Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

Only someone like Viviana would be so considerate of Roy.

Monique thought to herself, watching Viviana cast her longing gaze toward the crowded cashier, a look of helplessness appearing on her face.

"Okay, you want to pay, right? I'll help you."

Monique stepped forward, took the handbag from the surprised Viviana, turned around, walked to the cashier of the souvenir shop, reached into her purse, and pulled out a card with the Business Federation's logo.

The cashier at the front desk clearly noticed Monique's figure, her face immediately lighting up with a smile. She proactively reached out and pushed through the crowd in front of her, saying:

"It's Miss Monique. What are you buying today? Hmm? Didn't you buy three sets of these souvenirs yesterday? That should be enough for your collection and preaching, right? Are you buying another set?"

Feeling the surprised yet admiring gaze from Viviana behind her, Monique's brush turned bright red. She glared at the cashier and muttered, "You talk too much! Be careful walking home alone at night!"

"Don't say that, it's scary!" The shop assistant waved her hand with lingering fear, took the handbag, and paid for Monique's purchase.

Feeling the admiring gazes around her, Monique felt as if ants were crawling all over her body. Suppressing her shame, she took out sunglasses and a mask, put them on, and after a disguise that could only be described as self-deception, she walked to Viviana's side and handed everything to Viviana.

“Miss Monique, so you are also…”

Viviana smiled radiantly.

"Don't ask anything!"

Monique was furious.

Volume 1: Chapter 79 Charge at me, Zofia!

"Zofia, stand up."

Marna looked down at the Kuranta knight sprawled on the ground and said calmly, almost ruthlessly,

"Stand up and charge at me."

Zofia pursed her lips, her supporting arm trembling uncontrollably. If one were to lift her sleeve now, one would surely see the shocking bruises and abrasions. Her voice was weak and pleading as she looked at Marna, as if in a state of panic:

"Let me rest for a bit..."

“No.” Marna’s voice rang out before she could finish speaking.

“There is no time to rest on the battlefield. Since you have decided to let me train you, nothing will stop me until you say ‘I give up’.”

Beneath Marner's tightly furrowed brows, a sharp glint flashed in his golden eyes, as if trying to pierce Zofia's heart. He demanded, "Are you going to give up?"

Zofia gritted her teeth.

"No."

She practically forced the words out between clenched teeth, her trembling arms straining to support her exhausted body as she struggled to her feet. She picked up the whip blade that had fallen to her feet, took a deep breath, and said:

"bring it on."

Marna nodded slightly, and in the next instant, her golden figure appeared beside Zofia. The young knight's resolute expression instantly transformed into surprise and panic. Her whip, as if by muscle memory, rose and lashed out to the side and back. However, the whip's initial speed was far too slow; before the sharp edge could even touch Marna's clothes, the knight wielding the wooden sword had already raised his hand and easily entangled the whip cord.

Before Zofia could react, Marna launched a flying kick straight at Zofia's side waist.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, Zofia flew through the air and crashed into a nearby flowerbed.

"Sigh." A hint of impatience and helplessness appeared on Marna's face. "When an enemy whose stamina and strength far surpass yours gets close to you, don't try to attack with your whip blade, which is a mid-to-long-range weapon. Instead, immediately switch to using sturdy arm armor, shoulder armor, etc., for defense and try to create distance. Otherwise, you'll only face death. Didn't Roy already remind you of this when you fought him last time?"

"Zofia, hasn't the knight competition helped you improve at all? Even something as childish as cricket fighting should be something you've mastered by now after playing it for so long."

“You really don’t hold back with your words, Marna.”

Straining her body, Zofia, covered in mud and leaning against a fence she'd picked up from the flowerbed, limped out of the flower garden. A trace of red blood stained her lips; though she'd wiped it away, it didn't escape Marna's notice.

He closed his eyes, sheathed his sword, turned around, and walked into the room.

That's enough. He didn't hit Zofia too hard, let alone use his full strength, but even so, Zofia was completely overwhelmed. For her to defeat Roy in this state was simply impossible. Besides, judging from her condition, she couldn't even stand properly; this special training was pointless and should be stopped.

But before he could take a step, he heard Zofia's stubborn voice behind him.

"Come back, Marna, continue!"

Marna stopped and turned her head, glancing at Zofia behind her out of the corner of her eye.

The tenacious knight had already re-established her fighting stance. There were no exaggerated poses added to accentuate her physique, nor any frivolous or superficial thoughts. Zofia stood there firmly, just like a true "knight."

"You are no match for Roy."

"You said it from the beginning."

"Special training won't let you beat Roy. Continuing like this might even leave you with internal injuries, preventing you from performing at your original level in the match three days from now."

"You said that at the very beginning as well."

Zofia looked at Marna, her tightly gripped whip blade lashing out with a sharp crack, cutting through the evening wind with a loud snap, just like her reply, as thunderous as lightning:

"I do not care."

“Marna, call me stubborn or vain, but I really want to continue, no matter what the final outcome is.”

Zofia gave a wry smile.

“I’m well aware of my current level of strength. If it weren’t for Roy, I would most likely have run into Rift Knight, who was my peer in the same class of knights, in the round of 16 or the quarterfinals, and suffered a crushing defeat, thus ending my journey there. After all, as an independent knight, I have this feeling.”

She had never forgotten what Roy had said to her in the garden that day. And as the Special Championship began and the competition intensified, she had a growing premonition that the opponent Roy had described as "far stronger and more physically capable" could appear at any moment.

