Chapter 9 – Before the Storm

It’s been 5 days since I started training.

─────────────────
A genius who can surprise the world is teaching you with sincerity.
『Martial Artist』 Level rises! 『Lv.0』 -〉 『Lv.1』
─────────────────

Two days ago, a status window appeared saying that the martial artist level had risen.

─────────────────
Endless training pushes the body’s potential beyond its limits.
『Potentiality』 Goes up a notch! 『Criminal』-〉 『Enlightenment』
─────────────────

I just finished my morning training, and a status window popped up that said my potential had reached the state of blooming.

But really, there was no excitement. What the status window tells me is more like a notification window telling me what I’ve done.

When I regressed in the beginning, I was extremely obsessed with every number and letter on the status window.

No matter how much I felt like I was about to die, when I remembered that I had become stronger, I struggled with joy and became the driving force to overcome the pain.

But now, even when the notification that I have become stronger pops up in the status window, I am not very impressed.

Wouldn’t it be a little happy to see the growth of potential that surpassed physical limits? I don’t even get a message to the extent of flowering.

“Because the status window doesn’t tell you everything.”

For example, my mage level is 1 right now. It is said that it is at the level of making a shield that can be broken by shooting magic missiles and blocking arrows a few times.

However, in reality, no one who could call me a 1st-level mage could confidently exist in this world.

Even though my mage characteristics and title disappeared right away, the research data I studied during the third round and the bits of knowledge I gained from the contract are dormant in my head. Besides, this is only part of my experience.

And these things don’t show up in the status window. Even if I attain martial arts enlightenment and reach the stage where I can use the Blood Demon Punch all at once, I know that my martial artist level will be only 1.

“Aside from being able to figure out the system, it’s a nuisance… “

The biggest reason was the slump I experienced during the second round. At that time, I knew that the stronger I got, the slower my growth was, but since I couldn’t level up right away, training felt terribly boring after a few months.

“I don’t judge myself by the few letters written on the status window, I have to get something out of the process myself.”

Even now, after pushing the whole body to its limits with hellish hard training, the process of recovering with potions requires terrible pain and mental strength.

As a result now? Artin, who was unable to do even 10 push-ups, is no longer in this world.

Maybe if I go back to the real world, I can pass it even if I apply for the special forces?

“Still not enough. This is a world full of people breaking rocks with their bare hands.”

Perhaps Shion could see the bullets with his eyes and dodge them or cut them off? I haven’t tested it, but considering the average of the Imperial Knights I’ve seen before, it’s a likely story.

“The thing I’m ahead of him is my actual combat experience, and in order to make the most of it, I’ll have to combine simple training and sparring from today.”

Soon it will be time for Xiao Mei to come back from her class, so she should talk to me about sparring after dinner.

…Well?

I feel someone creeping up behind me.

‘If you hide this level of presence in these footsteps… Are you Xiao-Mei?’

After all, a nobleman is a mean guy, so when you think about it, he comes to you right away.

Shall we use what we noticed in advance to surprise them?

No, if I stay still, wouldn’t it be skinship like usual?

“Older brother! Have you been training well?”

Not disappointing my expectations, Xiao-Mei surprised me by hugging me from behind.

To be honest, I wasn’t surprised, but I pretended to be surprised just to repay the soft watery feeling on my back.

“Aww!!! You’re surprised! When did you come?”

As if satisfied with my reaction, Xiao-Mei let me go and gave me a playful smile.

“Actually, we just arrived! But looking at your sweat and muscle condition, you can see that I worked hard even while I was gone~?”

As Xiao Mei’s slender fingers pricked my forearm, her arm muscles her trembled as if my overworked body was crying out.

“I’m going to die hard. Get ready to go eat while I wash up.”
“Huh, today is also a training diet with meat tightly packed. Meals are also training, so be prepared, bro!”

After training begins, my meals are prepared by Xiao Mei as a packed lunch.

Originally, I was going to order several meat meals from the dormitory and eat them, but after hearing that, Xiao Mei said that she would prepare the meals herself, and since the first day, she has packed lunches for me every day.

It would be difficult for 5 adult men to prepare enough food every day, paying attention to the taste, but since he was looking at a guy who pounded his chest saying he would take care of it, it was hard to refuse.

‘I have to take care of Xiao-Mei a lot in this episode. Shall we go to the Republic of Korea during summer vacation?’

Xiao Mei begged me every episode to go on vacation to the Republic of Korea, but I had no choice but to decline every time, citing the summer special lecture as an excuse for her survival of her and clearing her as my priority her. But this time, the goal is to enjoy it in moderation.

To be honest, I also want to see Xiao Mei in a swimsuit. Honestly, isn’t vacation a national rule in the academy?

“While I’m washing up, I’m going to the dormitory to get a lunch box! Wait! Even if someone gives you candy, you can’t follow it!”
“I’m a child, come quickly.”

While Xiao Mei was waving her hand her, I went into the shower room attached to the personal training room and cooled my aching body with cold water.

To say that it is attached to the training room, it is several times larger than the shower room in the bronze dormitory, and the equipment is well equipped, so a slightly twisted feeling creeps in.

“Are you aiming for a gold promotion in the first semester?”

Private training rooms are just one of the few perks that Gold Dormitory students enjoy. Is that the difference between a boarding house and a 5-star hotel?

“I haven’t been to a motel, let alone a hotel, but I need to know.”

Anyway, after washing my body, it took less than 5 minutes.

After all, a combat shower after training is a national rule.

“There are about 15 minutes left, so let’s take a deep breath and rest… “

Instead of drinking banana milk, I decided to spread a blanket on the floor of the training room.

