The next morning, Anastasia arrived at the training ground, expecting to see her father. Instead, she found Lilia waiting for her.

  "My, Lilia," Anastasia began with a teasing smile, "we just embraced st night, and now you can't bear to leave me even in the morning?"

  Lilia's lips curved into a faint smile. "Indeed, Young Lady Anastasia. Additionally, I am here to instruct you in the basics of the Sword God, Water God, and North God Styles—the primary swordsmanship styles of this world."

  Anastasia's brow furrowed. "Only three styles? Are there no others like the Supreme God Killing Murderous Sword Style or the Heavenly Tribute Sword Style?"

  Lilia paused briefly before her smile widened. "No, young dy. The styles you mention are from the fictional books you read; they do not exist in reality."

  Anastasia's eyes widened, as if struck by lightning. So those sacred texts aren't real?!

  Anastasia refused to accept Lilia’s words. With an air of self-importance, she crossed her arms and decred, "Those styles are real! It’s just that no one has mastered them due to their sheer incompetence!"

  As a Grand Sage of Magic, she knew how ridiculous some techniques from the past sounded—but surely, there were some absurdly named sword styles that simply weren’t publicly recognized!

  Lilia chuckled softly but chose not to burst Anastasia’s bubble. "Well, Young Lady, let’s stretch first to warm up before we begin our lesson."

  She began demonstrating a series of warm-up stretches, making sure that Anastasia could imitate them without pushing herself too hard.

  Anastasia followed along, stealing occasional gnces at Lilia.

  Unlike her idiotic father, Lilia actually considered the fact that Anastasia was still a child. Her movements were deliberate, ensuring the stretches were manageable. That simple kindness made Anastasia feel a faint warmth.

  However, something caught her eye.

  Lilia’s lower half—particurly her legs—seemed to tense with subtle strain.

  An old injury?

  Anastasia’s mind worked quickly. A wound that never fully healed…

  If she wanted to, she could fix it.

  Among her many Avatars, there was Ange, the Priest, whose abilities were locked behind a simple requirement—learning healing magic.

  With that, she could undo whatever damage still lingered.

  But for now, she remained silent.

  After completing their warm-up, Lilia began expining the three major sword styles.

  "The Sword God Style prioritizes speed above all else. Practitioners believe that victory belongs to the one who nds the first strike."

  Anastasia nodded. That made sense—after all, if your attack connected first, the fight was essentially over.

  But…

  She frowned slightly. That’s boring.

  If battles ended in the blink of an eye, how would anyone have the time to admire her elegant swordsmanship?

  Lilia continued. "The North God Style is focused on survival. There are no restrictions—as long as you live, anything goes. Even throwing your sword at the enemy is acceptable."

  Anastasia’s expression immediately soured.

  How disgraceful! A style that cked nobility, that prioritized surviving over refinement? That was not for her.

  Finally, Lilia spoke of the st style. "The Water God Style is primarily defensive, flowing like water to block and counter incoming attacks with precise movements.*"

  Anastasia’s eyes sparkled.

  Yes!

  Graceful. Noble. Beautiful.

  This was the sword style worthy of someone as refined as her!

  "Lilia, I want to focus on the Water God Style!" Anastasia decred excitedly.

  Lilia considered this for a moment. While she wasn’t highly proficient, Water God Style was the swordsmanship she was most familiar with. She could at least teach the basics. However, she couldn’t give Anastasia a complete education—Paul was much more skilled in all styles than she was.

  "We should tackle every basic first, Young Lady," Lilia said gently. "That way, if you ever face a different sword style in the future, you’ll know how to react."

  Anastasia wanted to argue, but she knew Lilia was right. With a reluctant sigh, she nodded. "Fine..."

  Lilia smiled. "Good. Now, let’s start with the first basic practice of the Sword God Style—the Arm Chop."

  "The Arm Chop?"

  "Yes. In the rgest Sword God school, the first training test is to sever the arm of a dummy using only a wooden sword."*

  Anastasia’s brows lifted.

  That was brutal.

  But also—interesting.

  She stepped forward, raising her wooden sword. If she really wanted, she could easily do this with mana reinforcement… but that would be cheating.

  Instead, she carefully analyzed the motion—no shakiness in her grip, smooth sword trajectory, and precise speed.

  It had to be in sync.

  Only then could she achieve a clean cut with just a wooden sword.

  Taking a deep breath, she swung.

  Her wooden sword struck the straw dummy with a crunch.

  If this were a real arm, the bones would probably be bruised—but not severed. And that was the true goal.

  Every swing, she made small adjustments—analyzing the impact, tweaking her grip, adjusting her angle.

  She steadied her breath.

  Then, using her body like a spring, she snapped forward, delivering a sharper, faster strike.

  Again.

  And again.

  Minutes passed, and yet Anastasia didn’t slow.

  Lilia watched closely, quietly impressed. Most students needed direct guidance, but Anastasia? She immediately recognized her fws and patched them up on her own.

  It would take thousands of strikes before she could sever the dummy’s arm cleanly…

  But Lilia was sure—Anastasia would get there.

  However, something else caught her attention.

  Despite training nonstop, Anastasia barely broke a sweat.

  Frowning slightly, Lilia stepped closer and pced a hand on Anastasia’s back—

  Cold.

  Anastasia froze (literally and figuratively). Panic fshed in her eyes as she scrambled for an excuse.

  Oh no—!

  Unbeknownst to Lilia, Anastasia had long ago unlocked her Maiden of Frost Avatar—all because she learned Ice Magic for one very important reason:

  To keep cool under the bzing sun.

  "Young Lady, come here for a second... It seems you have a fever," Lilia said, her tone filled with concern.

  Anastasia quickly deactivated her Frost Shield and stepped closer, keeping her expression neutral.

  Lilia pced a hand on her forehead and frowned. "You're still a bit cold..."

  After a moment of thought, she sighed. "It seems we should stop training for today. You should rest."

  Anastasia hesitated but ultimately nodded in agreement.

  Not because she wanted to rest.

  No.

  It was because she couldn’t possibly reveal her magic. If Rudeus found out, his already pitiful ego would shatter upon realizing that his genius twin sister was even more awesome than him.

  Such was the burden of being a thoughtful elder sister…