Bedroom.
Jeanne practically ran back to her room. She threw herself onto the bed and buried her hot face deep in her pillow. The blush spreading from her ears to her neck made it obvious how embarrassed she was.
"W-Why... Why did I agree to him so easily?" She curled up on the bed, too embarrassed to lift her head. "I should have... refused him properly..."
Living Room.
Ten minutes passed.
Twenty minutes passed.
An hour passed quietly.
Ronan suddenly stood up, his face blank.
He couldn't keep waiting anymore.
"Jeanne!"
Creak...
The bedroom door opened. Under Ronan's gaze, Jeanne slowly walked out.
She pushed down the shyness in her heart and forced herself to stand in front of him, showing him the outfit clearly.
It was just a set of combat clothes made for easy movement, but under Ronan's eyes, Jeanne still felt uneasy. Her whole body felt warm.
Without realizing it, Ronan's eyes lit up.
The outfit was a deep blue cleric-style dress with high slits, made to allow freer movement. The black over-the-knee socks gave the whole set a more serious look.
If it was paired with the armor he had asked Tsubaki to forge, silver gauntlets, greaves, a breastplate, and a neckpiece with a chain and headpiece, it would be perfect.
Together, it would look just like the Jeanne d'Arc from his memory.
"Blonde hair, blue eyes, black over-the-knee socks, that braided hairstyle, and that calm beauty," he thought to himself. "It really suits her."
Jeanne's body was tense, and her cheeks turned bright red. "H-Have you seen enough?!"
Ronan answered without thinking. "A little more. It looks great. I really like it."
"You... hmph!" Jeanne acted annoyed on the outside, but inside, she felt happy.
Only...
She didn't understand it.
Why did showing her beauty to Ronan and hearing his praise make her so happy?
This feeling was new to her, and that only made her feel even more embarrassed.
Luckily, there were only the two of them at home.
Jeanne quietly let out a breath. After the first panic, she slowly got used to wearing the outfit.
At least she was no longer so nervous that she didn't know what to do with her hands just because Ronan was looking at her.
…
Soon, it was the next morning.
The first rays of sunlight fell, beginning another midsummer day.
Waking up at his usual time, Ronan looked out the window. A few bright stars still shone in the pale blue sky.
He stretched, got up to wash, and started his routine: watering the flowers, morning exercise, making breakfast, and doing housework.
During a break in his work, Jeanne's door opened.
Today, she was wearing the new dress they had bought yesterday.
It was a forest-style dress with leather straps, a waist cincher, sleeves, and an apron. The small lace decorations on the hem and the pleats at the neckline gave it a lot of detail.
Jeanne had her blonde hair tied into two braids that hung in front of her. She wore soft leather boots with small heels and looked very stylish.
"Good morning, Ronan."
Seeing Jeanne's new look, Ronan's eyes lit up.
"Good morning, Jeanne. Those clothes suit you well. You look beautiful."
He spoke while keeping his hands busy, skillfully flipping the pan.
"Thank you..." Jeanne's face turned slightly red, but she adjusted quickly.
Clearly, after last night, she could face Ronan's praise more calmly now.
"What's the plan for today?" she asked as she walked to the table. "I remember you saying our routine would be exploring the Dungeon or taking commissions."
"That's the plan," Ronan said as he sprinkled black pepper and sea salt on the eggs. "But our weapons and armor aren't ready yet. It's better not to rush. The Dungeon is different from the surface. Anything can happen there."
"So, today...?"
"Today, we'll focus on combat practice. Let's get familiar with each other's fighting styles and work on our teamwork." Ronan brought breakfast to the table.
"Combat?" Jeanne's eyes lit up. She thought it was a good suggestion. Although commanding was her specialty, she also knew a thing or two about fighting.
Besides, she wanted to see the strength of an experienced adventurer like Ronan for herself. She wanted to use him as a reference to judge the overall power level of Orario.
…
In the yard.
Jeanne and Ronan stood five meters apart. Both held long wooden training spears and took their stances.
Jeanne looked at Ronan's opening stance. It looked casual, but to her eyes, it had too many openings. Her brow furrowed slightly, and doubt flashed through her eyes, but she quickly decided it was probably a feint meant to lure her in.
He seems to have some skill, she thought. I won't hold back.
Ronan confidently gestured with his finger and smiled. "Come on. I won't take up too much of your time."
