The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 2

Regression

“But there’s something I don’t understand.”

[What is it?]

The sage, who was flying around the inn room, asked back.

“Why did I come back to the past?”

In fact, that was the first thing he needed to ask. The fact that the sage became his master and that he returned to the past were clearly separate issues.

[It’s probably because the magic in the Philosopher’s Stone reacted.]

“The magic reacted?”

[Yes, your mind reacted to the pure magic and mana within the stone, creating a kind of miracle.]

“…Is that even possible?”

To be honest, it was hard to believe. No matter how miraculous, time travel was not a simple magic.

[Most people’s mental strength would just be crushed and they would go mad from the magic and mana.]

“…What?”

This old man…?

[Hey, think about inflating a small balloon with a huge amount of air. No matter how durable it is, it will burst in less than a second.]

“So, you did that crazy thing to me?”

[That’s right. Of course, I intended to adjust it with my thoughts so you wouldn’t go mad, just suffer from nightmares.]

At this point, it was hard to tell if he was a sage or a devil.

[But it turns out you didn’t need that.]

“Excuse me?”

[You didn’t need it. Your mental strength withstood my Philosopher’s Stone.]

So that’s why he said I didn’t know how to give up earlier.

“Then, coming to the past is…”

[I told you, if you endure, a miracle happens.]

“…This is that regression?”

[That’s right. Your strong will just before death must have manifested as a miracle.]

A strong will…

“Fighting Ariasphil…”

[You’re really consistent, kid. Losing to that girl made you that frustrated?]

“…Yes. She was the one I wanted to defeat no matter what.”

Ariasphil was, frankly speaking, Leo’s goal and wish. He honed himself as a sword to defeat her.

[But you eventually won.]

It was true he won, but…

“I don’t like winning like this.”

[Really?]

“The Ariasphil I won against now wasn’t fully grown. My mental state is still the same as when I was an adult.”

[That’s true. It’s hard to take pride in winning like this.]

“And she was off guard, so it’s hard to call it a complete victory.”

It wasn’t just a matter of talent. The current situation was akin to cheating, Leo had used a trick.

“Ariasphil has more potential than me. When I barely mastered aura, she was already at the level of continuously releasing it.”

Defeating her in her incomplete state wasn’t in line with the wish Leo had.

[So what will you do? Wait until she grows? That would take at least ten years.]

“Then I’ll wait.”

[…What?]

Ten years, it wasn’t a weight of time to be answered casually. It might take more than ten years to reach the stage Leo was hoping for.

[Are you serious? Is it worth being that stubborn?]

Still, he could wait.

“At least for me.”

At his answer, the sage’s soul fell silent for a moment. Soon, the sage spoke again.

[…Do you have feelings for her?]

“Pardon? No.”

[Why are you answering so quickly?]

“Because I don’t. I’ve been living as a servant in her family for over five years, and I’ve never had such thoughts.”

Ariasphil was certainly a beautiful woman. If the men who courted her were lined up, it would form a grand procession in the kingdom.

But to Leo, she was a rival. He felt it was more efficient to research martial arts to defeat her rather than love her.

[…You’re quite mad in an unusual way.]

“Because I want to win. So then…”

Now it was the most important question.

“What should I do now?”

Since the history had changed, it was time to think about what actions to take.

* * *

Ariasphil Reinhardt

She was a warrior praised for having the most innate talent under the hero’s family.

At ten, she killed an orc, the slaughterer of novice adventurers, and at thirteen, she even hunted down a young wyvern.

No warrior could stand against her sword.

But

“…I lost. For the first time.”

Not today.

“How come…?”

It was an ordinary mercenary who had challenged her to a fight.

‘They say you’re a great knight, don’t they? No need to drag this out. Let’s just fight.’

It was a duel proposal with neither courtesy nor formality, but she accepted it without hesitation. She thought if such a fighter lost once, they would give up completely.

She tried to fight the boy with a dagger instead of a longsword to give complete defeat.

However

‘But you know, if you fight with that fruit knife, you’ll lose.’

In just a few seconds, the boy’s aura changed.

And then came her defeat.

…No, not even that.

‘I lost. If you hadn’t been careless, I wouldn’t have known the outcome.’

Despite her burning competitive spirit, he used strange logic and then arbitrarily admitted his defeat.

Neither of them wanted a victory like this.

Nonetheless

‘So what? It doesn’t matter whether you choose it or not. I’m not satisfied with my victory.’

Saying so, the boy calmly walked away. So calmly that he couldn’t be stopped anymore.

“Miss, are you alright?”

The knight in charge of escorting and guiding her, Jehad, checked her complexion.

“…I’m fine.”

She was expressionless, but her face was shadowed.

“Miss, don’t take it too hard. It was a cowardly fight…”

“It wasn’t cowardly. And he said he wouldn’t accept his victory either.”

At the time, Jehad was looking for an inn to stay, leaving Ariasphil alone for a moment. Though he was her escort, Ariasphil was a knight strong enough to be compared to Jehad.

