In Leon's room, he was currently sitting while his breathing was irregular. After letting Rebecca go with the maids, he came to his room to train. Inside his mind, his body stood in complete darkness while everything around it began to change, gradually taking on an appearance similar to the border where he had fought that water mage.
[I've seen this many times in other stories, you thief]
'If that's the case, then you're worse, floating around like all those other systems'
He was working on something that was not yet complete, a technique based on the controlled reproduction of scenarios within his own perception. The idea was not simply to create a common illusion, but to build an environment functional enough to simulate real combat, including mana pressure, opponent movement, and variations in rhythm that did not depend solely on imagination.
[You were trying to create this before coming here, if I remember correctly]
'Yes. I didn't finish it in the original world, but I can finish it here'
Before entering the dungeon, he had already started developing it, but he did not have time to complete it. The biggest problem had always been stability. Creating a scenario was simple up to a certain point, but maintaining consistency in the "opponent's" reactions and preventing everything from becoming predictable required a much higher level of control. Without that, the training quickly lost its value.
Now, using Leon's body, he had a clear advantage. The amount of available mana, along with the greater accumulated combat experience in that body, allowed him to test the technique more practically. He could force situations close to reality, adjusting details while fighting against his own projections. The goal was not to create something perfect at that moment, but to reach a point where the system functioned consistently. If he could stabilize the base, he could bring this idea back to his original body, where he truly intended to use the technique in the future.
'I wanted to create that guy, but it looks like I'll have to start from the basics again'
Changing the opponent he was creating, he began with the simplest approach, recreating a generic opponent with basic attack and defense patterns, then gradually increasing the complexity.
'Even if it's just my imagination inside my mind, turning it into something close to real is difficult'
[Of course it is, from what I know in the story only eighth-circle mages can do this easily]
Seventh-circle users could still achieve it with effort, which is why Leon's body could reach this more easily. It was so difficult because he was literally creating something physical within his own mind, something that would be impossible in the real world unless one reached the tenth circle. Leon maintained his focus while the surrounding scenario continued to adjust, the ground still unstable, the wind nonexistent, the sensation incomplete. The first projection appeared before him, a faceless figure formed only from condensed mana.
"Too weak and inconsistent"
He dodged an attack easily, the initial movement was slow, predictable, a direct strike. He interrupted the flow and recreated the opponent, adjusting its structure, trying to keep it simple but less mechanical. A new attack came toward him, but Leon responded with a short movement, blocking and counterattacking, feeling for the first time a slight resistance in the body of his false opponent.
'Still far from ideal'
[But it's already better than before]
He continued repeating the process, erasing and rebuilding, adjusting reaction time, mana consumption, and the way the opponent "thought" within that simulation. Gradually, the scenario began to stabilize, and the combat stopped being an empty repetition, starting to demand real attention.
'This is good, but still not enough'
He stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath within that mental space. That technique would only have real value when the opponent stopped being merely a direct extension of his own mind and began to react independently, even if limited.
'I need to refine it more'
Before he could continue adjusting, his concentration was broken as he returned to the real world. His breathing became irregular again for a moment as he opened his eyes in the room. The technique was undone, but the foundation was already more stable than before.
'I did a good job in a short time, it's a shame this body belongs to Leon'
[I completely agree with you]
While he rested, something outside that room began to spread. The news that he now had a wife did not take long to circulate. Within the castle, servants and knights began to whisper, and quickly the information reached higher levels. The news that a new Lady Solfyr had arrived.
In the inner hall, the crown prince Alistair paused what he was doing upon hearing it, his expression changing immediately as he processed the information. He did not show an exaggerated reaction, but it was clear that this was not something expected.
"A Lady… Solfyr?"
"Yes, my lord"
Alistair remained silent for a few seconds, organizing his thoughts before slightly shifting his gaze. Deeper within the castle, his father also received the same information. Unlike his son, he did not speak immediately. His gaze remained fixed for a few seconds, analyzing the implications before moving slightly in his seat.
"Leon… did this without notice… this caught me off guard"
Meanwhile, at the second Solfyr mansion, the news also reached those closest. Filgiri stopped mid-motion when he heard it, his face showing genuine surprise as he looked at Jirena.
"I thought it would be Miss Elara…"
Jirena also could not hide her confusion, her eyes slightly widened as she processed the information.
"Me too…"
She remained silent for a few seconds, adjusting her expression before returning to normal, though the surprise was still there. It would be better for them to meet the new lady soon, so she intended to hurry her husband so they could both go, and perhaps it would be good to call their daughter as well.
'Her heart will be broken, but I already warned her this could happen'
At the Everhart family residence, the reaction was different. Leon's adoptive parents received the news with initial surprise, but their expressions quickly changed. It was not just shock, there was also a hint of interest emerging alongside the information.
"A Lady Solfyr…"
"Does that mean we're finally going to have grandchildren?"
They exchanged a brief glance before standing up. They needed to tell Elara; without a doubt, she would also be excited, and without delay, they went to where she was. Elara was in one of the inner halls, holding a glass with a calm posture, her attention focused elsewhere until she heard the words from a servant who had run to inform her before her parents arrived.
"Leon… has a fiancée now"
The sound of glass breaking came immediately after. The cup shattered in her hand, fragments falling slowly while small drops slid between her fingers. Her expression did not change at first, but her eyes lost any trace of softness, becoming darker.
"Rebecca…"