[That’s all.]
It’s a long message from Han Seo-Jin.
With a sigh, I send a reply.
[Good job.]
[Thank you.]
A response comes back instantly.
I sigh again and glance at my phone.
A dizzying array of national pride YouTube thumbnails and astronomical view counts greet me.
No matter how I think about it, it’s infuriating.
I do all the work, and the national pride YouTube gets all the cash?
Unforgivable.
I send another message to Han Seo-Jin.
[Get all the videos and channels that generate revenue from me on YouTube reported for image rights, and redirect the revenue to me.]
[I will take swift action.]
Another reply back in a second.
Unlike that self-proclaimed “exclusive maid,” she’s reliable.
Anyway, now those views will become my money.
Time to copy that cash.
It’s already suffocating with this national pride wave.
A little extra income can’t hurt.
“What’s got you so happy?”
“Oh, it’s just that the dakgalbi is delicious.”
I answer Olivia nonchalantly to her question.
Upon hearing my response, Olivia beams confidently.
“There’s no way the place I picked could be bad, right?”
Instead of answering, I grab some dakgalbi with my chopsticks.
No lie, this place’s dakgalbi is surprisingly tasty.
It’s a bit pricey, considering it’s a Hallyu tourist spot, though.
I’m starting to feel full.
I set down my chopsticks.
“Olivia.”
“What did you need?”
Her blue eyes turn to me.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
Olivia’s eyes widen.
“Of course, it seems like another task for me has come up! What is it?”
She gives me a confident lady smile.
Since she’s that eager, I jump right to the point.
“I’d like you to teach me the White Flame Sword Technique.”
Olivia’s expression turns serious.
“That… um…”
She trails off.
“The vision of the Bonaparte royal family cannot be recklessly passed on to outsiders. You… ah, never mind.”
Like a true light novel heroine, her face turns red as she must’ve had some unnecessary thoughts.
Predictable reaction.
In this world, skills including sword techniques are often only passed down within clans or schools.
But I absolutely need the White Flame Sword Technique.
Only by mastering both the White Flame Sword Technique and the Black Light Sword Technique, the two visions of the Bonaparte royal family, can I access the hidden vision known as the “Heaven and Earth Sword Technique.”
In the conclusion arc, Olivia, who masters the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique, becomes equally strong as the protagonist.
If you think about it, you can’t miss this opportunity.
“What if I teach you the Black Beam Sword Technique?”
So, the bait needs to be thrown.
Black Beam Sword Technique.
The Black Prince’s skill and now a forgotten vision of the Bonaparte royal family.
“Huh, the Black Beam Sword Technique?!”
Olivia’s eyes shake.
Her hands tremble.
“Yeah. I teach you the Black Beam Sword Technique, and you teach me the White Flame Sword Technique. A fair trade, one-on-one. How does that sound?”
Olivia bites her lip.
She looks deep in thought.
I casually wait for her answer while munching on the chicken stir-fry.
“A little…”
Just when I almost finished the chicken stir-fry.
She finally speaks.
“…I need some time. I’ll let you know later.”
She raises her head.
I can see Olivia’s confused expression.
She draws a line with her lips.
At this point, I’m sure I’ve got her at 100%.
She has been looking up to the Black Prince and following his footsteps.
There’s no reason for her to refuse the chance to learn his skill.
All that’s left is to wait.
“I hope you can give me an answer as soon as possible. Preferably within two days.”
Because I need to beat Shinozaki Rin.
“I will.”
Olivia nods.
Her gaze turns to the now-empty chicken stir-fry plate.
“What is this? Why is there nothing left? Did you eat it all?”
Why are you asking something so obvious?
“Then order more if you’re that bothered.”
“Ugh! You idiot! Fool!!”
Olivia glares at me, infuriated.
That day.
Eventually, I was only able to reach the dormitory after finishing another plate of cheesy chicken stir-fry with her.
*
Tokyo outskirts.
There’s a traditional Japanese mansion that doesn’t quite fit the ultra-modern skyline of the city.
It’s the mansion of the prestigious Shinozaki family of Japan.
In the very depths of the Shinozaki Mansion.
In a room overlooking a Japanese-style garden with tatami mats, a middle-aged man with dark green eyes and hair sits.
An EX-rank hero of Japan and a monster who has secured a seat among the New Crowns of the new era.
The President of the Japan Hero Association, the Sword Demon, Shinozaki Ichiro.
His gloomy green eyes land on the blue-ponytailed beautiful girl, Shinozaki Rin, who sits kneeling on the tatami.
“The student scheduled for the duel with you, was it Kim Deok-Sung?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Shinozaki Rin replies.
“Kim Deok-Sung, Kim Deok-Sung, huh…”
Today’s events replay in his mind.
The Baptismal Crown.
A shocking relic that grants gifts postnatally.
The student who unearthed it must surely be the French Knight Princess, Olivia.
“The Korean hero candidate, his name was Kim Deok-Sung.”
His eyes narrow.
“Interesting.”
Rin remains silent at Ichiro’s musing.
In this family, her role is merely that of a tool.
Questioning the head of the clan is not permitted.
“Rin.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“This duel… you will not lose, will you?”
“Under the name of Shinozaki, I will never lose.”
“Make sure you keep that promise this time.”
At Ichiro’s words, Rin’s eyes freeze.
“Yes, my lord.”
With a light thud, the bamboo water basin, Sozui, in the garden crashes to the ground along with the sound of the water.
Even dog poop can be useful sometimes.
There’s a use for the medicine.
Shuo Hero Academy Dormitory.
A special accommodation for top-class honor students.
It’s so spacious that it’s closer to a hotel suite room than a dormitory.
