Despite having just ranked up, I wasn't satisfied with my current rate of progression.

The moment I reached Tier 2, I noticed that the rate of growth had started to stagnate. If I were to put all of my focus like before on the manual, I'd only be able to gain 3-4% a day. A vast difference from the 8-9% I used to receive.

It made sense in a way, but the progress was too slow for me.

And it was for this reason that I thought about asking Delilah.

Out of all the people I knew, she was the one person I thought would have an answer to my problems. She was the strongest.

Surely, she knew of a way, right?

Tak.

It was for this reason that I invested a lot of my money in the chocolate bars.

Come, you are tempted, aren't you?

"....You want a way to get stronger, faster?"

Her tone betrayed her confusion as her head tilted.

I nodded.

"My current rate of progress is too slow."

"Slow?"

She closed her eyes briefly. I lost control of my body the moment she did. It was as if I was floating in the air.

The feeling was only fleeting, disappearing just as fast as it appeared.

"Wh-"

"You've reached Tier 2."

Her voice cut through mine as her eyes opened.

"Are you not satisfied with your progress? It's in line with most of the more talented cadets."

"No."

It'd be a lie if I said I was. While it was indeed fast, when I compared myself with the top cadets of the Academy, I was hardly scraping by.

I couldn't sustain the unreasonable training schedule that I was currently putting myself through.

The gap between me and the others was getting wider and wider.

If things were to progress at this rate, then I was sure I'd soon lose everything that I had.

I needed more...

"...."

Delilah didn't say anything and just stared at me. She seemed to be in deep thought as her brows slightly furrowed.

I waited patiently for her to speak.

She was the only one I could think of for a solution. The other professors would just tell me to train harder or buy a better manual.

They also gave me a list of several exercises that I needed to follow which I did.

But it was still not enough.

".....You seem rather desperate for growth."

The silence that gripped the room was broken by Delilah's words as she addressed me.

I took note of her expression before pursing my lips.

Desperate?

I wanted to laugh. I had long gone past the point of desperation.

"...."

I didn't answer, but it was as if she could read my expression.

Gradually, her eyes shifted towards my right arm.

"Does it perhaps have to do with what I told you?"

"...."

Yet again, I didn't answer. It wasn't as though I didn't want to answer, but I just didn't think it was wise just yet.

....I didn't want my biggest secret to be revealed.

That I wasn't Julien, but someone else who had taken over his body.

It was a secret that only one person knew, and I planned on nobody ever finding out. It was a dangerous secret. One that I couldn't risk anyone finding out about.

If I were to agree, then there was likely a chance that I might be forced to reveal that I wasn't Julien.

'It also seems like she can tell if I lie or not.'

For these reasons, I remained hesitant.

"Alright."

I thought she'd disagree due to my silence, but to my surprise, she ended up nodding her head and agreeing.

"....You will?"

"Meet me tomorrow at 10 P.M. near the forest at the entrance of the Academy."

Delilah provided me with a date and time.

But before I had the chance to feel happy, she added.

"I won't be doing this for free. I need a favor for you. You're free to agree or not. I won't force you."

A favor?

I swallowed to myself before carefully asking,

"What's the favor?"

"It's nothing big, but before that..."

Delilah extended her hand.

I tilted my head in confusion.

"Yes?"

What did she want?

Following her line of sight, I had a sudden realization and I felt my lips twitch. Reaching out for my pocket, I asked.

"How many?"

"All of it."

"...."

***

Clank—

Watching the door to her office close, Delilah stared at the pile of bars in front of her.

"....He."

A weird sound escaped her lips as her mouth trembled. Hastily covering her mouth, she looked around.

"Heh..."

Her shoulders trembled.

This went on for several seconds before she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

Trying her best to not look at the 'goods' in front of her, she leaned back on her chair. Her thoughts drifted back to Julien.

'Greedy'

Such were her thoughts at first.

That he was being greedy. His rate of progression was staggering. She could tell from a quick scan of his body that it hadn't come easy. There were traces of exhaustion all over him, and a lot of his muscle fibers were torn.

Were he to continue this way, he was inevitably going to die of exhaustion.

It was for this reason that she decided to help him.

"Perhaps, rather than greed, he's being chased by something..."

Something that he couldn't run away from.

Like...

"The Inverted Sky."

