Chapter 69: Sword Heart

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

The conference room, where various discussions had been taking place, was suddenly filled with Leslie’s inexplicable scream.

What the hell?

Why is he acting like that?

Did he see something terrifying while peering into my origin with his ability?

His lion-like appearance didn’t match his current state—trembling in fear.

Beside him, a bespectacled female professor asked with a bewildered expression, “Professor Leslie. Calm down. What’s wrong?”

“Th-the stars. The universe. The light. To Him…”

“What did you say?”

“Dammit! We must not oppose Him!!”

“Excuse me…?”

Leslie shouted like a madman, causing the bespectacled professor to furrow her brow.

His incomprehensible ramblings had left the other professors dumbfounded.

As all eyes in the conference room turned toward him, Leslie clutched his head—then locked eyes with me.

“Gasp!”

“Huh?”

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

“Wait, Professor Leslie!”

Bang!

At that moment, Leslie bolted out of the conference room.

Before anyone could stop him, he sprinted down the long hallway, screaming.

The bespectacled professor hurriedly chased after him.

Silence fell over the conference room.

“…”

‘This is ridiculous.’

I scratched my cheek, watching the professors frozen in shock at the sudden outburst.

While the others might not know, it was clear that Leslie’s breakdown was caused by glimpsing my origin.

Sorry for making things awkward, I guess.

What the hell did he see to react like that?

When our eyes met earlier, he looked terrified.

Could it be… that something insanely dangerous is sleeping inside me?

‘Nah, no way.’

I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t seem likely.

Because Millinarize had mentioned before that traces of the Star Goddess were inside me.

Still, I needed to learn more about my origin later.

“Ahem. With Professor Angelica and Professor Leslie absent, I believe we should conclude the meeting here. Most of the essential discussions are already finished, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”

While I was lost in thought, Endris, seated at the head of the table, addressed the room.

Seriously? The meeting’s over right after I sat down?

I barely got to do anything because I was late.

Is this how it ends?

Well, thinking about it, this might actually be to my advantage.

‘I should stop by the training hall before heading back to the dorm.’

It’s been a while since I checked Cheonryeo’s Polymorph.

I wonder how much bigger her tits have gotten by now.

Just as I was imagining it, Endris continued speaking.

“Then, as discussed, the final evaluations will be conducted through combat between students, and please submit the results before the vacation in two weeks. That’s all.”

With that, she left the room, accompanied by her secretary, Kyla.

Her massive J-cup breasts swayed with every step she took.

No matter how many times I saw them, those breasts were truly awe-inspiring.

‘I wonder if Cheonryeo’s mana storage can grow that big if I keep feeding it mana.’

[Who knows? I’m not sure either. But maybe if you reach the Grandmaster level, it’ll be possible?]

‘Is that so? That’s motivating.’

[I’m glad it’s inspiring you.]

Cheonryeo replied in a sly tone.

By now, our vulgar banter had become routine.

But looking around, even though the meeting was over, the other professors were hesitating, glancing at me.

Were they waiting for me to leave first?

They’re all nobles, so hierarchy must be strict.

I gave Elda a slight nod and left the conference room with her.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

“I came all the way to the meeting, but since I was late, I didn’t get to do much. Was there anything important discussed while I was gone?”

As we walked down the hallway, I admired Elda’s curvaceous figure beneath her black leather armor and asked the question.

Her glamorous yet athletic physique was always a sight to behold.

While pondering the wonders of her chest and hips, Elda answered.

“Hmm, nothing particularly special. Just what the Chancellor mentioned—final evaluations and the upcoming vacation.”

“I see. The vacation seems quite long.”

“Well, the Empire’s territory is vast, so families in the remote regions need enough time to travel. By the way, are your lecture preparations going well?”

“More or less. They start tomorrow, but I’m just planning to take it easy.”

“I wish I could attend your lectures too, but I’m busy preparing for the final evaluations. It’s a shame.”

Elda genuinely looked disappointed as she spoke.

I waved my hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just planning to share some insights I’ve gained.”

“Insights from a Swordmaster? That’s priceless wisdom, even if you paid a fortune for it.”

“Hmm. Is it really that valuable?”

“It absolutely is.”

“That’s overestimating me. I’m worried the students might expect too much.”

“There’s no need to feel pressured. Whatever you teach will be invaluable advice for the Empire’s future.”

Elda grinned, wagging her tail like an obedient she-wolf.

I barely resisted the urge to grab her ass.

After chatting with Elda, she left to prepare for the final evaluations.

I headed to the training hall alone.

I wanted to check Cheonryeo’s Polymorph.

And since the incident with the Starlight family revealed the First Prince’s movements, I wanted to awaken the Heart Sword as soon as possible to elevate my mastery.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

Swoosh—

As I drew the black sword from its sheath, a smooth friction sound echoed.

The private training room was spacious enough for sword practice.

Standing in the center, I gripped Cheonryeo tightly with both hands.

[Hng! The feeling of my ass being grabbed like this is the best!]

‘Focus. No unnecessary talk.’

[Got it. So, what are we doing today?]

‘Checking your Polymorph.’

[Really? It’s been a while! You haven’t done it lately.]

‘Yeah. On the way back from the Starlight family, I was worried about prying eyes.’

I answered while gently circulating mana.

I’d infused much more mana than the first time I used Polymorph, so her breasts must have grown.

