Episode 20
Episode 9. What Exactly Is the Eye of the Mind? (Part 3)

Sierra Camaro lasted about a minute longer than Edington but didn’t manage to deal any real damage to Jin.

The pattern repeated itself in the sparring match against David McGee that followed. David fought a bit more tenaciously than Sierra, but the price was a broken rib.

A fracture like that was nothing the medical staff at Runcandel couldn’t handle. Unless it was a severe organ injury or an amputation, such wounds healed quickly.

“Ugh, I’ve learned a thing or two, my lord. Thank you! cough!”

David grinned from the ground, giving a thumbs-up, which made Jin flinch.

Just how many crazy people were there in Runcandel? No matter how skilled they were, smiling and thanking someone who just broke their rib was beyond strange.

And it wasn’t a forced smile—it was genuine gratitude from deep within. Jin suppressed his unease and gave a slight nod.

‘Well, I saw plenty of that before I reincarnated, training under my master. I’m no one to be amazed by David.’

His master, two years younger than him, was no ordinary tough guy.

He once shocked Jin with lightning magic for hours under the pretense of teaching him, and on another occasion, blew him around all day with wind magic—all while smiling.

And every time, Jin had smiled back, showing gratitude and respect, just like David now. The desire to grow stronger could make people act that way.

‘Looking back, I wasn’t exactly sane either.’

Swish, swish. Jin lightly twirled his wooden sword, ready for the next opponent.

“Mesa Milcano, my lord.”

“I know your name. And that you’re the second daughter of the Milcano family.”

“Thank you for remembering. I won’t be as easy as the cadets you’ve faced so far. Today, I’m determined to defeat you.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Mesa took a fighting stance and began circling Jin slowly. As one of Garon’s top trainees, her movements were calm and flawless.

When she faced Bellop, she had just charged at him like a beast.

That was because she had underestimated Bellop. But facing Jin, she gave off a completely different vibe.

‘Mesa Milcano. If I recall correctly, in my previous life, she completed the cadet course and was immediately assigned as a guardian knight to the main family. I don’t remember many details since we didn’t interact much, but that much is certain.’

She was someone who had followed a strictly elite path.

Though she hadn’t yet grasped Bellop’s true nature, Mesa was also incredibly talented.

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

Through someone like Mesa, Jin deeply realized just how extraordinary his own talent was, trapped as he had been in the “delusion of the blade.”

‘After beating Mesa, I still have six more to go. But trying to conserve energy while facing her would be a mistake. I have to push her head-on. If I don’t, the others waiting will try to outsmart me.’

The matches against Edington, Sierra, and David were just a warm-up.

Mesa was the real predator of the beginner class. And for Jin, only fourteen years old, pushing all of them back with straightforward fights was a daunting task.

So Jin planned to use Mesa as an example to instill a “misconception” in the others—that they could never win by trying to face him head-on.

‘Straightforward fighting and a seemingly relaxed performance. Those are the keys to this sparring match.’

This time, Jin struck first.

No tricks, just honest thrusts and slashes. Mesa blocked them smoothly but grew increasingly unsettled as the fight went on.

‘Why is my lord only using such basic attacks?’

Of course, even these standard moves were sharp and heavy. Jin’s grip on the wooden sword tingled with the force behind each strike.

But Mesa’s confusion wasn’t because of the power.

‘When will the trickery start?’

‘There was a chance to curve the strike just now, but he didn’t take it.’

‘He’s definitely doing this on purpose. But what’s the intention…?’

While Mesa’s mind burned with questions, Jin calmly swung his wooden sword. Even when she twisted her blocks to throw him off, he stuck to the basics.

‘Is he looking down on me?’

Gritting her teeth, Mesa planted her feet firmly.

“Fine, let’s do this, my lord!”

Gripping her sword anew, she stopped hesitating. Like Jin, she began to fight with traditional swordsmanship.

No flashy moves or complicated footwork.

Soon, their sparring became a simple exchange of attack and defense—a raw contest of strength.

Mesa was confident in her physical power. Having learned basic aura control at the Milcano estate before coming to Runcandel, it was natural.

Thunk, crack! The heavy clash of their wooden swords echoed through the training ground. The tough fight had already lasted over five minutes, and the cadets watched with wide eyes.

Huff, huff.

Rough breaths escaped Mesa without her realizing it.

