Lorein had always admired her father.
He was an excellent lord and a remarkable swordsman.
He had been the one to first teach her how to wield a sword.
However, he perished in a tragic carriage accident.
The accident occurred during a patrol amid an encounter with a horde of monsters.
It was a mere accident, leaving her with nowhere to direct her sorrow.
At that moment, Lorein made a resolution.
"I have to protect my family in place of Dad!"
Her much younger siblings needed her.
She felt an obligation to safeguard them, her mother, and their domain.
Perhaps this sense of duty as the eldest daughter emerged more strongly after her father's death.
From then on, Lorein dedicated herself even more to the mastery of swordsmanship.
She had no time for play or distractions like other children her age.
Her childhood made her a somewhat cold individual, making it difficult for people to get close to her.
But Lorein never concerned herself with that.
"As long as I have the strength to protect my domain, that's all that matters."
She was convinced that any personal deficiencies could be overcome with skill.
Perhaps it was her poignant resolve, combined with her innate talent, that shaped her.
Lorein became an exceptional swordsman, graduating from the academy's swordsmanship department at the top of her class.
She even managed to defeat several monsters that invaded her domain during her time at home.
Lorein took pride in this achievement.
Now, she contemplated marrying into a reputable family, hoping to use the alliance to benefit her domain and fulfill her role.
…But she hadn't foreseen something.
The long years dedicated to the sword had carved a deep void in her heart.
"…I want to become stronger."
The competitive spirit, the yearning for constant improvement inherent in a swordsman, burned within her.
Lorein, ever true to the sword, felt these desires intensely.
Once she married and became someone's wife, she would be expected to adopt the different role of a 'madam.'
Her days would be filled with socializing and pleasing others with laughter and smiles.
Lorein abhorred this future.
Yet, she couldn't postpone marriage indefinitely for the sake of her domain.
Her mother, Priscilla, wouldn't force marriage on her and would support her dreams.
But Lorein's own sense of responsibility wouldn't allow her to delay it.
So, she wanted to reach her desired level before then, just before then.
Once she achieved this goal, she intended to let go of her aspirations.
'… It's too far away.'
But things didn't always go as planned.
Just one more step. That's all she needed.
A massive wall seemed to stand before her eyes.
It was like the thirst that a tree felt during a drought.
The appropriate time for marriage was drawing nearer.
The limited time made her anxious.
Even with harder training, the right direction eluded her.
Would she end up not reaching her desired level, living merely as an ordinary noblewoman?
She felt increasingly suffocated.
Her stagnation was frustrating.
As she trained amid these unspoken troubles,
"Would you like to spar with me?"
A handsome, skilled wizard with a sword approached her.
I realized something after my outdoor encounter with Ryuz.
Lorein jogged every morning, and this sight made men's hearts flutter.
I was aware of the former, but the latter had not occurred to me.
"Well, Lorein is like a flower on a cliff. No wonder no man dares approach her, unlike Ryuz."
Regrettably, this applied to me as well.
Lorein still harbored some wariness towards me.
Well, at least through swordplay practice, we had grown quite close.
But that's recognition as a 'swordsman,' not as a 'human.'
Perhaps it's in her nature to clearly distinguish among her people.
"Still, considering Lorein's personality, her fondness for me has probably increased quite a bit. Initially, it was as if a cold wind was blowing."
Nonetheless, it's unpleasant to think that other men were ogling Lorein's attractive figure.
With that in mind, I went to see Lorein first thing in the morning.
And I found myself admiring her outfit and figure.
'Wow, it's really amazing.'
Lorein was wearing a sports bra and dolphin shorts, an incredible outfit.
With such an overwhelming figure in those clothes, she was like a walking fantasy.
The way her body was drenched in sweat from running.
Her nape, chest, stomach, thighs.
It was harder to find a part that wasn't appealing.
"The figure is one thing, but to show such an outfit to others…"
It seems contradictory to be wary of men and yet do this.
But she probably thought of others as mere background NPCs.
Even now, sitting down and retying her hair, she was openly displaying her enticing underarms to me.
Her puzzled gaze was so charming.
"…What brings you here so early?"
"No, just heard you jog every morning. Thought I'd see your face."
"Suddenly?"
I nodded, curious how her waist could be so slender despite her ample chest.
"Thought I'd combine it with a sword practice session. You're warmed up, and it's a hassle to bathe again, right?"
"Hmm, isn't it time for Ryuz's lesson soon?"
"I talked to Ryuz and switched to teaching at night. The lessons often run long."
To be precise, it was because they often devolved into sex.
Whenever we were alone in a room, Ryuz invariably tempted me.
