Chapter 8: If You Aim for My Position (3)
[Attempting to Replicate Ability of the character ‘Chloe Yusburg’.]
[Understanding of character ‘Chloe Yusburg’ is at 90%.]
By the artifact Yusrecht, the replication of Chloe Yusburg’s abilities began.
Since Chloe was a sub-heroine and had many depictions in the novel, the understanding level came out similar to Serine’s, at 90%.
[Judgment: Success]
[Acquired the main abilities of character ‘Chloe Yusburg’.]
The judgment was a success.
With this, I would be able to copy Chloe’s abilities just like I did with Serine.
As a swordswoman from the West… Chloe’s skills, capable of countering Schmidt’s southern swordsmanship.
[Acquired Yusburg Swordsmanship (Rank A) successfully.]
[Acquired Yusburg Light Technique (Rank C) successfully.]
[Acquired Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship (Rank D), but since I already possess Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship (Rank C), this is nullified.]
I smiled inwardly.
Because the abilities I expected were copied exactly.
Especially important was the Yusburg family’s secret swordsmanship, Yusburg Swordsmanship (遊劍術) Rank A.
“Chloe isn’t great with other sword skills, but this one is useful.”
Honestly, Chloe wasn’t a character known for outstanding combat power.
But in crucial moments, she would make a big impact with a single decisive strike, and the secret was the Yusburg Swordsmanship.
I had copied that technique exactly.
“And this will become the weapon to defeat Schmidt.”
Lost in thought, I heard Chloe’s cautious voice.
“Um, Ernas?”
Now I noticed Chloe was looking at me with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“The handshake seems to be lasting a bit long?”
“Ah, sorry about that.”
Like with Serine, I had been holding Chloe’s hand for too long.
I immediately withdrew my hand, and Chloe blushed as she spoke.
“I thought it was a simple handshake… do you usually initiate skinship like this?”
“No, it’s not like that…”
“Well… it doesn’t matter.”
Chloe muttered, turning her head.
“If you were doing this while engaged to someone, I’d be angry too.”
“……”
It seemed she was misunderstanding something.
Since she didn’t seem particularly upset, I felt no need to explain.
“Well then, excuse me.”
“Oh, okay…”
Chloe bowed to me and left.
Though there was a bit of misunderstanding at the end, I was glad I didn’t leave a bad impression.
“In the novel, Chloe always obstructs Ernas.”
As the protagonist’s advisor, she countered Ernas’s political schemes.
If our relationship got bad, she might join other factions to hinder me, so I had to avoid hostility.
“I’ll probably need her help soon, so better to keep things friendly.”
With that thought, I headed to the dining hall.
It was a bit late… I worried if the food would still be available.
“His hands weren’t rough for a swordsman. I wonder what cream he uses.”
Chloe walked while recalling the feel of his hand.
Suddenly, she bumped into a crouching female student behind a pillar.
“C-Chloe.”
“Oh, Serine.”
It was Serine, who had been spying earlier.
I thought she’d left already, but she was still there.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well… I wasn’t feeling well.”
Serine’s face flushed red.
“I see. Should I take you to the infirmary?”
“No, I’m fine now.”
Chloe smiled at Serine’s excuse.
“Did you hear anything?”
“Huh?”
“About what Ernas and I were talking about.”
“…!”
Serine shook her head hastily.
“No, I didn’t hear anything! We’re far apart!”
“Okay.”
She seemed to be telling the truth.
We weren’t speaking loudly.
“C-Chloe, what exactly did you talk about with Ernas?”
“Well… that’s a secret, so I can’t say.”
“…!”
Saying it mysteriously, Serine looked surprised.
“Uh, what kind of…?”
“Why so curious? You’re not even engaged anymore.”
“Ugh…”
Serine looked uncomfortable.
“I know you’re the one who demanded the engagement be broken off, but do you still have feelings?”
“Of course not!”
Serine shook her head firmly, denying it.
“I watched Ernas hitting on other women many times, so I was worried he’d do something bad to you.”
“Oh, I see. But that’s unnecessary worry.”
Seeing Serine admit to spying, Chloe smiled.
“Ernas was gentlemanly. He held my hand too long, but he apologized immediately.”
“Huh?”
“And I don’t mind if Ernas flirts.”
“W-What do you mean?”
“Well… what could it mean?”
Chloe brushed back the hair near her ear.
“Also, Serine, you’d better watch Schmidt instead of me.”
“Huh? Schmidt?”
“He seems to be trying to overthrow Ernas and take the representative position.”
“…!”
“Ernas says he’ll handle it, but I’m a bit worried. Just in case, you should know too.”
Leaving Serine swallowing nervously, Chloe left.
I thought I’d watch how the conflict between Ernas and Schmidt develops before deciding my stance.
“There’s no meat?”
“Yes, sorry.”
Entering the dining hall late to get lunch, the food server looked troubled as she said the steak—the main dish—was all gone.
“Really, none left at all?”
“We thought everyone who wanted some had already taken theirs…”
She pointed to a corner of the dining hall.
“There, a girl took all the leftovers…”
Looking over, I saw a small girl eating several stacked steaks alone.
Viola Orisius, the notorious underachiever of Black Class 6, showing her usual careless behavior again today.
“Viola…!”
I clenched my fist.
In the novel, Viola was comic relief, but seeing her suffer made me angry.
“E-Ernas, why are you staring at me like that…?”
Viola noticed my gaze and lifted her head.
Seeing me holding a tray, she understood the situation.
“Ah, well, I thought I’d need to eat a lot to do well in the afternoon sparring, so I didn’t want to waste food by leaving it.”
