By Zephyria 
The Advanced Swordsmanship class, as always, involved randomly selecting two individuals for a sparring match, after which Maelo Sanson would personally point out areas for improvement and engage in a Q&A session.
This time, it was the turn of the Second Prince Rubel Anti Searon and Walter Orgen, who had sparred with me before. Everyone knew that even though they were both First-rate martial artists, Rubel was superior to Walter, so the outcome of the match was all but predetermined.
Maelo Sanson adhered to his rule of pairing First-rate with First-rate and Second-rate with Second-rate, but he never matched individuals of precisely equal skill.
The first reason was that both stronger and weaker opponents needed to learn how to properly face each other, and the second was that a minor realization could shift the rankings at any time.
Therefore, Walter Orgen seemed to have resolved himself to a defensive-oriented sparring match. He shifted his weight to his rear foot, dispersing the force when their swords clashed, and his strategy of prolonging the fight to find an opening was easily discernible.
Rubel Anti Searon, on the other hand, aimed to end the match quickly by persistently attacking Walter’s left shoulder, which was less developed and thus a vulnerability compared to his right.
It was natural to learn each other’s swordplay through the process of watching, learning, and improving. A rapid exchange, as if choreographed, continued without pause.
The clash of swords was loud, yet not a single spectator covered their ears. They were too engrossed in watching, their Eye Techniques fully activated, lost in the spectacle.
Even from my perspective, having once touched the Transcendent Peak, it was a noble swordplay.
To escape the fierce sword’s reach, Walter ducked low to his left and withdrew.
There were no unnecessary movements in his maneuver to protect his shoulder, and it was a method Walter had never shown before, causing Rubel to momentarily lose track of him.
Just as Rubel was about to quickly close the distance again, a pair of pitch-black eyes met mine precisely.
And then, everything seemed to freeze.
My ears felt strangely muffled, and I could hear nothing. Only the face of the young child looking directly at me captured my gaze. The boy’s motionless form, like a perfectly rendered painting, was strikingly peculiar in contrast to Walter, who was breathing heavily.
As I wondered why he wasn’t moving, Maelo Sanson’s voice broke the silence. It felt like a long time had passed, but it was only an instant. The match had already concluded.
“Why are you suddenly thinking of something else when you were doing so well? What’s with stopping right there?”
Walter, who had lowered his body, seized the opportunity and thrust his sword upwards from below, successfully bringing the tip of his blade to rest under Rubel’s chin.
Maelo Sanson, as always, immediately bound the two individuals securely with his aura the moment the match ended, preventing them from moving, and began his explanation of the decisive point.
I blinked, finding it strange that my eyes were still locked with Rubel’s.
“Understanding your opponent’s weaknesses is important, but knowing your own is equally crucial. Especially today, Walter’s move was excellent: he deliberately drew attention to his weakness, then, in the ensuing lapse of concentration, he eliminated that weakness right before his opponent’s eyes. It seems you practiced to keep your breaths short, perhaps mimicking Michael’s Mind Method. It’s quite effective.”
I pondered why this raven-haired boy had become so flustered, forgetting the sparring match and stumbling, but I couldn’t figure it out. I glanced back behind me.
Benjamin, standing a half-inch to my left, gestured with his chin, as if to say, ‘Listen to Maelo’s explanation,’ and I turned my gaze forward again.
“…So, Walter wasn’t just focusing on short breaths, but on how to control the speed of his center of gravity as it shifted between his hands and feet. You must have planned this before the match began, right? Next time, think about how to spar when the opponent isn’t predetermined.”
“Yes!”
“And Rubel… You know why you lost, don’t you? When you’re holding a sword, your gaze must be fixed forward, no matter what. Even though your opponent left your line of sight, you didn’t lose him with your Qi sense, did you? Always be aware of your surroundings. Alright, that’s all.”
Once the explanation concluded, the aura binding the two boys was released. They shook hands amicably and stepped off the stage set up for their sparring.
For some reason, Walter, who had succeeded in causing Rubel to let his guard down, received great praise and was beaming as he untied the knot of his tightly braided hair.
As Walter ran his fingers through his disheveled, curly hair, looking refreshed, I playfully punched his shoulder to congratulate him.
And then, my eyes met Rubel’s once more.
This time, I knew for sure. He was looking at me. By this point, many fellow students and seniors would approach me first if they had something to say, so it was rare to have conversations with those who didn’t initiate contact.
I didn’t avoid his gaze, as I had done nothing wrong. However, without making a sound, I mouthed the question:
Why?
He startled and turned his gaze to his twin sister. Lucilla, finding it odd, reached out and touched Rubel’s forehead as if checking for a fever.
Watching this, Benjamin called me, and I assumed it was nothing significant. I enjoyed the swordsmanship discussion with those surrounding Maelo Sanson before moving on to the next class.
❖ ❖ ❖
Professor Douglas Mustang announced that he would divide the students into two groups: those who had awakened their aura and those who had not yet sensed it, and proceed accordingly.
