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The opening ceremony of the competition tournament concluded successfully, and the group draw began immediately. Gilbert was assigned to Group 3, and his matches were scheduled to take place at the 3rd Training Ground.

The start time was set for an hour later, a thoughtful gesture to allow time for conversation between the guests and cadets who attended the opening ceremony. It was also a courtesy for the academy’s guests who had traveled a long way to observe the competition.

Gilbert also met with a representative from the Lion Heart Count Family.

Although Gilbert had unlocked a custom character and set himself as the eldest son of the Lion Heart Count Family, the original family actually had one son and one daughter. The eldest was now his younger brother, Glinda Oz Heart, and the second was Dorothy Flamma Heart.

The representative who had come in place of the count was Dorothy Flamma Heart, who was sitting elegantly in front of him, sipping tea.

She was also a high-performing companion character in Tactical Combat. Aspiring to be a knight, she had trained diligently since childhood, and her initial stats were among the top, making her exceptional.

Her appearance was also renowned within the empire. With the Lion Heart Count Family’s signature golden hair, crimson eyes, and straightforward personality, she was undeniably charming. With her romance route unlocked, many users often targeted her as a conquest.

Especially if the protagonist Ian’s personality was set to righteous, it was easy to win her favor, as she aimed to become an honorable knight. Conversely, if set to villainous, her favorability would plummet, making it impossible to even recruit her as a companion, let alone pursue a romance route.

In other words, it was highly likely that Dorothy despised Gilbert, who was known to be dishonorable and a scoundrel.

Gilbert, sitting across from Dorothy as she silently sipped her tea, refrained from speaking rashly. Even though she was his sister, this was their first actual meeting, so he was cautious.

Since waking up in the Lithuania Territory, aside from meeting the Count of Lithuania, Gilbert had spent his time holed up in his room, figuring out how to survive in this world. He had never seen his supposed siblings, Glinda or Dorothy.

How much time had passed?

By the time Dorothy finished her cup of tea, she finally spoke first.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed.”

Her tone was unusually casual for someone addressing her elder brother, but that was just her way of speaking. Of course, she could distinguish between formal and informal situations, but she always spoke this way to her brother Glinda, her personal maid Anna, and Ian, whom she favored.

As a companion, she was highly capable, and her passionate romance route made her a favorite among players. But now that Gilbert was in this body, he wondered how things would go. She deeply despised dishonorable people.

“It’s still strange seeing you like this.”

“Strange?”

“Yeah, you’re not acting like the eldest brother at all. You’re not being arrogant like usual.”

So that was it.

Gilbert now understood why Dorothy, not Glinda, had come as the count’s representative. She must have been curious about the changes in her eldest brother, whom she genuinely despised.

Moreover, Dorothy had dreamed of becoming a knight since childhood. At first, it was just because it seemed cool, but after meeting Briana, she genuinely aspired to become a knight, inspired by her.

But now, her worthless eldest brother had become a cadet and even Briana’s personal disciple. It would have been stranger if she hadn’t come to see for herself.

“So you came instead of Glinda. To check on me.”

“Among other things. And what’s with your tone? You used to be so flippant. Don’t you think that’s weird?”

“Was being flippant better?”

“No. If I had to choose, this is better. But it’s creepy that it’s coming from you.”

Though she said it with a smile, her underlying meaning was clear. She couldn’t hide her disdain, and Gilbert couldn’t help but sigh.

“Do you really need to have tea with someone who creeps you out?”

“Of course. I came as Father’s representative, so I have to do things I don’t want to do. And I wanted to take on this role, so I can endure a little discomfort.”

“Then that’s enough.”

“Not at all. I have a lot to ask you.”

She sipped her tea. As her cup emptied, her personal maid Anna naturally refilled it.

“Brother. How did you become a knight?”

“You already know, don’t you?”

“That you single-handedly took down seven Resistance Colossal Mechs? How can I believe that? Even if the Imperial Family issued a decree, I know you, Brother.”

Dorothy’s expression hardened. Her smile faded, and her eyes sharpened as she glared at Gilbert, as if determined to uncover the truth.