I wonder how much bigger they are now.

But just as I was about to check Cheonryeo’s Polymorph, I realized something.

‘…How do I summon her again?’

[Huh? You don’t know how?]

‘I’ve only done it once. Last time, I just called her name, and she appeared. Does it work like that?’

[Probably? When you called my name, it felt like my “ego” was being drawn out. Names are connected to one’s ego.]

Cheonryeo spoke as if deep in thought.

Huh, she’s being unusually serious.

Anyway, the idea that names are tied to one’s ego made sense.

Names are given to define existence.

Over time, they become intertwined with one’s identity.

Thus, calling Cheonryeo’s name isn’t just an action—it’s a way to summon her ego.

“Phew.”

After organizing my thoughts, I spoke calmly in the silent room.

“Cheonryeo.”

Whoosh—

As soon as I uttered her name, a chunk of mana drained from my body.

Nearly half of my reserves vanished in an instant.

A wave of exhaustion washed over me, but I stood firm, watching the phenomenon before me.

Bubble, bubble—

Shadows bubbled up from the ground like lava.

Just like last time.

Soon, black tendrils surged from the shadows, wrapping around Cheonryeo in my hand and rapidly expanding in volume.

Squelch, squelch—

‘It’s still amazing to see. Feels like watching a movie.’

Like in VeX or something, where an alien lifeform attaches to the body and transforms.

Anyway.

The black mass morphed into the voluptuous figure of a woman.

After a brief moment, the black covering her body shifted into natural human tones.

Finally, a woman in a black dress stood before me.

“Heh. Success! It’s been a while since I’ve seen this form, right?”

“Yeah. This is only the second time since the first Polymorph.”

“Right. So, do I look any different?”

“Different… you mean?”

“Yeah. Look closely. Something important has changed, right?”

The black-haired, red-eyed woman placed her hands on her hips.

This brat really knows how to trigger PTSD with her questions.

But despite the absurdity, the answer was obvious.

I crossed my arms, staring at Cheonryeo’s now-larger mana storage.

“They’ve definitely gotten bigger.”

“Right? Isn’t it amazing? There’s no sword like me!”

“Yeah. I can agree with that.”

I nodded calmly at her words.

If she was a D-cup before, she’s probably an F-cup now.

Truly impressive.

This incredible system should be introduced not just to ego swords but to all the young women in this world.

‘Sigh. Like that’ll ever happen.’

It was a shame, but it didn’t matter.

My women already had plenty to offer.

I felt grateful to Lucy and Eustia all over again.

Come to think of it, Endris’s were pretty impressive too.

I really wanted to squeeze and suck on those big, soft, pillowy breasts soon.

Meanwhile, Cheonryeo poked and prodded her own chest curiously before speaking.

“My duration has increased a lot too. So, what are you planning to do now? You didn’t Polymorph just to chat, right?”

“Actually, I did. I wanted to talk to you today.”

“Eh? Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

“Huh. What about?”

“Let’s talk about the heart.”

“The heart? I don’t get it.”

Cheonryeo stretched her Polymorphed body while tilting her head.

As she bent over, her F-cup breasts swayed like pendulums.

I forced myself to look away from the mesmerizing motion and answered.

“To reach the Grandmaster level, awakening the Heart Sword is essential. That’s why I want to talk to you about the heart.”

“Hmm. I think I get it a little, but not really.”

“It’s simple. Understanding the Sword Heart is key to the Heart Sword. That’s what I’m trying to do now.”

“Ahh…”

Cheonryeo nodded as if she understood.

Did she really, though?

The Heart Sword is the ability to cut the world with nothing but a refined state of mind.

To reach that level, I wanted to listen to the sword’s heart as part of honing my own.

I sat cross-legged on the floor and spoke in a low voice.

“Cheonryeo.”

“Yeah. Master.”

“Sit.”

“On the floor?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Here goes.”

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“Uh… what are you going to say?”

“I want to be as sincere with you as possible.”

“Hmm. Really?”

“Yeah. So, show me your sincerity too.”

“My sincerity?”

“Yeah. Your true feelings.”

“Well… I’m not sure. How do I show my sincerity?”

“Don’t overthink it. What kind of heart do you have? What thoughts crossed your mind while being wielded, cutting, stabbing, and killing enemies? What emotions did you feel? Just show me your Sword Heart.”

I stared straight into Cheonryeo’s eyes as I spoke.

Her red eyes, just like mine, glowed faintly.

The more I looked, the more she resembled me.

That’s why I wanted to hear her heart.

Understanding a sword’s heart would undoubtedly help refine my own.

Sitting on the floor with my hands on my knees, I faced Cheonryeo, leaving about a step’s distance between us.

A brief silence passed.

‘Is she thinking about what to say?’

Cheonryeo’s expression was uncharacteristically serious as she pondered.

But after a moment, she perked up as if struck by inspiration.

“Ah! I’ve got a great idea.”

“What? Whenever you say you have a great idea, I don’t trust it.”

“No, listen. You wanted to see my sincerity, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Humans say the heart resides in the chest, right? So, if I take off my clothes and show you my chest, that should work!”

“…What?”

“How’s that? Genius, right?”

Cheonryeo puffed out her chest proudly, her eyes sparkling, clearly expecting praise.

In the ensuing silence, I stared at her blankly.

Look at this.

…She’s actually a genius, isn’t she?