The following days felt like a fever dream to Xian. He would wake up anew each morning without his injuries, yet the pain still lingered in his body. His muscles screamed the moment he tried to move, forcing him to struggle with every step.
Even so, he forced himself forward, believing pain and injuries didn't matter if he could simply grow accustomed to them through countless regressions.
Each strike from Serika that landed on his body drew a groan from his lips. Yet every time he fell, he learned a little more, how to steady his posture, how to move his strikes in order to deliver more power.
And somewhere at the back of his mind, something was holding him together.
'Could it be a trait of this body?'
Naturally, Xian knew that his physique likely played a large part in healing him and improving his reflexes. There was no way it was simply his grit alone, this was a fantasy world, after all.
One explanation he could think of was a hidden trait belonging to the original owner of this body, something that had become inactive when he transmigrated into it and reset to level 1.
If it's the same traits he knew then…
[Shackled One (Sealed Trait's: ??? lvl 18, ??? 28/100 lvl 28, ??? lvl 38)]
Xian sprang up from the bed.
'Conditions! It must have hidden conditions!'
If only he can read the skill effects, then he could surmise the condition to unlock it.
'No, if I think about what I've been doing these past few days…'
Xian, once again, had that sinister grin. An olive branch was handed to at an opportune moment. Surely, this must be the way to get past his predicament.
If he didn't have something like a hidden trait, or the lingering instincts of this body, Xian could easily imagine needing hundreds of regressions before he could fight Serika on equal footing.
'No, I only need to somewhat keep up with her.'
It wasn't easy to bridge the gap between their stats. This body had outstanding strength, agility, and endurance, allowing him to remain standing under Serika's onslaught. But if she used a sword coupled with aura to amplify her physique, his limbs would be lopped off in an instant.
"Sir Xian? Are you awake?"
Today was the fifth day. Tomorrow would be the final day of their sparring before they departed for the academy. At this rate, the young miss might decide he wasn't worth bringing along at all.
'Do I have to resort to assassination?'
It was a cold but very real solution to his problems. It's not like Carmillia will disappear, since she will be there everytime he regress.
Maybe, at some point she does die, but Xian couldn't wait that long. And the scenarios required certain degree of strength if he wants to make a harem out of all the heroines he likes.
'Or I could just trigger an event to force a regression?'
In the game, there were plenty of ways to trigger a character's death. Most of those events occurred in the academy, which meant Xian would first have to get inside. Without any backing and without the privileges of the protagonist, that alone was a challenge.
He might be level 14 now, but he was still far from mastering this body.
Besides, there was also the concern that security might be handled differently compared to the game. What kind of academy would Rozenfall be if students like Carmillia die so easily?
Well, it's not the fault of the academy, but rather by the household itself.
The Dukedom of Montagne was now under the gaze of the new king and his investigators.
The Duke had led the massacre of several noble families and even an allied dukedom under the pretext of treason. He had been deeply trusted by the former king, and had that king lived to this day, many believed that far more houses would have met annihilation under his command.
His army, clad in pitch-black armor, was infamous for heralding destruction wherever it marched.
As for why his household still existed, those who had come under his banner during the reign of the previous king were numerous throughout the kingdom. After the old king's death, this only made the division within the kingdom even more apparent.
Many conspirators gathered to exact revenge against the Duke. Some were driven by purpose, but far more were fueled by blind vengeance.
One in particular was a once-powerful family with ties to the Montagnes.
'The family of Carmillia's mother, the Benevolent Mistress, as the players called her.'
She was often mentioned in the game's lore, and several allies who guided the protagonist through quests even regarded her as a role model. They were a faction that once opposed the Duke and knew of his tyranny, but were ultimately defeated. It was Adrian's role to help their remnants go against the duke.
Xian had already gone through many runs, but he had finished the game fewer than ten times. Partly because whenever he triggered a setback or a bad ending, it was easier to reload another save file. The only times he completed the game to the end were when he consistently followed a heroine's route.
And out of the seven main heroines, he had only finished two, with the others either halfway completed or untouched. All he knew was their initial introductions, archetype and how they can be interacted with in game.
"Um, Sir Xian… hello?"
'Right, that maid is here again.' He hadn't noticed it at first, but this maid was the only one he saw taking care of him every time over the past few days. Sometimes extra maids would be there to help heal him but she's the only one consistently there.
"I'm awake."
After he answered, the maid entered his room with a shy smile, her face slightly flushed. It was already late into the night, and for the first time he had managed to last for half a day against Serika. He was even beginning to make some progress when it comes to movements.
Now he understood why.
It mus be because part of the sealed traits had been helping him, and the conditions were being fulfilled due to his predicament, resulting in partially unsealing them. His regression likely didn't carry over physical improvements, but his mental tolerance to pain and experience while sparring with Serika would probably remain in his mind.
Xian was in a good mood when he activated his Conqueror's Eyes.
"I will take care of you today as well, Sir Xian."
His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he stared at the maid's affection level.
Xian was in a good mood when he activated his conqueror's eyes.
