---

Ian was silently following Fressia’s grueling training schedule today. Even for him, keeping up with her murderous training routine, which didn’t waste a single second, was overwhelming.

However, Fressia’s training, which condensed all the technological prowess of ancient Atlantica, was incredibly efficient. Even when training alone, his skills, which had previously hit a wall, were growing by leaps and bounds every day.

It was all thanks to Fressia pushing him to his limits, precisely calculating what he could endure.

[One more time!]

“I’ve been doing this since earlier!”

With a groan, Ian managed to complete one last set before collapsing. He barely managed to catch his breath, which had reached the tip of his chin.

[It’s not time to rest yet!]

With a deep sigh, Ian forced his stiff body to get up at Fressia’s urging. She emphasized that while building muscle strength was important, flexibility was equally crucial.

She added that even the same swordsmanship techniques could vary drastically in power depending on how flexible and elastic the muscles and ligaments were.

At first, Ian didn’t believe it, but as he continued stretching, the range of motion in his joints increased. His movements became smoother, like flowing water, and linking sword techniques became easier than before.

Having experienced all this firsthand, Ian now followed Fressia’s words unconditionally, no matter what they were.

He slowly relaxed his muscles, which had stiffened from strength training, just as Fressia had taught him. As his sore muscles loosened, his breathing gradually evened out.

“This is amazing every time I do it.”

[See? Listening to me isn’t so bad, right?]

“Yeah, Fressia, you’re the best.”

[You can praise me more!]

Ian chuckled at Fressia’s voice, which sounded like a proud child. Even though Fressia was in the form of an artificial spirit core, he could almost picture her face.

“Ian! Here’s a towel!”

“Uh… thanks.”

A female cadet, who had been waiting from a distance for Ian to finish his training, shyly handed him a towel and a drink. Awkwardly accepting them, he gave her an awkward smile.

“So… is your training done for today?”

She fidgeted with her fingers, clearly wanting to say more. It was a question Ian had been asked several times after intense training sessions, so he scratched his head.

“Training’s done, but I have some Student Council work.”

“Ah… I see. You’re always so diligent, Ian. Even after such tough training, you’re still working hard for the Student Council.”

“It’s nothing special. I might be a bit late, so you can go ahead if you want.”

“Okay! Let’s talk when you have time!”

“Sure, got it.”

Ian waved lightly and wiped the sweat off his face with the towel she had given him. Being popular was exhausting.

[Oh, it’s nothing special~]

“Fressia?”

Watching his fellow cadet walk back to her friends, Ian felt a chill down his spine at Fressia’s sarcastic tone.

[Some people are so lucky, popular with the girls. Your face is practically glowing, huh?]

This is bad.

Ian immediately realized Fressia was upset.

It was inevitable. Lately, this had been happening often, and each time, Fressia would get furious and take it out on him.

Once Fressia got upset, it was incredibly difficult to calm her down, so he quickly added,

“Fressia, it’s not like that.”

[What do you mean, ‘not like that’?!]

Ian swallowed a sigh as the artificial spirit core buzzed loudly in his ear. Last time he sighed, he had to endure her nagging all day.

Proud of his learning ability, Ian didn’t repeat the same mistake. Today, he felt like he’d be mentally shredded if he didn’t handle this carefully.

[Ian. You want to be the greatest knight, right? You want to beat Gilbert, right? You want to be the protagonist of the world, right?]

“Yeah, that’s right…”

[Then how can you afford to get distracted by girls? Is it that easy?]

“No, it’s not. You’re absolutely right, Fressia.”

[What’s right?]

Why is this starting again…

Ian felt like he was trapped in an endless loop.

If he admitted he was wrong, she’d ask what he did wrong.

If he said everything she said was right, she’d ask what was right.

Ian couldn’t shake the thought that this must be what married life was like, with a wife constantly nagging.

[Fine. I’ll let it slide this time, but if it happens again, you’re done for.]

“Thanks, Fressia.”

After enduring 30 more minutes of nagging, Ian finally felt drained as Fressia’s venting session ended. He had to head back to the Student Council soon, but he felt utterly devoid of motivation.

