The students in the department all treated Erin with an unusually excited manner.

“Erin, I heard you almost got hurt?”

“They say the subjugation team would have been completely wiped out if not for the Sword Master who suddenly appeared. Is that even possible?”

“Are you okay? Why are you walking like that?”

“I heard a rumor that you dueled with Lord Amon and won, is that true?”

“How could that be true? Do you know who Lord Amon is! There’s no way Erin could have won.”

Questions showered her the moment she entered the training ground.

The story of Erin facing a monster horde during the subjugation had spread widely.

The eyes of the Swordsmanship Department students, who had already been becoming favorable toward her, were now sparkling with interest.

Those eyes somehow resembled Princess Asili’s gaze from this morning, giving Erin goosebumps.

The students approaching her warmly felt completely unfamiliar, making her wonder where all the people who initially disliked her had gone.

Of course, there were still some who viewed Erin with contempt.

“No matter how excellent her swordsmanship is, how can they like a murderer like that?”

“Where has the honor of knighthood gone? Tsk, tsk.”

“Leave her be. Someone like that will never even reach the threshold of becoming a high-ranking knight. Everyone knows that to become a Sword Master, one must reach the pinnacle of mental discipline. Erin Liserth won’t even become a high-ranking knight.”

These words might have hurt her in the past, but Erin ignored them now.

She gave brief answers to the other students’ questions while walking toward the corner of the training ground. Then she frowned at seeing an unexpected person.

Why is that person here?

The person warming up in the training ground was none other than Amon. She noticed the Swordsmanship Department students constantly glancing at him.

It made sense that the beginner class students would look at him with sparkling eyes, since Amon was famous for being destined to become a Sword Master in the future.

Most knights were sword-obsessed, so their thoughts always revolved around swords.

Therefore, even though he was their peer, Amon Hedor with his exceptional swordsmanship skills inevitably became an object of admiration.

Upon spotting him, Erin moved in another direction.

She wanted to avoid getting involved with him since her goal was to act like a moderately exceptional genius who “blended in” within the Swordsmanship Department.

However, Amon approached her faster than she could avoid him.

As soon as the Academy Knights’ meeting ended, Amon had heard that she had woken up.

He thought she wouldn’t come straight to training, but he was wrong. Dissatisfaction clouded Amon’s face.

“Lady Erin, should you be out already? I heard you only regained consciousness this morning.”

Erin felt a chill. Amon Hedor speaking formally to her?

She briefly looked up at the sky. Had the sun risen in the west?

But the sun was in its proper place. Then what was going on?

After thinking briefly about the reason, Erin came to a conclusion. Perhaps Amon had injured his head during the monster subjugation.

Faced with this completely unexpected situation, Erin was at a loss for words. Was this another consequence of her changing the future? If so, how should she fix Amon’s head?

“You look uncomfortable moving around. You could have rested longer before coming out.”

His tone still had an edge to it, but it was clearly different from before. Erin stared at him in bewilderment.

This too was different from the future she knew. Amon Hedor had already advanced to the upper class in the Swordsmanship Department.

So he had absolutely no reason to be in the beginner class taught by Edward.

Except for the swordsmanship evaluation on the first day, there were no occasions when the beginner and advanced classes would meet during class time.

Even her fiancé Ferdin, she hadn’t seen since that class.

This meant Amon had transferred to Edward’s beginner class. But why?

To move back to the advanced class, according to Atenz Academy tradition, he would need to complete a mission assigned by the Emperor.

Knowing how much Amon had struggled to advance to the upper class in the past, Erin couldn’t guess why he had come to the beginner class.

Moreover, the difference in level between the beginner and advanced classes was significant.

Amon’s level was too high for the beginner class students to match him.

Of course, that wouldn’t be much different in the advanced class either, but it would still be better to be in a class with people of similar skill level for more effective training.

“Why are you here?”

At Erin’s question, Amon closed his mouth.

Then he silently stared at the sword at her waist.

“When you’re better… could you duel with me?”

“What?”

“…Never mind.”

Amon, who had started speaking, realized Erin’s physical condition and closed his mouth again. His face reddened.