"I will take care of you today as well, Sir Xian."
His eyes almost bulged out from its sockets, staring at the maids affection level.
Pink heart: 3
'It's already on that level? What did I do? What?'
He was filled with confusion. There are no events, signs, or even interaction between them these past few days. He only remembered reveling in battle and pain against Serika.
Then something clicked in his mind.
"Hey… Did you… take care of me every night?"
Now that he looked at her, the maid seemed to be setting down a towel and a tub of water. She did so with practiced movements and haste, clearly she had done this before.
He never noticed. She was hard to notice in the first place due to her uniform. There was never an npc this audacious so Xian didn't expect them to exist.
"Of course! The other maids didn't want to get on the young miss's bad side, but I'm different." She said proudly with a bright and innocent smile.
"Unlike them, I won't let sir Xian be on his own hehe!"
"But I never asked you to do this. You're overstepping my boundaries, maid." Xian didn't even remember or asked her name.
The maid stopped and dropped the towel on the tub, making the sound of wet splash.
"But… Sir Xian… It was all for you. Because, I want to be a diligent maid… I want to prove what you saw in me." Her tone was flat and emotionless. For a moment, her face and Carmillia's overlapped in Xian's view.
"You know… ever since that night. Blood was all over your body." Her hands touched his shin as it smoothly traveled up to his legs.
"The other maids found it a pain. But I didn't. I volunteered alone and made sure to clean every nook and cranny of your body." She spoke so, as if enthralled upon recalling something. Her chest heaved with slightly heavy breath.
"It was… amazing to be able to useful for you sir Xian. I even washed and replaced your clothes. Look, I brought you a newly cleaned set of those butler uniform." She pointed towards a neatly folded stack of clothes on the bed table.
He was wondering why he magically had something to change to every morning. Turns out, it was this random made he talked to.
'I guess it's not Moris. He must've taken this opportunity for his cleanup duties.'
"… You don't need to do this from now on. I can take care of myself." In truth Xian would just rather avoid her, since she isn't a heroine anyways. Although she did look cute, that was it.
Xian had no intentions to be distracted from his goal. He may be able to regress, but he wouldn't wait for his desired outcome's to develop on it's own.
He had better things to do. The maid will leave, maybe heartbroken, but he didn't care.
"Don't worry sir Xian… Starting tomorrow, you don't need to do all of this."
But she didn't. Instead her hand reached out to touch his face.
His eyes turned cold as he grabbed her hands. "Leave. My. Room."
"O-oh! I'm sorry! I… will give you some time alone." She hurried and left, leaving the tub and towels she brought with her just in case Xian might need it.
He sighed in relief.
'That was strange.'
Xian wasn't particularly afraid of people like the maid. He just found her annoying, especially now that he's not exactly in a good situation.
He relaxed and let the bed do the work until he fell asleep.
The next day…
Today will be the deciding day, whether he's coming to the academy or not.
Xian began the day with a new plan in mind. Since Carmillia is chasing him away, then he will leave.
Temporarily, of course. Hopefully, a death event would be triggered in the meantime once he left. Instead of locking himself inside the estate, Xian planned to explore the outside world and look for anything he could exploit, such as hidden item locations or promising characters he remembered from the game.
He was willing to endure the difficulties of the first week again and to orchestrate better schemes to kill the coachman.
Anyways, the plan is to train after leaving. A few places where he can grind skills came to mind and even places where he can just learn skills.
He wondered if those will complete the requirements to open the last and remaining function for the protagonist, the skill window.
Once he gets that far, he will be able to enter the academy as a student with his power and keep tabs with Carmillia there as a fellow classmate.
'There's the problem of getting into their class though.'
Carmillia was in the top section, the nobles-only class known as the Royal Class. Although the academy promoted equality on the surface, there was nothing that money and investments couldn't influence.
The Chancellor and the headmaster eventually gave in and agreed to provide better facilities for the "best" students of the academy. Those best students were, of course, the heirs of noble households.
In terms of potential, they certainly had the qualifications to be called the best because of their lineage. But in terms of combat prowess, most of them were just like Xian and lacked real experience.
'They're also a troublesome bunch.'
In the academy, they were constantly entangled in intrigues. The top class in particular often clashed with the protagonist's class, the Scholar Class. A place where individuals who relied purely on talent and effort were gathered.
And finally, the Common Class, filled with students whose fate was often to be used as pawns. Many of them were torn between the two factions, those aligned with the nobility, and those who stood for themselves through their own ability.
'Anyways, they are equally worse.'
The door opened and Moris was surprised to see him done and prepared already.
"Sir Moris? Have you returned?"
These past few days, he went on his own towards the training grounds. He missed Moris a little bit and his mustache.
"Hm? I never left." Moris raised his right brow in response to that as he smoothened his mustache with faint smile of approval. "Anyways, if you're awake, don't make me drag you out of the room. Training grounds, starting tomorrow. Don't wait for me." With that he left, leaving the door open.
Hearing those familiar words, he stood stunned for quite some time.
Then Xian burst laughing. "Ha… hahahahha!"