episode_0050

In the middle of the mock training ground stood me and the opposing rookie soldier.

Facing each other on the training ground, we quietly nodded to each other in greeting.

“Please take care of me!”

“…I’ll do my best.”

There wasn’t any particular aura emanating from the opponent. It just felt like facing an ordinary rookie soldier.

Likewise, I doubted the opposing soldier had any special impression of me. After all, they wouldn’t be too tense facing just another recruit like me.

The key in this first mock battle was precisely that.

It was crucial to seize this moment while the opponent might underestimate me, ensuring a decisive victory.

This way, I could gain more experience points from the training facility.

And if by chance the experience points fell short, it would serve as a suitable excuse to proceed to the next mock battle.

Since the opponent wasn’t taking the training seriously, I could propose another round under the pretext of further practice.

『Remaining Experience Points: 83』

Currently, there are 83 experience points left for release.

Considering the experience points obtainable from monsters, around 80 for level 6 and approximately 120 for level 7.

Even though they were rookies, joining the Blackwood Territory Guard required a certain level of skill.

It seemed reasonable to assume the opponent was at least level 6 or 7.

If luck was on my side, I could end it in one go. That way, I could finish this training as quickly as possible.

If the experience points didn’t come in as expected… I’d deal with that when the time came.

“…Both sides, assume your positions!”

“….”

“….”

Following Emilia’s temporary judgment with a look of impending doom, we adjusted our stances.

“Begin!”

At her command, I immediately leaned forward with my sword in hand.

The weapon I wielded was a dagger, with no flashy magic available in this situation.

Nevertheless, the discovery of this dagger in the prep room significantly increased my chances of winning.

While releases at the Luminor Academy typically focused on auxiliary magic growth to enhance the entire team, it didn’t mean I was restricted to solely playing a support magic character.

The skill tree for releases allowed for both ‘attack magic’ and ‘auxiliary magic,’ as well as techniques for melee combat.

Among the three main weapons releases could equip, one of them being the dagger, corresponding skills naturally existed.

To learn Mana Blast, I needed 5 skill points, but I currently only had 4.

By leveling up, I would gain 3 skill points, leaving me with 2 points after learning Mana Blast.

This meant that using 2 points now to acquire a necessary skill for the next level wouldn’t pose a problem.

Realizing this, I promptly invested in a lower-level skill related to the dagger just before entering the mock training ground.

『Dagger Equipped: +15 Attack Power』

A lower-level skill that instantly boosted attack power beyond Release’s base level of 5.

This feature was designed for early-game use, allowing Release to potentially eliminate low-level enemies in one hit.

Of course, while it seemed viable in the early stages of the game, later on, Release would need different equipment than a dagger. Even then, the 15 attack power would become negligible, making it a subpar skill.

At this early stage, even if it is a limited characteristic, it was a crucial trait that I needed desperately.

Base attack power 12. With the bonus from the trait, attack power increased to 15.

So, with my current dagger equipped and securing the lower-level skill trait, my attack power was 27.

To put it simply for better understanding, the attack power of a level 10 Galgoliumni was around 30.

In terms of attack power, I was almost at the level of a level 10.

The numerical value of “attack power” mentioned in the Luminor Academy literally meant ‘all abilities that help in attacking.’

This ‘attack power’ encompassed stamina, strength, and agility.

-Clang!

“…Huh?!”

A soldier clashed swords with me mid-air, looking slightly taken aback as he took a step back.

Confusion evident on the small, timid maid’s face as she displayed an unexpected strength.

Whether that soldier intended to drop my sword and end the sparring match or just tested a strike before engaging in combat, I couldn’t tell.

His casual attitude towards the sparring match led to his defeat.

-Thud!

“…Ugh?!”

After deflecting his sword once, I swiftly countered with a body blow, causing the new recruit to fall backward.

It was a swift strike combining a hidden shockwave, making it impossible for him to regain balance.

As the fallen soldier’s chest was pressed down by my knee and my dagger was brought close to his throat,

In an instant, realizing the imminent danger, the soldier dropped his sword and quickly declared surrender.

“…I-I yield!”

With the defeated soldier beneath me conceding, the surrounding new recruits murmured in response.

While they might have been lenient to the soldiers to some extent, witnessing a maid parrying a regular soldier’s longsword and overpowering an adult male to the ground was anything but ordinary.

However, despite winning against active guards in a sparring match, there was no room for complacency.

As soon as the sparring ended, I stood up quietly, clasping my hands together, and thanked the opposing soldier.

