Following the shocking sparring match that day, Leo's name quickly spread among the soldiers.
Rumors flew: among the new recruits, there was a boy who had defeated Garrett, the strongest fighter in the castle.
It sounded unbelievable—until they found out the source of the rumor was Garrett himself.
After his loss, Garrett had visited the tavern wearing a bitter expression. When asked what happened, he didn't deny it. He admitted the truth.
From that moment on, even veteran soldiers—who usually ignored the training grounds and dormitories—began showing up more frequently.
"Doesn't it seem like more people have been hanging around lately?"
Arden, stepping into the dorm after training, glanced around suspiciously.
The others agreed, but none of the new recruits truly understood the reason. They were still cut off from the main castle's social circles.
While they chatted about trivial things, Leo's thoughts were elsewhere.
"My growth feels too slow…"
His body was improving through daily training, but now that he had access to the status window, it wasn't enough.
"I want to learn something else…"
It was the first time in both his lives that he'd felt such a strong thirst for knowledge. But the problem was: how?
Knight swordsmanship was inaccessible, and his soldier training period still had two months left. Even after that, there was no guarantee he'd gain access to another martial art.
In modern-day Korea, education had been everywhere—online courses, local academies, libraries. Back then, Leo saw learning as boring. A burden.
Now, in this world of swords and monsters, he realized how truly precious it was.
Here, there were no ladders to climb. If you weren't born into privilege or didn't have rare talent, you simply toiled away until you died—unseen and uncelebrated.
"Should I ask Ray…? What would I even say?"
Just then, someone called out.
"Leo! Instructor Ray is calling for you."
"Huh? Me? Why?"
"No idea. He just said to come."
Leo hadn't caused any trouble, but this was the first time he'd been called alone. It made him a little uneasy.
"Well… I doubt it's bad news."
And he was right.
Ray—who usually came across as strict and distant—felt surprisingly approachable in person. Leo soon realized Ray had been paying more attention than he let on.
After exchanging pleasantries, Ray got straight to the point.
"You're bored with spear training, aren't you?"
Leo could only laugh awkwardly.
"Haha… well…"
Ray chuckled knowingly.
"Spear drills are pretty basic. Repetitive. Especially for someone like you. That's not a complaint—it's a compliment. You've got talent. Which is why I'll make you an offer: If you're willing, I'll teach you swordsmanship after regular hours."
Leo's eyes widened.
"Swordsmanship? Really!?"
Ray grinned.
"Not for free, of course. You'll owe me someday."
"Yes! I'll pay it back, no problem!"
It was an unexpected stroke of luck. Even if it wasn't the most prestigious sword style, Leo was willing to learn anything new. Ray seemed pleased with his enthusiasm.
"Shall we start tonight?"
Leo didn't hesitate. "Yes, let's do it."
Ray handed him a wooden sword and led him toward the edge of the camp, where two flickering torches lit the night.
'Still so dark.'
Even with magic in the world, technology here was primitive—far behind his past life's standards. The torches were dim, unreliable, and expensive.
Still, it was better than nothing.
Under the torchlight, Leo mimicked Ray's stances. Just like that first time he trained with the spear, a familiar notification popped up:
— Ray-style Practical Swordsmanship (SN) / 0%
"Oh! A new skill… but Ray-style?"
He tilted his head. Had Ray—once a mercenary—developed his own technique?
Though curious, Leo focused on training instead of asking.
For the next two hours, he practiced sword swings under Ray's constant feedback:
"Grip tighter."
"Raise the blade slightly."
"Tilt the edge for better deflection."
The one-on-one format made all the difference. Mistakes were corrected instantly, and he could ask questions freely. Despite the complexity—three times more moves than spear techniques—he raised the skill's proficiency to 50% in just a week.
But even that wasn't enough.
'With the spear, I reached 70% after mastering the moves. I'll have to push harder now…'
The difference in skill grade clearly made progression slower.
Eventually, when Ray realized Leo had mastered the motions, he ended the lessons for the time being.
Returning to the dorm after washing up, Leo was greeted by Kenneth.
"Late again, huh?"
"Didn't you come in early for once?"
Kenneth smirked. "Only because I don't have a way to tell time."
Leo laughed. It was true—there were no clocks in the camp, and only one public timepiece in the castle.
"Even in the Joseon era, they rang bells…"
"Aren't you excited?"
"For what?"
"Two more months! We can finally leave the camp!"
Kenneth was clearly thrilled. The other boys had also been buzzing with talk of the town all day.
Leo, however, wasn't that interested. He'd grown up in Daejeon, a major city in his previous life. Compared to that, a medieval castle-village with less than a thousand people wasn't very exciting.
But something Chris mentioned suddenly caught Leo's attention.
"Wait, say that again? The part about the battle?"
"Oh, the territorial war? Yeah, Senior Sting said a neighboring region is at war right now. Pretty tense, apparently."
Leo's expression grew serious.
Chris waved it off. "Don't worry. Sting said we're not involved."
"...I hope he's right."
That night, Leo couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
"If fighting spreads, the only thing I can rely on is my skill."
From that day on, Leo trained even harder. Spears by day, sword by night. Two months passed in a flash.
Finally, Ray made an announcement:
"Good job, everyone. You're now official soldiers of Izell Castle. Rest for two days—and don't cause trouble while guarding the walls!"
The dorm erupted with cheers.
"We're free!"
"Let's go out!"
"I want to see the town!"
Ray kindly arranged for them to visit the town without hassle. As they explored, the boys marveled at every little thing.
"So many people!"
"What's that? I've never seen that before…"
"It's so pretty…"
Even in a tiny village, there was plenty to excite someone who had lived their whole life in the countryside.
Eventually, they settled into a tavern—something Leo never expected to do with thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds. But in this world, adulthood began at fourteen. Marriages happened early, and work began young. The world demanded it.
Though Leo was the youngest among them, he still qualified.
"Real liquor…"
"Is there fake liquor too?"
The kids teased and bantered, trying to act grown-up. Leo just smiled faintly and sipped his drink.
He felt older—mentally and emotionally. But tonight, he let the others talk and enjoyed the moment. He'd need it.
Because soon, survival wouldn't come down to rumors or sparring matches.
It would come down to skill. And Leo planned to keep growing—no matter what came next.