"Asrahan Heart Method. Teach it to me. You still gonna dodge the question?"
"...."
Haviel froze.
His eyes widened in spite of himself.
He had no choice but to react that way.
The young master was nothing more than his charge.
And yet, words that should never have come from such a person's mouth had just spilled out.
'You know my mana cultivation method? Lord Lloyd does?'
It was incomprehensible.
He'd been the same during the insomnia episode, but this cultivation method was his own closely guarded secret, too.
Of course, he'd never told a soul.
He hadn't even let it slip once.
No, he'd only named it 'Asrahan Heart Method' about a month ago!
'A method that's still so far from complete. How does he know about it?'
Was this wastrel young master using mind-reading or something?
He stared at Lloyd, feeling like he was facing some inexplicable being.
Lloyd snorted derisively.
"What. Why. What."
"...."
"Why are you staring at me like a dead fish?"
"Well, naturally...."
"Naturally?"
"How did you know?"
This man had a knack for unearthing every secret Haviel had desperately hidden.
Dodging was pointless; it would only earn him mockery.
Haviel knew that now and didn't bother denying it.
Instead, he wanted to know the trick(?).
The answer was simple.
"You blabbed it all in your sleep."
"Pardon?"
"It's true. You passed out cold and spilled everything yourself."
"Is that really true?"
"Yep."
Lloyd grinned.
True?
Of course not.
A complete fabrication.
Haviel hadn't sleep-talked at all.
True to his refined features, he even looked like a painting in his sleep.
Lloyd moistened his lips and conscience.
"Don't believe me? Want proof?"
"Proof, you say?"
"For example, like this."
The Asrahan Heart Method, detailed in the novel *Iron-Blooded Knight*.
Lloyd recited it from memory.
"The human Mana Heart has limits. Biological limits set from birth. Which means there's a limit to how much mana you can mobilize at once."
It was like a computer's RAM or a water jug.
There's a clear limit to how much data an 8GB RAM can handle at once.
A 1-liter jug can only carry 1 liter of water at a time.
The same went for the mana humans could move with their hearts.
It was limited by heart size.
No human could surpass that limit.
"That applies to everyone, no exceptions. No matter how strong the swordsman or how exalted the knight's realm. Simple reason: they were born human. They can't exceed the innate biological capacity of a human body—specifically, the human heart. That's part of why dragons with Dragon Hearts are such cheats."
"That's...."
"Shh. Hear me out. So you thought: what if you drew mana from outside your body? What if you supplemented your Mana Heart with mana absorbed from the environment? Couldn't you temporarily exceed your biological limits and wield more mana?"
Lloyd smiled brightly.
Haviel's face remained calmly composed.
But Lloyd didn't miss the faint tremor in his pupils.
"After that, you secretly researched a new mana operation method. You even gave it a proper name recently. Asrahan Heart Method, right? About a month ago? Spot on?"
"...Yes."
"Finally admitting it straight up, huh?"
"You didn't miss a single syllable. No point denying it."
"Right? Now, back to the point."
What Lloyd wanted to say was this.
"You were gonna leave that slick Heart Method aside and teach me some basic cultivation method anyone can learn, then wipe your hands clean? What are you, a kindergarten sun class fencing teacher? Were you trying to sell me a red bean bun with no filling?"
"But Lord Lloyd."
"I know. It's your research, so you don't teach it to just anyone. But am I 'just anyone' to you?"
"Yes."
"Huh."
"Strictly speaking, Lord Lloyd, you're merely my protectee. And besides—"
"Besides?"
"Even if I wanted to teach you my Heart Method right now, it's impossible."
"Why?"
"Because it's still incomplete."
Haviel's voice sharpened like a blade.
"The concept you described is correct. Absorbing external mana and making it your own—that's the core. But no one has succeeded yet. Not even me. I've only developed the theory; I haven't made it work in practice."
"So?"
"It's dangerous. Especially for a total beginner like you who doesn't even know mana basics."
"Sooo?"
"Yes."
"You're worried about me right now?"
"Of course not."
"Tch. You stubborn gourd."
"Thank you."
"Anyway, since it's incomplete and dangerous, you can't teach it to me?"
