The forest near the Mathers mansion.
This secluded clearing was Julia's private training ground for her daily exercises.
At this moment, besides Julia, who came every day without fail, there were new visitors: Regulus and Carol.
"Miss Julia, please reconsider," Carol warned, standing at the edge of the clearing. "Regulus is truly much stronger than you can imagine."
"I know. It might really be exactly as you say, Miss Carol. But once words are spoken, there's no reason to take them back, is there?"
Julia looked at the blonde Knight, who had advised and reminded her more than once. Honestly speaking, after repeated warnings, a hint of worry couldn't help but rise in Julia's heart.
'Could my perception really be wrong?' Julia thought. 'Is the man in front of me actually so strong that my instincts simply cannot detect it?'
She couldn't help but look at Regulus again.
'No... my feeling should be correct,' she muttered to herself.
No matter how she looked or observed him, he genuinely seemed no different from an arrogant, ordinary nobleman. He completely lacked the dense mana of a supreme mage or the sharp aura of a master swordsman.
"Julia, can we start?" Regulus asked casually, rolling his shoulders.
"We can start anytime. But don't you need a weapon?"
"You don't have one either."
"I'm different," Julia said proudly, stepping into a refined martial arts stance. "Because my magical talent is zero, all of my time and effort have been dedicated to physical techniques and body conditioning. Especially close-quarters combat. Even my father at his peak, once I got close, would absolutely not be able to leave unscathed."
She made no attempt to hide her abilities. She had absolute confidence in her combat skills. These were skills recognized by Roswaal himself, who had admitted that throughout the entire kingdom, there was practically no one who could surpass her in pure hand-to-hand combat.
"Actually, in some sense, I'm also highly skilled in close-quarters combat," Regulus smiled, "as well as the ancient art of spear manipulation."
"Close-quarters combat and spear techniques?" Julia's eyes widened in surprise.
He didn't look the part at all. There was a significant difference in posture, calluses, and habits between those who trained in combat and those who didn't. But Regulus gave her no impression of being a martial artist.
"Yes," Regulus continued smoothly. "But instead of weapons, let's first decide the victor with close-quarters combat. After you lose, I'll let you experience the true power of my spear manipulation art firsthand."
Carol, standing to the side, listened to Regulus's seemingly serious words. Seeing the naive surprise on Julia's face, Carol could only shake her head helplessly and cover her blushing face with her gauntlet.
Having spent enough time "sparring" with Regulus, Carol immediately understood the incredibly lewd, special meaning hidden within his words.
She couldn't help but marvel at her own loss of innocence. At the same time, she chose to step back a little further, making way for their upcoming battle. She had said all that needed to be said, and advised all that needed to be advised. Since Julia still chose to persist, whatever the outcome... it would be her own doing.
Regulus glanced at Carol, who had voluntarily moved away, then turned his gaze back to Julia.
"We can start now, right?"
"We can."
"Then, following the principle of ladies first: Julia, you attack first."
"Me first? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Come on."
"Alright~ Then I'll go first! You better be careful, I won't hold back!"
As she spoke, Julia's feet dug into the dirt, and she exploded forward like a released cannonball.
Facing the girl charging at him at blinding speed, Regulus didn't adopt a defensive stance. He merely raised his hand lazily.
If he wanted to proceed to the "final step," the first thing he had to do was catch her. If he couldn't catch her, he wouldn't be able to do anything.
However, facing Regulus's amateurish, wide-open action, Julia couldn't help but frown. This was nowhere near the demeanor of someone skilled in close-quarters combat.
But no matter what, the duel had begun. This battle had to end with one side falling and losing their fighting ability.
Slightly lowering her center of gravity, she easily slipped past Regulus's outstretched hand. With her fist clenched tight, Julia pivoted, driving a brutal uppercut from bottom to top, aiming directly for his jaw.
Midway through the swing, she pulled her punch slightly. With her monstrous physical power, a full-strength blow without any restraint could shatter boulders. Seeing Regulus completely without defense, she didn't want to accidentally decapitate her father's guest.
'How did my father even take a liking to this man, to want me to become his woman?' Julia shook her head inwardly, regretting that the battle would end in a brief moment. She truly hoped he could have given her a proper fight.
Thud! A dull, heavy impact echoed in the clearing.
It hit!
...And at the same time, it didn't hit.
This strange sensation made Julia freeze in shock. Her knuckles had stopped dead in mid-air, millimeters away from his skin, repelled by an invisible, immovable force. All of her kinetic energy simply vanished.
But it was precisely this moment of distraction that Regulus needed.
Regulus's hand swiftly moved downwards, aiming to grab Julia's waist.
Julia's combat instincts flared, and her body twisted violently to escape.
Riiip!
The sharp sound of tearing fabric rang out.
She reacted quickly, but not fast enough to escape completely.
Regulus turned his head to the side, looking at the large piece of aristocratic clothing now resting in his hand. His Authority of Greed ignored durability; whatever he grasped was severed from the rest of the world.
But before he could admire his handiwork—
Whoosh! A pure white fist appeared right before his eyes.
Seemingly realizing her first attack was inexplicably ineffective, Julia had immediately chosen to retreat while throwing a covering strike.
Frowning deeply, she landed a few meters away. She simultaneously used one arm to cover her freshly torn top, preventing her perfect, porcelain skin and ample curves from being completely exposed to the open air.
She was deeply troubled by the absolute defense she had just encountered, as well as her own drafty situation.
Meanwhile, Regulus was also a bit frustrated.
'This woman is too agile,' he complained internally.
Two opportunities, and one of them was even while she was distracted, yet he still failed to secure a firm grip on her body. How could he successfully pin her down without accidentally hurting her with his Stillness?
Exhaust her stamina? No, that wouldn't work. Her stamina was clearly monstrous; it would take hours for her to tire out.
In that case...
He could only resort to a somewhat underhanded method.
The next moment, Regulus abandoned his passive stance and charged straight at her.
Julia didn't dodge; her pride demanded she meet him head-on. Just like Theresia before her, she didn't believe this absolute defense could be used indefinitely. She wanted to use her raw strength to see if she could shatter this invisible shield.
The moment they clashed again, Julia couldn't help but freeze in horror.
Not because her attack didn't work.
Riiip! Another crisp, tearing sound echoed through the forest.
As the sound faded, she felt a sudden chill on her legs. Her elegant pants had been torn wide open.
'Wait...' Julia's eyes widened in realization as she scrambled backward, her face burning. 'Is his target... my clothes?!'
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