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“Wendy. You should swing faster. Your speed is slowing down.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll try to do it faster!”

At Blancshe’s remark, Wendy adjusted her grip on the sword and swung again. The wooden sword cut through the air cleanly, without any unnecessary movements. Unlike her clumsy past, her posture was now quite refined.

Starting with self-defense, Wendy had learned various martial arts from Blancshe and was no longer someone to be taken lightly. Who knows, she might even be able to handle a thug or two without using magic.

However, to Blancshe, who had once made a name for herself as an assassin in the underworld, Wendy’s skills still seemed lacking.

“Swing faster. You can do it, Wendy.”

“Ugh…! Yes!”

“Blancshe. Don’t push Wendy too hard.”

“My lady…”

Bella, who had stepped in between the two, wiped the sweat from Wendy’s forehead with a handkerchief and spoke.

“Take a break. We haven’t even started swordsmanship training yet. What are you going to do if you exhaust yourself like this?”

“I-I’m still okay…”

“See, my lady. Wendy is not weak at all now.”

“That’s right… I can do it.”

Indeed, Wendy, though she looked tired, showed the determination to push herself further.

“Hmm… By the way, I’ve been thinking for a while now. You two seem to get along really well.”

“Huh?”

“Yes?”

“Blancshe. You seem quite comfortable teaching Wendy. And Wendy, you seem to be getting used to learning from Blancshe…”

At Bella’s remark, Blancshe and Wendy both looked flustered.

No wonder, since their master-disciple relationship had been a secret from Bella all along.

“Is… is that so…?”

“We don’t really know…”

“Really? Maybe it’s just my imagination…”

Bella tilted her head but seemed to let it go without much thought.

Ah, but why is Bella getting involved in Wendy’s swordsmanship training?

A few days ago, Wendy proudly took first place in the swordsmanship practical exam.

According to the story, Wendy boldly challenged Bella, the instructor, not a student. That courage alone was admirable, but it seems she even managed to disarm the fearsome Bella.

It was hard to believe that Wendy had such skill, but apparently, Bella, who had faced her directly, saw something in her.

Moreover, upon learning that Wendy would be accompanying the northern expedition, Bella decided to personally train her, leading to the current situation.

However, it seems that Blancshe, who had been teaching Wendy, and Bella don’t quite see eye to eye.

“Anyway, Blancshe. Can’t you see Wendy’s cold sweat? Take it easy.”

“That’s not cold sweat. It’s just sweat from moving her body.”

“But she looks tired.”

“That’s the point. Look at this.”

“Huh?!”

Blancshe grabbed Wendy’s slender arm and spoke.

“She still lacks a lot of muscle. We need to increase the intensity of her training.”

“Really? I think she looks just fine as she is.”

“Um, excuse me…”

“My lady, you need to be stricter with Wendy.”

“Are you trying to turn Wendy into a muscle-bound warrior?”

“I-I’m fine, really…”

“My lady. You seem to have forgotten, but you said you would train Wendy today. Training means building muscle. There’s no training that doesn’t build muscle.”

“Wendy! Come here. There’s no need to listen to that muscle fanatic.”

“Eek?! M-my lady…!”

Suddenly, Bella hugged Wendy, causing her to panic.

“L-let go! I-I’m all sweaty…!”

“It’s okay. Our Wendy is cute even when she’s sweaty.”

“Eeeek?!”

Bella giggled and hugged Wendy tightly. Unable to do anything, Wendy looked at me with teary eyes, as if asking for help.

However, I was just sitting at the table in the courtyard, sipping tea indifferently.

I felt sorry for Wendy, but I had no reason to intervene. Just as I thought that, Bella suddenly turned to me.

“Count, don’t just sit there watching. Help Wendy out.”

“…Me?”

“Who else is there besides you? If you think about it, it’s because you didn’t stop Wendy that this happened. So take responsibility.”

No adult would stand by and watch a child go to war. Especially since Bella is fond of Wendy.

“T-the Count did try to stop me… I-I was the one who insisted…”

“Aww… Wendy, you’re too kind. You’re so lovable.”

“Huh?! M-my lady?!”

“How about living with me at the Izakhel Mansion instead of that bad man?”

“N-no way… I-I’m the Count’s exclusive maid…”

“Your way of speaking is so cute… You’re cute… and talented…”

“Talented?”

A word that couldn’t be overlooked caught my attention.

At my question, Bella, who had been pinching Wendy’s soft cheeks, answered.

“Yes. Wendy seems to have a talent for the sword.”

“Huh?”

Wendy also opened her eyes wide, as if hearing this for the first time.

“I gave Wendy high marks not for any other reason. Among the students in my class, Wendy was the only one without bad habits.”

“Bad habits…?”

“Yes. Wendy, I taught you in class, right? The most overlooked thing when practicing swordsmanship is the ‘basics.'”

Bella stroked Wendy’s head.

“For example, the most basic Imperial swordsmanship. Honestly, it’s boring swordsmanship. Repetitive and simple… So most people who start learning swordsmanship can’t stand the monotony and change it to suit their own tastes.”

Everyone has desires.

If they can swing a sword faster than others. If they can wield a sword sharper than others, they might think they can ignore the basics.

“The problem is that many end up neither here nor there because they ignore that important process of basics. They develop bad habits and eventually can’t properly master advanced swordsmanship.”

Bella shook her head bitterly.