After a quick shower, he put on his neatly pressed cadet uniform and headed to the Student Council room. He had to organize the reports from the recent field training conducted across all grades.

“Good afternoon.”

“Ian, you’re just in time.”

Courtney greeted Ian warmly as he entered the Student Council room. She had been considering calling him, but since he showed up, she was spared the trouble.

“Senior Courtney?”

“The President has urgently summoned all Student Council executives. We’re probably the last ones, so let’s hurry.”

“The President? Understood.”

Though puzzled, Ian followed Courtney to the meeting room where the rest of the executives were gathered.

As Courtney had said, all the Student Council executives except the two of them were already there. At the head of the table sat Seraphina, the President of Demia Empire Academy, exuding her usual grace.

Ian and Courtney bowed and quickly took their assigned seats.

Every time he saw her…

Ian glanced sideways at Princess Seraphina. Even before joining the Student Council, he had thought she was beautiful, but working closely with her in the Council only reinforced that belief.

If Fressia found out, he’d be nagged for a week, but objectively, anyone would agree.

Her long hair shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, and her jewel-like red eyes had a captivating charm.

Her naturally elegant and mysterious aura made her stand out from everyone else.

“Everyone’s here.”

“Yes. But has something happened? I don’t recall you ever summoning everyone so urgently before.”

Vice President Talismann adjusted his glasses as he asked. This was the first emergency meeting since Seraphina became President, which was unusual for her, as she usually took a more relaxed approach.

“Prince Richard has decided to inspect Demia Empire Academy.”

“Prince Richard?”

Talismann frowned at the sudden news.

Richard Henry Infractus.

The second in line to the Imperial throne and Seraphina’s elder brother.

Renowned for his battlefield prowess, he was an undefeated commander who had achieved numerous victories in countless battles.

Even Seraphina, who excelled in all areas, implicitly acknowledged that she couldn’t match his strategic genius.

“Suddenly, out of nowhere, he’s decided to visit the Academy.”

Seraphina was puzzled by her brother’s sudden decision.

The line of succession was already leaning heavily in her favor. Although he had many loyal followers, Seraphina also had a significant number of supporters.

Her desire for talent was even greater than Prince Richard’s, and she didn’t hesitate to bring people of any status into her faction.

Some high-ranking nobles disapproved of her methods, but given the size of her influence, no one dared to openly oppose her.

Moreover, she was the leading candidate to become the next Emperor. Although the current Emperor hadn’t officially declared her the Crown Princess, it was widely accepted as a given. Openly opposing her in such a situation would be foolish.

Especially since they were high-ranking nobles of the Infractus Empire.

They were shrewd, not fools.

The fools had already fallen from grace.

Her brother, the first Prince, couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.

Did he have some hidden strength?

Seraphina’s head was spinning.

“Regardless of the reason, this is an official inspection from the Imperial family. I trust you all, but as the Student Council President of Demia Empire Academy, I cannot afford any negligence in welcoming the first Prince.”

“For the time being, the Student Council will operate under an emergency response system. It would be wise to inform all Student Council cadets of this as well.”

Vice President Talismann had accurately grasped Seraphina’s reason for summoning them. He was a staunch supporter of Imperial supremacy but was far from foolish.

His political beliefs were strong, but as a scion of a high-ranking noble family, he had a keen eye for reading the times.

“Then, let’s prioritize organizing the documents related to the recent field training. Given the sudden schedule, there are many administrative gaps that need addressing.”

Courtney outlined the tasks they needed to tackle first. Since the field training wasn’t part of the official academic schedule, there were many areas where documentation was lacking.

As such, it fell to the Student Council to handle these issues, and organizing the field training documents was the top priority.

Seraphina nodded in agreement.

“Well said. Was Cadet Ian handling this matter?”

“Yes. I was planning to finalize the report and submit it today.”

“Excellent. However, speed isn’t everything. It must be done as perfectly as possible.”

“Understood.”

Seraphina issued a few more instructions before adjourning the meeting. With the first Prince’s arrival imminent, there was no time to waste.

Ian returned to his seat to handle his tasks. After requesting a cup of herbal tea from the Student Council maid, he got to work.

