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Briana quietly observed her disciple eating food across from her.

It was a cultured dining etiquette, with noble manners ingrained in his body.

Who could call him a troublemaker after seeing him like this?

His actions were undoubtedly the most groundbreaking since the establishment of the Demia Empire Academy.

Starting with winning the Entrance Mock Battle, he flawlessly blocked the Resistance’s terrorism during the comprehensive evaluation and took the lead more than anyone in the punitive force against the old Resistance, achieving remarkable feats.

Moreover, just a while ago, he managed to repel the New Resistance’s massive raid on the Academy with minimal damage. Considering that he had to face 23 Colossal Mechs at the time, it was hard to believe that such an achievement could be accomplished by a new cadet.

Given his dazzling performance, Briana, his former master, wasn’t entirely pleased with the current situation. Though she was stoic, she wasn’t emotionless. It was impossible not to feel joy seeing one of her only two former disciples making a name for himself in the Empire.

Especially since the swordsmanship he displayed while controlling the Colossal Mechs showed that he had grown even further through that battle. He had even stepped into the realm of limits, making his explosive growth self-evident.

However, it was concerning that Gilbert had stepped into the realm of limits.

The realm of limits meant being able to exert power beyond one’s current capabilities. Each time one overcame a wall, they could feel exponential growth in strength, but overcoming that wall was never easy.

Those born with exceptional talent could surpass walls more easily than others, but they would also face those walls faster than others. Standing before a wall they might never overcome in their lifetime, most would inevitably fall into despair and helplessness.

And then, they would fall into the realm of limits. The thrill of momentarily surpassing the wall and experiencing a greater world was unforgettable, and like a drug, it consumed people.

But the realm of limits was precisely that—stepping beyond one’s limits. Using power beyond one’s current level with an unprepared body would inevitably lead to its destruction.

Forcing oneself to break through the set limits often resulted in ruin, and in the worst cases, death.

Briana had seen too many people like that, so even though she knew Gilbert wouldn’t follow that path, she couldn’t hide her anxiety.

Still, she couldn’t not believe in him.

As she ate the food in front of her, she shook off her uneasy feelings.

What kind of master would she be if she didn’t believe in her disciple?

Gilbert had never once betrayed Briana’s expectations. He was never lazy in his sword training and steadfastly upheld the virtues of a knight, even in life-and-death situations.

Not believing in such a fine disciple was not what a master should do.

Shaking off even the slightest worry, Briana focused on her food with a lighter heart.

As she continued her meal, exchanging small talk, her gaze suddenly fell on the black iron sword leaning against the corner of the chair.

The black iron sword gifted by Gilbert was a masterpiece, worthy of being called a legendary sword.

The weight, hardness, and balance of the sword even impressed Briana, who had handled many swords. It was puzzling that such a skilled swordsmith remained unknown.

But how did Gilbert know about this swordsmith?

The sudden question arose.

It was a place you could only find after walking through narrow alleys for a long time—a shabby building with a sign depicting a sword.

It was hard to find even if you were looking for it, so how did he know about it? His natural way of finding it, as if he had been there many times, was suspicious, and even now, it felt off.

Could it be…?

As Briana’s thoughts wandered, she realized one thing.

“Gilbert.”

“What is it?”

Having finished his meal and sipping wine, Gilbert looked at Briana.

“How did you know about that swordsmith?”

“I found out by chance.”

“By chance… You happened to find a skilled swordsmith, and coincidentally, she was a beautiful woman, huh?”

Briana finally understood the inexplicable discomfort she felt at the weapon shop.

The owner and swordsmith of the weapon shop, Ensis, was a beauty hard to find elsewhere. Her toned body without an ounce of excess and bright crimson hair complemented her radiant smile, giving off a refreshing vibe.

Even Gilbert, who was rumored to have no interest in women, couldn’t help but be captivated. It seemed like he had found her during his troublemaking days.

When Briana’s thoughts reached that point, she slightly frowned.

She had never seen Gilbert act like a troublemaker since entering the Demia Empire Academy, but his relationships with women were unknown. Since she wasn’t monitoring his every move, he might still be engaging in promiscuous relationships.

Of course, considering his rapid growth, he probably wasn’t indulging in such things, but as a master, she couldn’t just watch her disciple stray. A true master guides their disciple to the right path, doesn’t they?

“Master?”

“I have no intention of interfering in your private life. But I can’t stand by if you neglect your training because of women.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

This time, Gilbert’s brows furrowed. He thought they had a pleasant dinner, but Briana suddenly brought up something incomprehensible.

Private life and women?

It was an unfair accusation for Gilbert, whose days were packed with Academy classes and training.

His goal wasn’t to live here but to return to his original world. Gilbert—no, Kang Do-jun—yearned more than anything to return to the place where he had shed blood with his comrades.

He hadn’t found any clues to return, but analyzing the situation with the backup of the Tactical Combat world and system, his task boiled down to one thing. By progressing through the main story like a game, he might find a clue to return.

That’s why he prioritized growth to prepare for the main story. His tightly packed schedule was solely focused on training.

