Ch.7272. Hero

Yanik, who had been watching Gilbert leave the reception room with his usual expressionless face, now turned his gaze toward his lord.

Those cold eyes that revealed nothing of her thoughts, tightly closed lips, and a face devoid of any trace of humor—as if the earlier little scene had been nothing but pretense.

She had now returned to the original Seraphina that Yanik knew so well.

“Your Highness, I have something I wish to ask.”

“Yanik. I clearly forbade that title within the Academy.”

“I apologize, Lady Seraphina.”

Yanik bowed his head in apology. It was an uncharacteristic mistake that he couldn’t seem to correct, but there was something about Seraphina’s unique aura that naturally made him address her as “Your Highness.”

Without conscious effort, he would inadvertently use the title because Seraphina was someone who fit the position of Imperial Princess so perfectly.

This must be what they call the dignity of royalty.

Yanik couldn’t help but nod inwardly in acknowledgment.

“That’s enough. Now, what did you wish to ask me? The Yanik I know would typically swallow such questions.”

While he occasionally offered candid advice, Yanik believed that true loyalty meant not opposing his lord’s will, so this was indeed rare for him. Usually, rather than questioning her actions, he would try to understand the intentions behind them. It had been quite some time since he had inquired about her thoughts, which piqued Seraphina’s interest.

“Why did you say such things to Lord Gilbert earlier?”

“Such things… What are you referring to?”

“About offering your time as a reward.”

“Ah, that’s what you meant.”

Instead of answering, Yanik observed his lord quietly sipping her cold tea.

Originally, Seraphina had been meticulous and a charismatic leader who commanded her subjects with authority. The intimidating presence that made ordinary people shrink back just by approaching her gave one the feeling of being under a curse spell.

That was precisely why she was designated as the next Emperor. Imperial Princess Seraphina was someone for whom standing above others was entirely natural.

But at some point, Seraphina had become like she was now. Unlike before, when she had no understanding of humor, she now frequently made jokes and often engaged in frivolous banter.

Just now was the same. She had casually made jokes that would have been unimaginable before.

Considering her position within the Empire, such jokes should be avoided even in private settings. Even the slightest remark would become the subject of gossip the moment Seraphina uttered it.

And politics was built upon the accumulation of such trivial matters. They provided justification and created vulnerabilities—that’s how it all began.

For this reason, Yanik couldn’t hide his bewilderment. He simply couldn’t imagine that Seraphina, known for her deep insight, would overlook something that even he could easily recognize.

There must be some reason behind it.

That’s what Yanik wanted to know.

“Yanik. What kind of man do you think Gilbert Lion Heart is?”

“That is…”

At Seraphina’s question as she quietly sipped her tea, Yanik felt a sense of déjà vu. He had definitely heard this exact question before. Recalling when it was, he remembered it was during the entrance mock battle for this year’s Demeia Academy freshmen.

At that time, Yanik had harshly evaluated Gilbert as “disrespectful, dishonorable, and a terrible man.” It was an objective assessment without any personal bias, based on his reputation and information received from the Imperial Intelligence Department. If there was any subjectivity involved, it was merely his disgust toward a noble family’s wastrel who displayed such deplorable behavior.

However, after several months had passed, he could no longer give the same assessment when asked the identical question. Gilbert’s conduct since entering Demeia Academy showed a complete 180-degree turn from his previous behavior.

Disrespectful, was he?

The man who led the charge against the enemies of the Imperial family more than anyone else?

Ignorant of honor, was he?

The man who stood without retreating an inch in front of numerous enemies?

Terrible, was he?

The man who defeated countless enemies and remained standing alone?

Yanik shook his head.

The personal disciple of the Empire’s First Sword and the only apprentice of the First Imperial Princess of the Infractus Empire. He had been granted knighthood while still an academy student and possessed the ability to single-handedly stop dozens of god-machines. He lacked nothing.

Of course, from a political perspective, his past unfavorable reputation could hold him back. There were quite a few high-ranking nobles who remembered his wastrel behavior and held grudges.

But Gilbert, who had brilliantly thwarted the academy attack, was now being hailed as a hero. While he was being used as excellent propaganda to quell public unrest, engaging in pointless political maneuvering would risk being sidelined.

Yanik organized his thoughts and cleared his throat, feeling Seraphina’s gaze awaiting his answer.

“Lord Gilbert is a loyal servant of the Empire, a man who knows honor and doesn’t retreat an inch in the face of numerous enemies, and a brave man who confronts the Empire’s enemies before anyone else.”

“That’s quite a different assessment from before.”

“My heart was narrow-minded, and I failed to properly understand Lord Gilbert.”

“No, anyone would have thought the same.”

Seraphina, who had been rubbing the rim of her empty teacup with her fingers, called over a nearby maid to refill her tea. As the reddish tea filled the cup, she added a few sugar cubes and stirred with a teaspoon.

