Roziel headed to the training camp with a heavy heart. After passing through the forest and arriving at the annex, his heavy heart sank even more.
‘I don’t understand everything yet.’
It seemed like he knew roughly how to have a romance, but he was only a twelve-year-old child. Learning a theory didn’t mean that you were good in practice, and knowing the basics well didn’t mean you would be good at solving problems.
‘What should I do?’
In the novel, the male protagonist disliked the female protagonist at first, but saw a different side of her and fell in love.
Was he really going to be like that too? He didn’t know anything.
With a frustrated heart, Roziel arrived at the training center. The trainees looked at him. A slightly flushed look and curious eyes followed him, but that was it.
The children did not try to get any closer to him. There had been many occasions when they had not even properly mixed words. There were even those that muttered when they saw him.
He encountered everyone with the same attitude. There was nothing else. Instinctively, Roziel knew it was because he found it difficult. And the Marquis was pleased with that attitude.
[‘Roziel. You have the name of Evelian on the surface, but do not forget the name of Agrad deep down in your heart. Everyone must stand under your feet.’]
Roziel couldn’t fully understand his words, but because the Marquis liked his obedient child, Roziel replied that he would.
[‘Train together at the Agelisk, keep an eye out for useful children,and report it to me.’ ]
Roziel couldn’t understand why his father was ordering it, but he didn’t give it much thought because his father used to test him from time to time.
However, this test was different from the previous ones.
It’s fun.
He couldn’t believe it was so much fun just being with friends his age.
Roziel had been feeling better than usual lately.
Even though his friends were having a difficult time with him.
“Roziel!”
However, there was one person who did not find it difficult.
“Oh, hello.”
It was Yuria Zeos.
The problem, though, was that he was having difficulty with her. It was hard to make eye contact for some reason.
“I had a strange dream yesterday.”
But Yuria acted casually. On the contrary, she even tried to tell her own private story.
In romance, small talk is a medium that connects the two main characters more closely.
Roziel was completely delusional.
“What kind of dream was it?”
Yuria’s expression became serious as if she had a really great dream. She pointed her finger at where she was standing.
“In my dream, I was standing around here? But something with black wings rose from that huge forest. Wow. It was really scary.”
You were scared?
Come to think of it, she kept saying it was scary walking in the forest.
What is it? Are you trying to appeal to me with your vulnerability?
At times like this, the male protagonist comforted the female lead.
Loudly, Roziel cleared his throat with a fake cough.
“… It’s okay. There’s no such monster in that forest. Even if there was…”
Roziel swallowed a gulp.
Please, I hope this is the correct answer.
“I’m here.”
He was as confident as a swordsman, so it meant that he could protect her.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
…Wasn’t that it?
In the novel he read in the morning when the male lead said something like this, the female lead liked it.
Yuria, as if wondering what he meant, stared at him.
“Anyway. In my dream, an unidentified monster with black wings suddenly sees me. And then you know what he said to me?”
“…What did he say?”
“He said I was ugly!”
Yuria’s expression became very ferocious. It was as if she was about to smash something.
“Oh, I’m so pissed off!”
“…”
Ugly? Roziel didn’t consider a person’s appearance as important. Perhaps it was because he looked at the pinnacle of beauty every day whenever he looked in the mirror, and he thought people’s appearances were just normal. So from his point of view, Yuria Zeos was not ugly.
Rather, she had a striking appearance.
She had such beautiful green eyes.
“So I pulled out a sword and then I ran towards him. I wanted to hurt him somehow.”
Yuria was so angry that she clenched her fists and vented her anger.
“But no matter how much I ran, I couldn’t reach it! I had been walking in place the whole time!”
Roziel tried not to miss the timing. However, it was difficult because Yuria spoke so fast.
“So I made a decision.”
“What, what?”
“Let’s throw the sword.”
Throwing a sword… It was an unheard-of swordsmanship. Shouldn’t the sword never leave its master’s hand? But she continued as if she didn’t care.
“I threw my sword at him with all my might.”
“So you got him, right?”
“No. Before I reached him… I woke up from my dream.”
Yuria’s voice calmed down. “I woke up, and I was so angry that I couldn’t go back to sleep.”
Her clenched fists trembled as if she were really angry. “How dare you call me ugly. I cannot forgive you!”
It was then.
Roziel realized that the time had come for him to open his mouth.
“You, you’re not ugly.”
“Huh?”
Roziel’s heart was about to explode as he said that. Was this how he entered the world of adulthood he had only heard of?
Having a romance with Yuria, having a special relationship, and one day… having a child who resembles her.
(TL/N: omg please Roziel slow down. I can’t he’s too cute.)
“You’re not ugly.” Roziel said once again.
It seemed too early, but it wasn’t bad.
‘Because Yuria knows how to have fun. Well, it’s better if we’re together from now on…’
Roziel began to brainwash himself to get his mind together.
‘And Yuria is the loudest kid here.’
