The man seemed ordinary at first glance.
Ah, let me correct myself.
His beautiful appearance, far from ordinary, did stand out.
It was an appearance as if a master sculptor renowned for his craft had personally carved him.
His demeanor was so aloof that if he didn't move, others might well mistake him for a sculpture.
That is why he seemed ordinary.
Though it was an appearance that would make anyone marvel regardless of gender, with his perpetually expressionless face, nothing could be felt from him.
Only a stillness like a candle flame could be sensed; meaning he only possessed the moderate warmth that anyone would have.
It also meant his presence was faint in another sense.
If his surname wasn't Lionel, no one would have found him intimidating.
But....
Sliiide.
The moment he drew his sword.
He was no longer faint in presence, nor was he a candle flame.
It was cold.
The surrounding air suddenly stiffened, and a sharp, chilling aura like a raging blizzard engulfed the vicinity.
Just by holding his sword, he was already a completely different person from moments ago.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a violent transformation rather than a mere change.
Ro'en Dmitri de Lionel.
He was different from anyone faced before.
And everyone felt this, and Ih-an, standing before him,
'This guy has no intention of hiding that he's a regressor.'
Let out a snort.
Isn't this way too obvious?
Sliiide.
Unlike the opponents who used longswords or peculiar weapons, the sword Ro'en held was merely a simple straight sword.
A sword with no special characteristics.
It seemed to be made of high-purity steel at least, but it was just an ordinary iron sword.
But when Ro'en held the iron sword, it seemed to transform into a famous blade.
It was what happened when the spirit Ih-an particularly emphasized was contained in an ordinary sword.
An extraordinary spirit.
What was the term for such a spirit again...?
'Ghost fire?'
Like ghost fire (鬼火) rising?
He couldn't know if it was an appropriate expression, but to others, it appeared so.
This was an extraordinary spirit, one that a mere twenty-year-old greenhorn shouldn't emit, but rather one that a seasoned warrior who had rolled through battlefields for at least 10 years would exude.
Therefore, he was someone who shouldn't be judged by appearances.
It would be fine to call him a fully accomplished swordsman.
Though to the eyes of an inexperienced warrior, they might misunderstand him as a mere genius and think him great.
But someone with developed senses like Ih-an, or a soldier who had rolled through battlefields, would recognize it at once.
That it wasn't genius-like, but simply a swordsman completed through a long passage of time.
...The killing intent was particularly dense.
Whoosh, whooooosh!
However, Ih-an lightly swung his wooden sword.
He swung it reflexively when the extraordinary spirit tried to envelop him, and the sound of cutting wind was unusual each time it was swung, and the swinging grew faster.
At some point, the wooden sword that became incomparably fast was invisible to the eye!
Whish-!
"-Now, let's begin."
"……."
"Come at me."
"…If I go in now, it seems I'll be cut."
"Drama queen."
The opponent's spirit was torn apart before it could even pour out.
The cadets including Ro'en witnessed it.
The marks left on the ground by Ih-an's wooden sword.
Seeing the dirt ground that looked as if it had been clawed by the wind pressure emitted from the wooden sword, even though it hadn't touched, the cadets swallowed dry saliva.
Only then did they realize anew.
That person is strong.
And such a fact.
"I will proceed."
Made Ro'en smile.
An infinitely splendid,
Mad laugh (狂笑).
* * *
The first to move was Ro'en.
Whish-!
The sword that came thrusting in immediately targeted his eyes.
It was a thrust without hesitation, and extremely dangerous.
But Ih-an...
"Are you trying to make someone blind?"
"It wasn't a threat, was it?"
Clang!
Without even blinking, he leisurely dodged while swinging his wooden sword down as if striking.
Ro'en quickly blocked this, but Ro'en couldn't deflect all the impact.
Because of this, his arm throbbed, and he took a step back and asked.
"…You put the flow inside rather than outside."
"It's a technique I'm practicing these days. Seems usable?"
"It's very threatening."
"It's still lacking for real combat, but it's appropriate to use against greenhorns."
"Good thing I'm not a greenhorn."
It was a strike with the internal force method added, but it didn't work on Ro'en.
By momentarily strengthening the flow within his body to receive it, the flow that Ih-an had infiltrated didn't have much effect.
However.
"You're really strong."
"My strong point."
He couldn't completely break down the shock left by his overwhelming strength.
Boom!
As if not missing the chance when the opponent's body stiffened, when Ih-an stepped forward, the ground caved in from his overwhelming leg strength.
A powerful step soon delivers pressure.
Ku-ung!
Ih-an's wooden sword accurately struck Ro'en's sword, and Ro'en intended to parry the wooden sword while simultaneously slashing...!
Cheng...!
"……."
The wooden sword wasn't cut.
No, rather the wooden sword showed hardness comparable to an iron sword and endured the sharp blade.
Ro'en wondered what this was and swung his sword again.
The sword shadows created with a whoosh were three.
He launched three sword strikes in an instant, but this time too.
Clang clang!
They were blocked.
And futilely at that.
And rather Ro'en felt his own palm hurting.
What was this?
'It feels like hitting a rock.'
The feeling of cutting at a rock.
No, it wasn't just a feeling, it really felt like hitting a rock.
He wondered what kind of trick this was.
And to the cadet full of questions, Ih-an opened his mouth as if fulfilling his duty as an instructor.
"I don't know much about martial arts techniques. There's no one to teach me either, but well, martial arts techniques are stingy with teaching because they're secret techniques. But I do know how the 'power' inside my body works."
"…What do you mean."
