Vice Captain Annawiel Alphares of the Shepherd Moon Adventurers had been in a foul mood lately.

The last dungeon run yielded zero real rewards. The lord’s whereabouts stayed shrouded in mystery. No challenging monsters appeared. No decent loot dropped. Her feet even got sweaty and smelly. Nothing—absolutely nothing—went right.

But what really burned her up was… what was going on between Torina and that Mylora?

Torina hovered around her constantly, her enthusiasm far exceeding mere “apology.” It felt straight out of a shoujo manga—like a wealthy young master lavishing attention on a country girl he fancied. Except the “young master” was a girl.

*(N-no way… Could she actually like her? Like that unsophisticated, socially awkward country bumpkin with zero talents? Wait—wasn’t she straight? Back at school, hordes of boys simped for her… though she never dated any of them, come to think of it…)*

Lost in tangled thoughts, Annawiel headed toward the Adventurers’ Guild—when she unexpectedly bumped into two familiar faces.

Marian and Lilia. The very duo Torina had unceremoniously kicked out days ago.

Spotting Annawiel, their expressions instantly turned flustered. After a panicked glance at each other, they scurried away.

*(…Tch. Cowards.)*

Annawiel shook her head dismissively. They hadn’t returned to school right after being dismissed. Lingering around Garden Town? Probably too ashamed to slink back. Not her problem. She never liked them anyway—always fawning over Torina. Annoying.

Good riddance.

But if Torina dumped them… for Mylora’s sake? That was bad news.

*(So… where are they now…?)*

————————

————————

Ji Xue generously demonstrated her swordsmanship for the two.

“Hawk Dives Through the Forest!”

A strike swift and sharp as a raptor pierced straight through the tree trunk.

“River-Crossing Sweep!”

Her blade flashed like white silk, severing countless branches.

“Autumn Wind Sweeps Leaves!”

A sharp gust of sword energy sent fallen leaves swirling upward.

“Storm of Pear Blossoms!”

A rapid, precise flurry of slashes shredded leaves midair.

“Wolf Pounces on Hare!”

She flicked her sword—*thwip!*—pinning the largest leaf to the tree behind her.

Her technique was mesmerizing: fiercer than a torrent, gentler than a breeze. Now dancing like a butterfly, now stinging like a bee, now diving like a hawk toward its prey. Utterly captivating. The double-edged Eastern blade moved as if an extension of her own body.

After the final flourish, she sheathed her sword cleanly, bowed with ancient grace—then instantly flushed crimson, cheeks blooming like hydrangea blossoms.

“Th-that’s it… Sorry for the clumsy display! Uwaa…"

“Amazing, Ji Xue-chan! Spar with me next?” Torina said lightly.

“Eh!? I-I mean… is that really…"

“Mylora-chan wants to learn proper swordsmanship. Show her.”

“I never said that.” ← Mylora

“To grow stronger, you must taste the forbidden fruit—ahem! *Try new things!* Come on!”

Torina drew her sword. Ji Xue hurriedly raised hers again.

“Ji Xue, pure swordplay only. No magic. Understood?”

“But… what if someone gets hurt?”

“We’ll spar with sheaths on.”

“Y-yes! I’ll do my best!”

Ji Xue’s face tightened with nervous resolve—after all, it was the captain’s order. Meanwhile, Torina’s mind raced with secret schemes.

*(If I want to avoid a bad ending, I must steer Mylora away from the original plotline. If she ditches that system-taught garbage? Even better!)*

Smirking inwardly, Torina confidently advanced toward the flustered Ji Xue. *Hehehe… Watch me defeat Wenren Jixue with dazzling flair. Then Mylora will be awestruck by my strength and charm—and beg me to be her swordmaster!*

“Here I come, Ji Xue!”

“P-please go easy on me!”

…

…

One minute later…

“Ugh?!”

Torina let out a ridiculous squeak and face-planted into the dirt, ass-up.

Her meticulously styled hair was a mess. Bruises bloomed on exposed skin from the sheath strikes. Her nails were scratched.

“Are you okay!? S-sorry! I couldn’t hold back!”

Ji Xue rushed to help the disheveled Torina up, nervously brushing dust off her clothes.

Torina: 🤯

*(Her swordsmanship is… insane!?)*

In a real fight with runes? Maybe she’d win. But pure swordplay? Total annihilation. No one in the entire Shepherd Moon Adventurers—or Garden Town—could match Ji Xue.

*(A new character not in the original story… an Eastern swordmaster shrouded in mystery… Fine. I’ll dig deeper later.)*

Spitting out dirt, Torina smoothed her hair with teary eyes—then noticed Mylora twisting her head away, hand clamped tightly over her mouth, cheeks puffed like a frog’s, shoulders trembling slightly.

Ah. She was *holding back laughter*.

“You’re laughing at me?!”

“Mmf…"

Mylora shook her head violently, refusing eye contact.

“You’re totally laughing!”

“Mm-mm!”

“…*(pokes her side)*"

“Pfft—HAHAHA!!! S-stop! Don’t tickle my waist! I’m ticklish! HAHAHA!!!"

Mylora finally burst into laughter—clear as a mountain spring, bright as silver bells.

And Torina realized: *This is the first time I’ve ever seen her laugh.*

This girl who always wore a burdened, solemn expression… now showed a smile fitting her age. Fresh. Sweet. Like gardenias swaying in a spring breeze.

Suddenly, the bruises felt worth it. A soft smile tugged at Torina’s own lips.

“Eh…?”

Ji Xue blinked, glancing between the giggling Mylora and the tickle-attacking Torina. She scratched her head.

*(So I’m just a tool for your flirting…?)*

…

…

After the laughter settled, sword practice resumed.

In one word: Ji Xue was *terrible* at teaching.

“J-just like this—*whoosh whoosh whoosh!* Then *swish swish swish!* Next *thud thud thud!* Finally *clang clang clang!* …Get it?”

Her bizarre onomatopoeia and chaotic explanations left Mylora utterly bewildered. Even Torina, listening nearby, caught only fragments.

Having Ji Xue coach Mylora directly? Not ideal.

But it didn’t matter.

Because *what* they learned was irrelevant.

What mattered was *this*: spending light, joyful moments together.

These past few days, as long as Mylora’s attitude softened and her favor rose—it wasn’t wasted effort.

*Please let this work.*

Truth was, Torina felt a quiet urgency too.

She’d deliberately avoided leading dungeon runs, denying Mylora’s system chances to gather intel. She even steered the group clear of other adventurers—all to delay the “boss raid” event.

But delays had limits.

And she sensed… that limit was drawing near.