Training (1)

As a gathering place for the privileged in the continent, the three academies always had a high influx of people.

Thanks to this, the post towns on the way to the Golden Triangle were always full of bustle and life.

Even the luxury accommodation where the Holy Lands Saintess stayed wasnt free from the surrounding noise.

The Saintess, Lucia, rose from the bed with an exhale.

Her two-tone hair, a mix of gold and white, slid smoothly over her pristine white robe.

As she breathed out, a cloud of cigarette smoke rose into the air.

A Saintess and a cigarette. It was a bizarre combination that would shock devout believers. However, she didnt seem to care and even took out a new one.

Could you please close the window?

Eung? Ah, was I interrupting?

The boy who was sitting near the window turned his head towards her in response.

It was a young man in his late teens, clad in full body armor.

Im sorry. I was just watching the people. This city is lively, and it makes me feel good.

The sound is fine, but the light is annoying.

Does the modern-day Saintesses find the light bothersome?

Just a personal habit. Ive spent most of my life in a dark chapel.

Dont suddenly delve into such dark topics. Youre making me want to hit you.

You are, in name, my escort knight. Please choose your words wisely.

It was a very disrespectful tone for speaking to the continents Saintess, but Lucia showed no particular reaction other than that.

Considering this mans personality, he wouldnt do such a thing even if he died and came back to life.

Youre not even afraid anymore. You were so nervous when we first met.

I would rather believe that the Emperor is a saintly man than you hitting women, Valkasus.

The boy chuckled as he closed the window.

I must say, we have become too close.

Is that so?

Yeah, a little too much for a devil worshiper and a Saintess, no?

Lucia raised her head and looked at the other person.

As soon as she did, she felt a suffocating pressure enveloping her entire body, causing her to grit her teeth.

Since the window had just been closed, the room was now completely dark, and she couldnt see the boys expression.

However, his distorted form was clearly evident.

Incomprehensible, repulsive, disgusting, horrifying.

While it might be invisible in the light, the boy would reveal his true nature the moment darkness fell.

A grotesque, distorted creature that had endured countless years.

Even she, who had one of the most sacred powers in the church, could barely maintain her composure when facing this grotesque existence, let alone subdue it.

Dont worry.

She smiled wryly at the sight.

You guys might be better than the human holding my leash.

Indeed, it was.

Since receiving the shackles of being a Saintess of the Holy Land, Lucia had never once regretted having ties with these humans.

Compared to the demons disguised in human skin, the devil worshipers were far better.

Thank you for that.

The boy responded with a smirk, yawning as he spoke.

But in the end, you also have a purpose for cooperating with us, dont you? What was it again? You mentioned something about searching for someone?

Yes.

Lucia nodded slightly.

Someone precious to me is in Elfante.

In a voice full of determination, she continued.

There is something I must do.

Is that so? Someone precious to you

The boy nodded in response.

A faint glimmer flickered within the darkness.

I had those things once, too.

What followed was the voice of someone buried in the depths of past memories.

Simultaneously, a rotten energy began to surge from the boys body.

Corruption overflowed.

Lucia took a deep breath without realizing it.

It felt as though her body would break into pieces just by being near it.

There was a time like that. Like the humans outside the window right now; lively, laughing, chatting, and loving each other. The joys of ordinary people. The heartwarming and positive days.

A breath filled with the energy of the dead dispersed into the air.

The miasma mixed in was dizzying.

It was flowing out.

The deads mistakenly-held obsession, the greed of the perished, oozed out like a sticky residue clinging to the floor, slowly creeping forth.

And above it.

A melancholic voice.

Then my kingdom, where the hell is it now?

Ah, keuheuk!

Oh, dear.

The boy smiled.

At the same time, the flowing energy suddenly disappeared. Lucia fell on the floor while gasping for breath.

She was sweating all over her body.

I thought I was going to die!

Despite being a Saintess, facing the opponent who only revealed a hint of their energy put her in a life-threatening situation.

This boy was a monster at that level of stature.

Im sorry. Are you okay?

Im fine, as you can see!

Well, I sincerely apologize. I sometimes forget how fragile of a creature humans are. I tend to get worked up without realizing it when discussing serious matters.

Arent you the one who said something dark?

Uh, didnt I apologize already?

Scratching his head, the boy stood up and opened the window again.

Then, as soon as the sun came in, his face regained its human form.

As the boy wore a cheerful smile that complemented his sharp features, he immediately got hit by a remark.

I just asked you to close it.

Youre being loud. Why dont you take the opportunity to pray while basking in the sunlight? Considering your usual conduct, you should be more faithful to your role as a Saintess.

Hell, I will even join you. I memorize prayers better than you, wouldnt you agree?

Lucias eyes narrowed after hearing a suggestion that shouldnt come from a devil worshiper. Seeing this, Valkasus chuckled and changed the subject.

Anyway, I, like you, have something to accomplish in this Academy.

Having said that, the boy looked at the building nestled in the horizon, Elfante Academy.

It was a place full of vitality. Just what he needed to achieve his goal.

Until then, lets take good care of each other, understand?

Lucia let out another wry smile.

