Chapter 21: Training
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: Training
“…This is a bizarre sensation.”
Aiden muttered as he looked around at the desolate, featureless landscape.
Sitting across from him, chin propped in his hand with a bored expression, Mayer chuckled.
“That’s how it is for everyone the first time.”
The materialization of one’s mind into a physical space was called an Inner Mindscape, and that was precisely where Mayer and Aiden were currently standing.
Aiden glanced down at the bracelet on his arm with a reluctant expression.
— Item Info
[ Soul Connector ] [ Rare ]
[A bracelet housing the supreme spirit, the ‘Knight of Dawn’. Allows entry into the unique realm <Inner Mindscape>, which can only be opened by those who have reached mastery. In this space, one can make direct contact with spirits.]
…It was only thanks to this effect that such a thing was even possible.
The bracelet itself was merely an ancient relic with no special function, but simply housing Mayer’s spirit had imbued it with a ridiculous array of effects.
Just what kind of monster was this guy?
When Aiden shot him a look that conveyed that exact thought, Mayer—still stretching his neck listlessly—scanned him from head to toe.
The probing intensity in his gaze made Aiden involuntarily shrink back.
He hadn’t felt it as strongly when interacting with Mayer’s spectral form, but facing him like this left no doubt: this man was far from ordinary.
In fact, Aiden knew a single word that perfectly described the entity sitting before him.
…A predator.
He was an individual who existed on a completely different plane, to the point that he felt like another species entirely.
The only other people who had ever given him a similar impression were Noel or Katya.
Yet even compared to those two, the atmosphere around this man was distinctly—
—terrifying.
Unlike Noel and Katya, who usually suppressed their oppressive auras out of consideration for him, this man had no intention of hiding his.
Just being in his presence felt suffocating. His pressure was uniquely overpowering, far exceeding that of the other two.
Should I consider myself lucky that I’m learning how to fight from someone like this…?
The condition Aiden had proposed was that he would reach the ‘mastery’ this man had failed to achieve, in his stead. And this was one of the steps to fulfill that promise: receiving one-on-one instruction every night within the Inner Mindscape, manifested through Aiden’s ‘dreams.’
Since this world was constructed inside his mind, whatever happened here wouldn’t affect the real world in the slightest.
“So, about that deal you proposed. Before we start, let me ask a few questions.”
As Mayer spoke, Aiden’s expression grew serious.
“Let’s be frank. You don’t have jack shit.”
“…”
“I get that you can use multiple supernatural abilities, but setting all that crap aside… you’ve never been in a real fight in your life, right? Give me a kitchen knife and I could kill you ten times over in three seconds.”
One thing was certain: this guy had no talent for sugarcoating things.
“And there’s something even worse. You don’t even look like you want to be doing this.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You hate fighting itself. You’re the type to run at the first sign of trouble, aren’t you?”
Good lord.
“Do you gain mind-reading abilities when you become a ghost?”
“I established more than half of the continent’s supernatural energy control techniques, you snot-nosed brat. You think you’re the first disciple I’ve taken? I can read you like an open book.”
He knew that was true.
Even now, Mayer was renowned as the continental hero, the Knight of Dawn—and most of those heroic tales were actually downplayed versions of the truth.
…In that sense, the evaluation Mayer gave after giving Aiden a thorough once-over was quite unexpected.
“…How the hell does a guy like you possess an ability like this?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve seen plenty of multiple ability users, but I’ve never seen anyone blend two abilities together. How did you do it? Did you scam the gods or something?”
“…Is it really that incredible?”
“Is it that incredible? Is it that incredible…? You motherf—”
Clearly swallowing a stream of profanity, Mayer let out a heavy sigh before continuing.
“Supernatural abilities are the exclusive domain of the gods. Does it make any sense for them to blend? The fact that a shitstorm hasn’t erupted around you yet is what baffles me the most. No, seriously, hah…”
“…I did hear that His Imperial Majesty the Emperor is working hard to cover up my information.”
“The fact that it can even be suppressed is absurd in itself. It just proves how pitiful this era’s understanding of supernatural abilities really is. In my time, you would’ve been captured alive and dissected by now.”
…Honestly, even hearing him say that, Aiden didn’t really get what made it such a huge deal. He just knew he was lucky not to have been born in Mayer’s era.
Aiden scratched his head.
Well, then. He certainly hadn’t expected to receive such high praise out of nowhere.
“Well, fine. With this, you won’t lack for firepower. We can focus on supernatural energy control much later.”
“Much later?”
“To be precise, I need to study you first. I’ve never seen anything like this before, so there isn’t much I can teach you right away.”
…That was another twist he hadn’t anticipated.
However…
“…Isn’t there anything else?”
In a situation where he needed to boost his stats by even a fraction, Aiden had no choice but to push.
♠ Main Quest
◈ Act 1, <Imperial Capital Rift>
▶ Chapter 1 will begin soon!
