I’m not sure if this is an appropriate analogy, but let’s say I returned to Earth as a newborn baby with all my academic knowledge reset.
I could probably enter a prestigious university like SKY without much effort.
If I wanted, I could take the college entrance exam a decade earlier than others and achieve a high score.
But if you were to ask me whether I could get into Seoul National University’s medical school by taking the exam, it would be hard to give a definite answer.
And if you were to ask whether I could leave a mark in a specific field beyond the level of an undergraduate, my response would become even more evasive.
Furthermore, if you were to ask whether I could achieve something worthy of a Nobel Prize, I would have to say it’s impossible.
Similarly, I am certain that I cannot reach the level of mastery.
I simply started early.
Thanks to the excellent talent of my current body and the support of a transcendent being, I was able to pioneer a realm that shocks others at a young age…
However, ultimately, only those born with the talent to reach the peak can truly attain it.
There’s no way I was born with that kind of talent. After all, I’m struggling just to throw a Sword Aura, aren’t I?
Still, I issued empty promises.
It was deceitful, but I had no time to feel sorry about it.
If we blow all our resources on gacha rolls and close the orphanage without any results, worrying about titles would be meaningless.
The empire granting such titles would vanish anyway.
On the other hand, if heroes who save humanity from crises emerge from the diligent orphans we’ve trained, Jimy and Matthew will naturally gain honor.
It’s just that the entity granting the titles will change. In my view, it’s no problem.
“So, are you saying it’s difficult?”
“Mages especially so. It’s an extremely closed-off organization. This isn’t something money can solve. While hiring them is possible, you can’t treat them like private tutors.”
Jimy shook his head.
Any organization of mages has inherent exclusivity.
While they may exchange knowledge among themselves when necessary, they don’t share it with outsiders.
“Of course, if you’re a high-ranking noble, you might be able to receive basic training even if you’re not part of any particular faction. But… they won’t mingle with people like us. Even if someone shows great talent, it’ll be hard to expect a positive reaction.”
“I understand what you mean.”
“Of course, there are some flawed ones you might be able to rescue. There are occasionally mages expelled from factions who work as mercenaries.”
“That won’t work. If we’re going to learn, we should do it properly. Cutting corners because we’re in a hurry will cause suffering later.”
We can’t afford to ruin the skill trees of these unique orphans and turn them into useless characters.
“It’s tough.”
“One thing is for sure: if you want to connect with proper Knights or Mages, you’ll need the help of nobles.”
In other words, we need to make connections within a Count’s family. A sigh escaped me. This wasn’t something we could rush.
“At least, if you really want, I can teach the children my mana training method.”
“Sorry, but Jimy, your method is too cheap.”
“Haha! That’s true.”
He learned it during his mercenary days, picking up scraps from the streets.
Jimy didn’t deny that his method was very basic.
“In that case…”
We might need to secure a stable mana training method first and then consider teaching the kids the mana purification techniques and swordsmanship stored in my mind.
It would only rot if I kept it all to myself forever.
“I understand for now. Let’s stop here with that story. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask Jimy and Matthew.”
“…”
With sharp focus, Jimy and Matthew looked at me tensely.
Though we’ve made mistakes before, leaving room for misunderstanding, this request was simple enough.
“Teach me how to release a Sword Aura.”
“…What?”
Surprised, Jimy scratched the back of his head as he responded.
“Uh… Matthew and I only know how to release basic Sword Auras.”
“Huh?”
“We don’t know how to use guided Sword Auras that chase targets or split ones that divide upon release.”
“No, I’m talking about just pure methods to shoot out a Sword Aura.”
“What are you saying? You already know how to generate a Sword Aura, right?”
“But I don’t know how to actually release it.”
“?? Are you stupid?”
“Do you want to lose your title?”
“Hehe, so even Ray has human flaws! People can’t be perfect, after all!”
Jimy, who had mastered diplomacy during his mercenary days, gestured to Matthew standing behind him.
“Matthew, let’s go to the training ground we set up nearby.”
*
After walking through the dense forest along a well-trodden mountain path for several minutes, we reached a wide clearing.
This artificial clearing was dotted with large rocks placed at regular intervals.
It was a training ground where Jimy and Matthew practiced their Sword Auras.
“Now that I think about it, I overlooked the fact that you, Ray, reached the level of generating Sword Auras through self-study.”
You must be pretty detached from reality to say that.
Just because you’ve reached the Expert level doesn’t mean everything else comes perfectly naturally. In reality, Ray was inexperienced and still quite raw.
“Let me explain the basics to you. Sword Auras may look similar, but their properties vary depending on the cultivation method and refinement technique you’ve learned.”
Jimy generated a Sword Aura and slowly swung his sword in the air.
A chilling wind accompanied by faint heat swept through the air along the sword’s trajectory.
“Sword Auras based on unorthodox mana cultivation methods generally share similar traits—sharpness and heat.”
Matthew also demonstrated his Sword Aura to Ray.
Compared to Jimy’s, Matthew’s was sharper but with less heat. His Sword Aura sliced through the air.
Eventually, Jimy and Matthew’s Sword Auras clashed.
A sudden burst of intense light revealed the distinct characteristics of each Sword Aura as the trapped heat dispersed around them.
Kagagak!!
“When Sword Auras collide, their individual properties become even clearer.”
Ray felt his heartbeat intensify.
As Jimy and Matthew directly displayed information he had only heard indirectly, a strange tension and excitement coursed through his blood.
