Ian let out a quiet sigh.
It might have been better if she had merely glanced at him from time to time, but her unwavering stare made him needlessly self-conscious and uncomfortable.
In the end, he decided to ask why.
“…What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Marie answered curtly before turning her head to face forward.
“Marie was probably staring because she thinks you have changed a great deal, Young Master.”
“Mael, stop talking nonsense. When did I ever say that?”
“Is that not the truth? I think so as well. Ah, of course, I mean that in a positive sense. I can tell that you have grown considerably, both outwardly and inwardly.”
“……”
Marie did not deny it, so it seemed that she genuinely agreed.
Since they were the same age, it might have sounded strange for them to say that he had grown. Yet hearing those words from these two, of all people, filled Ian with an inexplicable sense of pride.
He almost felt his shoulders rising of their own accord.
Mael and Marie.
The two had been born as twins of the declining comital House Londria, and they possessed such exceptional talent that it seemed as though they had received the blessings of several of the Twelve Lords, the beings known as God’s representatives.
From childhood, they had begun accumulating mana within their bodies merely by breathing, without the aid of any specialized cultivation method.
They were also born with extraordinary talent for martial arts, allowing them to reproduce most techniques after seeing them only a few times.
They did not merely imitate the movements. They understood the underlying principles and knew how to apply them.
It would not have been an exaggeration to call them once-in-an-era geniuses.
Indeed, before either of them reached the age of twenty-five, they would become Level 6 Ascendants—holders of Spirit Stars—and be revered as heroes of the eastern region.
‘Yet they were not arrogant like I was.’
Of course, their blunt manner of speaking could easily have earned them resentment, but most people admired them for their honesty.
Ian, however, had constantly been compared to them.
Whenever circumstances forced them into the same place, he became withdrawn and miserable, and he naturally began to envy and resent the twins.
He had learned painfully well what it meant to feel infinitely small.
Strangely, however, he no longer felt that way.
‘Perhaps….’
It was because he now possessed decades of accumulated experience, a more mature mind, and the remarkable growth he had achieved over the past year.
Ian drew a deep breath and spoke to them.
“Thank you. It feels good to hear that.”
He meant it sincerely.
How many people could receive such praise from knights destined to become Ascendants? There could not have been many.
“……”
“……”
Mael and Marie said nothing more, and they eventually reached the Mana Vein amid the quiet atmosphere.
“Is this your first time visiting a Mana Vein?”
“Yes. However, it is not as saturated with mana as I expected. The density is high, but…. To be honest, I am disappointed.”
“I have absorbed a great deal from it over the past year, so that cannot be helped. Even so, it should still be far better than cultivating anywhere else.”
That was true.
No matter how depleted it had become, this place was still a Mana Vein. Even mana itself differed in quality depending on its source.
Unable to deny that, Mael nodded.
Marie had already settled in a corner and begun cultivating mana. Heat haze shimmered over the armor she wore.
She looked as though flames might erupt around her at any moment.
‘I should begin as well.’
Ian closed his eyes.
As he slowly inhaled and focused his mind, the surrounding mana naturally gathered toward him.
His body grew hot, and vitality began circulating through him along with an intoxicating sense of fulfillment.
How long had he been cultivating?
Sensing someone’s gaze, Ian opened his eyes.
Mael and Marie stood side by side roughly ten paces away, watching him.
“Young Master.”
Mael spoke first. Ian steadied his slightly labored breathing before answering.
“What is it?”
“Would you be willing to spar with me?”
“…All of a sudden?”
“I apologize. However, after watching you immerse yourself in cultivation, I found myself wanting to see your skill as well. I understand that it may be impudent, but we have little else to do, and there is no one here to watch us.”
In other words, since no one was watching, there was no need to become overly concerned about victory or defeat.
Mael appeared to be attempting to show consideration, yet it did not seem that the possibility of his own defeat had crossed his mind at all.
‘Insolent.’
On the other hand, such confidence was understandable.
The twins were natural geniuses. There had probably been only a handful of people their age capable of standing against them, so their attitude was not entirely surprising.
Perhaps that was why Ian suddenly felt that an opportunity had presented itself.
An opportunity to humble them, release the resentment that had festered within him for years, and cast aside the inferiority he had once felt.
It was somewhat embarrassing to feel as though he were desperately trying to defeat a pair of children.
Nevertheless, Ian deliberately ignored that shame and readily nodded.
“Very well.”
“Marie, lend the Young Master your sword.”
“No. I will fight him.”
Ian stared in confusion as the twins began arguing over which of them would step forward.
He had merely cultivated mana. He could not understand why that alone had stirred their competitive spirits.
In the end, Mael, who had first raised the matter, stepped forward.
Marie let out a sigh, unfastened the scabbard at her waist, and approached Ian. Without a word, she held out the sheathed sword.