He felt embarrassed for losing control of his emotions and making such a rude request. Besides, Erin standing before him had only woken up this morning.

Yet Amon couldn’t take his eyes off her sword.

Erin sighed at his intense gaze.

This is why knights were so difficult to deal with. It seemed she had taken Amon Hedor too seriously when facing him.

Perhaps she should have held back while still winning.

But that “holding back” was always difficult. Besides, Erin had always been weak to those who looked at her with such eyes.

The eyes of a knight pursuing strength.

As someone who once wanted to become a knight more than anyone else, she understood their desperation better than most.

After their duel, Amon must have gained some insight.

And having discovered a clue to becoming stronger through that duel, he had come here to satisfy that thirst.

‘If he wants it that badly, I should oblige.’

Erin raised her sword. There was no need to wait until her body recovered. Knowing what Amon wanted, she intended to show him clearly.

‘If I do this moderately, it won’t attract too much attention.’

Fighting somewhat equally should work, right? She just needed to avoid overwhelming him too much.

Even while thinking this, Erin knew. As long as she dueled Amon as an equal, her plan to lead an ordinary life in the Swordsmanship Department was already over.

But there are things you can’t stop yourself from doing even when you know better. Erin herself didn’t dislike exchanging swords with Amon.

It was always enjoyable to guide a talented genius.

“I don’t mind dueling now, Lord Amon.”

Erin said this as she drew her sword.

* * *

Ronald Asili.

He was more commonly known as Count Asili than by his name.

He was one of only three Sword Masters in the vast Lexia Empire. A man who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship and earned the respect of all knights.

Yet no description could fully capture who he was.

His footsteps were hurried. Numerous knights followed behind his massive frame. They were the Empire’s First Knight Order led by Count Asili.

Most knights belonging to the First Knight Order were high-ranking knights, composed of some of the strongest warriors in the Empire.

They were an elite unit among elites, renowned for guarding the southern mountain range where monsters ran rampant.

It was only natural that Swordsmanship Department students at Atenz Academy aspired to join the First Knight Order.

Count Asili’s chief knight approached him. He had just arrived after completing a mission entrusted to him by Count Asili.

The knight bowed his head and placed his fist against his chest.

Placing a hand over one’s heart was the highest form of respect a knight could show.

“Fortunately, the Princess is unharmed.”

“Do you know how that was possible?”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve faced a horde of monsters mixed with high-ranking ones yourself. It’s beyond what Atenz Academy’s subjugation team could handle.”

“A passing Sword Master apparently—”

The knight couldn’t continue. Count Asili fixed him with a cold gaze.

Though he said nothing, the pressure emanating from him constricted the knight’s breathing.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

At his single statement, the entire knight order tensed up.

The chief knight standing before Count Asili felt cold sweat running down his back.

At this moment, the chief knight found the man before him more frightening than encountering a horde of high-ranking monsters.

“Do you know what it means to become a Sword Master?”

“…”

“Make sure those who haven’t reached that realm don’t have the audacity to speak about masters.”

With those words, Count Asili clenched his fist.

Even the knights could see faint mana gathering in his hand.

Despite the tense moment, some knights’ eyes gleamed at this marvelous sight.

The realm they aspired to was right before their eyes. The realm where one could envelop not just their sword but their body with mana.

Those who could split mountains with a single sword and defeat hordes of high-ranking monsters alone, transcending human limitations.

The knights swallowed dryly from the tension. The chief knight also realized what mistake he had made.

At first glance, one might think it an arrogant statement, but none of the knights thought so.

Count Asili was someone who could rightfully say such things.

“Sword Master is not a realm easily reached. One must cross the line between life and death dozens of times and cut down countless monsters to reach it. Someone of that caliber would already be renowned.”

As Count Asili said, all past Sword Masters had gained fame whether they wanted it or not.

So if a new Sword Master had truly appeared, they would have known about it.

However, no Sword Master had moved to this area recently. Then who had faced that monster horde?

With this thought, Count Asili looked straight ahead to where he was standing.

Atenz Academy.

The reason he was heading there now, rather than visiting a month later as originally planned, was to find out the truth.