If you sleep on the floor, maybe Xiao Mei will give her a lap pillow…

Profit.

I lay down and closed my eyes when I heard the door open.

‘Is Xiaomei already here? Or did she just fall asleep?’

I yawned and rubbed my sleepy eyes, and when I woke up, I could see who had entered the training room.

But he was a completely unexpected person.

‘Why are you out there?’

Her silver hair of hers, gently braided on both sides, was adorned with a blue ribbon, and her slender body of hers was wrapped in an undisturbed cadet uniform.

On the beautiful neckline her hangs a gold pendant that reveals her status as an imperial princess, and the absence of lingering feelings in her ruby-like red eyes her the last time I saw her made me realize that I had reached a new round.

“Agnes Ermengart…”

Another heroine of this novel like Violet, the second princess of the Empire, and vice president of the academy.

And the one modifier that makes my heart throb more than all these modifiers. My ex-lover who broke up in the last episode.

“Are you Artin Ludwig?”

And she’s letting me know that it’s her first meeting her.

***

Seeing Artin’s face hardened, Agnes Ermengart assured her that she had not confused people.

Judging from her just mentioning her name her, it was clear that the boy in front of her, her freshman year, also knew who he was.

According to the materials reviewed by the student council, Artin Ludwig was from a small baron family even in the kingdom, and he was not even an heir, and he was a widely spread aristocrat who would normally find it difficult to even meet his own royal family.

Even more so, it was clear that meeting the royal family of the empire, which protects the continent, was an embarrassing thing in itself. So Agnes looked her straight in the eye without saying a word, thinking of leniently overlooking the rudeness of forgetting to be polite.

“I will ask again. You are Artin Ludwig, right?”
“..Ah, yes, that’s right. Princess Agnes.”

When Artin came to his senses from the repeated question and got up to fix his clothes, Agnes nodded slightly as if satisfied.

“Since you know me, I’ll allow each other to omit complicated ceremonies and mass phrases.”
“It’s just embarrassing.”

He nodded his head, probably stiff from nervousness, but he didn’t look away from himself.

Still, Agnes was not in a bad mood. Compared to men who usually stare at each other by projecting themselves onto their inner greed or lust, the boy was clearly looking into his eyes her even though he was meeting him for the first time.

“The reason I came to you is to convey the will of the student council as the vice-president of the academy.”

At Agnes’ soft, elegant tone of voice her, Artin felt a dizziness that was a little different from the one he felt with Violet.

Just as Violet had never been hostile to her in the past regressions, this was the first time Agnes had visited her first her. Most of her encounters her with her were either forced to meet her because of her her main character her, or she found her first her.

“Student Council’s will… What is it?”

What’s more, the things he could relate to with the student council…

There was. Artin had just remembered that the student council was the one who stopped the violence with Rexton in the first place.

“Judging by the look on his face of his, he seems to have realized what he was doing.”
“…”
“I won’t say anything bad. Artin Ludwig. The Student Council wants you to cancel this formal duel.”

In a way, it was a natural procedure. Accidents from the first day of admission are not desirable for the student council or school. The fact that Zorba managed to cover it up through negligence on both sides was possible because the kingdom’s princess and prince were in the student council.

And since Artin himself rejected the student council’s agreement and asked Rexton to fight, the student council’s move was as natural as falling an apple.

“Why did you come looking for me? Without going directly to Rexton or Shion Idris?”

But the hard thing was that I couldn’t help it. From Artin’s point of view, he kept thinking that Se had found himself small and easy to handle. Even so, the only reason I didn’t raise my voice rudely was that the other person was Agnes.

“Please do not be mistaken, Artin Ludwig. We are offering you a helping hand.”
“A hand of salvation?”

At that, Agnes nodded confidently. It was because I thought that this was a proposal that could not hurt Artin Ludwig.

“I heard that you… Are training hard. However, the other person is a knight with a reputation in the Empire.”
“…”
“We cannot fully understand what the two of them have in the past. However, if you continue like this, you will be humiliated in front of the entire school, and you may get seriously hurt.”

The reason Agnes was able to have such confidence was because the female knight who was her escort was a person who remembered Shion’s work her, and she was able to hear about Shion’s character and swordsmanship skills.

Shion Idris, a skilled knight, had too many flaws in his character. Considering his cruel and sadistic disposition of his, he could n’t be satisfied with subduing Artin, who hurt his master his and tarnished his honor his as his escort his.

“The student council is making this proposal out of concern for you. Even if you refuse this unequal duel, it gives you a reason to take care of the minimum honor.”

Of course, I didn’t say that the student council helped him this far, saying that Mr. Helic had a lot of influence. Agnes herself had grown a lot thanks to Miss Helic’s teachings her in the first year, so she respected her as a teacher.

The fact that he personally came as the representative of the student council was also close to an extension of that respect.

“Without the hassle of paperwork, you can just say yes here.”

Agnes naturally assumed that the freshman in front of her would accept the offer. Afterwards, he goes back to the student council and enjoys a light tea time.

“I don’t like it.”
“Yeah, so by doing that… ?”

So he couldn’t properly hear the answer that came out of the freshman’s mouth at the moment.
He must have answered in the affirmative, but he lifted it up as if he answered no, so this is a huge disrespect to the other person.

“I think I misunderstood, Artin Ludwig. Can you answer me again?”
“It is correct that I said no. Princess Agnes.”

It’s a strange thing. This bold freshman proudly refuses an offer that he should not refuse and has no reason to refuse.

Therefore, a small smile formed on Agnes’ lips, which should have been unpleasant by nature.