"Power isn't simply the strength to lift heavy things. The collective whole of bones, tendons, and muscles is what I call power. And the method of appropriately using such power is what I call Jing (勁). It means 'the way to make strong.'"
"……."
"I also named it Geumgang (金剛). It's a method of transmitting the power within the body not only to the body but also to tools. And if that's possible—"
Boom!
"It can do this too."
It met the sword blade again but this time too the wooden sword wasn't cut, and it bounced Ro'en away as if it were an iron club.
If Ro'en hadn't reduced the impact, he would have tumbled pathetically.
But Ro'en was more shocked by the technique Ih-an was showing than his body momentarily floating in the air.
While having learned nothing systematic, he was deploying 'his own martial arts technique' through sense and instinct.
"…I've never thought I lacked brains, but everything you're showing me is beyond my understanding."
"Hehe, that's because I lack the skill to explain. I mostly learned techniques not through theory but through real combat and sense."
"…People usually call that genius."
"That's a nice thing to hear."
But Ih-an denies that statement.
This is more in the realm of imagination than talent.
The 'information' he had read countless times in his past life gave him creativity, and he only had to manifest in reality what he could draw out based on that creativity.
Still.
'It sounds good to hear.'
* * *
...The cadets watched the duel between Ih-an and Ro'en with breathless expressions.
Thirty exchanges so far.
Without either sword touching them first, swords clashed and clashed repeatedly.
A sword fight (劍鬪) without an inch of concession.
Seeing this, some people felt jealousy and envy.
At the fact that a man of the same age was so strong.
Also feeling frustrated by the wall of absurdly disproportionate talent.
But some people.
"The instructor's wooden sword has reached its limit."
"Young Lord Ro'en too."
"…What monsters, trying to break an iron sword with a wooden sword."
They gauged their own level against theirs, calculating how to surpass them.
"…Wow, this is why you watch fights."
[Arin-ah, is that all your impression?]
"Hmm, it's flashy?"
[…Arin-ah, don't tell anyone you're a mage anywhere. I'm too embarrassed.]
"What are you saying."
…There were also audiences watching with pure eyes without any thoughts.
But a duel cannot continue forever.
Both of their swords had already reached their limits.
That's why Ih-an for the final exchange.
"Why don't you get serious for the last one?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Show me your sincerity. Of course it's impressive even now, but there's more, right? I'd like you to show me the real thing."
"……."
Bring out what you're hiding.
At this remark, Ro'en flinched for the first time.
"I didn't know at first, but as we went on, I could feel something."
Ro'en was certainly strong.
More seasoned than any cadet faced so far, and unmatched in psychological warfare and martial arts techniques.
A more than satisfactory opponent.
…But it felt iffy.
Was it his gambler's intuition telling him?
Or was it the product of his experiences on the battlefield?
He was certain.
'There seems to be more.'
What he's shown so far is only average.
There's definitely something more.
With such thoughts, he told Ro'en to bring out what he had, and Ro'en showed signs of hesitation.
He was inwardly satisfied.
He was glad that his thoughts were right, but also because he wanted to properly put a period to the duel.
A sword that will break anyway.
Isn't it more exciting to do it with certainty than to walk such a precarious tightrope?
The final touch.
Ih-an hoped that the end of this duel would be a refreshing result for both of them.
A small expectation that our number 1 surveillance target might feel the same way...-
"-No, I'll pass."
"…Huh?"
"It seems like it's getting too heated, so I don't think it'll work anymore."
"……."
…Expectations were just expectations, it seems he was just thinking to himself.
Ro'en, with a stylish smile, pointed around.
"The original purpose of this sparring was to make those who didn't acknowledge the instructor acknowledge him. And now, since that purpose has been fully achieved, wouldn't the duel be meaningless? I also think it's good to gradually stop now."
"…Look at this guy?"
Isn't he doing something cunning unlike his appearance?
Though he made an expression of disbelief, unfortunately.
"Aren't you looking forward to the meeting event with Lord Valtar?"
"I'm sorry but I'm more looking forward to the instructor's teachings than meeting Sir Valtar."
"…You don't look that sincere."
"Shouldn't you not judge people by their appearance?"
"…You leave me speechless."
There was no corner to refute as the big event he had eagerly anticipated ended so vainly, and eventually Ih-an put down his wooden sword.
Because he couldn't become so unreasonable as to force someone who didn't want to fight anymore.
However.
'Ah man, I'm sure there's more.'
Given that the (presumed) regressor still had countless hidden techniques, this was inevitably an unsatisfying conclusion.
"…Hmm."
Ih-an was sullen.
*
*
'…That was almost dangerous.'
Ro'en was surprised at himself.
To think he still had such feelings in him.
'Desire to win... the competitive spirit of a young body is frightening.'
He thought such things had already been incinerated like dust in ashes, yet such emotions still remained?
'Heh, perhaps it's because it's been so long since such a pure fight.'
Pure struggle.
No, the clean desire to win that the opponent exuded.
Facing it, the impetuousness of his youth comes to mind.
It wasn't about his current youth.
It was the memory of the 'youth' that only Ro'en remembers.
Recalling that day.
……And
'I must stop it this time.'
To prevent such tragedy, such catastrophe...
'I'll kill you this time.'
He recalled the prey he had to kill.
'Aisis Irein de Pendragon. I will definitely drive a blade into your throat.'
Only then would his revenge be fulfilled.
Ro'en renewed his resolve.
As if youth was a luxury until he achieved his purpose.
Thus he suppressed his true nature.
For the day of revenge that would someday come.