Acceptance

Today is the day the venture starts and she is at the training grounds swinging her sword at a dummy made of wood and straws, alone. Alone in the vast training ground.

She woke up extra early, to finish her daily warm up and have more time to practice swinging the sword. She also has a mountain of books to read after. In the end she was not able to master the Julian Language. In the end she can barely write her name.

'That sly old man knows it.'

She swung and hit the dummy angrily until her right arm started trembling.

'Even if I use my right as support, this still happens. Arghh. . . '

She let herself fall to the ground and look at the blueish purple sky. The sun is not up yet. Even after doing the warm up she doesn't feel tired at all, just a little lazy.

She was instructed to continue training and studies. She plans to do that for her own survival besides she feels another presence watching her.

'Guess I can't let my guard down.'

She can't pinpoint the exact location of her stalker so she limits the use of the system. She can't risk them knowing more of her.

The training ground looks abandoned and not well kept. It's too big for one person to use. It was weird that she never saw anyone around the training grounds or in the mansion. There are only two brown-haired girl servants who bring her food and clothes from time to time. Aside from Konrad, Theo, Gio and the two servants, she never saw anyone.

'Are they hiding or isolating me?'

She stood up again and started swinging the sword with her left hand.

'Get a code and get out of here.' That's what she thought for every swing.

She finished her training around noon and took a long bath before she started her self study.

There wasn't much difference between the self study and the lesson with Gio.Read books, summarize and let Gio read her report after he came back. The only difference is, all books are written in Julian Language Characters and the books are now not only limited to royal family, nobles and their festivities.

*knock *knock

The door opened and two servants entered and put platters of food on the table. They bow down and leave.

They never spoke a word. They just always drop the necessities and go away. She opened the cover of the food and the delicious looking meat was oozing. To her this place would be perfect, if only she is not too suspicious of everything.

'What will they gain in helping me?'

When the system gave a quest she thought this might be a safe place since the system's main purpose is to help her survive.

[QUEST: Complete the Training]

'Training might take years.' She don't want that. The best way to prove herself to the Alexanders is in the Monster Forest but before that she had to learn Julian Language to Venture out.

*Ting*

~New Quest has Arrived~

[QUEST: Learn the Julian Language]

Rewards:

Acquire New Skill

She sighed as she pressed .

'This system only gives me a quest I can't decline. '

****

Fourteen days had passed since the venture started. She is going on her usual routine and when she has spare time she will sneak out and observe the town from the back alleys or roof. She studied their way of living, their accent and behavior. That was something a book cannot entirely cover.

All aware that someone was following her but she was never stopped nor reprimanded.

Today she chose to stay in her room and do some reading while eating afternoon snacks and hot chocolate.

She is sitting beside the large window where most sunlight passes through. She likes being basked in the light after being confined in a close area.

Outside the window is a vast number of trees and a mountain at the other side of the forest.

"Aren't they supposed to be back now?" She said to herself as she immersed herself in reading.

*Knock Knock*

She didn't say anything as usual and the door just opened. Konrad and his two sons entered.

'Now that I read about etiquettes aren't they supposed to wait for permission before they enter?'

"Welcome back your grace, Sir Theo and Sir Gio." She stood up and placed her palm to her chest and bow slightly.

They were silent for a moment and she smiled internally because she greeted them in perfect Julian Language.

"At ease." Konrad replied in Julian Language.

"Thank you sir, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence today?" Not only she learned the Julian Language but also the common etiquette.

"Pffft." she heard a suppressed laugh. Theo and Gio are looking away.

'Who was it?' She can't see Theo's face because he is facing the opposite direction and Gio's face is hiding under his hood.

She heard it again but didn't catch who it was. Something is snapping in her head. Was it her veins or patience?

"Ahem. . .Enough."

"Sit down, child and be at ease."

". . ." she sit down and feel stupid. Her proud self shattered in a matter of a few seconds.

"You can speak the Julian Language and be aware of basic etiquettes."

"Yes, your grace."

Konrad glances at the messy stacks of books around the large window area.

"Tell me if you need more books"

"Yes, Your Grace. Thank you" She smiled a little because she is truly grateful. Aside from the young wolf who accompanied her most of the time, the other thing that made her stay sane in this house and even in town where she is always alone, is books.

Somehow Konrad's expression softens.

"Child, I have a question for you." Konrad returned to his serious tone.

". . ."

"When you are in the forest where did you stay?"

"I mostly wander around."

"Did you sleep above the trees?"

"No, I tried climbing but I cannot do it." She was surprised at herself at responding without thinking.

"Where do you usually rest?"

