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The next day.

As promised to Anna, I visited the Bares training grounds to teach his swordsmanship.

There, Anna stood with a wooden sword in hand, his eyes fixed on me with firm resolve.

"Are you ready for your lesson?"

"Yes!"

His spirit was commendable.

Of course, his skills remained to be seen...

Actually, there was nothing to see.

I already knew Anna’s skills were abysmal.

There were two things Anna could learn in this lesson.

First,

'...The awakening of an unimaginable talent.'

For example, Anna might possess a talent for magic, daggers, or something else besides swordsmanship.

However, it was safe to say that the possibility of that was close to zero.

If he had such talent, Crete would have already taught him.

Second,

'At least raise his swordsmanship to a human level...'

I wasn't sure how this would go.

First, I needed to cross swords with Anna to see his talent firsthand.

At a glance, it seemed nonexistent.

Still, as I had promised to teach him, I had to try.

“Please use this for now."

I tossed a wooden dagger to Anna.

“Why are you giving me this?”

Anna asked with a puzzled expression.

“Your basic stamina is too poor to wield a longsword, Mr. Anna. It would be better to use a lighter dagger for now.”

Using a dagger would also significantly reduce the chances of his hands getting torn and injured.

Anna quickly agreed and grabbed the dagger.

“Okay, I'll try.”

“Good posture. I’ll watch you closely, Mr. Anna. Please attack me comfortably.”

“Alright.”

*Whoosh-*

As soon as Anna gripped the dagger, he swung it at me.

I dodged the attack with a simple sidestep.

Indeed, wielding a lighter dagger made his movements better than before.

It was still subpar, but at least it was watchable.

“Not bad. However, you tend to overuse your waist when swinging the dagger.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Twisting your waist too much when swinging a dagger will cause problems when retrieving it. A dagger is a weapon for swift surprise attacks. Use your waist lightly unless it’s a sure strike.”

“Got it.”

I explained as simply as possible for Anna to understand.

Having spent time with Samuel, it seemed I had also become quite skilled at explaining things.

Anna immediately incorporated my advice into his movements.

*Whoosh, whoosh-*

Anna’s dagger swung, barely missing me.

Each time, I effortlessly dodged his attacks.

“Ugh...”

Anna groaned, realizing his blade hadn’t even grazed my hair.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Could an ordinary person really keep up with me, who possessed a natural talent for assassination?

The training, with Anna swinging his sword and me advising his movements, continued for about thirty minutes before coming to an end.

“Huff… huff…”

“Good work.”

As I had done before, I handed Anna a water bottle.

“Thanks.”

Anna accepted the bottle and started to drink.

Watching Anna drenched in sweat, I fell into thought.

Yes.

As I thought, Anna…

‘…has no talent for movement.’

Certainly, his skills improved quickly after I adjusted my teaching to his level.

However, this was only the level of common students found throughout Sytan.

His skills were clearly lacking to even step into the realm of geniuses.

I couldn't help but click my tongue inwardly.

This meant he had no talent for swords, daggers, or any other weapons.

So, what should I do?

‘…The only thing left is magic.’

She might unexpectedly show outstanding talent in magic, but the amount of mana Anna possessed wasn’t that great.

Therefore, I was troubled.

Of course, the amount of mana wasn’t the sole indicator of magical ability.

Just because I possessed more mana than Samuel didn't mean I had achieved a higher level of magic than him.

‘Okay, let's try it.’

I decided to teach Anna the basics of magic.

If he couldn't even perform that properly, I would have no choice but to teach his swordsmanship at the level of an average student in Sytan.

“Would you like to learn magic as well?”

“…Huh?”

Anna seemed taken aback by my suggestion, his words catching in his throat.

His face turned pale, and beads of sweat formed on his brow.

I couldn't help but be puzzled by his reaction.

Did I say something wrong?

I didn't say anything particularly offensive.

However, one thing was certain: Anna didn't want to learn magic.

I asked Anna,

“Do you not want to learn magic?”

“Uh, well… I don’t really like magic…”

“I understand.”

I had no intention of forcing him if he was so against it.

It seemed like I should focus on teaching his dagger skills instead of magic.

Well, the dagger was the most suitable choice anyway.

Even if his physical abilities were lacking, it was small and light, easy to wield and conceal.

Perhaps it would be best for Anna to focus on academic pursuits rather than ascending to the Lord position through martial prowess…

I was lost in thought when something caught my attention.

*Flinch-*

Anna’s body stiffened.

What was it?

Anna's shoulders twitched, and I turned my gaze towards him.

