I woke up in my bed. This was a sight I often saw whenever I was badly injured and lost consciousness. Was I hurt during yesterday’s event? I was a little confused.
But then, a faint mory flickered in my mind. I rembered teasing Serena with an indirect kiss, and she responded by doing the sa. It seed I had bled too much from my nose. I didn’t expect her to tease back like that. She’s truly incredible.
I then got up from my bed and noticed a letter lying on my desk. When I opened it, it was from Serena. She said that she had carried , unconscious, to the maid and that I had been brought to my room to rest.
Serena also asked to return to Braveheart Knight Academy to finish my Hero’s Exam. She encouraged not to dwell on the past but to focus on the future. She said she would wait for to officially beco her comrade-in-arms.
I smiled as I read her letter. I had already planned to take the Hero’s Exam because by completing it, I would be one step closer to my goal of becoming the greatest hero! I wouldn’t forget my promise to the Goddess of Benevolence to defeat the Demon King in this world.
Then, at the end of the letter, I was surprised to see Serena laughing. She thought I had gotten drunk from drinking juice and passed out. I didn’t expect her to think I fainted because of that. The truth was, I couldn’t handle the temptation from her teasing. Thinking about it made so embarrassed.
"Hey, look, the Sleeping Princess is awake! HAHAHA, you’re amazing for completing the quest to kiss Serena. How did you do it?! Did you really kiss her?!! I WANNA KNOW!" Envi, that damn system, had returned to his mischievous nature.
"I’m not telling you! You’ll have to figure it out yourself, hahaha." I teased Envi, and I could tell he was really annoyed.
Suddenly, there was a knock at my door. I told them to co in, and it turned out to be Vivin. She asked how I was feeling, and I reassured her not to worry. Then Vivin told that the Patriarch had ordered to et him.
Hearing this, I imdiately prepared myself and headed to the Patriarch’s room. When I arrived, I knocked and entered.
I was surprised to see that the Patriarch was already wearing his armor. "Ah, you’re here. Get ready, Naoki. I’m going to teach you the Blackmore Swordsmanship again," he said.
I recalled that during our last training session, he ntioned he would teach the sixth and seventh forms of the Blackmore Swordsmanship once I beca stronger.
I put on my armor and grabbed my katana. Afterward, the Patriarch and I left together. However, I thought he would take to the usual training area, but instead, he led to the Monster Forest, where it was just the two of us.
He said it was better to learn through real combat. Once we entered the forest, we encountered several monsters. He told to watch carefully.
In an instant, the Patriarch drew his sword, and a dark aura enveloped it. The aura ford a longer blade.
Seeing this, a group of trolls erged and attacked us. There were ten trolls coming at us all at once, but the Patriarch began to fight back.
[Blackmore Swordsmanship, Sixth Form: Dark Sword Aura]
With a single swing of his sword, the Patriarch’s dark aura sliced through all ten trolls at once. It happened so fast, yet the destructive power was imnse. The upper halves of the trolls were instantly obliterated.
"This is the Sixth Form," the Patriarch explained. "You need to control your aura and turn it into a weapon. Not only will your attack range increase, but your strength and speed will also improve."
"This skill consus a lot of aura, so you can’t use it for long periods. You should use it for surprise attacks or finishing moves," he added.
I understood and began practicing it. It was similar to how I used the skill that defeated the Berserker Troll King and how I coated my katana with Dark Magic when fighting Canis.
I had to learn how to control my aura properly. After two hours of practice and defeating many monsters, I finally mastered the skill. Without realizing it, I leveled up, and the skill was added to my Blackmore Katana Style.
"Good job, Naoki. The fact that you learned this skill so quickly proves that you’re worthy of my teaching," the Patriarch said, a bit pleased.
"Now, pay attention. I’m going to teach you the Seventh Form of Blackmore Swordsmanship." After saying that, the Patriarch again released a massive aura.
In an instant, he attacked a horde of monsters rushing toward us with a single slash.
Slash!
