---

Seraphina quietly watched Gilbert’s retreating figure as he left the training room, bowing his head. As the door closed behind him, she released the mana control that had filled the room and let out a long breath.

“Yanic.”

“At your command, Lady Seraphina.”

Yanic, who had been standing like a shadow in the corner, quickly responded to Seraphina’s sudden call.

“What do you think?”

“From my humble perspective, he spoke nothing but the truth.”

Though the question was abrupt, Yanic, who understood the princess’s intentions better than anyone, relayed his judgment to Seraphina without hesitation.

Having served as the princess’s guard for over a decade, Yanic had experienced all sorts of schemes and had developed a keen eye for people. He could now naturally discern the truth in others’ words, and he concluded that everything Gilbert had said was true.

There was a possibility that Gilbert might be an exceptional actor, capable of deceiving even Yanic’s eyes, but it couldn’t be overlooked that he was a new student who had just entered the Demia Empire Academy to prove his worth.

Unless one was a seasoned soldier or a cunning politician, it was impossible to deceive Yanic’s eyes.

“Your thoughts align with mine. Gilbert Lion Heart spoke only the truth to me.”

This was also why Seraphina had accepted Gilbert’s request. Perhaps due to her royal blood, she had an innate ability to see through lies. This ability, derived from her characteristic skill, was different from Yanic’s, which was honed through experience.

When judged by this ability, Gilbert had spoken nothing but the truth to Seraphina.

Of course, there were still some oddities.

If asked to point out the strangeness, it was when he confessed his past misdeeds to her.

If truth were represented by green and lies by red, when Gilbert spoke of his misdeeds, the color was crimson. This was the reaction when truth was mixed with lies.

Seraphina was genuinely curious about what he could be hiding when confessing his misdeeds.

Could it be that all the rumors of his misdeeds were actually false?

Or was the label of “trash” a lie?

Seraphina couldn’t tell. So, instead of outright rejecting his request, she set a condition. It was a decision made with the intention of learning more about him.

“This year is going to be quite interesting.”

Yanic bowed his head as he watched Seraphina smile softly. Somehow, it seemed to him that Seraphina was pleased with the unexpected variable that had appeared.

***

Tactical Combat was essentially a mecha game where players piloted colossal mechs, but it hadn’t abandoned its fantasy elements. Rather, it blended them seamlessly into the game, with the knight settings being one such example.

Knights, who had trained in the Mana Meditation Technique to become superhumans, were not only pilots of colossal mechs but also monstrous warriors capable of taking on a hundred enemies alone. This was why knights often undertook solo missions without their mechs.

The reason knights were chosen as pilots for colossal mechs was also due to their unique piloting methods.

The control of colossal mechs was achieved through a contract with an artificial spirit embedded within the mech. While there were control sticks, they were merely auxiliary; the core of piloting lay in the artificial spirit.

The artificial spirit transmitted the pilot’s thoughts to the mech, allowing it to move. This was a magical interpretation of the neural connection systems commonly seen in other mecha games.

For this reason, highly trained knights and renowned swordsmanship were still highly regarded.

In this context, becoming a disciple of Professor Briana meant not only becoming an exceptional knight but also an exceptional pilot of a colossal mech.

Gilbert, who was one step away from becoming Professor Briana’s disciple, attended a strategy and tactics lecture with a joyful heart before heading to her research lab.

Even when pressured by her aura skill, he thought he might fail, but fortunately, that didn’t happen. Though there were conditions attached, they were ones that encouraged growth, making them something to welcome with open arms.

Upon arriving at Professor Briana’s research lab, Gilbert knocked on the door. Fortunately, she was inside, and her characteristic emotionless voice came from beyond the door.

“Hello, Professor.”

“Seeing you here, it seems you’ve received Her Highness’s permission.”

Briana, who had been working on some documents, stopped and glanced at Gilbert, who entered confidently. She hadn’t expected Seraphina to allow him to become her personal disciple. Knowing Seraphina’s discerning eye for people, she had thought the princess would refuse outright.

Briana set aside the documents she had been working on. With Seraphina’s permission, all that remained was her own approval.

“I didn’t expect you to receive Seraphina’s permission. This is quite unexpected for me as well.”

“I was lucky.”

“Gilbert, you may not realize it, but Seraphina’s permission isn’t something you can get just by luck. She… Never mind. Since you’ve already received her permission, there’s no need to delay. Follow me.”

Gilbert followed Professor Briana to a personal training facility reserved exclusively for professors. True to the Demia Empire Academy’s reputation for top-notch facilities, the spacious training room was lined with various weapons.

From common swords like longswords, shortswords, Valkyrie swords, gladius, and rapiers, to spears, axes, and halberds, all types of weapons were readily available.

“Pick up a weapon.”

Following Professor Briana’s lead, Gilbert also picked up a longsword from the display.

“From now on, attack me with all your might. Even with Her Highness’s permission, I cannot accept you as my disciple if you lack talent. I don’t engage in worthless endeavors.”

“What are the conditions for passing?”

Gilbert knew that the criteria were entirely up to Professor Briana, but he asked anyway to keep the conversation flowing.