She returned to her usual cautious self.

"Why do you want to know?"

Nobody answered and just looked at her.

'Even if you stare at me to death I won't give in.'

"Level 4 is crawling large quantities of monsters."

Her skin crawled.She already thought about it. She knows it deep down. Maybe it was her skill 'Beginner's luck' the reason she managed to stay alive.

"I stayed near a lake at night. " She answered in a low voice.

Silence. There was only silence in the room.

****

"How are the funerals going?" Konrad asked.

"Brother, is helping to gather the remains."

Konrad looks at Gio and pat his shoulders.

"Make sure to tell their families they died valiantly."

Gio bowed down and disappeared. The last venture caused the Alexanders 23 trained soldiers' lives.

'She survived at that level for days.'

"The Lake? It turns out it exists after all." The count told himself

****

The next day, she saw Theo standing in his usual spot at the training grounds. Something inside her boils.

"Welcome back, Sir!" Her voice is a little gloomier than usual. She remembers to properly give him salutations first.

"At ease. Did you train while I was gone?"

"Yes Sir. " He stared at her. She forces her eyes to stay still and not roll it up.

He placed his hands on her head and ruffled her hair. She always had her hair tightly pulled into a high ponytail during training to avoid it getting in the way. Theo's calloused hands were big but a little cold in her head.

"Good." He removes his hand and she looks at him. He is so tall that she can see his chin and jaw lines from below.

"Run your laps." He coldly said.

'He really reminds me of that old man.' She internally clicked my tongue as she ran.

'Something changed. What is it?' she wondered.

For the first time, Theo suggested, they spar using wooden swords. It was something she didn't expect but nevertheless, she is excited to showcase her skills.

Unfortunately, she didn't last for five minutes. Her right hand is shaking uncontrollably.

"Let's end today's training. Rest for two days." Theo said as he walked away from the training ground.

Pathetic, her arm still trembles after a few blows.

She had her lesson with Gio after lunch.

She didn't come into their lesson room since she read books in her room. Gio is currently reading her assignments. She silently sat there until she was bored waiting. Well that's expected since she wrote tons of summary, because she read a lot.

"It's not perfect but passable."

"Oh. . . . thank you. . . sir."

"You need to. . . *pfffft* hahahahahaha "

Her eyes grew big after hearing him laugh out loud.

'He is the one who laughed yesterday.'

". . ."

"You really need to work. . . hahahaha.. . hard or you'll create misunderstanding. . . hahaha."

It was the first time she saw him laugh or with any expression other than a straight face. His long silver hair glistens as he laughs.

"What is it?!"

"Ye-yesterday, what you said to Father. . ." He just wouldn't stop laughing.

"You want to say "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence today? right?" He asked in her language

"Yes."

"I think you got confused instead of saying that in the Julian Language your translation came out wrong."

The horror starts to creep in. 'What did I say?'

"You said. " What pleasure do I owe you, sir? " HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

"...!"

He laughed boisterously.

'Did I ask that old man that?'

His words echoed in her head.

" What pleasure do I owe you, sir? "

" What pleasure do I owe you, sir? "

" What pleasure do I owe you, sir? "

'It's the same!!!' The shocked face of Konrad replayed in her head.

The laughing face of Gio becomes inaudible to her.

'I asked his grace what pleasure . . . '

Her chest started to tightened and vision started to darken.

****

"What did you do?" Theo asks Gio who is looking at the floor.

"Nothing." He coldly answered.

Then Gio looks at the troubled face of the girl who just lost consciousness.

'She forgot to breathe' He thought then remembered the "The pleasure incident."

*pfft* He couldn't control it he then burst into laughing "Hahahahahahaha! I'm sorry. . . I just can't--- hahahaha"

Theo pulls Gio's hood, choking him while being dragged outside.

"ahhh. aw. aw .aw" The laughing Gio stopped laughing but his laugh tears are still in the corner of his eyes.

The girl laying in her bed is sweating and crumpling her face like she is having a nightmare.

****

She woke up and the sun was shining brightly outside.

'I don't have training today.'

She remembers her chest tightening and passing out. Her memories from yesterday played in her head. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands.

"Oh that was . . a very bad dream"

At the corner of her eyes she saw a note beside her bed. It's a plain blue note with Julian Characters.

Congratulations, You earned your spot in the next venture. - Gio

P.S

Thanks for the laughs.

'It's not a dream.'

*Ting*

~Quest Completed~

[QUEST: Learn the Julian Language]

Rewards:

Acquire New Skill

*Ting*

~You Learned New Skill~

[Foreign Language Lvl 1]

'It's really not a dream. . .'