Reincarnated with an SSS-rank Tamer System: My Harem of Villainesses-Chapter 13 - Before the Duel

The following morning, Adam was already awake before the sun filtered through the window.

He was sitting in the mansion’s dining room, waiting in silence while Ravenna served him the breakfast she had prepared. It was toast alongside some scrambled eggs and something that looked like ham, though Adam wasn’t entirely sure which animal it came from. But it wasn’t as if he cared much; the food was decent and he needed the energy.

’Finally, the day has arrived...’ he thought while chewing slowly, staring at a random spot, lost in his thoughts. ’The duel with Dorian...’

He couldn’t deny that he felt a certain anticipation, though it wasn’t exactly nervousness like anyone else would feel. It was more like... excitement. He wanted to know how far he had come in these last weeks of constant training and if he could truly stand his ground against someone with experience in magic.

Ravenna served him a glass of water and remained standing by his side, observing him with that look of concern that was already normal on her face.

"Your Excellency, are you sure you don’t want me to prepare something else?" she asked.

Adam simply shook his head while finishing the last bite.

"No, it’s fine like this. Thank you."

Without further ado, he got up from the table and began walking toward the training room with the intention of doing a light warm-up before the match. He didn’t want to overextend himself right before the fight, but he couldn’t just sit around doing nothing either.

When he arrived, he opened the door to the room but stopped dead in his tracks. Seraphine was there, standing by one of the walls with her arms crossed and a calm expression on her face, as if she had been waiting for him.

’She was waiting for me...’ Adam thought immediately, though he showed no surprise.

Seraphine looked at him and sketched a small smile.

"Oh, Adam. What a coincidence to find you here."

Adam couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow while closing the door behind him.

"Yes... what a coincidence," he replied in a tone that made it clear it was sarcasm.

Seraphine let out a low laugh and stepped away from the wall to walk toward him with slow, elegant steps.

"I came to tell you that I will be present at your match this afternoon," she said while stopping in front of him. "Along with our other siblings, of course. It will be... interesting to see how you perform."

Adam didn’t respond immediately; he simply observed her for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

"I hope not to disappoint then."

Seraphine only tilted her head slightly.

"Tell me, Adam, do you think you can win?"

The question was direct, without beating around the bush.

"Our brother Dorian is strong," Adam replied with sincerity while walking toward the center of the room. "There’s a reason he is an instructor at the academy. He is good with both magic and the sword... it will undoubtedly be difficult."

His sister followed him with her gaze; her expression showed no surprise at his honesty.

"But," Adam continued as he turned to look at her again, "as long as I show that I have changed in this month, it will all be for the best. That is what matters."

There was no fear in his voice, nor concern. Just a quiet acceptance of the situation and a determination that surprised even Seraphine.

"You have changed," she said out of nowhere.

Adam only listened to her; he didn’t show any change in his expression and only shrugged his shoulders as if playing it down. Seraphine let out a soft laugh before turning toward the door.

"Interesting. I wish you luck then, brother."

Just before leaving, she stopped and looked back.

"By the way, the match will be in the afternoon at the courtyard next to the training room. Don’t be late."

With that last remark, she left the room leaving Adam alone. He only listened to her walk away while he began to stretch his muscles slowly, preparing for a light workout.

’Seraphine...’ he thought while performing some basic movements with the wooden sword he had taken from the rack. ’I don’t know what to think of her, honestly.’

[Tamer System]

[Well, at least she didn’t seem to want to murder you...]

Adam, at this, could only smile bitterly. ’I hope so...’

[Changing the subject, Host. About today’s match... Dorian is a difficult opponent; he has years of experience, his specialty is elemental magic, and he is particularly skilled with fire and wind spells...]

"I know," Adam murmured while executing a thrust into the air. "But I also have combat experience."

[Experience in your previous world, yes. But this body you possess is different, and magic changes the rules of the game.]

Adam stopped and looked at the screen.

"And what do you suggest then?"

[Your magic is at 58 now, from the 5 you had before. You are at more than half of your basic magic potential, which is impressive for only a couple of weeks. The problem is that this percentage only represents the amount of mana you have, not the strength or control of your magic.]

"I know," Adam replied with a dry tone. "The book I read explained that. Having mana is one thing; knowing how to use it is another thing entirely."

[Exactly. Even if you can only use basic spells and strengthen your body with mana, don’t expect miracles against someone like Dorian.]

Adam only read that while concentrating on putting the sword back on the rack and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel.

"I don’t plan on performing miracles; I plan to impress him, nothing more."

[That is a reasonable goal...]

After finishing his training, Adam returned to his room to change clothes. When he opened the door, he found Ravenna cleaning the place. She looked up upon hearing him enter and immediately stopped what she was doing to approach him.

"Your Excellency, how are you feeling?" she asked.

Adam looked at her for a moment; ever since he met her, this girl always had a look of total concern on her face. Sighing to himself, he approached her and, without saying anything, placed his hand on her head in a gesture that surprised her.

"I’ll be fine," he said with a calm tone while looking her in the eyes. "Thank you for worrying."

He said it without much reverence, as if it were something casual, but for Ravenna, it was as if the world stopped for a second. Her eyes widened and her face flushed slightly as she processed what had just happened. Adam, oblivious to the impact of his action, simply withdrew his hand and walked toward the wardrobe to look for clean clothes.

***

The afternoon had arrived faster than Adam had expected.

He was walking through the mansion’s hallways toward the training courtyard, dressed in light but sturdy clothes that allowed him to move freely. He carried a steel sword at his side, the same one he had used to defeat the boar days ago.

Nox was hidden within him, as always.

When he reached the courtyard, the first thing he noticed was that his family was already there. His father, along with several of his siblings on one side of the arena, observed the place with a serious expression. Adam walked toward them with firm steps while feeling all the gazes land upon him.

His father, Alden, was the first to speak.

"I thought you wouldn’t show up."

Adam stopped in front of him and looked him directly in the eyes.

"I wouldn’t miss this for the world."

Alden observed him for a long moment before nodding slightly.

"Good."

It was then that he heard footsteps behind him. Adam turned and saw his brother Dorian walking toward the center of the courtyard with a serious expression on his face. His gaze was fixed on Adam, and in it, there was something Adam recognized instantly: indignation.

Indignation that he had been sent to fight someone of such a low level as him. Adam smiled slightly at this. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

’Perfect,’ he thought while walking toward the center of the courtyard. ’This way, it will be more interesting.’