Chapter 360 Enjoy

Closing her eyes, Lia slowly exhaled.

As she focused her mind and paid close attention, she began to feel the flow of mana within her body more clearly.

The motion of pulling up that flow and letting it run down her arm into her weapon.

Thanks to practicing countless times until now, it was a process she could perform as naturally as breathing.

However, Lia went through the steps very slowly and carefully, just as she did when she first learned it.

Everything else was the same as usual, but she made a slight change to the process of refining mana to alter its properties.

Mana flickered from the tip of the blade. It was mana of a different nature than the fire attribute she always used. Small sparks flew from the tip of the sword.

...Did I succeed?

The moment Lia thought that, something flew rapidly toward her from one side of her vision.

’Hap...!’

Lia, who was concentrating on handling mana, barely managed to dodge by tilting her head.

Lia belatedly checked what the object was that had narrowly brushed past her face. What had flown at her was a spear shaft.

’...Ms. Rebecca. What was that for all of a sudden?’

’You shouldn’t just stand there blankly. Are you going to be concentrating your mind like that even during a fight?’

’I’m in the middle of practicing.’

’Who was it that said practice should always be like a real battle?’

Rebecca, who had swung a practice spear at Lia like a prank, replied.

They were at the Guild’s training ground, which they hadn’t visited in a long time.

Since there was a training facility at the base, they hadn’t come here for a while after joining the mercenary group. Today, Lia had returned to this place after a long time.

Strands of lightning were crackling and extending from Lia’s sword.

Rebecca lightly tapped it with the tip of her spear and said to Lia.

’The lightning output is still too weak.’

’It’s my first time.’

Until now, Lia had only used fire-attribute mana, which was most familiar and comfortable for her.

Personally, it was the easiest attribute to handle, and it was sufficient for performing her role in the vanguard.

However, after experiencing the Labyrinth and growing further, she felt the need to broaden the range of situations she could handle.

The first choice she made was lightning.

It was the attribute primarily used by Rebecca, who had taught Lia how to fight. Thanks to that, it was the most familiar attribute after fire.

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to reach the level of paralyzing an opponent upon attack or scattering lightning around for area-of-effect attacks like Rebecca. For now, it was one step at a time.

First of all, she had succeeded in the attribute transformation, which was her first goal. Since she had used a significant amount of mana during practice, Lia took a short break.

As Lia sat on a bench in the corner of the training ground, Rebecca sat down beside her.

’Whew...’

Lia let out a small sigh with her head lowered.

Rebecca lifted her head slightly to observe Lia. At first, she thought Lia was just tired from training, but her expression was a bit strange.

Since they didn’t just meet once or twice, Rebecca quickly realized that Lia had something on her mind.

’Do you have something troubling you?’

Was it proof that she had grown a bit while mingling with people?

In the past, she would have turned her head with a cocky expression, saying nothing was wrong. Lia, who had been contemplating, looked at Rebecca and cautiously started talking.

’Um, Ms. Rebecca. This is... a story about a friend.’

’...?’

’Since when did you have friends?’

Rebecca didn’t say it out loud and only thought it to herself.

What kind of story was it that she was suddenly using the ’friend’ excuse?

Since it seemed like a fairly interesting story coming from Lia’s mouth, Rebecca decided to test how solid that setting was.

’A friend? A mercenary? If it’s a mercenary from here, is it someone I know too?’

’Ah, well... no. It’s a mercenary from another city, and I received a letter. Um, it’s a mercenary from Orcia.’

’So that’s the setting.’

Rebecca nodded for now.

When Rebecca didn’t pry further, Lia felt slightly relieved and continued the story.

’Well, that friend started dating someone.’

’Uh-huh, go on.’

’But that man already has several people he’s dating...’

’Oh...’

The story became quite interesting.

Seeing Rebecca’s smirking smile, Lia asked with a slightly anxious face.

’Is it a bit strange after all?’

’No, no. It happens. Is the partner a noble by any chance?’

’He isn’t now, but I think he probably was in the past...’

’Then it’s possible.’

’Even up to a year or two ago, you were boasting about having no interest in romance. Anyway, words like that can’t be trusted.’

Rebecca chuckled internally and waited for Lia’s next words.

’So? Did a problem arise with the lovers?’

’Well... if they were to get married, I suppose the primary wife would be decided by the order they started dating, right?’

