This is another user-provided excerpt from a Korean novel, so I can translate it directly.

Chapter 46: A Tactical Victory

Mina was so furious that a pair of cat ears had popped up on top of her head.

Her calico tail had puffed up as well, so fluffed out that it pushed against the hem of her skirt as it stood stiffly in the air.

“You idiot! You fool! You hopeless brat! How many times have I—your big sister—told you to stop doing stupid things and just stay put?!”

Mina Alkes stomped toward them with enough force to crack the stone pavement beneath her feet.

But she couldn’t charge at Vlad.

Because the Lady herself was sitting directly in the way.

Not just sitting, either.

A parasol had been set up, along with a table and chairs, making it look as though she had deliberately settled in to enjoy the show.

“L-L-Lady… why are you here…?”

Camellia answered calmly.

“Where else should I be? I was the one who arranged this spar.”

“What?! Why?”

Vlad glared fiercely from the arena, but Camellia ignored him completely.

“We made a wager. If he proves he’s stronger than my knight, I’ll let you go.”

The knights immediately began whispering among themselves.

“He challenged the Lady to a bet?”

“That kid’s insane.”

Mina looked just as stunned.

Only meaningless sounds escaped her lips.

Camellia tapped the table, stopping her before she could rush into the arena.

“Don’t just stand there. Come sit with us.”

“You think I encouraged Vlad? That’s a misunderstanding! I have no intention of leaving!”

“I never misunderstood.”

Camellia leisurely interrupted her.

“Nor do I have any intention of letting you leave.”

She smiled confidently.

“Because I’ll be the one who wins this wager.”

Mina couldn’t understand.

Didn’t the Lady know who Vlad really was?

If she did…

How could she still be so confident?

What on earth is she thinking?

Despite her frustration, she couldn’t refuse her employer’s request.

Reluctantly, she sat in the prepared chair.

“Now then.”

Camellia smiled.

“Let’s continue.”

Vlad glared at her.

“…Your personality is awful.”

“H-He actually said that!”

Mina desperately signaled for him to shut up.

Unfortunately, Vlad never even looked her way.

Holding his dagger once more, he walked back toward the center of the arena.

The spar resumed.

The Battle Begins Again

What is the most important skill for succeeding in a CRPG?

Perfect damage calculations?

Creative character builds?

Brilliant tactics?

Those things mattered.

But Camellia believed something else mattered even more.

The ability to recognize a winning position before the battle even began.

If you already knew how you intended to win before combat started, unexpected variables became much easier to handle.

From that perspective…

The duel between Vlad and Nashu had been decided before it even began.

A warrior’s first priority against an assassin is simple.

Don’t let them land the opening strike.

That was why she insisted on holding a formal spar.

And why she chose the training grounds.

There would be no sneak attacks or ambushes at the start.

But that alone wasn’t enough.

A Level 6 was still a Level 6.

Blocking only the first move wouldn’t guarantee victory.

So I also had to seal off Shadow Dive.

Shadow Dive allowed Vlad to travel through shadows.

It functioned as movement.

Invincibility.

A surprise attack.

Even an offensive skill thanks to its darkness-element damage.

Normally, countering it would be nearly impossible.

Fortunately…

Camellia possessed something absurd.

The legendary equipment obtained from defeating the Pantheon Party.

Nightshadow Boots

Defense: 15

Night Shadow

• Negates one attack from behind each day.

Heightened Awareness

• Treats attacks from behind or the sides as frontal attacks.

Being legendary equipment, the boots were ridiculously powerful.

She had already used the one-time attack negation earlier to stop Shadow Dive.

But that wasn’t the important part.

Vlad didn’t know she’d already used it.

After being punished once, he naturally assumed the skill would fail again.

As a result…

He avoided using it altogether.

From his perspective, it had effectively been sealed.

That alone increased Nashu’s chance of victory to roughly seventy percent.

Though there was still a thirty percent chance she’d lose.

Camellia wasn’t satisfied with that.

She wanted certainty.

That meant neutralizing Vlad’s final trump card—

Blood Magic.

As a dhampir, half human and half vampire, Vlad could restore health by drinking blood and inflict numerous debilitating effects.

If he used it…

The battle might drag on.

After thinking carefully, Camellia employed one of the special privileges only a lord possessed.

She ordered her personal maid, Aisha:

“At the proper moment, make sure Mina Alkes arrives at the training grounds.”

In simpler terms…

She summoned his guardian.

Blood Magic hurts the caster too… and it doesn’t exactly look pleasant.

She was certain Vlad wouldn’t want to use such a horrifying ability in front of the overprotective older sister who worried endlessly about him.

As expected…

The moment Mina appeared—

Vlad lowered the dagger he’d intended to use to cut his own palm.

Camellia’s prediction had been perfectly correct.

Dirty?

In this business…

That’s called high praise.

Games are about winning.

Not about fighting fair.

Leaning back comfortably, Camellia watched the conclusion unfold exactly as planned.

“…Winner: Nashu Shumel!”

The outcome couldn’t have been more obvious.

Defeat

…I lost?

The girl was still standing.

He was lying flat on the arena floor.

Anyone could see the result.

And the way it happened…

Had been almost embarrassingly clean.

After seeing the same shield attack repeated over and over, he’d finally let his guard down.

The shield came flying again.

It was so slow that he casually prepared to brush it aside.

Then—

As if by magic—

It suddenly curved through the air.

BANG!

It smashed directly into the same ribs she’d already broken earlier.

Nashu didn’t miss the instant he froze from the pain.

She rushed forward and swung her halberd.

Had he not twisted his body at the very last second…

She might have taken his head clean off instead of merely knocking him down.

Judging from the startled expression on her own face—

“Ah!”

—even she hadn’t expected that.

She was obviously still an amateur.

Who would’ve imagined…

That he’d actually lose to an amateur through pure skill?

…How pathetic.

Instead of mocking him…

The knights applauded.

Nashu herself looked excited, but there wasn’t a trace of ridicule on her face.

Even so…

He felt deeply embarrassed.

He had thought he’d long since lost the ability to feel shame.

Yet now…

Unable to sort through the strange emotions swirling inside him, he remained lying where he was.

Seeing him hesitate, the young knight hurried over.

“U-Um… d-do you want a hand? I-I’ll help you up if you’re hurt.”

Vlad stared at her before answering flatly.

“You’re tiny. What exactly am I supposed to lean on?”

“W-What?! I-I’m not tiny! I’m fully grown!”

Rohengrin quickly rushed over to calm the indignant Nashu.

Meanwhile, the fox-like smiling priest approached and quietly healed Vlad’s injuries.

Then Mina ran over as well.

“You idiot…! Honestly… you’re such an idiot!”

As she scolded him, Vlad glanced outside the arena.

The Lady isn’t coming?

Camellia remained exactly where she had been.

Drinking tea poured by Aisha.

Smiling with that same expression she’d worn the first time they met—

As if she already knew everything.

That calm, confident attitude irritated him.

It annoyed him immensely.

And yet…

For just a moment…

He felt strangely relieved.

…Someone like her doesn’t need an assassin.

At the very least…

He now knew she had been telling the truth.

System Notifications

[Vlad de Ville’s Loyalty has increased significantly.]

[Vlad de Ville’s Affection has increased.]