Valred slept until noon, his clothes wrinkled from lying in bed for so long. Thinking it would be impolite to meet his teacher in such disheveled attire, he called for Maya to help him change into a fresh set of clothes. Just as he finished, he went to the entrance to greet Lady Triss as she arrived.
The moment Lady Triss stepped out of her carriage, Valred could tell she was exhausted. Her weariness was likely due to the false alarm Valred had caused, which had put the academy's teachers on high alert for non-existent Strigoi vampires, leaving them with little rest. This made Valred feel a bit guilty, though he hadn't intended to cause such a stir.
"Though, because of this, Lady Triss's delicate, sickly appearance has become even more pronounced, making her look even more beautiful than usual," Valred thought to himself. As he was pondering this, Lady Triss stepped down from the carriage. She seemed so tired that she stumbled slightly upon touching the ground, nearly falling. Valred quickly moved to assist her.
"You look very tired," Valred said, reaching out to steady her. However, Lady Triss declined his help with a soft laugh.
"I'm not so old that I need a child to support me," she said, gently stopping him with her hand. After a moment to regain her composure, she continued walking.
Valred felt a bit awkward and somewhat disappointed. It seemed Lady Triss saw him entirely as a junior—which, of course, he was. But Valred couldn't help feeling that this was a bit of a shame.
"What happened?" Valred asked as he followed Lady Triss toward the castle.
"It's those Strigoi rebels," Lady Triss said, her tone tinged with frustration. "The discovery from the other day caused quite a panic. The Council decided to strike first, raiding several Strigoi strongholds under our control. The fighting lasted from last night until this morning…"
She paused for a moment, then muttered under her breath, "It was disgusting."
"Disgusting?" Valred's sharp hearing caught her whisper, though she hadn't intended for him to hear.
"It's nothing… Just that their resistance was fierce, so I'm a bit tired," Lady Triss quickly added, flustered by Valred's question.
Valred wisely chose not to press further and instead pretended not to have heard her earlier comment. "That must have been exhausting. Next time, you should rest instead of coming here. Just let me know, and we can reschedule."
"That's not an option," Lady Triss replied with a smile, declining his suggestion. "My fatigue is nothing compared to the importance of teaching you. You are, after all, the heir to the Carstein family. If I don't teach you well, it would be a great failure on my part."
As they conversed, they entered Drachenhof Castle. This time, Lady Triss didn't stop for tea or snacks but went straight to the lesson. Instead of heading to Valred's room, they went to the basement, which had a more spacious area and specialized training equipment. It seemed that, despite her earlier words, Lady Triss wanted to finish the lesson quickly so she could rest. Valred, of course, didn't object. In fact, he was quite eager for the day's lesson.
"So, is today's lesson still about magic? I've been practicing the technique you taught me yesterday to improve my control over the winds of magic, and I've made good progress. What's next?" Valred asked as they walked.
"Actually, today's lesson isn't about magic," Lady Triss said, leading the way not to the alchemy lab, as Valred had expected, but to the training arena opposite it. "You've already completed the basics of dark magic over the past month. Today, we'll be focusing on weapon combat and hand-to-hand combat."
"What?!" Valred was visibly displeased.
If the use of psychic energy in this world was something Valred greatly desired, then the crude martial arts and combat techniques of this era were something he looked down upon. As a former officer who had slain countless Zerg in his past life, Valred saw no need to learn the rudimentary fighting styles of this medieval world.
With a hint of superiority, Valred voiced his objection: "Why?! I think magic is far more important. I don't need to learn combat skills."
"Why do you think that?" Lady Triss asked, slightly surprised by her usually obedient student's sudden resistance.
"Because on the battlefield, a vampire necromancer skilled in the dark arts can command an army of thousands. A single warrior, no matter how strong, can't compare to that."
In just a moment, Valred had come up with a convincing argument. He silently praised himself for his quick thinking and continued, "So I've decided to focus on strategy, tactics, and necromancy, along with some buffing and debuffing spells. As for combat skills, I'm sure the Blood Dragons of the Abhorash family would be more than willing to learn those. But not me."
"That's a well-reasoned argument," Lady Triss said with a gentle smile. "It's quite impressive for someone your age to understand these things."
Just as Valred thought he had convinced her, Lady Triss, still smiling, delivered a disappointing response: "But it's still a no."
"Why?!" Valred was baffled. "Specialization is key. Spreading oneself too thin leads to mediocrity. On the battlefield, I want to be a commander, not a frontline fighter!"
"That's quite a bold statement. By your logic, the dozen or so knightly orders of Sylvania would have no reason to exist," Lady Triss said with a laugh, then began to explain. "I understand your ambitions, and what you say does have merit. But there's a reason I want you to learn combat skills."
"What reason?" Valred asked.
"Do you know what the greatest weakness of an undead army is?" Lady Triss didn't answer directly but instead posed a question to guide Valred's thinking.
"It's… um…" Despite his intelligence, Valred was momentarily stumped. Undead armies had discipline and training that living soldiers could never match. Their bodies, crafted from bone and dark magic, might be more fragile, but this weakness could be offset by magical enhancements. They were fearless, utterly loyal, numerous, and didn't need food or rest. Valred considered them the perfect soldiers, surpassed only by magical constructs like golems.
Seeing her usually quick-witted student stumped by her question, Lady Triss felt a sense of satisfaction. Her fatigue from the prolonged battle seemed to fade as she smiled triumphantly, ready to reveal the answer before Valred could figure it out.
Of course, it didn't take long.
Just as Lady Triss began to speak, Valred beat her to it: "It's the commander."
"Little brat," Lady Triss thought to herself, slightly annoyed. "Having a student who's too clever isn't always a good thing." Valred's smug expression made it clear that his earlier confusion had been an act, designed to undermine her at the moment of her greatest pride and get back at her for forcing him to learn something he disliked.
"Exactly, it's the commander," Lady Triss admitted, though reluctantly. "If the vampire commander controlling the undead army is killed, the undead forces become immobile, easy targets. In many battles against the living, we've had the upper hand, only to lose because of successful decapitation strikes."
She paused, then spoke in a tone befitting an adult lecturing a child: "Now, do you understand why I want you to learn combat skills?"
Valred shook his head. "I still believe in focusing on one thing. Besides, if I master magic, I can protect myself. As for physical support, I can rely on my undead minions and fellow vampires. Creating more advanced undead and enlisting the help of vampire knights should be enough to ensure my safety."