Chapter 497: Helping Juniors 4

To be honest, I had expected to be assigned to one of the first-year heroines—statistically speaking, the odds were high.

There were ten new S-class freshmen this year, after all.

Two of them even belonged to the knight department, making it all the more likely I’d get someone combat-oriented.

I would’ve preferred if it were just my little sister, Reina.

At least that would’ve kept things simple.

But who would’ve thought… it would be her.

Stacia Alger Del Luna.

In my mind, she had always been the crazed princess.

A proud noble of Luna’s royal family, someone with so much passion, ambition, and drive that it often came off as unhinged.

A self-declared perfectionist.

A girl who pursued her ideals and beliefs with reckless abandon.

She was stubborn.

Blindingly so.

She had a fiery heart that believed any means were justified, so long as they aligned with what she considered just or necessary.

But even with all that strength, she constantly believed herself to be insufficient.

Never satisfied.

Always chasing something greater.

That dissatisfaction was what birthed her obsession—with heroes, with legends, with perfection.

That obsession is what made her one of the core heroines in the game.

Her desire to witness and walk alongside the perfect hero was what elevated the protagonist’s narrative to grandeur.

Her faith in him helped shape him into a symbol, an icon.

She was never a personal favorite of mine, but she was a character I respected.

One I understood.

Her arc had always been written with a certain rawness—a natural ambition that made her feel real.

I hadn’t planned to get too involved with her, though.

Not because I disliked her… but because her route, even in the game, was packed with extravagant chaos.

Getting caught up in her storyline often led to royal drama, military conflict, and of course—divine politics that escalated into near-apocalyptic proportions depending on the characters that get involved and honestly I have not time for such matters…

Not ideal when I already had more than enough chaos in my life.

Still… now that I’ve been assigned as her mentor through this new training program, maybe it’s not such a bad thing.

After all, this entire “Mentorship Training Program” didn’t exist in the original game. It’s a new variable, one I can’t predict or plan around using prior knowledge.

That makes it dangerous… but also opportunistic.

This was a chance to personally guide one of the core heroines in her growth.

To influence her progression and direction with my own hands.

Most of my classmates might find the assignment annoying or burdensome, but they didn’t have my perspective.

Besides… they can’t exactly complain much—Seo herself got assigned to two freshmen students.

I glanced toward the person standing quietly behind Stacia.

That old man… must be her personal butler.

Skirt, wasn’t it?

In the game, he was barely shown.

His role wasn’t fleshed out at all—just a minor figure always positioned respectfully behind the princess.

No dialogue, no scenes, just presence.

Still, he matched the image I had always pictured.

Dignified, composed, and sharp despite his age.

As expected, he gave me a polite bow after greeting me, before taking his leave without another word.

Every step was silent, his expression calm, eyes half-lidded with a sense of elegance only a royal servant could carry.

Respectfully refined as ever.

Now that it was just the two of us, I turned my attention back to Stacia.

“Please, take a seat, junior. A princess like you doesn’t need to bow to me that much,”

She chuckled softly. “Fufu~ you don’t need to be so formal with me, senior. I believe we’re already past that stage, no?” Her golden eyes sparkled slightly as she smiled, voice teasing but poised. “Status norms aside, we’re technically equals here in the academy. Free from political chains. And aren’t we already friends, in a way? From now on, feel free to just call me Stacia.”

She was more forward than I remembered.

A little more casual, too.

But not in a bad way.

I allowed a small smile to tug at my lips. “Alright… as you wish, Stacia.”

I took my seat on the bench beside her, relaxing my posture just slightly.

The morning breeze brushed softly between us, carrying the faint scent of flowers from the nearby garden beds.

Birds chirped in the distance, adding to the calm that blanketed this little hidden corner of the academy.

Then, without missing a beat, she turned to me with a glimmer in her eye.

“So, since this is technically our first official meeting as mentor and mentee,” she began playfully, “do you already have a training course planned for me, senior? Are we starting right away? Or…” she tilted her head, lips curling into a soft smile, “shall we get to know each other first? I personally think the latter would be better~”

…Yeah.

