“Haaa… huff.. agh…”

Step, step, step…!

“Hah… I’m done…”

『 Cleanse (✦ Basic Magic ✦)』

A soft glow surrounded me as the spell activated, cleaning away the sweat and grime from my body.

“I’m done for today…” I muttered, rolling my neck to ease the stiffness.

Then, I cast the spell 『Cleanse』 again, just to feel fresher.

I’d been staying at the cathedral for a few days now, recovering. But even if I was still healing, I couldn’t slack off.

I had already lost weeks of training, and I could feel it.

My stamina wasn’t what it used to be—not bad, but not at my peak.

This wasn’t “real” training, more like my daily routine to maintain what I had left.

A simple run of 25 kilometers, followed by 500 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. All while wearing 250 kilograms of weights strapped to my body.

Thud!

I unstrapped the weights and dropped them to the ground. The lightness that followed was a welcome relief, almost like I could fly.

“Master, I brought you water.”

I turned to see Alaine approaching, carrying a bottle of water in her hands.

“Ah… thanks.”

Taking the bottle, I gulped down a mouthful and let out a refreshed sigh.

But as I glanced at her again, my eyes widened.

“W-why… are you wearing a maid outfit?”

Alaine smiled warmly, doing a little twirl as if showing off her attire.

“Isn’t this what servants usually wear?” she asked, tilting her head, her expression innocent as she looked down at the outfit.

“Good grief…” I sighed, rubbing my temples.

“Fine, wear whatever you want.”

Knowing from previous experiences that she would probably convince me in some way, I didn’t even bother to tell her to stop wearing those clothes.

“Also… don’t you feel weird not having your long ears?” I asked, my gaze shifting to her hair, now a rich brown color instead of her usual golden locks.

Her green eyes were now a dark brown.

“Not really,” she replied, tilting her head again and placing a finger to her lips as if in thought.

The Eternum Royal Academy accepted a single servant for each student, and, of course, I could have one too.

But since Alaine was a high elf, I couldn’t allow her to show up with her long ears and reveal her identity, so I spent my only platinum coin buying an artifact that changed her appearance.

Unfortunately, the Saintess still didn’t give me my money, so it took a huge toll on me to buy it.

“Master Aestrea, would you like a massage?” Alaine asked, stepping behind me as I sat on a bench in the academy’s training grounds.

Her delicate hands rested lightly on my shoulders.

“Sure…” I sighed, leaning back slightly.

My body was still a bit heavy from the injuries despite Christina’s god-like healing abilities.

Not to mention that even though she said for me to take a break, I simply denied her words and started training my body once again.

I need to quickly advance my ranks and get stronger…

Lucas and the heroines in this world had their easy power-ups handed to them, but me…? I don’t have any kind of luck.

And my damned system doesn’t even show anything except my status windows, and that future prediction from a few weeks ago or a month…

Time passes fast…

“Is this enough strength?” she asked as she kept putting strength on her delicate hands to massage my shoulders.

“Yeah, that’s perfect…” I muttered, feeling some of the tension ease slightly.

In just a week or so, the first event of the Eternum Royal Academy is going to happen. The teacher reminded us earlier today.

The Snow Festival!

Yeah…

I’m not really ready for that, especially since we’re obligated to participate.

At the festival, we’re going to do plenty of activities, such as playing Mana Football, Mana Rugby, and even a love minigame.

Students were required to participate in at least five activities, and while there were plenty of options, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about any of them.

About them…

I’ll probably choose Mana Volleyball, Football… and the other three…

…I wasn’t entirely sure.

“Thanks, that felt great,” I said, tapping her hand lightly as I rolled my shoulders.

The stiffness had eased significantly.

“Anything for you, Master.”

Alaine grabbed the hem of her maid outfit and bowed slightly, her movements graceful and elegant as always.

Damn it…

Her words and actions could easily lead to misunderstandings, the kind I didn’t have the patience to deal with.

But then again, it was her choice to act this way, so who was I to stop her?

“Now…” I began, stretching out my arms.

“How about a sparring match?”

Alaine blinked in surprise.

After I removed the slave mark from her body, her sealed powers had been lifted. And now, she was nothing less than a high S-rank.