“That’s for me to decide. Now, Gilbert, come at me with the intent to kill.”

Whoosh!

Professor Briana’s aura pressed down on Gilbert. It was the overwhelming presence of a top-tier swordsman, different from Seraphina’s aura skill.

Gilbert swallowed dryly, recalling the countless times he had challenged Professor Briana’s test in the game. The tension he hadn’t felt in the game now ran down his spine, turning into cold sweat. If he couldn’t withstand this pressure, the test itself would be meaningless. He took a deep breath and drew his longsword.

‘Ugh!’

As he drew his sword, the invisible pressure from Professor Briana intensified. It felt as though a single misstep would result in a fatal strike. In the game, it was just a stun effect, but in this real world, it was the fear of death itself.

But Gilbert knew how to break free. Mana began to flow from his mana core, following the Lion Heart Meditation Technique. His tense body began to relax, as if stepping into warm water.

Now, he was ready.

“Not bad.”

Briana praised Gilbert for breaking free from her pressure faster than expected. She had thought he was no ordinary student, but his level exceeded her expectations. Especially the lingering mana resonance around him was extraordinary.

But this was a test of swordsmanship talent. Everything else was secondary.

“How long do you plan to keep me waiting?”

At Professor Briana’s sharp remark, Gilbert smirked. His body was warmed up; all that remained was to go all out.

Without a word, Gilbert charged at Professor Briana, swinging his sword horizontally.

Whoosh!

Professor Briana dodged the strike by leaning her upper body back. But Gilbert, anticipating this, immediately followed up with a shoulder tackle, a move he often used while piloting mechs.

Swish!

This attack was also easily dodged by Professor Briana, but she was forced to step back slightly. The combination of a well-executed horizontal slash and a fluid shoulder tackle was harder to evade while staying in place. Especially Gilbert’s near-perfect physique far exceeded Briana’s expectations.

“Hah!”

With a short shout, Gilbert began a series of rapid strikes. Diagonal slashes were followed by kicks, and thrusts were followed by punches.

His swordsmanship seemed chaotic at first glance, but anyone with knowledge of the art could see that, though still unrefined, his movements followed a certain form.

It wasn’t a haphazard style but one that utilized every part of his body—arms, legs, shoulders, knees—in close combat.

Briana realized something familiar in his movements.

“He’s similar to me.”

Briana noticed that her swordsmanship and Gilbert’s were strikingly similar. Though his was still unpolished, with gaps here and there, the fundamentals were very much alike.

A knight who could wield mana could turn any part of their body into a lethal weapon. Her “Winter Sword” embodied this principle.

Leaping back to dodge Gilbert’s shoulder tackle, Briana finally drew her sword. She hadn’t planned to draw it, but seeing a swordsmanship so similar to hers piqued her interest.

“You’ve drawn your sword.”

Gilbert’s eyes lit up as he adjusted his stance. In the game, it had taken him 700 attempts to reach this point, but now he had seen it in one go. While it was natural for him, having attempted it a thousand times, he doubted Professor Briana felt the same.

“You’re more impressive than I thought, Gilbert.”

“Does that mean I’ve passed?”

“Enough with the cheeky talk. Pick up your sword. If you can hold your ground, I’ll consider it.”

With that, their conversation ended, and an endless exchange of attacks and defenses began. They clashed, each giving and taking.

Professor Briana’s sharp blade grazed Gilbert’s hair, while Gilbert’s knee strike narrowly missed her chin.

Attack met attack, and the training room was filled with the flashes of their blades.

As the duel continued, Briana grew more impressed with Gilbert’s talent. His swordsmanship instincts were innate, and his perfected physique gave wings to that talent.

Though she couldn’t go all out against a student, her heart raced in a way unbecoming of her age. She had never seen anyone wield a sword so similarly to her Winter Sword.

At that moment, Briana decided to take Gilbert as her disciple. Even if he refused, it was too late. He would have to become her disciple, willingly or not.

Their swords clashed loudly, and they both stepped back. The endless exchange had reached a lull.

“That’s enough.”

Briana wanted to unleash the full potential of her Winter Sword, but she held back, thinking there would be more opportunities. For a student to have pushed her this far was already remarkable.

Continuing further would be her own greed, and a burden on Gilbert.

“Whew. Did I pass?”

Gilbert asked, breathing heavily. He had seen the faint smile on Professor Briana’s lips but wanted to hear it directly.

“You passed. From now on, Gilbert, you are my personal disciple. I’d like to discuss the details, but… I think today has been enough.”

“I agree.”

Gilbert’s body felt like it weighed a ton after the duel. Though physically strong, the duel, fueled by mana, had taken a toll on his still-developing body. He wanted nothing more than to shower and collapse into bed.

“We’ll discuss the details tomorrow. Make sure to come here early in the morning.”

“Understood.”

“Then you may leave for today.”

Gilbert quickly sheathed his longsword, placed it back on the display, and bowed to Professor Briana before leaving the training room. Fortunately, all his classes for the day were over, so he could rest after a shower.

Gilbert ignored the notification of a completed sub-quest and hurried to his room. Today, even training was on strike.

 

---