‘…So I left her alone for a moment… and in that time…’

During that time, Ariasphil had accepted a duel and lost. Even though it wasn’t an official duel, this could be a great disgrace to her and her family.

“Jehad.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Find that boy.”

“…Pardon?”

Jehad asked back in surprise at the sudden request.

“I said, find that boy.”

Ariasphil, for the first time today, felt humiliation and competitiveness.

* * *

[Hey, kid.]

“….”

[Hey, Leonardo.]

“….”

[Are you deaf?]

“Oh, shut up already.”

He was trying to meditate and gather mana, but the sage kept talking to him.

[Think about my eyes having to watch a man sitting still with his clothes off for four hours.]

“Then go outside. You can fly.”

[I can’t. Your heart has the Philosopher’s Stone, so I can’t go far.]

Wait a minute.

“Then do I have to live with you forever?”

[That’s right. We have to stay together most of the time.]

“Ugh… this is the worst.”

[What did you say?]

“That means you have to be with me even when I go to the bathroom and shower…!”

[Ugh… just thinking about it makes me vomit…]

Leo was the victim here, but why was the sage retching? He was a ghost; he didn’t even eat anything.

“Alright, I’ll finish in thirty more minutes.”

[What were you doing at your age without even creating a mana core? When I was your age, I made mana cores every time I ate…]

“My mother died, and I became an orphan, so I didn’t have time for that. I didn’t know how either.”

[…Ah… well… I see.]

Maybe he answered too harshly, the sage stopped his scolding awkwardly.

[Then should I tell you a better way?]

“A better way? There’s such a thing?”

The mana breathing technique Leo was using was the best training method developed by the Reinhardt family in the empire.

Ordinary breathing techniques couldn’t surpass this one.

‘But there’s something better?’

[Leonardo, I’m a sage.]

“Yes.”

[I’m a sage.]

“Yes.”

[I’m a sage!]

“Ah! Yes, I know! Yes!”

What kind of answer did he want? Did he go senile because he became a ghost?

[As a sage, I developed a new mana training method! Get it?]

“Then just say that!”

Why was he talking in circles like an old man?

[Then should I not tell you?]

“Sigh… please tell me.”

[Properly, respectfully.]

Well, even if he was senile, he saved my life.

“Oh, great sage, please bestow your supreme teaching upon this humble mercenary.”

[Alright. Humble and crazy mercenary. I shall teach you.]

Maybe I should just remove the stone in my heart and be done with it.

[Huff…!]

Suddenly, the air around him started to tremble.

“Uh…?”

The mana around Leo started to swirl. And it began to adhere to his respiratory system and skin.

[Hoo… it’s hard in this spiritual state.]

“…What did you… what did you do?”

[Guess. It’s a test from your master.]

The typical mana training method involves inhaling through the nose and mouth, bringing mana particles from the air into the body.

Then, activating the mana in the lungs to attract more mana particles to the body like a magnet.

“But this is…”

This method made the mana particles be absorbed directly into his skin. Normally, the particles would clumsily stick and fall off, but these mana particles were absorbed into his body like fine powder.

[Do you get it now?]

“Did you make the mana particles finer to absorb them into my body?”

[

This is an ultra-efficient mana training method I developed. What took you four hours can be condensed into one hour.]

This idea was honestly… nothing short of amazing.

The theory alone was astonishing, and the fact that it worked in practice was unbelievable.

It was like humans breathing through their skin instead of their lungs.

“Is it possible?”

[I only make you do what’s possible.]

It was worth a try.

Sitting cross-legged again, Leo began to try the new mana breathing technique.

‘…The focus isn’t on attaching the particles to the skin.’

The key was to make the mana particles fine enough to be absorbed.

“…It’s not working.”

After about thirty minutes, Leo stood up.

[What? Giving up already?]

“No.”

Leo picked up the sword he had placed on the ground.

[Why are you picking up a sword? What are you going to do?]

“Let me try it my way.”

Saying that, he walked out of the inn.

[By the way, you can’t cut mana particles with a sword…]

“I know. I understand.”

[Such a rude mouth.]

Taking off his shirt, Leo began to swing his sword.

[…Huh?]

The mana particles that had clumsily stuck before were now properly absorbed into his skin.

[…Did he make the mana particles finer?]

Seeing it again, that wasn’t the case. Even if the particles were finer, they were still quite large.

[That’s it…!]

Watching three times revealed the principle behind the method.

What Leo was doing now wasn’t reducing the size of the mana particles.

[He was expanding the pores in his skin. Through swordsmanship.]

By swinging his sword, he was activating his body and expanding the narrow pores, a new application method that the sage, as a magician, hadn’t thought of.

[…Kid, you’re saying you’re not a genius?]

The sage wasn’t the only one who was astonished.

“…What is that…? Miss?”

“…?”

The two knights of Reinhardt who had come looking for Leo were also stunned into silence.