Yeon-ha-neul’s training continued steadily after that.
After school, she would either learn basic swordsmanship at the swordsmanship school I attended or focus on building her physical strength.
On days when I didn’t go to the swordsmanship school, we would train together at home.
‘It feels like she’s coming here more for the dinner than the training.’
It might seem like our roles were reversed, but having motivation—even in the form of food—was still a good thing.
However, there were still unresolved issues.
‘I need to find that person quickly…’
I couldn’t let her, someone who wasn’t even a prosecutor, continue this level of physical training without proper guidance.
I needed to recruit a teacher who could teach her magic.
‘Where on earth is she?’
In the game, she was an instructor who primarily taught elemental magic to Academy students—Hong Ye-na, the Seven-Colored Witch.
At this point in time, she was probably wandering the country under the moniker of the Five-Colored Witch, before she became an Academy instructor.
I was searching for her.
I had even asked my father for help, but so far, I hadn’t heard back.
‘I guess I’ll just have to wait.’
We would meet eventually—sooner or later.
At this point in her career, she didn’t have enough prestige to refuse a request from a prestigious family.
If my father asked her to come, she would have no choice but to show up, whether she liked it or not.
So, I decided to be patient and wait for the right moment.
My thoughts soon shifted to something else.
‘If possible, I want to learn this before heading to Academy City…’
Even though I had recently learned instinct control, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t enough.
I wanted to acquire an additional skill—one that could assist instinct control and help manage my evasion instinct in critical situations.
That skill was courage.
‘This is something I absolutely have to learn.’
Courage was a skill that resisted the drop in ability caused by the pressure emitted by a powerful entity.
It also had the added benefit of improving focus and evasion rates in life-threatening situations.
For someone like me, who relied on a combination of evasion instinct and instinct control, courage was a perfect fit.
“What should I do?”
The problem was that obtaining the courage skill was notoriously difficult.
At the training ground after dinner, I stretched while reflecting on the day. I hadn’t completed my training quota because I had classes at the swordsmanship center earlier.
‘The conditions are the problem, the conditions.’
In the game, several requirements had to be met to acquire courage.
First, no other characters could be in the party besides the one aiming to gain courage and the “Kang Hanbyul,” who was a mandatory party member.
In that setup, the character seeking courage had to face an opponent emitting intense pressure entirely on their own.
Kang Hanbyul was not allowed to intervene in the battle until courage was acquired.
‘In that sense, the Kang Hanbyul isn’t truly necessary. In the game, you were forced to include them, but in this world, it’s different. You can bypass that requirement.’
Skills in this world weren’t just abstract game mechanics. They were the crystallization of effort and experience, shaped by achieving specific conditions or experiences in certain situations.
Therefore, in this world with greater freedom, it was possible to gain courage without Kang Hanbyul.
But even so, the conditions didn’t end there.
The character aiming for courage had to evade an opponent’s attack repeatedly, and there was only a certain probability of gaining the skill.
The probability of success increased as the opponent’s rank rose.
‘Is there really a condition like this?’
In the game, acquiring courage was notoriously difficult.
Do Gyeon-woo, with his knack for instinct control, had found it relatively easy to gain courage—but that wasn’t the norm.
That was why I was worried.
‘It’s probably easier to learn while I’m still weak…’
The same principle applied to instinct control.
It was better to learn courage when my threshold for handling pressure was low.
The issue was finding an opponent who emitted the kind of pressure necessary for the training.
And to make matters worse, I would have to face them alone.
If I rushed in without proper preparation, I could easily die.
‘Maybe I should ask my dad instead.’
The thought suddenly struck me.
If anyone could generate the level of pressure needed for this, it was someone as skilled as my father.
Pressure is the power to intimidate an opponent using coercion or murderous intent.
“….”
Would my father be able to emit pressure with murderous intent?
I was skeptical.
There was no way my father could do something like that.
Even if I somehow managed to convince him, he would undoubtedly find my request suspicious.
