Jo Yeon stood up from her seat when she saw Rohan's face on the camera.
There was no need to personally open the door; the system could handle it from inside.
─ “I’m here!”
Click! The door unlocked, and Rohan’s confident voice echoed into the living room. Clara unconsciously leaped from her chair.
Jo Yeon gestured with a nod for Clara to go ahead.
“O-oppa!”
With permission, Clara dashed to the entrance like an excited puppy waiting for its owner.
Soon after, their voices could be heard from the hallway.
Jo Yeon stayed at the table, choosing to let the young girl enjoy her moment.
She held her cooled mug and activated her mana, warming the coffee once again.
Taking a small sip, Jo Yeon mulled over the topic Clara had brought up earlier.
“Romance...”
The word lingered in her mind, and she couldn’t help but think of her parents back in Samhwaguk. They often brought up such topics whenever she returned home.
She could somewhat understand their desire to see a grandchild, but Jo Yeon had no intention of putting down her weapons.
Too many responsibilities had piled up for her to pursue a peaceful, ordinary life. She had come too far to turn back now.
“I’m neither a good instructor nor a filial daughter...”
Even if she gave up her position at Orion Academy and returned to Samhwaguk, she would simply continue living on the battlefield to protect her homeland.
Such a perilous life made her fear inflicting the pain of loss on someone else, so she deliberately avoided forming deep relationships.
She knew all too well from experience how quickly such a shock could eat away at someone.
─ “Did everything go well with the instructor?”
─ “Y-yes... Jo Yeon-nim was very kind...”
The sound of footsteps drew closer.
Jo Yeon shook herself free from her sentimental thoughts.
“Instructor! Pardon the intrusion!”
“Welcome.”
Rohan stepped into the living room, bowing politely as he held up a colorful paper bag.
If Jo Yeon remembered correctly, it was from an ice cream franchise that had recently expanded to Academy City from Tigrova.
“I thought it’d be rude to come empty-handed, so I brought some dessert for after dinner.”
“A cadet bringing dessert to their instructor’s home...”
Jo Yeon trailed off as she noticed Clara’s eyes fixed on the ice cream.
She stopped mid-sentence, simply nodding with a small chuckle when Rohan asked if he could put it in the freezer.
Hm?
As Rohan opened the freezer, turning his back to Jo Yeon, her eyes narrowed slightly.
There was something subtly different about him.
It was a faint change, small enough that the distracted officers at the Bureau of Security likely hadn’t noticed. Only someone as perceptive as Jo Yeon would pick up on it.
She focused intently, and what she saw was both familiar and unfamiliar.
“Light... no, flames?”
Jo Yeon was aware that Rohan had an affinity for fire, as demonstrated by his ability to use Scorching Blade. But the flames she sensed now were far more developed than before.
“Has he gained some sort of enlightenment through hardship?”
If Rohan were to actively wield his mana, Jo Yeon was certain she could see it more clearly.
For now, she simply felt that something about him had changed and grown.
***
After finishing their meal and dessert, Rohan, who had missed his afternoon classes due to unforeseen circumstances, expressed his disappointment and asked Jo Yeon if she could spar with him for a while.
Jo Yeon, curious about Rohan’s recent changes, agreed and handed him one of her swords.
The three of them stepped outside to stretch their legs and digest their meal.
As they walked, Rohan handed his jacket to Clara, who had followed him out. The girl’s delighted expression was unmistakable.
The park in front of Jo Yeon’s residence was exclusively for the use of the mansion’s residents, making it a quiet and peaceful place.
Under the bright streetlights, Rohan began stretching to loosen up his body. As he rolled his shoulders, he spoke as though he had just remembered something.
“Oh, Instructor. When my friends asked where I’d gone, I just told them I had to leave early because of some errands.”
“Good. Once the information has been sorted and agreements are in place, I’ll personally share it with the academy. It won’t take long.”
The information had already been conveyed to the three countries managing Academy City.
While it was unclear what conclusions they would reach, it was highly likely that some of the academy’s higher-ranking officials had already been informed.
Wearing a simple t-shirt and cotton pants, Rohan lightly bounced in place to test his condition.
Satisfied, he drew the sword Jo Yeon had lent him.
Shrring──!
Placing the scabbard gently on the ground, he assumed a stance.
Clara, not wanting to be a distraction, stepped back to watch the two from a safe distance.
Jo Yeon stood unarmed, ready to receive Rohan’s attacks. She remained in an open stance, as though conducting a lesson.
Before beginning, Rohan mentally reviewed his new skill.
“Heaven’s Judgment Sword (Cheonil Seongjae Geom) is currently Level 1.”
He could use two techniques:
◇ First Slash (Ilgeom): Flame Sever (Yeomjeol)
◇ Second Slash (Igeom): Dawn’s Falling Sun (Yeomyeong Nakil)
Based on his experience observing various unique skills and his intuition, Rohan surmised that leveling up would unlock additional techniques as long as his physical abilities and mana capacity grew accordingly.
“Huuu...”
