Chapter 18: What on Earth is the Mind’s Eye? (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: What on Earth is the Mind’s Eye? (1)
Four years had passed since Jin returned to the main house. It was now the early summer of 1794.
“That is all for the Youngest Lord’s training today. Well done.”
“Phew. Garon, is it that time already?”
Garon Altemiro.
This young 7-star Knight was responsible for teaching the basics of swordsmanship at the Garden of Swords.
From Runcandels like Jin, who had left the Storm Castle to enter the main house, to the young cadets who would one day become Guardian Knights—every single person of Runcandel blood or service had to undergo basic training under Garon.
“Haha, it’s not ‘already,’ My Lord. Look at the Guardian Knight cadets beside you. They all look like they’re at death’s door.”
Jin glanced around. He saw boys and girls around his age, now barely fourteen. Just as Garon said, they were all drenched in sweat, struggling to catch their breath.
Well, even I found it quite taxing.
Garon, who had been appointed two years ago, was notorious for his grueling training sessions.
Even among those who had overcome immense competition to become Runcandel Guardian Knight cadets, many had dropped out, unable to endure Garon’s regime.
The Jin of his previous life had been one of them. Unable to keep up with Garon’s training, he had received private tutoring from his siblings. While it might have looked like a privilege on the surface, for a Runcandel, it was an utter disgrace.
Receiving private lessons because one couldn't handle what everyone else managed was the height of shame. Of course, even those private lessons yielded such abysmal results that he was eventually abandoned entirely.
Recalling those days, Jin shook his head.
“Besides, don't you have Lady Luna’s training this afternoon as well, My Lord?”
As Garon finished speaking, Jin nodded.
Currently, in addition to Garon’s training, Jin was receiving instruction from his eldest sister, the White Whale, Luna Runcandel.
However, unlike in his previous life, this wasn't a shameful case of remedial tutoring. Luna had personally volunteered after recognizing Jin’s terrifying rate of growth. This time, it was an honorable achievement, not a mark of disgrace.
Though, it did mean he was the target of envy from the cadets and jealousy from his siblings.
“That’s true. Well, I should grab a bite before I go.”
“Are you eating with the cadets again today? Madam Rosa always seems a bit disappointed by that…”
“I’d rather share a meal with the friends I train and sweat with every day, not my siblings who spend the entire time at the table engaged in a war of nerves.”
“Understood, My Lord.”
Servants began bringing food to the training ground.
Rice, vegetables, and chunks of meat were served from large iron pots. It was a rugged meal, but every ingredient was of the highest quality.
The Guardian Knight cadets lined up to receive their rations. A boy named Vellop was tasked with fetching Jin’s portion for him.
“Thanks.”
“It’s nothing, My Lord.”
“What do you mean, nothing? Sit down, let’s eat.”
Vellop Schmitz. He was thirteen, a year younger than Jin, and came from a commoner background.
And if things had gone as they were meant to, he was destined to drop out of training soon, have his cadet status revoked, and be expelled from the Garden of Swords.
That was the life of Vellop that Jin had witnessed before his regression.
“Is it good?”
“Of course. I am always grateful to Runcandel for allowing me to eat meat like this, and to the Youngest Lord, who always shares his portion of meat with me…”
“Stop, stop. Seriously, how can you give the exact same answer every single time without missing a syllable? Do you have it memorized?”
Vellop cleared his throat, his face turning red.
“You need to learn to act a bit more naturally, Vellop. Because you recite that speech every time, the other kids look down on you.”
“Is… is that so…?”
“Square your shoulders. Have some pride in being a Runcandel Guardian Knight cadet.”
“But my grades are at the very bottom. And I haven't even reached 1-star yet…”
“Come on. Just becoming a Runcandel cadet isn't something anyone can do.”
Shy, lacking even a shred of confidence, and incredibly gentle. That was Vellop’s personality as Jin saw it.
That was why Jin found it all the more puzzling.
With a personality like this, it’s no wonder the family failed to recognize him. How did this gentle kid ever become a member of the Viment Empire’s infamous Imperial Guard?
Before his regression, there had been a massive twist in the life of the expelled Vellop.
Vellop Schmitz, who had barely passed the cadet exam and hovered at the bottom of the class before being kicked out, later caught the eye of another prestigious martial family, the Hairans.
The Hairans were the greatest swordsmanship family in the Empire.
They were also one of the most powerful noble houses in Viment. Vellop’s talent finally blossomed there, and he eventually became a member of the Imperial Guard, earning the epithet "Viment’s Loyal Dog."
Viment’s Loyal Dog.
Jin didn't know exactly what the expelled Vellop had gone through within the Hairan family.
However, the Vellop who earned that title was no longer the timid boy Jin knew. Following the Emperor’s orders, he led the Imperial Guard in the slaughter of countless people, never once showing mercy.
A year before Jin’s sudden death in the Akin Kingdom, Vellop had ended his own blood-stained, miserable life. He left behind a suicide note—a single sentence of repentance that could never be revealed to the world.
I was shocked when I heard he’d joined the Imperial Guard, and I felt bitter when I heard he’d committed suicide.
Jin glanced around subtly. Once he confirmed no one was looking his way, he slid the rest of his meat over to Vellop.
“Oh, My Lord.”
“Shh. I don't have much of an appetite.”
Jin spent the rest of the mealtime pretending to eat while watching Vellop intently.
Vellop Schmitz… I’ll have to take good care of him so he doesn't fail and get expelled this time.
It wasn't just to avoid losing a talent.
Jin felt a slight sense of kinship with Vellop. Both had discovered their talents late, and both had seen their lives end in misery.
Besides, if he has the potential to join the Imperial Guard, there’s no harm in keeping him by my side. I’ll have plenty of use for Guardian Knights to do my bidding anyway.
Rather than letting him become Viment’s killing doll, leading him to become a Runcandel Guardian Knight would be a better outcome for both Jin and Vellop.
When the meal ended and Jin stood up, Garon approached him.
“I will see you tomorrow, My Lord. Ah, and we will be conducting sparring practice tomorrow.”
“Understood, Garon. Good work.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
When he returned to his room, Gilly was waiting, having prepared bathwater and a change of clothes.
“You worked hard during morning training, Young Master. Lady Luna’s training begins in three hours.”
“Right, Strawberry Pie—”
Jin stopped mid-sentence.
Dammit, Murakan calls her Strawberry Pie so much that it’s starting to rub off on me…!
“Oh, you’re back? Kid.”
Turning his head, Jin saw Murakan sprawled on the sofa, flipping through an erotic picture book.
“You crazy dragon, what are you looking at in broad daylight?”
“This? It’s a limited edition collection of erotic prints I managed to get my hands on. Haha, let me know if you want to see it. Fourteen is right around the age when your blood starts pumping, isn’t it—”
“And didn't I tell you to stay in your cat form as much as possible while in the house? What if someone sees you?”
“They won't, they won't. I have a right to enjoy my freedom too, you know? Hey, come here and look at this. I’m seriously considering kidnapping the artist.”
Watching him chuckle and focus on the erotica, Jin felt a surging urge to smack him.
But no matter what, he couldn't bring himself to hit a dragon who had lived thousands of years longer than him. Jin let out a low sigh and leaned against the side of the sofa.
“Well, it is impressive. How much did you pay for it?”
“Was it a hundred gold coins…?”
“Oh, really? A hundred gold coins, huh. A hundred… gold coins. Where did you get that money?”
“I borrowed it from Strawberry Pie. Man, the salary for a Runcandel nanny is staggering.”
When Jin shifted his gaze to Gilly, she merely cleared her throat.
“Sigh. From now on, if you need money, don't shake down Gilly. Tell me.”
“Really? Then I’ll take a thousand gold coins for starters.”
