Several days had passed since the ambush in the midst of the blizzard.
The journey to Gimle had been far from easy.
Heavy snowfall repeatedly forced the House of Silver convoy to slow its pace.
On one occasion, they had even been forced to take temporary shelter behind a formation of rocks until the storm subsided.
Nevertheless, thanks to their carefully prepared supplies and the protection of their handpicked knights, the convoy had crossed the borderlands without losing a single member of the Duke’s family.
By nightfall, they finally arrived at an old inn not far from the border outpost.
The building stood among snow-covered trees.
Its gray stone walls looked weathered, while the dark wooden beams supporting the roof had grown worn with age.
A thick blanket of snow covered the roof tiles, and the sign above the entrance creaked whenever the wind swept past.
The inn was far from luxurious.
Some sections of the floorboards even creaked underfoot.
Yet for a group that had spent days braving the bitter cold of the northern territories, the light spilling from its windows and the smoke rising from its chimney were more than enough to bring a sense of relief.
If the weather did not worsen again, they would resume their journey the following morning.
Gimle, the kingdom’s capital, was now only about a day’s journey away.
Inside the inn’s common room, a fire crackled in the stone hearth.
Its warmth spread throughout the room, driving away the chill that had followed the guests inside.
Several House of Silver knights sat around a long table, enjoying hot meals.
Others checked their equipment before the start of their night watch.
In a corner of the room, Sir Raymond Vane had chosen a seat slightly removed from the crowd.
His black armor had been taken off.
He now wore only a dark shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
His blond hair was slightly disheveled after a long day beneath his helmet, while his thick brown cloak hung over the back of his chair.
His massive warhammer rested across his thighs.
Supporting the hammerhead with one hand, Raymond used the other to wipe down its handle with a piece of cloth.
He cleaned away the dust and grime with meticulous care, occasionally turning the weapon to inspect the parts he had not yet reached.
It was an entirely ordinary sight.
And that was precisely what made it so difficult for Aiden to look away.
The little boy sat on a thick cushion near the fireplace.
Wrapped in warm clothes, he held a small cup of warm milk his mother had given him in both hands.
Ever since arriving at the inn, his thoughts had kept returning to what had happened several days earlier.
Raymond’s hammer strike.
Aiden had not seen the flow of Spirit the knight had used.
He was not even capable of sensing its presence yet.
What remained vivid in his memory was the thunderous impact, the tremor that had traveled all the way into the carriage, and the ice that had shattered as snow burst outward.
Then there had been the attackers’ reactions.
Some had been hurled backward by the blow.
Others had staggered or fallen, while several had become unable to raise their weapons again.
Their terror seemed far greater than the physical damage alone could explain.
Aiden had witnessed countless battles in his previous life.
He was familiar with a wide variety of weapons, combat techniques, and the ways a fighter could exploit physical advantages.
Yet what Raymond had demonstrated was different.
Could the human body in this world really reach such a level?
Or was there something he still did not understand?
Aiden took a sip of milk before glancing once more at the hammer resting across Raymond’s thighs.
The weapon was larger than his own body.
How could someone swing something that massive so effortlessly?
In the end, curiosity overcame his hesitation.
“Sir Raymond.”
Raymond stopped wiping the handle and raised his head.
“Hmm? What is it, young master?”
Aiden pointed at the hammer in his lap.
“That… is it the hammer you used back then?”
Raymond followed the direction of his finger.
A broad smile soon spread across his face.
“That’s right. So you’re still thinking about it.”
Aiden nodded.
“When you struck the ground, it made a really loud noise.”
He paused, trying to find the right words for his young age.
“The ice broke. Those men… they fell, too.”
Raymond studied him for a moment before placing the cleaning cloth on the table.
“Good observation.”
Aiden looked up at him.
“How did you do it?”
Raymond leaned back casually.
“Do you think this hammer alone was enough to bring them down?”
Aiden looked at the weapon, then shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“An honest answer.” Raymond chuckled.
“Then there’s something you should know. A fighter’s strength doesn’t come from their weapon alone.”
He raised one hand, revealing a palm marked with old scars.
“There’s something called Spirit.”
Aiden fell silent.
Spirit.
He had heard the term before, but he still did not understand how this power worked.
“Spirit… magic?”
