I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

Hela was heading towards the Lyos Mountains with Duke Eustia.

His massive physique, short-cropped red hair, and blood-red eyes gave him a chilling impression, further accentuated by his cruelty.

“To call me all the way out here… Can you really take responsibility for this, Hela?”

“Duke, please calm your anger. It couldn’t be helped. It would be even more troublesome if those suspicious groups were to interfere while we are carrying out our plans.”

“Hmm…”

Duke Eustia stroked his short beard, lost in thought.

“Yes, I’ve heard about the strange power of those Lost Hope bastards. They say they even wiped out an assassination squad. But even so, this number of troops is excessive, Hela. We’re already on thin ice. It’s only a matter of time before that cunning Emperor notices this.”

“That’s precisely why I deployed these troops, to prevent us from being held back in a place like this.”

The troops accompanying them now were a thousand elite soldiers directly under Eustia’s command.

Including the troops that had been divided and moved secretly beforehand, nearly 10,000 soldiers were gathering in the Lyos Mountains.

Originally, large-scale troop movements required the Emperor’s permission,

so they had to go through this complicated process to avoid the Empire’s eyes.

“Sigh… I still don’t like it. What kind of damn bastards are they…”

Duke Eustia muttered in a reluctant voice.

Deploying this many troops was a clear loss in the situation leading up to the grand scheme of swallowing the Empire.

Hela, sensing his displeasure, changed the subject.

“Speaking of which, I heard there was a sparring match at Ramielli Academy yesterday. It seems they gathered people from Yohaiden. We’ve sent Hades to assess the situation.”

“Humph, even if those guys gather, it’s nothing. Once Yohaiden falls, they’ll all scatter and crawl under us. They’re insignificant.”

“But I heard that sparring match was part of Zeke Clayman’s class.”

Duke Eustia’s eyebrows twitched at that.

“I’ve been hearing that name a lot lately. Iriel is also taking his class, isn’t she?”

“That’s correct, Duke.”

“And that Zeke Clayman bastard has joined forces with Yohaiden.”

“Yes, after confirming the facts, it was determined that he made that choice to protect Iriel. It seems the forces trying to hinder us are targeting not only Eustia but also Iriel, so he’s using Yohaiden as a shield.”

“Hmm, that’s not a bad choice for him. And was it your decision to send Iriel over to Yohaiden as well?”

“Yes, Duke. I thought it would be best to completely divert their attention.”

Judging from the recent flurry of activity from Yohaiden’s informants, it seemed that those Lost Hope bastards had also contacted Yohaiden.

“It wasn’t a bad move.”

Duke Eustia nodded.

‘Even if it’s Yohaiden, that Zeke Clayman wouldn’t put Iriel in danger.’

“Thank you. Once this sweep is over, I will bring both Iriel and Zeke Clayman, who is serving as an instructor at the academy, back to Eustia.”

Duke Eustia let out a hollow laugh.

“I knew about your obsession with Iriel, but you really go to great lengths. An academy instructor, huh?”

“Yes, it’s infuriating that he dared to disobey orders and act on his own, but since we were able to identify the suspicious forces in advance thanks to his information, it would be acceptable to reinstate him and utilize him.”

“Foolish man. Iriel will eventually become the Empress of the Crown Prince. He’s still dreaming.”

Duke Eustia raised his daughter to become the Empress.

He made sure she couldn’t dream of anything else, making her foolish.

He gave her whatever she wanted,

and instilled fear and vanity in her so she wouldn’t dare disobey his orders.

As a result, she had a twisted and rough personality, but such things didn’t matter.

Once the grand scheme was complete, the Yohaiden Dukedom would eventually fall,

and in the tilted power structure, the Emperor would never be able to refuse the proposal to make Iriel his Empress.

“Hmm… Then there’s no need to rush Zeke Clayman back. Let him be the dagger that delivers the final blow to Yohaiden. He can’t escape my grasp anyway.”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Duke Eustia twisted his lips into a smirk and rolled the red ring on his finger.

***

Selena’s mansion.

With the addition of another guest from outside,

three of Zeke’s students were now living together in one place.

Selena sat on her bed, arms crossed, her eyebrows furrowed.

‘Why… Why, why, why… Why do they keep increasing?!’

Did Zeke Clayman spray some kind of woman-attracting magic perfume?

Every time something happened, he brought another woman to our house.

And with such a brazen face!

Alright, let’s say Iriel Eustia is an exception. I couldn’t just leave her to die, even if I don’t like her.

And there’s the [Declaration of Benefactor in the Midst of the Enemy Camp] operation that I proposed.

