A Chilly Reception
The atmosphere grew icy. Lucien looked absolutely furious.
Wow, he looks terrifying.
Meanwhile, Sebastian stared at the sword in my hand, his voice betraying his surprise despite his remarkably calm expression.
"To think that legendary blade actually existed... I must admit, I am somewhat surprised, Milady."
"Sebastian."
"Yes. My apologies, Patriarch."
With just a single word from Lucien, Sebastian shut his mouth. Talk about an overwhelming charisma.
Sebastian pushed up his glasses with a troubled look and spoke.
"Ahem. Milady, I must apologize, but... the Patriarch is exceedingly angry."
I know, I know. But he's a total pushover when it comes to his daughter anyway. No need for me to lose my nerve.
"I heard you went to Mount Atria. I assume that sword is the reason why?"
Wait, I never told him I was going to Mount Atria? Ah, it must have been that little whistle Sebastian gave me.
"Yes, Papa! That is correct. Isn't it a magnificent sword? Hoho!"
"Fran!..."
Marie tried to stop me, clearly anxious about my joking in such a tense atmosphere.
"...To venture into such a dangerous place. No matter how much I dote on you, I cannot let this slide."
He glared, his voice booming. His aura was intense.
"What if you had been hurt?! Slipping away without a single word!!"
"Father..."
Marie hung her head, looking deeply apologetic.
But I, on the other hand, was getting annoyed.
My goodness, his daughter just brought home an incredible treasure! He should be showering me with praise, not scolding me! What, does he expect me to just sit quietly at home forever? If I do that, our family is doomed!
Sure, I didn't explain the situation beforehand, but this blind overprotectiveness is just suffocating.
As the nagging continued, my emotions finally boiled over.
"Ugh..."
"I'm already seventeen years old, you know! I hate you, Papa!!"
Ah. It slipped out. Sebastian and Marie's eyes went wide with shock.
And upon hearing those words, Lucien froze completely solid.
"Patriarch?"
Sebastian quickly checked on Lucien's well-being.
"W-What...? H-Hate...? You hate your father?"
He seemed utterly devastated.
Lucien kept repeating the same words like a broken machine. Supporting the collapsing patriarch, Sebastian spoke to us.
"My word, the shock appears to be quite severe. Miladies, please return to your rooms. I shall handle the Patriarch."
"Hmph!"
I marched proudly back to my room. Marie followed behind me, fidgeting anxiously.
"F-Fran... Father looked so hurt."
"He'll be fine. If I act cute and butter him up tomorrow, he'll be over the moon again."
"But what are you going to do now?"
She was right. Even though I had obtained Scarlet and unlocked some power, the fact remained that I had zero magical aptitude.
There might be a breakthrough. No, there has to be.
Like blocking magic, or having physical strength that completely overwhelms it.
"There are many things I must test."
"Test?"
"I'm going to the training grounds tomorrow. Would you like to come with me, Marie?"
"Yes, I'd love to!"
The next day.
When I woke up in the morning, my body felt incredibly refreshed.
Despite all the walking and fighting yesterday, I didn't feel a single ounce of fatigue. Maybe I have some insane, monstrous stamina.
Ah, it would be so nice if there was a status window with actual stats. Well, I have Greatsword Mastery EX anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter?
After breakfast, I enjoyed a walk with Marie.
"Are you going to practice your swordsmanship at the training grounds?"
Marie asked curiously.
"That, and I also wish to compare magic against my Scarlet."
"Hmm..."
Marie stepped ahead of me and spoke.
"You know that magic varies greatly depending on who casts it, right?"
"O-Of course~"
I don't really know, but it sounds about right, so I just went along with it.
Marie turned around with a bright smile.
"That's why I believe the 'who' matters much more than the 'how'."
"!"
"I believe in you, Fran! So don't worry too much, hehe."
She's so sweet. I honestly have no idea how a girl this kind could ever end up joining hands with the demons.
Maybe she's just too innocent for her own good?
After our walk, Marie and I went to find Sebastian.
"Greetings, Milady. How may I be of service?"
"Is Papa feeling any better?"
"Yes. After having breakfast with you this morning, his mood has completely recovered."
Ah, right. That's not why I came here.
"Ahem! I wish to have a contest of strength with you."
"A contest of strength, you say?"
"I wish to test my sword!"
Sebastian adjusted his glasses, as if realizing something.
"I see. Very well. I shall arrange a time at the training grounds."
Later that afternoon, after lunch,
I stood side-by-side with Sebastian at the training grounds.
Sally stood between us as the referee and spoke.
"The rules of the match are simple. The winner is whoever destroys more of the straw dummies ahead. Please begin when you are ready."
Marie stood beside Sally to watch.
Sebastian bowed calmly and spoke.
"Even if you are my lady, I shall not hold back. It is all for your own sake, after all."
