Chapter 70
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The Duke's Audience
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A week passed by like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Morning training. Lectures. Evening training. Sparring with Hena. Regular exchanges with Iolin.
It was a schedule so packed that anyone would stick out their tongue in disbelief, but it wasn't all that tough in itself.
No, the real challenge lay elsewhere.
"Hoo."
Abel, who had woken up early on Sunday morning, sat at his desk, letting out deep sighs.
"No gains..."
There was a single sheet of paper on the desk, neatly summarizing his current situation.
Most of it involved issues that couldn't be resolved in just a few days, so Abel wasn't too bothered by them. But one stood out.
The matter with Hena.
Abel reflected on the past week.
'Hardly any change at all. It's weird.'
He had met with Hena almost every day under the pretext of training, but there were no noticeable peculiarities.
If there was any progress, it was maybe that he drilled her until she was exhausted enough not to entertain stray thoughts.
"If only there were a clear-cut solution."
Abel muttered wistfully, but that was just wishful thinking.
There was no set method to resolve anything related to Hena.
No, passing it off without any incident at all was practically impossible.
That was why Abel's goal from the start had been focused on minimizing the damage.
'All I can do is keep her emotions as stable as possible and preempt anything that might provoke her.'
That was the extent of what he could manage right now.
On top of that, Abel probed daily during conversations with Hena to uncover what was tormenting her.
The emergence of those 'symptoms' was proof itself that she was suffering from something.
The cause varied by playthrough in the game, so he couldn't pinpoint it.
'Sometimes it's grades. Sometimes friendships. Clashes with instructors, or fights with her father.'
Anyone could guess at the causes—they were common gripes.
It was only natural.
Every student frets over grades at some point and stresses over friendships.
Conflicts with teachers or guardians? Abel had been through it all himself.
When he subtly asked Hena, it seemed she had her share of minor dissatisfactions too.
Abel rubbed his face with his hand.
He was trying everything he could.
But time was the issue.
"If I just had a bit more time."
Time was absolutely short.
It was the same in the game.
The event wasn't designed to be perfectly preventable.
Hena's outburst was just one episode in the game.
As long as you didn't completely ignore it like an idiot, there weren't major penalties.
'The problem is this isn't a game—it's reality.'
In a game, you could shrug it off.
But here, it was real life. Hena was real, and so were the others—living, breathing people.
It wasn't something you could dismiss with an "oh well."
Abel stared at the paper for a long while before standing up.
Sitting there wouldn't conjure a solution, and he had things to do today.
'About an hour left.'
Abel checked the time, quickly dressed, and stepped outside.
He headed straight to the cafeteria for breakfast, then strolled out of the dorms.
The cool breeze eased his tangled thoughts a little.
Exactly an hour after leaving his room, he arrived back at the dorm entrance.
"Abel!"
Hena called his name and approached.
"Sorry for dragging you out on the weekend."
"What drag? It's an honor for me."
Abel replied with a smile and followed her lead.
Their destination was the building housing the reception rooms for academy visitors.
The reason Abel was following her there was simple.
Today was the day Hena's father, Duke Del Kior, had agreed to meet him.
He wouldn't claim to be free of nerves—that would be a lie—but he'd heard about it a week ago and had steeled himself.
'Still no clue what he wants to talk about.'
Their last meeting hadn't gone badly. In fact, it had exceeded expectations. He'd even been handed a fortune.
"Here. Should I open it?"
Hena stopped in front of a door on the second floor.
Abel snapped out of his reverie and nodded. She slowly turned the handle.
The door slid open silently, revealing the room's interior through the gap.
'Similar to last time.'
Probably because it was the same guest lounge setup.
But there was no time to inspect it closely.
His eyes landed on the man in the center of the room.
A muscular build that seemed ready to burst through his clothes. Fiery red hair.
It was Duke Del Kior.
The duke turned at the sound of the door, his gaze fixing on Abel.
Reflexively, Abel bowed and spoke.
"It's an honor to meet you again, Duke Del Kior."
"Hm. It's been a while."
The duke nodded and gestured to the seat across from him.
"Come sit here. Hena, we'll talk later."
"Yes."
Hena retreated, closing the door behind her. Abel masked his tension and walked over.