Zofia initially thought this person would be a Rift Knight. He registered as a competitive knight at the same time as her and joined the knightly order under the Federation early on. As a rising star knight, his fighting style was steady and methodical, and his defensive counter-attack tactics seemed to be designed specifically to target her. Zofia had long expected that she would not get the upper hand against him.

But Roy removed this obstacle for him. The early elimination of the Rift Knight made the Round of 16 for [Whipblade] much easier. In a fierce battle and a well-timed surprise attack, her whip easily sliced ​​through the armor of the archer knight, throwing him off the stage. Zofia was happy, but her unease and worry did not diminish.

That person will appear sooner or later.

She simply hadn't expected that he would be the one to point out her weakness—Roy. Perhaps it was fate, Zofia couldn't help but think, that destiny had arranged for Roy to inform her of her flaws and to test her progress.

“I’ve witnessed Maria’s progress over this period, but I’ve remained stagnant, and I’m not happy about that. There aren’t many people in the Grand Knights’ territory whose strength can rival Roy’s, and you, Marna, are one of them. Since Maria has Roy’s guidance, if I have your help, can’t I be her equal?”

Marna didn't know which "he" Zofia was referring to, whether it was Maria or Roy, but he didn't see the ugly emotion called jealousy in Zofia's eyes, only "envy" and "resentment".

She also wants to become stronger.

It wasn't for any particular reason; she just wanted to become stronger, and that was all.

"I am also a Shining One. Even if I can't win, fighting on despite the darkness is my creed. So, let's continue."

Zofia said seriously that for the first time, she did not choose to defend, but instead took the initiative to attack Marna, just like she was best at on the court.

"boom!"

With another muffled thud, Zofia staggered back several steps, kneeling on one knee before barely managing to steady herself.

But Marna, who had just turned around, had already looked back, and at his feet, on the damp soil of the flowerbed, a footprint that had rubbed slightly backward due to defense proved the effectiveness of Zofia's attack.

Marna stared silently at the footprint, then looked up at Zofia and drew her wooden sword again.

"stand up."

"What's with that expression? What's with those tears and that joyful look in your eyes? Charge at me! Is this little bit of progress enough to make you happy? You can't even withstand one of my sword strikes, so what are you going to use to withstand Roy's Meteor Shower?"

A gentle light flickered in Marner's eyes, but his words remained utterly cold.

"Special training continues!"

P.S.: I really like Auntie. She's not Nearl, yet she's never inferior to her. She's overshadowed by Nearl's brilliance, but she's never given up on her own role. Auntie deserves the utmost respect in battle.

So, not a module, use the Lapis Lazuli Bow on her!

Volume 1: Chapter 80 What did Zofia do to offend Roy?

"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon, welcome to All Stars Arena! Yes, I am your old friend, Mob the Big Mouth!"

Having deliberately dyed his mohawk a brilliant golden yellow, Big Mouth Mob held the microphone high, leaning back so far he almost bent over, and shouted loudly.

"After a long points-based tournament and a fierce competition in the round of 16, the top eight teams for this year's Kazimierz Knights Arena Special Tournament have been determined! They are—Blood Knight, Candle Knight, Whipblade Knight, Meteor Knight, Winter Knight, Raging Knight, Endless Knight, and Wind Knight!"

"Will you continue the legend, forge a new chapter, create history, or suffer a crushing defeat? Knights who have already earned their titles, unleash your full strength, shed your blood and sweat, and let us witness the outcome on this land of dreams! Take out your devices, log in to the official Casimir Major tournament page, and cheer for your favorite players. Every bit of your passion will become the driving force for the knights to move forward, forward, forward! The semifinals are beckoning, the championship is beckoning! I hereby declare the 23rd Casimir Major, the quarterfinals, officially open!"

"boom!"

Brilliant fireworks burst across the bright night sky, echoing the city's colorful neon lights and illuminating the splendor of this city that never sleeps. At this moment, from the super display screen in the city's central square to the underground waterways of Block Zero in the peripheral area, even the busiest people temporarily put down their work, their eyes reflecting the dazzling display, their pupils shimmering with blue and red light—the logo of the Major, the only real Kazimir at this moment.

"I didn't expect Marner to come to me at a time like this. There must be quite a few people you care about in tonight's game, right?"

In the office of the Grand Knight Commander of the Supervisory Council, Russell sat demurely on the sofa in front of the guests. The television in front of her was playing the dazzling performance of the quarterfinals opening ceremony on silent. Although she did not like the overly loud music, she was not so deaf to the fact that she would ignore such a shocking scene.

It was truly surprising that Marna, who had claimed to have "seen through everything" more than a decade ago and had closed her eyes to pretend to be asleep, would find her at this time.

"Aren't you going to care who will win between the two of them?"

“Zofia can’t beat Roy.” Marner concluded without the slightest hesitation, even Russell gave a wry smile.

How hurt would Zofia be to hear that? She's such a strong-willed girl.

"I said the same thing to Zofia."

Russell raised an eyebrow: "I thought you were making such a fuss at her house all this time because you were helping her train."

“Setting the goal of failure doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t train,” Marner replied.

Russell shook his head helplessly. Marner remained as aloof as ever. This wasn't to say he was as cold as an iceberg, but rather that after gaining a profound understanding of everything, he kept his distance from any weak emotions.

She chose to skip the topic and asked, "So, why did you come here?"

Marner was silent for a moment before speaking, "Look what you're doing." He looked at the silent television and said, "You're actually watching."

“Why not?” Russell countered, standing up and taking a bottle of rare, treasured wine from the cabinet behind him. The Gallic label on it had faded with time, but its value had only grown more dazzling.