Since I had no reason to refuse, it was a frequent pattern for me to throw her on the bed and get to it.
The problem was, if we passed out from sex in the middle, it was tricky to explain.
Ryuz, with her high attack power, got wholly absorbed after one session and didn't know moderation.
So, I decided to have lessons at night when we could enjoy it comfortably.
"Hmm, I see."
Lorein, unaware of these circumstances, smiled sweetly.
It was a beautiful smile that the village youths would beg to see just once.
"Ryuz, and you seem to be working hard. Thank you."
"It's my job, no need for thanks."
"But it's true that Ryuz has become skilled in magic thanks to you."
Ryuz's magical abilities had indeed improved significantly lately.
Especially in the realm of healing magic, she was almost on par with the wizards of the magic tower.
I shrugged lightly.
"It's all thanks to Ryuz's hard work. I just helped awaken her talent."
"Good to think that way. But don't push her too hard. Ryuz is still young."
"I'm keeping it in moderation."
Lorein, nodding her head, stood up from her spot.
"Well, fine. I usually rest a bit before sword practice, but doing it now isn't bad either."
Lorein, drenched in sweat and wielding her sword with a refreshing smile, was quite captivating.
We headed to the usual clearing, where we always practiced sword fighting.
Soon, our swords clashed in the air.
-Clang! Clash!
We used real swords for our sparring, not wooden ones.
Because we recognized that our skills were sufficient for it.
Of course, with my magic, there was no problem anyway.
'She's definitely getting better. It's hard to compare her to how she was on the first day.'
Thanks to consistent training and daily sword practice.
As a result, Lorein's swordsmanship improved day by day, thanks to her diligence.
Her foundation must have been solid from the start.
She just needed a little trigger to blossom her talent.
The only issue, her lack of real combat experience, seemed to be filled by me.
'…Lorein is so talented. Why is Leon such a failure?'
Seriously, if Lorein had been the hero instead of Leon, defeating the demon king would have been a thousand times easier.
The original hero in the story was a woman, so gender wouldn't have been an issue.
'…Certainly, she would have been more popular in the kingdom than Leon.'
Lorein was fundamentally a cool and impressive older sister type.
She must have been popular among the girls at the academy, too.
With no issues in her private life and a diligent personality, she was well-regarded.
Men would fall for her with just a sway of her breasts.
'Such an overwhelming figure. The male peers at the academy must have had a tough time.'
No matter how much I tried, my gaze inevitably stole glances at her chest and belly line.
Of course, seeing her enticing figure was also a pleasure for me.
Every time she swung her sword, her shapely breasts moved dynamically.
Those were not breasts that could be hidden, no matter how the bra was worn.
"Focus, don't get distracted!"
Then Lorein swiftly swung her sword diagonally and shouted.
Her sword aimed at my legs and swung in from the opposite side.
I blocked the fast attack with the back of my sword.
-Clash!
Metal rang out as it collided powerfully.
Lorein used very basic, disciplined sword techniques.
This was characteristic of a swordsman who practiced a lot.
Occasionally, these unusual techniques could be quite threatening.
'She's definitely fast.'
I inadvertently blocked it seriously.
Seeing this, Lorein frowned.
Not just because her attack was blocked but also because of my attitude.
Recently, Lorein had realized that I'd been going easy on her.
'It means her skills have improved. As you reach higher levels, your perspective changes.'
But regardless of her growth, this was likely to hurt her pride.
A mage going easy on her in a duel, especially since Lorein took great pride in her swordsmanship.
She always got noticeably upset in such situations.
"…Impressive as always. I prepared that strike specifically for this moment."
"It was a sharp attack. Well done."
"Save the empty compliments."
Lorein looked unexpectedly downcast.
I noticed she was lightly rotating her shoulder as if stretching.
Every time she did, her sweaty armpits, slightly visible, were charming.
"Is it tiring to have a duel right after running?"
"Hm? Oh… no, that's not it. I've just been feeling a bit off lately."
"Are you pushing yourself too hard?"
Lorein's training could be somewhat intense.
When lacking experience, it was better to be strict.
But for a swordsman like Lorein, who was already quite skilled, it could damage her body.
"Uhm, maybe. I've been worried about a few things lately, getting a bit anxious."
She seemed troubled by her inability to overcome a 'wall.'
Only time could really solve this kind of issue.
The problem was that Lorein herself didn't have the luxury of time.
'I would be bothered if she fell ill just when I'm planning to focus on her.'
I didn't want to delay things because of such issues.
And this situation seemed like it could be used to my advantage.
I hid my smile and said,
"If you're feeling uncomfortable, shall I give you a massage?"