For an entire week, Jun decided to take a break from the Tower. No new floors, no strange bosses, no Qi explosions or suddenly evolving slimes. For the first time since he was dragged into the spiral of supernatural chaos, he gave himself time to… breathe.
Besides, he had just broken through to the next cultivation realm. His body, his Qi, and his dantian needed time to adjust. There was no point in forcing himself to climb faster than he could control.
Additionally, there was one more reason—quite a pleasant one.
[Mount Hua Sect Swordsmanship Book Vol. 1 – Rank A]
A rare sword technique manual he obtained from a gacha—which, for some reason, the more he played it, the more convinced he became that his system really enjoyed giving him rewards straight out of classic wuxia novels and manhwa.
The contents were simple yet beautiful: the fundamentals of Mount Hua swordsmanship, techniques rooted in the grace of plum blossoms. Its swings—according to the system's description—would leave a faint plum fragrance in the air. Something clearly abnormal for the human world, but… Jun's world had long stopped being normal.
That was also why he didn't like meditating only inside his cabin. There was one place where the Mount Hua technique felt "right": Kuoh city park, right under the only plum tree growing among a row of sakura.
It was usually crowded there—children, mothers carrying groceries, office workers heading home—but that very crowd made him feel calm. The sounds of non-threatening life always gave him room to breathe.
And strangely, no one suspected he was practicing supernatural martial arts. People who saw him only assumed Jun was practicing choreography for a stage performance or had some harmless, eccentric hobby.
He swung his wooden sword using techniques entirely from another world. The form was graceful, flowing, curved like wind tracing the petals of a plum blossom. Occasionally, he stopped to fix his breathing, adjust the Qi in his meridians, then resumed the motion pattern.
It was under that plum tree that he first met Akeno Himejima—long black hair, elegant, beautiful, and one of the main Heroines in a story he supposedly knew inside-out.
But even though he knew who Akeno was in the original canon, Jun didn't care much about that. To him, the broad strokes of this world's plot were just background. If anything veered too far off course, the system would give him a quest to fix it. The rest… he lived normally.
So for that one week, Jun focused on training.
Mount Hua sword movements did look strange; they were soft and beautiful, like a dance. But every time Jun swung, he felt the resonance between the Qi in his body and the atmosphere around the plum tree.
People passing by would glance at him, assuming he was practicing for a cultural festival or something similar. No one truly understood that the "dance" movements were martial arts techniques that—if devoted fully—could split stone and steel.
And though it looked simple from the outside, the rhythm of the training made Jun feel far more in control.
"Huff… That should be enough for today." Jun wiped his sweat with a towel he brought, sat on the ground, and drank water.
...
After training, Jun walked casually along the sidewalk, carrying his bag and the wooden sword sticking out from his shoulder. Today, he intentionally didn't go straight back to the cabin. There was one place that suddenly crossed his mind—the bookstore near the station.
"If I'm not wrong, LN 'My Childhood Friend Is a Russian Girl' has released its newest volume… It should be in the romcom shelf," he muttered.
Upon entering the store, the scent of new paper welcomed him. Jun walked toward the light novel section. Once there, he began scanning the row of romcom titles, his fingers brushing over the spines.
Just as he reached for a blue-and-white cover, his hand bumped against someone else's reaching from the opposite side.
"Oh, sorry—Ah?"
Jun froze.
In front of him stood a beautiful girl with bright red hair, captivating blue eyes, and… terrible disguise. Oversized hoodie, mask, and low cap. If not for the "natural nobility" aura leaking out uncontrollably, maybe the disguise would've worked.
…Maybe.
"…Rias?"
Jun blinked in confusion.
The girl froze for half a second before her face tightened in panic—a reaction completely unlike the usual "Rias Gremory, heir of House Gremory."
"E-Eh!? J-Jun-san! You're here!?" Rias yelped, her tone clearly showing high-level panic.
Jun looked her up and down again. "You… why are you dressed like a stalker?"
"Not a stalker! It's a disguise!" Rias hurriedly hid her own book with both hands. "A-And I just happened to be in the romcom section!"
But that coincidence looked anything but natural. Especially since in Rias's hands—hidden desperately—was the newest volume of the light novel 'Battle Princess & The Otaku Prince', a series Jun had heard was extremely popular among otakus… especially girls who fell for fantasy-style love stories.
Rias Gremory, heir of one of the Three Great Houses, ORC Club President, the most popular girl in Kuoh Academy—now looked like a high schooler caught buying her favorite LN.
The problem: Rias's reputation in the underworld was built on elegance and dignity. She was the heir of the Gremory family, a house that prized prestige. To maintain that image, she hid the fact that she was also… an otaku.
The real reason Rias insisted on studying at Kuoh Academy—instead of an elite underworld academy—was partly due to that hobby. This place made it easier for her to interact with human culture… without too many senior devils watching.
And Sona Sitri co-managing Kuoh? That was part of a pact and also "subtle supervision," because many believed Rias still had little experience managing territory.
Now, the Gremory heir stood right in front of Jun… hugging a light novel like a cat caught stealing fish.
Jun stared at Rias for a few seconds—long enough to ensure he wasn't hallucinating. Her disguise was terrible, her aura leaking everywhere, and her expression was far from that of the elegant ORC president. This was more like the face of a second-year student caught buying a romance manga at a convenience store.
"…So, you like romcom LNs too?" Jun finally asked, his tone calm but his eyes obviously trying not to laugh.
Rias turned red all the way to her ears. Not her usual elegant red, but a panicked red that practically screamed, "DON'T TURN THIS INTO A SCANDAL."
"I-I just… happened to be passing by!" she blurted out. "This is part of… studying foreign cultures!"
She emphasized that while very conspicuously hugging a romcom light novel that was neither scientific nor educational.
Jun only smiled casually—a warm smile that didn't judge at all. He shifted his bag slightly and stepped half a step closer.
"It's not shameful to like another country's culture," Jun said lightly. "In fact, as a citizen, I'm happy to know a princess from Europe likes our culture."
Rias froze.
There were two things that made her reaction even funnier.
First: Jun said that with a completely straight tone, without sarcasm.
Second: Rias was technically from Europe, at least in appearance—considering the Gremory family's aesthetics—even though she herself was from the underworld.
"…P-Princess…?" Rias murmured weakly, her voice shrinking like a drenched cat.
Jun nodded, still smiling. "By the way, I also read Battle Princess & The Otaku Prince."
Rias jolted slightly, her eyes widening.
"A-Ah… you do?"
"The newest volume is good," Jun continued. "The fight scenes are nice, and the chemistry is… well, enjoyable."
Rias looked like she'd taken a critical hit. Her face changed instantly—not panic, but a complicated mix of relief and embarrassment.
She lowered her head a little, her red hair swaying softly with the movement.
"…Then… I'm glad," she said quietly, almost like a whisper. "I mean, I… am not the only one."
Jun raised an eyebrow.
"Did you think I would laugh at you?"
Rias hugged her book again, but this time her expression was gentler.
"…A little," she admitted.
Jun let out a soft laugh. "It's fine to be an otaku, Rias. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
Rias looked at Jun for a moment—those usually firm blue eyes now felt more human, warmer, and somehow… closer.
//--//
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