Olivia is sitting at a table set up on the balcony, fidgeting with a porcelain teacup and groaning.
“Ughhh…”
What a long day it’s been.
As she recalls the events of the day, the wind brushes against her cheek.
“I can’t help but think it’s too much.”
After school, when Kim Deok-Sung came to her and asked to go out together.
Honestly, she might have slightly, just a tad bit, been looking forward to it.
It’s not that she particularly liked him, but she wanted to stroll around the streets with someone, just like a normal person.
That was something she couldn’t do in her home country, France, where everyone looked up to her.
Ever since the day she became the successor due to the Black Prince’s will, she has never been able to wander freely outside the Versailles Palace and the royal villa.
Everywhere she went, envious and expectant glances followed her.
Because of that, Olivia felt a sense of kinship with Kim Deok-Sung.
After all, he’s the only hero candidate in Korea, so he must feel the same way.
That’s what she thought.
“I researched all the famous spots in Tokyo, but it turned out to be useless…”
Not just Shin-Okubo.
Harajuku, Odaiba, Shinjuku, Kichijoji, the Tokyo Tower observatory, Tokyo Skytree, and the Sumida Aquarium, and high-end sushi places in Ginza, etc.
There were a ton of places she wanted to go, and she had plans all laid out.
It felt like the night before a picnic, a memory she could barely recall now.
She had even dressed up for the outing.
It’s frustrating.
“Are you worried about your master’s master?”
With Bella’s voice, warm black tea is poured into the cup in front of her.
“Who, who said I was worried?”
Olivia jumps in surprise.
“I-I wasn’t really worried? I mean, I was just… looking forward to having a normal outing.”
She pouts her lips.
Olivia’s shoulders slump.
A faint smile appears on Bella’s face.
“How was dinner with your master’s master?”
Click.
Bella sets down a plate with an éclair topped with chocolate cream in front of Olivia.
“Well, um…”
Olivia looks at the éclair, chewing her lips.
“It wasn’t bad, no, it was terrible! We didn’t even get to see 1% of the planned course!”
“Is that so?”
“On top of that, at the end…”
Olivia recalls what he said.
To teach her the White Flame Swordsmanship.
Her cheeks flush crimson.
She can’t teach royal techniques to outsiders.
Unless it’s a betrothed.
As those thoughts crossed her mind, Olivia shakes her head.
“Ughhh… Stupid, idiot, pervert, scoundrel, rogue! How could you say such things to a pure maiden!”
With her face flushed, she shoves the éclair into her mouth.
The sweetness fills her mouth, and it finally cools her head a bit.
“…Anyways, today was truly the worst. Hmph.”
“Really?”
“…”
Olivia remains silent at Bella’s question.
The next words he said echo in her mind.
Let’s exchange the Black Ray Sword and the White Flame Sword one-on-one.
“Let’s do a one-on-one exchange.”
‘Brother’s skill…’
It’s an offer she cannot refuse, especially since she admires the Black Prince.
Olivia feels her heart swaying unconsciously.
She picks up the teacup and drinks her tea.
The strange bitterness of the cold tea lingers in her mouth.
“…Well, it wasn’t the worst.”
A smile appears at the corners of Bella’s mouth at Olivia’s response.
Swish.
Warm tea is poured back into the empty cup.
*
Beep.
Upon stamping my student notebook, the dormitory door opens.
I drag my tired body and collapse onto the bed.
The soft mattress and blanket welcome me.
Ah, the bed is the best.
“You’ve worked hard this late.”
I hear the protagonist’s voice in my ear.
I turn my head.
Same black hair, but unfortunately, the good-looking protagonist’s face is in front of me.
“What are you doing up this late?”
Damn, I nearly missed curfew because I ordered extra cheese dakgalbi earlier.
It’s way past normal sleeping time, which means…
“Do you have something to say?”
“You’re sharp as ever, Kim.”
Kurosawa Yuji awkwardly laughs and scratches the back of his head.
Just when I thought I had adapted.
Seeing a guy act like that in front of me is making the dakgalbi I just ate want to come back up.
“I heard about your performance through the academy channel. Exploring ruins at the student level? That’s definitely impressive! Totally on a different level from me, an F-rank. Hahaha…”
As I listen to his forced compliments, I turn on my phone and access the academy channel.
[Today’s big news! The Knight Princess discovers ruins! ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ]
[The Knight Princess found ruins? The elite really are on a different level from the student rank! ∑(O_O;)]
[I heard a student from Korea was with her]
[>> Isn’t that talking about Kim Deok-Sung?]
[It’s super lucky being next to the Knight Princess ww]
[I’m jealous of the Korean student. I want to explore ruins with the Knight Princess too (｡•́︿•̀｡)]
[>> That’s a bit much ww Think about the Princess’s position ww]
[What kind of person could the Korean student be? Even with limits, he triumphed over the Knight Princess and is now exploring ruins with her. Is he secretly incredible?]
[>> A C-rank being a hidden powerhouse? That’s a stretch ww]
[>> I think it’s just plain luck, nothing more.]
Seeing the community reaction filled with Olivia’s mentions puts me at ease.
Yeah, this is the normal response.
Honestly, that level of Korean pride is a bit too much; it feels overwhelming.
I close the community page.
“So? What do you want to say? Is that all talk?”
What an annoying guy.
“That… I definitely didn’t intend to flatter you. If it sounded that way, I’m really sorry!”
He gets up from the bed, bows sincerely with an apologetic expression, and puts his hands together.
Damn.
This crazy world really puts me to the test every day.
I press my throbbing temples and say,
“Enough, let’s get to the point.”
“I heard from Rin, or rather from Shinozaki. He said he made a duel appointment with you.”
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