Preparing for the Hero’s Arrival

Chapter 20 – Preparing for the Hero's Arrival

The hero will arrive next week.

That should have been terrifying news. After all, according to the novel's storyline, I was supposed to die at his hands.

But now?

I wasn't worried.

Not even a little.

Safina was completely on my side.

Before my transmigration, she had sent a letter to her brother—the hero—detailing all of Edric's abuse. That letter had been the reason he came charging in, sword drawn, ready to kill me without hesitation.

But now, things were different.

I had changed my death flag.

Safina no longer hated me. In fact, she trusted me completely. And if anything did go wrong…

She would handle it.

That was enough reassurance for me.

Still, I couldn't be careless.

I knew the hero's mentality. He was a battle-hardened man who loved his little sister more than anything. His devotion to Safina bordered on obsession. If he so much as suspected that I had hurt her again, he would cut me down on the spot.

So, I had one week to prepare.

And in this world, if things ever turned bad, there was only one way to solve them.

Power.

That meant I needed to train.

---

A Trip to the Training Grounds

The Ainsworth family had an extensive training ground where knights and warriors honed their skills.

I made my way there, feeling a bit awkward.

Before transmigrating, Edric had never trained seriously. He had been a spoiled noble, relying entirely on status and underlings.

But that wasn't me.

If I wanted to truly take control of this world, I needed to get stronger.

As I stepped into the training grounds, I immediately spotted Talia sitting lazily on a wooden bench, munching on something.

The moment she saw me, she smirked.

"Oh, Master, what a rare sight," she teased. "What brings you here?"

I crossed my arms. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged. "Just watching. I wanted to see how this world's power system works and how people train. It's interesting."

I raised an eyebrow. "And?"

She grinned. "And I've learned that people here are stupidly weak compared to me."

…Of course.

"Well, anyway," I said, shaking my head. "I came here to train."

Talia's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh? Master is finally thinking about something other than lust? How shocking!"

"Shut up."

She laughed. "Alright, alright. What do you want to practice? Magic or swordsmanship?"

I sighed.

"I'll start with swordsmanship first," I said. "Once I get better at that, I'll move on to magic."

Talia nodded. "Good choice. Alright, Master—pick up a sword and show me what you've got."

I walked over to the weapon rack, grabbing a standard training sword.

I took my stance.

Then, I swung.

It was a clean slash—surprisingly good. The moment I executed it, I realized I had some muscle memory from the original Edric's body.

Talia clapped her hands. "Not bad, Master. You're not hopeless after all."

I narrowed my eyes. "Thanks for the confidence."

She smirked. Then, she suddenly turned and called out to someone.

"Hey, sweetie! Come here!"

I blinked.

…Sweetie?

A moment later, a massive, battle-scarred knight stepped forward.

My jaw dropped.

This guy was huge. Muscles like steel, scars covering his body, and a face that looked like it had seen a thousand battles.

And yet, when he faced Talia…

He bowed deeply.

"I will follow your orders," he said with complete obedience.

I stared. What the hell was happening?

"…Who is this?" I asked.

Talia grinned. "This is Ethan. He's a very talented swordsman."

I looked at Ethan. He was looking at me with fear in his eyes.

Fear.

Not of me—but of Talia.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why is he listening to you?"

Talia smirked. "Because I own him now."

"…What?"

She giggled. "Well, I saw him fighting earlier and thought he was strong. So, I decided to 'recruit' him. He's been obedient ever since."

I glanced at Ethan. "You're fine with this?"

Ethan gave a stiff nod. "Lady Talia… is terrifying."

I sighed. "I see."

Talia clapped her hands. "Anyway! Ethan, you're in charge of training my dear Master. Make sure he learns proper swordsmanship."

Ethan nodded firmly.

"Young Master Edric," he said, his voice deep and disciplined. "I will be in your care. However, I will not accept any orders about quitting training. If you try to leave early, I will drag you back."

…Well, at least he was committed.

I exhaled.

This was just the beginning.

I had one week to prepare.

And this training was only the first step toward taking this world in my hands.