Though I said I needed to help Ethan win the duel against Harold, in reality, there wasn’t much I could do for him.

It wasn’t like I could fight Harold for him—Ethan was the one crossing swords. And since this was a pure duel without the aid of support magic or other enhancements, I had no means of intervening in their battle.

At best, I could suggest, “Why don’t you spar with your master while you’re staying at the estate?” But even that turned out to be unnecessary.

Ethan, being his usual diligent self, had already started training with Harold the very first day we returned to the Blackwood Estate, without me having to say a word.

• Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Hah! Hah! Haaah!!"

It was a familiar scene—one I had witnessed countless times both at the Blackwood Estate and at the academy: Ethan and Harold sparring.

Even someone like me, who wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about swordsmanship, could tell that their exchange was incredibly fast.

One of them had recently blossomed fully into a Sword Expert, while the other had long since been a Sword Master, so it was no surprise.

‘No matter how many times I see it, it’s unbelievable how fast they are.’

Ethan’s twin swords were impressive, but what was even more incredible was the speed at which Harold swung his blade. The way he deflected both of Ethan’s swords with a single blade almost felt like cheating.

Of course, wielding two swords didn’t mean you could swing twice as fast, but even considering that, Ethan’s speed was undeniably remarkable.

But Harold, deflecting both swords without breaking a sweat, was just insane. How could this madman be only the boss of the “second arc”?

‘I was hoping to find some weakness I could point out, but… no luck.’

There wasn’t a gap in Harold’s defense that someone at my level could exploit. Even if there was one, you’d need to split a second into 20 pieces to see it, and if there were a weakness that obvious, Ethan would’ve noticed it himself.

Besides, Sword Masters constantly improve, even in the middle of battle. Any advice I could give would have little to no effect on the duel.

Ethan had faced Harold many times, and just as Ethan knew Harold’s techniques well, Harold knew Ethan’s. They were father and son, after all, and they knew each other’s moves intimately.

In the end, all I could do was hope that Ethan would handle the duel well on his own. That was the best way to create the perfect excuse for us to sleep together.

‘There’s no way to weaken Harold… so the only thing left is to motivate Ethan somehow?’

As strange as it may sound coming from me, there are cases of people awakening through the power of love.

It was a common trope in the original game, Luminor Academy. Considering it was a harem academy eroge, it wasn’t that surprising.

Even during our battle with the Kraken from the Abyss or when Ethan saved me from McHart, I’d seen similar things happen. So it wasn’t impossible to think that love could lead to an awakening, even for someone who wasn’t the main character.

Since I knew Ethan loved me, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that a little encouragement might lead to some kind of breakthrough.

‘And Harold does have a soft spot for Ethan.’

Honestly, if Harold had been fighting at full strength, the duel wouldn’t have lasted this long. The fact that he was going easy on Ethan showed he wanted to help his son grow by giving him just enough of a challenge.

If Ethan could narrow that small gap, there was a chance he could win. After all, a victory was a victory, even if it was by the slimmest of margins.

As I was thinking about this, one of Ethan’s swords was knocked out of his hand by Harold’s blade, ending the duel with Harold’s complete victory.

• Clang!

“Haaah… haaah…”

“That’s enough for today. You did well, Ethan.”

“…Thank you, Father.”

While Harold only had a few beads of sweat on his forehead, Ethan collapsed to his knees, completely exhausted.

“Your stamina has improved. I can feel more weight behind your strikes than before. It seems you didn’t spend your entire vacation lazing around with your lover.”

“…There were some things that needed doing.”

“Still, your swordplay has dulled a bit. For today, practice all four stages of the Blackwood Form as your final drill.”

“…Yes, Father.”

As soon as he answered, Ethan stood up, brushing the dirt off his knees. His diligence was truly second to none.

‘At this rate, he’ll spend all three days getting his sense of swordsmanship back, and the summer vacation will be over.’

To be honest, it wasn’t as if we had to consummate our relationship during the summer break.

Once we returned to the academy, we’d resume living together, like it or not. In fact, it might be easier to create natural situations at the academy than here at the Blackwood Estate.

After all, Ethan and I had already shared a bed countless times, and even if he didn’t win a duel against Harold, we’d still managed to do… other things, using various excuses.

‘Still, for a first time…’

Things like kissing, touching my chest, or even going down on him—those were acts I could do without any particular justification.

But sex… For my first time as a woman, I wanted Ethan to earn it, to claim me properly in the right way.

It felt unsatisfying to imagine him simply giving in to desire and taking me. ...Of course, given that I had to lose my virginity as soon as possible, I wouldn’t resist if he did.

But, for my first time, like most women, I wanted it to be special.

…Not that I’m obsessing over it as a woman or anything. I just wanted to make sure I had no regrets about the situation.

It would be good for Ethan, too. Defeating his father in a duel and then claiming me as his reward would be satisfying for him as a swordsman.

If Gerenol heard my thoughts, he’d probably tease me, saying, “Why are you such a troublesome woman?” But this was my last bit of pride on the line.

‘In the end, the only way to spur Ethan on is through desire, I suppose.’

There’s no better motivator than stirring up one’s lower instincts.

It was the method I had used the most to cultivate Ethan up to this point, after all.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

5 PM. The large bathhouse at the Blackwood Estate.

• Splash.

“Huuuuh….”

A young man submerged his tired body into the spacious bath, large enough to accommodate ten people.

Ethan Richard Blackwood. The only son of the Blackwood Ducal family.

A month ago, he had fully awakened as a Sword Expert. Now, as he soaked in the steaming water, his thoughts drifted quietly.

‘Even after fully awakening as a Sword Expert, am I still so far from beating Father?’

Despite his recent growth, Harold’s sword still felt like an insurmountable wall.

It was enough to dampen his spirits, making the gap between them seem even larger than before.

Even though Ethan could feel his own growth, Harold was still a rival he couldn’t catch up to.

‘I thought I might be able to take at least one round if I just kept pressing.’

Of course, there had been times in the past when he had managed to win a round.

In fact, there were days when he had taken two or three rounds in a day, and on rare occasions, he had even won outright in their countless sparring matches.

But every time Ethan had won, Harold had been holding back with some kind of penalty: using only basic forms, not utilizing sword energy, or refraining from magic.

Without any such restrictions, Ethan simply couldn’t win. No matter how he tried to create an opening, Harold’s swordsmanship was too perfect, too overwhelming to penetrate.

‘I couldn’t find any gaps. In fact, it felt like he was leading me into creating my own openings.’

Ethan’s father, Harold Richard Blackwood, was a war hero of the empire. He had crossed blades with countless swordsmen, many even stronger than Ethan, and had defeated them all.

The fact that he had survived those wars meant he was a man of unparalleled strength—a reality that Ethan was beginning to fully comprehend.

‘He said that at my age, he could cut through the enchanted walls of the imperial capital.’

Every time they crossed swords, Ethan could feel it: he was outclassed in every way—technique, power, even talent. He had hoped he could at least grasp his father’s shadow by now, but the gap between them remained painfully wide.

Ethan was starting to realize that he needed something more—a deeper motivation if he was going to overcome his father.