12. First training at the end of the battle (3)

On one side of the training ground, I stood facing Lucia.

‘Finally, I get to meet you, Lucia Mei.’

Her height feels similar to Chloe’s. So, slightly taller than average. She’s a female student of the Combat Division, but she doesn’t give off a particularly fierce vibe.

Compared to Uriel, who was toned with resilient muscles, Lucia’s body is more like an ordinary female student than a warrior.

However, her appearance is striking enough to catch the eyes of others. A bewitching pink… no, a pink hair that makes a man’s heart flutter.

‘There’s a reason she’s another main character.’

The protagonist Yulian, that is, my appearance was also surprisingly handsome. Lucia was also a beauty who didn’t fall behind the other heroines I had met so far.

Well, Lucia’s illustration was highly praised. Only the illustration.

Instead, Lucia’s route was incomparably more divisive than Yulian’s route. Compared to Yulian’s route, the freedom was severely restricted. The difficulty was also twice as hard.

Yulian’s personality was a mess, but his family and bloodline were the strongest in the world. As the game’s title suggests, he was the Demon King’s son.

But Lucia, unlike him, was a pure-blooded human. Her family might be somewhat comparable, but even that was unfortunate for Lucia.

‘She was the illegitimate child of the Orhain Dukedom, which ruled the South.’

Fortunately, she was adopted by a Baron family in the Dukedom, barely escaping commoner status. So, when playing as Lucia, the game’s title also changed.

The title was “The Duke’s Illegitimate Child Surviving in the Holy Empire.” Like Demon King’s Son, the game company’s naming sense was the worst in many ways.

Because of that background, Lucia’s route often ended in bad endings.

Each time I started a new playthrough, Lucia’s personality had changed. In other words, it was like drawing a random personality gacha every time.

And the most divisive thing about Lucia’s route was her personality.

‘Her personality changed every time I played.’

I faced Lucia head-on. She didn’t particularly avoid my gaze.

‘Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to be self-deprecating or have a gloomy personality.’

Then I drew a really good gacha. Lucia’s random personality was gloom itself because of her illegitimate birth.

Natural Depressed Duke’s Illegitimate Daughter. That personality was the same even when I played as Yulian. Except for her appearance, her personality changed to a very gloomy type every time.

So, if she has a personality that allows her to make eye contact with the other person like now, it’s definitely not bad. Compared to other personalities, it’s at least an S-class. And this personality was very important.

Lucia was a character who would later become the main dealer in the Dungeon raid.

“Excuse me, Count-nim? Aren’t you going to start the sparring?”

Lucia said to me. A look of urging me, as if puzzled. Even in that ordinary expression, there was an unintentional charm unique to beauties.

And if you like it, you can fall even deeper into the pink hair. To be honest, I wish Lucia was an ordinary heroine rather than a playable character.

Lilia’s huge breasts are my favorite, but to confess, I also liked pink-haired girls…

‘But her personality is random. I can’t touch her carelessly. I could end up drifting apart from her.’

The heroines I had met so far were relatively easy to get along with. For example, like Chloe, if I knew the other person’s personality accurately, I could attack from a position of advantage.

But I can’t do that with Lucia. If I mess with her wrongly and she develops hostility towards me, I’ll lose a valuable main dealer.

Also, being too friendly was a problem. In line with her Depressed personality, she sometimes became too obsessed with me.

‘Pink-haired Yandere. That’s too dangerous.’

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to have such a troublesome personality. I can feel intelligence in her calm expression as she faces me.

“Count Yulian-nim? We have to start sparring now.”

“Oh, excuse me. I was just thinking about your skills.”

“Skills? What do you mean?”

“It’s common to think about the skills of the opponent you’re sparring with. A man of Reinhardt doesn’t let his guard down.”

I made up an excuse to hide that I was thinking about something else. Lucia quietly nodded.

“That’s not wrong. But you don’t have to be too nervous. Because I’m your opponent.”

A slightly self-deprecating expression came out, and I was startled. Literally, Lucia was the lowest-ranked student in the Combat Division.

She showed some activity with the Lionheart Sword a little while ago, but my skill evaluation in the Combat Division was the worst. Seeing that Lucia was chosen as my sparring partner, Lucia’s skills were all said.

Of course, her potential for swordsmanship is as good as I can compare.

So, I think I can give Lucia advice through this sparring. However, I’ll have to watch her reaction and speak politely because it could be her reverse scale.

‘But if it’s a visible personality, it won’t be a minus.’

Also, since Instructor Darren praised my Lionheart Sword, it will add credibility to my advice.