As expected of a High Elf…

“Mhm.” She didn’t hesitate, giving me a prompt nod.

With that, I moved a few meters away, ensuring there was enough distance between us for a proper spar.

The training grounds at the academy were spacious, and designed for combat practice and magical exercises.

There were also protective barriers around the area ensuring that even intense battles wouldn’t cause damage outside.

“Don’t hold back, Alaine. I want to see what you’re really capable of now.”

“Understood, Master,” she replied calmly.

Her hands moved to her sides, summoning twin daggers with an elegant flourish. The faint glow of mana coated the blades, shimmering like moonlight.

Alright… let’s see how rusty I am…

“Ready?”

“Always.”

Swoop!

In the next breath, we launched ourselves at each other, the sound of clashing steel echoing across the training ground.

Alaine was faster than I anticipated, her movements a blur as she struck with her twin daggers.

I barely managed to parry her first blow, the impact sending a slight tremor through my arm.

Damn, she’s fast.

Sliding back a step, I channeled mana into my sword, the blade glowing faintly with an icy blue hue.

With a sharp inhale, I slashed forward, sending a thin crescent of frost shooting toward her.

『 Ice Wave (✦ 1st-Level Spell ✦)』

The wave of frost carved through the air, leaving a trail of cold mist.

Alaine didn’t falter, with a graceful spin, she used her daggers to deflect the magic, the wind swirling around her in a protective barrier.

Swish!

The frost scattered harmlessly as she leaped back, landing softly on her feet. Her calm eyes narrowed slightly, the only indication she took me seriously.

Then, Alaine raised her hand, and with a faint hum, her daggers disappeared, replaced by a sleek longbow that materialized out of thin air.

“Let’s see how you handle this,” she said, pulling back the string of her bow. An arrow formed, shimmering with green energy.

She let it loose.

Whoosh!

The wind-imbued arrow sliced through the air, heading straight for me.

I sidestepped quickly, but she was already firing another, her hands moving with impossible speed.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The second arrow grazed my shoulder, a sting of pain searing through me as it cut through my shirt.

『 Ice Barricade (✦ 2nd-Level Spell ✦)』

I raised my hand, and a thick wall of ice erupted in front of me, blocking her next volley of arrows. The sound of impact echoed as the projectiles shattered against the frozen barrier.

This time, I was focusing on actually using magic since I had been too focused on my own sword art.

I still needed to train magic after all.

But Alaine wasn’t done.

She dashed forward, her speed impressive, and vaulted over the ice wall with ease. As she descended, she nocked another arrow and fired it at point-blank range.

Whoosh!

I barely managed to duck, the arrow flying past my head. Taking advantage of her close range, I swung my sword upward in a wide arc.

『 Second Move! (✦ Moonlit Frost Barrage ✦)』

Multiple crescent-shaped waves of ice shot from my blade, glowing faintly like the moonlight.

Upon seeing it, Alaine’s eyes widened slightly, and she twisted her body mid-air, narrowly avoiding the attack.

The icy wave hit the ground behind her, freezing a small section of the training ground in an instant.

“Woah…” she looked surprised at my attack.

“That technique… is quite powerful.” she raised an eyebrow.

I didn’t exactly reply to her words as I finally decided to use one of my trump cards.

『 Judgement Eye (✦ S-Level Skill ✦) 』

The world around me sharpened, every movement of hers becoming crystal clear.

Her breathing, the shift in her weight, even the faint hesitation before her next attack—I saw it all.

I dashed toward her, my sword trailing frost as I aimed a slash at her side. She blocked with her bow, the clash sending a shockwave through the air.

Clang!

Sliding my sword along her bow, I forced her to retreat a step. Using the opening, I thrust forward, aiming for her shoulder.

But she wasn’t going to make it easy.

With a quick burst of wind magic, she propelled herself backward, gaining distance.

『 Wind Series: Wind Step (✦ 2nd-Level Spell ✦) 』

She murmured, and immediately, the spell amplified her speed.

I clicked my tongue in frustration, watching as she nocked another arrow. This time, the energy swirling around it was more concentrated, crackling faintly with power.

“Try dodging this, Master.”

