Slowly Seeping In
“….”
Lydia awoke from sleep. More precisely, she regained consciousness within a dream. She sat in an old chair. Her clothes had somehow changed from pajamas into her academy uniform.
‘…It’s a dream.’
She looked around. It was the familiar “study from her memories.” The worn bookshelves and cheap furniture remained unchanged. Yet it was a place filled with warmth. This was where the memories of her previous life as the man “Lee Daehyun” were preserved in perfect detail.
Even the dramas, novels, and manga she had watched and read in her past life were neatly organized here.
‘Good for passing the time when I’m bored.’
This time, Lydia did not rise from her seat. Now that Morgan had joined them, what mattered was not the original story’s plot, but the variables of reality.
‘After the Sabbath of the Sun, I’ll need to decide our course of action based on how the people around us react to our group. The story has already twisted far beyond recognition, so unexpected variables could still appear…’
Moreover, the original game had been a complete mess, with entirely different antagonistic NPC backstories depending on each heroine’s route. It had felt fresh when it was just a game, but now that it was reality, there was no way to verify what was true.
In one route, a character was a background extra. In another, a hero. In yet another, a villain. All of them were the same person’s story. There were already four such characters.
Lydia sighed.
“…Haa.”
This part always left her feeling frustrated. Even if Arty claimed to love Aria now, she could not be certain whether this world followed the “Aria route.”
Damn it, if only she could be sure!
‘They’re all wearing the masks of high-ranking nobles, so confirmation is necessary.’
If she could be certain, Lydia could simply select the future villains and assassinate them herself. A Sword Master striking at night would be enough to sever the heads of most Black Temple villains.
Or she could assassinate the King of Gallia, who was complicit with the Black Temple in every route, and observe the reaction…
It would be deeply unfilial, but it was difficult for her to regard as a father the man who had seen her only twice before abandoning her after she was born as Lydia. She had seriously considered assassinating him.
“….”
But she could not. If she made a mistake and the villains scattered like rats into their holes, it would be disastrous. They were cockroaches that bred in the dark. She could not face the knightly comrades who would have to sacrifice themselves for it.
‘I asked Mirian to gather as much information as possible, but no decisive evidence has surfaced yet.’
Only one method remained: wait for the decisive moment.
“….”
It was frustrating. Both Lee Daehyun and Lydia despised this approach.
“….”
So, without even opening a book, she remained seated and tapped the table.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
As if trying to shake off her impatience.
While doing so, she thought.
“….”
She had read Holy Sword Hero Biography hundreds of times since being reborn as “Lydia.” She could recite the exact number of characters in each heroine’s final drawn-out scream during their explicit scenes. Yet whenever her memories grew hazy, this dream kindly appeared, allowing her to read them again.
‘It’s as if someone is telling me not to forget these memories.’
During her childhood, she had been anxious. Not knowing how long she would have this dream, she had filled notebooks with common routes and the antagonistic details of NPCs for each heroine’s route. Of course, she had written everything in Korean, not Gallian, so no one could read it.
‘My brother used to tease me, saying I was just pretending to write when I was five…’
“….”
But the dream continued. So she burned the notebooks. She had no desire for the foolish development where some villain or ally with linguistic decoding abilities discovered them.
It had probably been when she was seven. The day before she joined the Ember Knights and resolved to save Léonard and Mirian.
Honestly, that was when she first sensed she was becoming closer to “Lydia” than to “Lee Daehyun.” Both in body and in mind.
Lydia chuckled softly.
“Heh.”
‘Calling someone “brother” and speaking like a proper lady in Gallian… it only felt natural once it had completely taken root.’
Her past self would have stubbornly called Léonard “hyung-nim” to the very end. The word existed in Gallian as well. But she had not chosen it. She had decided, of her own will, to treat Léonard as “orabeoni.”
‘Since he genuinely loves me as family, I decided to approach him with genuine sincerity as well.’
And so she lived Lydia’s life. Born as a princess—loving Mirian and Léonard as family, learning the essential accomplishments of royalty, her body gradually becoming more feminine, experiencing the sidelong glances of men…
The traces of Lee Daehyun grew fainter and fainter. Sometimes she wondered if her previous life had merely been a long dream.
In the end, she became Lydia.
Tap—
Lydia stopped her finger.
“….”
No. She was not the complete “Princess Lydia.” There was clearly something different about her compared to the original “her.”
[I am not the “incompetent princess” from the original story. I will not sell my body and depend on others like she did. I will not be swayed by this world’s wretched adult game settings. I will normalize this world.]
That was clearly something “Lee Daehyun” would think.
