“Why hasn’t he improved?”
That was the thought that came to mind as I watched Ian training.
He was exceptional enough to rank first in his grade, but that was about it.
He didn’t stand out like the other heroines.
In a way, it might have been inevitable.
Ian was supposed to face countless hardships, walk the line between life and death, and gradually grow stronger.
But now, instead of hardships or life-threatening situations, he was holed up in Arcane, endlessly training.
Somehow, it felt like I, the extra, had experienced more crises than him.
‘Forcing connections with others… it’s probably too late for that now.’
I gave up on trying to create bonds between him and the heroines.
Relationships can’t be one-sided.
Whether it’s romantic or not, mutual affection is necessary to maintain a connection.
‘It’s not like he absolutely has to maintain a close relationship with the heroines.’
Since the main storyline has already derailed, trying to force it back together would only backfire.
‘Besides, if Ian becomes stronger, all these worries will be pointless.’
The result is what matters.
In the end, as long as Ian becomes stronger, that’s all that counts.
“Let’s stop here.”
“Wow, how long have you known I was here?”
“…It was you, Senior.”
“I just happened to see you while passing by, so I thought I’d say hello.”
Ian’s tone was somewhat curt.
I wondered why he was acting like this, even though he wasn’t some bratty teenager.
But no clear answer came to mind.
“……Can I ask you for a favor?”
“What is it?”
“I’d appreciate it if you could help me with my training.”
“By that, you mean…”
“Yes, could you spar with me?”
I didn’t expect any warm greetings.
We weren’t that close to begin with.
At best, we were just seniors and juniors who had crossed paths a few times.
Even though it had been a while since we last met, Ian immediately asked me to spar.
‘This might actually be a good opportunity.’
Although I was taken aback by Ian’s sudden request, it wasn’t a bad offer.
I hadn’t fully internalized all the training I had done with Drakan yet.
I understood it in my head, but my body wasn’t keeping up.
From my perspective, it was killing two birds with one stone.
I could train and also assess Ian’s skills.
“Alright. Shall we start now?”
“If you’re busy, we can do it later…”
“No, let’s do it right away.”
Ian seemed surprised that I agreed so readily, his expression slightly dazed.
‘This wooden sword should do.’
Since neither of us would go all out, the wooden swords provided in the training hall would suffice.
“Something about you feels different.”
“Really? I didn’t notice.”
The preparations were quick.
I just had to take off my outer clothes and grab a wooden sword, and since Ian was already in the middle of training, he was ready to start immediately.
“Here I come.”
Ian’s expression was serious.
If someone who didn’t know the situation saw him, they might think he was facing an enemy.
Tap!
Ian quickly moved his feet and launched a rapid series of attacks.
His speed was so fast that he managed to strike nearly three times in that brief moment.
‘This won’t be easy.’
This sparring match was conducted without the use of mana.
It was purely a test of physical ability and skill.
In that regard, Ian was exceptional.
His talent was different.
The things I had learned through brutal experience, facing powerful enemies and getting beaten up, he could do them as naturally as breathing.
Even though he had little experience and no one to teach him.
But.
“You’re still lacking.”
Thud!
With a single move, I deflected all of his strikes.
It wasn’t difficult.
After training with Drakan, using my eyes to track things had become second nature.
‘When countless stone fragments were falling, I had to pick out the ones marked with a marker. Compared to that, this is simple.’
Even though his attacks kept getting blocked, Ian relentlessly swung his sword.
Each time, his strikes grazed my clothes or cut through my hair, but…
“Uh, how…”
Not a single one landed a direct hit.
“You know why, don’t you?”
“But… Senior, not long ago…”
“You couldn’t even hold a sword properly, right? I know. It was only a few months ago.”
He must have been shocked.
In such a short time, I had grown strong enough to barely beat him.
Even though I wasn’t using the mana infused with divine blood, the gap in our fundamentals was too wide.
And the reason for that was…
“Just holding up here and training isn’t enough. You learn things in real combat too.”
