The Dreamer's POV

[01 Months: 10 Days: 04 Hours]

All three of us sat in our respective seats within the dining room, prepared to have breakfast.

It was a bit late to be having it, considering the time, but since we had just finished witnessing Drius' fight with Black, and also had to wait till he recovered and had a thorough bath, we ended up spending more time than expected.

Our table was set by the few staff we had employed to cater to the menial jobs.They occupied the mansion, maintaining the entire building, as well as the compound that surrounded the Estate.

Since this was still a Noble Household, something like having maids and butlers was a necessity.

Our meals were presented before us, and just like yesterday, every single dish was exquisite to look at. The pretty maids set each plate before us with finesse, as expected of professionals, and their calm demeanor further complimented the irresistible fragrance of the foods we could clearly see.

'I'll have to thank Benard later for recommending these people to us…' A smile formed on my face as the maids bowed and left, leaving us with tantalizing dishes to start off our day.

Glancing at Theo, he maintained his composure despite the tempting meals before him. He was probably used to this sort of treatment.

As for Drius, though, perhaps it was due to his just-concluded fight, but his eyes seemed like they belonged to a wild beast. The way he eyed the meals set on the table made me honestly feel for him a little.

Was he that hungry?

In any case, once the pleasantries were done with, we dug in to our meal and began to enjoy the grand noble life that I was now a part of.

It felt good.

"But damn, your summon is simply amazing, Luke. It truly never tires. Such a marvel…" Drius suddenly raised the topic out of nowhere.

I didn't think he was still concerned about that, but I decided to play along.

"Well, you'll have to grow much stronger than Black, at the very least."

"I will! Just watch me!" Drius was simply oozing enthusiasm as he uttered those words, and it caused me to nod and smile.

I liked this guy's personality.

"On that topic of getting stronger, I just might have the thing." Theo intruded on the conversation, his immature voice uttering fluent words. "Perhaps if you learn the final Secret form of the [Crimson Ogre's Dance]... it should help advance your growth."

I kept munching on my food when Drius gasped and stopped eating the moment he heard that.

"Y-young master, no way! I can't possibly accept that." He firmly responded, his usual honorable tone dripping all over his words.

I didn't think this was much of a big deal, but chivalry was blinding Drius. After all…

"That is a secret technique that stays within the bloodline of the Lyma Family. It's not something someone who isn't a Lyma by blood should be learning."

This was the reason for Drius' refusal. It made sense, especially considering how the Lyma Family was still one of the greatest Noble Households in the Kingdom, and they would eventually grow to reach their previous heights.

Drius probably didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of this moment of weakness of the family.

'But… that's not how we see it, you big oaf.' I smiled, glancing at Theo, who was already looking like he wasn't going to back down.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"You're already family to me, Drius. I trust you enough to share it with you. So please…"

Drius appeared conflicted on what to do, and it seemed in this moment of uncertainty, he turned to me for counsel.

With his gaze settling in my direction, there was only one thing I could do.

"You need to grow stronger, Drius. If you want to be able to protect Young Master Theo, you'll need to be far stronger."

That was the only thing I needed to remind him of—his purpose.

"Y-you're right. I guess… yeah, you are right." In the end, Drius could only sigh, nod, and then bow his head to Theo.

"I would be honored to learn such a special technique. Thank you very much, Young Master Theo!" Drius roared in thanks.

I could see the young lad leak out an expression of awkwardness, but he quickly hid it and smiled casually.

Theo had already told Drius many times that he could address him casually when they were speaking privately, but the Grand Knight never accepted, thus leading to stiff events happening like this at times.

As for me, I took complete advantage of the privilege given to me my Theo, and I addressed him casually. Not only because it would make me much closer than before, but also in order to build a kind of closeness without formal walls.

'I can't replace his family, but… this much is something.'

"By the way, Theo, how is your spear training going?" I finally steered the direction of the overly formal conversation to something I could deduce to be more casual.

Just as I had given Drius some special Items, I also gave Theo a Wooden Spear—one of my rewards from the First Floor.

It wasn't particularly compulsory for Theo to start learning how to fight so early in his life, but I deemed it a necessity.

A strong leader had to be adept at combat as well, especially in a world filled with craziness like this one.

"Ah, about that, Luke…" Theo smiled, glancing a bit in the direction of the one who served as his instructor, Drius.

"It's difficult getting the basics right, and I can't yet move on to the intermediate stages anytime soon, so I'm currently building my physical body more so it can withstand the strain that Martial Arts require."

"Plus, using a weapon makes things more complicated, so we have to take time grounding him in the basics." Drius added to Theo's words as he smiled proudly.

I could sense a lot of enthusiasm from the two of them, but truthfully, hearing about these complex and arduous processes involved in mastering either Magic or Martial Arts in this world always brought me the opposite reaction.

'It makes me realize how fortunate I am to have things like Skills and Titles.'

Compared to the way people in this world acquired power, the System just made things much easier.

'Drius himself stated how it would have taken him at least five years of rigorous training to reach the level he currently is. Yet… with only a few items, it was made possible.'

Such was the miracle of the System.

'Unlike Magic, where you need to understand the complexities of Spells and chant them wholly to unleash their full power, and Martial Arts where you have to temper your body, training it endlessly just to become more powerful and not stagnate… having Skills is definitely easier.'

With such a lopsided advantage on our side, it came as no surprise that Survivors from Earth would be stronger than the natives of this world.

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[A/N]

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