“No.” Raymond shook his head.
“They’re different, though to someone who doesn’t understand either one, their results might seem equally extraordinary.”
“Then what is it?”
Before Raymond could answer, a girl’s voice came from the side.
“If you keep asking questions like that, Sir Raymond could spend the entire night answering just one of them.”
Aiden turned around.
Elena approached them with a small notebook in hand.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, perhaps because she had spent too long reading by the window before coming downstairs.
At eight years old, Aiden’s older sister had already developed a keen interest in knowledge.
She enjoyed reading, remembering what she learned, and explaining the things she found interesting to others.
Elena stopped beside her younger brother.
“So, you want to learn about Spirit?”
Aiden nodded eagerly.
Elena smiled with satisfaction.
“Then let your big sister explain it.”
Raymond raised both hands in mock surrender.
“With pleasure, Lady Elena. I shall leave the task to someone more knowledgeable.”
“You just don’t want to explain it yourself, Sir Raymond.”
“Perhaps.”
Ignoring his response, Elena sat on a cushion beside Aiden and drew him closer until he was leaning against her lap.
She straightened his collar before beginning.
“But you have to promise not to try anything your big sister explains.”
Aiden tilted his head.
“Why?”
“Because you’re still too little.”
Elena gently pinched his cheek.
“I don’t want you getting hurt just because you’re too curious.”
Aiden pouted, but eventually nodded.
“Okay.”
“Good boy.”
Elena patted his head, then raised one finger.
“All right. Let’s start with one of the easiest uses of Spirit to understand.”
“Spirit Enhancement.”
Aiden immediately looked at her.
“Enhancement?”
“That’s right. Spirit can be used to strengthen the body and weapons. One of its techniques is Hardening.”
Elena glanced at Raymond’s warhammer.
“By controlling the flow of Spirit, a fighter can increase their body’s resilience, reinforce their weapon, and produce force far beyond ordinary physical limits.”
She moved one hand as though wrapping something in an invisible layer.
“However, it can’t be done carelessly. The user must control the flow precisely and make sure their body can withstand the resulting strain.”
Raymond nodded.
“A powerful weapon won’t help much if its wielder can’t control the force behind the swing.”
He lifted his hammer slightly before carefully setting it back down.
“If I reinforce this weapon without being able to control its movement, I could lose my balance or injure myself.”
“So Uncle has to be strong, too?”
“Exactly.”
Elena nodded in agreement.
“Spirit Enhancement isn’t simply about making the body or a weapon harder. The user must understand how to channel that power and how much strain their body can endure.”
“If someone forces the enhancement beyond what their body can handle, their muscles and tissues could be damaged. Blood vessels might rupture, and even their internal organs could suffer serious injuries.”
Aiden lowered his head and looked at his small hands.
He remembered how effortlessly Raymond had swung that enormous hammer.
Strength on that level was not simply a matter of having powerful muscles.
Years of training and precise control lay behind it.
“Have you been training for a long time, Uncle?”
Raymond chuckled.
“Far longer than you can imagine.”
“That long?”
“Long enough that I stopped counting.”
Elena snorted.
“Sir Raymond just doesn’t want to admit his age.”
“Now that’s a painful blow, Lady Elena.”
Elena laughed.
Aiden smiled as well, though he did not entirely understand their joke.
The atmosphere grew relaxed again.
Yet one question continued to bother him.
Aiden remembered the attackers in the blizzard.
Some of them had not merely been thrown back by the hammer strike.
They had also seemed to lose the ability to fight, as though an invisible pressure had struck them at the same time as the physical blow.
He raised his head.
“Then… why did that happen to them?”
Elena followed his gaze toward Raymond before looking back at Aiden.
“That has to do with another ability.”
She raised one finger.
“Spirit of Will.”
Aiden listened attentively.
“Unlike Spirit Enhancement, the Spirit of Will doesn’t focus on strengthening the body or weapons. Instead, the user channels their will through Spirit to exert direct pressure on an opponent.”
“Pressure?”
“Yes. It’s not simply about making someone feel afraid.”
Elena chose her next words carefully.
“That pressure can affect an opponent’s body and soul. If the difference in strength is too great, the opponent may lose control of their movements, struggle to fight back, or even suffer internal injuries.”
Aiden fell silent.
