In truth, the premise of this training was flawed from the start.
Roman had already felt the mana of this world and, through the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, had accumulated a small amount of mana in his dantian.
Yet, there was a reason he sought instruction.
"Blindly following only the knowledge I possess is a shortcut to regression. In the martial world, it's called qi, but in this world, it's expressed as mana and aura. I need to experience this power firsthand, from beginning to end, in the way of this new world. Even if I can't understand it with my mind, I must first follow their methods."
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 established norms.
Several breaths.
Chris emphasized the importance of feeling a tingling presence on the skin during this process.
That was what the Salamander Continent called mana.
For Roman, mana began to gather around him even before he had exhaled a few breaths.
It was inevitable.
Having lived a life in harmony with the natural energy, Roman knew well the nature of such forces and how to guide them.
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 foreign and mysterious energy entered his body, Roman guided it through his blood vessels to every part of his body.
"It's certainly 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 will naturally accumulate throughout the body during the guiding process, with no binding force. Is there a reason for this? Naturally settling energy may follow human control well, but the problem is that training this way won't allow one to surpass the peak even after a hundred years."
It was an inefficient method.
Moreover, the issue also lay in the nature of mana.
If the martial world's mana felt heavy despite its barrenness, this world's mana felt light despite its abundance.
The mana that entered also flowed out just as easily.
Roman wanted to grasp it all.
But.
"For now, I'll follow this world's methods."
He suppressed his desire.
The operation 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 rang out.
"Once you reach a stage where you can manipulate mana to some extent, you can then manifest an aura. Concentrating the mana spread throughout your body into a single point—that is the manifestation of aura. The manifestation of aura can be utilized in various ways. You can cover a sword with aura to increase its destructive power, or apply it to your body to unleash explosive strength momentarily. What's certain is that reaching the stage of manifesting aura is what we call becoming 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 was only a moment before Roman entered the stage of manifesting aura.
Whoosh!
His body glowed blue.
Though Chris hadn't taught him this, Roman concentrated the mana into a single point, temporarily strengthening his skin.
A familiar phenomenon.
Roman recalled a similar method.
"It's similar to the martial world's external techniques, yet different. External techniques strengthen the body by training the exterior, but the method Chris speaks of is neither here nor there. It doesn't make the exterior stronger, nor does it accumulate mana internally. The method of expelling mana in an instant is highly inefficient, as the mana, not gathered in one place from the start, disperses in all directions. Seeing Chris manifest aura confirmed what I had thought."
It was certain.
Having experienced it firsthand, he could decisively conclude.
"The way this world utilizes mana is trash."
Training with Chris.
There was no longer any reason to continue.
The moment Roman manifested his aura.
Chris's eyes widened.
"Huh?!"
This training.
He hadn't even hoped for Roman to feel mana.
Simply understanding the method of training would have been a success, but an entirely unexpected situation had unfolded.
Blue-glowing skin.
It was the manifestation of aura.
Rubbing his eyes and looking again, the scene before him hadn't changed.
"How... how is this possible?"
Beyond common sense.
It had taken him half a year to feel mana and three years of effort to expel it.
Yet, he was called a genius.
Having diligently trained in swordsmanship as Jonathan's disciple since childhood, he had reached the 2-star realm in his mid-twenties and was recognized as a genius by all.
But.
What was this?
Roman's progress was beyond what his mind could comprehend.
"...... Hoo."
Roman opened his eyes.
As he regulated his breathing, Chris, as if waiting, asked.
"How did you do that? Did you really just manifest aura?"
"You saw it, so you should know."
"That's why I'm asking. No, this doesn't make sense. Some people take three and a half years to successfully expel aura, but you, Young Master Roman, succeeded in just thirty minutes. Honestly, tell me. Did you already know how to use aura and were just playing a prank on me? Ah, now I understand. It was strange from the start that I, a 2-star aura knight, lost to you."
It was a self-serving interpretation.
Rather than accepting that Roman was a genius who expelled aura in thirty minutes, it was more convincing that he was a hidden master.
The problem was that the latter was also beyond common sense.
Then, had Roman hidden his strength two years ago?
Why?
Chris's gaze at Roman grew complicated.
"Can you tell me the criteria for distinguishing the strength of aura knights by stars? What level is the realm I've achieved now, and how many stars is the person currently called the strongest?"
"......
First, since you've successfully manifested aura, you meet the conditions of a 1-star aura knight. And when you manifest aura on an object and cut through steel, you're then called a 2-star aura knight. The real deal starts at 3 stars.
The distinction of stars is based on the intensity and destructive power of the aura. A 3-star knight receives special treatment even in the kingdom. Thus, Knight Captain Jonathan is a knight recognized by the kingdom.