▶ Related event will proceed soon. (D-4)
…The problem was that the Main Quest was looming right around the corner.
The need to grow stronger—by any means necessary—grew more desperate by the second.
“Hmm…”
At his insistence, Mayer scratched his chin and stared at him.
“It’s not like there’s no way at all.”
“Really?”
As Aiden’s face brightened, Mayer offered a subtle nod in return.
“First, how about you die a few times to warm up?”
With that, he swept his hand horizontally—an effortless motion that looked more like a casual wave.
And then…
…Aiden’s head, caught in the path of that wave, flew clean off his shoulders.
“…?”
His severed head soared into the air. His body collapsed to the floor. Blood spurted like a fountain. Darkness enveloped his vision. Death—
“—?!”
Then, the moment he blinked, that vivid sensation vanished into thin air.
Aiden frantically checked his body while gasping for breath. His neck was still perfectly attached to his shoulders.
But…
…Just now.
He had definitely died. The sensation of his neck being severed and his head rolling across the ground remained chillingly vivid.
“It’s a false sensation. Dying in the Inner Mindscape doesn’t harm your physical body. You can just ‘come back’ like this.”
The words were dropped casually toward Aiden, who was dripping with cold sweat.
“W-What on earth was that—”
“Frankly, you’re not even at the starting line. First, you need to get used to the violence—to the sight of flesh and blood flying everywhere.”
Mayer stretched his muscles as he spoke, his tone almost gentle, like an instructor guiding a total beginner step-by-step. His next words, however, were anything but.
“So, you’ll just have to die and fight, over and over.”
“…”
“Getting comfortable with ‘fighting itself’ is the top priority. We need to quickly steel that mind of yours, which has grown soft from peace, don’t we?”
“…Wait a moment, Senior. Is that really—”
“Theory, technical training… for now, this seems like the most efficient method.”
Mayer continued speaking, his broad grin still fixed in place.
…At this point, that friendly smile looked to Aiden like nothing short of the devil’s own.
“…Try to survive by any means necessary, Junior.”
The moment that sentence ended, a second death engulfed Aiden.
* * *
“…Mr. Aiden.”
At the sudden voice, Aiden bolted upright.
“Are you alright…?”
Noel asked softly, carefully studying his face.
And no wonder—his face was gaunt, his complexion pale, and he’d been staring into space all day as if his mind were somewhere else entirely.
He couldn’t bring himself to confess that he was like this because Mayer had been tormenting him all night long.
“If you feel unwell, please rest in your bedroom. There is no need for you to force yourself to stay in the office…”
“…I’m fine.”
In truth, there really wasn’t anything wrong with his body. It was just that the memory of being hacked to pieces by Mayer for an entire night was so thoroughly horrifying.
…Damn that old bastard.
As he thought that, Aiden glared at the window floating before his eyes.
— System Log
▶ You have engaged in intense combat. New combat experience has accumulated.
▶ Accumulate combat experience to learn techniques from various swordsmanship schools!
▶ Once you learn techniques from 2 more swordsmanship schools, the ‘Martial Paths’ category will unlock.
He had died at least a dozen times in a single night, but perhaps thanks to that ordeal, a new function had been unlocked.
This is definitely…
It was a concept separate from Skills. While Skills were abilities you had to actively ‘use,’ Martial Paths were abilities that manifested from the sum of a character’s accumulated experience.
If he had to draw a comparison, it was like the difference between active skills that required manual activation and passive skills that remained permanently active.
Since this essentially expanded the types of abilities he could ‘copy,’ it was normally something to welcome with open arms. Ordinarily, that was how he should have felt.
I feel like I’m going to die…
Why else would Noel have been the first to express concern? Ever since returning from the banquet, things had been awkwardly strained between them, making it hard to even strike up a conversation.
“…”
Aiden stared quietly at Dame Noel, who closed her mouth with a slight grimace.
The moment he cut her off by saying he was fine, she had instantly snapped her gaze away as if she had no desire to engage any longer.
How should he put it? It felt as though she was intentionally maintaining a distance, refusing to let any interaction with him go past a certain point.
— Quest Info
◈ Sham Marriage
— You have been chosen as Dame Noel’s spouse. Maintain the contract with your partner until the end!
— A related event will occur soon. (D-?)
Combined with her drastically altered attitude, the quest info made it clear that a shift had occurred in her feelings.
I just can’t figure her out…
He truly had no idea what was going through her head.
As he sat staring at Noel with those thoughts in mind, she let out a deep sigh and took off her uniform cap.
Oops.
Had he been staring too blatantly? Just as he flinched, wondering if she was about to snap, Noel spoke in a calm tone.
“Mr. Aiden.”
“Yes?”
“If there is anything else I can assist you with, please tell me. You have not looked well all morning.”
“…”
“If it is difficult to talk about, I am willing to wait…”
…No, seriously. He couldn’t make heads or tails of her. She usually went out of her way to avoid contact, yet here she was, offering to help as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Well, then.