‘I’m… losing stamina?’

She knew she couldn’t beat Jin.

Still, she had thought her physical abilities were at least equal, maybe even superior. It was hard to accept that someone younger was outlasting her.

Mesa didn’t yet understand what it meant to have a body blessed by Runcandel.

“Ahh!”

Suddenly, Mesa shouted and swung her sword with all her might. It was an attempt to rally herself, but it became her fatal mistake.

Jin didn’t dodge the full-force strike—he took it head-on.

Mesa expected him to step back, planning to surprise him by throwing herself forward and knocking him down.

Even if he took the hit, she intended to drop her sword naturally, slip her shoulder between his legs, and choke him.

It was her last-ditch gamble. Even Garon, watching, thought it was a decent move.

But the situation unfolded in a way Mesa never imagined.

Crack!

“Ugh…!”

Mesa’s sword shattered cleanly against Jin’s upward strike.

‘Why? My lord didn’t even use aura…’

The question flashed through her mind before Jin’s wooden sword tip touched the back of her neck. He took a long breath.

“…I lost, my lord.”

“That was a good match, Mesa Milcano.”

Jin spoke calmly, though his hair was soaked with sweat.

Mesa looked down at her broken sword. There was no trickery, no aura—so why had only her sword broken?

“Damn it!”

Soon, she realized the reason. Jin wiped his forehead and picked up a new wooden sword from the side of the training ground.

“This one’s no good anymore.”

Everyone in the training class had thought their match was simple, raw, and tough.

But hidden beneath it was this truth:

Jin had consistently struck only the center of Mesa’s wooden sword during their honest exchanges.

Mesa’s attacks, meanwhile, had hit all over Jin’s sword.

Jin’s goal was clear—to break her sword. Mesa’s mindset was to never back down from a head-on fight.

It was no coincidence that Mesa’s sword broke first.

She had thought their fight was a contest of strength, but it was more a battle of precision.

There was no overwhelming difference in strength or stamina—just a difference in accuracy and persistence.

‘Is that even possible?’

Mesa bit her lower lip, thinking.

A few seconds later, she concluded it was. If you could see several moves ahead and had superior skill, it was entirely possible.

It was just that, even in Runcandel’s training class, no one had imagined this level of skill.

‘So this is the youngest of Runcandel, huh? I’ll train harder and next time…!’

Mesa returned to her place.

Even if defeat was expected, it still stung. Along with the pain of losing, she felt as if she had received a precious gift from Jin.

In the six matches that followed, Jin won more easily than expected. None of the other cadets charged as boldly as Mesa, and all lost in the mental game.

When the last opponent fell, the watching cadets swallowed hard. To them, it looked like Jin had easily defeated everyone after Mesa.

But it was only a relatively smooth victory.

Having faced ten outstanding cadets in a row, Jin’s breathing was still heavy after finishing.

‘Thank goodness, I still have some stamina left.’

Jin’s plan to use Mesa as an example and manage his stamina wasn’t just because ten opponents were overwhelming.

Even without breaking Mesa’s sword to mislead the others, he could have defeated them all.

“Excellent work, youngest lord. With this, you’ll receive true Runcandel instruction in the intermediate class early next year. Congratulations in advance.”

“Huff, huff… Thanks, Garon. I’m counting on you until then.”

“Then, is it alright to end this morning’s training? Meal time is coming up soon.”

“How much time do we have before the meal?”

“About ten minutes. May I ask why?”

“There’s one more opponent I want to face.”

Garon paused, locking eyes with Jin.

“Who do you have in mind?”

Jin slowly turned his head toward the cadets. In the corner of the circle sat a boy, scratching his head with a vacant expression.

“Bellop. Bellop Schmitz.”

In an instant, every cadet’s gaze snapped to Bellop.

And the moment Garon heard that name, his eyes widened in surprise.

‘…So the young master has recognized Bellop’s skill?’

Bellop himself looked utterly bewildered. The other cadets seemed just as puzzled, unsure why Jin had singled Bellop out.

“Step forward. Let’s have a match.”

Jin casually tossed a wooden sword toward Bellop.

“Y-Young master? I… I’m not—”

“Bellop Schmitz!”

Jin’s sharp shout made Bellop spring to his feet.

“In Runcandel,” Jin said firmly, “you won’t survive by playing it safe. Come on out—I’ll break you down cleanly.”