The Final Moment.
In that fleeting instant, Jonathan clearly saw how Roman countered.
‘This can’t be.’
Just one step.
Everywhere else was a death trap.
If he stepped back, he would be struck by the momentum of the wooden sword.
If he dodged to the side, he wouldn’t be able to escape the sword’s range.
It was an explosive force.
The eruption of aura was specialized for instantaneous power, and the longer the distance the force had to travel, the more disadvantageous it was for the defender.
Naturally, Jonathan thought Roman, who was just an ordinary person, was in danger.
But the result that unfolded was different from his expectations.
Roman had broken the range of the attack.
With just one step forward, he had prevented his opponent from fully exerting their power.
By slightly tilting his face, he boldly dodged the attack right in front of his eyes.
It was truly a hair’s breadth difference.
Even in a situation where his face could have been shattered, Roman remained unshaken and subdued Chris.
Astonishment.
It defied common sense.
For Jonathan, it was hard to accept the reality before his eyes.
‘……I knew nothing about Young Master Roman all this time.’
Roman was a fool.
Having personally taught him before, Jonathan had harbored negative feelings toward Roman, who had given up without even trying.
But the Roman before his eyes was different.
Roman not only possessed the temperament of a fighter who didn’t know the meaning of giving up, but his foundational skills as a swordsman were also incredibly solid.
The counterattack that brought down his opponent in an instant wasn’t a lucky punch.
Only with sufficient foundational skills and the ability to execute one’s thoughts could one pull off a seemingly impossible move.
Solid defense.
Flowing attacks.
It was clear.
Roman’s skills weren’t something that could be achieved in just a year or two.
They were the result of years of deep refinement.
‘When did he grow so much?’
Jonathan traced back his memories.
Just a month ago, he had seen Roman wandering the streets drunk.
How pitiful.
Roman’s rowdy behavior, shouting and causing trouble, had only deepened the infamy of the Dmitry family’s fool.
A pitiful human.
That was how Jonathan remembered him.
But now, starting with the Blood Fang incident, Roman had even defeated Chris, an aura knight.
At that moment, Baron Romero, who had been watching the sparring match with a dazed expression, spoke up.
“Knight Captain Jonathan.”
“Yes.”
“What on earth just happened? Deputy Knight Captain Chris is a 2-star aura knight, one of Dmitry’s prides, isn’t he?”
He was just as bewildered.
It was a perplexing moment.
Baron Romero needed an explanation.
He wanted to hear from Jonathan why his son had grown so rapidly.
After a brief hesitation, Jonathan, who had been alternating his gaze between Roman and Baron Romero with a complicated expression, finally gave the most reasonable answer.
“……It seems Young Master Roman is a genius in swordsmanship.”
Roman caught his breath.
His cheek stung.
When he touched the painful area with his hand, a drop of blood flowed from a shallow cut.
‘Pathetic.’
Chris.
He wasn’t a bad fighter.
He knew how to aggressively push his opponent and had a sharp eye for reading the flow of battle.
The problem was.
‘He’s only not bad by this world’s standards.’
Having faced Blood Fang’s gang, including Ben Miles, Roman knew the extent of their strength.
Chris’s skills were enough to take down a dozen of them.
Among the people he had met so far, Chris seemed to be the strongest, excluding Jonathan.
But by Baek Joong-hyuk’s standards?
The lowest of the low.
Even the lowest-ranking martial artists of the Demonic Cult would likely be stronger than Chris.
The eruption of aura at the end was threatening enough, but compared to the methods used in the martial world, it was crude.
‘The eruption of qi was quite crude.
I can’t understand why they use qi like this.
It seems similar to the mana power Hans mentioned, but this world uses it in a completely different way.’
Curiosity arose.
Aura.
He wanted to learn more about it.
If this was the world he was going to live in, he needed to accurately understand the power they wielded.
But then.
“Hahahahaha.”
Baron Romero’s laughter echoed.
Upon hearing Jonathan’s answer, he genuinely looked happy at the thought that his son was a genius.
“My son, our eldest, is a genius in swordsmanship? Knight Captain Jonathan, are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes. There’s no other way to explain Young Master Roman’s growth. It seems my abilities were too lacking to recognize Young Master Roman’s true potential before. He is undoubtedly a genius.”
“Really? He’s truly a genius?”
His face lit up.
Baron Romero gestured for Roman to come closer.
“Son.”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I’m so proud of you. Not just because Knight Captain Jonathan says you’re a genius in swordsmanship, but because my son, Roman, has achieved something on his own. If there’s anything you want, tell me now. Rewards and punishments must be clear. For my son, I’ll grant a special reward.”
Baron Romero Dmitry.
This was his true nature.
Though he had been furious at his son’s past behavior, he was, at heart, a doting father.
He was just awkward at expressing his emotions, but he truly loved Roman.
A reward.
The stage was set.
Normally, one would laugh off a father’s reward, but Roman’s reaction was different.
Receiving rewards and punishments.
It was a familiar part of Roman’s life, and when Baron Romero mentioned a reward, something came to mind.