This girl really was as abrupt as I remembered her to be.

She had a way of jumping ahead without hesitation, never second-guessing herself.

Still, I couldn’t deny she’d changed from her game counterpart.

In the original story, her first interactions with the protagonist were far more rigid—guarded even.

Given our somewhat violent history, I had half-expected her to keep a certain distance from me.

Maybe even a cold shoulder or two.

But… here she was.

Warm, eager, and oddly comfortable around me.

But then again our violent interaction was set up by her own agenda.

I leaned back and folded my arms loosely. “Yes, I’ve already planned your training path. But not for today.”

Her brows raised slightly.

“There are a few things I still need to confirm before we get started,” I continued. “So, for today, we’ll take it slow. Let’s go with your suggestion… we’ll get to know each other first.”

Stacia smiled, visibly pleased.

Standing up, I extended my hand toward her— She blinked in surprise for a moment… then smiled and slipped her hand gently into mine without hesitation.

…

Time passed quietly.

Stacia and I walked together across the academy grounds, moving from one area to another as we exchanged stories—about her, about me, about the things we liked, and the things we didn’t.

As her official mentor now, it made sense to take this opportunity to understand her better.

Knowing your student’s background, habits, and mindset was essential to shaping an effective training path.

That said, I didn’t pry too deeply into her personal matters.

It was a line I knew better than to cross.

A principle I wish Master Beon had followed when it came to me.

Now, we found ourselves in the central park of the academy, a vast open space filled with cobbled paths, trimmed hedges, and the constant chatter of students passing by.

The park sat just beside the academy square, nestled near Oresteia Gardens, a well-known hotspot where students gathered during breaks or after classes.

It was a nice place. Open, breezy, full of life.

…But also extremely public.

And as expected, walking around with a junior as stunning as Stacia—a princess, no less—drew attention like moths to flame.

Even just strolling casually side by side, talking lightly, laughing on occasion—it was more than enough for the surrounding students to start whispering.

Their stares weren’t subtle either.

Some were envious.

Some curious.

Some just plain confused.

I even spotted a few upperclassmen who looked like they were trying to memorize my face so they could start theorizing about me later with their little friend groups.

To be honest, I was already used to it.

The constant attention, the never-ending swirl of rumors.

Being seen with one beautiful girl after another had become the norm for me—and now, adding Stacia to that list only meant another spark to the bonfire of gossip already surrounding me.

Still… I couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

Snow, Rose, Alice—they were bound to hear about this.

Trouble was coming either way.

But at this point… I had already stopped trying to run from it.

There was no safe corner of the academy where I could go unnoticed anymore.

No shadow dark enough to hide from the eyes of wandering students.

Even the quietest spots were guaranteed to have someone watching, someone whispering, someone speculating.

So rather than fight it, I’d just accepted it.

Embrace the absurdities… and they’ll start to feel normal.

“So, you’re telling me you only became this strong just recently, senior?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you…”

Stacia pouted slightly, her arms crossed as her gaze narrowed in skeptical doubt. Her reaction made me chuckle softly.

It wasn’t surprising.

Honestly, I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them the full truth—especially with the most crucial details left out.

She was already growing too curious about my life, digging a little too close for comfort.

But I couldn’t just tell her about the system, or the absurd leaps I’d taken in strength that went far beyond anything ordinary.

So instead, I just smiled and stayed vague.

“You must’ve worked hard to achieve your current power, right, Senior?”

“…Yes.”

That part, at least, wasn’t a lie.

Even if my growth was system-assisted and game-influenced, it wasn’t without sacrifices. I’d risked my life, my sanity, my soul—everything.

And despite the shortcuts, the pain was very real.

Even all those failures of mine were very real…

Still, none of that was necessary to tell her now.

She didn’t need to know the burden that came with my absurd power.

This was the academy, after all—rapid growth wasn’t too unusual.