Lucia took out her sword from its scabbard. Just not running away from sparring like this is enough to pass.

‘Fortunately, she has some initiative. Then it won’t be difficult to train her. I’ll raise her well.’

At the banquet at Chloe’s mansion, I gathered information about the personality of the current Lucia in reality.

I casually asked a noble young master from the same Combat Division about Lucia. But even though they were from the same nobility, Lucia wasn’t very noticeable.

‘Her appearance is so pretty, but her skills as a warrior are ordinary, no, terrible. If she had entered another division other than the Combat Division… she would have lived as a popular young lady throughout her time at Pantheon. So, many young masters were disappointed.’

Well, if she had good skills with that appearance, she couldn’t help but stand out. Like Chloe or Lilia.

Lucia spoke as I kept falling into thought.

“Does that mean you’re going to yield the first attack to me? Then I won’t refuse and will go in!”

It was a declaration of attack, though she was indifferent and calm. I also took out my sword after hearing those words.

‘Since I can’t know her exact personality, I don’t need unnecessary provocations. It’s right to do my best in sparring. I shouldn’t go easy on her, and I shouldn’t be pushed back.’

With Lucia’s eyes right now, a fair and square match will have no aftermath.

At that moment, Lucia’s thrust flew towards my front.

---

Lucia was sparring with a man.

She was a Holy Priest belonging to the Combat Division. But she was always at the bottom in terms of grades throughout her first year, so training wasn’t really fun.

But when she thought of her current father, Baron Joshua, who treated her like his own daughter even though she was an illegitimate child, she couldn’t just graduate from Pantheon carelessly.

As she was determined and came out to her first training, Lucia found a blonde-haired man and was surprised for a moment.

‘It’s Count Yulian!’

Pantheon’s rumors are fast. Lucia wasn’t actively involved in noble social gatherings, but she heard rumors about the Count through some acquaintance young ladies.

‘Count Yulian has become incredibly handsome. No, his original face was handsome, so he finally cleaned up his messy hair and beard. And he’s wearing completely neat clothes. He’s become a completely different person.’

In fact, Lucia knew that Count Yulian was handsome from the beginning.

The Reinhardt Margrave family, who ruled the North, and the Orhain Dukedom, who ruled the South. Wilhelm Margrave and Yulian visited the South at the invitation of the Orhain Dukedom.

The two happened to stay for a day in Baron Joshua’s territory, Lucia’s adoptive father, which was famous as a resort.

So, people from the Baron’s residence, including Baron Joshua, have memories of directly attending to those VIPs. It was about 5 years ago.

‘Don’t have strange thoughts. I’m in sparring.’

The sparring partner for today happened to be that Count Yulian. The sparring between the two began.

Lucia desperately thrust the first form of the Imperial Swordsmanship, the thrust, at Yulian. But the Count avoided it with a very light movement.

‘I practiced only this properly during the vacation. He avoided it!’

And then, the sword rushed towards her in succession. In fact, Lucia sensed it. Her swordsmanship is honestly lacking compared to other students, but her eye for it isn’t bad.

Yulian was the one who unfolded the Lionheart Sword that even the scary Instructor Darren was surprised by. So, there’s no way she could be a sparring partner.

She barely avoided the sword flying from the Count and deflected it with her sword. If the Count saw the attack a little while ago, he would know. That Lucia’s skills are terrible.

But the Count was serious even against her. He didn’t ignore her. Along with his appearance, his serious attitude made her heart flutter for a moment.

‘… He’s more handsome because he’s serious. A man from the North… a man from Reinhardt… different from the idiots in the South.’

Lucia actually hated the men in the South. They’re always not serious and full of bluff.

In particular, she even hated her irresponsible man, Duke Pedro de Orhain, her biological father.

But the men in the North were different. Wilhelm Margrave was a grand and dignified man as rumored. But he was also very kind to women and children.

And Yulian was a rascal, but he was still honest with his feelings. He was one of the few people who praised her pink hair. The people of the North were that serious.

‘Reinhardt… If I wasn’t an illegitimate child of the trashy Orhain family… If I was a woman of that Reinhardt…’

Orhain is actually a swordsmanship family no less than the Reinhardt family. They are the owners of the Sentiac Knights, who are next to the White Night Knights.

Unlike Reinhardt’s majestic swordsmanship, Orhain’s swordsmanship has focused on extremely fast speed and variable swordsmanship.

Of course, Lucia, who hates her bloodline, didn’t imitate the Southern quick sword at all.