She released the arrow, and as it flew toward me, it split into multiple smaller projectiles.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

I swung my sword in a wide arc, deflecting as many as I could, but a few slipped through, grazing my arms and legs.

The pain was sharp but manageable.

Gritting my teeth, I raised my free hand.

『 Mixed Ice Series: Ice Bind (✦ 3rd-Level Spell ✦)』!

The ground beneath her feet froze instantly, ice climbing up her legs in an attempt to lock her in place.

But Alaine reacted quickly.

『 Wind Series: Gale Burst (✦ 4th-Level Spell ✦) 』

A powerful gust of wind exploded around her, shattering the ice and pushing me back a few steps.

I skidded to a stop, digging my heels into the ground to steady myself.

“Haah…” I let out a cold breath, looking into her eyes.

My eyes locked into her movements, and seeing the coursing flow of mana, I could see her next move before she made it.

As expected, she jumped to the right, preparing to shoot another arrow. I dashed toward her, closing the gap before she could fire.

Clang!

She switched her bow back to daggers just in time to block my downward slash. The force of the impact pushed her back slightly, but she held her ground.

I adjusted my grip on my sword and then swung it again.

Clink!

She parried with one dagger while slashing at my side with the other. I barely managed to twist my body and block her attack, but the force of it sent me sliding back a few steps.

‘Fuck… daggers are so damned annoying. First I fought against that rabbit-masked lady, and now Alaine…’

‘Let’s try another thing…’

I muttered to myself before dashing forward.

But as soon as I took the first step—

“AAGGH!”

A sharp, searing pain shot through my body, like fire ripping through my muscles.

My legs buckled, and I lost control of my footing. Staggering forward, I braced for impact with the ground.

But instead of hitting the cold, hard dirt, I fell into something… incredibly soft.

Squish.

A strange, comforting warmth pressed against my face, enveloping me like a plush pillow. It was soft—no, remarkably soft.

The sensation was enough to make me freeze in place, my mind briefly blanking.

“Master, are you okay?”

The familiar, gentle voice of Alaine pulled me back to reality. I looked up to see her worried dark brown eyes staring down at me, her cheeks tinged with a faint pink.

Oh no…

It was then I realized where I’d landed. My face was buried deep into her chest—her generously sized, undeniably squishy mellows.

“I…” I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“You’re still recovering, Master. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard,” she said, her voice full of concern.

Her hands gently rested on my shoulders as if to steady me, her warm, floral scent wafting into my nostrils.

The faint fragrance was intoxicating, almost enough to make my already foggy mind lose its grip entirely.

“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered weakly, my voice muffled against her.

“Let’s call it a day.”

I didn’t move right away.

For some reason, staying there, resting my head against her soft, warm figure, felt… comforting.

Even though every instinct screamed at me to pull away and act composed, my body betrayed me.

Her chest rose and fell slightly with each breath she took, the motion noticeable against my cheek.

I tried to focus on the distant sounds of the wind or the faint hum of mana in the air, but the softness and warmth against me were impossible to ignore.

It was… almost too much.

“Ah…”

Her surprised gasp snapped me out of my trance.

“Kyaa!”

I’d instinctively grabbed her waist to push myself off her, but the sudden movement made her squeak in surprise.

Her face instantly turned beet red, the color spreading all the way to her ears.

“S-sorry,” I muttered awkwardly, brushing the dust off my clothes as I stood.

I averted my gaze, trying to ignore the growing heat in my own face.

“It’s fine, Master,” she replied softly, though her voice wavered.

She adjusted her maid outfit with trembling hands, her eyes darting away from mine.

I cleared my throat, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

“Let’s go get something to eat…”

I started walking towards the dining area.

Alaine quickly nodded before following me. I could feel her gaze lingering on me, but I didn’t turn around.

“Master?” her voice broke the silence behind me.

“Yeah?” I replied without looking back.

“N-nothing…”

I was confused by her actions, but I thought that she simply might be embarrassed, so I shrugged it off.

‘Haaa!’

I suddenly felt a shiver running down my spine.

‘Strange…’

I didn’t feel cold at all.

But unbeknownst to me, in the distance…

There was a peculiar shadow watching our interaction.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep