[Name: Arin]
[Traits: Swift Blade Lv2, Clear Mind Lv1, Aura Adaptation Lv1]
[Affection: 2 (Interest)]
There was a slight change in Arin's affection. Just yesterday, it was 0 (Neutral), but now it had risen to 2 (Interest).
I'd initially thought I'd need to shower her with gifts like in a dating sim, but it seemed my behavioral changes could raise affection easily.
At first, I dismissed the affection stat as some dating sim nonsense, but it's actually an overpowered ability that lets me gauge how others feel about me.
"We've arrived. This is the fourth training ground."
As Arin said, the fourth training ground was far but not cramped, and it had all the equipment I needed.
"Hm."
I picked up a wooden sword from the training weapon rack at the entrance.
"As expected, nothing happens."
If my trait were something like Swordmaster, swinging the sword haphazardly would've aligned with some profound swordsmanship logic. But my trait was the locked Sichuan Tang Clan, and I could barely swing properly.
"Young master, those wooden swords are for knight training and have iron cores, making them slightly heavy."
"Slightly?"
Arin's words were an understatement. The wooden sword felt as heavy as the 5kg dumbbell from my studio apartment, and Yuren's fragile body could barely handle it.
"This body is absolute trash."
"Pardon?"
"Life's tough, that's all."
Next, I tried picking up a small dagger beside the wooden sword.
Still, nothing appeared. I had no clue what would unlock the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Frustrated, I threw the dagger at a nearby tree, but it didn't even come close to hitting it.
"Sigh, let's just do some power walking."
Power walking is highly effective, comparable to running. For someone like me who couldn't run, it was the perfect exercise.
"Ugh!"
Ignoring the screams of muscle soreness from my legs, I started walking slowly.
It was already dark, and Marquis Wellington stood in his study, gazing down at the dimly lit garden.
His eyes weren't on the beautifully arranged flowers but on two figures—a man and a woman—crossing the garden.
"He's back later than yesterday."
Noting the moon's position, he shifted his gaze back to Yuren and Arin.
Perhaps due to training, Yuren was drenched in sweat, staggering as he walked.
For three weeks now, Yuren, whom Wellington had expected to quit after a few days, had gone to the fourth training ground every single day without fail.
Moreover, he was increasing his exercise time, leaving earlier and returning later each day.
"Huh, he's moving more as his stamina grows. Is that really Yuren?"
It was only three weeks, but Yuren's transformation defied Wellington's expectations.
The belly that once jiggled like waves no longer shook, and his face, previously buried in fat, now bore a striking resemblance to the Marquis's own.
"Looking at him now, he really is my son."
The faint spark of hope for Yuren, nearly extinguished, had grown slightly over these three weeks. For the first time, Wellington felt a glimmer of trust in him.
Knock, knock.
A soft knock came from outside. The Marquis knew who it was just from the sound.
"Come in."
Click.
The door opened, and the person who entered walked straight to the Marquis, wrapping him in a gentle embrace. The delicate fragrance from her red hair calmed his mind.
"It's too dark to see anything. What are you looking at?"
"I was just thinking how beautiful the garden is."
Yuren and Arin had already entered the mansion, leaving only the empty garden visible.
"I manage the garden myself, you know. I put a lot of effort into it," she said with a chuckle.
"Truly, your skill is astonishing."
"The garden is the face of the family, after all."
"Thank you."
"No need for thanks. By the way, when will you proceed with Colin's succession? It's been a month already. Since it's decided, shouldn't you move forward and start teaching him?"
She tightened her embrace as she spoke.
"Kaina, I'm sorry, but that might take some time."
"What? You said you'd name Colin as heir and announce it this month."
"You've heard, haven't you? Yuren seems to be turning himself around lately. He's the eldest of the Rocks family. If he keeps this up, he could become a worthy successor."
"Heh."
Kaina's expression hardened for a split second, but the Marquis, still gazing at the garden, didn't notice. She quickly resumed her radiant smile.
"You're right. I've heard about Yuren too. The servants say he's like a different person. It's wonderful news."
"I was so worried, but it seems he's finally coming to his senses. Getting beaten by his fiancée woke him up, of all things."
For the first time, praise for his eldest son replaced the usual complaints, and a broad smile spread across the Marquis's face.
"Now you can rest a bit easier. So, what about the succession?"
"It's only been three weeks since Yuren started training, so I want to observe him a bit longer."
The Marquis felt a pang of guilt toward Kaina but spoke without hesitation, his mind made up.
"I'll make one thing clear: if Yuren falls back into his old ways, I'll name Colin, our first son, as heir immediately."
"You'll choose the heir fairly, I'm sure. I trust you. Whether it's Yuren or Colin, the Rocks family will thrive."
Kaina's smile was flawless, as if she genuinely hoped for Yuren's redemption.
"Thank you for understanding, Kaina."
"It's only natural. I'm thrilled about Yuren's change."
"You're the only one for me."
Kaina's bright smile overwhelmed the Marquis, and he couldn't resist pulling her into a deep kiss.
"I'll be waiting in the bedroom. Don't work too late."
"I'll be there soon."
"Hehe."
As Kaina left the study, her warm smile vanished, replaced by an icy expression. Her red lips muttered something, exuding a chilling beauty.
"Most of the visible fat is gone!"
After four weeks of daily training at the fourth ground, my body had undergone a dramatic transformation.
My effort played a part, but the Chirein Soup Arin brought daily was phenomenal.
It couldn't cure muscle soreness, but eating it and sleeping left me feeling as refreshed as if I'd slept ten hours.
The biggest effect was the rapid fat loss, visible to the naked eye.
By the second week, with some fat gone and slight muscle gain, I started bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats.
The constant muscle soreness was grueling, but seeing my body change made exercising rewarding.
"But it still sucks."
The critical Sichuan Tang Clan trait refused to unlock. Throwing daggers, swinging wooden swords hundreds of times—nothing worked.
"There's got to be a way."
It felt like searching for a legendary weapon in a game with no hints or guides. I had to figure it out myself.
"Sigh, this is so frustrating."
I had no idea what to do. Maybe, talent or not, I should start learning swordsmanship and chasing opportunities.
"Young master."
"Come in. Ugh…"
Arin walked in with Chirein Soup before I finished speaking. The smell made my stomach churn.
"Haa…"
I acknowledged the soup's effectiveness—far better than chicken breast—but eating it three times a day for a month was killing me.
"Your meal is here."
"Arin, how long do I have to eat this?"
"Are you tired of it?"
"Of course. I've been eating nothing but this for a month."
Arin nodded and placed the soup on the table.
"What do you want, young master?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you just want to lose weight, or are you aiming to build a knight's physique?"
"A knight's physique, obviously."
Though I had no intention of becoming a knight.
"Then eat the soup. Even the Marquis, the strongest in the estate, eats Chirein Soup after training. You're still far from ready."
"Ugh."
"I'm not forcing you. It's your choice."
That's what's unique about Arin. She observes but never initiates advice. Despite her masterful swordsmanship, she doesn't comment on my clumsy swings.
"When you put it like that, I have to eat…"
I reached for the spoon, but then—
"Young master."
"Yeah?"
"If you want to become a knight, why not start learning swordsmanship now?"
"Huh?"
Arin, always the observer, was suggesting something for the first time. Had her heart softened, or was it a change of mind?
"Swordsmanship?"
"It's late to start, but as a direct descendant of the Rocks family, you surely have a talent for the sword."
Sorry to disappoint, but I had no talent for swordsmanship. Just a useless, locked Sichuan Tang Clan trait.
"Start tomorrow. If I report to the Marquis, he'll assign you a good instructor."
"Swordsmanship, huh…"
"You can do it."
I hesitated. It wasn't the right time.
"No, I'm good. I'll focus on building stamina for now."
As the novel's writer, I knew that learning swordsmanship in Yuren's talentless body would only make me good enough to catch bandits—not survive.
The knights I occasionally met at the fourth training ground harbored intense hostility toward me. Arin said I'd tormented them as trainees. Apologizing now wouldn't raise their affection—it'd probably drop further.
"You can build stamina while learning swordsmanship. Plus, swordsmanship requires specific muscles. Starting now—"
"No, really, I'm fine. But why the sudden suggestion? Did Father ask you to?"
"No, the Marquis said nothing. It's just my thought."
Her own idea? I decided to check her status again.
[Name: Arin]
[Traits: Swift Blade Lv2, Clear Mind Lv1, Aura Adaptation Lv1]
[Affection: 20 (Deep Interest)]
Her affection had jumped to 20. That explains it. Her rising affection made her offer suggestions for my benefit, seeing me in a better light.
"Thanks, but I have my own plans."
I decided to experiment for one more month. If that failed, I'd steal the protagonist's opportunities and learn the sword.
"Let's eat first. It'll taste worse cold."
"Yes."
Sick of the Chirein Soup, I scooped a big spoonful and swallowed it quickly.
"Hm?"
This time, the soup tasted subtly different from before.
"Arin, did you put something new in this soup—"
As I started to ask, a new window appeared before my eyes, one I'd never seen.
[You have ingested poison.]
[You have met the conditions to unlock the Sichuan Tang Clan.]
[The Sichuan Tang Clan trait has been unlocked.]