Having been thoroughly educated by the Linebarrel family, Ian had no trouble drafting documents. However, his talents lay more in martial arts than in administrative work.

Naturally, there were areas where he fell short.

But he always had the best advisor by his side.

[Ian, it’s better to omit the fourth line on page 30.]

“Ah, you mean this part?”

[Yes, that explanation is unnecessary. It just makes the report longer. Length doesn’t always mean quality in documents.]

Fressia’s greatness lay in her high level of self-awareness and knowledge. While magic engineering had advanced, and artificial spirits had improved, none could match the ancient Fressia’s brilliance.

Even the Linebarrel family, which possessed dozens of next-generation Colossal Mechs and artificial spirits, had never seen one like Fressia.

For Ian, the opportunity to obtain Fressia was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Her performance was unparalleled.

With Fressia’s help, Ian completed the field training report and went to see Seraphina.

*Knock knock*

Ian knocked on the Student Council President’s office door. Soon, Seraphina’s voice responded.

“It’s Ian.”

“Come in.”

Entering the office, Ian saw Seraphina engrossed in her work, writing something with a luxurious feather pen.

For a moment, Ian was at a loss for words. Bathed in sunlight streaming through the large sliding window, Seraphina looked like a painting, so captivating that he couldn’t help but stare.

Realizing anew how beautiful Seraphina was, Ian quickly composed himself and handed her the prepared report.

“Here’s the report on the field training.”

“You finished it faster than I expected.”

As Seraphina reviewed the report, her eyes lit up. The report Ian had submitted was flawless, far beyond what she had expected from someone more skilled in martial arts than administration.

Even among the nobility, who were well-educated, most were still young and inexperienced in governance. From her perspective, having handled Imperial affairs since childhood, it was rare to see such excellence.

But the report Ian had submitted was the best she had seen at the Academy.

After reading it, Seraphina made a decision she had been postponing.

“Excellent. This is the first report at the Academy that has truly impressed me.”

“You flatter me.”

“Ian, I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?”

Ian tensed at the sudden shift in Seraphina’s demeanor. He had a feeling he knew what she was about to say.

“I admire talented individuals. You are the ones who will sweat and bleed for the Empire in the future. That’s why I prefer to keep such people close to me. Some may call it an excessive desire for talent, but my stance remains unchanged. The more talent, the better.”

Here it comes!

Ian realized she was asking him to join her faction.

As expected.

Given her well-known desire for talent, it was only natural that she would make such an offer to him. After all, the Linebarrel family was one of the wealthiest in the Empire.

Moreover, Ian himself was among the top students at the Academy. Sure, Gilbert was ahead of him, but with Fressia’s help, he believed he could surpass him soon.

Being a neutral party without any factional allegiance in the Empire, Ian was an attractive target for Seraphina. He had always been aware of this, and now the moment had come.

However, as much as he had thought about it, he wasn’t ready to give an immediate answer.

“I am deeply honored. However, I fear I am still unworthy of Your Highness’s favor and might only cause you trouble.”

“Are you rejecting my offer?”

“I need time to consider.”

“I am a patient person. But I do not enjoy having what I desire taken by others. Therefore, I will not grant you much time.”

Seraphina’s eyes were once again filled with desire. It was a twisted gaze born of her craving for talent.

Ian didn’t dislike that look. If Seraphina had a desire for talent and possession, he had a desire for recognition.

And at this moment, Ian felt an immense sense of satisfaction. Having one of the most revered figures in the Empire, the first Princess, desire him was thrilling.

At the same time, a strange, indescribable emotion welled up deep within him.

“Then, Cadet Ian, I hope you make a wise choice regarding my offer.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“You may leave now.”

“Excuse me.”

Ian bowed respectfully to Seraphina and left the Student Council President’s office.

[Ian.]

“What?”

Fressia, who had been quiet during the audience with Seraphina, called out to him in a subdued voice.

[Don’t get distracted.]

“What? Are you jealous?”

[…I don’t like it.]

Ian smiled at Fressia’s sulky tone.

This is why being popular is exhausting.

He spent the entire day coaxing and soothing the sulking Fressia.

 

---