Cassian sat in the chair, gazing at the teddy bear with a gentle smile.
Her eyes were filled with warmth, yet there was a hint of loneliness hidden beneath.
She picked up the teacup before her and took in its fragrance.
Her appearance, blended with her usual dazed and dreamy atmosphere, held a fragile delicacy, as if she might break at any moment.
She took a sip of tea, then set the cup down.
Her gaze shifted to the mirror beetle resting on the table.
The mirror beetle reflected Cassian’s image and displayed a countdown.
5, 4, 3… The numbers soon disappeared.
“Alright, that should do it. We’ll end here.”
Mira clapped her hands lightly as she spoke.
At that moment, Cassian’s face began to melt away, followed by the rest of her body.
She slumped onto the table, letting out a meaningless murmur.
The teddy bear patted her back in comfort.
Cassian twitched and then clung to the teddy bear, sniffing slightly as she whimpered something to it.
She let out a bitter smile.
Mira’s training was thorough—so meticulous that not a single mistake in her actions was allowed.
“Since you wore armor yesterday, why don’t we try a dress today?”
Mira suggested.
Cassian, looking utterly drained, shook her head vigorously.
It was understandable.
Cassian had never been seen wearing a dress before.
Most swordsmen preferred pants over skirts.
But Mira was relentless.
Ignoring Cassian, who clung desperately to the teddy bear, she dragged her straight to the dressing room.
It was a makeshift space built in one corner of the room, constructed with the help of the dolls.
From inside, muffled movements and small commotions could be heard.
Soon, Cassian emerged, led by Mira’s hand.
She wore a soft, flowing dress that wrapped around her body, her face twisted into a miserable expression.
Clearly uncomfortable, she kept fidgeting with her legs.
“There’s still plenty of time left. Is there really a need to change now?”
“Exactly!”
Cassian nodded furiously in agreement with my words.
But Mira shook her finger firmly.
“You need to get used to the outfit. That way, when it comes to a duel, you can fully utilize the sensation.”
With that, she gently pressed her fingers against Cassian’s body, helping her adjust to the fabric.
A mist flowed from her hands, wrapping around Cassian and gradually warming her body.
Cassian shifted uncomfortably within the mist, her cheeks flushing.
‘Hmm, is that how it works?’
If so, I had nothing more to say.
I sipped my tea while gazing into the air.
Anything related to combat was Mira’s domain.
If she said so, then that was how it was.
After all, the reason Cassian won her last duel so effortlessly was thanks to Mira’s guidance.
***
The third duel ended quickly.
Cassian returned with her outfit slightly torn, but she had sustained few injuries.
The second opponent had seemed much more challenging.
Come to think of it, the first duel had been the real problem.
It had taken a long time to heal from the wounds she suffered then.
But this wasn’t a case of the fights getting easier.
Her opponents were always stronger than the last.
It was just that Cassian’s growth in a week far outpaced the rate at which her opponents improved.
Even though we were constantly modifying her body, her rate of progress was astonishing.
As we reviewed the footage of the duel, we praised Cassian.
There were barely any points deducted.
Perhaps it was the result of her numerous past duels, but her movements had almost no unnecessary actions.
Altering the structure of her fighting style had played a significant role as well.
During battle, she wielded her sword in ways that combined various techniques, constantly innovating.
It seemed to have caught her opponent off guard.
Understandably so.
Her third opponent had previously participated in an exhibition match against her.
He had even declared himself as her next challenger.
Back then, they had fought fiercely.
Of course, the match had ended prematurely.
The duel had to be stopped due to the limitations of the venue.
So, her opponent had likely expected the Cassian from that day.
However, by the time of their third duel, Cassian moved entirely differently.
Her opponent failed to adapt and collapsed under his own expectations.
Her next opponent would probably be prepared for such surprises.
It was a trick that could only work once.
But I wasn’t disappointed.
It hadn’t been a deliberate ploy, and experienced fighters wouldn’t fall for it so easily.
Her opponent had simply trapped himself in a limited way of thinking.
I was already satisfied that we had passed this duel with ease.
As I sipped my tea, I felt a sharp surge of magical energy approaching.
It came from beyond the door, a presence I was familiar with.
Soon, the door opened, and a young man with sharp eyes stepped inside.
He walked toward us without hesitation.
His magic effortlessly sliced through the barrier that restricted visibility, parting it without resistance.
He naturally stepped through the opening and entered our domain.
Mira, upon recognizing him, stopped adjusting Cassian’s body.
Cassian looked at him with a grateful expression.
The man, meeting her gaze, let out an amused chuckle.
His cold aura softened slightly.
“You’re wearing something quite interesting today. Are you planning to duel in that?”
He asked.
I nodded.
At that, Cassian slumped beside the teddy bear, looking dejected.
The bear comforted her once more.
“The location you requested is ready. You’ll be escorted there once you inform the guards.”
He gestured toward the watchers.
“Thank you. I didn’t expect it to be ready so soon.”
I gave a wry smile.
We had requested a dedicated duel venue for Cassian.
Initially, we had planned to ask for something else, but we had to change our conditions in a hurry.
***
The old training ground was no longer usable.
Conflicts with street vendors had become too frequent.
It was inevitable.
Every time Cassian arrived, the crowd that gathered would disrupt their business.
I clicked my tongue.
One would think that having more people around would be good for business.
‘Why didn’t they cooperate with us?’
I paused to consider.
Perhaps the influx of spectators didn’t actually benefit them.
They weren’t selling food or renting out space.
That was all my business.
Ah, so that’s why.
How petty.
Regardless, there had been minor disputes yesterday.
A new location was necessary.
But moving to another floor would just cause the same problem.
After some discussion, we all agreed that a new duel arena was the best solution.
A free space where anyone could enter, where Cassian could wield her sword without restrictions.
Public duels were too limited—fighters had to be careful not to injure their opponents.
We wanted a place where even if someone was stabbed, they could be treated immediately.
When we explained all this, he had smiled, clearly entertained, and agreed.
And now, he had returned with the results.
***
The new duel venue was midway up a canyon.
A vast, open space carved from a massive protruding rock.
It was about four floors high, overlooking the entire city.
A grand training ground sat atop it.
A place often used for city events and important occasions.
Various enchantments protected the arena.
Fighting there meant no one would die.
A large crowd had already gathered.
Spectators and challengers drawn by Cassian’s duels.
Despite moving locations, a hundred or so people had followed.
Cassian stood at the center, surrounded by dolls casting light and mirror beetles beautifying her image.
She surveyed the crowd with a reluctant expression.
But at Mira’s glance, she forced a gentle smile.
“Let the duel begin!”
And so, the battles continued.
Then, a shadow loomed over me.
I looked up and smiled.
“Are you here to participate? Then please head to—”
I stopped mid-sentence.
A massive man scratched his head awkwardly.
His bulging muscles were impossible to miss.
I had seen his face many times before.
“Ah, Goro. It’s been a while.”
“It has.”
Goro replied with a smile.
But his gaze wasn’t on me.
It was fixed on Cassian in the arena.
He furrowed his brows, stroking his chin.
“That… Who is that? I saw the flyer, and the face looked familiar, so I came to check. I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“That’s Cassian.”
I replied with a grin.
His eyes widened.
He blinked, looking between me and Cassian.
“She can smile like that?”
Cassian was smiling even as she fought.
Whenever that smile threatened to fade, Mira would release a small wisp of mist as a warning.