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Sophia, seeing that sight, laughed and said.

“Conra, you’ve lost without a fight.”

“Master, you always said that wins and losses are part of a warrior’s life.”

“Haha, who cares what anyone says? Either way, you must’ve taken Sir Karl’s sword style to heart just now, right?”

“Of course, how could I not?”

Fundamentally, all martial arts eventually converge in evolution. Yet, the unique and distinct aura that a warrior builds is inevitable because, after all, it’s the person who trains and wields it.

“Now that I think about it, I’m curious. Conra, how did my sword style look to you?”

“It was like a fortress built on a strategic point. Not a single stone was wasted, and it felt as sturdy as if it had been meticulously stacked. Honestly, I couldn’t think of any way to break through.”

“On the flip side, if your spear had been just a bit faster and sharper, I might’ve been in trouble.”

“I guess that’s how it feels.”

To put it metaphorically, it’s like the difference between settled and nomadic tribes. The settled tribe builds castles on strategic points and defends cooperatively, while the nomadic tribe maximizes mobility, striking and retreating, exploiting weaknesses. It’s a clash of styles.

In any case, the more skilled side will always exploit the weaknesses of the lesser.

“Sir Karl and your sword styles are polar opposites. They’ll surely serve as excellent references for each other to complement and further develop your martial arts.”

At Sophia’s remark, Conra recalled Karl’s sword style again. Indeed, to break through that antique and sturdy sword energy, his spear technique would need to become even sharper and more agile.

Either way, now that Karl and Conra had finished their spar, Sophia’s request was fulfilled, and it was her turn to keep her promise to Karl.

“Alright, since I’ve asked for your help, I should keep my promise too. How about it? Is your stamina holding up?”

“My body’s warmed up just right. Please, go ahead.”

“Good attitude! But the ground here is too damaged from the earlier match, and the night breeze is chilly. Let’s move somewhere else.”

At Karl’s straightforward reply, Sophia smiled brightly, seemingly pleased, and pushed the two men forward.

The hall of the mansion they arrived at was decorated with antique decor, a space often used for noble banquets for invited guests… but now, it had turned into a real-time gym. And that day, Karl experienced a whole new world of weight training.

“Ugh, this is truly a new world!”

Drenched in sweat, his muscles glistening, and steam rising from his body, Karl marveled. The sharp, handsome knight from earlier was nowhere to be seen. In his place was only a man exhilarated by the pump of his bulging muscles.

“Gwaaah!”

Beside him, Conra let out a cry that could’ve been a scream or a grunt, lifting a barbell with terrifying weight.

“Good, can you handle a bit more there?”

“Of course! These muscles can still take more stimulation!”

“Looks like it to me. Then let’s add one more! If it’s too much, just say so!”

Sophia, also in a sleeveless shirt, guided Karl and Conra’s workout. When her hands were free, she too lifted dumbbells and barbells. Feeling both their physical and ethereal muscles being adequately stimulated, the three of them curled their lips into smiles. It was the proud smile of those who had willingly overcome pain.

+++++

“I’m not sure if I should accept this.”

The next day, Karl wore a troubled expression as he received the spatial expansion backpack Sophia handed him before her departure. Meanwhile, Sophia, with a refreshing smile that clearly showed she was pleased with her good deed, spoke.

“I’ve finally spread the workout methods, but if you can’t do them because you lack the tools, wouldn’t I feel a bit sorry?”

“I was planning to make do with the bodyweight exercises you taught until I could get the tools.”

“Honestly, that alone won’t be enough. Low-intensity, high-repetition exercises have their limits. Without combining them with high-intensity, low-repetition workouts, muscle growth will be tough. So just take it.”

“I’ll keep your advice in mind. And thank you. I’ll definitely put it to good use.”

In the end, Karl gratefully accepted Sophia’s kindness. After all, acquiring quality iron tools like barbells and dumbbells wouldn’t be cheap, so for Karl, it was like a thirsty deer finding a stream.

“I hope you achieve great things.”

“You can expect that. Especially you, Conra. If you want to catch up to me, you’d better stay sharp.”

“Hmph, shouldn’t you be the one staying sharp, old man?”

At Conra’s words, Karl’s expression stiffened.

“Wait a minute. About that ‘old man’ title, I’m only twenty. I’m not old enough to be called that by you. From now on, call me ‘bro.’”

