"Xian, this is Serika." Moris said, motioning to the woman in the training grounds who looked impatient. "A valued and loyal vassal of the young lady herself."
Then he turned to Serika. "I assume you've heard of Xian. He will act as the lady's butler in the academy and attend to her needs."
"From now on, you will train with her. Your goal is to land one strike on her by the end of the week."
"Sir Moris, pardon me but… Won't this interfere with their duty too much?" Xian asked. But in truth, he was thrilled.
This wasn't just some event, this felt like a hidden scenario. One that hadn't been listed by anyone. And now, it belonged to him alone.
Moris turned to Carmillia, who sat nearby. Her chin rested in her pale hands, eyes half-lidded in what might have been sleep. At a nudge from Lucinelle, she stirred.
She sat straighter, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek.
Her tone was smooth and emotionless. "You don't have to worry about it. I'll be here watching you train everyday from now on. For now, show me what you're capable of."
"I thank the young miss for her considerations." Moris bowed and thanked her as Xian followed suit.
Moris stood aside. There were more eyes on Xian now. And all of them would be witnesses to his weakness, if he wasn't careful.
"So?" Serika stepped forward, stretching her arms. "What's your weapon?" Her tone sharp and high with a hint of impatience.
Xian studied her. Her posture was casual and confident.
That air of arrogance, paired with her toned limbs and curt expression, this woman would've had players online barking like lunatics. He knew exactly the fanbase she'd summon.
"Pick something already. You're gonna get your ass beat regardless." Serika urged for him to hurry up.
'Her personality seems to be… the troublesome type.'
Xian recalled that her helmet or visor was always down in the game. Seeing her face gave him a clearer idea of what her type is—a reckless one who dove in first and worried later.
Of course, her strength backed her up. Xian mentally placed her somewhere between B and A-tier, easily. Maybe higher, depending on synergy.
The coachman from before would probably lose if they fought at the same level. She will fall short from experience, but her monstrous specs will make her come out in top.
'If only I had the Glimpse Lens right now… I could've read her sheet. Gotta wait till we reach the academy.'
He recalled a favorite item of all players alike. The name was self explanatory and its always a primary target right after tutorial.
Xian looked around at the weapon racks. Daggers, short swords, spears. His hand hovered over the pair of twin daggers Moris had trained him with but instead, he reached for a longsword.
Moris let out a curious grunt. "Hm?"
Xian didn't explain. The choice wasn't about tactics.
It was spite.
Well, it was simply because the other swordmaiden used the longsword.
His first ever death through the hands of others… The fear, disconnection and loathing that day, he won't ever forget.
He wanted to get some form of revenge even if regression had erased it all.
Luring her out this way might lead him to achieving that.
And it will be easier if he knew how she fights from firsthand experience instead of in the game.
'Petty? Sure. But I'm a sore loser.' He thought back on his habit when gaming. Visiting bosses with an out of their level build and crushing them.
"Hoh? Are you like sis?" Serika smirked.
'Sis? Wait, are they actually sisters?' Or it could just be how they refer to each other.
"I thought I saw you throw a dagger before… Not taking me seriously are you?" Her eyes shimmered in hostility as Xian's hair stood on end.
The intense killing intent made him recall the coldness he felt when he got beheaded. But this time it was more apparent and aggressive.
"Well, here I go." Serika dashed forward holding a wooden sword reminiscent of a katana.
She started with an downward strike straight to Xian, which he avoided with relative ease.
[+25 to agility ]
His body moved just in time thanks to a desperate stat dump. He stumbled back, still clumsy with his new limbs and muscle memory.
She followed up with a horizontal slash. He blocked, and the longsword nearly flew from his grip. The shock vibrated through his arms.
Serika cocked her head, then relaxed. Her next swings were slower, sloppier and casual.
To the observers, she looked like she was toying with him. Swinging lazily. But Xian? He was barely holding on.
Xian's eyes stayed glued to her blade, parrying with fear instead of countering. The wooden longsword he held began to splinter.
At some point Serika even yawned and began only using one hand as she stared at him like she's in a daze.
'Goddamn it… what is happening?'
Xian felt real pathetic. He wasn't this bad against Moris when using a dagger. He even felt blood rush into his head and sometimes he showed speed that even impressed him.
But now, he couldn't even make time or opportunities to counter.
His strength wasn't listening to him, the owner of this body.
"… I'm sick of this farce."
Serika's sword that had always been slow disappeared in Xian's eyes as he felt a pang of pain in his face.
A crisp sound louder than Moris's whips echoed in the training grounds that will certainly leave a mark on his face.
"Puh—!"
Blood sprayed from his lips. No teeth got broken, thankfully. The hands he used to wipe the blood was trembling. He knew he didn't need to be afraid against Serika because he can regress.
But there's something that made him act like an idiot facing her.
'Is it because I'm not used to longsword?' Xian looked for excuses but found his reasons shallow.