She is a swordsman who loves the sword and swordsmanship. Having seen many such swordsmen, she must feel deeply regretful.

“In that regard, Wendy is definitely using orthodox swordsmanship. It’s fortunate that she has few techniques, but having none at all is a blessing in the world of swordsmanship.”

“Yes. I agree with my lady. Wendy’s strength is that she is very honest and unpretentious in her swordplay. While that can be a disadvantage in some cases, at this stage of learning, it’s no exaggeration to call it talent.”

“That’s what I meant, Blancshe.”

Blancshe looked proud. Wendy was her disciple, after all.

I also felt good that Wendy was being recognized.

“But why is the Count happy?”

As if reading my mind, Bella shot back.

Could it be that my expression gave it away?

No, I definitely hid my expression. It’s just that Bella is sharp. But what if she found out? It’s fine to just admit it.

“Of course. It’s only natural to be happy when I hear that my exclusive maid is competent.”

“Y-you’re happy…?”

At my words, Wendy reacted this time.

“Count, really? Are you really happy that I’m doing well…?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe…”

Wendy smiled shyly and looked at me.

“I-I’ll work hard! Count! Please watch over me!”

“…Sure.”

“Hoho… Why don’t you spar with Wendy instead of just watching?”

Bella subtly suggested joining in.

But from my perspective, I’d rather avoid sparring with Wendy. Regardless of winning or losing, it’s only a loss for me. I can still make that judgment.

“…I’m busy.”

“Liar. I know you have nothing to do. You’ve just been drinking tea since earlier.”

“I have to get up soon.”

“Hmm… Where are you going without me?”

“Work.”

“What work on a weekend?”

“Count.”

Just as Bella’s persistent questioning continued, Helga appeared at the perfect timing.

“It’s ready. Let’s go.”

“Hmm.”

I put down my teacup and stood up.

I was naturally glad to escape, but I didn’t show it outwardly.

“What is it? Did you really have work?”

“Yes. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Are you not going to tell me what it is?”

Bella looked at me with an expectant expression. With her beautiful face making such an appealing expression, it was hard to ignore completely.

I put on my coat and answered.

“I’m going to make money.”

“Huh?”

If Bella knew, she might be a bit disappointed, but the place I was going to make money wasn’t far.

Not far at all—it was the treasure vault in the basement of the Ruelberta Mansion.

“Oh… You’re here.”

“Count. Long time no see!”

“Yes.”

Albert, the craftsman, and his granddaughter Vanessa greeted me.

“Is the sorting done?”

“Yes. Would you like to take a look?”

Albert confidently pointed to the treasures neatly arranged in front of the vault. It seemed they had done a good job finishing the task I had given them.

Originally, I hired the two as craftsmen for the mansion to revive the Annihilation Maids. But now that the purpose had been achieved, I gave them another task.

Well… calling it just one task might be a bit of an understatement.

“Count. I didn’t realize there were this many treasures when I saw them last time.”

“Yes.”

“It was really hard work sorting them all…”

The task I gave them was to sort all the treasures in the underground vault into items that could be sold and items that could be used.

Currently, we had enough funds for the northern expedition, but we would need more funds in the future.

Money is always better when you have more. So, I planned to sell the luxury items in the vault to raise funds.

However, it would take too long for me to evaluate each of the numerous treasures in the vault. So, I entrusted the task to Albert and Vanessa, who had an ‘eye’ for such things.

I immediately opened the vault for them. True to the Ruelberta family’s reputation, there were plenty of expensive items, but I trusted them enough to open it.

However, the treasures sorted in front of the vault were much more numerous than I had thought. Thanks to that, Albert and Vanessa finished sorting the vault in a month.

“Hoho… I saw many treasures I had never seen before. There were some I felt sorry to sell, but it was fun. It felt like being in a museum.”

“Ugh… For a young person like me, it was pure hard labor…”

Indeed, a month was incredibly fast.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“That’s right…”

“As a token of appreciation, if there’s anything you want from here, take it.”

“Huh?!”

Vanessa’s expression, which had been worn out from exhaustion, instantly brightened.

“Really?! We can really take something?”

“Yes. Pick whatever you want.”

“Yay! I’ll take the most expensive one! Hahaha!”

Indeed, labor deserves proper compensation.

Albert was already picking out treasures before I even finished speaking. He must have been looking forward to it.

Anyway, I decided to take a look at the sorted treasures myself.

Today, my task was to select which treasures to auction off and which to keep.

Thanks to my traits ‘Tycoon’ and ‘Calculation,’ I could roughly estimate the value of the items.

I planned to sell off luxury items like jewels and accessories. There’s no point in keeping them if the world is going to be destroyed by the player.

It’s much more beneficial to sell them and turn them into funds.

When I came here before to find the coffins of the Annihilation Maids, I didn’t realize it, but now I truly felt that the Ruelberta family was incredibly wealthy.

The amount of wealth they possessed was excessive for a noble family. Who knows, their treasure vault might even surpass that of the imperial family.

“…Hmm?”

Then, as I walked among the dazzling treasures, something strange caught my eye.

Among the glittering treasures, something unusually old and rusty stood out—a mirror about my height.

As I looked at the full-length mirror, I felt as if I was being drawn into it. No, it felt more like being sucked in.

I slowly approached the mirror.

“…?!”

And the moment I looked into the mirror, I froze in place.

 

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