Being scolded for not indulging in pleasures in such a situation was only natural to feel unfair.

“That won’t happen.”

He spoke firmly, but Briana didn’t believe him. Given what she had seen and the example of Gwendolyn from the Ensis weapon shop, it was hard to trust him easily.

“Just keep it in mind.”

“You know better than anyone that I won’t do that, right?”

“Hmm…”

Briana swallowed her words. She knew it in her head. Gilbert’s recent behavior was akin to someone obsessed with training.

But emotionally, there were too many things bothering her. It was unlike her, but her reasons were clear.

Gilbert was someone who would eventually stand beside her, pursuing the path of the sword. Briana didn’t want to lose a companion to walk the endless path of the sword with.

This attitude might cause resentment.

She sighed deeply, trying to shake off her discomfort. As Gilbert said, he was diligently training now, so there was no need to scold him excessively.

“It was an unnecessary concern. You can forget it.”

“No, I’ll take it as advice for my own good.”

“That’s fine then.”

Looking at the dessert being prepared after the main dish, Briana felt a bit lighter.

Gilbert, with his strong desire for the sword, would stand by her side without straying. Until then, her role was to guide and lead him.

She decided not to overthink or interrogate him unnecessarily.

Meanwhile, Gilbert, unaware of Briana’s thoughts…

[Sub Scenario: Seeker of the Sword has been unlocked and forcibly accepted.]

What’s this now?

He felt bewildered by the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar sub-scenario.

***

After spending a day with Briana, which felt both long and short, Gilbert returned to the Demia Empire Academy and found himself troubled by the newly appeared sub-scenario. Even though he had cleared all scenarios and achieved 100% completion in Tactical Combat, this was the first time he had seen this scenario.

The term “unlocked” suggested that saving Briana during the Academy raid and some unknown condition had triggered it, but he couldn’t guess what it was.

Moreover, the description in the scenario window was too vague, leaving him clueless about what exactly needed to be done. The title “Seeker of the Sword” clearly indicated it was related to swords, but he had too little information.

He tried forming various hypotheses, but they all ended with question marks.

This won’t be easy.

Eventually, Gilbert gave up on analyzing and leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. Spending so much time pondering over something with no clear answer was giving him a headache.

While saving Briana was good, having a sub-scenario he had never seen before forcibly accepted was unsettling. Usually, when something was forcibly accepted like this, the rewards were good, but the difficulty skyrocketed.

Moreover, for a sub-scenario, the title “Seeker of the Sword” was too grand. Just by the name, it was clear that this wasn’t a small-scale scenario.

Whatever, it doesn’t matter.

Gilbert stood up, brushing off his clothes and stretching his stiff body before opening the door. He had wasted quite a bit of time analyzing the sudden variable, but he had no intention of skipping today’s training.

Diligence and effort never betrayed you on the battlefield, and Gilbert, who knew this better than anyone, was most wary of laziness creeping into his body.

The appearance of the sub-scenario was unexpected, but it wasn’t a reason to skip training. Missing one day might not seem like a big deal, but those days would eventually add up to ten, then a hundred.

In the end, Gilbert headed to the training facility, recalling today’s training schedule. Checking his muscle development, it seemed he needed to increase the intensity of his lower body training.

-Creak

Just as Gilbert was about to open the training facility door, it opened from the inside. Was there still a cadet training at this late hour?

A wave of heat seemed to rush out from the training facility.

“Long time no see.”

“Ian.”

But the cadet who had been training wasn’t exactly a welcome sight. Not that he was someone Gilbert disliked, but he was certainly an uncomfortable presence.

Ian Tigress Line Barrel, the playable character and protagonist of Tactical Combat.

He was the cadet who had opened the training facility door.

The last time Gilbert had properly seen Ian was during the finals of the competition tournament. Seeing him going through his edgy phase, Gilbert had decisively given up on recruiting him as a comrade. While his potential was undoubtedly valuable, the downsides of his edgy phase overshadowed it.

Of course, if Ian had shown remarkable performance during the Academy raid, things might have been different, but Gilbert had only heard about the achievements of others. In the end, Gilbert had concluded that Ian had no potential.

“You did well this time. As expected of my rival.”

“…”

Here we go again. Regardless of potential, Ian’s edgy speech was unbearable for Gilbert, who had modern sensibilities. It was the kind of thing that made you want to roll your eyes involuntarily.

Since prolonged conversation meant enduring more of that dreadful speech, Gilbert quickly ended the conversation.

“It was nothing. Now, if you’d step aside, I’m running late for training.”

“My apologies.”

As Ian, who had been blocking the entrance, stepped aside, Gilbert quickly entered the training facility, half-expecting Ian to stop him. However, Ian didn’t try to hold the door as it closed.

But Ian, for some reason, silently watched the training facility door for a while.

Was some emotion surging within him?

If so, there was no sign of it in his eyes.

After some time passed.

[Ian? Why are you staring at the door? Is something wrong?]

“No, nothing.”

Ian let out a light laugh and headed to his room, once again reaffirming his belief that he was the protagonist of this world.

 

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