“So they can get hurt even if Uncle doesn’t hit them?”
“That’s right,” Elena replied.
“The effects depend on the user’s strength, the opponent’s resilience, and how much pressure they have to endure.”
Raymond, who had been listening quietly, finally joined the conversation.
“Many people think this kind of pressure is only useful for frightening an opponent. But if the gap between them is too great, the consequences can be far more serious than fear.”
He lifted his cup of water, took a small sip, and set it down again.
“An opponent might lose the ability to fight. In certain circumstances, their body could even suffer damage from pressure they simply can’t withstand.”
Elena nodded.
“That’s why the Spirit of Will shouldn’t be treated as an ability that only attacks the mind. Both the body and the soul can be affected.”
Aiden considered her explanation.
He was beginning to understand why some of the attackers had reacted so differently after Raymond’s strike.
The visible injuries were not the only things they had suffered.
Still, there was something he wanted to make sure of.
“What if the opponent isn’t afraid?”
Elena shook her head gently.
“Not being afraid doesn’t mean someone can withstand the pressure of the Spirit of Will. A person might possess tremendous courage, but courage alone doesn’t guarantee that their body and soul can endure it.”
She paused before continuing.
“To withstand such pressure, a person needs adequate defenses. The source of those defenses can vary depending on their abilities and the power system they have mastered.”
Raymond gave a faint grin.
“Courage is important. But if you stand before an opponent who’s far stronger than you, courage alone won’t make you immune.”
He looked at Aiden with a calm expression.
“In battle, you have to understand what you’re facing. Otherwise, you might not realize how dangerous it is until it’s too late.”
Aiden slowly nodded.
The explanation brought him back to one particular thought.
During the attack, Raymond had done more than produce an extraordinary physical impact.
He had also used another ability that Aiden could not see.
Two different effects, delivered in a single strike.
Aiden pointed at the hammer across Raymond’s thighs.
“Uncle used two powers at the same time?”
Raymond raised an eyebrow.
“You noticed that, too?”
Aiden gave a small nod.
“Your hammer broke the ice. But those men couldn’t fight back, either.”
For the first time since their conversation began, Raymond looked at Aiden with unmistakable interest.
Then he laughed with satisfaction.
“That’s right. I used both in a single strike.”
Elena quickly took over the explanation.
“Spirit Enhancement strengthened Sir Raymond’s body and weapon. When his hammer struck the ground, the physical impact shattered the layer of ice and sent snow flying in every direction.”
She brought her hands together in front of her chest.
“At the same time, the Spirit of Will exerted pressure on the people around him. So the physical impact and the pressure on their bodies and souls happened simultaneously, but they were two different effects.”
Aiden stared at Raymond with wide eyes.
“You can use both at once, Uncle?”
“I can,” Raymond replied.
“But that doesn’t mean everyone can.”
He picked up the cleaning cloth again, though he still did not resume his work.
“The more complicated the techniques, the greater the control required. If my concentration slips or my Spirit becomes unstable, the result won’t be nearly as effective as what you saw.”
Elena nodded.
“Everyone has limits. Even the greatest fighters must take their physical condition, mental state, and abilities into account.”
Aiden committed the information to memory.
Then he remembered something else.
Before the attackers appeared, Edward had noticed suspicious signs along the road.
He had realized that something was wrong before the convoy came under attack.
Aiden turned to his sister again.
“If someone can sense that enemies are nearby… is that Spirit, too?”
Elena smiled.
“Good question. There’s an ability called Spirit Observation.”
“At the initial stages, Spirit Observation helps sharpen a person’s senses and detect clues that ordinary people might overlook,” Elena explained.
“It can make the user more sensitive to sounds, movements, the presence of living creatures, and changes in their surroundings.”
Aiden remembered the tracks in the snow and the broken branches Edward might have noticed.
“Like Brother Edward?”
“Some of that might be related to observation, but don’t assume that everyone who’s sensitive to their surroundings is using Spirit Observation,” Elena replied.
“Experience, intelligence, and the habit of paying attention are important, too.”
Raymond nodded in agreement.
“A careless knight might overlook tracks lying right in front of him. Meanwhile, someone without any special ability might notice danger simply because they know what to look for.”
Aiden nodded slightly.
He was beginning to understand that not everything extraordinary had to come from a special power.