It seems Iriel has fallen out of favor with the Eustia family because of it, so I have a moral responsibility for that.

Also, her presence acts as a barrier, preventing those like Eustia’s assassins from attacking recklessly.

Even if a serious conflict arises, they’ll try to contact Iriel first before fighting Yohaiden.

‘And the Cliff… She was involved with Instructor Zeke in the past, and they share the secret of her amnesia.’

So, even though they are enemies, they are in the same boat.

But Yuri Gilbert is different.

‘No… My father agreed to be her sponsor, but that doesn’t mean she can just settle down in our house! She could live in her own mansion without any problems, so why did she leave her perfectly fine house and come here?!’

Even if I generously assume that she came here because she felt uncomfortable staying in the former Gilbert County mansion, the problem is the title!

‘Brother…’

Selena bit her lip hard.

They weren’t even blood-related, yet she was clinging to the shell of black hair and black eyes!

And while calling him that, Yuri’s gaze was clearly different from the way she looked at her brother.

Selena instinctively knew.

That was definitely the look of a woman in love.

‘I need a plan.’

Selena’s eyes narrowed.

But going to the Instructor was not an option.

He was the one who brought Yuri Gilbert in the first place,

and if she showed any sign of persecuting or speaking ill of Yuri, he might think she was a narrow-minded woman.

‘He doesn’t even know her true intentions, as dark as her hair!’

Resentment towards the clueless Zeke Clayman suddenly surged within her.

Selena abruptly got up and headed towards a room she had never visited before.

Knock, knock, knock—

“Come in.”

A languid voice came from inside the room.

Creak—

As soon as the door opened, Selena frowned at the sight that greeted her.

The previously neat and tidy room was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a chaotic array of red and green decorations.

“Hmm? A flower garden?”

Iriel, who was lying on the bed eating bread, looked surprised.

She had naturally assumed it was her personal maid who was visiting, so Selena’s appearance was unexpected.

“…How dare you decorate someone else’s house like this…”

Selena said in a voice that carried a chilling coldness.

“Hmph… The previous room was too old-fashioned, wasn’t it? You should be thanking me for making your house so beautiful with my own money.”

“…It would be better if you did that in your own house, Cliff.”

“Are you looking for a fight?”

Although she had a lot to say, Selena swallowed her words.

“Sigh, no. I didn’t come here to talk about that.”

“…I think I know why you’re here…”

“You do, don’t you?”

Iriel nodded.

“It’s infuriating. As soon as she arrived, she secured the room next to the Instructor’s. Right next door.”

“How impudent. Her intentions are wicked, planning to settle down here out of pity.”

Selena looked at Iriel with an expression that seemed to say, “And what about you?” but then shook her head.

She couldn’t afford to confuse her enemies now.

Yuri Gilbert.

That woman had shamelessly secured the room right next to Zeke’s as soon as she arrived.

It was originally a storage room.

A room that didn’t get much light, had cleanliness issues, and was separated from the Instructor’s room by a thin wall!

Selena had refused to use it for the first two reasons, but Yuri, determined to get that room, had put on a pitiful act in front of everyone, including the butler and the maids.

‘She usually doesn’t even speak much!’

—I… I don’t have a family anymore. But the only person I can rely on is Zeke… Brother… Oh, I mean, Instructor. Ugh. I’m sorry. I don’t have a family… I keep wanting to think of him as my brother. So I thought it would be nice to have someone I can feel safe around nearby…

—And, the room I used to live in at Gilbert County was a storage room. I’m anxious because the environment has suddenly changed, but if it’s a familiar place like a storage room, I think I’ll feel a little more at ease.

Her trembling voice, combined with her characteristic expressionless face, created an even greater impact.

The question, “Then did you also live in a storage room at the mansion near Ramielli Academy?” rose to Selena’s throat, but

she couldn’t bring herself to say it when even the butler and the maids were wiping away tears after hearing Yuri’s story.

Gritting her teeth, Selena recalled yesterday’s events, her anger reignited.

“So, what do you want to do?”

Iriel asked.

“Yuri Gilbert. You saw her eyes, right? She definitely has other intentions.”

“Yeah, I know. Zeke is too stupid to notice. Calling him ‘brother’ when they’re not even blood-related… She’s playing a dangerous game. She landed a critical hit.”

Iriel and Selena sighed simultaneously.

“First, we need to expose her dirty secrets.”

Oh?

Iriel’s eyes lit up with interest.

“Do you have a plan?”

“I was the one who came up with the Eustia Banquet operation. Of course, I have a plan.”

“What is it?”

“Swordsmanship talent.”

Selena’s eyes gleamed.