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Seraphina Lector Infractus was the protagonist’s greatest ally in Tactical Combat. Her status and talent surpassed anyone in the Empire, and her strong desire for talent inevitably intertwined her with the protagonist character controlled by the player.

In the game, there was no way to fail until the ending, except for predetermined defeat routes. Even though Tactical Combat offered high freedom, there were still fixed endings.

In other words, the playable character was an icon of victory who knew no failure and the embodiment of talent that grew infinitely as long as the player didn’t give up. It made no sense for Seraphina, with her strong desire for talent, to leave such an extraordinary protagonist alone.

Thus, she used her background to become the protagonist’s greatest ally. This might explain why Seraphina’s popularity in the world Gilbert inhabited before his possession was higher than any other character. Interestingly, in Tactical Combat, which included romantic elements, she was an unattainable character.

The developers made this clear, and while gamers complained, experts who dissected the game confirmed that it wasn’t a hidden easter egg but structurally impossible to pursue her romantically.

Many gamers created secondary works, but that wasn’t important now.

“Endless glory to the Empire. Gilbert Lion Heart, the Empire’s small shield, greets Her Highness, the Princess, who will become the Empire’s sharpest sword.”

Gilbert immediately knelt on one knee and performed a knight’s salute the moment he realized Seraphina was before him.

His greeting was a military salute, and the honorifics he used for Seraphina were those reserved for nobles with promising knight titles.

The reason was simple. As the game progressed, there were many events involving Seraphina, and every time influential nobles showered her with flowery compliments, she coldly rebuked them.

Despite her stunning beauty, being one of the Empire’s most beautiful women, she considered herself fundamentally a knight.

She was already a force capable of leading the Empire, a veteran who had received a knight title at a young age and participated in wars.

At the time of her participation, her rank was Captain, bestowed by feudal lords.

Though a princess and also granted a dukedom, she could have risen to the rank of general, but her limited combat experience kept her at this rank.

Thus, addressing her as an officer or knight of the Empire left a better impression than calling her the Empire’s moon or sword.

Indeed, Seraphina looked very pleased as Gilbert knelt and saluted her.

“Raise your head.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

He slightly raised his head, avoiding eye contact, and saw Seraphina’s satisfied expression. Fortunately, his greeting seemed to be the right approach.

“You may rise.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

He rose slowly and carefully, trying not to do anything that might be criticized, and slightly bowed his head.

“Your body is in good shape, but how about dressing properly?”

“I have been disrespectful.”

He bowed his head and quickly but not carelessly put on his shirt. It wasn’t easy due to the sweat, but not dressing properly could be considered an insult to royalty. After hastily adjusting his collar, Gilbert slightly bowed again and waited for her words.

“Already in the Physical Training Facility before the Academy’s schedule begins. May I ask why?”

“I believe endless training is necessary to become the Empire’s shield.”

“Interesting. The Empire’s shield…”

Seraphina chuckled, recalling who the man before her was.

The only person who could be called the Empire’s shield was the border lord protecting the Empire’s borders, and among them, there was only one noble with golden hair. She also remembered his introduction.

Gilbert Lion Heart.

The legitimate son of the Count of Lithuania and the black sheep who turned the Empire’s social circles upside down.

The worst of the worst was Gilbert Lion Heart.

Naturally, Seraphina, with her strong desire for talent, had received reports on all the promising noble heirs and had filtered out the unworthy. Gilbert was the first to be discarded.

His atrocities against his territory’s people were enough to make one shake their head. If he treated lower nobles so poorly, one could only imagine how he treated commoners. If not for his father being the Count of Lithuania, he might have faced severe consequences, as rumors in social circles suggested.

Seraphina had also received such reports and considered Gilbert a rotten part of the Empire that needed to be cut out. However, meeting him in person, she found him different from what she had imagined. She knew he was entering the Academy this year, but his recognition of her and adherence to noble etiquette, as well as his presence in the Physical Training Facility before the official schedule began, were unexpected.

Moreover, the near-perfect muscles she saw when he was shirtless made it hard to dismiss him as just trash.

“Gilbert Lion Heart.”

“Command me. I will carry out any order without fail.”

His poised posture was impressive, resembling a loyal knight. Gilbert’s evaluation was being revised in real-time.

From a rotten sprout to be cut out to a person of interest to be watched.

“Very well. I have no orders for you. I only hope your loyalty remains unchanged.”

“My loyalty is solely to the Empire, and I will fulfill my duties.”

“Haha. You are indeed interesting. I will look forward to it.”

Seraphina left the Physical Training Facility, imprinting Gilbert Lion Heart in her mind. The guards following her were puzzled by the difference between the Gilbert they knew and the one they just saw, but guards didn’t need to think much.

Finally alone in the Physical Training Facility, Gilbert let out a long sigh of relief.

‘One hurdle crossed.’

He had anticipated meeting Seraphina. With his reputation in the gutter, having her as an ally would prevent him from being expelled from the Count family. He had planned to win her favor, just not so soon.

Though everything was improvised, judging from her parting words, the outcome wasn’t bad.

However, he shook off his optimistic thoughts. There was no need to despair, but his reputation as a troublemaker wasn’t going anywhere. Rumors and public opinion weren’t easily shed. The best he could do was overshadow them with better deeds.

Gilbert took off his shirt again and resumed his extreme physical training. Knowing the game’s events inside out, he knew opportunities would come. He just needed the foundation to seize them.

Once again, the Physical Training Facility heated up with the intensity of Gilbert’s training.

***

The entrance ceremony at Demia Empire Academy was vastly different from other academies. Instead of a simple speech by the principal, it combined elements of a war departure ceremony and a mock battle. In the game, it served as a tutorial, but in the setting, it reflected the Academy’s goal of preparing for war, rejecting unnecessary formalities.

The mock battle determined scores and class placements, with the protagonist’s performance affecting random stat allocations. It was essentially a character-making tutorial where actions and dialogue choices shaped the character’s development.

Though Gilbert wasn’t the protagonist, as a custom character, this character-making process applied to him. Upon possession, he first checked if he could use the game system, but the result was negative.

When he tried to open the character stat window, he saw that system access was denied until the tutorial was completed. He almost shouted in frustration. Though the game had become reality, in this bleak world, having something to rely on was crucial. Fortunately, the possibility of using the game system was highly encouraging.

Before the entrance ceremony, Gilbert reviewed the character-making tutorial routes. He didn’t expect everything to go smoothly like in the game, but having a minimal plan was necessary for proactive responses.

Waking up early, he ran simulations multiple times, then left the dormitory to participate in the entrance ceremony, full of determination.

 

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