If even a single person knew this fact, the entire continent would be completely turned upside down.

A devil worshiper and a Saintess collaborating together was simply outrageous.

Yes.

However.

Lets do our best, Valkasus.

This was her answer.

My Dear Son,

Its almost summer. I heard that summer around there is especially hot, so I sent a freeze stone and some fruits produced in the territory to add to your diet. Share it with your friends.

.

.

.

I heard that around this time of year, Elfante holds a visitation event. Unfortunately, it will be harvest season soon and it would be difficult for me to attend myself.

So I will send Butler Herman instead. He can accompany you to the official events and be there if you need anything.

Dont worry about the estate; its peaceful. Youve always been a clever child, so were not overly worried.

Thats all for now.

P.S.

If you happen to have any close female friend, bring her over during your vacation and introduce her. Isnt it time for this old man to see his grandsons face?

From Armin Campbell.

I folded the letter with a dull expression while holding a bunch of grapes.

Yes, grapes. They were from our territory, and their quality was excellent.

However, I feel so depressed right now.

A close female friend.

Knowing his personality, it was probably just a joke.

Well, I could think of a few names that I could take with me.

Like Eleanor, or maybe Iliya.

But if I were to bring either of them to the estate during the vacation, well.

I dont even want to imagine it. Who knows what kind of disaster theyll bring?

The problem was, considering my current situation, the likelihood of it ending with just these two was extremely low.

Please save humanity.

I sighed, recalling the mission Atalante entrusted to me not long ago.

And that was to seduce all of the devil vessel candidates.

I massaged my throbbing head.

The president called it a request, when in fact, there was never an option to decline.

If it was inevitable that I would get entangled with the devil vessels one way or the other and they become obsessed with me, there would be no way I could survive other than turning them favorably towards me.

Im sorry, Father.

The promise I made when I first set out, to never attract attention, was becoming increasingly impossible to keep as time passed.

I dont know.

Well, the more I brood about this, the more complicated it would get.

So right now, lets just focus on solving whats in front of us one by one.

< Gift-related Character Notification >

Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan

[ Love Level 1 ]

[ Exclusive Quest Curse Inheritance has been created! ]

[ D-7 until Exclusive Quest-related events occur ]

Gideon Galestead La Tristan

[ Curiosity Level 1 ]

[ Exclusive Quest Curse Inheritance has been created! ]

[ D-7 until Exclusive Quest-related events occur ]

Starting with this.

[ Main Quest ] Chapter 2 Boy King of the Ruined Kingdom

[ Related events will occur soon! ]

I had been waiting for this.

Surely, a week from now.

As mentioned in the letter, there was an event that always happened in Elfante around this time of year.

It was a class observation event with the house representatives of the students.

Simply judging by the name, it wasnt really a big deal. However, if it was a place where a lot of privileged people gathered, such an event was bound to get twisted from all the varying interests that clashed.

Their presence was to intimidate, not be intimidated. And the more privileged they were, the more they cared not to be looked down upon.

Now, the event had been blown out of proportions with considerably increased significance. So much that people, who dont even understand why they were there, sometimes appeared.

And since Eleanor and Gideons Exclusive Quests were created at the same time, well

It was pretty obvious how things would unfold.

I will finally see his face.

Gideon Galestead La Tristan.

Originally, there wouldnt even be a chance to make contact with such a person.

Because in most of the main scenarios, he was already dead by the time we encountered him.

Ah, but that didnt mean that Eleanor was going to slit his throat.

While she did dislike him, she wouldnt commit patricide.

However, it was true that their relationship was complicated.

Gideon for certain reasons, had been cold towards Eleanor ever since she was a child. And Eleanor, influenced by that, also hadnt been particularly fond of him, either.

Rooted from a certain event involving Eleanors mother, their relationship completely shifted.

But in all the storylines, the trigger for the complete collapse of Eleanors mental state and awakening as the Gray Devils vessel always started with Gideons death. So it wasnt like they were blood enemies.

Remembering what happened, I couldnt hold in my sigh.

Right, so I knew all this.

Whats certain is that

If I ever come face to face with this person, there will definitely be something to take away there.

It would be of great help in confronting the main antagonist of Chapter 2, the Boy King.

It might be rude to think of the Empires strongest knight like that, but it couldnt be helped.

I couldnt afford to just passively let time flow, especially with the situation I was in right now and not knowing when I might die.

It was even more dangerous from Chapter 2 onwards.

The Chosen Ones.

Executives of the devil worshippers, the main villains of the scenario.

They started appearing prominently from Chapter 2, and the Boy King was one of them.

They possess power that far surpasses that of the Purifier who had consumed the Devils Essence, reducing him to a speck of dust.

In the first place, it wasnt a boss battle designed to be won through conventional means.

If you think about what kind of character the Boy King was, it becomes even more apparent.

So, thats that.

In the end, solving it would start with Gideons event that was just around the corner.

If I can exactly get what I need, the progress will be much smoother.

For now, hes classified as a villain.

Considering the way his character was set up and how he was portrayed in the scenario, it does align to some extent.

With his background, how you treat him was the key.

Now, what does this mean?