As it turns out, the louder the voice, the higher the rank, said Mr. Kiles.
‘She is also good at swordsmanship.’
Roziel liked a strong woman who was like a knight. Most importantly, above all else, she was the first child who expressed her love for him.
Roziel was unaware of it, but he instinctively wanted to grab hold of the small heart that had come to him. If he missed it now, he didn’t think such an opportunity would ever come to him again.
‘I want to keep playing with you…’
So Roziel’s instinct was to grab her outstretched hand.
Blink, Blink.
Yuria’s glass beads-like eyes shone.
“I know.” Her answer was short.
“There are a lot of beauties in the empire, but I think I’m pretty, right?”
“…Yeah?”
This wasn’t it…
In the book he read, the female lead was shy when the male lead said something like this. Then the mood improved, and trust in each other blossomed.
But…
“Anyway, thank you for telling me the facts, Roziel.”
“…Yeah.”
“When I hear that from a handsome boy like you, I think the monster in my dream is crazy.”
Contrary to what he was promised, there was no progress.
“Come on, everybody, take your seats!”
Teacher Kiles came in. Roziel and Yuria went back to their respective seats. Roziel’s gaze did not fall from the back of Yuria’s head. The girl, who was still carrying an old sword, did not fade at all, despite her shabby outfit.
Roziel was blinded by her appearance and did not know, not all relationships were made of romance. Relationships were sometimes continuous and sometimes broken.
That there were many options…
However, he did not learn such things. So he buried it. Very enthusiastically.
* * *
Kiles stood at the podium and looked at the trainees with sharp eyes.
“You’re all great today, too. Now, we’re going to do 5,000 stabs today.”
“Ah. Please.”
The trainees were very bored with basic training.
“Don’t fuss. If you start learning Agrad swordsmanship in earnest, the day will come when you will be grateful for today’s training.”
Roziel didn’t complain like the other children. When he was younger than he was now, there was a time when he had more rigorous training. This was on the easy side.
“Hmm, you’re pretty fast.”
Teacher Kiles was standing by Yuria’s side today. These days he has shown keen interest in Yuria Zeos.
‘Because she’s a great knight.’
When demonstrating the dragon’s swordsmanship in the forest, Roziel could get a glimpse of her sparkling talent.
‘The posture is a little clumsy, but in terms of speed and technique, it is superior.’
Roziel looked at her with a pounding heart.
Once again, he wanted to see her dragon swordsmanship.
“I’m not going to hold you back. However, in order to master the Agrad swordsmanship, a little correction is required.”
“…Do you really have to do that now?”
“…”
It was so weird.
The other children wanted to catch Kiles’s eyes somehow. They wanted to get some advice from him.
But not Yuria.
No matter how ignorant Roziel was, he could see that Yuria was bothered by the training itself.
‘Why? Then why did you come to the Agelisk?’
She didn’t seem interested in Agrad swordsmanship and she didn’t do the personal training that everyone did.
“Did she, uh… really come in to get rich?’
And how she gets rich is with him… Roziel twisted his body thinking about it. Somehow, he became more embarrassed.
While Roziel was shoveling.
(TL/N: shoveling meaning no matter how hard you try it there is no success)
“Is, is there any particular reason?” Kiles stammered, perhaps embarrassed.
“That’s not it… I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m a little tired.”
“…”
Running in a dream, throwing a sword… It was exhausting.
“Then I’ll correct it in the next training session.”
A shadow descended upon Kiles’s expression. He looked like he was hurt. He loved the brilliant geniuses, and so did Roziel Evelian.
‘It’s better to take his private lessons as late as possible.’
His private lessons boasted a terrible level of difficulty. Yuria wanted to feel the pain that Kiles was causing as late as possible.
Yuria attempted to stab again when Kiles disappeared.
It was still a mess, but it was powerful and had excellent control.
“You know, Roziel.”
When Roziel was lost in thought, someone called him. He turned his head and a girl with light blue hair was talking to him, stabbing him next to him with her sword.
Ah. The one who was often seen next to Yuria… Was her name Marin Cyans?
“Huh?” When Roziel replied, Marin smiled somewhat insidiously.
“Why do you keep looking at Yuria Zeos?”
“Huh, huh?”
He couldn’t figure out the intent of Marin’s question. Maybe he was looking at her because he was thinking about her.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Is that…?”
“So it means that you are interested in Yuria.”
Interested? He was very interested.
Roziel wondered if he should nod his head but gave up when he saw Marin Cyans’ insidious look. His senses were shouting not now.
“It’s just… I think she’s good at swordsmanship.”
“Is that so?”
However, Marin was a person with the goal of becoming the queen of the social world. She was quick-witted. Besides, she was very fond of gossip and gossiping.
“I see.”
The corners of Marin’s mouth went up to her ears.
“Hohohoho.” Marin laughed out loud with a look on her face that she found something interesting at the boring training center.
Roziel got a chill in his spine and ran away from her.