Oho, look at him acting all relaxed.
"Ohoho~ Very well. Show me what you've got."
Sebastian drew the wand from his waist and aimed it at the dummies.
He possessed an aptitude for fire magic, and was widely considered one of the finest fire mages within the family.
A spark ignited at the tip of his wand, and a devastating torrent of flames erupted forward.
He manipulated the fire magic with dazzling precision, turning the entire area into a sea of flames.
"Butler, you have destroyed twenty-six out of thirty dummies."
"My, you are quite skilled, Sebastian."
"It is now your turn, Milady."
With a snap of Sebastian's fingers, the destroyed dummies were replaced with brand-new ones. That magic definitely feels like resetting targets at a shooting range.
"Very well~ Here I go!"
Gripping Scarlet tightly with both hands, I dashed into the midst of the dummies.
Positioning myself perfectly, I channeled all my strength and swung Scarlet in a full circle.
"Hah!"
A crimson energy swirled around the blade, and the surrounding dummies collapsed and shattered into pieces all at once.
"To destroy them all in a single blow, without even targeting them individually...!"
"As expected... of Milady."
Marie and Sally stared in awe at the completely obliterated dummies.
"Fran, that was amazing!"
"Ohoho! Of course it was!"
"Since Milady has destroyed two more dummies, the victory goes to Milady."
It was my victory by a narrow margin.
Yet Sebastian remained entirely unfazed. He pondered quietly for a moment, then suddenly made a proposal.
"Milady, would you be open to a duel this time?"
"Pardon? A one-on-one duel with you?"
"Yes. I ask only that you attempt to block my attack."
Wait, what? So suddenly?
Actually, it's not that sudden. This is a world of magic, after all.
He's probably concerned about me wielding a sword. And honestly, I wanted to test whether Scarlet could block magic anyway.
"Very well! I accept your challenge."
Just like that, the training grounds transformed into a sudden 1v1 showdown.
Sebastian adjusted his gloves.
"Swords are relics of a bygone era."
He raised his wand once more, pointing it directly at me.
"I wish to hear the reason why you have suddenly become so obsessed with the sword, Milady."
From a distance, Marie watched me with a worried expression. I flashed her a reassuring smile.
"I cannot tell you everything, but I can tell you this much."
I gripped Scarlet's hilt with one hand, supported the flat of the blade with the other, and held it up in front of me.
It was a defensive stance, using Scarlet as a shield to block a frontal assault.
"I wish to enroll in the Academy!"
"...Hmm. I see."
Flames began to flicker at the tip of Sebastian's wand.
"In that case, allow me to be your very first examiner."
Whoosh! The same blazing torrent that had incinerated the dummies came rushing straight toward me.
Here it comes!
The flames split into two paths along Scarlet's blade. It was blocking the attack, but the heat radiating onto my hands was intense.
"Ugh."
"No matter how powerful a greatsword may be, it is ultimately nothing more than a pitiful weapon in the face of magic, Milady."
Excuse me? Are you looking down on greatswords? Then how about this!
I crossed my hands over Scarlet's hilt and began to spin it rapidly.
"?!"
Sebastian looked slightly taken aback.
"W-What is that..."
"Fran...!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The legendary Blade Windmill technique!
As my hands cooled down, I could tell the flames were being completely deflected. With my hands spinning even faster, the blade created a powerful backdraft, sending the flames roaring right back at Sebastian.
Leaping backward nimbly, Sebastian ceased his magic. He then calmly adjusted his attire.
"Hmm. Impressive as always, Milady."
I was starting to feel a bit miffed at Sebastian for looking down on swords.
"Hmph. I shall remember your words quite clearly."
"It seems there has been a misunderstanding."
Sebastian bowed politely and spoke.
"I merely wished to test the depth of your resolve, Milady. Please forgive my rudeness."
"Pardon?"
"I know that whatever weapon you choose to wield, you will carry yourself forward with pride."
Marie and Sally walked over to us.
"That's right! I'll always be by your side to help you, Fran!"
"Should anyone dare to speak ill of you, I, Sally Clavel, shall see to it that they are severely punished."
"Marie! Sally!"
How reassuring. Alright, let's keep pushing forward! But...
"But... will I really be able to enroll in the Academy?"
As if he had been waiting for that exact question, Sebastian pushed up his glasses and spoke.
"You need not worry about that."
Oh! Is there actually a way?
"The Academy has a special admission system."
"!"
"Defeating monsters grants bonus points toward the entrance exam score."
"Bonus points!"
"In other words, as long as you possess an Adventurer License, your admission will be guaranteed."
"An Adventurer License...!"
The Academy's founding purpose was magic research, but that research was ultimately meant to combat monsters.
So that's why they grant bonus points for slaying monsters...
Ah, now that I think about it, didn't I pocket that goblin's accessory?