Chapter 20: What on Earth is the Mind’s Eye? (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20: What on Earth is the Mind’s Eye? (3)
Sierra Camaro lasted about a minute longer than Eddington, but she too failed to inflict any significant damage on Jin.
A similar pattern followed in the subsequent duel against David McChie, though David paid for his tenacity with a cracked rib.
A simple fracture wasn't a difficult issue for the Runcandel medical staff. Unless it was a fatal injury like severe organ damage or a severed limb, they could provide a near-instant recovery.
“Guh… I’ve learned a lot, Young Lord. Thank you! Cough!”
Jin flinched as he watched David, sprawled on the ground, grinning and giving him a thumbs-up.
Just how many…
How many lunatics are there in this family? Even if Jin was his superior, David was smiling and thanking the very person who had just shattered his rib.
Moreover, it wasn't a forced gesture; it was gratitude stemming from the depths of his heart. Suppressing a wave of unease, Jin gave a light nod.
Then again, I probably looked a lot like that when I was learning magic from my master before my regression. I’m in no position to call David strange.
His master, who had been two years younger than him, was no ordinary person.
Once, under the guise of teaching him lightning magic, she had roasted him with bolts of electricity for hours. Another time, while teaching him wind magic, she had spent the entire day blowing him away. And she did it all with a smile.
Every time, Jin had reacted just like David—smiling while expressing his gratitude and respect. The desire to become stronger often turned people into such creatures.
Looking back, I wasn't sane either.
Swish, swish. Jin lightly twirled his wooden sword as he faced his next opponent.
“Mesa Milkano, Young Lord.”
“I know your name. I also know you’re the second daughter of the Milkano family.”
“Thank you for remembering. I won’t be as easy as the cadets you’ve faced so far. I truly wish to defeat you today.”
“I look forward to it.”
Mesa took a combat stance and began to slowly circle Jin. Her movements were calm and flawless, befitting one of the top-ranked students in Garon’s training class.
When she had faced Vellop, she had pressured him like a wild beast.
But that was only because she had underestimated him. Facing Jin now, she exuded a completely different aura.
Mesa Milkano. If I recall correctly, she passed the cadet course in my past life and was immediately stationed as a Guardian Knight of the main house. We didn't have much contact, so the details are fuzzy, but I’m certain of that much.
She was someone who had followed a strictly elite path.
Although she hadn't yet recognized Vellop’s true potential, Mesa herself was a possessor of immense talent.
Jin had sparred with Mesa seven times in total. He had lost the first two matches but won the following five, and with each match, the gap between them had widened.
Through individuals like Mesa, Jin was realizing just how incredible his own talent truly was—the talent that had once been trapped within the "Delusion of the Blade."
I have to handle six more after defeating Mesa. But if I try to conserve my strength while fighting her, I’ll lose. I need to overwhelm her in a head-on confrontation so that the ones who follow start overthinking.
The duels with Eddington, Sierra, and David were just the appetizers.
Mesa was the true predator of the Beginner Class. Pushing all of them back through sheer force was a heavy task for Jin, who was still only fourteen.
Therefore, Jin intended to make an example out of Mesa.
He planned to plant an "illusion" in the minds of his subsequent opponents—the illusion that they could never win if they tried to face him head-on.
A head-on confrontation and an air of effortless composure. Those are the keys to this duel.
This time, Jin initiated the attack.
It was a series of honest thrusts and strikes, devoid of any feints. Mesa parried the attacks without much trouble, but as the exchange continued, her thoughts grew tangled.
Why is the Young Lord only using such basic attacks?
Of course, even if they were standardized attacks, each one was sharp and heavy. Her palms stung from the impacts against her wooden sword.
However, it wasn't the power that made Mesa’s head spin.
When will the feints start?
He had a chance to curve his trajectory just now, but he didn't.
He’s clearly doing this on purpose. What on earth is he planning?
While Mesa’s anxiety grew, Jin swung his wooden sword with a stoic expression. Even when Mesa intentionally twisted her defense to bait him into a more complex exchange, Jin stuck strictly to the basics.
Is he… looking down on me?
Grit!
Mesa clenched her teeth and planted her feet firmly on the ground.
“Fine, let’s do this, Young Lord!”
Readjusting her grip, Mesa stopped overthinking. She, too, began to fight back using traditional swordsmanship, just like Jin.
Flashy techniques and complex footwork vanished from their duel. It became a simple fight, a rhythmic exchange of offense and defense.
A raw clash of strength against strength.
Mesa was confident in her physical power. It was only natural, as she had learned basic Aura manipulation at the Milkano castle before ever coming to the Runcandel estate.
Thwack! Crack! Snap!
The heavy sounds of wooden swords colliding filled the training ground. The cadets watched with wide eyes as the grueling fight dragged on for over five minutes.
Huff, huff.
