The Former Assassin Becomes a Noble Lady

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In fact, since there were no remaining injuries, it wouldn’t be a big problem to discharge immediately. Knowing my body better than anyone, I also wanted to leave right away. However, with the president and my friends firmly saying no, and the Academy and city officials needing to investigate the incursion of the Demonic Race and quell public opinion, I was forced to remain confined in my hospital room for an entire week.

At least I had a private room and, thanks to the people who visited me every day for a week, I was never bored, but I couldn’t help feeling sluggish. Moreover, no matter how high-quality the Academy was, the diet for patients being tasteless seemed to be a common issue across the continent. Had this been in the past, I might have been satisfied with such a diet, but after already indulging in the restaurant menu at the Academy, this diet was essentially torture.

Hence, upon being discharged, I felt freer than ever and headed to the training grounds to loosen up my stiff body.

There, I originally intended to exercise lightly by myself, but I spotted Selian, who somehow seemed to know I was coming and was waiting for me, so we ended up working out together.

Exercising with Selian started off with some light warm-up exercises and simple strength training, leading us to spar as usual. Up to that point, there were no major issues. In fact, the problems arose right before the sparring began.

Swoosh.

?

What just happened? It was a familiar sight to see our swords facing each other and the bell signaling the start of the duel ringing.

However, as soon as the duel started, the situation that followed was something I had never experienced before. The exchange of blows with Selian. My sword felt the same as before, but Selian’s sword had changed.

While it was still aimed at my neck like before, the way we got there was drastically different from usual. This was a type of swordsmanship I had not seen from Selian before.

I had experienced this kind of feeling.

Dueling with the Academy’s swordsmanship professors. It was the blade of an overwhelming master.

Selian’s swordsmanship had reached a level equivalent to those professors renowned as masters of the sword. There was no way this had been developed within the week I was hospitalized. Selian’s sword was imbued with experience that could not be dismissed.

Only then did I realize how much Selian had been holding back while sparring with me.

Of course, I already knew Selian was stronger than I was, and I also knew she had been accommodating to my level. But the difference in skill was far broader than I had imagined.

“Alright, let’s go again. Hold your sword.”

Retrieving the sword pointed at my neck, Selian walked back to the starting position, clicking her heels.

Unlike my dazed state, struggling to understand the situation, Selian took her stance, ready to begin at any moment. She didn’t rush me; she simply waited for me to take my position.

Since I couldn’t just stand there, I raised my sword once more and aimed at Selian.

Once again, the duel began.

This time, I was subdued far more quickly than before. In just five moves, my sword flew off to the corner of the training ground, and Selian’s sword was once more pointed at my neck.

Once could be coincidence. But if it happened again, it was certainly not an accident.

I felt the overwhelming difference between Selian and me. And with that realization came a whirlwind of emotions.

Those emotions could not be defined as just one.

Without even knowing what I felt, Selian calmly said, “El. I will always protect you. But knowing the person I’ve seen, you’ll surely prioritize protecting others, treating your life as something trivial.”

Having subdued me again, Selian returned to her previous stance, appearing indifferent to the outcome of the match.

“I can never tolerate that. I can’t bear to witness you falter before me. So be strong, El. Ensure that no one covets what is yours, and if there’s someone who dares to threaten what you wish to protect, make sure to crush them thoroughly.”

Then turning her back to me, she added, “Don’t just catch up to me; surpass me. Use me as your nourishment.”

Once again, she aimed her sword at me.

“This is all I can offer you.”

The feelings I held for Selian could stem from anger at how she had mocked me all this time, jealousy towards her overwhelming talent and skill, or perhaps despair at the insurmountable difference between us.

“If that’s what you want, then put down your sword immediately and step out. Leave it to me. You can just live your life normally, happily, like usual.”

But I was certain the largest strand of emotion housed within me was nothing trivial. It was anger about my own weakness, anticipation of how far I could climb, and determination that I would stand equal to Selian.

Thus, I responded to Selian, who was demanding an answer.

“Yeah. No way.”

Grabbing the sword lying in the corner of the training ground, I pointed it at her.

“Do you think I’d accept being your nourishment or leaving it to you?”

Once more, I aimed at Selian.

“I may not be of any help to you right now, but…”

And with that, I charged at Selian first.

Thud!

Naturally, my attacks were blocked. However, I didn’t stop.

Like when I faced Ballican, I knew all my attacks would be blocked, but I kept moving. If Selian countered, I would force myself to dodge, and if I couldn’t dodge, I endured by gritting my teeth. It was a feasible approach because we were sparring with wooden swords, not real ones.

Clang!

Even if my whole body became bruised, I didn’t stop until, at last, my sword hit Selian’s, forcing her to aim at me. It might be a reckless, stubborn situation, but I didn’t mind. This was my will, my sincerity.

“Becoming stronger is something we do together.”

Perhaps my reckless behavior was foolish, or maybe Selian was surprised by my unexpected retaliation, or my answer caught her off guard.

She stared at me blankly before finally letting out a chuckle.

“That’s right. That’s the El I know.”

Fortunately, Selian appeared somewhat satisfied with my answer. She walked back to the corner of the training ground and picked up the sword that had been lying there, aiming it at me once more.

“Well then, you’re ready, right?”

“Of course.”

“I won’t go easy on you when you start whining later.”

Selian smiled widely.

…Afterwards, I could only finish training after taking quite a beating for a long time.

*

Individual training is one thing, but after being discharged, I realized an important fact during my first class.

The effect that my week of hospitalization had on my grades.

In reality, there wasn’t anything overtly problematic. Since I had to miss classes due to the school’s fault, measures were taken to ensure I wouldn’t suffer any attendance penalties. The assignments I needed to submit had also received extensions, so there was no part to be deducted. Even for assignments that couldn’t be granted extensions, my base grades were guaranteed.

But the problem was, while there were no deductions, there were also no extra points.

My plan had been to maintain top grades in the first semester to secure a scholarship starting from the second semester. Of course, with Selian, an overwhelming top student, I realized it wasn’t going to be possible to aim for full coverage, so I aimed for partial scholarships awarded to a few students below that.

Naturally, I wasn’t the only student gunning for those scholarships. There were other students aiming just for top grades and, like me, commoners seeking scholarships.

And as a result of missing just a week of subject bonuses, I was now in a precarious position where I couldn’t even guarantee getting partial scholarships. The competitors I had been racing against had already pulled ahead of me. I even had to separately study to catch up on the material I had missed during that week.

A warning bell began ringing inside me.

This is bad, I’m in trouble!

No kidding, my second semester was genuinely at risk of going downhill.

The only remaining hope lay in how much compensation President Frecia could manage to obtain, but there were no guarantees on that front, so I had to set it aside. My situation wasn’t relaxed enough to hold onto false hopes.

There was no other choice. In times like this, the answer is simple.

Starting today, it’s time for some serious study!