“What did you say? I can’t hear you over that old-man tone of yours.”

“What? If we’re going there, isn’t your master the one using that old-man tone?”

Hearing her name mentioned, Sophia frowned and stepped in.

“Huh? Are you picking a fight with me now?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant…”

Though the farewell was a bit chaotic, Karl wasn’t the only one who came to see Sophia and Conra off. The group of administrators who had learned from Sophia during the handover process also came to bid her farewell.

“Teacher, are you really leaving like this?”

“What else can I do? It’s my duty.”

“Teacher, you’re a giant in our administrative field. Why not leave this dusty, sweaty work behind and join us? We’ll serve you with all our hearts.”

“Sigh, I’ve got too much to do on this side. You have plenty of people over there, but here, if I leave, many more will suffer directly. I appreciate the sentiment, but please let me go.”

The representative of the administrators, who had been pleading with Sophia, finally gave up, realizing he couldn’t change her mind. Instead, he handed her something he had prepared.

“If that’s how it is, then we have no choice… Alright. But will you at least accept this gift from us?”

“Hmm? What’s this?”

“It’s a Free Pass Token, used among bureaucrats from the University of Bologna’s administrative department. If you show this token while going through administrative procedures, most processes will be expedited for you.”

Sophia realized this was an incredibly useful gift. The University of Bologna in the Kingdom of Rotaringia was the only university in the western continent at the time, and most administrative officials in Franquia, the Sacred Gryphon Empire, and the Kingdom of Rotaringia—Sophia’s main areas of activity—were graduates of its administrative department.

As a Paladin knight who had to operate across the continent, Sophia would inevitably have interactions with administrative officials. This token would undoubtedly come in handy someday.

“Since it’s your heartfelt gift, I’ll gratefully accept it.”

For that reason, Sophia casually took it and stored it away. It was a belief she had held since her past life as Lee Beom-seok: when someone offers a gift without strings attached, it’s best to accept it without hesitation. Refusing could inadvertently create enemies.

+++++

After parting with the administrators, Sophia and Conra finally mounted their horses. Sitting upright on the saddle of her grumbling horse, Sophia stretched her back as Conra, riding beside her, spoke up.

“You’re quite popular with the administrators, Master.”

“Isn’t it my abilities that captivated them? This is what influence and reputation are. How about it? Feeling a surge of respect for your master?”

Sophia puffed out her chest proudly, but Conra shook his head as if he couldn’t help it.

“I was starting to feel it, but you just ruined it with that comment.”

“Really, no respect for your master. What a cheeky kid.”

Sophia smirked and shrugged. The master and disciple continued their journey, bickering and chatting along the way. Suddenly, the spirit Gabrielle, floating beside Sophia, whispered something.

[……?]

“Huh? What did you say, Gabrielle? Where are we supposed to go now?”

[…….]

“Wait, what the hell! Baden-Baden? That’s a conflict zone where Agnon is fighting fiercely right now! Why are we going there?”

[……!]

“What? A dungeon opened there?”

Hearing the word “dungeon,” Conra, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the spirit and his master, couldn’t stay silent.

“Master, did you just say dungeon!?”

“That’s what she said. Ugh, what a hassle.”

While Sophia made no effort to hide her displeasure, Conra’s eyes sparkled with excitement. A dungeon! A word filled with adventure and romance! Was he finally going to gain some proper experience?

Such thoughts must’ve excited the boy. Sophia, roughly guessing his feelings, didn’t add anything more. To some extent, the boy’s thoughts were true. However, what concerned Sophia were the potential dangers hidden in the dungeon—remnants of a past era—or the political dynamics surrounding it.

With the already chaotic succession dispute between Agnon and Baden-Baden, the dungeon that had appeared in Baden-Baden’s territory was enough to put Sophia on edge.

“Wait, if it’s a dungeon, there must be other Paladin knights nearby, right? Especially since it’s imperial territory, there must be Paladins from the empire active there?”

[……~.]

“Coincidentally, there’s only one nearby, and it seems one won’t be enough? …Ugh. This is getting more complicated. What can we do?”

Sophia scratched her head, wondering if this would lead to a rare situation where Paladin knights would have to cooperate. Either way, their destination was already decided. If it was a path they had to take and a task they had to do, it was best to get it over with without complaint.

Their next destination was the newly opened dungeon in Baden-Baden.

 

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