Chapter : 129

It's summer vacation!

But it was sad that I couldn't be entirely happy because of the practicum for the ‘Understanding of Fief Management’ lecture.

Whose idea was it to replace the final exam with a practicum!

Still, after a month of the practicum, I'd be able to rest for the remaining month.

"Anyway, it's vacation!"

Since the dormitory would be empty during the vacation, I decided to return to the Lisitoel fief, but before that, I headed to the Viscounty of Loren using the round-trip movement artifact.

I closed my eyes at the dizzying sensation, and when I opened them again, a pure white castle appeared before me.

This is... that familiar castle from numerous fantasy novel webtoons! With wavering eyes, I stared blankly at the castle.

"?!"

Suddenly, something glittered in the distance, and that glitter flew straight towards me.

A sharp rapier, leaving no time to breathe, dug in under my chin, the tip of the blade grazing the tip of my nose.

If I had been even a hair's breadth late, a vital point would have been pierced.

My heart, so shocked, started to beat a beat late.

Before I could even turn my head, a second thrust followed, and I immediately flew up into the sky.

I pushed away the opponent who was trying to jump and follow me with wind, and only after reaching a safe zone did I finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Why are you suddenly doing this, Senior?!"

The culprit of the sudden attack was Cecilia de Loren.

In case she tried to jump again, I continuously pushed her away with a circle of wind and looked down at her with an anxious heart.

"Come down."

With the short command, her pure white hair fluttering in the strong wind, Cecilia swiftly grabbed my ankle and slammed me to the ground.

"Kuh!"

If I hadn't blocked with magic, my back would have been shattered.

A slight pain remained even after using a protection spell.

At some point, Lou flew in with a flutter and attacked Senior Cecilia, chirping loudly.

"Lou!"

Senior Cecilia, whom I expected to roughly shake Lou off, flinched but, perhaps unable to bring herself to throw him off, just stared blankly at Lou attacking her hand with her mouth shut tight.

Lou, with his fluffy yellow fur, was fortunately a cute creature that perfectly suited her taste.

Besides, with tears welling up in his eyes, it wouldn't have been easy to counterattack.

Not long after the senior stopped because of Lou, a man in a butler's uniform ran out of the castle gate in a hurry.

"Young Lady!!!"

The butler, who had grasped the situation, screamed while tearing at his hair.

"Lou, come back."

At my words, Lou returned to me and cried his eyes out, clinging to my cheek.

A small laugh escaped me at Lou's gesture, as if checking if I was okay.

"Are you the person from the Academy?"

"I'm Theo Lisitoel."

I hoped it wasn't! The butler looked like he wanted to bite his tongue and die right then and there.

Cecilia, who had been grasping the situation with her mouth shut, immediately tried to leave, but the butler swiftly grabbed the hem of her clothes.

"Young Lady, how could you attack your junior?"

"It was a consensual attack."

"When did I consent?"

"The Academy cheat sheet."

"That was a free pass for an attack?!"

At the unexpected refutation, I just gaped.

It's unfair! I had no intention of taking the cheat sheet and wiping my mouth clean, but that didn't mean I was allowing an attack!

"You attacked him?"

I wasn't the only one surprised; the butler jumped too.

In a situation where the attack itself would be a problem, an attack, an attack!!

The butler, beyond surprised, let out a laugh like a half-mad person.

"Young Lady!!"

"Are you going to be petty and make it a problem between our families?"

"I don't intend to."

At my answer, the butler was visibly relieved.

He was so blatantly relieved that I thought about being mean for a moment but decided against it. I can't torment an innocent person.

"So how long do I have to stay here awkwardly like this?"

"Ah! I'll show you in!!"

The butler hurriedly guided me inside, and I slowly passed the senior and entered the castle.

The inside of the castle was neat, as if under meticulous management.

With the strange feeling of being in a historical site, I walked for a long time before arriving at a room.

"Master, someone from the Academy has arrived."

"Come in."

When the butler announced, a light command to enter came from inside.

In the middle of a standard office, a man with a strangely similar atmosphere to Cecilia was sitting.

So that's Viscount Loren. I bowed my head in greeting.

"I am Theo Lisitoel, here for the practicum."

"Lisitoel, a precious person has come."

"I'm not so precious as to be called that."

I politely clasped my hands and smiled awkwardly.

I don't even know how to be humble in situations like this.

"My daughter said she was indebted to you."

The report was so fast. How should I answer?

"It's not to the extent of you saying that."

I have to be good at social life.

Even if the administrators I work with are the ones who evaluate the practicum student, the lord's influence is not non-existent.

Of course, I have to score points with the lord when I can.

"Lisitoel is this polite?"

A murmur laced with surprise flowed out.

I wonder what kind of person Lisitoel is to Viscount Loren for him to say such a thing, but I didn't want to know.

"Should I start working from today?"

"No need. We're not so short-staffed as to work a student.

