As part of my daily routine, I consistently practiced image training.
Even though I hadn’t held a sword for a long time, it was an important practice that kept my senses sharp.
Thanks to this training, I was able to demonstrate my full potential in competitions without making a single mistake.
It may seem like an almost perfect form of training, but it wasn’t without its drawbacks.
“After all, it’s just imagination.”
It’s different from reality.
I could recall past experiences and devise countermeasures.
However, if my opponent had thoroughly addressed their weaknesses, it would all end up being futile.
In the end, compared to actual sparring, image training was infinitely lacking.
“Haah! Why am I so nervous about this…”
Over the past few months, I fought against an imaginary version of Letia countless times and was frequently defeated.
Each time, I suffered from the mental exhaustion it caused, but at the same time, I felt a sense of joy.
After all, there’s much to learn from failure.
However, after a certain point, I started to win against the imaginary Letia, and my progress came to a halt.
To improve further, I needed real experience—
Experiences where I could face Letia directly and remind myself that imagination pales in comparison to reality.
“Are you ready?”
“I’m ready. Come at me anytime.”
“Would you like a handicap…”
“None needed. Don’t hold back and give it your all.”
“Understood. Then I’ll come at you with everything I’ve got!”
Fast!
Before she even finished speaking, Letia had already closed the distance between us.
She swung her sword horizontally with all her might, pulling it from behind her waist.
It was a simple horizontal slash, but the force behind it felt as heavy as a mountain.
‘If I try to block this, my arm will probably break.’
I couldn’t counter the attack I had defended against countless times in my imagination.
Instead, I leaned back and slid away, narrowly avoiding Letia’s strike.
At the same time, I swung my sword downward with all my strength, as if splitting firewood.
Letia held her sword in a reverse grip and deflected my sword, which was aimed at her head, at a diagonal angle.
“Not bad for the first exchange.”
“It’s a shocking result for me, though.”
I had no choice but to avoid her attack, and my own attack was easily deflected.
It was as if I had admitted defeat in a contest of strength.
Although losing in strength doesn’t always mean outright defeat, it was still a bitter feeling.
It’s like realizing your score in the language section of a mock exam is lower than you expected.
“If you’re already feeling this shocked, won’t it get even harder from here on out?”
“Don’t worry about me. Just keep coming at me.”
“Alright!”
With an excited face, like a child receiving a new toy, Letia swung her sword once again.
This time, it wasn’t as powerful as her initial strike, so I tried to block it.
Noticing my intent, Letia lightly flicked her wrist, changing the trajectory of her sword.
I quickly stepped back and adjusted my stance to block her redirected attack.
Clang!
The sound of swords clashing echoed in the air.
However, that clear ringing sound was only the beginning of the prelude.
“Shall we make this a speed battle this time?”
“Tsk…!”
Letia swung, slashed, and thrust her sword relentlessly.
She gave me no chance to counterattack.
Moreover, she constantly altered the trajectory of her sword to make it impossible for me to predict her movements.
Each time, I had to rely on my instincts to guess her direction and block her attacks.
“Kyaahaha! I never imagined someone could block all my attacks!”
“Isn’t your standard a bit strange?”
“It just means you’re amazing!”
Letia’s gleaming blade rushed toward me in an instant.
As I kept my eyes on the tip of her sword and narrowly dodged with only a paper-thin margin, another strike came from a different direction.
‘This won’t end at this rate.’
Resolving to give up some flesh to strike at her bones, I stepped forward with my left foot.
Letia’s sword came swiftly toward me.
Lowering my upper body, I sacrificed part of my shoulder and closed the distance into her space.
Since this wasn’t a life-or-death duel, I intended to end it with my blade aimed at her neck.
However, midway through, Letia struck the blade of her sword with her palm.
She clamped her sword tightly under her arm as it veered off course and pulled me into her embrace.
“Congratulations! If you had aimed for my heart earlier, it would’ve been my loss. But since this is a match, I’ll claim the victory.”
“You’re just snatching the most important reward, aren’t you?”
“Well, there are things I can’t compromise on either!”
Whispering softly into my ear, Letia smiled brightly and gripped my collar tightly.
Twisting her body, she flipped me over and slammed me hard onto the ground.
Immediately after, she climbed on top of me, pressing her blade against my neck.
To the spectators, she had perfectly cemented her victory in this duel.
