“Finally, I feel freed.”

After leaving Altina alone at the designated practice ground for Class A, Jin stretched his back and gazed at the sky. The air felt particularly clear and refreshing today; perhaps it was just a fleeting feeling.

Last night, the pressure of having to teach Altina had his head spinning, but now he felt as light as a feather having handled the situation in this manner.

– You know, the way you got rid of that leech, Altina von Rudel Seryas, was quite clever, but you also know very well that it’s just a temporary measure, right?

“Well, that’s true.”

In truth, Jin didn’t expect Altina to believe his nonsensical ramblings indefinitely. He was certain that within a week, she would realize she had been deceived and might even come running to grab him by the collar.

– Then, during that time, we must prepare for what needs to be done.

“Prepare? What do you mean?”

– Tsk, have you already forgotten? Why did Altina von Rudel Seryas cling to you, throwing aside her pride and everything else in the first place?

“Well… wasn’t it to target and defeat Erekaya during the upcoming duel evaluation?”

– Exactly, and the crucial point here is that the duel evaluation is, quite literally, a form of assessment. In a broader sense, it’s part of the curriculum. Now, do you understand what I’m trying to say?

“…No, not at all. Not one bit.”

How is the duel evaluation being a type of class related to the ‘preparation’ Erekaya is talking about?

‘I could never lose to a bunch of kids who can’t even get their meals without assistance.’

Of course, if he were to face Erekaya or Altina, he wouldn’t stand a chance, but other than those two, he was confident he could defeat anyone.

But what preparation? It would be far more productive to head back to the dorm and get some rest rather than waste time on that.

– How foolish… Have you forgotten how you managed to enroll in Nineveh in the first place?

“Oh.”

At that moment, Jin grasped what Erekaya was trying to convey.

“Now that I think about it, I have to learn the ‘Dance of the Dragon’ from you.”

Jin’s current outward identity was the hidden descendant of the Sword Saint among the Seven Heroes.

However, if the hidden descendant of the Sword Saint couldn’t perform the unique technique of the House of Pendragon, the Dance of the Dragon, it was only natural that he would attract suspicion.

Moreover, if the duel evaluation was considered a ‘class’, then it meant that Erekaya, as a classmate, would also participate in that class.

Consequently, whether he liked it or not, Erekaya would inevitably witness Jin’s duel against someone else.

It was acceptable during that brief moment when he defeated the ogre, but if he didn’t use the Dance of the Dragon in the process of the duel, it would naturally lead Erekaya to doubt him.

What? He claims to be the Sword Saint’s disciple, yet he can’t even wield a sword? And he can’t use the Dance of the Dragon either? All those words he’s said—were they all lies? Should I start a background check to uncover the truth?

Ultimately, Jin really wanted to avoid ending up back in the lowest depths of the imperial prison as a foreigner, so he had no choice but to comply.

– First, we should move to a deserted area. I absolutely despise having a crowded environment when teaching you.

“A quiet place without people… where could that possibly be?”

– The grounds of Nineveh are vast and expansive; surely, if you wander around, you’ll find a suitable spot. Keep your mouth shut and start walking quickly. With your talent, if you train for a month, you still won’t master the Dance of the Dragon, so wasting time here is out of the question.

“Yes, yes.”

Just as Jin was about to take his leave, a hurried voice called out from behind him.

“J-Jin!”

Who could be calling for him so desperately? He couldn’t think of a single friend who would call him like that.

“I-I’ve been searching for you! I went to the clinic, and the nurse said you had already been discharged!”
She had run over in such a hurry that her face was flushed, panting heavily. It was none other than Claire.

“Weren’t you supposed to stay in the hospital for another three days? What are you doing out here?”

“I’m completely fine now. I’m not in any pain at all. I’m good as new.”

To be honest, lying still in the hospital room was too irritating, so he decided to go through the discharge procedure early. After all, there was no way anything bad would happen by leaving three days early.

“Still, you shouldn’t have been discharged already! What if your wounds reopen!”

“…Do you think I’m made of paper or something?”

Why was she making such a fuss? Could it be that she still felt guilty about what happened back then? If that were the case, it was worth noting that he had no feelings left regarding that incident.

“Well, I appreciate your concern. It’s been a while since someone worried about me like this.”

“A while? Why’s that? I’m sure your parents worry about you all the time.”

Claire naturally mentioned others’ parents as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

…But why was she talking about other people’s parents so easily? Should this be considered a form of a jab as well?

– It seems she possesses a rather twisted psyche. That girl is just asking out of pure curiosity. Does she think others only bring up parents when they’re insulting you like everyone else does?

*Cough.*

Yeah, let’s be honest. I don’t particularly like sweet individuals like Claire who seem drawn from a picture.

Why, you may ask? Because every time I see such a virtuous person, it strangely highlights my own filthy and cruel personality. It feels like I’m facing my ugly self through a mirror!

