Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 172: Victoria’s First Day, and Hand-to-Hand Training

The battle academy was located in a secluded area, far from any cities.

It followed the same principle as Snowpeak Academy: they didn’t want civilians nearby due to the risks associated with magical practice.

Mages were powerful individuals capable of causing significant destruction, especially when experiments went wrong—something common among beginners. Find adventures at novelbuddy

Even with protective barriers in place, having a city nearby wasn’t worth the risk. Additionally, the quiet environment was better for studying and concentration.

William could see and sense the surroundings through Asura, and the sight of students milling about the academy’s courtyard filled him with nostalgia.

The arrival of new students reminded him of his own first day at Snowpeak Academy.

’Will James be alright? What about the king? I need to return…’

Being far away didn’t mean his problems had disappeared. James still had a seal on his body, and the king was relying on William to bring back the antidote before it was too late.

William believed James might have already found a way to break the seal, but the king’s time was running out.

Meanwhile, Victoria was understandably overwhelmed as a new student. She wandered around the academy like a lost fly until a staff member approached her.

"You’re one of the new students, right? Come with me; I’ll explain a few things," the staff member said.

Victoria followed and listened carefully. William, through Asura, also paid attention.

Most of the information was basic: the location of her dormitory, the start date of classes (in three days), and the layout of the academy, including classrooms, the library, and the gym.

The staff member also emphasized the rules, which were the most critical part of the orientation.

Breaking the rules would result in punishments, and severe violations could lead to expulsion.

Victoria didn’t want that. She had worked hard to earn her spot, so she listened intently.

Once the staff member left, Victoria spoke to William—or rather, Asura, as she called him.

"What do you think of the rules, Asura? I’m afraid I might not remember all of them."

"I wasn’t really listening. Let’s go see your dorm instead."

"…"

The dormitories for new students were impressive. The building was massive, constructed entirely of stone, and adorned with sculptures, flowers, and other decorations.

It was a pleasant and comfortable place to live.

Victoria’s room was on the fourth floor. As she climbed the staircase, other students glanced at her curiously. They could tell she was new.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" Victoria asked.

"Because you’re new. These are all talented or wealthy individuals. They’re just curious about you."

Victoria’s time at the academy wouldn’t be easy. She wasn’t the most talented or the wealthiest, so William would need to give her an edge to help her stand out.

Her room was spacious and well-furnished. The first thing she did was jump onto the bed.

"Ahh, this is so comfortable," she sighed.

She placed William—Asura—on the bed as well, unsheathing him.

"I really hope we can get stronger here. Are you sure you can help me?"

"Of course I can. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have to study, practice, and work hard."

"I know that. I’m not stupid."

William had access to numerous rituals and spells from Asura’s memories, which he could use to help Victoria.

But she would still need to put in the effort to grow stronger. William was determined to do everything he could to assist her.

’She needs to get stronger to free me…’

"We still have three days before classes start. Are you planning to train or just rest?" William asked.

"I think I’ll just rest," Victoria replied.

"I see. Well, I’ll rest too. I need to gather energy to start helping you when classes begin."

"No problem. See you later, Asura."

"See ya."

William wasn’t actually gathering energy. He was preoccupied with his real body, still trapped in the mansion.

The next morning, Agnar approached William with some intriguing information.

"Look, I’m certain Simone didn’t leave the mansion. I didn’t even see her go near that shed behind the mansion. I went there myself and saw some… strange things."

"You went there?" William was surprised. He hadn’t expected Agnar to explore that area. Given what was stored there, William assumed Jonas wouldn’t want his employees poking around.

"Of course I did. But I don’t think those organs belong to Simone. At least, I hope not… Anyway, I strongly believe there are secret areas in this mansion. Have you noticed we almost never see anyone besides Jonas? Where’s his family? Did you know he has about 20 family members?"

"Really?"

Now that Agnar mentioned it, William realized how odd it was. The only people he ever saw were Jonas and the old man he occasionally spoke to.

But where were the others? It was strange, especially since Jonas wasn’t even the head of the family, yet he was the only one who appeared in public.

"Do you have any clues about where to look?" William asked.

Agnar had been working for Jonas longer than Travis and had been searching for clues about Simone since her disappearance.

If anyone had leads, it was him.

"Maybe," Agnar said. "I have a theory, but it’s hard to investigate. It’s a well-protected part of the mansion."

"Of course it is…"

"But we might have a chance… I’ll talk to you later, alright?"

"Okay."

The rest of William’s day was a stark contrast to his previous routine. He enjoyed a hearty breakfast with far more food than he was used to.

He also ate at a proper dining table instead of in the kitchen. Jonas was there, speaking to him and 03, who was also eating with them.

"Like I said, you two will receive better treatment from now on, including training. But this will only continue if you win your fights. Understand?"

"We understand," William and 03 replied.

It was all about money now. Jonas was counting on William and 03 to win the fights and bring him a hefty profit.

William didn’t have the option to refuse. He would have to fight, so why not aim to win? The improved treatment was a significant upgrade, and he no longer had to spend his entire day mining mana stones.

Additionally, William saw this as an opportunity to get closer to Jonas. While finding Simone was a secondary objective, his primary goal was to gain Jonas’s trust.

Doing so would increase his chances of escaping the mansion and ending his life as a slave.

"After you two finish eating, head to the gym and train with our best guard. It’s just hand-to-hand combat training since you can’t use magic in the fights. Nothing too fancy," Jonas said before leaving them to their meal.

"What are you up to?" 03 asked William once Jonas was gone.

"What do you mean?" William replied, looking puzzled.

"I know you’re up to something with those guards. Are you including me in this or not?"

03 was observant and always paid attention to his surroundings. He had noticed William speaking with Travis and Agnar multiple times but had kept quiet, waiting for William to approach him.

When William didn’t, 03 decided to confront him directly.

"I’ll fill you in later. It’s not a good idea to talk about it here," William said.

03 smiled, relieved that his friend was willing to include him.

"No problem."

They dropped the subject and finished their meal. Afterward, they headed to the gym, where they met their combat instructor—none other than Travis.

This was unexpected, and William suspected Travis had convinced Jonas to assign him as their trainer.

"Really?" 03 said, glancing at Travis and then back at William. "This is the guard I’ve seen you talking to…"

Travis visibly tensed, but William quickly intervened.

"Relax, 03 is someone I trust. He’s been working with me since before you came along. No problem, right?"

Travis hesitated. Trusting Agnar had already been a stretch, and now adding another person to the mix made him uneasy.

"No problem, but this is a combat training session. We shouldn’t discuss this now. Let’s get started."

The training lasted about three hours. For William, it was relatively easy.

While there were a few techniques he wasn’t familiar with, he was a quick learner when it came to combat. His body was also far stronger than average, thanks to his status as a summoned hero and the demonic energy enhancing his physical abilities.

By the end of the session, Travis was impressed.

"You’re incredibly strong, even without mana. How did they even capture you?"

"A group of slave traders. They placed a seal on me before I could react. I don’t have many spells to escape," William explained.

"That’s unfortunate. Anyway, I have other guard duties to attend to. We’ll talk later."

With the training over, William and 03 were free for the rest of the day. Their only tasks were to eat and rest—a far cry from the grueling labor of mining mana stones.

As they left the gym, they passed by the other two slaves who had been left behind to continue working in the mines. The envy in their eyes was unmistakable.

"They’re jealous of us," William remarked.

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"You think? Now it’ll be even harder to get them to help us," 03 replied.

It would indeed be more challenging, but William wasn’t counting on their help anyway.

That night, 03 came to William’s room, where Agnar was already waiting. Agnar had some interesting information to share.