It is the beginning of summer, 1794.
Four years have passed since Jin returned to the main house.
“We will end the training with this. Good work today, Young Master.”
“Phew, is it already time, Garon?”
Garon Altemiro.
This young 7-star knight teaches the basics and foundations of swordsmanship at the Garden of Swords.
His pupils include Runcandel children when they first arrive at the main house, and clansmen who are training to become guardian knights. Every Runcandel has to learn the basics under Garon.
“Haha, surely you jest. Please take a look at the guardian cadets around you, Young Master. They are all on death’s door.”
Jin took a look around him. There were young boys and girls around his age. Just as Garon stated, they were all sweating profusely, panting and wheezing to catch their breaths.
‘I guess he’s right. I would’ve been in the same state as them.’
Two years ago, when Garon was assigned this job, his training regimen quickly gained the reputation of being harsh and intense.
Guardian cadets are young elite trainees who stood out amongst other trainees and were selected to become future guardian knights. The competition to become a guardian cadet is high, and trainees have to undergo difficult training in order to gain that rank.
However, despite their expertise and experience, many guardian cadets dropped out due to being unable to endure Garon’s severe training.
Jin did the same in his past life. He couldn’t continue Garon’s training regimen, and instead received individual lessons from his siblings. It may appear like preferential treatment, but for Runcandels, there is no greater disgrace.
Even though other children are able to withstand Garon’s lessons, a Runcandel child dropping out and being taught by his siblings is unacceptable. Not to mention that Jin couldn’t endure his siblings’ lessons either, and ended up being neglected by everyone.
Having recalled the past, Jin shook his head to stop thinking about it.
“Moreover, you will have to attend Lady Luna’s training session in the afternoon.”
Jin nodded to Garon’s point.
These days, Jin trains under Garon as well his eldest sister, Luna “White Whale” Runcandel.
However, unlike his first life, it wasn’t a disgraceful individual lesson. Having noticed Jin’s terrifying growth speed, Luna volunteered to teach him herself. Thus, it was an achievement instead of a disgrace.
However, it brought Jin both the admiration from the guardian cadets and the jealousy from his other siblings.
“That’s true. Then I should go get lunch now.”
“Will you partake with the other cadets today as well? Dame Rosa appears to be dejected for being unable to eat with you every time…”
“I’d rather eat with these cadets with whom I train every day, not my siblings who seem displeased about my very existence.”
“I understand, Young Master.”
Servants began to bring their meals to the training ground.
There was an enormous pot with rice, vegetables and meat. It was a simple and crude meal, but the ingredients were top-class.
The guardian cadets stood in line, waiting for the food to be distributed. Jin didn’t follow them since ‘Bellop’ was in charge of getting his food.
“Thanks.”
“Not at all, Young Master.”
“As if. Sit down, let’s eat.”
Bellop Schmitz. A 13-year-old commoner boy, one year younger than Jin.
He was destined to fall behind in Garon’s training and lose his qualifications as a guardian cadet, getting kicked out of the Garden of Swords.
At least, that was before Jin’s regression.
“Is it good?”
“It’s delicious. I am always grateful to the clan for allowing me to eat such good meat, as well as to the 13th Young Master for sharing his portion of meat with me…”
“Enough, enough. Sigh, how do you give the same answer every single time without a single mistake? Did you memorize the phrase by heart or something?”
Bellop coughed and blushed in embarrassment.
“You need to learn how to speak simply and concisely, Bellop. The others are ignoring you because you keep giving a speech every time you open your mouth, you know?”
“I-Is that so…”
“Shoulders straight! Have some more pride. You’re a Runcandel guardian cadet.”
“But my grades are the lowest, and I have yet to become a 1-star knight…”
“Geez, do you think anyone can become a Runcandel cadet? You’ve already achieved a lot by reaching where you are currently.”
He’s quite timid, and has little to no self-confidence. He’s as innocent and naive as one can be.
That’s why Jin was still confused.