Watching the solid sugar dissolve in the warm tea, she gently placed the teaspoon on the cup.

“Yanik.”

“Yes, Lady Seraphina.”

“I am fond of talented individuals. I find the light emitted by their talents truly beautiful, like stars twinkling in the night sky.”

“I know. Haven’t you always been passionate about discovering talent, Lady Seraphina?”

“Yes. Because when gathered together, they become the cornerstones that support the Empire. As such, I cannot help but favor those with great talent.”

Seraphina had always been thirsty for talented individuals. Being born with exceptional abilities herself, she knew all too well what talented people could achieve, and thus gathered talented individuals regardless of their social status.

It might seem almost obsessive, but the reason she did this was solely for one purpose: for the sake of the Empire.

“The Empire is my utmost priority. The development of the Empire is my life’s goal and direction. How could I neglect talented individuals?”

“Then…”

“Gilbert is a gem among gems. It has been barely half a year since he entered the academy. But look at him. He has already left a deep mark on the Empire. This is only possible for those with heroic qualities. It will be he who changes the landscape of the continent in the future.”

Seraphina closed her eyes as she savored her tea. With her eyes closed, she naturally recalled the first time she saw Gilbert.

Every year, Seraphina attended the entrance mock battle to observe new students and recruit promising talents into her faction. This year was no exception, and she had particularly high expectations as it was rumored that many talented freshmen would be enrolling.

Indeed, as rumored, this year’s freshmen were of a higher caliber than the previous year. They all showed remarkable skill in handling god-machines, and there were several freshmen she wanted to bring into her faction.

However, as per custom, she couldn’t recruit all talented individuals, so she began to separate the wheat from the chaff and shortlisted a few candidates. When she was confident that successfully recruiting even one of them would be considered a success, she discovered him.

Gilbert, known in society as the wastrel of the Count’s family.

He showcased the most outstanding god-machine control skills among the freshmen, stood out prominently, and eventually defeated all the commander cadets to claim the final victory. Even Seraphina was surprised by his conduct, which was inconsistent with his reputation as a wastrel.

She speculated whether his previous behavior had been a facade to deceive others, and whether his true intentions might threaten the Empire’s security.

Being in a position where she had to be cautious of even the slightest possibility, she decided to keep Gilbert close for surveillance. This underlying intention was part of why she permitted him when he came seeking to become Briana’s exclusive disciple.

But he showed a different path than she had worried about. Not only did he prevent the Resistance’s terrorist attack on the academy, but he also took the lead in the Resistance eradication operation and achieved remarkable accomplishments.

Moreover, in the recent Demeia Academy attack, he single-handedly stopped dozens of god-machines and protected all the cadets and visitors to the academy.

Given Seraphina’s character of always leaving room for doubt, she didn’t completely trust him, but she felt a fairly deep level of trust. Above all, she felt that she shouldn’t let him slip away, which was why she was working on building rapport with him.

“So that’s why you’re being so informal with Lord Gilbert?”

“If such behavior can draw Gilbert closer, I am willing to do it.”

Yanik closed his eyes, seemingly moved by Seraphina’s matter-of-fact statement. Serving a lord who, despite occupying the noblest position, was willing to set aside even herself when necessary was the greatest happiness and pride for Yanik, who considered himself a loyal servant.

To doubt what the Princess is doing…

Yanik blamed himself for harboring such irreverent thoughts and once again ignited his loyalty to Seraphina.

“Of course, it’s also true that I find my apprentice to my liking.”

“Pardon? Your Highness… what are you saying…?”

“I too have personal preferences.”

Watching Seraphina drink her tea with a soft chuckle, Yanik felt his earlier loyalty waver slightly, and his mind became somewhat dazed.

She must be joking?

But Yanik could swear he had never seen Seraphina make such jokes before.

***

Briana, who had been handling the accumulated work due to the academy attack incident, suddenly checked the time. By now, Gilbert should have finished his audience with Imperial Princess Seraphina. She had been so engrossed in document processing that she hadn’t noticed the time passing.

After finishing and organizing the matter she was handling, Briana picked up the teapot to brew tea. Her family had just sent some herbal tea leaves that were good for physical stability, and now seemed like the perfect time to brew them.

Although she thought Gilbert would have recovered by now, given the time that had passed since he broke through his limits, she wanted to make him tea out of concern.

Knock knock

Just as she finished brewing the tea, there was a knock at the door. He seemed to have arrived within the time she had expected.

“Master, it’s Gilbert.”

“Come in.”

She gestured for Gilbert to sit down as he carefully opened the door and entered. After Gilbert sat at the reception table, Briana poured the herbal tea into two cups and placed one in front of him.

“This herbal tea is good for physical stability. Drinking it will help reduce the backlash from exceeding your limits.”

“I’ll enjoy it.”

Briana let out a small laugh as she watched Gilbert accept and drink the tea without question.