A rough breath escaped involuntarily. It was Mesa’s.
Am I… losing in terms of stamina?
She knew she couldn't beat Jin.
Still, she had thought her physical abilities were equal to, if not superior to, his. She found it difficult to accept that she was being pushed back even in that regard by the younger Jin.
Mesa did not yet truly understand what it meant to possess the blessed physique of a Runcandel.
“Haaah!”
Suddenly, Mesa let out a shout and swung her sword. It was an attempt to pull herself together, but it ultimately became her fatal mistake.
Jin didn't dodge the strike she had swung with all her might; he met it head-on.
Mesa had expected Jin to step back, planning to lunge forward and tackle him. Even if he blocked the attack, she had intended to drop her sword and dive between his legs to take him down.
It was Mesa’s final gambit. It was a good enough move that even Garon, who was watching the duel, thought it wasn't a bad choice.
However, the situation unfolded in a way Mesa had never imagined.
Crack!
“Uh…!”
Mesa’s wooden sword, which she had swung with all her strength, snapped cleanly after colliding with Jin’s upward strike.
Why? It’s not like Young Lord Jin used Aura…
As that question flashed through her mind, the tip of Jin’s wooden sword came to rest against her throat. Jin took a long, deep breath.
“…I lost, Young Lord.”
“It was a good match, Mesa Milkano.”
Though he spoke calmly, Jin’s hair was also soaked with sweat.
Mesa shifted her gaze to her broken sword. There had been no trickery, and he hadn't used Aura. She wanted to understand why only hers had broken.
Damn it!
Mesa soon realized the reason. She saw Jin wiping his brow and picking up a new wooden sword from the rack.
“I can’t use this one anymore.”
To everyone watching, the duel had seemed simple, primitive, and tough.
But the hidden truth was this:
While they were exchanging honest blows, Jin had consistently struck the exact same spot on Mesa’s wooden sword.
In contrast, Mesa’s attacks had landed all over Jin’s sword.
Jin had a clear goal of breaking her weapon, while Mesa had been focused on not backing down in a head-on clash. It was no coincidence that Mesa’s sword broke first.
Mesa thought they had been having a "clash of strength," but their duel had actually been a "clash of precision."
There wasn't an overwhelming difference in their physical strength or stamina. The outcome was decided by the difference in tenacity and precision required to never miss the point of impact.
Is such a thing even possible? Mesa thought, biting her lower lip.
A few seconds later, she concluded that it was. If one could see several moves ahead and possessed far superior skill, it was entirely possible.
It was just that, even in a Runcandel training class, no one had ever imagined this level of swordsmanship.
So this is the youngest of the Runcandels. I’ll train harder and, next time, for sure…!
Mesa returned to her spot.
Even an expected defeat stings when it happens. But along with the pain of loss, Mesa felt as though she had received a precious gift from Jin.
In the six duels that followed, Jin achieved easier victories than expected. No other cadet charged at him as fiercely as Mesa had; they were all defeated after losing the psychological battle.
The moment the last opponent fell, the watching cadets swallowed hard. In their eyes, it looked as though Jin had effortlessly crushed everyone after Mesa.
However, it had only been "easier than expected."
Having faced ten elite cadets in a row, Jin’s breathing was quite heavy as he finished the final duel.
Thank goodness, I still have a bit of strength left.
The reason Jin had managed his stamina so carefully, even going so far as to make an example of Mesa, wasn't just because ten cadets were a burden.
Even if he hadn't broken Mesa’s sword to create an illusion, he would have eventually defeated them all.
“Impressive, Youngest Lord. With this, you will surely receive true Runcandel instruction in the Intermediate Class early next year. Allow me to congratulate you in advance.”
“Huff, huff… Right, Garon. I’ll be in your care until then.”
“Then, may I conclude this morning’s training? It is almost time for the meal.”
“How much time is left until then?”
“About ten minutes, but why do you ask?”
“There’s one more person I want to face.”
Garon paused and met Jin’s eyes.
“Who do you wish to face?”
Jin slowly turned his head to look at the cadets. In the corner of the group sitting in a circle, a boy was scratching his head with a dazed expression.
“Vellop. Vellop Schmitz.”
Every cadet’s gaze instantly shifted toward Vellop.
The moment Garon heard that name, his eyes widened as a thought struck him.
…Did the Young Lord recognize Vellop’s true skill?
Vellop himself looked completely lost. The other cadets also seemed confused as to why Jin had chosen him.
“Come out. Let’s have a match.”
Jin lightly tossed a wooden sword toward Vellop.
“M-me, Young Lord? I’m… uh, me, uh…”
“Vellop Schmitz!”
When Jin barked his name, Vellop scrambled to his feet.
“In this Runcandel family…”
Jin’s voice was cold and sharp.
“You won’t survive acting like that. Come out. I’m going to give you a proper wake-up call.”