"Are you an idiot? Have you never fought before? It's like I'm fighting a spoiled noble."
Xian flinched at those words. This wasn't his first time as Moris had somewhat drilled him yesterday. But, could yesterday really be called a battle?
'No, yesterday Moris didn't emit the same pressure as her.'
"Show me something." She spat the words heavily her frown deepening.
Xian mustered his strength with a groan and struck, the first strike didn't even make Serika budge.
She retaliated instantly, slamming her wooden sword into his side.
"Argh!"
She swept his legs using hers in a single motion, and as Xian fell, he was met with a knee to the face,
Blood dripped on the ground Xian faced, while kneeling on the ground.
But Serika wasn't done yet as a kick to the abdomen made him roll across the ground like a discard ragdoll.
Still, he pushed himself up. Feeling heat all over his face.
"Young miss. I think this is hopeless. A month—no, even a year won't help this guy." Serika faced Carmillia, talking more than she ever did compared to the game Xian remembers.
"I don't know what he did to reach that kind of physique, but his brains for combat is rotten. His reflexes is trash." She looked at him with neither disdain or pity. Just… indifference.
"Hmm," Carmillia hummed her thoughts unreadable. Their duel had lasted for only a few minutes and Serika didn't even break a sweat. Heck, she sweated more from her warm up beforehand.
"What do you think Moris?"
"...His performance yesterday doesn't compare. Today, he's far worse." Moris didn't bother mincing his words.
"Lucinelle?" The villainess had called her name, but Xian was too stunned to notice, still in disbelief over his weak display.
"… I think it's his first time using a longsword."
Carmillia judged Xian with a faint and provoking smile. "Little butler… Oh our special butler. Your performance leaves much to be desired."
"That night you answered me, that you knew your role, asked for trust and proclaimed to strive in order to be worthy." The disappointment in her eyes seem to bore a hole through him.
"But your skills doesn't even qualify you to stay by my side." Once again, she was trying to cast him away.
As if saying that she doubts him with every bit of her being.
"In one week. If I'm not satisfied with the results… Go back from where you came."
It was another scheme to get rid of him. For a moment he wasn't able to control his contorting expression.
"Pfft! What's with that funny face…" Serika on the side laughed at him.
"Let's go back." Carmillia stood and left with Lucinelle.
Serika looked at her master leaving then to Xian. "Well… You'll be gone soon I guess." Smirking, she waved to Xian as she followed suit.
Xian's fist hit the ground, and it cracked under his strength. Like they said, he was pathetic. He moved and performed extremely pathetic.
He was… a weakling.
Xian felt like he was going to snap.
'Fuck.' He hated his inability to fight back. He already left his previous life but even the regrets were chasing him down here. And Carmillia…
'Mark my words.'
"I'm going to conquer you."
Xian was motivated to the point of venomous zeal.
'And that damned katana girl. I'd go back and let the coachman kill her first if I could.' Unfortunately he is too weak to force a regression. Without the villainess's death, he won't regress.
That struck him with a question. Did that mean its fine whatever happens to him as long as Carmillia is alive? Is that it?
'Screw that. Why is my regression tied to her death?' He felt a sense of deja vu asking that question in his mind.
He kept clenching his fist until he calmed down. Being swept away in anger is so easy, he could give up and die rampaging just to vent it all, but Xian didn't want to live like that.
Acting like that is simply giving in to weakness and it disgusts him.
He was already an idiot who abandoned everything and got obsessed with his pitiful lifestyle until he died. That won't happen a second time.
He will plan schemes, learn from mistakes and carefully grasp everything in his control.
Make the the two swordmaidens submit, and conquer Carmillia.
Humiliation like this is only in the beginning. If he buckles under this simple shame then going to the academy is out of the question.
'I'm going to remember this.' He planted the grudge in his heart like a sapling, using it as a foothold to surpass himself.
"Sir Xian! You're bleeding!" A flustered voice called out.
Xian looked from where the familiar voice is coming. She was the maid he tried talking to yesterday, running over with a basket of towels.
She was about to wipe the blood on his face, when Xian grabbed her hand and took the towel himself.
"Thanks. Have you been watching?"
Xian didn't notice her at all. Maid uniforms were basically filtered out from his sphere of attention. He took care to remember her face and features this time.
"Since the beginning… yes." The maid hesitantly answered.
She had a decent enough face, the classic bob hair cut of a maid, that basically revolved to that and a ponytail bun. Her skin was light brown, probably from being exposed to the sun often.
Seeing him stare intently at her, the maid shyly squeeze her body. "A-are you alright Sir Xian?…"
"I'm fine. I just need to rest first." Xian stood up and decided to head back for the day.
Moris had left him alone out of consideration, knowing that he can't train or do much with his injuries.
"Then, um… let me help you walk."
She wrapped his arm over her shoulder without waiting. Xian blinked. He activated his conquerors eyes.
The gray heart had changed.
It was green now. And the number read: 37.