“Brother. Be honest. What did you do? How could someone who never even moved a Colossal Mech in the territory win the Demia Empire Academy’s Entrance Mock Battle and take down seven Colossal Mechs alone? I can’t understand it.”

“I did it because I could.”

“Your humor has improved a lot since I last saw you. ‘I did it because I could’… Fine. Let’s leave it at that. Then let me ask you this. How did you become Professor Briana’s personal disciple? Someone as worthless as you.”

For a moment, hostility surged. Gilbert could almost see the jealousy and animosity pouring out of Dorothy.

The main reason she had come as the count’s representative was likely this. She was envious that Gilbert, of all people, had become one of Briana’s only two disciples.

If it had been anyone else, she might have been jealous but wouldn’t have shown such hostility. Dorothy was the type to blame herself for not being good enough rather than resent others.

But since it was Gilbert, things were different. Given her disdain for scoundrels like him, it was only natural that she found it extremely unpleasant that he had become Briana’s disciple.

To her, it might have seemed like a sinner had trespassed into a sacred place.

But.

“Dorothy Flamma Heart.”

Gilbert’s authority and command stats, which had recently surpassed 130 after the punitive force battle, allowed him to use the limited passive skill “Aura” that Seraphina had demonstrated when he sought permission to become Briana’s disciple.

He used the Aura skill to press down on Dorothy, not enough to cause physical harm but enough to make her feel the weight.

“I already know you despise me. I have no intention of arguing with you about that. It’s all true. But.”

“Huh…?!”

He emphasized the last word, increasing the intensity of the Aura skill. Dorothy, who had been barely holding back a sound, let out an involuntary gasp.

Anna, who had been silently watching, finally noticed something was wrong and tried to move, but Gilbert’s crimson eyes turned to her, freezing her in place.

“Don’t cross the line. That’s all I have to say.”

Gilbert released the Aura skill and stood up, leaving the room. After falling out with Lily, now Dorothy, he headed to the 3rd Training Ground where Group 3’s preliminary battles would take place. He had already harbored negative feelings toward them before meeting, so he decided it was better for his mental health to let go of what he could.

But as he walked to the training ground, a thought struck him.

“Don’t cross the line”? Even if his speech had been influenced by the original Gilbert, saying something like that was downright cringe-worthy.

He shuddered at the thought of having uttered such an edgy line. He resolved to be more careful not to say something like that again.

***

Dorothy watched the door close behind Gilbert and finally let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The pressure that had felt like a hand gripping her throat was gone, but the sensation of being suffocated lingered.

“Miss! Are you okay?!”

“Yes. Don’t worry. Calm down, Anna.”

She smiled reassuringly at Anna, who had bravely tried to protect her, and picked up her teacup.

Though Anna didn’t notice, Dorothy’s hand was trembling slightly. The tea had gone cold, but as she took a sip, the aroma filled her mouth, and she felt a bit better.

Was that really my eldest brother? Could it be someone else?

Even though she had seen it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe it.

She had known Gilbert all her life and judged him to be worthless. He had no dignity, and his actions were no different from a rogue. The only things he was good at were flirting with women and tormenting the territory’s people.

There were many rumors, but since he never crossed a critical line, she tolerated him out of familial duty. But today, that perception had shattered.

From the moment he recited the oath to their current meeting, the Gilbert she knew was gone. His words and actions carried a sense of dignity and composure that was entirely unfamiliar.

She had persistently questioned him, even showing hostility, but in the end, she was the one overwhelmed. She couldn’t say a word and could only endure Gilbert’s cold gaze.

Dorothy was furious. The fact that she had been overpowered by her eldest brother, whom she had always considered a worthless fool, was deeply humiliating.

But what was done was done. She downed the cold tea in one go, shaking off the sticky emotions. At least she had learned one thing from this conversation: Gilbert was not incompetent.

Now, she needed to see his skills with the Colossal Mechs. She wanted to see just how good he was at handling them, as he had supposedly taken down seven.

“Let’s go, Anna. We need to watch Brother’s match.”

“At your service, Miss.”

Let’s see just how good he is.

Dorothy, accompanied by Anna, headed to the 3rd Training Ground where Gilbert had gone. The reception room they left behind was empty, save for two empty teacups.

 

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