‘I can see why the clan kicked him out. But I still can’t figure out how such an innocent boy grew up to become the Vermont Empire’s notorious imperial guard.’
Before his regression, Bellop’s life ended up having an amazing reversal after getting kicked out of the Runcandel Clan.
After barely passing the exam to become a guardian cadet, Bellop Schmitz always stayed amongst the worst of the cadets, before having to leave… But afterwards, he caught the eye of another clan of swordsmen, the Hairan Clan.
The Hairan Clan is the empire’s greatest clan of swordsmen, and one of the biggest noble families.
Bellop’s talent with the sword bloomed belatedly in the Hairan Clan. He then became an imperial guard and received the nickname “Vermont’s Loyal Hound”.
Vermont’s Loyal Hound.
Jin had no idea what Bellop experienced at the Hairan Clan for him to change so much.
When Bellop received that nickname, he was no longer the naive and gentle Bellop Jin now knows. He followed the emperor’s orders, led the imperial guards to battle, and slaughtered countless people without mercy.
But one year before Jin’s death, Bellop ended his unfortunate life filled with bloodshed himself, leaving behind a will with a message of repentance.
‘I was shocked to hear he became the imperial guard, and felt vexed when the news of his suicide reached me.’
Jin glanced at his surroundings. After making sure no one else was looking in their direction, he quickly passed his remaining pieces of meat to Bellop.
“Eh, Young Master?”
“Shush. I’m not feeling hungry.”
Jin pretended to eat until lunchtime ended as he vacantly watched Bellop.
‘Bellop Schmitz… This time, I’ll take care of you so that you don’t fall behind and get kicked out.’
It wasn’t just because Jin wanted to keep this diamond in the rough within the clan.
He also felt somewhat empathetic towards this boy. Both had discovered their true talents belatedly, and had miserable deaths.
‘If he has the potential to become an imperial guard, it would also be beneficial to keep him by my side. I’ll have to keep guardian knights around me and command them in the future, anyways.’
Instead of becoming a murder puppet of the Vermont Empire, it was favourable for both Bellop and Jin to raise him as a Runcandel guardian knight.
Once lunch ended, Jin stood up and Garon approached him.
“I shall see you tomorrow, Young Master. Oh, tomorrow we’ll be having spars during training.”
“Alright. Good work today, Garon.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
Once Jin returned to his room, there stood Gilly with a change of clothes in her arms and a hot bath behind her.
“Good work during training, Young Master. The eldest lady’s lesson will begin in three hours.”
“Alright. Thanks, Strawberry P—”
Catching himself saying something unexpected, Jin suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
“Geez, Murakan calls you Strawberry Pie so often that even I’m getting confused now…!”
“Oh, you’re here, kid?”
Jin turned his head and saw Murakan lazily flipping through an erotic drawing magazine on the sofa.
“You crazy dragon, what on earth are you reading in broad daylight?”
“This? A limited edition erotic magazine. I had a hard time getting this. Haha, don’t hesitate to tell me if you want one too. Fourteen is the age when you begin to get horn…”
“Also. Didn’t. I. Tell. You. To. Stay. In. Cat. Form. As. Much. As. Possible. At. Home? What if someone sees you?”
“I won’t get caught, don’t worry. I also have the right to be free, no? Just come over and look at this. Should I kidnap the guy who drew this?”
Seeing him snicker and return to his erotic magazine, Jin suddenly gained the urge to punch the dragon in the face.
However, punching a dragon who had lived for thousands of years was unreasonable. Jin gave a deep sigh and sat beside Murakan.
“I guess it’s not bad. How much did you buy it for?”
“About 100 gold coins, I think…?”
“Oh, izzat so? A hundred gold coins, you say? A hundred… gold coins. Where on earth did you find that money?”
“I borrowed from Strawberry Pie. Gosh, the Runcandel nannies’ salary is no joke.”
Jin turned his gaze to Gilly, who only gave a dry cough.
“Sigh, just tell me if you need money from now on. Don’t bother Gilly.”