“With the marriage to the Lawrence family falling through, it’s inevitable that I’ll have to join the military. Since my two younger brothers, who went to the capital, can’t fulfill their military obligations, I’ll have to head to the battlefield in six months. So, I’d like to request the authority to personally select the troops I’ll be taking with me. And I’d also like financial support for the expenses that will arise during the process.”
It was straightforward.
At such a specific proposal, Baron Romero looked surprised.
“……Huh.”
Military obligations.
Just the thought of it was bitter.
As a minor kingdom, the Kingdom of Cairo had no choice but to share the kingdom’s burdens in this way.
It was an unavoidable reality.
Married nobles were temporarily exempt from military service, but Roman’s acceptance of the situation changed his father’s thoughts.
He wanted to believe in his son.
Roman’s life.
As a father, the best he could do was help his son soar.
“Understood. I’ll grant you full authority regarding the military.”
“And one last request.”
“Speak. If you continue to show me this side of you, I’ll do anything for my son.”
Perhaps because his expectations had been so low.
Baron Romero’s trust was blind.
Roman smiled lightly and looked at Chris, who was lying on the ground.
“I’d like to learn about aura. So, please assign that swordsman I fought earlier to personally teach me.”
A new culture.
Now was the time to learn more about this world.
How much time had passed?
Chris opened his eyes.
As the blue sky poured into his vision, he found himself shedding tears without realizing it.
“Ugh, this is so embarrassing.”
Defeat.
It was a bewildering reality.
Losing to none other than Dmitry’s fool made him want to hide his face in a mouse hole.
But what could he do?
It was the reality.
The fact that he had lost to Roman didn’t change, and when he came to his senses and got up, he saw his reflection in the mirror.
It was devastating.
Chris, who had once been praised for his handsome looks, now had two front teeth missing in the mirror.
A situation as despairing as the defeat itself.
He hurriedly checked the training ground to confirm the broken teeth, but there was no way to put them back in place.
“……Should I just die?”
It was a moment of genuine contemplation.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
As he struggled to climb out of the pit of despair, a thunderous command struck him.
“Whaaat?!”
“I know how you feel. But Chris. It’s the lord’s order.”
“Knight Captain, no, Master. This isn’t right. I’ve just been defeated by Young Master Roman and turned into a fool with missing front teeth, and now you’re telling me to teach him aura? This is really not it. Even if it means my head rolls for disobedience, I can’t accept this.”
He flopped down on the ground.
A desperate will.
He never wanted to see Roman’s face again.
From the start, their relationship had been nothing but bad luck, and losing to Roman felt more humiliating than anything else.
Jonathan spoke.
“I’ll make you an offer.”
“…….”
“Use the excuse of teaching Young Master Roman to accurately observe how he’s changed. If you handle this well, I’ll allow you to learn the secret techniques I’ve been withholding.”
“……Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Damn.”
Chris shot up from his seat.
Secret techniques.
The very thing that had made Jonathan a 3-star aura knight.
As someone who had always coveted Jonathan’s secrets, Chris couldn’t possibly refuse the offer.
“No take-backs later.”
A voice tinged with irritation.
In the end.
Chris had crossed a river he couldn’t return from.
The next day.
Chris met Roman.
But then.
Pfft.
Roman laughed.
Chris’s eyes widened in an instant.
They hadn’t even exchanged a single word, but the meaning behind Roman’s sudden laughter was all too clear.
‘Ah, damn it.’
The missing front teeth.
The wind whistled through the gap.
Chris already regretted accepting the offer, but to achieve his goal, he had to endure even the unpleasant tasks.
Suppressing the boiling anger, Chris spoke with a calm face.
“I’ll explain aura to you now.”
Aura.
A branch of mana, it referred to the power used by knights.
While mages stored mana in circles, knights spread mana throughout their bodies.
“The person who invented aura was Emperor Alexander, known as the Pioneer. Unlike mages, he discovered a way to strengthen the human body by spreading mana throughout it. Aura refers to the power of instantaneously erupting this mana. Normally, the mana spread throughout the body erupts in an instant according to the user’s will, unleashing tremendous power.”
“…….”
Roman’s attitude was serious.
He didn’t interrupt Chris’s explanation, nor did he show any playful demeanor.
Seeing Roman’s earnestness during the lesson, Chris’s resentment subsided somewhat.
“Actually, knowing the history of aura isn’t important. Mana is a power only the chosen can use, and only one in a thousand can walk the path of an aura knight, while one in ten thousand can become a mage. So, the first step is to confirm your aptitude.
The minimum requirement to become an aura knight is the ability to sense mana. Most people give up at this stage. In my case, it took me half a year to sense mana, but even if it takes a year, sensing mana alone puts you above average.
Hence, it’s a matter of talent.”
There was a hint of pride in his words.
He was subtly boasting about himself.
When he sensed mana in just half a year as Jonathan’s disciple, Dmitry had been in an uproar, calling him a genius.
Chris.
That was the kind of person he was.
But Roman didn’t give him the reaction he wanted.
“One year. That’s the time frame to determine potential, right?”
