Endless Swings and the Heroines' Rivalry
I lost track of how many times I swung my sword while waiting for the seniors to come back for their autographs. I just kept swinging mindlessly, imagining a scarecrow right in front of me, until hunger finally made me stop.
The first thing I checked after pausing was the still-active window.
50 Million Swings
50,114,082 / 50,000,000
What the hell? Even after surpassing fifty million swings, the counter was still ticking up?
'50 Million Swings'
Titles: Proud Son, Village's Greatest Jack-of-all-Trades, Sword-Proficient Swordsman, Scarecrow Slayer, Scarecrow Annihilator, Person with a Massive Mana Pool, Mage Who Handles Decent Magic, Farming? Piece of Cake, Ace at Mediation, 50 Million Swings.
The window had definitely popped up, and it got added to my title slot alongside the others, but the counter hadn't vanished—it kept going. There was only one explanation for this.
It had to be setup for a hidden title.
In Perish, quests for hidden achievements or titles popped up pretty often. They never outright said "this is for a hidden title," of course. Instead, like now, you'd clear a quest and accidentally overshoot something—maybe do a few extra reps—and it'd just keep tracking it, hinting at the hidden nature. Plus, hidden ones usually locked off after the day of the triggering quest ended; no more progress after that.
"Alright, let's see how much further this goes."
I had no idea how much of a boost these titles gave, but I'd find out once I ranked up next and the stat window unlocked. The fact that titles were required for promotion meant their effects couldn't be ignored. In the game, stacking titles was one of the key ways to get stronger in a system without levels, so I doubted it worked any differently here.
Whoosh—slash—swish—!
No time for idle thoughts like that. I was dying to know what insane hidden title this would unlock, so no clue how many more swings it'd take, but I'd dedicate the whole damn day to hitting whatever the threshold was.
The seniors who'd come looking for autograph paper on Theo ended up in a situation where they couldn't squeeze in at all.
It was because of Theo, who kept swinging and training without a single break. As time dragged on and he showed no signs of tiring, they eventually just sat down, observing him closely like they were in a swordsmanship lecture.
In second-year and above sword classes, practical training kicked in with dedicated instructors. They'd split the class into three groups per instructor, then demo swings—telling students to watch the muscle movements closely—before showing textbook form and letting everyone mimic it.
But what they were seeing now felt even more efficient than anything those instructors ever showed.
This is way too efficient.
Theo moved like he had perfect control over every muscle, leaving the onlookers stunned. You couldn't just copy that on the spot. Hell, botch it and you might tear something, sidelining yourself from swordplay for weeks.
"Incredible..."
And amid the growing crowd of autograph seekers, Iris and Estelle had quietly claimed their own spots, watching Theo intently.
"Gasp, the crown princess and the saintess..."
"Shh, quiet. If you distract the freshman, you gonna take responsibility?"
Theo, lost in his trance-like focus, hadn't noticed the crowd swelling way beyond before—or even that Iris and Estelle had shown up. He just stared straight ahead, swinging relentlessly.
No hesitation or doubt at the blade's tip with every swing. It was pure simplicity: it's there, so I cut it. Everyone watching knew if someone stupidly jumped in front now, they wouldn't survive.
"Um, Crown Princess, Saintess...!"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Something wrong?"
Someone sidled up carefully and called to them, but their blazing gazes stayed locked on Theo.
"Ah, I'm not some weirdo. That freshman... he's always been this strong?"
The two had tensed at first, but hearing it was about Theo eased their guards a bit.
"Yes, he has. Theo's been different from the start."
"Right, he can even use magic—I taught him myself, and everything about him was leagues ahead from day one."
"Whoa, the saintess taught him?!"
"Well, he's long since surpassed me."
Finding a disciple who outgrew their master in such a short time was rare. But Theo had done it—to both his magic teacher Estelle and sword master Duncan. Compared to him now, they were leagues behind.
It wasn't that their skills had rusted; Theo had just grown faster than anyone expected.
He didn't seem to grasp how insane his progress was, but if he took the academy's practical exam right now, no one—no one across all years—could beat him for top score. Not even the top rankers whose job offers were already locked in.
"God, Theo's so cool. If only he'd say he'd come to the Holy Empire with me."
"No way that's happening. Theo's an Ermunt Empire citizen. I'll grant him a high noble title—his parents too."
"What good's an empty noble rank? Say the word to join the Holy Empire, and I'll provide a comfy house, money, fine clothes, food—everything for him and his family till the day I die."
And so the Iris-Estelle showdown reignited.
"Hah, that's basic—I didn't even mention it. If he wants to travel or do whatever, I'll fund that too. And if he insists on farming, I'll transplant his field intact, recreate the environment, and hook him up to make work easier."
"Oh my, transplanting it whole? That'll cost a fortune. You can't even use teleport magic. Me? Poof—done. Whatever it is, mine's easier."
Of course, their eyes never left Theo's training, but their nonstop banter shocked the onlookers. The crown princess and saintess were known to get along, but this?
If it were any other topic, Estelle might brush it off, and old Iris would've fretted over rumors and reputation. But anything Theo-related? No holding back.
Of course, they'd never asked him where he'd live, so his choice would end this mess.
I'm worried. What if he doesn't pick me...?!
Both thought the same, bickering pointlessly to mask it. Saying it outright might force him to pick one—and if it wasn't them?
Someday... one of us will be chosen by Theo, right...?
That day—one picking, one left behind—would come eventually. Neither knew if they'd handle rejection gracefully.
But...
...Will that day even come...?
Funniest part? They were panicking over crumbs when Theo hadn't even thought about cake.
"Haa..."
"Hoo..."
Realizing their spat was pointless, they sighed in unison.
But either way...
If Theo dates, it has to be one of us.
Can't let him date some other girl. If one of us falls short and he rejects, we could both... Wait, share him? That's genius! A guy like Theo wouldn't settle for one anyway, right?
Estelle's thoughts veered further from reality, figuring begging to both be chosen beat losing out. Should she pitch it to Iris?
...If we team up, dating Theo might actually work.
With that resolve, Estelle decided to talk to Iris soon. For now, she just gazed at Theo swinging away, eyes sparkling.