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Professor Briana, known as the Empire’s number one sword, always starts her day with training. Since the first time she held a sword, her morning practice has been a ritual she has never skipped, akin to a daily ceremony.

Even before the sun rose today, Briana was at the training ground, beginning her morning routine. She repeated simple thrusting and slashing movements countless times to refine the basics of swordsmanship.

– Horizontal slashes: 1,000

– Vertical slashes: 1,000

– Diagonal slashes: 1,000

– Thrusts: 1,000

Her clothes were soaked with sweat, and her limbs began to tremble slightly. Without using mana, relying solely on her physical strength, the sword felt heavy. But her training didn’t end there. She calmed her heated body and settled her mind, sinking into deep meditation.

For a swordsman of Briana’s caliber, mental training was as crucial as physical training. Since hitting a wall in her progress, she had focused even more on honing her mind. Like sharpening a blade, she refined her spirit, aiming to break through to new heights.

How much time had passed? Her tightly closed eyes naturally opened. The morning sunlight streaming into the training ground now illuminated her. Collecting her thoughts, Briana rose from her spot.

Returning to her room, she tossed aside her sweat-soaked clothes and washed away the lingering heat of training with cold water. Though it was a routine, she cherished this moment, feeling as if her worries and anxieties were washed away with the water.

Gilbert Lion Heart. After her shower, Professor Briana recalled the cadet who had approached her a few days ago. The brash young man, who had won a bet against the Great Sage, had made an interesting request. He had boldly asked to become her direct disciple, despite her reputation as the Empire’s sharpest sword.

Officially, Briana was Princess Seraphina’s swordsmanship instructor, a position granted due to a request from the loyal Malchirab Marquis. However, her own ambition, recognizing Seraphina’s talent, had played a significant role.

Of course, even a royal command wouldn’t make her teach someone without talent. Teaching the untalented only led to wounded pride. Briana, who had excelled in swordsmanship since childhood and had few equals as an adult, had seen too many such individuals—and their bitter jealousy.

But Gilbert had piqued her interest. Unlike Seraphina, who had been a prodigy from the start, Gilbert had been unremarkable until recently. Now, he was entirely different.

Physically, his talent was undeniable. At his age, no one had trained their body to such an extent. Even Seraphina couldn’t match Gilbert’s physical perfection. However, his mana sensitivity and mana stats hadn’t kept pace, which Briana found slightly disappointing. Yet, when Gilbert had visited her a few days ago, he seemed like a different person.

Mana training typically started at a young age, so Gilbert’s explosive growth was extremely rare. But the results were undeniable, and Briana couldn’t dismiss them.

She had put off Gilbert’s request, citing the need to consider it further. There were additional conditions he needed to meet, and she had doubts about whether teaching him was the right decision. His notorious reputation was a significant concern. She feared that his talent, combined with her teachings, might lead to trouble.

Though Gilbert had shown behavior contrary to his reputation in her first-year class, she couldn’t rule out the possibility that it was an act.

“*Sigh*…”

Briana, feeling a headache coming on, decided to outline the hurdles Gilbert needed to clear. She figured it wouldn’t be too late to reconsider after he passed them.

Shaking off her complicated thoughts, Briana checked her attire and headed to the Academy’s main hall for her morning lecture.

***

“Cadet Gilbert.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Gilbert was in a one-on-one meeting with Professor Briana after the morning swordsmanship class. The reason was his recent achievement of reaching a mana stat of 50, which had prompted his request to become her direct disciple.

Unlike in the game, where meeting the minimum stat requirement would have immediately granted him the position, Briana had asked for time to consider. Initially, Gilbert had been taken aback but had hidden his reaction and returned to his dorm to ponder the reasons. The answer wasn’t hard to find.

‘My reputation must be holding me back…’

System-wise, his fame stat was abysmally low. Given Briana’s emphasis on honor, it was clear she would hesitate to take on a notorious figure like him as a direct disciple. The risk of him causing trouble with the skills she taught was too great.

Moreover, her direct disciple was already Princess Seraphina, making the idea of taking on Gilbert even more precarious.

“I called you here to give you an answer regarding your proposal.”

“I thought as much.”

“Good, then this will be quick. For now, your request is on hold. There are a few hurdles you need to clear first.”

The words “on hold” and the appearance of a sub-quest notification brought a sigh of relief from Gilbert.

“I didn’t expect it to be easy. So, what hurdles do I need to clear?”

“First, get permission from Princess Seraphina.”

“From the Princess?”

“Yes. As you know, my current direct disciple is the Princess. While I’m free to take on another, this situation is different. I’m sure you, as a noble, understand why.”

Gilbert nodded in agreement. It was a clear quest condition, but it also made sense. Being a fellow disciple of the Empire’s Princess would bring unimaginable benefits.

In a world where power was everything, sharing a master with the Princess was an extraordinary opportunity. Especially when that master was Briana, the Empire’s number one sword.

“If you manage to get the Princess’s permission, I’ll assess whether you have the qualifications to be my direct disciple.”

“Assessing my qualifications means testing my talent, right?”

“Correct. I don’t teach the untalented.”

“Understood.”

Gilbert nodded, already familiar with her stance. Given her background, her preference for teaching only the talented was understandable.

“You seem confident. Did you think my test would be easy?”

“Not at all. I just thought you might refuse.”

“…I trust what I see with my own eyes. You may go.”

Gilbert’s eyes widened slightly at Briana’s words, but he didn’t show much reaction. He simply bowed his head and left.

‘Not a bad assessment, huh?’

As he left, Gilbert recalled Briana’s words. Having grown up on harsh battlefields, she had developed a keen eye for people. She trusted her own judgment over rumors.

Reputation could be manipulated with malice, and Briana knew that all too well. While Gilbert’s reputation had consistently been poor, it didn’t seem like she was judging him too harshly.

Feeling that this was enough, Gilbert headed to where the third-year cadets, including Princess Seraphina, usually attended lectures.

The Demia Academy was divided into three years, with each year having its own lecture halls. Since Seraphina was in her final year, Gilbert had to go deeper into the academy.

“Isn’t that Gilbert, the troublemaker?”

“Yeah, what’s he doing here?”

Whispers about Gilbert followed him everywhere. With his heightened senses due to his physical stats, he heard every word but chose to ignore them. He had grown numb to such comments after enduring them as a first-year cadet.

Instead, he focused on finding Seraphina. After asking an academy servant, he learned that she was in her personal training facility since she had no classes at the moment.

Grumbling about taking the wrong path, Gilbert headed to the training facility. However, he was stopped by a man he had encountered before—Yanik.

“Stop. You can’t enter here.”

“I’m here to see the Princess.”

“Her Highness is currently training. Please leave.”

“I said I’m here to see the Princess. Please inform her.”

Gilbert and Yanik locked eyes in a silent standoff. The loyal guard, unwilling to disturb the Princess and wary of Gilbert’s notorious reputation, stood his ground. But Gilbert, not wanting to waste time, didn’t back down.

“I told you to leave.”

“And I told you to inform her.”

Yanik’s eyes flared with anger. The rude and arrogant troublemaker was getting on his nerves. Just as he was about to retort, the Princess’s voice came from inside the training room.

“Enough, Yanik. Let him in.”

“Understood, Seraphina.”

The Princess’s command was absolute. With an internal sigh, Yanik opened the door and stepped aside.

Gilbert, ignoring Yanik’s glare, followed him into the training room. Meeting Seraphina was his priority.

 

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