The classes in Nineveh turned out to be far dirtier and more boring than Jin had anticipated.

Frankly speaking, he expected the curriculum to be centered around combat practice, but upon unpacking it all, he found a staggering number of classes related to literature,  mathematics, history, and the arts.

The combat classes he had hoped for were allocated only three days a week. It was an environment that hardly matched Jin, who had been a failure in the liberal arts.

— Naturally. The majority of the students here are the offspring of noble families. While developing abilities and cultivating talent is important, it would be troubling if those who would eventually have to serve the Empire became completely daft.

Well, while the class content was obscenely boring, there was one point that needed highlighting.

“By the way, where exactly do you wander off to during breaks? I’d like to strike up a conversation with you, but it’s practically impossible.”

Indeed. If one were to trace the fundamental reason Jin enrolled in Nineveh, it would all boil down to his aim to charm Erekaya.

However, Erekaya often vanished somewhere else the moment break time began, making it impossible for him to approach her.

First, he needed to establish some sort of connection and strike up a conversation to move forward, even if it meant burning bridges.

‘But of course, I can’t just mindlessly follow Erekaya around…’

Jin had also tried wandering around the school, taking breaks in intervals to figure out where Erekaya tended to go, but this damned school was so vast that tracking her down was no easy feat.

Crucially, if he were to get caught shadowing her without having established any proper communication first, he would inevitably come off as a stalker. In that case, his only option would truly be to consider the end.

— Right now, I’m busy dealing with my duties as the Student Council President during breaks. So instead of engaging in pointless antics, you should just enjoy your school life for now. After all, connections aren’t artificially constructed. Isn’t it said that fate is a red thread tying people together?

“What nonsense are you spouting? Weren’t you the one who said you could easily help me charm someone?”

— You certainly have a talent for making foolish comments. While it’s true that I can give you several pieces of advice about romance, I cannot magically conjure a relationship out of thin air. Jin, do you know the most important element in winning a woman’s favor?

“…How would I know that?”

If he understood that well, Jin wouldn’t be at this age without having experienced a few romances, would he?

— A woman is inherently drawn to the concept of destiny. Fateful encounters, destined paths crossing, a fateful kiss… Just as men may grow older without maturing, women, no matter their age, still desire their own prince charming in the corner of their hearts.

— And the moment you have a fateful encounter with me is when I can start giving you real advice. So just bide your time. Do you really think that being in the same space, taking the same classes, and making eye contact every day means no opportunity will arise?

As she spoke, Erekaya threw a mocking look at Jin.

— Of course, doing it all on your own is utterly impossible. You’re simply too poor a package for that. Women are discerning, and given the choice, they typically prefer handsome princes over men with unique appearances like you. The world is wide, and there are countless people with diverse tastes, so sure, there may be a woman out there who would like you, but at least I am not one of them.

“Damn it.”
EP.17

In response to Erekaya’s words, Jin ultimately let out a curse. Erekaya’s relentless fact-based attacks felt like they were tearing at his heart.

— I can hardly fathom how a guy like you has managed relationships in the past. Was the Altina von Rudel Seryas you dated back then mentally or visually impaired?

“That’s not true!”

Jin bristled at Erekaya’s comment, momentarily raising his voice. But that didn’t last long; he sighed deeply. In a way, her words did carry some truth.

“…Well, in a sense, we didn’t have a normal relationship, so I can’t really deny what you said.”

— You didn’t have a normal relationship? What does that even mean?

“It means exactly that. Altina and I were indeed in a romantic relationship back then… but it was definitely not what you’d call a normal one.”

At that time, Altina had lost everything due to the End. She lost her family, friends, beloved ones, and even her country.

The Altina Jin knew was a woman devoid of laughter. While she might show a small smile when alone with him, that smile was always tinged with a heavy sadness.

Altina was perpetually in pain. That pain wasn’t due to physical wounds but rather came from her soul, and she was always struggling and writhing in agony because of it.

Yet paradoxically, it was this very situation that allowed Jin and Altina to become lovers. In a normal situation, it would have been utterly impossible for the heir of one of the Empire’s five most prestigious families to become romantically involved with a vagabond of undefined status.

Thus, between Jin and Altina, there wasn’t even the smallest trace of what might be considered a romantic relationship. Metaphorically speaking, they might as well have been two wild dogs licking each other’s wounds.