Lydia clenched her fists.
“…And I will save the Kingdom of Gallia from its predetermined destruction. As royalty, I will reclaim their future.”
This was clearly something “Lydia” would think.
The two thoughts coexisted. Just as Lydia inwardly called Arty and his companions her “subordinates” while also regarding them as “friends” whose growth brought her joy.
She held both thoughts at once. That was who she was.
*
“Lydia?”
“?”
Lydia lifted her head. Beneath the dawn sky, Arty and Mave, who had been sparring for a long time, were looking at her with concern. Morgan, who had been reading beside them, and Aria, who had been worrying about Arty, were also watching.
Arty spoke carefully.
“Is something the matter?”
“….”
Lydia shook her head.
“Nothing at all. I was simply lost in thought.”
“I see…”
“Arty, your sparring has improved considerably. To think you can now deflect Mave’s sword even once out of ten times.”
“Huh?! You weren’t even watching—how did you know?”
“I could tell from the sound alone.”
“Whoa…”
Arty scratched his sweat-drenched forehead.
“Sometimes I really wonder just how skilled you actually are, Lydia. You keep up with all the physical training in the Swordsmanship Department, you know so much about swordsmanship, and the way you teach mana control is so easy to understand…”
“….”
“Above all, during the battle with the skeleton riders, you finished them all off with swordsmanship—‘wham-wham, crash—!’”
“…That I did.”
Mave tilted her head.
“Wham-wham, crash…?”
“Yeah, when Lydia swung her sword once—wham!—all the skeletons in front just collapsed—crash!”
“Hmm, uh… really?”
“Yeah.”
“….”
“…?”
“Hey, country bumpkin, come here for a second.”
After glancing at Lydia, Mave slung an arm around Arty’s shoulder and whispered. Unfortunately for her, Lydia heard everything.
“D-did her sword faintly ripple or sparkle back then? Did she shout some technique name while releasing an incredibly cool light…?”
“?”
“…Be honest, bumpkin. This could go down in history.”
“??”
Arty did not grasp the intent of the question. So he simply answered truthfully.
“No…? It was just a normal steel sword.”
“Then it’s the highest level of Fluid Realm. Well, I suppose my imagination went too far. It couldn’t have been Ignition or Radiance… But reaching this level is still extraordinary.”
“How extraordinary, exactly?”
“….”
Mave swallowed hard.
“Do you remember Senior Lucian from the first day of the Sabbath?”
“Ah, that big third-year noble faction leader.”
“Don’t talk about nobles like that in public. …Anyway, he’s a genius known among Gallian knights as the ‘Golden Knight.’ He’s still only on the verge of reaching Ignition.”
“We’re in the same Fluid Realm, so why all the fuss…?”
Mave lightly slapped the foolish Arty’s cheek.
“Idiot. If it were the same, would they call him that? Think about it.”
“Then what is it?”
“Even after awakening the mana heart, the path of Fluid Realm is long and arduous. But with consistent practice and training, one can push their limits until mana begins to leak from the sword. That is the precursor to Ignition.”
“Whoa…”
“At that stage, you can strike distant enemies with sword wind.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Exactly. According to official records, the youngest genius swordsman to reach the highest level of Fluid Realm was twenty-one years old. He later became a Sword Master.”
“….”
The youngest genius in history had reached that level at twenty-one. Lucian was currently twenty. He was considered the most promising knight in the Kingdom of Gallia.
And…
Lydia was currently eighteen, the same age as Arty and Mave.
“….”
“….”
They fell silent.
“….”
“….”
They jolted in shock and stared at Lydia.
“Uwah—?!”
“Oh my god, Sun God—?!”
At the mention of “Sun God,” Aria flinched, while Morgan, who had been licking her finger to turn pages in the corner, glanced over.
After a moment of thought, Lydia spoke.
She could not remain an “anyway, she’s a strong royal” forever. It seemed time to firmly establish her image.
“…How long have you been by this lady’s side, that you are so belatedly surprised?”
“I-is Lydia really at the highest level of Fluid Realm? On par with that big senior…?”
“This lady is not inferior to Senior Lucian. He likely sensed it the moment he saw me on the street.”
“My word…”
Awe filled Arty’s face. It seemed he was newly moved by the fact that he was with such royalty. His expression resembled that of an ordinary person seeing a celebrity or idol in person.
Lydia looked at him in disbelief.
‘He hasn’t even been acknowledged yet, and he’s the Holy Sword Hero.’
“….”
In truth, Lydia was a Sword Master. If that fact were revealed, it would not be the academy that turned upside down, but the entire southern continent. They would rush to graduate the freshman Lydia immediately and send frenzied offers from every nation.
