Marry X Princess

XXIV: Know Thy Enemy

Two weeks had passed since my endless training saga had begun. Day after day, I found myself sparring with Evangeline and learning the ins and outs of hand-to-hand combat. To my surprise, I had improved considerably from when we first started the process. Unfortunately, I still hadn't made any progress in the field of magic. Despite practicing Morning Dew every night like Eva suggested, I failed repeatedly to cast the spell even once.

After yet another grueling session of training behind St. Cirelia, Eva offered me a break—an offer I happily accepted.

"You're doing great, Shinsuke!" Eva declared as she plopped down on the grass beside me. She was spotless, of course, while I was sweating through my shirt. "You've made progress beyond my hopes."

"Thanks," I managed through heavy panting.

"So, I hate to ask and put you in this headspace, but have you given any thought to how you'll take on Emil yet?"

I laughed, drawing a concerned glance from my pink-haired mentor. "I can't even cast a children's spell. I have no idea what I'll do besides die."

Mizuki, who had been joining our training sessions daily after her classes ended, tossed a water bottle into my lap and chided me. "Stop that, Shinsuke. You're doing the best you can. I won't allow you to put yourself down like this."

"She's right," Eva agreed. "Your abilities in hand-to-hand combat have improved greatly. Not only that, but your physique and stamina are also improving. You may not be where you need to be yet, but don't downplay all that you've accomplished considering the circumstances."

Thoroughly rebuked for my cynicism, I backed down. "You're right, sorry." Mizuki patted my head as a reward for my retraction.

"But I really don't know what to do," I admitted. "If you were in my situation, how would you fight this guy, Eva?"

"Hmm." My mentor curled her index finger against her lips and pondered my question for a moment. "He's a defensive magic specialist. You saw what he could do in that video we watched together. The odds of doing any damage to him while he can erect barriers are slim to none. Even for someone of my level."

I kept seeing that gods forsaken barrier in my mind every time I simulated battling the pompous blonde prince. Cynthia was right when she said that I had been assigned the worst possible first opponent based on my lack of skill.

"However," Eva continued. "Protective barriers like that take a lot of energy to keep around. It'd have to come down at some point. And besides that, he definitely has a weakness—everyone does. There is no such thing as a perfect defense."

"And what do you think his weakness is?" Mizuki asked.

"Glad you ask, sis! Personally, I think the pampered prince has a glass jaw. Or, in other words, because he's so focused on defense, he's probably not used to getting roughed up. And I'd also bet money that his offense isn't so hot either."

I took a sip of water and chimed in, saying, "I was thinking the same thing. But that's a big assumption. And besides that, how would one get him out of that barrier, let alone do enough damage before he can put it back up?"

"Well," Eva started with a devious smirk. "If it were me, I would overload his precious little barrier. You see, my attacks may not hurt him, but if he were to be hit with a ton of elements at once, he would need to focus his energy on the largest blasts, lest he risk something penetrating his shield. It would peel away at some point."

"But I can't do that."

"Right," she laughed. "There is another way to get him to lower that barrier, though. If you could draw him out of it somehow, that would leave him open to attack."