“Thank you for the match.”

“T-Thank you…”

Although it seemed like a mere courtesy, my main purpose was to check the remaining experience points on Lillis’s information panel.

Checking the remaining experience points for the next level…

『Remaining Experience Points: 43』

…It seemed like the remaining experience points were 83 when I last checked.

Even though expecting to reach 120 was unreasonable, seeing only 40 points gained was disappointing.

Perhaps, since it was a simulated sparring in a training facility rather than a real battle against monsters, the experience gained was relatively adjusted.

With this realization, there was only one reaction I had to show immediately.

“Maid, well done. That’s enough now…”

“Aren’t there any who would like to engage in a more serious sparring?”

“M-Maid?!”

“Aren’t the soldiers leading the Blackwood Territory Guard only at this level? Aren’t there any soldiers willing to engage in a proper sparring match?”

Thus, through a somewhat forced provocation, I was compelled to continue two more rounds of sparring.

Only after that could I finally break free from the long and arduous Level 5 phase.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

『Lillis has reached Level 6!』

『Lillis can now use Mana Blast!』

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

A dirt path leading to the carriage near the Blackwood Territory Guard.

The carriage carrying Edan, the scion of the noble family, and his butler, Dietmayer, quietly made its way towards the Blackwood Manor.

Inside, Lilyss, Edan’s personal maid, slept leaning against the carriage wall, likely due to exhaustion.

“…”

Moments ago, Lilyss had boarded the carriage without a hint of fatigue, ready to serve Edan. However, she, too, struggled to conceal her weariness as they rode in the luxurious, steady Blackwood carriage.

The overwhelming urge to sleep that washed over her upon boarding was simply too much for her to resist.

Passing through the Blackwood estate’s guards, Lilyss succumbed to slumber within minutes, prompting only a quiet smile from Edan.

“…Lilyss seems quite worn out.”

“Yes.”

“If you find it awkward to wake the young master, I can take care of it.”

“No, leave her be. She must have been particularly tired today.”

“Understood.”

It might have been considered disrespectful for a personal maid to fall asleep in front of the nobility she served, but Edan had no intention of questioning Lilyss on that matter.

Dietmayer, his astute butler, swiftly grasped his emotions and simply followed his lead without interference.

“What happened at the Blackwood estate’s guard post?”

“…Quite a lot transpired.”

He recounted how he yielded to Lilyss in a public setting, organized his own rank once, and persuaded her multiple times to participate in a mock duel.

Eventually, after proving his skills in the mock duel and sincerely apologizing to a female warrior named Emilia, he had managed to navigate through the day’s numerous challenges, accumulating a considerable amount of fatigue in the process.

“…Perhaps, the maid possesses a stronger sense of pride than I initially thought.”

To engage in a mock duel to prove one’s worth due to suspicions regarding an incident involving a noblewoman like Gargolynni was quite remarkable.

While he had always perceived her as a formidable woman, today marked the first time he truly realized the extent of her pride.

Moreover, witnessing her swordsmanship firsthand today, he acknowledged that she was exceptionally skilled, even comparable to seasoned warriors.

Although he suffered a momentary defeat due to complacency, the subsequent duels were far from mere chance outcomes.

Lilyss, his personal maid, consistently demonstrated the prowess to secure victories in both duels, albeit narrowly.

Considering she faced opponents wielding swords several times longer than hers, the substantial difference in skill was evident.

…Each clash of swords seemed to unleash a peculiar, almost magical energy, though he attributed it to mere coincidence.

“…Perhaps, it’s just my imagination.”

The notion of Lilyss gaining an upper hand in swordplay through magic seemed absurd.

Magic was typically reserved for nobles with blue blood, akin to divine blessings, making her proficiency in magic a non-issue.

Having witnessed her abilities and determination today, Edan envisioned a future for her.

“When she enrolls in the academy two years from now, it would be best to bring her along as a student, not just as a maid.”

Limiting her talent to the role of a Blackwood family maid seemed wasteful.

Providing her with opportunities to learn was his way of showing consideration for her talents.

…Of course, since entering the academy, Ethan’s desire not to part ways with her had naturally been included in his ambitions.

“Starting tomorrow, I should inform Father and increase my training regimen. And I should start preparing for admission to the academy from now on…”

Separate from Lily’s thoughts of just getting away from Ethan, in his mind, Ethan’s future plans were being meticulously laid out.

It would be a story for a distant future before she would come to know that fact.