The following morning, there was a soft rap on the door.
Knock, knock.
Leo, engrossed in a book within his chamber, acknowledged the sound.
“Please, come in.”
The door slowly creaked open, revealing Selia, attired in the traditional modest uniform of the Plov family’s household staff.
“I am Selia, and for the next week, I shall serve as Master Leo’s maid. I anticipate our cooperation.”
Leo raised his eyes from his book to meet Selia’s expressionless gaze.
“Quite formal, aren’t you?”
“Spoken words carry responsibility, as our family motto emphasizes.”
Though her eyes revealed no emotion, her posture remained flawless.
An epitome of the perfect maid.
Her innate sense of elegance made her maid uniform, adorned with white frills on a dark fabric, fit her impeccably.
Her ebony hair glistened in the gentle sunlight.
As Leo found himself lost in contemplation while gazing at her, Selia broke the silence.
“While I appreciate admiration for my beauty, an inappropriate gaze will not be tolerated.”
“If I made you uncomfortable, my apologies.”
Leo moistened his lips.
“I had a friend once, an artist. He had an excessive admiration for beauty, and I seem to have inadvertently picked up that habit.”
‘Beauty is everlasting and supreme. When the world finds peace, I intend to dedicate my life to spreading beauty!’
That friend now went by Dweno, the renowned dwarven hero known as “The Smith of the Gods.”
He appeared much happier crafting art than forging weapons.
Even during his quest to subdue Erebos, he never abandoned his artistic pursuits.
“Your friend seems like a true connoisseur of beauty.”
Born as a Zerdingherian human, possessing qualities that can inspire others was essential.
Charisma was one such quality.
Observing Selia revel in the compliment, Leo chuckled.
‘He was quite the eccentric. He even asked Risinas and Luna to pose nude for his art, which caused quite a riot.’
Of course, Risinas and Luna didn’t entertain such a request.
‘Even a pervert like him is hailed as a great hero, so what does that make me?’
He chuckled as he gazed out the window.
Meanwhile, Selia scrutinized Leo with care.
She had unquestionably lost yesterday.
‘If I hadn’t let my guard down, I could have won…thinking otherwise is foolish.’
Her defeat resulted from her naivety.
If her family discovered she had worked as a maid for a week, she would become a subject of ridicule.
‘But it’s a responsibility I must bear.’
Ignoring it would only bring greater shame.
‘Besides, I’m curious.’
She wondered how Leo could infuse such power into his sword without mastering aura.
“You’re reading books in the morning. I expected you to be practicing swordsmanship.”
Selia had planned to observe his training.
“Morning should be a time for leisure,” he replied, closing the book.
Selia glimpsed at the title and appeared puzzled.
“A book about great heroes.”
She discreetly scanned Leo’s bookshelf.
‘All the books are related to great heroes.’
Not only fairy tales but also historical and scholarly works.
“You seem to have a profound interest in great heroes. Well, it’s in your lineage.”
Selia shared a deep fascination with great heroes.
“Could I take a look at your bookshelf?”
“Of course.”
Standing before the bookshelf, Selia couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘This is quite impressive. Even scholars dedicated to the study of great heroes might not have access to this much information.’
The study of great heroes remained a thriving field of research.
“You have a considerable collection of books about Kyle.”
“They’re for reference.”
“Well, there’s a prevailing belief that Kyle’s accomplishments are real, even if his actual existence is unverified.”
“Do you share that belief?”
“Absolutely.”
Historical feats attributed to unknown great heroes were commonly attributed to Kyle.
‘I haven’t been entirely forgotten, even if I’ve faded from historical records,’ he thought with a sense of pride.
“Perhaps Kyle is a future charlatan attempting to appropriate the vague achievements of great heroes,” Selia suggested.
Leo’s eyes narrowed in response.
“Are you suggesting that Kyle is a fraud?”
“It’s a plausible possibility,” Selia responded, in line with the prevalent academic perspective.
“I see. So that’s your view.”
“What?”
“Shall we have breakfast and then proceed to our training?”
Selia’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“Can I join you for training?”
Selia was eager to uncover the secret behind Leo’s strength.
“My training might be challenging to keep up with.”
“Hmph, I’ve conquered the rigorous training of Zerdingher with ease.”
Leo grinned mischievously, observing Selia’s confident demeanor.
“Is that so?”
She later mused to herself, “I should have thought twice about it.”
***
Whoosh-!
Clang-!
“Huh?”
“You’re too slow.”
Leo’s wooden sword clashed with Selia’s, sending it flying.
Selia hurriedly attempted to regain her balance, but Leo’s movements were lightning-fast.
Whoosh-
Thud-
“Argh!”
“So, this is why you turn your back to me.”
Struck on the shoulder by Leo’s wooden sword from behind, Selia writhed in pain on the ground.
The training continued relentlessly with Leo after breakfast.
As the pain began to subside, Selia’s frustration flared.
“Lord Leo! Is this really what you call training?”
To Selia, Leo’s training regimen felt more like harsh punishment than disciplined instruction.
He pushed her to the brink, demanding continuous exertion beyond her limits.