I’d rather have a conversation with someone like Erekaya, who has a rotten personality and is quite twisted; it puts me at ease.

What’s wrong with me? Was I also someone with slight psychological issues? I thought I was relatively normal.

– Not slightly; your head is completely messed up. Regardless, encountering that girl at this moment can be considered quite fortuitous.

*Fortuitous? Why?*

– Just have her say what I tell you. If things go well, you might hit two birds with one stone.

With a sinister smile, Erekaya schemed while Jin felt a small curiosity about her intentions but decided to obediently follow her instructions for now.

“Well, it’s just that it’s been so long since I last saw my parents. That aside, I’d like to ask you something.”

“What do you want to ask?”

“Do you happen to know any quiet places nearby where there aren’t many people? I need a location to train.”

“A quiet place without many people?”

Claire tilted her head slightly, and then as if remembering something, she clapped her hands.

“Oh, then how about the magic practice ground where I usually train? It’s quite secluded, and not many people go there. Plus, I don’t think anyone will bother you there, no matter what happens…”

“Can you show me the way there?”

However, after saying that, Claire suddenly blushed and wrapped her clothing tighter around herself. It looked as if she were a noble lady who had never known a man. Actually, thinking back, she did seem like that type…

“Y-You’re not thinking of something weird, are you? Asking to take me to a place with no one else around… D-Don’t tell me you want to do something strange to me…”

“…..”

He suddenly realized how he had failed to earn even the slightest bit of trust from others.

 

Erekaya del Pendragon preferred the night over the day.

There were numerous reasons for this.

Erekaya’s inherently sensitive senses received too much information against her will, making the dark of night more comforting than the bright day. Additionally, she held a personal preference for staring at starlight rather than sunlight.

Most importantly, she was the student council president of Nineveh, a figure who governed and reigned over all the students of Nineveh.

The tasks she had to manage daily were indeed countless, overflowing to the point that she couldn’t even measure them. No matter how efficiently she organized and handled her work, time was always insufficient for her.
Therefore, she did not practice swordsmanship during the day. She rarely frequented the A-Class training grounds.

In fact, she had personal reasons for not wanting to step foot in the A-Class training area, where Altina von Rudel Seryas, that oddly displeasing girl, was always present.

As a result, the training place she preferred was none other than the practice ground for magicians.

Magicians lacked stamina, so by late night, they all retreated to their dormitories, leaving the practice ground completely empty. This meant that this spacious training ground would be hers alone to occupy.

Two years ago, Erekaya had crossed the wall that had been blocking her and reached the realm of mastery, yet she never neglected personal training.

In fact, over the past two years since reaching master level, she had never skipped training for personal reasons even once. Instead, she continued to hone her skills diligently, striving to rise to even greater heights.

With her duties as the student council president completed for the day, Erekaya set off to the magic practice ground to train her swordsmanship.

After a significant walk from the student council room, she finally arrived at the practice ground.

However, unlike usual, the door to the practice ground was open.

“…..”

Did someone forget to lock the door when leaving?

No, that wasn’t possible. The door to the magic practice ground is enchanted to automatically lock if no one is inside.

This implies that there was, in fact, someone still inside the practice ground.

“Hah.”

This was troublesome. Erekaya did not particularly enjoy mingling with others.

Moreover, she had grown accustomed to having this vast space all to herself for the past two years, so the presence of an uninvited guest was not something she welcomed today.

Yet, it was also slightly problematic to skip her daily sword training.

Alright, let’s endure just today. After all, wasn’t this the first time someone had remained this late?

Even if it felt somewhat uncomfortable to be around another person, she would put on the mask she usually wore and manage to maintain a smiling face during her training—

With that thought, Erekaya quietly stepped inside the training ground.

“…Ah.”

What she saw was astonishing.

Inside the training ground was not a magician but a man wielding a sword.

And that man was someone Erekaya was familiar with—someone she couldn’t simply describe as just an acquaintance. He was, in fact, the man who had been occupying her thoughts lately.

‘Jin.’

What on earth was he doing here? What could he possibly be doing while holding a sword in this place?

Swoosh—

Then, as if to resolve the questions swirling in Erekaya’s mind, Jin’s sword slowly rose. The moonlight reflected off the blade, casting an ethereal glow.

“That, that’s—”

In the next instant, Jin’s sword began to move. The trajectory of his sword resembled a dance.

The movements he exhibited were void of any force. An untrained eye would mistake him for a novice wielding a sword for the first time.

However, as Erekaya observed the trajectory of his sword, her eyes widened unconsciously.

“How can this be?”

It was absurd. She believed it was impossible for anyone but him to exhibit such skill.

Yet, it was undeniably true.

The sword dance he was performing, infused with sword intent, was of a type she could hardly claim ignorance to.

“…Dance of the Dragon.”

Indeed, at this very moment, the ‘Dance of the Dragon’, a technique exclusive to the members of the House of Pendragon, was unfolding at the fingertips of Jin.