Winter of the Cold Rose (1)
At the Knight Faculty of Dandelion Academy, students could rent the sparring grounds outside of class hours as long as they submitted a request.
The academy welcomed the students' proactive self-improvement.
And today, I was once again sharing blows with a man in one of these rented sparring grounds.
However, the situation was not going well for me.
I unleashed countless strikes over several exchanges, but not a single blow managed to land on my opponent.
He effortlessly deflected my attacks with the sword held in his single hand, leaving me completely exposed before delivering a counterstrike.
I hurriedly brought up my greatsword with both hands to defend, but the sheer force behind his strike—unbelievable for a one-handed sword—sent me flying backward.
Fortunately, I managed to break my fall and land on the ground without any major injuries, but I had already drifted far outside the boundary line drawn on the sparring ring.
Yes, it was my defeat once again.
"Good work, Seraphina."
The man speaking to me was Marc Visus. He was hailed as this year's rising star, having resolved not only the terror incident during admission but also the dungeon outbreak that occurred during the midterm exam assignment.
He had already garnered significant attention when he resolved the black mage terror incident, but after handling the crisis during the midterms, he had become the most famous figure within Dandelion Academy.
As such, he was a talent highly sought after by the imperial family, as well as the majority of the nobility—including my own family, the House of Serion.
"Sorry. Maybe I put a bit too much strength into that last strike."
"Not at all. I am grateful to you for sparing your time to guide me today as well."
I had heard the rumors, but the talent of this man, Marc Visus, was truly astonishing.
Although I had inherited the talent of the prestigious knightly House of Serion, compared to the man before me, my abilities were a mere drop in the ocean.
When we first sparred after admission, he was nothing more than an average swordsman. Yet, ever since he resolved the dungeon outbreak, his skills had been improving by leaps and bounds with each passing day.
At this point, he had not only long surpassed me, but his level had become so high that I could no longer even stand as his opponent unless he held back.
It would likely be difficult to find anyone with his level of skill, not just among the first-years, but even among the students on the verge of graduation.
To be honest, when I first heard the news that Marc Visus had resolved the black mage terror incident and the dungeon outbreak, I could not bring myself to believe it.
To my eyes, having been present at the scene back then, the leader of the black mages he supposedly defeated—the one in the red robe—did not seem much different from any other common rabble.
Because of that, I had harbored doubts that the red-robed black mage he defeated might not have been the true mastermind or the leader of the terror group.
Furthermore, regarding the incident during the midterm dungeon outbreak, although I was not in his party, I had accompanied him during the initial phase.
The combat prowess he displayed back then was so poor that I could not, in good conscience, call it decent.
At least, that was the impression he gave during the time we traveled together, right up until the sudden collapse of the dungeon separated our group.
Thus, until that point, I had been quite suspicious of the man named Marc Visus.
However, after the dungeon outbreak that day, Marc Visus changed drastically.
First, his swordsmanship and physical abilities grew noticeably. His swordsmanship, which had been at the mediocre level of a Lower Sword User, had now risen to the level of a Sword Expert.
Moreover, the results of his physical evaluations had improved beyond comparison to when he first entered the academy.
Consequently, rumors began to circulate that he might have obtained a special artifact or a miraculous medicine, such as an Elixir, on the day the dungeon went wild.
A legendary potion of forgotten name that, upon consumption, unlocks one's physical limits and magical potential, elevating them to a higher plane.
An artifact that could turn an ordinary peasant into a Sword Master simply by hanging it around their neck or slipping it onto their finger.
These were treasures that could only be rarely obtained by conquering high-difficulty dungeons.
Of course, even if Marc had truly grown strong through such means, it would not severely damage his reputation.
Certainly, some might look at those who gained power in this manner and call it unfair or cowardly.
However, such treasures could only be acquired by completely conquering the dungeon in question.
Even if luck or chance played a part, these were ultimately rewards won through one's own strength.
Therefore, even if Marc Visus had grown strong through the power of an elixir or an artifact, few would criticize him. Those were rewards he had earned with his own hands.
Thanks to this, while I had initially tried to get close to him half-reluctantly under my father's orders, I could now act with a degree of my own volition.