What if...? He had truly defected from them? Thinking about all the incidents he had been in, it really did seem like something was wrong.

In all the incidents that he was involved, the organization appeared to have suffered some sort of loss.

All besides one...

"The Prison Incident."

It was the only incident where the Inverted Sky managed to succeed. It was for that reason that she ended up visiting him.

She wanted to confirm some things.

"Hmm."

But he was truly a hard man to read.

A blank piece of paper.

....Or at least, that was what she thought until just a few moments ago.

For the first time, she saw something from him. The desperation he had for growth.

Why was he so desperate?

Delilah was curious. There was clearly something that he didn't want to say. She didn't push for an answer.

She didn't think he'd be that naive.

Her answers would come with time. Of that she was sure.

And for that reason, she agreed to help him.

"....I feel like I made a loss."

The favor she asked of him wasn't anything big. She had only asked him to make it seem as though she wasn't doing this for free.

She had her own selfish agenda to fill by helping him.

"It's only fair."

Delilah leaned back on her chair and blankly stared at the ceiling.

Her thoughts were broken by a sudden knocking sound and her body shot up from the chair and she lunged towards her desk where the piles of bars were.

To Tok—

"Chancellor?"

A woman walked in shortly after.

"..."

Only for her steps to stop at the sight that greeted her.

Blinking twice, Jasmine, the Vice-Chancellor of the Academy, stared at the scene before her with some doubt. She had come here to report on the current situation of the festival

Gazing at Delilah who was hunched over her desk with a towering stack of bars before her, she questioned the current view before her.

An illusion?

Jasmine blinked once only for her to see the same scene.

Pursing her lips, she quietly asked.

"...Should I come back?"

***

The next day.

At the training fields outside the lecture hall.

"Today's class will be a bit different than usual. Each of you will be secretly assigned a cadet's name and during class, your job will be to closely examine their weaknesses and strengths."

The Professor in charge of today's class was a tall and bulky man with a bald head. If there was one class that I looked forward to the least then it was probably this one.

[Physical training and For execution]

It was a class that was mainly dedicated to those who were adept in the [Body] classification. However, just because it tended towards those who were more adept in the [Body] classification, it didn't mean that it wouldn't be useful for the others.

Everyone was capable of practicing the three paths.

Those with talents were just capable of learning it faster.

"Please pay attention."

The Professor's loud voice rumbled throughout the training area as he pointed towards a small hat that rested on the ground next to him.

"If you look over to this hat over here, you'll find the names of all your classmates. I want you to line up in an orderly line to collect the name of the cadet you will be in charge of analyzing."

A long and orderly line started to form while the Professor continued to speak.

I silently moved towards the line and overhead a few cadets speaking. Mainly Josephine and the others.

"Hm~ I wonder who I will get? Heh. If I get that bitch, I'll make sure to give her a low score."

"Bitch?"

Aoife tilted her head.

"Who else? Kiera of course."

"Oh."

She nodded as if she understood.

"I can hear you."

Too bad Kiera heard it all.

"Hiii!"

I ignored them and continued to pay attention to the Professor.

"Remember. This is an anonymous task. The other party mustn't find who you are. If I receive any indication that you've disclosed this information or they've discovered your identity, you will fail the task immediately and forfeit a credit."

The banter and noise that surrounded the place ceased. All of a sudden, everyone's expression turned grim.

To lose a credit over such a task...

"That's enough of me. Pick a name and we can start with the task."

In an orderly manner, one cadet after another moved up to the hate near the professor and picked up a card. The moment the cadets looked at the cards, most of them showed a change in expression.

Some were happy while others showed looks of despair.

I couldn't blame them. Some cadets were simply better than others, and it was therefore hard to understand what they were doing.

I quietly lined up from behind and waited for my turn.

It didn't take long and the moment I arrived by the hat, I reached out with my hand and picked up a card.

"...."

My expression didn't change the moment that I picked the card.

However, the same couldn't be said about how I felt internally. Without looking back, I put the card in my pocket and left for the training area.

In the distance, I caught a glimpse of a figure.

He stood at the center with his sword already drawn. He began to execute a move.

His movements appeared fluid, almost as if there was no lag in them.

....My steps paused as I stared at the distant figure who appeared to have attracted the attention of all the nearby cadets.

[Leon Ellert.]

Why did it have to be him of all people?