“…”
“So…”
She took a piece of steak she’d already cut with a knife and offered it to me with a fork.
“W-Would you like some?”
“No thanks!”
“Huff!”
I took only bread, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables and sat down.
“Have to be vegetarian even here…”
I grumbled internally and started eating.
As a representative, I’d often eat later than others, so I should remind them earlier to avoid this in the future.
“I need to prepare for afternoon sparring too.”
While chewing bread, I touched the ring on my left hand.
Then a message popped into my mind.
[Currently acquired abilities by Ability Replication are as follows:]
[Bastian Knight Swordsmanship (Rank A)]
[Yusburg Swordsmanship (Rank A)]
[Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship (Rank C)]
[Yusburg Light Technique (Rank C)]
[Eastern Magic Practice (Rank B)]
The two empty skill slots were now filled, so I held five abilities.
I also acquired Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship (Rank D), but since I already had Rank C, it was invalidated.
“All the slots are full now.”
To copy new abilities, I’d have to delete one.
I’d keep the A-rank Bastian Knight and Yusburg Swordsmanship for a while, but replace the C-rank ones if I got the chance.
“But there will be a penalty when swapping abilities.”
Other artifacts in the novel had similar systems.
So I mustn’t change abilities recklessly, only for truly valuable ones.
“For example…”
I glanced at Viola again.
She was an underachiever, but had some useful ability.
“I should approach her at the right time later.”
While thinking that, Viola, who was busy eating steak, suddenly noticed my gaze and flinched.
“Um, would you like a piece after all?”
“No thanks.”
I coldly rejected her offering and resumed eating.
Lunch ended, and afternoon practice began.
Professor Yolse spoke to us gathered at the outdoor training ground.
“As I said this morning, today you will have one-on-one sparring matches. This is to gauge your skill level.”
Next to Yolse stood Annerize and other instructors.
They would observe our matches and carefully record our current abilities.
“Winning or losing doesn’t matter, so show your best.”
After Yolse finished, Annerize stepped forward, raising her hand.
“Everyone, form pairs for sparring. You can choose any partner.”
The outdoor practice ground became noisy.
Many paired up with friends immediately, but many students still looked around, unable to find partners.
“This is the problem with group activities.”
I didn’t have anyone close enough to pair with immediately.
But I was Ernas Lanzstein… standing alone silently wouldn’t make me look like someone lonely and friendless.
“E-Ernas.”
Then, Serine hesitantly approached me.
“If you don’t have a set partner, how about sparring with me?”
“…?”
Surprised.
It was unnatural for Serine, who disliked Ernas, to show such behavior.
Besides, she lost to me yesterday in the representative selection match…
“I have something to discuss while sparring.”
“What is it?”
“That is…”
Serine turned her head slightly.
Her gaze fell on Schmidt, who was talking surrounded by his followers.
“I heard from Chloe.”
“Chloe?”
“Ernas, you’re the one who won against me and took the representative position.”
Serine’s voice was serious.
“You mustn’t lose it to those kinds of people.”
“…”
I quickly understood what she meant.
She wanted to help me not lose the representative position to Schmidt’s faction.
“Right, that’s Serine’s character.”
I had been focusing only on how much she disliked Ernas and forgot the essence of her character.
Serine was known as an upright person, even the protagonist Arkandel worried “she might break someday.”
If Schmidt’s faction forcibly removed Ernas, who rightfully earned the position, she wouldn’t allow it.
“Serine.”
I spoke slowly.
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t need your help.”
“Ernas, you don’t have to be stubborn…!”
“I’m not being stubborn.”
To Serine, who raised her voice, I calmly said.
“This is something I can handle alone.”
“…!”
Ignoring Serine swallowing hard, I left.
Who I’d spar with was already decided.
“Schmidt, what exactly is he doing?”
“Who knows.”
Watching Ernas and Serine’s scuffle from afar, Schmidt thought.
“I thought they were cooperating. Why are they fighting?”
Today, Schmidt planned to observe Ernas’s sparring more closely.
He planned to act after thoroughly analyzing Ernas’s skill.
But… Ernas didn’t pair up with anyone and was approaching Schmidt’s location.
“Schmidt Hartmann.”
“…!”
Ernas spoke to Schmidt as he approached, and Schmidt’s faction students around held their breath.
“What is it, Ernas?”
Schmidt responded politely for now.
The Lanzstein family held the Duke title and was a prestigious swordsmanship house, much higher rank than Schmidt’s count-level Hartmann family.
“Have you decided who you’ll spar with?”
“Not yet…”
“That’s good.”
Ernas said calmly, facing wary Schmidt.
“Schmidt, I want you to spar with me.”
“…!”
Schmidt couldn’t help but gulp.
He hadn’t expected Ernas to challenge him first.
“Why me?”
“You get the most from sparring with someone of similar skill.”
“I sparred with Serine yesterday, so today I want to spar with you.”
“…”
“Wouldn’t that be better for you too?”
Caught off guard by this preemptive challenge, Schmidt bit his lip.
“Ernas, I…”
“Hmm, you don’t really want to, do you?”
Interrupting Schmidt, Ernas said.
“How about conditions?”
“Conditions?”
“Yes, conditions.”
“…”
Schmidt felt nervous.
Ernas had completely taken control of the conversation.
This was not the situation Schmidt wanted.
“I don’t know what it is, but tell me.”
Schmidt stared fiercely, determined to seize control by finding a fault in any condition.
“What conditions?”
“If you win…”
Ernas said calmly.
“I’ll give you the representative position of Black Class 6.”
“…!”
Hearing the outrageous offer, Schmidt opened his mouth in shock.
