowned across the continent. Despite being of comparatively humble baronial blood, his royal lineage granted him privileges that allowed him to obtain almost anything he desired.
Whether it was rigorous knight training, instruction from a celebrated scholar, or something else entirely—he could have it all. In fact, if he pushed hard enough, he could probably recruit any Academy professor as a private tutor. So, for him to ask a mere student like me for help? It didn’t make much sense.
Was this some kind of joke? But no, Arthur's expression was dead serious.
“Why?”
"What is it, your highness? You said you wanted to beat me, didn’t you? And now you're asking me to teach you? That’s pretty pathetic, don’t you think? Aren’t you ashamed?"
"Ahem. No, this isn’t a joke. I knew exactly how you’d respond, but I still chose to stand here in front of you."
Yeah, that’s fair. There was no way he wouldn’t have predicted the insults I’d hurl at him the moment he asked for my guidance.
He had braced himself for my harsh words. His resolve couldn’t have been taken lightly, especially for someone as proud as him.
“Both of you, hold on a second.”
Just then, Joy interrupted our conversation.
"It looks like this is going to take a while. Let’s move somewhere else."
Only then did I realize that all eyes were on us. Yeah, that checks out. It wasn’t enough that we were already attention magnets, but now we were blocking the way in front of the grade boards. No wonder everyone was staring.
We quickly slipped through the crowd and made our way to one of the Academy’s private rooms.
During exam season, these rooms would usually be fully occupied, but since finals had ended and everyone was on break, the place was practically deserted. The staff at the entrance was even dozing off.
Finding a spot for the four of us to sit wasn’t difficult at all.
“The reason I’m asking for your guidance is because the people around you have been growing at an incredible rate.”
As soon as the door closed, Arthur got straight to the point.
“For example, Joy, this..."
"Your Highness?”
"Ah, yes. My apologies. Anyway, this airheaded, clumsy, and foolish...”
"Just call me airheaded..."
"Airheaded noble has undeniable talent. But recently, her growth has surpassed all expectations. Even the professor who teaches magical control called her the best student he’s ever had."
Well, duh. I’ve been passing down the culmination of over ten thousand hours of knowledge from Soul Academy to her.
Even without my help, Joy was the type of character who could catch up to players on her own with sheer talent and effort. I simply optimized her for maximum magical growth, so her progress was bound to be noticeable.
"Frey Kent is no different."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Frey Kent’s talent with the sword was already among the best of your generation, though not overwhelming. But now? You've become a monstrous swordswoman, standing head and shoulders above the rest."
Uh... I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding here.
I didn’t exactly teach Frey anything. We’ve just been training together, sparring, and grinding through dungeons.
If anyone’s responsible for her progress, it’s more likely Karl than me.
"Yeah, Lucy’s amazing!"
I was about to correct Arthur’s mistake, but Frey nodded along enthusiastically before I could get a word in.
Hey, did you even understand what Arthur just said? Or did you just nod because it sounded like a compliment?
"And most notably, Lucy Alrn, your growth has been... abnormal. I understand that the Alrn family possesses exceptional talents, but there are limits. You could barely climb a flight of stairs a year ago, and now you’ve reached the top. The strongest!"
Well, yeah. I can’t really argue with that.
When I first took over Lucy’s body, I was practically wheezing after walking up a few stairs. Now, I’m at the top. Looking back, it’s been a pretty ridiculous journey.
If I hadn’t bribed Benedict into giving me that potion early on...
If I hadn’t managed to implant my passive skills into Lucy’s body...
If I hadn’t endured the borderline abusive training of the Alrn family...
If I hadn’t passed Ruell’s trial and met the old man...
There were so many 'what-ifs' along the way. If any one of them had gone wrong, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.
You know what really pisses me off? Despite all that, I’m still just a first-year at Soul Academy! In game terms, I haven’t even cleared the prologue!
If it were just a regular game, I’d have cleared the early content in a couple of hours. But here? I’ve been dodging death at every turn!
"Based on these factors, I’ve come to believe that Lucy Alrn holds a secret that I’m unaware of."
Arthur continued his pitch, undeterred by my internal monologue about how much more suffering I still had ahead of me.
“So I ask of you: Teach me how to become stronger. In return, I will do whatever it takes to repay you.”
Arthur bowed his head before me.
Even if he was far from the throne, for a prince to lower his pride before a mere count’s daughter... This wasn’t a trivial gesture.
Even Joy, standing beside him, looked taken aback.
If I asked the old man, he’d probably go on about the political significance of it all.