There were always monsters hidden among the students, prodigies whose talents bordered on unnatural.

If anything, my rise, as unbelievable as it was, could still be written off as me being some hidden genius—or more accurately, a hidden master, which was already how most people saw me.

Let them believe what they want.

It was better that way.

I watched as Stacia sighed—her expression a strange mix of satisfaction and disappointment.

It was like she wanted to believe me but couldn’t fully commit to it.

“…Anyway,” she said at last, brushing a few golden strands behind her ear, “since we’ve already spent some time getting to know each other… can I ask what my training schedule will be like, Senior?”

I nodded.

“We’ll be meeting at the back garden of Killian Hall. Same place as earlier, though slightly more left there should be a large Scarwood tree there and a small open space”

“The one by the secret trail?” she asked, perking up.

“Yeah. I originally wanted to take you to the hidden training field, but… I have a feeling Seo already has that place reserved for her own juniors.”

“Senior Seo…?” she murmured softly, but didn’t follow up.

“In any case,” I continued, “we won’t be focusing entirely on combat training. I plan to balance your curriculum with personal skill development, mana efficiency refinement, and tactical theory. Not everything can be solved with a sword, after all. Understanding your own limitations and building versatility matters more than brute strength in the long run.”

Stacia tilted her head thoughtfully, her golden-blonde hair brushing over her shoulder as she considered my words.

“So… we’re focusing on essence training?”

“In a sense, yes,” I replied with a nod.

“That’s quite a normal approach for a knight, I would say,” she mused. “But I’ll trust your decision, senior.”

“Since you’re already proficient in magic, mana training shouldn’t be much of an issue for you. We might skip that entirely—at least for now. From what I’ve seen so far, it’d be better to focus on your physical capabilities.”

She looked at me, curious, and I continued.

“You’re good at mixing your swordplay and magic—but you’re blending the two a bit too tightly. It’s efficient, yes, but it can lead to internal conflict. Swordsmanship and spellcraft are fundamentally different disciplines. Trying to force them to flow as one might cause issues with control, especially under pressure.”

“I see…” Stacia muttered, clearly taking the feedback seriously.

“As for your magic, you’ll need to continue refining that on your own. Outside of elemental affinity, magic is not my strong suit and I’m not exactly a mage myself. I can offer guidance, but mastery? That has to come from your own understanding.”

“That’s fair,” she nodded, smiling slightly. “Then… how long will we be training each day?”

“Somewhere between four to six hours. Four hours dedicated to physical conditioning and body training, two hours for theoretical and essence refinement. We’ll also begin incorporating practical combat—but only after I’m satisfied with your baseline physical capabilities in the first week.”

Stacia raised an eyebrow, amused. “You’re quite the strict mentor, aren’t you?”

“Only when necessary.”

“And what time are we starting?”

“From early morning until noon. Since we’re off from regular practical classes this month due to the academy’s new program, that should work for you—unless you’ve got any major scheduling conflicts?”

“None that come to mind, though I may have to step away occasionally for social or political classes.”

“That’s fine. If needed, we’ll reschedule to afternoon or evening sessions on those days.”

She gave a short, confident nod, then smiled with a gentle grace that only royalty seemed to carry.

“Then I’ll be in your care from now on, Master…”

“Let’s stick with ’Senior,’” I said dryly.

She chuckled, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

A light air of excitement circled her demeanor. Despite her formal upbringing, she looked genuinely thrilled.

This was probably the first time she’d ever been personally guided by someone she considered worthy.

“Please don’t go easy on me senior”

Then, the next day came….

“S-Senior… please stop… a-angh!”

“I’m almost done. Just hold still—”

“Aah! Aghm~!”

With a gasp, Stacia fell back onto the snowy grass, cheeks flushed, hair a mess, and breath escaping in uneven huffs.

Her crimson eyes locked onto me with the kind of glare that could melt steel—or at least try to.

She looked like she was about to accuse me of a crime.

It’s only been 5 minutes and she was already done.

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