Sitting opposite him amplified the pressure.
The duke stroked his beard, eyeing Abel before speaking.
"We said we'd meet again when the chance arose, but I didn't expect it so soon."
"That's true."
"Do you know why I called you?"
At the duke's question, Abel hesitated briefly before answering honestly.
"Not really."
"Good to be straightforward. Truth is, it was just a whim."
The word "whim" put a question mark in Abel's mind.
"I was talking with Hena, and your name came up several times. Piqued my curiosity. Since our last meeting left a good impression, I figured we'd chat again."
'So he just called me on a whim?'
It was the kind of statement that could ease his tension, but Abel stayed alert.
No need to give the duke any opening for criticism with a slip-up.
"So. I hear you're helping Hena with her studies lately?"
"Less helping and more studying together. Exams are coming up soon."
"Must be doing well, then."
"I don't lag behind others."
"Hmm."
The back-and-forth brought an inexplicable pressure, like a job interview.
'What could he be thinking?'
Abel answered diligently while inwardly puzzled.
The atmosphere was similar to last time yet distinctly different.
"I've been asking all the questions. Got anything you're curious about?"
When the duke suddenly handed over the reins, Abel couldn't respond right away.
'A question, huh.'
Curious? He had some, but they weren't the type to blurt out.
So he started with something light.
"I've heard you're not only an outstanding warrior but also a renowned rider. Especially skilled with massive swords, handling them like extensions of your body..."
"Ahem. Well, I'm decent. Why do you ask?"
"I've been considering greatswords myself lately. Any advice you could offer?"
"Is that so?"
The duke's face lit up.
"People think wielding a big sword is just swinging it wildly, but that's shallow. The weight demands attention to detail. Especially..."
No need for follow-ups—the duke launched into an unbroken stream of advice.
Abel had asked lightly to break the ice, but he found himself absorbed.
The insights from an elite rider like the duke were priceless.
"Then like this...?"
"Exactly! Just like that..."
Later, the duke even stood to demonstrate poses in person.
Time flew by in the heated exchange.
"Ah, already an hour gone."
The duke checked the time, startled, then spoke with an awkward smile.
"Got carried away talking too much."
"Not at all. I'll treasure your guidance today and keep striving forward."
Pleased by Abel's polite response, the duke smiled warmly and nodded.
"Well, before we wrap up..."
He fell silent a moment, then grew serious.
"Has Hena been acting strangely lately?"
"Strangely, you say?"
Abel realized in that instant: this was the real reason for the meeting.
The duke hesitated uncharacteristically before continuing.
"Yes. Anything at all, no matter how small—speak freely."
Abel carefully chose his words.
"Nothing major, but... she's been having a lot of nightmares lately."
"Nightmares?"
"Yes. And..."
Before finishing, Abel wrestled intensely with himself in that brief moment.
Should he say it? What would the duke's reaction be? Better to hold back?
After agonizing, he spoke.
"Lately, she mentioned the marking on her ankle seems to be darkening..."
"..."
The duke's face hardened at Abel's words. He sat in heavy silence before speaking slowly.
"She... talked about the marking?"
"I happened to see it during training and asked first."
"I see. The marking..."
Tap, tap.
Trailing off, the duke drummed his fingers on the table, silent for a long stretch before finally speaking.
"I think that's our chat for today."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
"It was enjoyable. We'll meet again soon. Oh, could you tell Hena outside to come in?"
"Yes."
Abel bowed politely at what amounted to a dismissal and left the reception room.
Outside, he found Hena waiting nearby and relayed the message.
"See you at dinner!"
"Yeah."
Hena entered the room promptly, and Abel slowly made his way back to the dorms.
'Too bad I couldn't get more info.'
He recalled the duke's final reaction.
Clearly, the duke was concerned about it too.
But Abel knew better.
The duke wouldn't prove much help with Hena's issue.
'In the game, he barely got involved in her outburst.'
Abel had thought maybe the duke didn't care much, but the reaction suggested otherwise.
'Then perhaps even he has no solution.'
Lost in such thoughts, Abel kept walking.
Back in his dorm room, he opened the door and spotted something unexpected.
A letter envelope, with a brief note on it.
-Requested information enclosed.
It was from the organization he'd commissioned.