It was a pity that he lacked the talent to teach others, but simply trading blows with him was enough to steadily improve my own skills.
If nothing else, developing and honing my swordsmanship was one of the few joys in my life.
It was then.
"...Your swordsmanship still harbors many flaws, Seraphina Serion."
"Father... You were watching..."
My father, Regulus Serion, the current head of the House of Serion, approached me. I did not know how long he had been watching.
"I greet the head of the House of Serion."
Marc Visus bowed deeply and knelt to show his respect.
My father acknowledged the gesture with a light wave of his hand, prompting him to rise.
"Indeed. Marc Visus, was it? Your skills are as excellent as the rumors say. Even my daughter, Seraphina Serion, is a talent who has received elite education since childhood, yet you defeated her so effortlessly."
"I was merely lucky."
"Even if it were luck, if it repeats, it can be considered skill. There is no need for humility. Since we are on the topic, do you have any intention of receiving the support of our House of Serion? I speak because I covet a talent such as yourself."
"...If you wish, I can even arrange a suitable 'partner' for your future."
"Haha... I will consider it positively."
Saying so, Marc stole a glance in my direction.
"I hope you will maintain a good relationship with my daughter, Seraphina Serion."
With those words, my father also cast a glance at me.
It was as if he were asking if I understood the meaning behind this conversation.
Then, without even explaining the reason for his visit, he departed.
"Anyway, I worked up quite a sweat this time. Oh, right! Seraphina, I looked around the other day and found a pretty nice cafe near the academy. Would you like to go together?"
"Right now? Classes may be over, but is this amount of training not still insufficient?"
"Don't say such cold things~ You shouldn't be so stiff. Sometimes you need to take it easy and rest."
Lately, he had been suggesting unnecessary meetings outside of training or classes more often.
It wasn't that this had never happened before, but the frequency had increased noticeably of late.
He had started acting this way after meeting someone on a certain weekend.
Although I expressed my curiosity, he seemed reluctant to answer, so I did not press him further.
Well, it wasn't as if I had any major complaints about his current attitude.
Marc Visus was a talented individual coveted by various nobles and the imperial family.
Not only did he have the achievements of resolving multiple incidents, but his abilities had now become outstanding as well.
Though I found it slightly bothersome, there was no harm in staying close to him.
My family, the House of Serion, also seemed to want me to become close to him and eventually marry him to elevate our family's name.
In that sense, Marc's behavior was quite a favorable development.
In a way, I knew I might just be acting according to my family's orders.
However, it was common for nobles to marry based solely on family status and ability, without any feelings of love.
From the moment I began wielding a sword under the name of Serion, I had long abandoned the vain dream of love.
In the first place, I had never loved anyone in my life.
So, whether I had feelings for the man beside me, Marc, was not of great importance.
If I could not love him, I would simply strive to do so, while focusing on bringing glory to my family and refining my sword.
"...Very well. If you insist, I shall accompany you."
"That's the spirit! Come on, follow me, Seraphina."
Still, I had recently begun to view the current situation in a positive light.
He had caught the eye of the academy's principal, Rium Kitokal, and was showing excellent growth with direct support.
On top of that, he had no particular flaws on his face and was actually quite good-looking.
In a way, he was a decent marriage prospect.
And above all, by trading blows with him, I could improve my stagnant swordsmanship, even if only by a little.
That fact alone was enough to make me approach him of my own free will.
Come to think of it, for some reason, the young lady of the Tistina family, who used to follow him around constantly, had recently distanced herself from him.
I had kept her in check in my own way before, so perhaps that had been effective.
At any rate, I followed Marc and arrived at the cafe he was heading to.
"Alright, I heard this cafe has a really great atmosphere. Apparently, couples come here a lot. In a way, our relationship..."
Marc, who was speaking with a smile, suddenly stiffened, his face turning cold as if frozen.
"...? What is the matter? Is there a problem?"
Out of curiosity, I leaned forward to look inside the cafe.
Sitting together at a table inside were the young lady of the Tistina family, who had once followed Marc Visus around...
And a handsome man with curly black hair.