Hearing this, Jeanne's expression turned serious. Her focus sharpened, and her muscles tensed.
With a soft shout, her left foot slammed into the ground, and she rushed forward at once.
Boom! The air burst around her.
She shot across the ground. In the blink of an eye, she was already in front of Ronan. Her arm and wrist moved together, and the wooden spear stabbed straight toward his chest.
Ronan's eyes narrowed. He instinctively pulled his upper body back and tried to angle his spear across his body to deflect the thrust.
But Jeanne's attack had only been a test.
The moment Ronan's attention followed the spear tip, Jeanne twisted her wrist and withdrew half a step, making the thrust glance past him. At the same time, she turned her hips sharply, stepped inside his guard, and used the opening in his stance.
By the time Ronan realized the spear was only a distraction, Jeanne's leg was already rising.
"!?"
Her long leg in the black over-the-knee sock whipped up in a clean arc, and the front of her leather boot smashed hard into Ronan's right cheek.
Whoosh... Thud!
Ronan's eyes widened. His face twisted into a comical expression, and he went flying before crashing hard into the wall.
"Ah..."
The sound died in his throat.
Blegh...
Ronan curled up and dropped to both knees, clutching his stomach and dry-heaving at the ground.
Huff... huff... huff...
Jeanne: "..."
She stood there speechless, her face full of confusion.
What had just happened?
Jeanne's mind went blank for a moment.
Blegh...
Ronan endured the pain, but his mind was in a daze. Memories from his time as an adventurer flashed through his head.
Right up to the moment when Jeanne's leather boot filled his vision...
Then everything in his head went blank.
What kind of exchange was that... The confidence on his face was gone, replaced by heavy doubt. I got read completely in one move?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible...
Ronan's dream of looking cool had been shattered by Jeanne's kick.
Looking at the dazed man, Jeanne felt a little guilty, but the smile she was trying to hide gave her away.
She remembered the way Ronan had looked at her last night and how embarrassed she had felt when he made her show off that outfit...
Now it was her turn.
After that kick, Jeanne felt much better.
It felt so satisfying that she almost wanted to smile out loud.
"A good fight? Hmph." She crossed her arms and looked down at Ronan, who was curled up on the ground. "With fundamentals like that, I really don't know how you survived in the Dungeon."
Ronan's face darkened as he twitched on the ground, clutching his stomach.
"T-That didn't count. I usually fight monsters. I have no experience fighting people."
The problem of never having a proper teacher showed itself right there.
Ronan had been figuring things out on his own until now. His fighting style was still rough. In Jeanne's eyes, his technique was full of openings. He also had many bad habits he didn't even notice.
For example, his eyes always followed the weapon by instinct instead of the opponent's whole body.
For Jeanne, a simple feint at the wrist had been enough to draw out his reaction. It barely took any effort at all.
Clearly, Ronan had never fought a smart and experienced opponent who understood how to use timing and deception.
She sighed helplessly, her expression turning serious.
"Ronan, if you want to fight people, you first need to build a solid foundation and get rid of your bad habits," she said firmly. "Sparring is over. Today, we start with the most basic thing, your stance."
"Only with a strong foundation can you go further in the future."
Under Jeanne's firm insistence, the sparring session turned into strict training.
That made Ronan, who was a bit old-fashioned in some ways, feel very awkward.
"Fine, I get it," he muttered.
Jeanne looked both annoyed and amused by his unwilling tone. "Be grateful. There aren't many people I would teach like this. I do have the title of 'Saint,' after all."
"..." Ronan had no reply. He could only give in, get up, and brush the dust off his clothes.
"Start with the 'Wide Stance.'" Jeanne walked over and demonstrated. "Keep your feet apart, bend your knees slightly, and lower your center of gravity."
As she explained, she stepped closer and began correcting the small mistakes in his posture with a serious expression.
"Whether you use a sword, spear, or staff, the most important thing in a fight is keeping your center of gravity steady."
"Compared to the 'Narrow Stance,' which focuses more on quick bursts of movement, the 'Wide Stance' is better for beginners."
As she spoke, Jeanne moved behind Ronan and put her hands on his shoulders and waist to carefully adjust his form.
Ronan's body stiffened for a moment.
"Don't move."
Smack!
"Ow!"
"..."
It was supposed to be a training session, but it no longer felt like an ordinary one