Exhaling deeply, he spread his legs and lowered his stance.
The blade, imbued with Scorching Blade, glowed a vivid crimson.
“Even before swinging, this feels difficult.”
Unlike in Abyss City, where pressing a button triggered dazzling sword techniques, this skill required precise execution.
Only the basic movements and mana circulation paths were etched into his mind.
The skill hovered somewhere between an active and a passive one, defying easy categorization.
The contraction and relaxation of specific muscles, the controlled breathing, the moment of impact as he gripped the sword, the arc the blade needed to follow—these complex and intricate motions, combined with geometric mana patterns, flooded his consciousness like a landslide.
‘The foundation of mastery begins with fulfilling the basics.’
To surpass that and achieve an ideal sword technique—how much practice would it take?
Rohan began to look forward to the endless training that lay ahead, even if it meant exhausting himself.
‘For now, even if it’s clumsy, I’ll give it a try.’
He gripped his sword tightly.
──Swish! Rohan’s feet pushed off the ground as he quickly closed the distance between himself and Jo Yeon.
“Release your power freely.”
“Thank you.”
Jo Yeon didn’t make the first move, choosing to simply wait.
For Rohan, that was the perfect opportunity.
“Huup!”
The blade came within striking distance. Rohan moved like lightning, channeling his mana as he did.
[First Slash (Ilgeom) - Flame Sever (Yeomjeol)]
Jo Yeon dodged the path of Rohan’s blade with a single step, all while continuing her observations.
‘Interesting.’
There weren’t any flashy flames, but Jo Yeon could see it clearly.
The heat followed the trajectory of the blade, compressed to the point where it seemed ready to explode.
It was a method of mana control she had never seen before.
‘And this sword technique...’
This wasn’t the kind of wild and instinctual slash Rohan had previously displayed in training.
It carried the semblance of a structured technique—fascinating and full of potential.
[Second Slash (Igeom) - Dawn’s Falling Sun (Yeomyeong Nakil)]
Rohan followed up with a downward strike.
The blade was caught by Jo Yeon’s hand.
Though it rendered Rohan’s Scorching Blade ineffective, it wasn’t the end—the ground trembled as if an eruption of flames was imminent.
Sensing the heat, Jo Yeon stomped on the ground, suppressing the fire from breaking out.
Even with only the three of them in the park, it was a shared space, and she had to prevent any damage.
With her response complete, Jo Yeon’s curiosity deepened.
‘What kind of swordsmanship is this?’
It was clear that Rohan had learned a specific technique.
Was it something he already knew? Or perhaps a southern sword style?
She wondered what it would evolve into once the flames grew stronger and the technique fully matured.
Still, as fascinating as the technique was, there were many issues to address.
Rohan’s stance was riddled with flaws—awkward and clumsy.
Even Rohan seemed dissatisfied with his own strikes, as if realizing the lack of refinement in his movements.
Jo Yeon, unable to teach an ideal sword technique for something she didn’t fully understand, could at least help Rohan polish the fundamentals.
“Start again from the first strike I saw.”
Her voice was firm as she extended her hand, moving her mana.
The scabbard Rohan had placed on the ground flew into her grasp with a swish!
“Yes, Instructor!”
Rohan attempted Flame Sever once more.
Clack!
Before his blade could even finish its swing, Jo Yeon’s scabbard intercepted its path, halting it mid-motion.
“The starting point where the heat gathers is obvious. The problem is that it takes too long to condense.”
An obvious start meant it was like telegraphing a punch.
“When someone throws a punch, you can often read the signal from their shoulder before the punch even comes, right?”
“Yes.”
“That makes it easier to dodge.”
“You’re absolutely right, Instructor.”
“The same applies to your sword strike. The process of gathering heat before the swing is too drawn out—it’s like signaling the punch with a raised shoulder.”
Rohan nodded at Jo Yeon’s explanation, solidifying a new direction for improvement.
“Of course, against a sharp opponent, it could serve as a feint to set up a counterattack once or twice.”
“Thank you.”
Rohan adjusted his stance with a serious expression, and Jo Yeon gave her next command.
“Now, try the downward strike again.”
What was supposed to be a quick digestion walk was turning into an extended training session.
By the time the Night Map training ended, Rohan was nearly out of mana.
Clara had spent the entire time silently watching Rohan, seemingly lost in thought as she stared at his face.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
When Jo Yeon asked if she had been bored, Clara shook her head and replied that she hadn’t been bored at all.
The Next Day.
Rohan purchased a longsword on an installment plan, and Clara, thanks to Jo Yeon’s involvement, finally obtained her official Academy City identification card.
She had been asked to vacate the small room she had been staying in within three months.
As a gesture of gratitude for the help Clara had given him, Rohan decided to use the reward money he would receive from the Bureau of Security to find her a proper place to live.
Time passed, and Rohan grew more accustomed to his swordsmanship.
One day in April, as the midterms loomed closer—
While Rohan fretted over whether Shion was doing well—
The harbinger of the main storyline finally appeared before him.