Chapter 20

Chapter 9: What Exactly Is the Eye of the Heart? (3)

Sierra Camaro lasted about a minute longer than Edington but failed to inflict any significant damage on Jin.

The subsequent sparring match with David Macchi followed a similar pattern. He fought more tenaciously than Sierra, but in the end, he broke a rib.

A fracture was not an issue that the medical team of Runcandel couldn't handle. As long as it wasn't a severe organ injury or a fatal wound, recovery was almost instantaneous.

"Ugh, I've learned a lot, young master. Thank you! Cough!"

Seeing David, who had fallen to the ground, grinning and giving a thumbs-up, Jin was taken aback.

Just how many... such crazy people are there in Runcandel? Even if he is a senior, to thank with a smile the person who just broke his rib...

Moreover, it wasn't forced; it was a genuine expression of gratitude from deep within. Jin suppressed his discomfort and nodded lightly.

'Well, I used to see a lot of that when I was learning magic under my master before the regression. I shouldn't be surprised by David.'

His master, who was two years younger than him, was not an ordinary person.

He had electrocuted Jin for hours while teaching lightning magic and sent him flying all day while teaching wind magic, all with a smile.

And every time, Jin...

had smiled and expressed gratitude and respect, just like David now. The desire to become stronger can sometimes make people act that way.

'Looking back, I wasn't in my right mind either.'

Swish, swish. Jin twirled his wooden sword lightly and faced his next opponent.

"I am Mesa Milcano, young master."

"I know your name. I also know you are the second daughter of the Milcano family."

"Thank you for remembering. I won't be as easy as the cadets you faced earlier. I want to defeat you today."

"I look forward to it."

Mesa took an attacking stance and began to circle Jin slowly. Her movements were calm and flawless, befitting someone at the top of the training class.

When she faced Velop, she had attacked like a beast.

But that was because she had underestimated Velop. Now, facing Jin, she exuded a completely different aura.

'Mesa Milcano. In my previous life, I remember she completed the cadet course and was immediately assigned as a guardian knight of the main house. I don't remember much about her, but that much is certain.'

A thoroughbred elite.

Although she hadn't yet grasped Velop's true capabilities, Mesa was also a person of immense talent.

Jin and Mesa had sparred a total of seven times. He lost the first two and won the next five, with the gap widening each time.

Through Mesa, Jin realized just how extraordinary his talent had been, trapped in the 'delusion of the blade.'

'I have to defeat Mesa and then take on six more. But if I carefully manage my stamina while facing her, it would be a disadvantage. I need to push her back with a straightforward fight, so the others who will challenge me later won't think too much.'

The sparring matches with Edington, Sierra, and David were just a taste.

Mesa could be considered the true predator of the beginner class. Pushing all of them back with a 'straightforward fight' would be a tough task for Jin, who was only fourteen.

Therefore, Jin planned to...

make an example of Mesa and instill a 'misconception' in the others. The misconception that they cannot win by facing him head-on.

'The key to this sparring match is a straightforward fight and a performance of ease.'

This time, Jin initiated the attack.

Simple, straightforward thrusts and slashes, without any tricks. Mesa easily defended against them, but as the exchange continued, she grew increasingly uneasy.

'Why is the young master only using such basic attacks?'

Of course, even standardized attacks were sharp and heavy. Her grip on the wooden sword was tingling.

But the reason for her confusion wasn't the power.

'When will the tricks start?'

'Just now, I had a chance to change the trajectory, but I didn't.'

'He must be doing this on purpose. What is his intention...?'

While Mesa's frustration grew, Jin swung his wooden sword with a calm expression. Even when she deliberately twisted her defenses, Jin stuck to the basics.

'Is he... looking down on me?'

Grinding her teeth, Mesa firmly planted her feet.

"Fine, let's see. Young master!"

Re-gripping her sword, Mesa stopped hesitating. She began to counter with orthodox sword techniques, just like Jin.

Elaborate techniques and complex movements.

Soon, these disappeared from their sparring. It became a simple, primitive battle of strength.

Mesa was a person with great confidence in her physical strength. Having learned basic aura manipulation at the Milcano castle before coming to Runcandel, this was natural.

Thud, thud! Crack!

The heavy clashing of their wooden swords filled the training ground. The cadets watched with wide eyes, the tough battle already lasting over five minutes.

Pant, pant.

The rough breathing came from Mesa.