“Yes. If you can’t sense mana within a year, it’s best to give up on the path of an aura knight.”
“Then let’s start with sensing mana. Can you explain the method you used?”
“Of course.”
His pride was slightly hurt.
But it was fine.
Once the mana training began, it would become clear who the real winner was between Roman and himself.
‘Even if Young Master Roman is a genius in swordsmanship, talent in mana is a separate matter.
This training will make him taste the harshness of reality.
And the longer he goes without sensing mana, the more he’ll realize how amazing I am.
Hehehe, thinking about it, this isn’t a bad offer after all.’
He was excited.
He had seen countless people despair during mana training.
Roman wouldn’t be any different.
Hiding his inner thoughts, Chris explained the method for training mana.
“The method for training mana is……”
Chris’s teachings.
Roman gradually began to immerse himself in his own world.
Chapter 13: Qi and Mana (2)
In truth, the premise of this training was flawed from the start.
Roman had already sensed this world’s mana and had accumulated a small amount in his dantian through the Heavenly Demon Art.
But there was a reason he wanted to receive instruction.
‘Blindly following only my own knowledge is the fastest path to regression.
In the martial world, it’s called qi, while in this world, it’s expressed as mana and aura.
I need to experience this power firsthand, from start to finish, in the way of this new world.
Even if I can’t understand it with my mind, I’ll follow their methods for now.’
He discarded his preconceptions.
Chris’s teachings were completely different from the martial world’s methods, but Roman didn’t let himself be bound by the established ways.
Several breaths.
Chris emphasized the importance of feeling a tingling presence during this process.
That was what they called mana in the Salamander Continent.
For Roman, mana began to gather around him after just a few breaths.
It was inevitable.
Having lived a life in harmony with nature’s energy, Roman knew well how to guide and interact with such forces.
One step.
What Chris said would take a year to achieve, Roman accomplished in less than a minute.
From then on, it was about guiding the mana.
He accepted it.
As the strange and mystical energy entered his body, Roman guided it through his blood vessels to every part of his body.
‘It’s definitely different from the martial world.
In the martial world, we circulate qi to remove impurities from the blood vessels, ultimately aiming to accumulate mana in the dantian.
But this world is different.
They simply hope that mana naturally accumulates throughout the body during the guiding process, with no binding force.
Is there a reason they do it this way? The energy that naturally settles is easy to control, but the problem is that with this method, even after a hundred years, one wouldn’t reach the peak.’
It was an inefficient method.
Moreover, the nature of mana itself was an issue.
While the martial world’s mana was sparse but heavy, this world’s mana was abundant but lighter.
The mana that entered him flowed out just as easily.
He wanted to grasp it all.
But.
‘For now, I’ll follow this world’s methods.’
He suppressed his desires.
The use of mental techniques was always possible.
Roman knew better than anyone how to grow stronger, but now was the time to embrace a new civilization.
Chris’s voice echoed.
“Once you reach a stage where you can manipulate mana to some extent, you can begin to manifest aura. Concentrating the mana spread throughout your body into a single point—that’s the manifestation of aura. Aura can be utilized in various ways. You can coat your sword with aura to increase its destructive power, or apply it to your body to unleash explosive force in an instant. What’s certain is that once you reach the stage of manifesting aura, we consider you a 1-star aura knight.”
Chris wouldn’t know.
That Roman had already entered the stage of accumulating mana.
To him, it was just a matter of explaining, but Roman was already moving mana according to his instructions.
He accepted the mana.
Roman’s binding force prevented the mana circulating in his body from simply flowing out.
Layer by layer, the mana accumulated.
It took only a moment for Roman to enter the stage of aura manifestation.
Whoosh!
His body glowed blue.
Even though Chris hadn’t taught him this, Roman concentrated the mana into a single point and temporarily strengthened his skin.
A familiar phenomenon.
Roman recalled a similar method.
‘It’s similar to the martial world’s external techniques, but different.
External techniques strengthen the body’s exterior, but what Chris is describing is neither here nor there.
It doesn’t strengthen the exterior, nor does it accumulate mana internally.
The method of instantaneously erupting mana is highly inefficient, as the mana, not concentrated in one place, disperses in all directions.
My initial thoughts upon seeing Chris manifest aura weren’t wrong.’
It was certain.
Having experienced it firsthand, he could decisively conclude.
‘This world’s method of utilizing mana is trash.’
Training with Chris.
There was no longer any reason to continue.
The moment Roman manifested aura.
Chris’s eyes widened.
“Huh?!”
This training.
He hadn’t even hoped for Roman to sense mana.
Simply understanding the training method would have been a success, but something completely unexpected had happened.
A blue glow on his skin.
It was the manifestation of aura.
Rubbing his eyes and looking again, the scene before him didn’t change.
‘How is this possible?’
It defied common sense.
It had taken him half a year to sense mana and three years of effort to erupt it.
And even then, he was called a genius.
Having diligently trained in swordsmanship as Jonathan’s disciple since childhood, he had reached the 2-star level in his mid-twenties and was recognized as a genius by all.
But this.
What on earth was this?