Naturally, he didn’t permit her to tap into the power of aura during this process.
Such training methods were entirely foreign to her.
Muttering to himself, Leo observed Selia’s protests.
“Young people these days seem so frail.”
“What did you say!”
“I told you, my training is tough. If it’s too much, why not quit now?”
“Don’t mock me! I can handle this kind of training!”
Her pride stung, Selia retorted.
“Really? Shall we start again?”
“Fine!”
‘Uh-oh? This wasn’t part of the plan.’
Impulsively restarting the training, Selia soon found herself knocked down once more by Leo’s wooden sword.
Without employing aura, the gap in skill between them was painfully evident.
‘Why can’t I win?’
Neither her physical strength nor her swordsmanship could match his.
Yesterday and today, her pride had been thoroughly crushed.
‘Compared to 5,000 years ago, the methods for aura training have certainly advanced.’
Leo marveled as he looked down at Selia, who gasped on the ground.
In the current era, aura manipulation had significantly progressed compared to 5,000 years ago. As a result, the average skill level of knights had risen considerably.
However, the standards for sheer physical strength hadn’t changed much.
‘In fact, 5,000 years ago, they might have been stronger.’
Nowadays, with the advancement of aura training methods, physical conditioning had been somewhat neglected.
Aura was a power that amplified physical abilities. Strengthening the body, in turn, bolstered aura.
‘This issue arises because aura training methods have advanced.’
“You’re quite impressive, though. I didn’t anticipate you keeping up this far.”
“Don’t underestimate me.”
“Shall we call it a day for the afternoon training? We’ll continue in the evening.”
Pushing her limits, Selia clenched her teeth.
‘I may not excel in physical strength, but I won’t be defeated in swordsmanship! I will prevail!’
***
“Don’t underestimate me, you silver-haired rascal.”
After evening training concluded,
Selia, her arms and legs trembling, dragged herself back to the mansion.
Leo had already retired to his room.
‘Ugh… is that guy a machine?’
Thinking of Leo, who relentlessly and tirelessly swung his sword, Selia felt overwhelmed.
In a way, it made sense that his body had become incredibly well-conditioned from this daily routine.
‘Hehe… At least I managed to keep up in swordsmanship during the evening training!’
Thanks to employing all the techniques she knew, Selia didn’t feel inadequate during the evening training.
‘Could I potentially reach his level if I keep up with this training?’
But she hesitated to entertain such thoughts.
Today alone, she had vomited five times.
‘Come to think of it, that’s incredibly embarrassing!’
With a flushed face, Selia let out a sigh.
‘I just want to shower and go to sleep.’
But before that, she had a duty to prepare Leo’s bed.
After all, her current role was that of Leo’s maid.
‘I should quickly spread out the blanket, take a shower, and turn in.’
When she arrived at Leo’s door, Selia took a deep breath.
She steadied her trembling limbs and put on a facade of composure.
Her rebellious nature wouldn’t allow her to show any sign of weakness.
Knock-knock-
“Come in.”
Creak-
“You appear surprisingly composed.”
“Huh- To me, it’s nothing.”
Selia maintained a confident expression.
“Weren’t you throwing up five times?”
“I’ll straighten your bedding.”
Ignoring Leo’s comments, Selia began to tidy up the bed.
“Then, sir, see you tomorrow morning.”
“Wait a moment. I have a gift for you.”
‘A gift?’
Caught off guard, Selia approached Leo.
“Thank you for your effort today.”
Smiling, Leo handed her a gift box.
‘So he’s expressing gratitude.’
Selia felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
‘Right, I am the daughter of the Lord of Zerdingherr, and he should appreciate my service.’
Elated, Selia opened the box.
Inside was a simple silver bracelet in a chain form.
She sensed an unusual energy emanating from the bracelet.
“It’s a bracelet enchanted with weight magic. Wear it during your training starting tomorrow.”
Leo chuckled.
Selia’s expression hardened.
“I’m fine.”
“Isn’t it impolite for a maid to refuse a gift from her master?”
“Hey! Are you trying to torment me?! Is that it? How is this training if I have to move around with this on? It’s more like torture!”
Finally reaching her breaking point, Selia vehemently refused.
“Weak, aren’t you?”
Sparks flew from Selia’s face.
“Who’s weak!”
“I originally train wearing it too. Well, if you can’t handle it, then you can’t.”
“Who said I can’t? I’ll wear this thing no matter what!”
In the end, easily provoked once more, Selia declared her decision and stormed out of Leo’s room.
Standing outside Leo’s door, she held her head in frustration, cursing her own naivety.
‘So gullible.’
Leo chuckled softly.
‘Who said I was a charlatan?’
Leo remembered that Selia had accused Kyle of being a fraud earlier in the day.
A pettiness unworthy of the great hero who had saved the world.
However, Leo felt no remorse for his actions.
‘If it were my other friends, they might have tormented her even more.’
His friends were known for their more ruthless nature.
‘Let’s make this week a real trial for her.’
Thinking about Selia enduring a week of pain, Leo grinned menacingly.
Cliche Novel 