'Am I... losing in stamina?'

She knew she couldn't defeat Jin.

But she thought her physical abilities were equal or perhaps even superior. It was hard to accept why she was being outmatched by the younger Jin.

Mesa didn't fully understand what it meant to have a 'blessed body' in Runcandel.

"Aah!"

Suddenly, Mesa shouted and swung her wooden sword. It was an attempt to steady her mind, but it ultimately became her downfall.

Jin didn't dodge the full-force strike but took it head-on.

Mesa expected Jin to step back and planned to launch a surprise attack to knock him down.

Even if he took the attack as it was, she planned to throw the wooden sword and use her shoulder to push between his legs and choke him.

In a sense, it was Mesa's final gambit. It was a good move, one that even Garon, watching the sparring, would think was a decent choice.

But the situation took a turn in a direction Mesa hadn't imagined.

Clack!

"Ah...!"

Mesa's wooden sword, swung with all her might, cleanly broke upon Jin's upward strike.

'Why? The young master didn't use aura...'

While this question flashed through her mind, the tip of Jin's wooden sword touched her neck. Jin took a deep breath.

"...I lose, young master."

"Good match, Mesa Milcano."

Though he spoke calmly, Jin's hair was drenched in sweat.

Mesa shifted her gaze to her broken wooden sword. There was no trick, no use of aura. She needed to understand why only hers broke.

'Damn!'

Mesa soon realized the reason. She saw Jin wiping his forehead and picking up a new wooden sword from the side of the training ground.

"This one is no good anymore."

While the sparring match between the two seemed simple, primitive, and tough to the training class,

the hidden fact was this:

During the honest exchange, Jin consistently struck the center of Mesa's wooden sword.

In contrast, Mesa's attacks hit various parts of Jin's wooden sword.

Jin, with the clear intention of breaking the sword, and Mesa, determined not to back down in a straightforward fight. The fact that Mesa's sword broke first was no coincidence.

Mesa thought she had been in a 'battle of strength,' but their sparring was closer to a 'battle of precision.'

There wasn't a significant difference in raw strength and stamina. The difference was in the precision and tenacity of not missing the target.

'Is such a thing possible?'

Mesa bit her lower lip, thinking.

A few seconds later, she concluded it was possible. If one could foresee a few moves ahead and had superior skills, it was entirely possible.

Just, even in Runcandel's training class, this level of skill was unimaginable.

'So, he is truly the youngest of Runcandel. I'll train harder and next time...!'

Mesa returned to her place.

Defeat, as expected, was painful. But in her heart, there was also a sense of receiving a valuable gift from Jin.

In the subsequent six sparring matches, Jin achieved easier victories than expected. None of the cadets attacked as fiercely as Mesa, and they all fell in the numerical battle.

When the last opponent fell, the watching cadets swallowed hard. To them, it seemed Jin had easily defeated all the opponents after Mesa.

But it was still a more difficult victory than expected.

Having faced ten outstanding cadets in succession, Jin's breathing was quite rough by the end of the sparring.

'Fortunately, I still have some stamina left.'

Jin had planned the stamina management and made an example of Mesa not just because the ten cadets were burdensome.

Even without breaking Mesa's sword to instill a misconception in the cadets, he could have defeated them all in the end.

"Excellent, young master. With this, you will receive the real Runcandel training in the intermediate class next year. Congratulations in advance."

"Huh, huh... Yeah, Garon. I'll do my best until then."

"Shall we end the morning training? It's almost time for lunch."

"How much time is left until lunch?"

"About ten minutes, but why do you ask?"

"There's one more person I want to face."

Garon hesitated and met Jin's eyes.

"Who do you want to face?"

Jin slowly turned his head to look at the cadets. In a corner of the circle, a boy was scratching his head with a dazed expression.

"Velop. Velop Schmitz."

All the cadets' eyes immediately turned to Velop.

And when Garon heard the name, his eyes widened in thought.

'...Has the young master recognized Velop's abilities?'

Velop himself looked at a loss. The other cadets also seemed confused about why Jin had chosen Velop.

"Come on, let's have a match."

Jin lightly threw a wooden sword to Velop.

"Y-Young master? I... I, me, I..."

"Velop Schmitz!"

When Jin shouted, Velop jumped to his feet.

"In Runcandel..."

"You can't survive with that attitude. Come on, I'll give you a clear lesson."