Hmm. Helping Arthur get stronger, huh?
There’s no downside to helping him.
Think about it: I’m already on bad terms with the first prince, who’s basically the final boss. I don’t know for sure, but he probably hates my guts. The second prince’s in the same boat—he might be friendly now, but the moment I call him a 'loser prince,' he’s bound to flip.
So, if both of the main heirs hate me, my best chance of survival is to get cozy with Arthur!
By earning his favor, I can ensure that even if I go wild with my Mesugaki skill, Arthur will clean up after me!
Alright. Let’s help Arthur get stronger.
But how?
In terms of build, Arthur is a magic swordsman—a hybrid class that, in theory, is supposed to be the best of both worlds. Magic and physical prowess combined into one versatile package!
But the thing about hybrid classes is that they’re usually only powerful in theory. In practice, they tend to struggle.
That was certainly the case in Soul Academy.
You had too many stats to build, and with limited growth resources, the magic swordsman character often turned out weak.
But here's the thing.
This isn’t a game. And Arthur is one of the most talented people in Soul Academy. If I play my cards right, maybe we can make his theoretical power a reality!
“Lucy Alrn?”
‘Hold on a sec.’
"Prince, could you shut your mouth? Your breath reeks, and you're being annoying."
"...Uh, right. Sorry."
I used to dream of making the magic swordsman class work. As someone who loved concept builds, I’d tried more than once to make a character who was strong in both magic and physical combat. But no matter how I tried, the character always ended up weak.
In games, growth resources were limited, and unless you made compromises, the magic swordsman build was a dead end. After much trial and error, I finally created a magic swordsman who focused on physical strength with magic as utility, but that wasn’t a true magic swordsman. It was just a swordsman who happened to use magic.
I eventually gave up on the idea. But now, years later, I had the chance to make it a reality. Right here in front of me was someone who could fulfill my dream!
The first problem, though, was Arthur’s stamina. Right now, he wouldn’t last long enough to follow through with the intense training required.
He needed to build up enough endurance to run the Academy’s dungeon from the first floor to the hundredth with me.
First, I’d have to focus on boosting his stamina. Then, I’d hone his swordsmanship before layering in magic. It’d be grueling, but it just might work...
‘Grandfather. Grandfather.’
<What is it?>
‘Here’s my plan. What do you think?’
I laid out my ideas to the old man. He was the best person to judge whether it was feasible.
He chuckled, as if the whole thing was absurd, and then said:
<Little girl, not everyone trains as if their life depends on it like you do.>
Read 𝓁atest chapters at fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm Only.
‘So, it’s impossible?’
<It’s not impossible, but it won’t be easy.>
‘Where should I make compromises?’
<Start with...>
After tweaking my plan based on his advice, I looked up to see Arthur watching me with tense eyes.
“Have you made up your mind?”
‘I’ll help you. But...’
"Alright, pitiful prince. I’ll help you out, but there are a few conditions."
“Name them.”
I gave him two simple conditions:
First, he couldn’t question anything I made him do.
Second, he wasn’t allowed to give up, no matter how hard it got.
Arthur nodded without hesitation, as if it were no big deal.
“Hah. Is that all? I never give up. You won’t need to worry about that.”
‘Really?’
"You sure, poor prince? I think you're just a weakling who's gonna quit."
“Nonsense. I guarantee it. If I ever give up, I’ll allow Joy to make fun of me for the rest of my life!”
"Why am I suddenly dragged into this?!"
Alright. He’s committed now. Time to see what he’s really made of.
Arthur seemed confident at first, but as my eyes gleamed with excitement, I could see doubt flicker across his face.
But it was too late. He couldn’t back out now. Not when Frey and Joy were here as witnesses.
Let’s begin.
‘Arthur...’
"Alright, poor prince. First, we’re going for a run."
“A run? Ah, stamina training. Sounds good.”
‘Just a quick run...’
"Only about half a day’s worth, really."
“...Wait. Did I hear that right?”
‘Yep...’
"Half a day. At a pace that’ll push you to your absolute limit."
Worried about whether you’ll actually make it?
Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you have no choice but to keep running. Once I start taunting you, you’ll grit your teeth and push through.
And don’t stress about injuries or exhaustion either.
I’m bringing Faybi along for training. She’ll heal you up if things get too tough. No need to worry about consequences when you’ve got a saint on standby.
‘Enough talk. Let’s get going.’
"Come on, poor prince. Unlike you, I actually value my time."
You wanted to get stronger?
Then grit your teeth and hold on. Arthur Soladin!