"That's right."
"What if it stops being dangerous?"
"...Pardon?"
Haviel's eyebrow twitched faintly.
Lloyd chuckled.
He was probably anxious about what Lloyd would say next.
"Why is your Heart Method incomplete? Where's the bottleneck? Let's pinpoint it."
"What do you...."
"You absorb external mana. Move it to the Mana Heart. Try to fuse it with your original body mana. But it fails. Always clashes there, right? Rejection and collision. Failure every time. Am I right?"
Haviel's eyes wavered.
"How did you...."
"How? Told you. Heard it all in your sleep-talking."
"...."
The lie about sleep-talking.
That invincible cheat-key excuse shut Haviel's mouth.
Lloyd's smile deepened.
'No comeback, huh. A guy who sleeps like a log wouldn't know his own habits.'
Suddenly, a scene from *Iron-Blooded Knight* came to mind.
At this point, Haviel really couldn't complete the method due to that mana collision issue.
He tried everything, but failed repeatedly.
'He finally changes his approach and completes it five whole years later.'
Afterward, Haviel refines the completed Heart Method.
He becomes the first Grand Master in the history of the Lorasia Continent.
That paradigm shift Haviel achieves five years from now.
Recalling it, Lloyd said,
"To me, trying to mix external mana with your own seems like the error—no, the mistake."
"Pardon?"
Haviel's eyebrow twitched again.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Why force external mana inside the Mana Heart? It strains the heart due to capacity limits. And why bother mixing it with your own mana? Isn't that just rigid thinking tied to traditional Mana Heart operation?"
"You mean...."
"Circulate it outside. Beyond the Mana Heart."
"...."
Haviel's eyes widened slowly in shock.
Lloyd had said just enough for him to grasp it.
Lloyd picked up a stick rolling in the corner of the training ground.
He drew in the dirt with it.
"Absorb external mana? Circulate it like this. Around the heart, on the Mana Heart's surface."
"A ring-shaped circle wrapping the heart?"
"Exactly. Circle. Sounds legit."
"And the original mana in the body...."
"No need to mix. Operate them separately. Your own mana inside the Mana Heart. The foreign absorbed mana rotating in a circle outside. How's that?"
"...."
"I'm just spitballing. As you know, I'm a mana newbie. Maybe that's why I'm free of preconceptions."
"...."
"Doubt it? Test it yourself."
"Understood."
Haviel nodded immediately.
He'd clearly caught on.
From then on, Lloyd stayed silent.
He quietly stepped aside a few paces.
He watched as Haviel tested the new Heart Method.
How much time passed?
Finally, Haviel opened his eyes.
He turned to Lloyd with a meaningful gaze.
"Thank you."
Ding-dong.
[Haviel Asrahan's affinity toward you has increased by +5.]
[Current relationship with Haviel Asrahan: -22]
[Visible relationship improvement with a key figure grants 90 RP.]
[Current RP: 187]
[Haviel Asrahan's intimacy level has risen from [?] to [Grudging Acquaintance].]
[Bonus 5 RP for intimacy level increase.]
[Current RP: 192]
'It worked.'
Haviel's thanks.
The subtle shift in his gaze.
And the affinity message before his eyes.
Lloyd was certain.
Haviel had finally completed the Asrahan Heart Method.
"Did it work?"
"Yes, Lord Lloyd."
"The circle spun okay?"
"Yes. One seemed inefficient for operating the absorbed mana, so I made several."
"How many?"
"Three."
"Whoa."
Triple circle on first try.
Haviel was a monster, as expected.
'Now he's basically on Swordmaster's doorstep.'
His current level: Advanced Sword Expert.
Still a gap to Swordmaster.
'But with triple circles outside the Mana Heart, he could go toe-to-toe with most Swordmasters. With luck, maybe even a draw.'
Power surpassing his current stage.
That was the strength of the Asrahan Heart Method.
'Stacking externally sourced mana on top of his original operation ability. Like adding an auxiliary engine per circle.'
In the original *Iron-Blooded Knight*, what about Haviel?
He completed it as a Swordmaster.
Achieved quadruple circles instantly.
