Chapter 197

Antonio's Passionate Confession to Agnes

To put it simply, the outcome wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped. Initially, it seemed like things were going well when Agnes told Prince Antonio that she needed more time to get to know him better before making a decision. I was optimistic that this would lead to a positive outcome—until Antonio’s response took a turn for the worse.

Antonio began with, “So, Miss Agnes, you’re saying that you’ll need to learn more about me before you can make a decision.”

Agnes, a bit wary, responded, “...Yes.”

He sighed slightly but then continued, “...I see. Well, I suppose there’s no other choice then.”

Agnes tensed up at the mention of “no other choice,” but then Antonio quickly added, “But I’m not willing to give up on you just yet, so I’ll accept your proposal.”

At the word “accept,” Agnes visibly relaxed, her tense shoulders easing. Despite trying to remain composed, she was clearly relieved. It was understandable—despite her outward demeanor, the idea of being engaged to a prince was something she couldn’t entirely dismiss.

I thought that was the end of it, that they had reached a reasonable compromise where Agnes would have more time to get to know Antonio, and he would make efforts to win her heart. It seemed like a good resolution.

But then, Antonio just had to add one more unnecessary sentence.

“In that case, Miss Agnes, I have a question for you.”

“...What is it?” she asked, slightly apprehensive.

“When do you plan to enroll at the academy?”

“...What? What do you mean?”

“Someone as skilled as you would undoubtedly pass the entrance exam for Luminor Academy with flying colors! I’ve just turned eighteen today, so I’m eligible to enroll next year. But if it means being in the same class as you, I can delay my enrollment by a few years!”

Agnes stared at him, dumbfounded.

“At your current age, Miss Agnes, you’ll likely be ready to enroll in about three years. I can wait until then. How does that sound? We can use those years to get to know each other better, and then, perhaps in two or three years, we can apply for the marriage and engagement dorms together…”

“...I’m already attending.”

“...Pardon?”

“I’m already attending the academy! I’m a second-year student! What, do you think this is some kind of joke? Everyone always treats me like a child—both you and everyone else!”

“A-ah... I’m sorry, Miss Agnes! You’re just so... young-looking—I mean, beautiful! I mistakenly thought…”@@novelbin@@

And so, Antonio’s careless remark had thoroughly struck a nerve with Agnes, effectively putting an end to any potential engagement between the two. In the end, what could have been a budding relationship was left in an awkward limbo.

It seemed like my attempt to intervene might have only worsened the situation between them. But since it was the prince’s own words that caused the rift, I figured it wasn’t something I needed to worry too much about. All I could do was hope that Antonio would find a way to mend his mistake and establish a good relationship with Agnes.

And so, the evening of Prince Antonio’s eighteenth birthday concluded with a strained and unresolved dynamic between him and Agnes.

...And I silently hoped that this would be the end of the matter.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Lillis has reached Level 17!

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

A week had passed since the incident of Antonio’s public confession to Agnes. The academy had settled back into its usual rhythm after the prince’s birthday banquet and the flurry of events that coincided with the midterm exams.

One of the most notable accomplishments of the past week was that I had finally leveled up. With few events lately to gain experience from, my progress had slowed considerably. But thanks to the experience gained from the “Practical Monster Hunting” class that Ethan and I attended together, and the dueling practice in the “Application of Magical Swordsmanship” class, I had managed to reach a new level.

“Leveling up in this world is absurdly difficult.”

If only leveling up were easier, my progress would be much smoother. But at least I wasn’t lagging behind as a second-year student in the Academy’s Magic Department, so I had to be grateful for that.

Of course, my level-up also meant that Ethan, who had more opportunities to gain experience, had likely leveled up as well. And so, the two of us now stood in the training yard, swords in hand, staring each other down.

...Both of us breathing heavily, showing signs of exhaustion.

“Hoo... Hoo... Hoo...”

“Hah... Hah... Hah...”

In the shared class between the Magic and Swordsmanship Departments for second-year students, “Application of Magical Swordsmanship,” it wasn’t typical for a first-division student like Ethan and a second-division student like me to be paired for a duel. However, with the changes in Professor Harold’s curriculum, we found ourselves squaring off with swords in hand.

“This is really intense...” I thought, struggling to keep up.

After exchanging several dozen blows, my mind was starting to wear down from the sheer mental strain. Given my current state, there was no way I could win a one-on-one swordfight with Ethan. My strategy had been to predict his moves and react quickly, using the knowledge I had gained from observing him closely over the past two years.

At least, with Ethan, I could rely on these little tricks to hold my ground. But when it came to dueling other first-division students, it was hopeless—a one-sided match, no matter what.

Whether it was offense, defense, or anything else, the heroes of the first division were simply on another level. Natalie’s swordsmanship was sharp and precise, able to strike multiple times per second, far faster than my own movements with a dagger. Karaham’s massive sword, while slow, was so powerful that blocking or defending against it wasn’t even an option for me.

“The first-division Swordsmanship Department is full of monsters...”

Even though this world was built around swordsmanship and magic, it seemed unbalanced to have a department with one heroine and two mid-bosses. And among them, Ethan was arguably the most challenging opponent for me due to his superior reach, speed, and power.

The only way I managed to hold my ground was by using tricks and because Ethan hesitated when fighting me. This hesitation gave me a few openings to counterattack, allowing me to survive a little longer in our duels.

For the record, Professor Harold wasn’t forcing me to duel against first-division students as some kind of punishment for my performance last semester. There were four other students who rotated weekly to spar with the first division or Harold himself. These five of us were recognized by Harold as “1.5-division” students, having managed to impress him by landing a hit on him last semester.

Our role was to serve as a bridge, training with both the first and second divisions to facilitate overall growth in the academy. The downside was that this put us in a position where we were constantly outmatched, losing in duels against both first and second-division students.

“It’s no wonder... fighting without being able to break through an Arcane Shield is almost impossible.”

First-division students could easily cut through an Arcane Shield with pure swordsmanship. Not only that, but they could slice through most defensive spells with ease. For us, however, using defensive spells in our duels provided no real advantage, as they could still pierce through our shields and land their blows.

To make matters worse, we 1.5-division students hadn’t yet reached the level where we could break through an Arcane Shield with just our swordsmanship. I could manage it with supplementary magic, but since magic was prohibited during duels, I couldn’t use that technique.

So, even if I managed to land the first blow, the shield would absorb it, leaving me vulnerable to a counterattack. This made me realize just how remarkable it was that first-division students could shatter an Arcane Shield with pure swordsmanship.

Professor Harold probably anticipated this skill gap. He was likely using these intense training sessions to push us 1.5-division students towards the level where we could break through shields with our swordsmanship alone.

While I could feel that my sword strikes had grown stronger over the course of the semester, my mental stamina was wearing thin. In a moment of carelessness, Ethan closed the distance and knocked the dagger from my hand with a powerful strike.

-Clang!

“Ugh?!”

Before I could recover from the shock of the impact, Ethan’s other sword came flying towards my opposite hand. As I hastily tried to draw another dagger from my waist, Ethan grabbed my wrist and wrenched the weapon from my grip.

-Clang!

“Ahh!”

With both daggers knocked from my hands, I felt Ethan’s grip on my wrists as he pinned me to the ground. I was completely overpowered, ending up flat on my back with Ethan leaning over me.

-Thud.

“Do you want to continue, Lillis?” Ethan asked, slightly out of breath.

“I concede, Master Ethan,” I replied, acknowledging my defeat.

It was a humiliating loss, leaving me feeling utterly powerless.