’....’

Rebecca’s smirking laughter stopped.

It was a completely different kind of worry from the question she had anticipated.

...She was expecting to hear some fresh and ticklish romantic concern. A worry that went far beyond her expectations hit Rebecca hard.

’Isn’t it too early to be thinking about marriage already?’

’Pardon? But isn’t it an important matter? If you don’t pay attention in advance...’

’....’

Facing Lia, who was acting a bit impatient, Rebecca let out a small chuckle.

’So, you want to bypass the lovers who started dating first and become the primary wife?’

’Ye... s— No, no! My friend does!’

’I want to be a knight. I have no time to waste on things like romance.’

She was expecting to feel satisfied while listening to the fresh love story of her blunt disciple who used to say such things while swinging a sword every day.

Somehow, Rebecca, who ended up giving marriage counseling, held her head slightly and asked.

’First, tell me more about that lover. If it’s certain he’s of noble origin, status can be restored with money. Is he going to do it?’

’I’ve never asked. But he already has enough money now, and seeing as he hasn’t done it yet, he probably...’

’Lia... your ’friend’ setting keeps wavering.’

Rebecca thought that to herself and pondered for a moment about the content Lia was curious about.

’Even if they are from another country, a noble’s status is generally recognized for the most part.’

Of course, since he was an exile, he wouldn’t be officially recognized for his title, but respect ultimately comes from money. If he had the wealth, rebuilding a house was no big deal, and people tended to treat him sufficiently as a former noble.

’But that’s only if the person themselves has the intention to do so. You’re saying it doesn’t seem like he does?’

’Yes. Probably.’

In Rebecca’s opinion as well, based on the circumstances so far, it seemed Ian didn’t want to reveal his past.

When you’re in the Labyrinth, you see many people with all sorts of troublesome pasts.

Among them, there were naturally figures with dangerous pasts.

While the dangerous pasts of ordinary guys were just trivial stories like theft or fraud, a noble’s dangerous past was on a different level. For example, fleeing with succession rights.

In such cases, they naturally couldn’t flaunt their previous status. Most figures whose identities were revealed in that way didn’t last more than two or three years before being taken out by assassins.

Considering that, Rebecca gave Lia an answer.

’Then, assuming for now that the husband has no title. In that case, the one with the highest status among the wives is the primary wife.’

’Pardon? Isn’t it the husband who chooses?’

At Lia’s question, Rebecca shook her head.

’That’s when the husband’s status is higher...’

If the husband is the head of the household, his decision is mostly followed, but there were cases where the situation was reversed depending on status.

In terms of general social norms, the order of dating had the biggest influence, but that was only when their statuses were similar.

’Even so, a noble cannot enter as a mercenary’s concubine. The husband has no choice but to enter the wife’s family.’

Lia’s eyes sparkled with a look of realization.

’I-Is that so? Then one just has to be the highest among the wives, right?’

’Hmm. If the opponents are mercenaries, a knighthood—which was your goal—would be sufficient.’

’...Ah, no! It’s not me!’

’Right, right. Your friend.’

Lia was flustered, her face turning bright red. It seemed she had no intention of giving up the ’friend’ setting.

As Rebecca nodded as if she understood, Lia finally calmed down, perhaps thinking she had successfully fooled her.

After finishing the somewhat long conversation with Rebecca, Lia nodded with a look of determination.

’So, if I just earn a knighthood, the Captain will come as my family’s son-in-law...’

Since becoming a knight was a goal she had aimed for since a long time ago, it wasn’t an unreasonable task.

Rebecca, who had been watching that whole process from the side, spoke to Lia, who was already setting up marriage plans.

’Why don’t you enjoy dating first instead of marriage?’

’Y-You mean my friend, right?’

’Sure.’

Rebecca sighed with a smile while looking at Lia.

’Geez, she was such an innocent girl who only knew how to train. Now she’s completely obsessed with a man.’

Then, while summarizing the things Lia had said, Rebecca suddenly realized a strange fact.

’Captain Ian, how many did he get involved with then?’

Recalling the conversation she just had with Lia and counting the number of Lia’s rivals, Rebecca made a peculiar expression.

’...Didn’t he get involved with the entire party?’

Among the information about Ian that Rebecca personally remembered, she changed the section on female relations to ’Extremely into women.’