I couldn’t explain it because it was so extraordinary. In the blink of an eye, his slash split the ground and created a massive slope. The many monsters vanished in an instant.
I didn’t expect the Patriarch to have such strength, or maybe he was still holding back. It was truly amazing. I could perform powerful skills with the help of Envi and the [Power of Incarnation], but the Patriarch was using only his raw strength. The gap between our power was still vast.
"That was the [Blackmore Swordsmanship, Seventh Form: Judgent], and it’s very hard to master. In fact, it’s a technique I created myself. In the Blackmore family sword style, it usually takes three years to master this skill. Don’t rush it, you’ll learn it when the ti cos," the Patriarch said, patting on the shoulder while I stood in silence, still in awe of the power of his attack.
Seeing the Patriarch’s skill marked the end of my training for the day.
After our training, the Patriarch instructed to return to Braveheart Knight Academy. He had received a letter from the academy, officially inviting to co back and retake the Hero’s Exam. However, since I had failed to complete it this year, I would have to wait until next year. This ant that I would have to repeat my third year and be placed in a regular knight class, as all the other heroes had already graduated.
I was taken aback by this news, and a deep sense of embarrassnt washed over . This felt like being held back in school. I could hear Envi, that troubleso system, laughing at and mocking my situation. He even told to cheer up.
I did my best to ignore Envi’s taunts.
The Patriarch, sensing my discomfort, spoke again. "Naoki, I believe in you," he said with a serious expression. "You will carry the Blackmore na with honor, and you will prove that our family is the strongest."
His words were resolute. The Patriarch no longer cared whether I was the sa person I once was; what mattered was that I could protect the Blackmore family.
I then relayed the information from Serena to the Patriarch, sharing her concerns about a possible traitor among the four royal heroes, soone from a heroic family. They were involved in the failure of my Blackmore Quest, which had left badly injured and with lost mories.
The Patriarch’s expression darkened at this revelation. His aura flared with a dark, intimidating energy that caused the nearby monsters to retreat in fear. Despite his fury, he suppressed his emotions and tried to process the situation calmly. He would remain cautious from now on.
Finally, the Patriarch spoke with a sense of finality. "Before I step down from the Blackmore family’s throne, I will continue to protect our family," he said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Don’t worry, Naoki. Focus on passing the Hero’s Exam at the academy and beco a true hero of the Braveheart Kingdom."
"Now, I ask you, Naoki," the Patriarch said, his gaze steady and serious. "Are you ready to return to Braveheart Knight Academy and complete the Hero’s Exam?" He waited for to make up my mind, his eyes unwavering.
Suddenly, a notification appeared before .
-----
[!!!NOTIFICATION!!!]
Main Quest Activated!
Quest: Rise of the Hero!
Objectives:
-You must complete the final exam in your third year at Braveheart Knight Academy and graduate.
-Pass the Hero’s Exam and beco the Hero of Braveheart Kingdom from the Blackmore Family.
Reward: Goddess’ Wish and 50 Goddess Points.
Penalty: Your older sister, Takahiro Nana, will not be able to overco her trauma and will end up committing suicide.
-----
I was filled with anger as I read this. Before, the penalty for failing the main quest was my mother’s life, and now... it was my sister’s?!
Envi, too, seed taken aback by the notification. "Honestly, Nao, I don’t know if this main quest cos from the Goddess of Benevolence or soone else. But the goddess told that we have to complete this quest no matter what. So... calm down, Nao, we should trust Goddess of Benevolence. We will definitely succeed!" Envi’s voice was filled with encouragent, though I could sense his usual mischievousness was gone for now.
I didn’t want to show my frustration to the Patriarch, so I suppressed my anger. After a deep breath, I steeled myself and spoke with resolve.
"Alright, Patriarch, I’ll do it. I will return to the Academy and complete the Hero’s Exam. Just wait and see, I’ll co back victorious!" I said, my voice filled with a fiery determination mixed with frustration.
The Patriarch smiled faintly at my response. "I’ll be waiting for that day..."
With that, we made our way back to the Blackmore Mansion.
...
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