“I’ll give it to you if you write a report explaining why you absolutely need a thousand gold coins. Gilly, could you prepare a light snack for me?”
Murakan closed the erotic book with lightning speed and immediately began drafting a report. He was even muttering to himself, showing a level of obsession that was almost chilling. Jin could only shake his head in disbelief.
“Didn't you just come back from eating?” Gilly asked.
“I did, but I’m at that age where I’m growing fast.”
“What should I prepare?”
“A sandwich will do.”
“Strawberry Pie, I’ll have a strawberry pie,” Murakan chimed in.
An hour passed.
For the two hours before Luna’s training began, Jin practiced Spirit Energy Release alone in a corner of his room.
My Spirit Energy Release is nearing 2-star… Mana is at 4-star, and swordsmanship is at 2-star.
These were the results of the past four years since leaving the Storm Castle.
While his Spirit Energy Release was progressing at a rate that even surprised Murakan, his mana development felt too slow to Jin. It was unavoidable, as he couldn't use magic within the Garden of Swords.
Still, it was a consolation that being able to use 4-star magic at fourteen was on par with the geniuses of the Zipple family.
As for swordsmanship, at this rate, he was on track to surpass the ‘Runcandel average’ of reaching 3-star by age sixteen by more than a year.
Jin’s growth was proceeding smoothly.
*
Nothing felt better than sensing himself getting stronger by the day.
Garon’s harsh training, reviewing his secret manual notes every day, and strengthening his Spirit Energy whenever he had a spare moment—to Jin, all of it was more enjoyable than resting or playing.
However, even for Jin… Luna’s training was pure agony.
If my jealous siblings actually received this training from Eldest Sister themselves, their envy would vanish instantly.
Jin swallowed a bitter smile and looked up at Luna.
“My beloved brother.”
“Yes, Sister.”
“Today’s training will be the same as yesterday’s.”
“I am aware.”
“However, you must approach this same training differently every day.”
“Yes.”
Luna stepped closer to Jin and closed her eyes. Jin followed suit.
Now, the lines he had heard every day for the past few months would begin.
“Brother.”
“With your… Mind’s Eye.”
“Look… with your Mind’s Eye.”
This was exactly what made it so agonizing.
Luna never gave him structured, practical, or physically painful training like Garon did.
Always.
With your… Mind’s Eye!
She only told him to look.
This is driving me crazy.
Even Jin had heard much about the realm of the ‘Heart Sword’ that knights of 8-star and above spoke of.
But usually, one only began preparing for the Heart Sword from 7-star onwards. And it wasn't this kind of static training… it was more about naturally scattering one’s aura in all directions.
Why does Sister tell me to do nothing and just open my Mind’s Eye?
He had never heard of such training.
“For those who handle blades and seek to move forward, obtaining the Mind’s Eye is more important than anything else. Do not, under any circumstances, open your eyes.”
The reason Jin stubbornly kept his eyes closed and followed his eldest sister’s words despite his doubts was because he knew her character. Luna was the undisputed strongest among the thirteen Runcandel siblings.
If any other sibling had given him this kind of training, he would have taken it as a petty trick to hinder his growth. Or he would have thought that sibling had joined a cult.
I’m sure the day will come when I understand her training.
The two of them stood facing each other with their eyes closed until evening. When the session ended, Luna gave a refreshing smile and spoke.
“You did wonderfully again today. You may return now, Brother.”
He had no idea what exactly he had done ‘wonderfully,’ but Jin had no choice but to nod.
However, as Luna watched Jin’s retreating back, she thought to herself:
The incredible focus he shows when he closes his eyes, and the endurance to maintain it for hours… With Jin’s potential, he’ll be able to realize it within a few years. Just keep growing like this, Jin.
Luna closed her eyes again with a satisfied smile.
The Mind’s Eye was a realm that even she, who had already reached 9-star, needed to gain further enlightenment in.