Sometimes, experience and the way a person used their mind were just as important.
Elena continued.
“At advanced levels, Spirit Observation can develop into much more complex abilities. Two techniques you should know about are Flow Calculation and Echo of Intent.”
Aiden repeated the two names silently.
Flow Calculation.
Echo of Intent.
“Flow Calculation helps a user read movement patterns, flows of force, and changes in position to predict what might happen next. Echo of Intent, meanwhile, helps them detect clues about an opponent’s intentions before those intentions are translated into movement.”
Elena picked up a wooden spoon from the table and slowly moved it toward Aiden.
“For example, a fighter shifts their feet, changes the position of their shoulders, and transfers their weight. Someone experienced can use those clues to predict the direction of the next attack.”
She stopped moving the spoon.
“But that doesn’t mean they can see the future.”
Aiden tilted his head.
“They can’t?”
“No. They read clues and make predictions. If their opponent changes their movements or deliberately gives false signals, those predictions can be wrong.”
Raymond smiled faintly.
“A fighter who trusts their own calculations too much can sometimes be led straight into a trap by a more cunning opponent.”
Elena nodded.
“Advanced Observation also carries significant risks. The more information a person processes, the greater the burden placed on their mind.”
Her voice grew more serious.
“If they push themselves for too long, they may suffer sensory fatigue, severe headaches, nosebleeds, or even bleeding from the ears. In more serious cases, they can experience Mental Burnout.”
Aiden looked at her.
“What is that?”
“It’s when the mind can no longer process the information it receives. Observation may become impaired, and the user might lose the sharpness of their usual senses, become disoriented, or struggle to understand what’s happening around them.”
Elena lowered the wooden spoon onto the table.
“If someone keeps pushing the ability beyond their limits, they may also begin to struggle to distinguish reliable clues from the predictions their own mind produces.”
An ability that allowed someone to read an opponent could become a weakness of its own if used without restraint.
He began to notice the same pattern in every branch of Spirit Elena had explained.
Spirit Enhancement required a body capable of enduring the reinforcement.
The Spirit of Will demanded control over pressure that could affect both body and soul.
Spirit Observation required a mind capable of processing information without exceeding its limits.
Every ability had its advantages.
And every advantage came with its own demands.
Yet Aiden’s curiosity remained unsatisfied.
“If someone becomes really strong…”
He paused, searching for the right words.
“Can there still be someone stronger?”
Elena looked at him, then gave him a small smile.
“Of course.”
She raised one finger.
“At a very high level, there’s a technique called Stance Manifestation. Many people also know it as a Domain.”
Raymond stopped cleaning his hammer and listened.
“A Domain isn’t simply about making the pressure of Spirit stronger,” Elena continued.
“At that level, a person’s will and mental presence can influence the area around them. Within that area, the effects of their power can become far more dominant.”
Aiden stared at his sister without blinking.
“Can it change everything?”
“Not that simply.” Elena shook her head at once.
“A Domain isn’t an unlimited power. Its effects depend on the user’s mastery, the nature of their ability, and the resistance they encounter.”
She lowered her hand.
“And the risks are much greater. Imposing one’s will over a wide area or confronting an overwhelmingly powerful opponent can place an enormous strain on the mind and soul. If the user fails to control the ability, the consequences can include severe mental damage or even soul erosion.”
This time, Aiden did not immediately ask another question.
The term sounded grave, even to someone carrying the experiences of a previous life.
He knew that great power often came with a great price.
Still, hearing that a technique could damage its user’s own soul made him even more cautious.
Raymond finally spoke again.
“That’s why, young master, you shouldn’t judge a fighter solely by how much destruction they can cause.”
He lifted his warhammer slightly to inspect its head before settling it across his thighs once more.
“Strength matters. But self-control, situational awareness, and knowing when to stop are just as important if you want to survive.”
Aiden slowly nodded.
He did not yet understand every detail Elena had explained.
His body was still too small, his experience in this world was limited, and he could not even sense Spirit the way seasoned fighters could.
Still, he now had a clearer picture.
This world was not as simple as it seemed.
Behind the strike that shattered the ice lay a power that strengthened the body and weapons.
Behind the attackers’ inability to fight back lay a pressure that struck at their bodies and souls.
