That evening, in the training hall exclusive to Class A, Altina was wielding her sword furiously.

She was gripping the sword tighter than usual, hitting the scarecrow with all her might.

Of course, she wasn’t using her Aura, but her body, having reached the mastery level, was significantly different from that of an average human, causing the scarecrow to wobble as if it might break with each strike.

“Hah, hah—”

But no matter how much Altina struck the scarecrow, she couldn’t calm her racing heart. In fact, the more she swung her sword, the more something seemed to boil within her chest.

– With your level? You would definitely lose if you dared to challenge Erekaya with such skills.

– You seem to be getting carried away after overcoming some barriers lately, but with your current abilities, you can’t even hope to beat me, let alone Erekaya. What do you think has changed just because you’ve awakened your Aura?

“Cursed bastard!”

Crack!

In a moment of rage, Altina struck the scarecrow with all her strength, and ultimately, the scarecrow, unable to withstand the might of an Aura user, split in half and met a glorious end.

However, for Altina right now, the fact that the scarecrow had been halved was hardly significant.

“What? Just that? Getting full of yourself? Damn it, do you even know how I feel swinging this sword right now?”

Altina was well aware of it herself. She knew that with her current skills, she could never match Erekaya.

According to Erekaya herself, she had awakened her Aura two years ago. In contrast, Altina had only managed to awaken her Aura a few days prior.

Despite both being at the mastery level and able to use Aura, the difference in their skills was so vast that it was embarrassing to compare them.

One had continued honing her abilities since awakening her Aura two years ago, while the other had just awakened and still didn’t fully grasp her capabilities.

If a duel were to take place between the two, there was no chance that Altina would emerge victorious against Erekaya.

Yes, she knew it. She understood that everything that man said was true. But—

“Is it too much to ask for you to at least support me a little? Is that really too much? You bastard!”

Since that day he saved her, Altina had found herself concerned about that man. It was hard to suppress the countless thoughts about him that came unbidden throughout the day.

That was why even going to visit him made her heart race as if she might die. Seeing him with Claire in the hospital room led her to think all sorts of bizarre thoughts.

You make my heart flutter like this, and I can’t help but entertain strange thoughts when I see you. When I’m in front of you, I feel like I’m not even myself.

And yet, you can’t even do something as simple as take my side. Do you really find it so difficult to encourage me by saying, even if it’s just a lie, that I might win?

This is… so unfair. Why do I have to worry about you so unilaterally, while I’m the only one feeling miserable? Just what makes you so special?

Crack!

In the end, Altina’s power proved too much for the training sword, and it shattered. Without hesitation, she threw the broken pieces aside and slumped down in her place.

“You bastard….”

Frustrated. Ever since awakening her Aura, Altina had come to the training hall whenever she had time to swing her sword, but she felt like she wasn’t making any progress with her own skills.

If she were to duel Erekaya in this state, she would surely lose. And that fact hung over her like a shadow she found unbearable.

She could easily draw the Aura itself from the veins and coat her sword with it, but after that, she had no idea how to train or manipulate her Aura.

No matter how much of a genius Altina von Rudel Seryas might be, there was a significant difference in difficulty between walking a path already laid out by someone else and blazing a trail down an untraveled road all on her own.
Altina’s mastered combat technique from the Seryas family, “Song of the Heavens,” was not designed for someone at the mastery level to practice, so the frustration she felt was only amplified.

‘Should I ask Father for help?’

The current head of the Seryas family, Theodore von Rudel Seryas, was also a martial artist who had reached the mastery level and awakened his Aura, just like Altina.

If she were to reveal to her father that she had reached the mastery level, his character as a doting father would surely prompt him to offer help unconditionally.

However.

‘I can’t do that….’

Her father, Theodore von Rudel Seryas, was an incredibly busy man. He had to manage all affairs of their territory and handle various responsibilities as the head of the Seryas family.

The very reason Altina enrolled in Nineveh was to grow into someone who could assist her father as soon as possible.

Yet to summon her busy father all the way to Nineveh just for her own convenience would be completely absurd.

Still, she needed help from someone who had reached the mastery level.

Someone who had long since attained mastery and could offer concrete guidance on the path she should take.

But… where could such a person be in Nineveh? As far as Altina knew, the only Aura users in Nineveh were Erekaya and the Chairperson.

While it made sense that the Chairperson rarely showed his face in front of the students, it would be laughable to seek help from Erekaya to surpass Erekaya herself.

