I Stopped Simping and the Heroines Lost Their Minds

Arthur carried the reinforced tournament case down the corridor toward the smaller training hall, doing his best to ignore the continuous stream of unhelpful commentary coming from his left. Kael leaned closer as they walked, studying Arthur’s face with exaggerated concern.

"Are you nervous? You should probably be nervous. I would be nervous."

Emily walked on Arthur’s other side and gave her brother a look that suggested another few sentences might get him kicked before breakfast was fully digested. "He doesn’t look nervous. And stop talking."

Arthur pushed through the heavy training-hall doors and found Gareth and Adrian already waiting near the center of the mat. He paused at the unexpectedly full attendance, and Kael answered the question before Arthur could ask it.

"If you grow a second head, someone needs to witness it," Kael explained cheerfully.

Emily rubbed at her temples while Gareth ignored the entire conversation and waved Arthur toward the center of the hall.

Arthur set the box down and broke the tournament seal. Gareth inspected the heavy glass vial inside, turning it once beneath the morning light before handing it back to Arthur.

"Drink all of it," Gareth instructed. "Don’t try to force your mana to guide it. Just let the refinement work. Your body will heat up, and your muscles and joints are going to ache. Once the process starts, sit down if standing becomes difficult. Eat well afterward, and absolutely no sparring today."

Kael’s expression fell noticeably at the prohibition against sparring. Arthur glanced toward him, already knowing exactly what he had planned, and Gareth followed the look without missing a beat.

"That includes you," Gareth told him.

Kael raised both hands in innocence. "I didn’t say anything."

"You didn’t need to." Gareth handed the vial back to Arthur and nodded for him to continue.

Arthur pulled the stopper and drank the elixir in three long swallows. The liquid was thick and heavy on his tongue, carrying a sharp, bitter metallic taste that coated the back of his throat. He lowered the empty vial, waiting for the reaction.

Nothing happened for the first few seconds. Kael opened his mouth, clearly preparing another joke.

Then the warmth began.

It started as a heavy knot of warmth in Arthur’s stomach and spread rapidly through his chest and shoulders. His heartbeat grew louder in his ears, sweat broke across his skin, and the warmth sharpened into a deep pressure through his muscles and joints.

His muscles began tightening on their own. Tremors climbed through his calves, and keeping his knees locked quickly became more trouble than it was worth.

"Sit," Gareth instructed quietly, and Arthur lowered himself onto the training mat before the next tremor could make the decision for him.

The heat deepened rapidly. It pushed through his shoulders, flooded his back, and sank heavily into his thighs and forearms. The tournament bruises he had collected from Corwin ached briefly under the pressure, but the real discomfort was entirely beneath the skin. His fingers curled inward, gripping the fabric of the mat as his breathing grew heavy and ragged.

Emily crouched nearby as the worst of the heat rolled through him, watching the sweat run down the side of his neck. Her hand started toward his shoulder before Gareth quietly told her to give the refinement time to finish, and she reluctantly settled back onto her heels.

Kael watched him from a few feet away and eventually decided that silence had lasted long enough. "He looks terrible."

Arthur kept his eyes shut, fingers clenched in the mat beneath him. "Come closer and I’ll improve your face too."

Kael laughed, apparently reassured that Arthur still had enough energy left to threaten him.

The intensity continued to rise, holding Arthur in a stifling, uncomfortable grip for several long minutes before it finally peaked. When the worst of the heat finally receded, exhaustion settled into every limb. Arthur was dripping with sweat, desperately thirsty, and hungry enough that his stomach already felt hollow.

His muscles felt heavier than before, not sluggish, but strangely solid beneath his skin.

Gareth waited until Arthur’s breathing leveled out before giving him a nod.

Arthur pushed himself to his feet, and the motion carried more force than he expected. He rolled his shoulders, shifted his weight between his feet, then walked toward the equipment rack to see what the difference actually meant in motion.

Arthur took a wooden training dagger from the rack. Even his grip felt firmer around the hilt.

"Stance," Gareth ordered. "Short burst forward. Stop. Change direction."

Arthur dropped his weight and pushed off his back foot. He automatically applied the amount of force he was used to using, entirely underestimating his new foundation. He shot forward, the sudden burst carrying him noticeably farther than he intended, and had to brace himself hard to keep from stumbling when he abruptly stopped and turned.

Arthur caught himself before the stumble could develop, planted his feet, and turned cleanly. A surprised grin spread across his face as he settled back into stance.

Kael noticed the explosive difference in the first step immediately. He looked annoyed. Arthur grinned at him, thoroughly enjoying the reaction.

"I want a comparison," Kael insisted, stepping onto the mat.

Gareth refused to allow a real fight, but eventually permitted a static clinch. Kael stepped in, and they locked forearms and shoulders, bracing against each other.