To justify it, I would have to tell him the truth—that I had reincarnated and that this world was a reflection of the game I had played in my previous life.
I didn’t know if he would believe me, but I had no intention of telling him that anyway.
“How… Is there no other way?”
I needed to find another solution.
I swung my sword absentmindedly, my thoughts preoccupied.
That’s when it happened.
“This guy is distracted. His sword path isn’t consistent.”
“Dad?”
They say even a tiger comes when called.
My father, who had mentioned earlier that he would be late due to work, suddenly appeared at the training grounds.
Judging by his clan uniform, he must have just come from work.
“You’re back. Did you have dinner?”
“No, I skipped it because I wanted to eat your mother’s cooking at home. Then I saw you on my way in, so I stopped by.”
I could see the weariness on his face and hear it in his voice.
Even so, he put on a cheerful demeanor and spoke to me.
“So, what were you thinking about? Is someone bullying you again?”
“That’s not happening anymore. I was just… thinking about how to improve my training.”
“That’s good to hear. If someone ever bullies you or makes your life difficult, tell me. Don’t endure it alone.”
“Yes, if that happens, I’ll make a scene.”
“Uh… um… wouldn’t it be better to just let me handle it with my authority?”
“Well, since you’re from a famous swordsmanship family, shouldn’t you resolve it with your sword?”
“…Take it easy. Don’t go overboard.”
“I’ll check on things later.”
I tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
My father chuckled faintly, but his next words carried genuine concern.
“By the way, Gyeon-woo, I heard back from the person you asked me to find.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. She said she’s been in the mountains of Gangwon-do, where communication is spotty. After I told her I was from the Shingeom Doga, she agreed to come see you once she finishes her business there.”
I had finally located Hong Ye-na.
According to my father, she would visit within a month at the latest.
“But she mentioned that if your skills don’t meet her standards, she might not accept you as her student.”
“That’s fine. If I don’t have talent, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Of course, that wouldn’t happen.
I didn’t know how she would react to me, but I was certain Hong Ye-na would recognize Yeon-ha-neul’s potential.
For a magician, ignoring Yeon-ha-neul’s talent would be impossible.
“Well, if you’re confident, that’s all that matters. Anyway, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
“Yes? What is it?”
My father’s expression darkened slightly.
“Next week is Parents’ Day, so we’ll need to visit your grandparents’ house. Are you okay with that?”
“….”
“If it’s uncomfortable for you, you don’t have to go. I can explain your absence.”
Now that he mentioned it, May was just around the corner—Parents’ Day was approaching.
On this day, the entire Shingeom Doga family would gather at my grandparents’ house to bond.
‘Bonding’ was the official reason, but everyone knew the truth.
In reality, it was just a pretense for my grandfather, the head of the household, to evaluate his grandchildren’s skills.
A talent show for the patriarch.
“You don’t have to concern yourself with how others feel about it.”
“….”
I had always performed poorly at these gatherings.
Every year, I was laughed at and ridiculed by the family.
That’s why my father added:
“Do whatever you want. If it’s inconvenient, you don’t need to go.”
Perhaps he had realized something after the incident I caused at the swordsmanship school. For the first time, he didn’t hesitate to give me an out.
“…Dad.”
“Yes?”
I was grateful for his consideration.
Before regaining memories of my past life, I might have taken his advice and avoided the gathering altogether.
But now, with my past life in mind…
‘Running away is not an option.’
Not attending would only invite more ridicule and weaken my standing within the Shingeom Doga family.
‘That can’t happen.’
Avoidance wasn’t an option—not for me.
Moreover, this gathering presented an opportunity.
‘I might be able to create a scenario to gain courage.’
And most importantly, I had another reason to attend.
I asked my father, “Do Seung-woo will be there, right?”
“Most likely.”
“Really?”
“…What are you planning?”
My cousin would also be at the gathering.
That alone was reason enough for me to go.
I couldn’t help but smile as I raised the corners of my mouth.
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