A 4-star is known by name in the kingdom, and a 5-star is known across the continent. For reference, the swordsman known as the continent's best is said to be a 6-star swordsman. No one has reached the 7-star realm yet."
6 stars.
The pinnacle of the continent.
Having met Jonathan, Roman could roughly picture the situation.
"By martial world standards, Jonathan is slightly below second-rate. Even if the 6-star knight is highly regarded, it's certain that he doesn't reach the level I expect. Perhaps the mainstream of this world isn't swordsmanship. If aura is a talent granted to one in a thousand, magic is said to be a talent for one in ten thousand. I'll only know for sure by experiencing them firsthand."
It was interesting.
A different method from the martial world.
He wanted to step into the world and experience everything it had to offer.
"Actually, the distinction of stars doesn't perfectly represent martial prowess. This continent has a ranking system. While the 6-star knight is the continent's best, not all knights in the top ten rankings have reached the 6-star realm. Anyway, Young Master, since when have you been refining mana? It took me a full ten years to reach the 2-star realm. Even I, called a genius, took that long. Thinking of how you were two years ago, this doesn't make sense."
Chris's words.
It had taken him ten years to feel mana, expel aura, and manifest it through a sword.
"Pfft."
Roman burst into laughter.
Truly, this world's standards were below expectations.
Roman's reaction.
Chris's face turned red.
Though not explicitly stated, Chris couldn't help but feel mocked by Roman's demeanor.
"...... Why are you laughing?"
"Because it's funny."
"Are you saying my efforts are funny?"
The atmosphere turned cold.
Chris.
Dmitry's talent.
Though he had lost to Roman, his pride wasn't completely shattered.
With Chris's face red and ready to explode, Roman looked at him with a smile still lingering.
"Let me ask you one thing. During your journey to that realm, did you ever question the training method even once?"
"What do you mean?"
"People often make a mistake. They think that just because a method has been passed down for generations, it must be blindly correct. While learning the mana training method from you, I thought about it. In my mind, I clearly see the shortcomings of this method. Why do you insist on it? Is it because you don't know? Or is it because of your strong trust in Knight Captain Jonathan, who imparted this teaching?"
"......"
It was an unexpected statement.
Chris, who had been about to get angry, was struck speechless, his face filled with confusion.
The training method.
As Roman said, he had never questioned it.
"The reason is simple. It's easier to follow. A method that has already gone through trial and error means I have no reason to suffer losses or be criticized. I'm not denying the fact that you've worked hard for ten years. But it's just laughable that in the process of such effort, you never once questioned the method you pursued. This world isn't one where someone has set a perfect answer. The method you blindly follow is just one branch that started from someone's contemplation."
During the time he was called the Heavenly Demon.
Roman didn't take his father's teachings at face value.
Even though his father stood at the pinnacle of the Demonic Cult, Roman constantly analyzed and studied his words.
Through such efforts.
Roman created his own Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Even the cult members who had initially criticized Roman's actions were left in awe by the perfect power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Roman had lived like that.
His life.
The subject was not others.
He didn't accept things just because they had been passed down for generations.
He pondered why he should accept them and whether they were truly the best choice for him.
Of course, such questions plunged his life into suffering.
He had to go through trial and error, and when faced with failed results, he had to endure others' criticism and despair.
Even so.
Change was necessary.
Just as something passed down from ancestors began with a question, Roman always questioned himself.
"Let me ask again. Did you really give your best effort for ten years?"
"......"
He was speechless.
He looked back on his past life.
Chris had truly lived diligently.
But.
Chris's training method was blind.
He did as Jonathan told him, and this time, he accepted the offer to learn a secret technique out of a desire to learn from him.
It hit the mark.
Even though the statement went against the world's common sense, he couldn't refute it.
"Following inherited knowledge isn't a bad method. Chris might grow steadily like this and reach a high realm, being called a genius by others. But that's all. Those who don't question their own lives can't reign at the pinnacle. Chris is among the stronger people I've met in this world, but a frog in a well will eventually rot."
Roman's advice.
It was out of goodwill.
Having received help from him, Roman spoke words that made Chris face reality.
From now on, it was up to Chris.
If he couldn't accept reality with his reddened face, his life would end at the expected level.
"Let's end the training here."
He finished speaking.
And as he was about to take a step.
"...... Then tell me the answer. What should I do from now on?"
A returning question.
He stopped.
He looked at Chris again.
Pfft.
'Interesting.'
He had let go of his pride.
That was a very important matter.
Chris, who might have ended as a fleeting acquaintance, now seemed different.