“Ray, try generating a Sword Aura once.”
“Got it.”
“Alright, let’s see how it goes. What kind of flavor does the Empire’s youngest-ever Sword Master have?”
Even while saying this, Jimy didn’t have high expectations.
Ray had reached the Expert level through self-study, and both Jimy and Matthew knew his cultivation and refinement methods lacked orthodoxy.
How unique could it possibly be?
With such a lax mindset, the moment their swords met—
Tuuuung!!
The sword was forcibly knocked out of Ray’s grasp.
The spinning sword flew toward Matthew, who was standing next to Jimy.
“Ugh!!!!”
By bending backward, Matthew narrowly avoided the sword and fell to the ground.
The sword, having cut through the air, embedded itself halfway into a distant tree before stopping.
“…”
“…”
“…”
A brief silence followed.
Both Jimy, whose hands were bleeding profusely, and Matthew, who nearly lost his life to his friend’s blade, simultaneously pulled out cigarettes as if by agreement.
“Huff… Life is so unfair and messed up…”
“It’s not fair.”
Jimy and Matthew clearly observed the phenomenon that occurred the instant Ray’s sword met theirs.
Rebound? Distortion? They couldn’t precisely identify the nature of the phenomenon, but one thing was clear:
Ray’s Sword Aura was incomparable to ordinary ones.
“Truly a once-in-a-lifetime genius. We underestimated you by thinking your methods were unorthodox, but you’ve basically created your own system from scratch.”
“System or no system, hold your sword tighter from now on, Captain. You almost killed me.”
“Why don’t you try it, Matthew? Your wrist remained intact despite everything.”
“Jimy, Matthew.”
Ray shrugged.
“There’s a risk of starting a wildfire, so put out those cigarettes.”
Damn it!
Jimy and Matthew glared daggers with their eyes and crushed the cigarettes underfoot.
“Hmm, but it doesn’t seem like your Sword Aura’s density is low enough to prevent you from releasing it.”
Matthew, expressing his confusion, pulled the sword embedded in the tree and pointed to a rock.
“Before I teach you the technique for releasing a Sword Aura, let me warn you: recklessly shooting it out in real combat is suicidal. It’s inefficient.”
Matthew released a Sword Aura towards a rock about 10 meters away.
The crescent-shaped Sword Aura penetrated the rock, causing a burst of intense heat followed by an explosion.
When the dust settled, the rock was shattered beyond recognition.
“Depending on personal skill, but at greater distances, it looks like this.”
Matthew released another Sword Aura towards a rock about 150 meters away.
The rapidly advancing Sword Aura dimmed significantly by the time it hit the rock.
Kagagak!!
Compared to the 10-meter target, a much wider area was struck by the Sword Aura, but the actual rock merely developed some cracks.
“Even if you’re confident you can hit a target over 100 meters away, everyone hesitates to release a Sword Aura because its power diminishes drastically. Now, let me teach you the technique for accurately releasing a Sword Aura.”
After a moment of thought, Matthew continued.
“The common reason beginners often fail when first trying to release a Sword Aura is… yeah, getting stuck on the concept of ‘releasing.'”
Once you reach the Expert level, your shaped mana embodies your will.
That’s where you need to focus.
“Ray, is your goal to ‘release’ the Sword Aura? No, your goal is to hit the target. Focusing on the act of ‘releasing’ can result in misalignment or the Sword Aura dispersing entirely.”
At this point, a bit of imagination is required.
“Rather… imagine your sword extending momentarily. Aligning the extended line of your sword with the distant target, which is dozens of meters away.”
Ray wanted to applaud.
Living peacefully had made him forget, but indeed, Jimy and Matthew were seasoned veteran mercenaries who had fought in countless battles.
Their practical battlefield experience made their explanations feel different.
As Ray nodded and aimed his sword at a rock about 10 meters away, Jimy panicked.
“Hey, hey!! Don’t mess around and aim at that!! How do you know what else might happen if you release a Sword Aura right in front of you!!”
Matthew agreed with Jimy.
“Aim at something as far away as possible. I don’t want to die from a blind swing of a 9-year-old’s sword.”
The farthest target was about 200 meters away.
Ray nodded and turned his body.
“Until now, I tried to release the Sword Aura without any intention of cutting anything. Focus. Recognize the target. What I need to destroy. Imagine. The elongated sword. Its trajectory, and its straight line.”
Ray’s vision sharply narrowed, and all his consciousness focused on the tiny dot-like rock in the distance.
Grinding his teeth, Ray swung his sword.
Hooouk!
“…?”
“What?”
“Hm?”
Jimy and Matthew, watching from a short distance, widened their eyes in bewilderment.
The Sword Aura evaporated in place. This was a sight completely new to both Jimy and Matthew.
Even if releasing the Sword Aura failed, mana usually either reversed flow or exploded outward—it wouldn’t just evaporate in mid-air.
After all, the energy capable of shattering a rock wouldn’t just vanish without a trace.
“Isn’t this…”
Approaching Ray, who blinked his eyes, Jimy carefully touched the sword.
No resistance was felt. The mana had truly evaporated.
“How did such a powerful Sword Aura…”
Jimy’s muttering was drowned out by a delayed explosion.
Kagagagaak!!!
All three pairs of eyes turned toward the source of the explosion.
The rock 200 meters away was completely shattered and rolling across the ground.
Jimy and Matthew’s eyes snapped back to Ray.
Ray looked indignant.
“Hey, why are you looking at me?”
