Chapter 17
Felix recalled the treatment Eila had given him. Since taking that medicine, he had been experiencing an entirely new world.
Before, every time he gripped his sword, it had felt unbearably heavy.
The advanced swordsmanship techniques taught at the academy were all designed under the assumption that the swordsman could sense mana.
And while skill levels varied, most people could at least feel mana.
But for Felix, who couldn’t, every movement was a struggle.
He had barely managed to compensate through sheer instinct and physical training.
Yet as time passed, he couldn’t help but realize his own limitations.
‘That’s how it used to be…’
Swish—
Whoosh—
Now, his sword felt unnervingly light.
So this is what it feels like to sense mana.
A vivid, surging energy coursed through his entire body, overwhelming him.
Everything he had once thought impossible now seemed within reach.
Even the headaches that had plagued him were gone, as if washed away.
Felix glanced around.
The swordsmanship students were staring at him with wide eyes, clearly noticing the change in his presence.
‘If I’m already this strong with just a temporary fix… how much stronger will I be with the real cure?’
For the first time, Felix allowed himself to imagine just how far he could grow.
If he could fully sense mana…
‘I might reach heights no one else has.’
At that moment, Eila’s confident face flashed in his mind—the way she had boldly proposed their deal.
Until recently, he and Eila had barely interacted at the academy.
Occasionally, she would stop by the swordsmanship department to see her fiancé, Kadin, but that was it.
Back then, Eila had seemed lifeless—expressionless, doll-like, and separated from him by an insurmountable gap in status.
‘So why me?’
He remembered the way her golden eyes had sparkled with an unusual intensity when she spoke to him.
She had always been pretty, but there was something breathtaking about the way she laid out her proposal with such conviction.
She felt different from the Eila he had known—brighter, despite being in the worst situation imaginable.
Her unshakable will was dazzling.
That contradiction drew his gaze again and again.
‘And for some reason, Eila believes in me—unreasonably so.’
Listening to her talk, he almost started believing he was someone special.
“So, from now on, I just have to pretend to be your lover?”
“No. If we start dating right after my breakup with Kadin, people will talk. Let’s take it slow—pretend to be close friends first.”
“Even so, this feels like too small a price for what you’ve given me.”
“You know exactly how much stronger you’ve become since taking that medicine. I’m investing in your potential.”
“My potential?”
“Yeah. You’re going to become an incredibly strong knight. Maybe even reach Sword Master level.”
As she said this, Eila smiled softly.
“So next time someone picks a fight with you, don’t hold back. No more holding yourself back, got it?”
Could it really be true? Could he become as strong as Eila claimed?
‘She’s strange.’
Eila believed in possibilities Felix himself wasn’t sure of—without a shred of doubt.
And it wasn’t just that.
Despite being only a year older, she carried a composure and maturity rare for her age.
“…I’m not confident, but I’ll try my best to meet your expectations.”
“That attitude alone is commendable. I’m counting on you.”
‘Commendable? She talks like she’s a decade older than me.’
He chuckled unconsciously at the thought—
And then a sharp voice cut through his musings.
“What’s so funny?”
Kadin was glaring at him, his expression dark.
“Huh?”
Felix blinked, snapping back to reality.
“I asked why you were smiling. Were you thinking about Eila?”
Felix pressed his lips together.
Had he really been smiling?
‘I was just replaying my conversation with Eila…’
But he couldn’t deny that Kadin had struck a nerve.
It was true—he had been thinking about her.
Seeing Felix hesitate, Kadin’s frown deepened.
Kadin had been unsettled ever since hearing rumors about Eila getting close to a commoner like Felix.
The idea that his former fiancée was mingling with someone beneath her wounded his pride.
Was that why?
Felix’s faint smile while training had grated on his nerves.
It felt like mockery.
“Tch. What, hanging around Eila makes you think you’re nobility now?”
“What are you—”
“Shut up and pick up your sword. I think it’s time I taught you a lesson.”
Felix’s brow furrowed.
The feeling was mutual—he had never liked Kadin either.
“I don’t understand why you’re suddenly saying this.”
His stiff response drew snickers from the surrounding students.
“Hey, Kadin, why not show him what you’ve got?”
“Go easy on him, yeah? Don’t want to get disciplined.”
“Felix has been getting way too cocky lately.”
They all jeered at Felix.
No matter how much his swordsmanship had improved, no one believed a mana-insensitive commoner could beat Kadin.
But ignoring their taunts, Felix slowly raised his sword.
“Are you challenging me to a duel?”
Kadin smirked.
“Call it whatever you want. Though I doubt this even counts as a duel.”
‘Can a fight between you and me even be called a duel?’
Kadin scoffed inwardly, his gaze dripping with arrogance.
Felix narrowed his eyes at the condescension.
For some reason, the thought of losing to this guy was unbearable.
And hadn’t Eila told him—
“Next time someone picks a fight, don’t hold back.”
Recalling her words, Felix answered without hesitation.
“Fine.”
Honestly, it was reckless.
He wasn’t sure he could win.
Even if he could now sense mana, Kadin Leight was in a league of his own.
Raised with a sword in hand since childhood, he belonged to a world Felix had never been part of.
No one present believed Felix stood a chance.
When Felix accepted, Kadin didn’t bother hiding his sneer.
‘Does he really think he can face me? He’s just begging for public humiliation.’
‘This won’t even last a few exchanges.’
He channeled mana into his sword arm.
Unlike other students, Kadin didn’t just sense mana—he could wield it freely.
Felix, who couldn’t even control mana, should have been knocked flat in a single strike.
That was how it should have gone.
But—
Clang!
After their first exchange, Kadin’s face stiffened.
Something was wrong.
Felix should have been sent flying. That was common sense.
Yet Felix stood firm, parrying his blade with steady footing.
Though Felix himself looked surprised, he quickly tightened his grip.
In the next instant, Felix’s sword grazed past Kadin’s cheek.