If it came to favors he needed right now, he certainly had one.
“Did you ask me to teach you swordsmanship?”
Hearing his request, Noel’s eyes widened.
“Teaching you… swordsmanship isn’t difficult. But what brought this on? I thought you were someone who didn’t pay much attention to such physical techniques.”
“…Because I want to live.”
“…”
A look that practically screamed, ‘Is that supposed to be an answer?’ flashed across Noel’s face, but it was the best excuse Aiden could squeeze out after wracking his brain.
Starting tonight, getting beaten to death by Mayer was set to become his routine. He needed something to fight back with, didn’t he?
And above all else…
If he recalled a few of the titles attached to Noel in the game, they were Lionheart, the Empire’s greatest knight, and ‘Master of the Sword.’
Even if she wasn’t an absurd monster like Mayer—who could dominate the world with sheer swordsmanship and had sliced his head off dozens of times last night—her skill with a blade was at the absolute pinnacle among superhumans.
Since he had already met the condition to unlock the Martial Paths category, if he could learn from her, there was no reason not to.
“…”
As he sorted through these facts, he noticed Noel brushing her fingers across her forehead. She seemed deeply conflicted by his proposal.
“…Um, Mr. Aiden.”
“Yes?”
“By swordsmanship lessons… do you mean receiving one-on-one instruction?”
“…Pardon?”
“…In other words, just the two of us?”
“…”
Well. Aiden hadn’t really thought that far ahead.
“…Is that important?”
“It is important.”
“…”
“It is a crucial factor.”
Seeing Noel emphasize it twice as if it were genuinely crucial, Aiden scratched his cheek.
“…If it’s that important, then yes, let’s do it one-on-one.”
“…”
At those words, Noel bit her lip and stared intensely at Aiden. What on earth was going on?
“…You are quite bold.”
“…”
“For now… I am fine with it.”
“…Ah, pardon?”
What did she mean by that? As Aiden blinked in confusion at her reaction—
Someone burst through the office door.
“What’s this? What’s going on here? Having an interesting conversation, are we?”
Noel’s face froze solid.
Aiden and Noel spent most of their time alone in the office, and others respected that arrangement by never barging in unannounced.
Even Dame Stella, acting as Dame Noel’s adjutant, drew a strict line there.
That meant there was only one person alive who would fling the door open so casually without even bothering to knock.
“…Your Highness. Mr. Aiden and I are currently speaking. Would you please step back?”
“Hey now, you’re talking about the man I’m serving as an adjutant for, aren’t you? How could I possibly stay out of it?”
As Katya gave a beaming response, Aiden noticed Noel’s eyebrows twitch violently.
If her face had merely hardened earlier, her expression now could easily be described as menacing.
…I guess the bad blood hasn’t cleared up.
The old grudge between them clearly hadn’t been resolved. The subtle tension flowing between the two was so thick that Aiden felt it instantly.
“…Mr. Aiden made a request to me, not Your Highness. This has nothing to do with—”
“Oh, but when it comes to handling Divine Power, few can rival me, you know? Wouldn’t he be far more interested in wielding a noble power than some outdated discipline like swordsmanship?”
Noel’s expression grew even grimmer. She leaned both forearms on the desk and rested her chin on her hands. The look on her face was deadly serious, akin to the expression she wore when stepping into battle.
“Princess. Considering I refrained from dragging you to court for the incident you caused, I believe you should be thanking me instead.”
“…Mmm?”
“What I am saying is that I would prefer it if you did not interfere in our business. I cannot allow Mr. Aiden to be dragged into unnecessary trouble.”
“…”
Katya offered a smirk. Her eyes, however, remained entirely cold. Watching from the side, the clear hostility in her gaze sent a chill down Aiden’s spine.
“You can’t even sort out your own attitude, yet you want to monopolize him?”
“…What did you just say?”
“Nothing at all.”
Seeing Katya tilt her head with that innocent air, sparks practically flew from Noel’s eyes.
“…Fine, then.”
She growled as she stood up from her chair.
“Since you’re acting with such arrogance, I assume you’re fully confident you can be of help to Mr. Aiden.”
“Hmm~?”
“Shall we test it, then? Which of us is more fit to be his ‘instructor’?”
That sharp declaration fell like a gauntlet thrown.
“The loser will not interfere with whatever the winner does with Mr. Aiden.”
“…”
Katya’s expression flickered. She clearly hadn’t expected Noel to push back so brazenly.
“…Now that’s an amusing proposal,” Katya said with a sharp exhale.
“Prepare for a pathetic defeat, Lionheart.”
“Those are my words, Your Highness. You seem to have lived far too comfortably due to your royal status, but things won’t go so easily for you this time.”
“You’d better prepare yourself to taste bitter defeat for once in your life.”
“…”
Somehow, things were escalating again.
As cold sweat trickled down his neck, Aiden couldn’t help but think to himself.