“Really? Then 1000 gold coins please~”
“I’ll give you 1000 gold coins if you write a report which explains why you need that money. And please prepare a simple meal for me, Gilly.”
Murakan closed and put away the magazine at the speed of light and began writing a report. He even started mumbling to himself. This disturbing sight of extreme tenacity made Jin speechless.
“Did you not have lunch outside already?”
“I did, but I’m at the age where I’m growing.”
“What would you like to have?”
“Just a simple sandwich.”
“Strawberry Pie, I’d like a strawberry pie.”
An hour had passed by the time Jin finished eating.
During the two hours until Luna’s lesson, Jin sat in his room and practiced releasing his spiritual energy.
‘I’m about to reach 2-star in spiritual release… 4-star in mana and 2-star in swordsmanship.’
These were the results of four years of training after leaving the Storm Castle.
His growth speed in spiritual release was far beyond what Murakan was expecting. However, the growth of his mana was far too slow according to Jin’s standards. But it wasn’t exactly a surprise since he couldn’t use magic within the Garden of Swords.
Still, reaching the 4-star stage at the age of fourteen was an incredible achievement that was comparable to the geniuses at the Zipfel Clan.
His swordsmanship would also reach 3-star by the age of sixteen, which was one year earlier than the ‘Runcandel average’.
Jin’s growth was progressing favourably.
***
Feeling himself getting stronger by the day was the best feeling there could ever be.
There was Garon’s intense training regimen, Jin’s notebook which he studied every day, and his spiritual energy he would strengthen whenever he had time.
All these activities were far more enjoyable than resting for the 14-year-old boy.
However, Luna’s training was… pure drudgery, even for the workaholic Jin.
‘Even our other siblings who envy me for receiving her guidance would immediately change their minds if they were in my shoes.’
Jin smiled bitterly in his heart before looking up at Luna.
“My dearest brother.”
“Yes, sister?”
“Today’s training will be the same as yesterday.”
“I am aware.”
“But you will have to change your approach and methods every day during this repetitive training.”
“Yes.”
Luna walked towards Jin and closed her eyes. Jin copied her and also closed his.
Then, the same line he had heard over and over during the past month resounded.
“Brother. The eye of the mind… Use the eye of the mind to observe…”
This was the drudgery in question.
Luna’s lessons weren’t methodical, intuitive and physically painful like Garon’s lessons.
It was always about… the eye of the mind!
She would just repeat that.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Jin had often heard the 8-star and above knights mention the ‘Mind’s Blade’ realm.
But normally speaking, one would start training the Mind’s Blade after reaching the 7-star stage. And it wouldn’t be through silent lessons like this, but… by trying to scatter aura in all directions naturally.
‘Why doesn’t Eldest Sister do or say anything else? She always stands still, telling me to open the eye of the mind.’
He had never heard of a training like this.
“For people who wield blades to advance in life, gaining the Mind’s Eye is the most important thing of all. Never open your physical eyes during our training.”
Nevertheless, Jin obeyed his eldest sister’s guidance and kept his eyes closed because he knew her personality. Moreover, she was widely known as the strongest among the 13 Runcandel children.
If any other sibling were to teach Jin like Luna was currently doing, he would’ve thought that they were trying to obstruct Jin’s growth with some bullshit. Or maybe that they had become a fanatic of some pseudo-religion.
‘I’m sure the day will come when I finally understand Eldest Sister’s guidance.’
The two of them stood facing each other, eyes closed, until evening came. Once their lesson ended, Luna wore a refreshing smile.
“You did good today. You can head back now, brother.”
Jin had absolutely no idea what he had done well, but he could only nod to her statement.
Jin began walking away and Luna pondered as she watched his back.
‘The incredible concentration he shows when he closes his eyes, and the tenacity to maintain that posture for several hours… With Jin’s potential, he should realize it within a few years. Keep growing like this, Jin.’
Luna wore a satisfied smile and closed her eyes once again.
Even as a 9-star knight, she had yet to have the second enlightenment necessary to reach the Mind’s Eye realm.