The students who had awakened their aura spent the first half of the class practicing infusing their swords with aura, and then rested in the latter half. Those who had not awakened their aura swung their swords relentlessly in the first half, only to be playfully tormented by aura tendrils in the second half.
From the perspective of someone handling course registration, it was the most efficient method, as it was impossible to know who would master aura first.
Therefore, during the first half of the class, I struggled with all my might to generate Sword Energy, my body still not having reached its peak due to insufficient internal energy. In the latter half, I simply sat down and practiced Circulating Qi according to the verses of the Great Expansive Divine Skill of Azure Sky.
Thanks to my prior request to be left undisturbed during Circulating Qi, no one approached me. Only Douglas, occasionally activating his Eye Technique, would scrutinize me intently as I entered the greater circulation. Since I also had to show him my Circulating Qi practice, it was a triple benefit.
The Mind Method of the Great Namgung Family contained the vast azure sky. It resembled the heavens. Just as boldness permeated its swordplay, so too did its Divine Art. The internal energy itself was imbued with a blue hue. It was a purity that deepened with prolonged cultivation.
By coincidence, it bore a similar energy to the color of my eyes at present.
The sequence was generally the same. First, the blue energy soothed the opened acupoints of my tired body, which were holding heat, and cleansed them. I performed a lesser circulation along the thickest Belt Meridian to wash away fatigue and sweep out the Turbid Qi within my body as if rinsing with water.
Next, I spent more time contemplating along the Energy Channels. Sitting in a Lotus Position with my hands on my knees, I felt a large circle connecting my navel to my head, shoulders, forearms, hands, knees, legs, tailbone, Dantian, and heart.
When I performed the greater circulation along these Energy Channels, the Minor Meridians, weary from fatigue, would flutter like stray puppies that had been touched by human hands, clinging close to the Energy Channels and greedily absorbing the blue energy.
After completing the Circulating Qi by gently spreading the blue energy in all directions, a blue Essence light would shimmer and disappear around my seated form.
It was natural for those around me, who recognized that energy as aura, to find it wondrous.
Although I was aware of the glances cast my way, I felt no inclination to avoid or hide them, as I hoped they would understand something from it.
However, I sternly reprimanded Benjamin when he asked if it was blue instead of pink.
After class, I told Benjamin to go to the dormitory first, then walked alongside Professor Douglas Mustang to his office. Though covered in dirt, I had endured worse in my past life, and since Douglas didn’t mind my presence in his room, I didn’t dwell on it.
“Based on what you told me before, I’ve been gathering materials whenever I had time, but I’m not sure if this will be helpful.”
“May I take a look?”
“Of course. That’s why I called you here. Would you like something to drink?”
“Cold water will suffice.”
Without much thought, I picked up the stack of papers while asking the professor to fetch something, then suddenly remembered and stood up.
Douglas, showing no particular reaction, brought a tall glass filled with water and a shallow mug, then sat down in the reception area. I awkwardly sat opposite him and apologized.
“My manners were lacking.”
“Not at all, this is my room, so I should be the one attending to you. For now, these are copies of joint research projects conducted at the First and Second Magic Towers. I only learned this time that more than five knights per year insist on accumulating Mana directly in their bodies.”
“…Hmm.”
“As you can see, all research was conducted for four months, followed by a two-month break, and then another four months of research.”
“…But the participants in the experiment…”
“Yes, they were at best knights of the lower-grade Sword Expert level. It’s unavoidable because they are eager to use aura but cannot sense it, so they volunteer for these experiments. It’s difficult to achieve meaningful results.”
“…”
“At least, knights of the upper-grade Sword Expert level, who can utilize aura, would be able to accumulate Mana in their bodies. Knights of the upper-grade Sword Expert level prefer to follow the well-trodden path. They think they can reach the highest grade with a little more training, and perhaps even become Sword Masters with further effort.”
I calmly accepted the report and scanned it. I skimmed over a few technical terms with a blurred gaze and read through the diagrams resembling the human body, the experiments conducted by date, side effects, and the post-treatment progress.
“I see other factors for failure besides these.”
“What are they?”
“The knights… lack self-belief. The internal energy I accumulated, or rather, the aura, is a power that must move according to my will, but in this experiment, they are using the help of wizards to forcibly inject something invisible. A human body isn’t a jar…”
This was neither a Dantian nor anything else. Douglas, hearing my words, also seemed to have a realization and rummaged through the documents.
Although the experiments failed, the wizards were scholars who observed and studied Mana and the non-physical realm. I scanned the records of repeated failures over the past few decades and saw potential. Some of the numerous pathways used by the wizards to inject Mana into the human body resembled the acupoints of the human body.
My eyes suddenly gleamed, and I borrowed a pen from Douglas, circling the acupoints marked by the wizards that I recognized.
However, after a moment, my expression clouded. It was difficult to mark acupoints that I knew but were not indicated in the data.
Eventually, I had to put down the pen.