— So to summarize, you’ve never truly experienced love. It makes sense why you sometimes say something as ridiculous as you’ve never even held a girl’s hand despite your supposed experience.

“Yeah, it must be nice to have all that experience.”

Ignoring Erekaya’s comment, Jin moved to a training ground specifically set up for Class A.

— What’s the point of going to the training ground? Isn’t it better to just head back to the dorms and rest since it’s the first day?

“If only I could do that, I’d be thrilled. My life is genuinely pathetic, truly pathetic.”

Although there were still ten years left until the first End hit, if Jin were to waste those ten years idly, humanity would invariably meet a devastating fate.

In other words, to fend off the first End without suffering any damage, he needed to prepare adequately, starting with fortifying his physical condition.

The body he had painstakingly built over the last ten years had long since returned to a soft, flabby form after his reincarnation. With such a physique, he would be certain to get killed if he recklessly charged into a fight.

Consequently, he concluded that the only way to quickly regain his past combat prowess was to diligently train without indulging in laziness from this moment onward.

As Jin entered the Class A training ground, he found no one inside. Well, it was still the beginning of the semester; it was unlikely that any lunatic would risk their life by training after school just yet.

He picked up a training sword that lay in one corner of the training ground. It had been so long since he held a sword that the sensation felt strangely unfamiliar.

— Don’t you normally use a sword?

“I’m just not suited for it. Besides, I have no talent for it.”
Jin’s former teacher had once told him something similar. “You have no talent for swords or anything else, so you should train in an area that piques your interest instead.”

“You’re basically useless, so just keep your mouth shut and put in the effort. You’re a reincarnator, right? If you work hard for a few hundred years, you should at least be able to catch up to my little toe, shouldn’t you?”

Though her words were quite crude and lacked decorum, they were a result of her keen understanding of Jin’s character. Following her advice and working hard for about a hundred years had indeed brought him a minuscule advancement in martial skills.

Well, even so, as his teacher pointed out, he was still foolish enough not to even grasp a single aura despite working hard for over a century.

— If you’re not talented with a sword, then why are you holding a training sword?

“Why, you ask? Have you forgotten that I lied about being a Sword Saint’s disciple to get into Nineveh? At least for the time I’m in Nineveh, I might need to act like the disciple of a Sword Saint. What would happen if it got out that this so-called disciple can’t even wield a sword?”

In short, this could be seen as the consequence of Jin’s deception in enrolling at Nineveh.

— …Hmm, the swordsmanship of Pendragon, right? I actually had something to say about that.

“What is it?”

— Pendragon’s sword is not the kind of swordplay that can be mastered through mere practice. No, fundamentally, Pendragon’s swordsmanship is—

But at that moment.

“…Hmm? Was there a visitor?”

A figure slowly emerged in the training ground, which had been devoid of any presence until now.

And the identity of that figure was someone Jin also recognized.

Actually, she was someone he couldn’t possibly not know.

“…Altina.”

It was indeed Altina von Rudel Seryas.

In fact, this was the first time Jin was staring directly at Altina’s face.

Earlier, during class in the same room, he had forced himself to look away, making an effort not to glance her way.

Altina’s face was the same as the one Jin would remember several years from now. The only difference was that the face he knew bore a hint of maturity, while this current Altina hadn’t yet shed her youthful appearance.

Moreover, it appeared Altina was dressed in comfortable workout clothes rather than her uniform, perhaps for training, with her long hair cascading down to her waist, now gathered and tied back neatly.

It was a new face, presenting a new outfit. As Jin absentmindedly gazed at Altina, she too seemed to catch on, and her expression began to shift gradually.

Regrettably, it wasn’t an expression filled with warm feelings for Jin.

“…Hmph.”

Altina glanced at Jin without uttering a word. She merely shot him a quick look, clicked her tongue lightly, and walked past him.

However, the spot where she positioned herself with the training sword was the furthest corner from Jin. It was clear she wanted to maintain as much distance from him as possible.

Seeing Altina voluntarily keep social distance from him without saying a word, Jin couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“Ugh, damn it.”

He hadn’t expected any tender feelings when former lovers met again, but wasn’t this treatment a bit too harsh?