And behind the ability to read an opponent’s movements lay a mind forced to bear an extraordinary burden.
None of these abilities could be mastered without training, control, and risk.
“Aiden?”
Elena’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
“Do you understand?”
Aiden looked at her for a moment.
“A little.”
Elena laughed softly.
“That’s all right. You don’t have to understand everything tonight.”
She wrapped her arms around him and planted an affectionate kiss on his cheek.
“What’s important is that you don’t try anything you don’t understand yet. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
Aiden let out a small sigh.
He was already accustomed to Elena treating him like a living doll.
Even so, he did not truly mind.
“Okay, big sister.”
“Good boy.”
From his seat, Raymond watched them with an amused smile.
“If I may offer a suggestion, Lady Elena, perhaps we should let the young master rest. We have an early start tomorrow.”
Elena turned toward him.
“I’ve only just finished explaining the most important parts.”
“And I suspect there are still plenty of other things you’d like to explain.”
“Of course. There’s still so much about Spirit that we haven’t covered.”
“In that case, I’ll pray that the young master has enough stamina to keep up with your lessons.”
Elena was about to retort when footsteps sounded from the staircase.
Duchess Freya appeared, carrying a thick wool blanket in her arms.
She surveyed the common room, then smiled when she saw her two children sitting together near the fireplace.
“So, this is where you two have been.”
Elena immediately straightened her back.
“Mother.”
Freya’s gaze shifted to the notebook beside her daughter, then to Aiden, who was still leaning against Elena.
“Are you studying again?”
“Just a little,” Elena replied quickly.
Raymond lowered his head to hide his smile.
Freya raised an eyebrow.
“Just a little?”
Elena fell silent for a moment.
“All right… perhaps more than a little.”
Freya sighed softly, though the smile never left her face.
“Elena, you may read and study as much as you like during the day. But your little brother is still too young to stay up late every night.”
She knelt in front of Aiden and gently stroked her youngest son’s hair.
“It’s time for bed, sweetheart.”
Aiden glanced at Elena.
His sister looked as though she wanted to protest, but she eventually released him with obvious reluctance.
Freya lifted Aiden into her arms and wrapped him in the blanket.
“We’ll continue our journey to Gimle tomorrow morning. I want both of you to get enough rest.”
Elena stepped down from the cushion and straightened her notebook.
“Good night, Aiden.”
She leaned closer and planted another kiss on his cheek.
“If you want, big sister can continue the lesson tomorrow.”
Aiden gave a small nod.
“Tomorrow, then.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Elena smiled with satisfaction.
Freya carried Aiden toward the room prepared for the Duke’s family.
A thick mattress and warm blankets awaited them inside.
The sound of the night wind was faint behind the inn’s stone walls.
Freya laid Aiden down, adjusted the blanket until it covered his shoulders, and kissed his forehead.
“Get some rest, sweetheart.”
Not long afterward, the lamp was dimmed.
After making sure her son was comfortable, Freya left him to rest.
Aiden stared at the ceiling for a while.
His body was sinking into the warmth of the bed, but his mind was still filled with Elena’s explanations.
Spirit Enhancement.
The Spirit of Will.
Spirit Observation.
And Stance Manifestation—a high-level technique that could even put its user’s soul at risk.
He wanted to understand all of it.
He wanted to discover how far the powers of this world could develop and how people like Raymond had learned to wield them with such skill.
But for now, he would have to be patient.
The knowledge he had gained in his previous life did not automatically grant him an understanding of this world’s power system.
His past experiences gave him a different way of thinking, but Spirit was still something he would have to learn from the beginning.
He would have to observe, understand its principles, and learn the limits of his own body when the time came.
Aiden closed his eyes.
One question remained in his mind.
If Sir Raymond’s strength alone was enough to incapacitate the attackers with a single strike, how terrifying must the power of those who stood far above him be?
He did not have the answer yet.
But one day, he would find it.
Outside the inn, the blizzard gradually subsided.
Pale moonlight fell across the snow-covered road stretching toward the capital.
Gimle was close.
The House of Silver convoy would arrive the following day, just in time to attend the celebration of King Gyo’s daughter’s tenth birthday and her engagement.
And that night, for the first time since the ambush, he fell asleep understanding that the powers of this world were far more complicated than simply determining who could swing a weapon the hardest.