As Kenley left the training grounds, preparing to return to Tia, a soft female voice suddenly called out from behind him.

  "Kenley, please wait a moment."

  Kenley halted in his steps. As expected, the renowned Flower Sword Saint had taken an interest in him. It was only natural—after all, he had displayed her signature sword technique. It would be strange if she weren't shocked or surprised.

  Turning around, Kenley respectfully bowed."Lord Roland."

  "Kenley, I have a question for you. Who taught you that sword technique?" Roland's gaze locked onto his, as if trying to discern something from his expression.

  Kenley smiled faintly."Lord Roland, I learned it from you."

  "From me?" Roland was momentarily taken aback. She had not expected such a direct admission.

  Her brows furrowed."But I don't recall ever taking in a student like you."

  Kenley nodded."Do you remember half a year ago, when you accompanied His Majesty on a hunting expedition? You had a sparring match with the Captain of the Imperial Guards."

  "How do you know about that?"

  "Because at the time, I was in the mountains gathering firewood and happened to witness it. From that moment on, I became completely enamored with your swordsmanship, Lord Roland. Your techniques are intricate, elegant, and swift—anyone who has seen them even once could never forget the brilliance of your sword dance. And I, Kenley, am merely one of your most devoted admirers."

  He bowed once again, his words filled with sincerity.

  Of course, Kenley would never forget that during his time in the game, this very event had taken place half a year prior, when the main storyline had progressed to Marlen Imperial City. Back when he was leveling a low-level Paladin character, he had completed the very quest of accompanying the Emperor on a hunt—so naturally, he knew all about it.

  Hearing Kenley call himself her fan, coupled with his evident understanding of swordsmanship, made Roland take his words even more seriously. Her face flushed slightly—this was the first time someone had directly admitted to being her fan. She wasn't quite sure how to respond.

  "So it was back then… And you learned it just by watching once?" Roland recalled the event—indeed, it had happened. But she quickly let out a small huff."If you admire me so much, then why did you leave right after the duel instead of staying? Did you not want to take the opportunity to learn more from me?"

  Kenley pondered for a moment. As expected, to entice someone, one must first feign indifference. Roland was clearly intrigued now. Since she had taken the initiative to approach him, his strategy was working. If he could successfully become her apprentice, that would be the best possible outcome.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  But he had to be patient—he couldn't reveal his true intentions too soon.

  "No, I do not wish to."

  His response was crisp and direct, even catching Roland off guard.

  "Why? Do you not… No, do you truly not wish to learn the rest of my techniques?" For some reason, hearing her supposed fan refuse so bluntly left Roland feeling strangely empty. It was an unfamiliar sensation.

  Kenley immediately shook his head."Lord Roland, it was already a blessing beyond measure to have witnessed your magnificent sword dance that day. As the saying goes, one should not greedily covet that which they admire. Learning your techniques without your permission was already a transgression on my part. In fact, I wished to apologize for that."

  With that, he bowed once more.

  Roland was left speechless. By now, she was entirely drawn into Kenley's words. This young man, a whole generation younger than herself, somehow stirred within her a desire to give him special attention.

  Whether it was his natural talent for swordsmanship or his unwavering respect and courtesy, Kenley had completely captured Roland's focus.

  Before Roland could respond, Kenley continued,"Lord Roland, meeting you again today is already my greatest fortune. You are like a blooming violet, to be admired from afar but never to be sullied. There is something I have long held in my heart… Would you be willing to answer a question for me?"

  "Go ahead," Roland replied, her curiosity now fully piqued. Faced with this mysterious yet talented admirer, she truly wanted to hear what he had to ask.

  Kenley's face reddened slightly, and in a somewhat shy tone, he asked,"Lord Roland, is it true that you have remained unmarried because you have yet to find a suitable partner?"

  Roland froze.

  She had expected a question about swordsmanship, yet he had suddenly broached a topic so unrelated—her personal life.

  This shift in subject caught her completely off guard, like a direct strike to the heart.

  But Kenley had not asked this question on a whim.

  He recalled a hidden storyline guide about Roland that he had once stumbled upon online while trying to learn her sword techniques in-game. Out of curiosity, he had read the entire article.

  The guide detailed Roland's childhood: she was born into a noble family in the Cain Empire, but her parents had divorced, leaving her with a lifelong lack of maternal affection. Her father, an Imperial soldier of noble descent, had died in battle. Due to his influence, Roland had always viewed herself as half a man and had never pursued romance.

  Devoted entirely to swordsmanship, she rapidly improved through sheer dedication and talent. Before the age of thirty, she had successfully passed the Bronze Trial and Silver Trial, becoming the youngest and strongest Sword Saint in the Cain Empire.

  Her prowess had shaken the entire nation. At one point, a certain Imperial noble—a marquis, if Kenley recalled correctly—had attempted to court her. But Roland had rejected him with a single condition:"Defeat me in battle."

  Naturally, that noble stood no chance.

  As a result, Roland's reputation deterred any potential suitors—who would dare challenge her?

  After all, most ordinary NPCs peaked at Level 30, while stronger individuals rarely surpassed Level 60. Few could even dream of breaking into the Silver Rank. Roland was simply on another level.

  In the game, although players could theoretically pursue Roland, they could never truly change her ultimate fate—she would remain alone. The game's storyline was predetermined, and no player could alter its course.

  However, there was one exception.

  According to the guide, there was a specific method—Roland's hidden romance route.

  To court Roland, a player had to meet three key conditions:

  They had to be of a lower level than her when confessing.They had to be younger than her (due to her childhood experiences, Roland preferred to have control over her relationships).They needed to engage her in conversation and pique her interest.

  And so, Kenley had asked the question—not to pry, but to take the first step in unlocking that hidden path.