“So you’re saying the reason you’ve become like this is all because of experience?”
“That’s how it works.”
All the trials that were supposed to come his way had instead fallen on me.
‘I don’t know why that is.’
Ian was supposed to face hardships and life-threatening situations at every turn,
but for some reason, they were all coming to me, and that’s why things turned out like this.
“But…”
“But nothing, you know it too, right? My talent isn’t as great as you think.”
If you want, I can spar with you every day. It’s good for me too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why would I lie?”
He must be confused.
Even if he didn’t show it, deep down, he must have looked down on me, and now I’ve made explosive growth.
“From tomorrow, come here every evening at 10.”
“Understood.”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Having successfully persuaded Ian, I quickly left the training hall as if fleeing.
It would have been better to continue the conversation, but I couldn’t.
Because my hands were trembling.
“Ugh, I expected this, but it still ended up like this.”
Even though I deflected all of Ian’s attacks and acted skillfully,
I’m still only a 5th-rank.
I was confident I could beat the current Ian, but deep down, I felt uneasy.
“Sigh, talent is something else.”
If he realizes his shortcomings and puts in a little more effort,
he’ll probably grow strong enough to easily overpower someone like me.
‘Because he’s the protagonist.’
Lately, I’ve been dealing with a lot of headaches.
Each time, I was reminded of how important strength is.
You can never have too much power.
No matter how strong you are, it’s never enough.
The heroines seem to be growing faster than in the original story, but Ian wasn’t, which is why I came to force a connection.
‘It’s a good thing it worked out.’
I came without much of a plan, but I didn’t expect Ian to ask for a spar right away.
“But why did that brat make a face like he’d eaten shit when he saw me?”
I remember it clearly.
The moment he saw me, his brow furrowed, and he looked like he was about to rot away.
“I’m practically his life savior.”
I don’t remember how it happened, but if I hadn’t dealt with Bakal, we would have died there.
If someone saves your life, shouldn’t you be grateful?
So why is he acting like that?
“What’s the point of thinking about it? As long as I get stronger, that’s all that matters.”
I brushed off the meaningless thoughts and headed back to the dorm to rest.
***
Deep underground, in a place where the unpleasant sound of metal echoed, a man with his legs severed and his entire body bound was catching his breath.
“Hehehe, committing patricide. You must be out of your mind.”
“How dare you say that and act like nothing’s wrong! Blinded by power, you brought down your own father!”
“Sigh… You’re even uglier than I thought.”
“I am your father! I fed you, raised you, and made sure you could become the heir to the family! How could you do this…?”
The figure that appeared beyond the dense iron bars was Sylvia.
Brushing back her white hair, she spoke.
“Duke… no, a criminal who conspired with rebellious forces. Your name will be forever tarnished with infamy.”
“That, that can’t be! Have you forgotten what I’ve done for the ducal house! This can’t happen, nooooo!!”
The former duke, consumed by rage, shouted at the top of his lungs.
He knew there was no way out.
A man who, more than any other noble, was blinded by lust for power and glory.
That’s why he feared having his name recorded in history as filth more than death itself.
“…Take care of it.”
“Yes, Duke.”
“Where are you going! Don’t you dare leave!”
Sylvia, with an expressionless face, coldly turned her back and left the underground chamber, leaving the cleanup to her guard, El.
The crime of conspiring against the throne warranted being taken to the royal family for execution.
But she couldn’t let him go.
He was the one who had bound her in her previous life, so she wanted to end it herself.
It felt awkward to personally behead her own father, so she left it to El, but bringing him down was entirely her own achievement.
Still, what could be more satisfying than this?
As she left the underground, Sylvia spoke to the attendant waiting outside.
“How is Helena?”
“She’s recovering smoothly. She should be able to resume her daily life in about a week.”
“Good, report back to me then.”
Sylvia boarded the carriage and gazed out the window as it headed toward the ducal mansion.
“…Now I can go see him.”