“I will take good care of it and return it.”
“…Very well.”
Ian glanced at Marie as she answered in a displeased voice, then looked down at the sword in his hand.
It had been an entire year.
No, this was the first time he had held a real blade since his regression.
The subtly different weight from that of a camphor-wood sword seemed to awaken sensations that had long lain dormant.
Holding the scabbard, he gripped the hilt and attempted to draw the blade.
CLICK.
Or rather, he tried to.
“……?”
CLICK.
It would not come out.
What was this? Why would it not move?
Had he truly become so weak that he could not even draw a single sword?
Ian could not hide his bewilderment.
He could probably force it free if he used all his strength, but he hesitated, fearing that he might damage it.
“Is this enchanted?”
Marie let out a faint laugh that sounded almost mocking and nodded.
“Yes. It bears a recognition enchantment. Unless you belong to the same organization, you cannot draw it.”
After answering, Marie extended her hand, silently asking for the sword back.
Ian returned it almost reflexively, and she demonstrated.
SHING.
The blade slid free with effortless ease.
She must have maintained it diligently, for its edge was sharp enough to inspire a chill.
It was a genuine sword.
‘So it had a function like that.’
The enchantment was probably intended to prevent enemies from using the weapon if it were stolen during an emergency.
Even so, Ian wondered whether they had devoted excessive care to a single sword.
“As you can see, it has a safety mechanism. You can simply use it while it remains sheathed.”
Ian accepted the weapon from Marie and looked at Mael.
“What are you doing?”
“I am removing my armor. It will be fairer that way.”
Ian regarded him with exasperation.
“Do you not use an Armament Ring?”
“…Pardon?”
Mael blinked. Ian found his confusion even more baffling.
An Armament Ring contained a small subspace capable of storing any type of clothing.
It was an innovative invention of the El Karda Empire that allowed its wearer to change into the stored garments anywhere and at any time.
As far as Ian knew, it had become indispensable equipment for knights.
Did Mael not possess one?
However, Ian frowned at the answer that followed.
“I do not know how you learned of them, but they are issued only to captains and vice-captains. There is no possibility that an ordinary member such as myself would possess such a valuable item.”
“What?”
Ah, now that he thought about it….
He vaguely remembered hearing that the early models of Armament Rings had been extraordinarily expensive to produce and could not be supplied in large quantities because the technology remained underdeveloped.
If this was that period, then even House Berger would not have been able to secure many of them.
In other words, the time when every member of the Red Spear Knights received one was still far in the future.
‘I would have known this had I ever returned to the main estate.’
Because he had lived in isolation, he had been ignorant of the state of the world.
In any case, there was nothing to be done if Mael did not have one.
“Then keep the armor on.”
“Pardon?”
“I said to leave it on. How long will it take you to remove all of that? You do not even have other clothes to change into.”
They had not arrived by carriage, and there was no convenient way to carry the armor.
That meant Mael would need to put every piece back on before they returned.
Judging by Marie, who was merely watching in silence, she had no intention of helping him.
Mael’s expression brightened, apparently pleased by the suggestion.
“Is that truly acceptable?”
“On one condition. Do not charge into me with your body merely because you are wearing armor.”
Ian’s body had grown sturdier than that of an ordinary person through mana cultivation, but he was hardly invincible.
Perhaps he could rise unharmed after such an impact once he reached Level 6, but in his present state, several bones would undoubtedly break.
“That will never happen. Even if you sustain a serious injury, there is no cause for concern. We have an intermediate-grade potion prepared. Even if one of your limbs is severed, it can be reattached as long as the cut is clean.”
“…Are you planning to cut one off if the opportunity arises?”
“Of course not. I was merely giving an example.”
“That sounds suspicious. No one sent you here to kill me, did they?”
Mael answered by shaking his head, then held out his own sheathed sword.
“Wait. I am only asking to be certain. I am not a member of the Red Spear Knights, so there is no possibility of my scabbard coming loose. But yours might, might it not?”
“Do not worry. I already told you that we have a potion.”
‘This bastard is making me nervous.’
“And it will not come loose unless I channel mana into it.”
“Ha. Fine.”
“Then are you ready?”
Ian raised his sword.
His heart pounded.
This was undoubtedly the most tense he had felt since regressing.
“Let us begin.”
Neither of them had said that Ian would be allowed the first move, but he moved first regardless.
There would be no preliminary exchange.
He would learn everything he needed to know once their swords collided.
Had the diligent training of the past year truly borne fruit?
The memory of his crushing defeat seemed to bind his body like shackles.
He also wondered whether decades of accumulated experience could truly overcome innate talent.
‘I do not believe that I lack talent either….’
Yet before a genuine genius, he might be no different from an ordinary man.
That was why he would fight seriously from the very beginning.
Ian raised his sword and charged at Mael with all his strength.