‘If I draw that much attention, I’ll essentially become a constant surveillance target… It would be more appropriate to remain a genius within the bounds of common sense.’
At the very least, a genius of this level would be granted leeway until graduation from the academy. She would draw some attention, but she was already receiving more than enough as a princess.
Mave was horrified.
“I-is this even allowed?”
“?”
“Being a royal who is beautiful, captivating, composed, rational, decisive, kind, and overflowing with consideration while also being deeply knowledgeable in swordsmanship was already more than enough…!”
“….”
“And now you’re a genius on top of that! I knew the Gallian royalty was great, but I never imagined they would be this great!”
“…You exaggerate too much, Mave.”
Mave shook her head vigorously. Her sweat-soaked black hair swayed intensely.
“No! This lowly knight swears—if anyone were to witness Your Highness Lydia’s noble bearing, virtuous character, and distinguished skill…! Every knight of the Kingdom of Gallia would gladly offer their hearts to you!”
“I appreciate you viewing me favorably as a friend. However, that praise contains far too much of your personal affection toward this lady to accept it at face value. I shall accept only the sentiment.”
“Aah, aaah! To think I am friends with Lady Lydia is already too much of an honor! But I don’t want to let it go…!”
Mave covered her face and danced with her shoulders. It was the flailing of someone who did not want to leave this happy reality.
Arty and Aria each fell into deep thought.
“….”
“….”
Morgan coldly observed the scene and clicked her tongue softly. Her red eyes only warmed when they looked at Lydia.
“…Tsk.”
Lydia looked at Morgan.
“….”
Morgan had been licking her finger and turning the pages of a thick book since earlier. Having joined midway through the Sabbath, she had not spoken a single word to the others. Arty and Mave had been bewildered at first, but now they simply ignored her presence. Even Aria merely smiled quietly and pretended not to notice.
Lydia watched the sight with a hint of pity.
“….”
More precisely, she watched Morgan’s parched fingers.
‘This is… far too severe. Her fingers lack enough oil to even turn pages properly. Classic symptoms of malnutrition.’
Whenever the petite Morgan opened her mouth, her badly chapped lips were visible. Blood even beaded slightly between her white teeth. It was an extremely serious sign of deteriorating health.
Moreover, her uniform was heavily wrinkled and damp. The faint smell of sweat suggested she rarely washed it. She seemed far removed from hygiene as well.
‘It wasn’t as noticeable in the warehouse, but seeing her outside, she’s barely functioning as a human being. I knew from the setting that Morgan was running around and sleeping in various places because of bullying…’
This was…
This was far too serious. It was not something that could be dismissed as mere cuteness. It was also an element that had never been revealed in the game.
“….”
Lydia made another resolution. From tomorrow onward, she would feed her often and let her sleep in a clean environment.
*
After the dawn training ended, Aria and Morgan returned to their respective departments. Lydia walked toward the Swordsmanship Department training grounds with Arty and Mave following behind. The two of them were even more spirited than the dawn itself, their shoulders squared.
‘If people think three of the academy’s rare Fluid Realm practitioners are walking together, it must be reassuring.’
Anyway.
What mattered was not the reaction of her subordinates and friends.
When Lydia’s group entered, as expected, the Swordsmanship Department freshmen all turned to look. Commoners were extremely few. Most were from Gallian noble families.
‘And they belong to the orthodox noble faction…’
Sure enough, the gazes of the Swordsmanship Department freshmen were intense.
“!”
“!”
“!”
They slowly rose from their seats and approached. Arty and Mave quietly stepped in front of Lydia.
Lydia braced herself. The probing was over.
‘Originally, this would be the point where the “commoner beating” event or “noble check” event targeting the easy mark Arty would occur. But now that Arty has awakened the Holy Sword, what kind of jealousy and hostility will they show…’
Twenty-four men and women faced three.
“….”
“….”
“….”
From the larger group, one noble student stepped forward. He was Lucian’s younger brother, Dominic.
Dominic swallowed hard and spoke to Lydia in a trembling voice.
“L-Lady Lydia, it is an honor…”
“?”
“I have long wished to speak with Your Highness the Princess. But because of my family’s watchful eyes…”
“…?”
“But I’ve heard it’s all right now.”
Then the others murmured in agreement.
“Me too…”
“From the very first day, I wanted to keep talking with Your Highness the Princess.”
“I’m glad permission has finally been granted.”
“The fact that we’re training alongside royalty makes my heart race…”
“You’re so beautiful.”
Lydia tilted her head.
“?”
What was this reaction?