I dont know how much effect Fatal Charm will have.

My gift becomes stronger the more extremely aligned to evil the other person is. In that case, it was uncertain to what extent it would be effective with someone like Gideon, who was hard to read.

And, well

I have a plan.

So that I have a backup to still get the thing I need even if I cannot rely on Fatal Charm.

However, in order to do that, I had to improve.

< Status Info >

Dowd Campbell

Strength: F

Agility: F

Endurance: F

Luck: F

Power: F

< Mastery Info >

[ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship ] [ Grade: Basic ]

[ Current Proficiency: 58% ]

[ Master Sword Technique of the Tristan Duke Family. ]

[ Can exert a certain level of power regardless of weapon. ]

[ Attribute: Breathing Technique Duckweed ] [ Grade: Basic ]

[ Current Proficiency: 67% ]

[ A breathing method that dramatically increases the bodys endurance and strength when trained for a long time. It has a high compatibility with the Tristan Style Swordsmanship. ]

I had to train this.

In my plan, there was only one way to establish a direct connection with Gideon, and that was through swordsmanship.

I didnt need to suddenly display a genius-like talent. Just demonstrating a reasonable proficiency in Tristan Style Swordsmanship should suffice.

The problem was that I had to achieve it without using Desperation. That meant that I needed to have my stats and attribute level at a certain point to accomplish it.

Lets find a way.

Fortunately, there were people around me whom I could rely on at times like this.

You want me to teach you swordsmanship?

Eleanor asked with wide eyes.

This was the response I received when I asked on our way out of the classroom after class.

But how long is she going to take classes with the freshmen?

As soon as Eleanor fully recovered from her injuries, the first thing she did was to cut in my class.

Even if she was the Student Council President, shouldnt it be time for her to return to her original classes?

Wasnt this breaking the rules?

Eung. There is no such thing.

I think well probably take classes together until you graduate, so you dont need to worry about that part.

Was this what a Student Council President should say?

Eleanor then nodded as she puffed her chest out like she was proud of what she said.

Her face was still expressionless.

But wasnt that an abuse of power?

What are you so proud of?

Anyway, Id like to ask for some guidance on swordsmanship.

By the way, didnt you say that you wanted to study Theology? Youll soon start your major classes, so why invest time in something like this?

I dont intend on doing it for that long. For now, I need to achieve results in a short period of time, and youre the one I trust the most in that regard.

Whatever the case may be, she had to be the first person to consider in this field.

She was the most familiar with it, and there was no doubt about her swordsmanship skills.

Above all, there was no better teacher in learning Tristan Style Swordsmanship than her.

So I asked again, and Eleanors eyes widened as she looked at me for a moment.

Then, she suddenly turned her back to me.

Whats wrong?

Its nothing, Im just in a good mood knowing that you trust me.

If youre in a good mood, then why are you turning your back to me?

Hmm, Ive practiced smiling for situations like this. Just wait and see.

After fidgeting for a while, Eleanor finally looked back at me.

Her eyebrows were slightly raised more than normal.

How is it?

So, are you going to teach me swordsmanship or not?

You still didnt give me an answer.

Ora, quite the interesting topic you got over there.

Hearing the newcomers voice, Eleanors smile immediately crumpled.

Its none of your business. Step aside.

Ehei, is learning swordsmanship limited to one teacher?

Iliya replied with a smile, which made Eleanors eyebrows grow fiercer.

Dowd asked me, not you. This is unrelated to you

Oh, but before entering the Academy, I had good experience as a swordsmanship instructor. Lady Tristan probably havent taught anyone before, right?

Despite her menacing demeanor, it seemed that Eleanors personality was still the same. She didnt lie about teaching someone just to counter Iliya and simply stayed silent.

She was quite stubborn in peculiar ways.

I smiled and suggested to Iliya.

How about we learn together? I think that Eleanor can provide us some good insights.

Well, this was the truth.

As far as skill was concerned, there was still a clear gap between the two. If Eleanor were to teach her, Iliya would have a lot to learn.

Anyway, considering the scenario, Iliyas growth was essential. In that sense, this was a good opportunity to foster her development.

Iliya pouted at my words, while Eleanors expression relaxed.

Um, is that so?

However, Iliya grinned as if she remembered something.

Then shell be the lone instructor, while we learn together?

Hearing this, Eleanors expression darkened again.

Dont fall for these childish provocations. Please.

Since you insist, be an instructor yourself, then.

Saying so with a sigh, Eleanors expression relaxed again.

But as soon as she heard that, Iliya grinned.

As if this was what she had been aiming for all along.

Oh, is that so? Its a competition then?

What?

Me or the Lady, who is the better teacher?

Why does it have to be like that?

As I squinted at that thought, Iliya continued.

Naturally, whoever is better should be the one regularly teaching in the future, dont you think so?

What was she talking about now?

I didnt say anything.

Ha.

Eleanor laughed as she brushed her hair.

Looks like the fledgling freshman has a big ambition. Are you challenging me now?

Oh, but I dont think the Lady would be good at teaching?

Can you take responsibility for that statement?

No.

Hello, Im here too.

Hey!