‘Reinhardt… If I was Reinhardt…’

Of course, there is a way. That she becomes Yulian’s wife. But that was more difficult than learning the Lionheart Sword.

Yulian is the fiancé of the 3rd Princess Lilia. And she had perfect legitimacy unlike herself, who was an illegitimate child.

‘Someone like me can’t… Then even if it’s the Count-nim’s mistress… Even if it’s only a physical relationship… No. What are you thinking now!’

Yulian, who had become more handsome than the Yulian she saw when she was young. And the serious appearance in front of her shook Lucia’s heart greatly. It was the first time she felt this way about a man.

In the meantime, her concentration was disturbed by the rising delusion. The Count’s Imperial Sword stabbed her again. Lucia instinctively avoided it.

The Count said one word in a low voice.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking. But it would be right to concentrate a little more since we’re in sparring, Lucia.”

It’s too right a point. And although they are sparring partners now, all the students are actually competitors.

To see him give such a kind word to her, who is such a competitor…

Lucia’s secret place twitched for a moment.

‘He’s kind…’

That’s how their sword strikes continued. The match had already been decided from the beginning. Unlike herself, who couldn’t concentrate because she was deeply in love with the Count, the Count was serious from beginning to end.

So, Lucia became anxious.

‘I don’t want to be of no help to Count-nim like this.’

Before she knew it, she wanted to gain favor with Yulian.

The Southern quick sword that she had sealed. As long as the damn Orhain blood flows in Lucia, she could counterattack with a faster attack than this.

But she doesn’t want to let go of the Imperial Swordsmanship. Even the swordsmanship that was born based on Reinhardt’s Lionheart Sword, according to the instructor’s words.

No matter how much her talent lies in the quick sword.

But at that moment, as if the Count had noticed her heart, he stabbed his sword at a speed twice as fast as before.

If she stays still, she’ll roll around the training ground like this. Lucia instinctively moved her feet quickly to avoid the attack and put in a counter.

It was the Orhain’s quick sword that came out unintentionally. But even that barely grazed the Count’s cheek.

“Good attack, Lucia. It seems that a quick sword suits you better than a sword with heavy power.”

“Quick sword?”

“When you momentarily added acceleration to the sword strike like just now. It was quite difficult to react. So, I thought that might be more suitable for you. It was a different feeling from the Imperial Swordsmanship. It was a good quick sword.”

Count Yulian denied her for a moment. The Imperial Swordsmanship, which has the advantage of a heavy, powerful strike. He denied Lucia’s Imperial Swordsmanship, which she had been practicing hard even though it didn’t suit her.

And to herself, who hates Orhain’s quick sword more than anyone else. He said that the quick sword suits her.

But if he noticed Lucia’s essence. It was actually a word closer to affirmation than anything else.

‘He recognized me… He’s kind as expected… It wouldn’t be easy to give advice to others carelessly.’

If it’s Count Yulian. She feels like he would even affirm the bloodline that Lucia herself hates.

And if it’s the Count’s instruction, she feels like she wants to take out the Southern sword again, no matter how much she hates it.

‘He said it was a good quick sword. Count Yulian-nim.’

Her heart was pounding. And her secret place also twitched together. That ecstatic feeling filled Lucia’s head as if it would explode. At this moment, Lucia clearly recognized Yulian as a man.

Lucia thrust Orhain’s quick sword at the Count.

---

The sparring was all over. As expected, Lucia’s skills weren’t bad.

If she only opens up her advantages that she has intentionally tied up. It was a talent that could quickly come out as an excellent swordsman. Because the eyes of the system and characteristics were accurate.

“Thank you for the advice. I will consider what you just said.”

And Lucia bowed politely with a calm voice.

‘She’s indifferent. Then, like other heroines… It might be difficult to attack with a pleasant night. Instead, she could be a good swordsmanship partner.’

They mixed swords for a long time like that. As Instructor Darren said, they sparred properly enough to crawl around the training ground.

With this sparring as the last, Pantheon’s Monday schedule is over.

When I returned to the mansion, my whole body was sore, so I skipped Aylin’s service that day. I focused on the training of the Combat Division for a few days like that.

By Thursday, even though my stats had increased, my body was slowly getting burdened.

‘I want to get a cool massage like this. The priests of the Medical Division are perfect for that.’

Of course, in a healthy sense. So, I didn’t go to the lecture separately in the morning and was resting in the atelier of Hessos Hall.

And in the afternoon, there is a lecture in the Alchemy Division. I was scheduled to meet Chloe again in a few days.

As I was resting leaning on a soft chair like that, the door of the atelier suddenly opened.

Lilia showed her face through the door.