Butler, guide Lisitoel around the castle, and if you encounter Cecilia, call her to me."

"Yes, Master."

The Viscount, as if further conversation was bothersome, gave a nod and immediately began to focus on his work again.

Indeed, he was a concise and firm person, just like in the game.

Before leaving the office, I bowed my head once more in greeting and then quickly went outside.

"Then I will guide you from now."

"Please do."

* **

The Loren Viscount family was not a family that guarded the border, but since there were many gates and dungeons within the fief, only the children who became knights for generations inherited the title and fief.

Under that influence, various mercenaries and knights flocked to the Loren Viscount's fief, and that is what made the current Loren Viscount family.

Although they were wary of external invasions like a border family, the monsters that appeared were mostly low-level and unintelligent.

So, the structure of the castle itself didn't need to have many functions and was simple, so I was able to memorize it with just one introduction.

"Then, you can come to the general affairs office by 9 o'clock from tomorrow."

"Thank you for the guidance."

No adult dislikes a polite person.

The butler also smiled contentedly at my respectful attitude.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow."

Then, since the sun has set, should I go to my room and rest now?

Just as I was about to turn back, someone grabbed me from behind.

There's only one person in this mansion who would grab me.

"Senior Cecilia?"

"Where are you going?"

"To my room."

"Follow me."

Why? Before I could even ask the reason, the senior beat me to it.

"The cheat sheet."

Kuh! An undeniable word came out.

"If you don't like this, then so be it."

"...What can't be helped?"

"I'll have to attack you from now on."

Why does the stream of consciousness flow that way?

If a legitimate duel is refused, does it immediately go to an attack?

If I refuse, I might really not be able to sleep from anxiety now.

In that case, it's better to suffer now.

"I will follow you."

I had no choice but to follow Cecilia and head to the training ground.

I was inwardly impressed with the Viscount's training ground when I was guided earlier, but the scale was indeed excellent.

It's no wonder knights and mercenaries flock here.

Our mansion also had a training ground, but since my father was a mage, it was closer to a laboratory than a training ground.

I was about to prepare my magic, but the senior threw something first.

I barely managed to catch it; it was a wooden sword.

Why a wooden sword all of a sudden?

Before I could express my wonder, Senior Cecilia rushed at me.

"⋯?!"

The wooden sword cut through the air.

I heard the sound, but my body couldn't follow.

I reflexively raised my arm to block, and a dull impact shot through my wrist.

"You said it was a duel!"

"My wrist is warmed up."

The senior, however, spoke firmly as if she didn't care about my complaint.

At the same time, the wooden sword flew horizontally.

I put strength into my toes, which were half-pressed down, and twisted my body.

The wooden sword that passed through the air immediately returned under my chin.

I have to block it.

My body moved with just that thought.

Clang!

The sound of wooden swords clashing finally rang out, but my arm staggered back from the impact.

I barely caught my balance before losing it.

The clash was momentary, but I was out of breath.

"I'm a mage!"

"This time, below."

The senior, who lightly ignored my complaint, aimed for my legs and dug in.

The moment that hits, I have to give up on walking properly from tomorrow! With the sole determination of wanting to walk properly, I twisted the angle of my sword.

The sword, which barely missed, scraped the ground.

At that sight, Senior Cecilia smiled very satisfiedly.

"That's it. Don't confront it, deflect it."

At some point, breathing out and raising the sword became like an instinct.

Still, it's too slow! What if I predict and bring the sword first?

As if she had lost my thoughts, the strangely angled sword struck my thigh in one go.

For a moment, the strength in my leg gave way, and I almost fell, but I endured it by gritting my teeth and narrowly blocking the ensuing attack.

I put strength back into the hand holding the wooden sword.

My arm was already throbbing, but I focused all my senses on the tip of the sword.

Cecilia's waist side, an opening.

I took a short step and thrust there.

"!!"

With a light grazing sensation, the tip of the wooden sword touched the senior's arm.

For a moment, the senior's gaze changed, and in the blink of an eye, my body was sent flying.

The wooden sword struck my shoulder hard, and in one go, roughly struck my abdomen.

"Wait!"

I tried to block it somehow, but as if to engrave the fact that all the exchanges so far had been thanks to the senior's hand-holding, a virtually one-sided beating continued.

Finally, the wooden sword hit my head, and my vision turned to the sky.

"Hah, hah."

Raw breaths burst out.

My breath was up to my chin, and I was beaten up so badly that there wasn't a single spot that didn't hurt.

Lying on the ground, I just blinked blankly.

I still couldn't grasp the situation.

The 'duel' is over now, right?

No, was this even a duel? Not a one-sided beating?

"Let's continue next time."

The duel? Or the one-sided beating?

Just as I was about to refute the question, something fluffy landed on my mouth.

Lou covered my mouth, and before I could even refute, the senior leisurely left the place.

The fact that the gaze directed at me was extremely annoying, as if extremely envious, was a bonus.