Whether this lack of questioning was characteristic of him or not.

“Has something good happened? You seem gentler than usual.”

“Well… no master would not be pleased with their disciple’s growth.”

Briana composed her expression at Gilbert’s question. It seemed her expression had softened without her realizing it.

“More importantly, are you alright?”

“As you can see, I’m fine. It’s not like I was injured.”

“I know that. But you clearly exceeded your limit that day. No one can guarantee what problems might arise from that.”

The limit domain. This was a different concept from the breakthrough that all practitioners, whether in martial arts or magic, desperately desire. It was a very dangerous act of forcibly opening a gap with talent to cross into a realm not yet permitted.

No one could predict what repercussions might follow when breaking through a realm without sufficient physical and mental growth.

Briana had seen too many historically renowned individuals suffer permanent damage by mistakenly stepping into the limit domain. She herself had experienced the dangers of the limit domain, having once stepped into it and needed recovery, so she was acutely aware of its risks.

“The limit domain…”

“That’s why you were able to use the fifth form of the Winter Sword during the academy attack. The limit domain literally allows you to exert divine power beyond your limits. But from now on, I forbid you from entering the limit domain. While it allows you to exert power beyond your current realm, it causes severe physical and mental backlash. If you’re not careful, you could end up permanently disabled.”

“I’ll try not to use it as much as possible.”

“It’s not about trying not to use it. I’m saying it’s absolutely forbidden.”

“I understand.”

Only after hearing his clear answer did Briana’s stern expression soften. Her anxiety about her precious disciple potentially damaging his body by falling into the limit domain was somewhat alleviated. In any case, the higher one’s realm, the harder it is to step into the limit domain. It’s never easy to forcibly break through to the next realm using talent.

With Gilbert’s talent, he would soon surpass his current realm, so this level of warning should be sufficient.

“Is that why you called for me?”

“That’s a major part of it, but not everything.”

Briana had one more reason for calling Gilbert besides forbidding the limit domain.

She took a fresh look at her disciple, who was staring at her stoically.

His golden hair that looked as if it had been dipped in molten gold, his somewhat fierce eyes, and the dangling earring at his ear that seemed unbecoming of a noble.

Judging by appearance alone, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be called a wastrel, but Briana prided herself on knowing her disciple better than anyone else.

Gilbert was a swordsman with a greater passion for the sword than anyone, and a true knight who could never ignore others in danger.

During the attack, he saved her when she was in mortal danger, and alone, he never retreated against dozens of god-machines. After dealing with all the god-machines, he moved to protect the cadets and civilians who couldn’t evacuate, disregarding his own life in the process.

Dozens of god-machines might sound simple, but it was an overwhelming task for a cadet who had just begun to shed the tag of being a freshman at the academy. Nevertheless, Gilbert accomplished this incredibly difficult feat brilliantly as a first-year cadet.

Even Briana, who was typically sparing with praise to guard against Gilbert’s arrogance, couldn’t help but commend him.

“Gil.”

“…Yes, Master.”

Gilbert startled as he looked at Briana, who had softly called him by his nickname. He was genuinely surprised, as this was the first time he had seen this side of her since becoming her exclusive disciple. It was quite different from the cold expression she had maintained even within Tactical Combat.

How could he not be taken aback by seeing an expression that even he, with all his experience, had never witnessed before?

Gilbert swallowed hard.

“As a master, there is no one who wouldn’t be pleased with their disciple’s growth. Especially when that disciple is heading in the right direction, how could I not be happy? I am very proud that you are moving forward steadfastly. I hope you continue to stay on the middle path and keep moving forward.”

“I understand.”

Could this be because he cleared the death route in Tactical Combat that had seemed unavoidable?

Gilbert clenched his fist as he looked at Briana’s benevolent smile. His effort to prevent her death had been to minimize the damage to the academy. Personally, he had also strongly wished for Briana to survive.

How could anyone dislike Briana, who willingly sacrificed her life for the cadets?

He had given his all during the attack incident out of a desire to save her, and now, seeing this smile, he felt fully rewarded. The satisfaction was worth all the hardship.

“Ahem. With that in mind, keep next week free.”

“That’s not difficult, but… is there a reason?”

“When a disciple works hard enough to be called a hero, it’s a master’s duty to give a gift. There will be a grand award ceremony soon, so I’ll buy you something to wear for it.”

“You will, Master?”

“Yes. And while we’re at it, I’ll treat you to something delicious as a token of appreciation for your hard work.”

Briana cleared her throat awkwardly before drinking her herbal tea, a gesture that seemed even more unfamiliar than her gentle smile.

Gilbert couldn’t help but be stunned by this sight. Still, it wasn’t a bad proposal, so he slowly nodded.

But isn’t this almost like a date?

Gilbert shook his head as he followed Briana in drinking the herbal tea.

No way, that can’t be it.