Kael leaned into him with the same kind of pressure that had walked Arthur backward during their tournament bout. This time Arthur stayed where he was. He didn’t overpower the larger man, but Kael had to drop his hips and put real leverage behind the pressure before Arthur finally gave up a step.

Arthur caught the brief tightening in Kael’s expression as they separated and smiled. "You looked worried."

Kael brushed at his sleeve as though the clinch hadn’t interested him at all. "I was disappointed."

Emily snorted from the edge of the mat. "Bullshit."

Arthur wiped the sweat from his forehead and finally called up his full status. He had dealt with individual level-ups and skill notices when they appeared, but it had been a while since he’d looked at everything together.

The familiar blue window opened across his vision.

[Status Window — Arthur Vance]

Class: Phantom Sniper (Unique)

Level: 33

Strength: 57

Mana: 320

Dexterity: 119

Perception: 112

Intelligence: 30

Stamina: 55

Unallocated Attribute Points: 0

Traits

Soundless Steps — Lv.5

Eagle Eye — Lv.8

Ghost in the Woods

Skills

Mana Quiver — Lv.3

Mirage Shot — Lv.3

Phantom Shots — Lv.2

Shadow Step — Lv.2

Silent Knife Technique — Lv.2

Arthur stared at the numbers for a moment. The goblin chief had taken him to Level 30; somewhere through everything that followed, another three levels had accumulated. His older skills had kept moving with them, even while most of his attention had been on Silent Knife.

The physical numbers had changed the most. Training and his next three levels had already pushed Strength and Stamina well beyond where they stood after the goblin fight. Ironblood had taken them much further.

Strength: 49 → 57

Stamina: 46 → 55

Arthur gave a low whistle.

Shadow Step reaching Level 2 had been overdue, and seeing Mana Quiver and Mirage Shot at Level 3 wasn’t much of a surprise after how often he used them. Phantom Shots had climbed in the background with every arrow he fired, while Eagle Eye and Soundless Steps had become so natural that he barely noticed when they were active anymore.

His gaze stopped on the last entry.

Silent Knife Technique — Lv.2

That one pleased him. A few weeks ago, the technique still felt separate from the ugly close-range habits Morwenna had drilled into him. After Gareth’s training and the tournament, the movements finally connected without Arthur having to consciously piece them together.

Arthur dismissed the window with a satisfied smile.

Emily waited until Gareth was satisfied with the testing before stepping closer and wrapping a hand around Arthur’s upper arm. She squeezed experimentally without looking away from him.

Arthur deliberately flexed beneath her hand, which earned him another slow inspection. Kael watched the exchange for several seconds before finally groaning. "Can you two wait until I’m no longer in the room?"

Emily didn’t even bother looking at him, and Arthur’s grin only widened as her fingers pressed into his arm once more.

Arthur’s stomach growled loudly enough to interrupt Gareth before he could give the next instruction.

By the time Arthur reached the family dining area, Seraphina had already arranged enough food to deal with the appetite Gareth had warned them about. Arthur ended up at the table eating enough for three people, clearing plates almost as quickly as the kitchen staff could bring them out.

Kael watched another plate disappear and leaned back in his chair with growing concern. "So we strengthened you and created a famine."

Arthur reached for the next serving without slowing down. "Worth it."

"You’re eating our entire kitchen, brother-in-law."

Arthur finally looked up. "Does family get a discount?"

Emily crumpled her napkin and threw it at both of them before Kael could answer.

Nessa stepped into the dining area a few minutes later, bringing a fresh pitcher of water to the table. She moved efficiently past Arthur, reaching over to fill his glass. Her fingers brushed Arthur’s forearm as she pulled away, and the movement paused for half a second. Nessa’s eyes dropped briefly to his arm before returning to his face.

Arthur caught her looking. "You can check properly later," he murmured quietly enough that only she could hear.

Nessa gave him a flat look. She pushed a freshly refilled plate an inch closer to him. "Eat."

Nessa moved on to the next place setting without another glance at him.

By late afternoon, the refinement had caught up with him. Arthur was stronger than he’d been that morning and tired enough to sleep standing up, so he finally abandoned the training grounds and headed toward the guest wing.

Emily fell into step beside him on the way toward the guest wing and made it halfway down the corridor before reaching over to squeeze his upper arm again.

Arthur glanced down at the hand still wrapped around his bicep. "That’s the fourth time."

"I’m checking the results," Emily said, leaving her fingers exactly where they were.

Arthur smiled at her. "Very thorough."

Emily gave his arm one final, lingering squeeze before finally letting him go. "I’m not done checking."

She turned down the intersecting corridor toward her own wing before Arthur could answer. He watched her leave for half a second, then continued toward the guest room with a tired grin.

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