That alone made him overwhelmingly superior to all Swordmasters.
'Later, he ascends to Grand Master and adds a fifth, penta circle. In the finale, he surpasses that with six, hexa circles.'
The novel described how, in that state, the mana he wielded dwarfed even a Dragon Heart.
Now, Lloyd had witnessed the birth of that legend—five years ahead of the original.
But Lloyd shook his head soon after.
No time to bask in penniless sentiment.
Time to seize tangible gains.
He asked Haviel, fishing for credit.
"So, you're grateful?"
"Yes, Lord Lloyd."
"Then you've got reason to teach me now."
"Pardon?"
"Asrahan Heart Method."
"...."
"Hey, look at you. Thought a thank-you would suffice?"
"But Lord Lloyd."
"Yeah. Make your excuse."
"I believe mastering basic mana cultivation fundamentals is more important."
"Yeah. And?"
"So how about learning the basic method first, then my Heart Method separately afterward?"
"Yeah. No."
Of course not.
Especially with Sir Neumann's duel in half a month.
"Think from my perspective. Even if I bust my ass on basic cultivation, can I use it in the duel in half a month?"
"I doubt it."
"Then? Just let me lose?"
"...."
"Yeah, I get what you're thinking. Better to look long-term than a minor loss now. Solid foundations are key. Fair point. But it doesn't fit me."
"Why not?"
"This duel is that important."
It was true.
Sir Neumann had already betrayed the territory behind the scenes.
Fail to crush him as an example, and disciplining the territory forever becomes a pipe dream.
The lifelong bloodletting territory reform would derail from the start.
"So I'm definitely winning. And I'll learn the Asrahan Heart Method for sure."
"But if I refuse?"
"Oh ho? Getting tough? I've got ways."
Lloyd grinned.
He played his trump card.
"If you don't teach me, I'm cutting off the lullaby service."
"...."
"What. Why. What. Why the shit-eating face? I'm petty?"
"A little."
"Nothing's free in this world. If it bugs you, just teach me."
"...."
Haviel's face clouded with anguish.
Lloyd's lip curled up.
'No way he refuses. Why? You've already tasted sweet sleep.'
Lately, Haviel had been sleeping better than ever.
Thanks to Lloyd reciting from his memorized expertise.
If that service(?) vanished?
His heart must've dropped.
'Human psychology's like that. Losing what you had hurts more.'
Everyone's the same.
Once you taste convenience, you can't go back.
'Smartphones ruin flip phones. Robot vacuums, height insoles, selfie apps, delivery apps, elevators—all the same. Quitting feels insanely frustrating and empty.'
Haviel was exactly that.
Years of insomnia.
Then sweet sleep thanks to Lloyd.
No returning to the old days(?).
As expected, Haviel nodded.
"Fine. Understood."
"Understood what?"
"I'll teach you the Asrahan Heart Method."
"Good choice."
Lloyd clenched his fist.
'Told you. Your swordsmanship will all be mine.'
Asrahan Heart Method.
Now just train hard.
♣
Time flew by.
Training continued.
Basic stamina grew even more solid.
He dove deeper into the Asrahan Heart Method.
Meanwhile, Lloyd commissioned a special weapon from the smithy.
"Solid steel. Follow this blueprint exactly."
"Young Master Lloyd? This is?"
"My weapon. Drew it myself. Weird?"
"No, but… how's this a weapon...."
"Whatever. Can you make it?"
"Uh? Yes, sir."
"Then I'm counting on you."
The blacksmith stared at the blueprint Lloyd handed over, utterly perplexed.
No matter how he looked, it wasn't a weapon.
But no choice.
The lord's son, infamous wastrel.
No courage to refuse.
Days passed.
Finally, the morning of the duel dawned.
"Young Master Lloyd. The item from the blacksmith has arrived."
The commissioned weapon was delivered to the mansion.
Hearing the servant's voice, Lloyd lightly clenched his fist.
Asrahan Heart Method.
Plus his custom weapon.
All preparations complete.
'Sir Neumann, you're done for.'
Lloyd's eyes gleamed murderously.
The time to cut out the rot had come.
(End of Chpater 13)
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