There was no one who had reached such a lofty level that could teach her; even if she were to receive instruction, it would hardly dent her pride, let alone someone who would readily teach her if she were to ask for help—none such existed—

“…Oh?”

Thinking it over, there was actually one person who met all of her criteria, that kind of fortunate individual.

But there was one drawback; it felt a bit too humiliating to lower her head after having spoken those words to that bastard not too long ago—

“Hmm….”

Pride or practical gain.

After considering this for quite some time, Altina finally made her decision.

The next day at lunchtime, Altina headed to the dining hall located within Nineveh.

This dining hall was free to use for any student affiliated with Nineveh, and while noble students rarely frequented it due to their specific tastes, common-born students often utilized it.

It was essentially a dining hall exclusive to commoners, where nobles were nearly nonexistent.

As soon as Altina von Rudel Seryas stepped into such a place, a momentary silence filled the dining hall. Several students, caught mid-bite, spat out their food.

“…Lady Seryas?”

“What is someone like her doing in a place like this?”

“Surely she didn’t come here just to eat…”

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, Altina made her way toward a corner where Jin was seated, eating alone.

“Hey, I need to talk to you for a moment.”

“What?”

Without waiting for Jin’s reply, Altina grabbed his sleeve and pulled him.

“I have something to say. It’s too crowded here, so let’s find a quieter place to talk.”

“Hey, hey! I’m still a patient, you know? And can’t you see I’m eating?”

“You can eat later!”

With that, Altina dragged Jin out of the dining hall. The sight of them being watched by the other students in the hall was an unexpected bonus.

The place where Altina pulled Jin was none other than the training hall exclusive to Class A.

Indeed, it would be hard to find a better spot for the two of them to converse, especially since no other Class A students would set foot here aside from Jin and Altina.
Upon entering the training hall and confirming that no one was around, Altina abruptly got to the main point.

“You said to me yesterday that with my current skills, I wouldn’t be able to defeat Erekaya, let alone you.”

“…Is that really why you dragged me away from my meal?”

“Just answer me.”

Hearing Altina’s strangely sulky tone, Jin sighed and replied.

He thought that Altina still couldn’t come to terms with what he had said yesterday and was clinging to it.

Well, it was understandable. At this point, Altina was still just a child, and it might be difficult for her to accept that she was weaker than others.

“Right, you absolutely cannot defeat Erekaya with your current abilities. If you have eyes, you should have already realized that. Erekaya is also a master, and unlike you, she is an experienced one who has been in the mastery level for quite some time.”

“…I know. I’m aware that Kaya has already reached the mastery level long ago.”

“Probably unlike you, Erekaya has trained her Aura over a long period. But to think that you can defeat an experienced fighter with your last-minute learned Aura—don’t you think that’s a bit unreasonable?”

Speaking in the strongest tone she could muster, Altina made it clear she didn’t intend to show any understanding of her situation, her words laced with sarcasm.

However,

“…I see, that makes sense.”

Altina didn’t appear to be hurt at all. In fact, her eyes shone even brighter as she looked at Jin.

“Then one more thing. There’s about a month and a half left until the duel assessment. If I receive training from someone stronger than me during that time, do you think there’s a possibility I could defeat Erekaya?”

“A person stronger than you?”

Jin looked at her with a baffled expression, unable to comprehend. Was she planning to go to the Chairperson and cling to his leg?

“Well, in that case, it’s not entirely impossible. Though Erekaya is stronger than you, she’s still just a student and inexperienced. If you build a solid foundation in a month and a half and focus on exploiting Erekaya’s weaknesses, it might just work out.”

“Really? That’s all I need.”

“What do you mean?”

“The fact that it’s not entirely impossible. The realization that I might be able to defeat Erekaya if I put in the effort, and with your help.”

Altina said this with a bright smile.

But wait a second. Didn’t she just say something I should not overlook?

“…What did you just say? Who’s going to help whom?”

“Oh? You didn’t catch that?”

Altina beamed at him as she looked directly at Jin. If he found her expression oddly cute, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was going crazy.

“You said you would help me. You’re stronger than me, and you’re the only one qualified to teach me, right?”

What kind of nonsense is this? Who’s stronger than whom? A dullard who hasn’t awakened his Aura for over a century teaching a genius who grasped it in just a few days?

Jin looked at Altina with incredulity, but unfortunately, she seemed very serious about it.

“Jin, you’re going to have to play the role of my teacher for a while so I can surpass Erekaya.”

“…What did you say?”