“Damn it! There’s no way I can protest this, huh?”
“Haha! Just accept it.”
The silence was soon swallowed by thunderous cheers.
After my bitter defeat in the finals, Letia’s victory in this rematch had to feel exhilarating for everyone.
The crowd roared with joy, declaring that the hero of their nation had once again triumphed over the Empire.
The library, once filled with silence, instantly transformed into the center of a festival.
“Sir Siyoon, can you hear it?”
“What? The sound of the audience worshipping you like a god?”
“No, not that. The same people who were so busy criticizing you on the first day are now acknowledging you.”
“They’re too busy singing your praises to have time for that.”
“Close your eyes and listen closely.”
It seemed like an unbelievable claim, but Letia wouldn’t say something like that without reason.
Deciding to follow her words, I closed my eyes and focused all my senses on my hearing.
Indeed, there were no insults directed at me.
Though I didn’t hear any compliments either, I enhanced my hearing by channeling aura.
Only then was I able to catch the voices of young children amidst the crowd.
“Both of them are amazing!”
“The hero lady is cool, but the guy fighting her was also incredible!”
“Y-Yeah, but that guy’s from the Empire, right? The adults said everyone in the Empire is bad.”
“Even if he’s bad, he must’ve worked really hard to fight like that! You have to respect that!”
“Yeah, but still…”
Hearing children from the kingdom view and acknowledge me positively brought an unexpected chuckle out of me.
LLetia, who was still on top of me, seemed to notice that I’d heard the same conversation she had. She smiled brightly.
“How were you able to hear that in such a noisy place? You don’t seem to have used aura like I did.”
“There’s a reason.”
“And what is it?”
“That’s a secret!”
She made me curious.
In many ways, she could be irritating.
“By the way, the match is already over. How long do you plan to stay on top of me?”
“Until someone comes to sort this situation out. Oh, and here they come!”
With effort, I lifted my head to see a familiar face stepping onto the stage.
It was Duke Ludbront, who had tried to recruit me just a few days ago.
As he appeared, Letia got up and extended her hand toward me.
Does she not care about appearances?
Refusing her kindness here wouldn’t look good, so I took her hand.
With that, Letia pulled me up with all her strength, making me stand in one swift motion.
“Both of you put on an excellent duel,” the Duke remarked.
“You flatter us, Duke Ludbront.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
As the second most powerful figure in the kingdom of Lyor, I made sure to bow deeply and show proper courtesy in this formal setting.
Duke Ludbront, with his characteristic hearty laugh, gestured for me to straighten up.
The once rowdy arena fell deathly silent with the Duke’s presence.
It made me realize anew just how significant a figure he was.
“Though it was an impromptu duel and not part of the finals, let us now proceed with honoring the true champion.”
“Before that, I have something to say.”
“And what might that be?”
Duke Ludbront looked at me with anticipation, almost bouncing on his feet.
He probably thought I was about to announce whether I would abandon the Empire or not.
Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the topic I intended to bring up.
“Though this was an unofficial match, I made a wager with her before the duel.”
“And what was that?”
“If I won, I’d be freed from my status as a prisoner. On the other hand, if I lost, I agreed to relinquish all the glory I’d earned from winning the tournament.”
The Duke’s eyes widened in surprise.
It made sense—whether I chose the kingdom or the Empire, I could have used the winner’s privilege to secure my freedom.
But I had no intention of using my wish to support a particular faction.
That’s why, knowing it was reckless, I had proposed this wager to Letia.
“As you can see, I lost. So, I will transfer the rights to her.”
“I understand. Then—”
“Before that, I’d like to state my wish right now!”
Interrupting Duke Ludbront mid-sentence, Letia raised her hand high.
Despite cutting off the Duke, she wore a bright smile.
It was truly audacious, but who could stop her? Not even the king could treat her lightly.
Already resigned, Duke Ludbront stepped back and ceded the floor to Letia.
“I never imagined there was something Lady Letia desired so much. Please, speak your wish.”
Acknowledging his generosity, Letia offered a small bow in gratitude.
But then, without warning, she suddenly grabbed my arm and hugged it tightly.
With all her might, she shouted so that no corner of the arena could miss her words.
“I, Letia Heter, will take this man as my partner in a vow of eternal union!”
Her declaration was a bombshell dropped onto the arena.