For several days, Leonhardt remained quiet.

As if my concern that he might cause some trouble was unfounded, he did not confront me or anyone else. He did not return to the imperial palace either and seemed to be holed up in his own room.

“Hey, Sylvia?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

At Helena’s careful call, Sylvia looked at her with a slight smile.

Even Helena, who seemed a little uncomfortable with that harmless smile, was at a loss for words.

“Don’t you normally stay with your friends?”

Instead of Helena, I threw a question at Sylvia.

By now, she should have at least a few friends she hangs out with, so why isn’t she hanging out with them?

Even though Cain hasn’t returned yet… for a healthy academy life, it would be better to hang out with friends.

In response to my question, Sylvia tilted her head slightly and answered.

“Helena and Felix are my friends too, right?”

“… That’s true.”

That wasn’t what I meant.

Since I didn’t have many friends in the academy, I would have normally hung out with just Helena. The stares then were already uncomfortable.

With Sylvia joining our group, it was hard for me to ignore them.

However, Helena seemed to have a different problem with it.

“So there’s no problem, then?”

“Um… yeah.”
Since I couldn’t really refute it logically, I nodded glumly. After all, I was in no position to tell her to hang out with us.

“Felix, are you going to practice today too?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Traditionally, sword training was a daily routine that could not be skipped, even for a day. Missing a single day would result in a huge loss.

I nodded in response to Helena’s question. She seemed to ponder something for a moment, then nodded to herself.

“Okay.”

“…What?”

“Nothing.”

In response to my question, Helena also gave me an innocuous smile and waved her hand. Sylvia only managed a slight smile in response to my answer as well.

What is it? It seems like they’re plotting something.

I wondered what they could be planning, but nothing came to mind. It wasn’t like any major events would happen around this time, either, so I just let it go.

***

In the original novel, Leonhardt completely breaks down.

When he hears that Ashillya has ascended to the throne, he breaks down and receives consolation from Sylvia.

The problem, if there was one, was that Leonhardt could not get Sylvia’s consolation this time.

Despite his ridiculous personality, she stayed by his side because she owed him something.

To put it simply, it was because of a sense of indebtedness.

Sylvia was being subtly ostracized, unbeknownst to her. Although she had some children she could call friends, she was being subtly ostracized by the other students.

Cain had been protecting her from this, but with him being busy, Leonhardt would have originally looked after Sylvia.

Even if it was out of Leonhardt’s selfish belief that Sylvia belonged to him, it was still something she would have been grateful for when she was alone.

After that, Sylvia received a lot of help from him, and because of that, she stayed by Leonhardt’s side when he broke down.

Thanks to that, he came to his senses, reformed, and sincerely cherished Sylvia…That was the story in the original novel.

However, the future had already changed. Unintentionally, I and Helena were by Sylvia’s side when she was supposed to be alone.

Furthermore, the fact that Ashillya would ascend to the throne, which Leonhardt was supposed to find out much later, was revealed to him much earlier.

As a result, he broke down much sooner.

Therefore, the sense of indebtedness that Sylvia was supposed to have towards Leonhardt also disappeared, which meant that he would suffer alone.

The future where Sylvia and Leonhardt ended up together also became a little uncertain.

But what’s the big deal?

I’m no saint, so there’s no reason for me to feel sorry for Leonhardt, who treats me like a dog. I just need to remember that the original content has already been distorted and not cling too much to it.

It’s even fortunate that Sylvia won’t end up with someone with such a disgusting personality.

Of course, considering her personality, she might still feel sorry for Leonhardt… but that’s up to her.

No, the probability of that happening was definitely high.

‘…As long as Leonhardt doesn’t cause any serious trouble.’

Brushing off the stray thoughts, I continue swinging my sword like before. After focusing more on training these past few days, the sword’s tip felt sharper, which was very satisfying.

Unintentionally smiling slightly, I raised my sword and repeated the swinging motion. Although it was essentially the same action, a sense of accomplishment welled up within me with each increase in my skill.

Is this what they call a sense of achievement?

Before, I was just swinging the sword based on the sensations engraved in this body; now, I feel like I’m somewhat controlling the sword.

And the more that feeling grew, the broader my smile became.

In my previous life, I didn’t like physical activities. My only hobby was reading books or watching movies at home rather than exercising.

But after coming to this world, I’ve enjoyed physical sword training. I don’t know whether it’s because I have a talent for it or because I didn’t have any talent in my previous life.

I simply swing my sword silently.

‘Let’s get better results in the next joint training.’

Although there was no real need to get good grades at the academy, if I could get better results than before in the joint training, that would represent the fruits of my training.

With that resolution in mind, I swing my sword.

Clearing my head of stray thoughts, I swing down. I focus on the sword strokes drawn in the air, correcting the wavering sword tip.

Many academy students often neglect the basics. However, for those at the highest levels in any field, the basics were the most important.

You had to build a solid foundation so that you wouldn’t easily crumble even when you climbed higher.

“Whew……”

Exhaling shortly, I wipe the sweat dripping from my forehead with the back of my hand. The cool evening breeze soon started to cool the sweat.

By now, I had done thousands of downward swings I had been doing. It seemed like it was time to try something else.

I gripped my sword again, resolving to practice the other basic stances taught in basic swordsmanship training starting tomorrow.

“Felix!!”

“…Helena?”

Just as I shook my hands and gripped my sword, I came to my senses at the voice calling me and turned my gaze. At the entrance of the training hall, Helena was smiling and waving at me.

“What’s up? Are you going to train too?”

Helena didn’t really like using the training hall. I don’t know why, but maybe she felt burdened by the stares of others.

I asked in bewilderment but then blinked slowly again when I saw Helena’s  outfit. She wasn’t wearing her training gear but her everyday  clothes.

“No, not that.”

“…Well, come in first.”

With her hands folded behind her back, Helena, who had been looking at me, smiled broadly at my words and walked towards me with small steps.

Why did she suddenly come to find me when she wasn’t even going to train? Today, I hadn’t completed my assigned amount yet, so I looked at Helena with an uneasy feeling.

“Were you training?”

“Yeah, that’s right. So what brings you here?”

Sweat drips down.

They say that sweat from heat is sticky, but sweat from exercise is refreshing. However, I felt an inexplicable ickiness since I hadn’t completed my assignment yet.

“Well…”

In response to my question, Helena hesitated, her hands still folded behind her back.

What’s taking her so long? Tilting my head, I looked at Helena. She closed her eyes and held out what she had held towards me.

“Dinner! I made some. Do you want to… eat together?”

“Dinner…?”

“Yeah… if it’s okay with you.”

At Helena’s words, I blankly looked at the lunchbox she was holding out to me.

Although I spoke like a glutton, I didn’t have a strict diet since I wasn’t a real glutton.

This body was Felix’s, and for some reason, the food of this other world also agreed very well with me, so there were no foods I avoided. Even though training would be slightly delayed…

Turning down the lunchbox she had so thoughtfully made felt rude, so I nodded.

“I don’t mind that.”

“Really?”

“Would I lie about something like that?”

Seeming pleased with my response, Helena smiled brightly at me as I scratched the back of my head.

“Let’s eat!”

“…Okay.”

I could just train later.