And the moment our eyes met, I couldn’t help but tense up as well.

“…”

A man was staring at us with an indifferent gaze.

Bares Crete.

He had come to find us.

It was unusual for him to leave his office.

Although I was caught off guard, I couldn't just ignore Crete.

So, I spoke to him,

“…Lord, you’ve arrived.”

*Thud, thud-*

Ignoring my greeting, Crete walked past me.

He stopped in front of Anna.

“F-Father, what brings you here…?”

Anna stammered, seemingly intimidated by Crete’s aura.

Crete glanced at Anna's hands and spoke,

“Did those wounds come from training?”

“Huh? Yes, they did. I wanted to improve my swordsmanship quickly…”

“Didn't I tell you time and again to focus on building your basic stamina?”

“I don’t want to!”

Anna shouted in response to Crete’s words.

Crete frowned.

“W-Well…”

Anna stammered again.

Crete, who had been looking at Anna indifferently, spoke,

“If that's what you want, I can’t force you. But remember not to overexert yourself.”

“Okay…”

After a brief word to Anna, Crete turned his gaze towards me.

I met his eyes, feeling a surge of nervousness.

Crete addressed me in a softer tone than before,

“You’re teaching Anna.”

“…Yes. If there’s a problem, I’ll step down and let someone else take over.”

“No, there’s no need for that. Having him switch from a sword to a dagger must have been your decision. It was the right choice.”

Crete was praising me.

I couldn’t help but be taken aback since I had never seen him praise anyone before.

But I didn't dislike it.

It meant that even a master recognized the validity of my choices.

Then, Crete said something completely unexpected,

“From now on, you will escort and train both Rene and Anna. I’ll even grant you the authority to manage the servants of Bares.”

“….!”

I was astonished by Crete’s words.

To think he would entrust me with such a position…

It was unbelievable.

A sudden and rapid promotion.

I was at a loss for words.

Leaving me speechless, Crete turned and walked away.

“…..”

I couldn’t even bring myself to say goodbye to him.

I could only stare at his retreating figure, my mouth slightly agape.

After a while, I turned to Anna, who was standing beside me, and asked,

“What was that about…?”

“…I’m not sure either.”

Anna replied with an awkward smile and a shrug.

Hmm.

Something felt off.

Why did Anna react so strongly to Crete’s words?

A flicker of curiosity ignited within me.

The pendant I possessed allowed me to see the past.

I had a feeling that if I used it, I could uncover the truth.

Somehow, it felt like everything was connected to the late mistress of Bares.

‘…Even Rene's aphasia points in that direction.’

Seeing Crete’s strangely gentle demeanor, it seemed like he was reminiscing about his late wife through Anna.

Well, I could look into it later.

It wasn't the information I needed urgently right now.

To clear the awkward air, I clapped my hands and said to Anna,

“Let’s train a little longer and then call it a day.”

“Okay.”

Anna nodded readily.

The training continued.

I pushed Anna until he collapsed from exhaustion.

Of course, I made sure he rested immediately so as not to incur Crete’s wrath.

* * *

Time flew by, and the day arrived for us to depart for the hidden secret realm Kyle had discovered.

Early in the morning, I knocked on Rene’s door.

“My lady, are you ready?”

“…Wait a moment.”

Rene asked for a moment to prepare.

Having been her escort for a considerable amount of time, I felt like I had become a scholar specializing in ‘Rene Studies.’

Now, I could understand her intentions with just a few words.

It was truly a moving experience.

As I waited for Rene,

*Click-*

The door to her room opened.

However, I knew better than to enter immediately and risk Rene’s wrath.

So I waited patiently.

“Enter.”

Finally, Rene granted me permission to enter.

I stepped into her room, and the sight that greeted me made me blink in surprise.

“My lady?”

“What is it?”

Rene frowned, seemingly displeased by my reaction.

But I couldn’t help it.

We were supposed to be heading to a hidden secret realm today…

And the outfit Rene was wearing was completely unsuitable for such an endeavor.

“…Is it, too dark?”

Rene asked timidly, fidgeting with the hem of her black skirt.

No.

Well, it was dark.

But that wasn’t the issue.

Seeing me speechless, Rene picked up a pair of pants and muttered,

“As I thought, this kind of clothing doesn’t suit me…”

“Not at all! It suits you perfectly!”

I quickly interjected, trying to salvage the situation and appease Rene.

It took me a good thirty minutes of reassurance…

But in the end, Rene agreed to change into more practical pants for our expedition to the hidden secret realm.

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