Seven brought a hand to his left eye.
Theia's Eye.
Though he knows how the artifact works as it activated back in the forest, Seven didn't get to savor the feeling—burning sensation in his left-eye.
Now, he blinked and his left-eye turned gold before the world warped around him.
Seven could see small insects crawling on the wall, the trajectory of their movements, and the faint trace of two energies in the air:
Red and blue.
Staring down on his reflection in the mirror, only the red energy was swirling around his body, as if trying to penetrate.
Aura.
The energy that every swordsman relied upon. Just like mana, they are ever-present, flowing along the air as if they were part of nature itself.
But taking them in is a different story.
After all, a body contains a total of seven points called aura-gates, blocking the entrance of aura through the veins.
To open them, the novel only specified five ways:
Intense training.
Battle experiences.
Near-death tendencies.
Single moment of clarity.
Doing nothing.
But the last option is only applicable for those geniuses and prodigies. For Seven, it's just an unattainable dream.
The worst option.
'Fudge. Let's do this.'
Closing his eyes, Seven imagined the gates within his body. Unlike the usual meditative positions commonly described in most novels, this could be done in any posture.
Almost instantly, the noise of the outside world faded into an all-encompassing silence.
Rumble.
A massive shape began to take form. Gate. The first one that every swordsman needed to unlock.
The 'Sole Gate'.
[Every journey begins with a single step.]
Seven recalled a line from the novel that perfectly described this moment.
Shortly after, a cold breeze swept past his hair, followed by a massive wave of aura repeatedly slamming into the gate.
Slam.
Wave after wave, it continued. The gate before him was already cracked, with marks filled with moss and scratches.
'So Seven used to try breaking through back then?'
Slam.
Another wave slammed against it. Then another. This was the usual method—waiting endlessly for the gate to open under constant pressure.
It might take a day. Or forever.
With patience, the reward is guaranteed to come.
Step.
But Seven was never a patient type. So, he took a step forward. There was another method, one revealed only in the later chapters of the novel—a method that allowed over half of the world's population to awaken their aura and become swordsmen.
A hack.
A cheat.
Or whatever one might call it.
It was a simple act no one considered, dismissed as futile because of its simplicity. But sometimes, it is all that's needed.
Step.
Standing before the gate, Seven took a deep breath, raised his hand, and pressed his palm gently against its surface.
Push.
Seven simply pushed the gate, slowly.
The gate didn't shatter, react violently, nor did it explode in a grand display. Instead, it simply just creaked open.
Creak.
Slowly, but surely.
Seven lowered his hand. It was the other method; the first step on becoming a swordsman is a clear mind.
But that was it. That simple act was only effective for opening the first gate.
Yet, Seven smiled.
For now, it was enough.
"Hah… Hah…"
Taking a deep breath, Seven opened his eyes. He was back in his room, still leaning against the bed's headboard.
Rolling his shoulders, he noticed they felt lighter, though it was probably because they were thin, not because he opened the first gate.
Seven chuckled.
'Sure, gates improve physique, but not like this.'
Looking down at his own body, he saw aura swirling chaotically, trying to settle into the first gate. Yet, he couldn't deny the change.
His body definitely felt lighter.
Shifting his gaze to his left wrist, he noticed a white, bracelet-like tattoo imprinted on his skin.
A swordsman's mark.
Seven recalled a detail from the novel: each time a gate was opened, a ring mark would appear on the wrist, signifying the progress of one's aura mastery.
He flexed his fingers, savoring the faint flow of aura coursing through him.
It wasn't much—just a flicker compared to the immense power some characters wielded in the novel. But for now, it was enough.
Enough to keep him alive.
"First gate down!"
Proudly, he stood and strode toward the door without hesitation.
"Now, let's pay a visit to my lovely older sister, Eden."
***
The training ground stretched across the right wing of the courtyard, just big enough to accommodate the seventeen knights of the Hart household.
Normally, it would be alive with the sound of blades clashing, grunts of exertion, and commands shouted through the air.
But today?
It was eerily silent.
The only sound was the faint rustling of the wind, like even nature itself was holding its breath.
"What's going on...?"
Seven's eyes scanned the ground. The knights weren't training, nor were they sparring.
Instead, they stood in a semi-circle, forming a protective barrier around something in the center.
'Eden... is it because of her?'
Iria did mention that Eden was here and wanted to see him, but this still wasn't normal.
'Eden wasn't supposed to have this kind of effect on the knights, was she?'
Seven tried to shake off the thought, but it lingered.
'What will happen to her now?'
The question haunted him. He changed everything. In the novel, Eden would rise to glory. She would avenge her younger brother's death, and that pain would trigger her development, forging her into one of the seven prophesied swords who helped the protagonist.
But now?
Now he was alive. The narrative had been rewritten. Her vengeance and her path to greatness?
Gone.
Seven swallowed and pushed the thoughts aside. They wouldn't help him now.
As he approached, the weight of the knights' gazes felt like a heavy pressure. It was like walking into a battlefield with no armor. Some knights eyed him curiously, while others did with suspicion.
But none of them moved, nor did they speak.
When Seven reached the entrance, a guard stepped in front of him and blocked the way.
"Young lord..."
The knight bowed slightly.
"I must apologize, but Lady Eden has given strict orders not to allow anyone inside."
"...She asked for my presence."
"Even so, her instructions were absolute."
The guard straightened, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Even if you're the young lord, I cannot allow you to—"
"Let him in."
The guard froze mid-sentence. The voice was sharp, commanding, and left no room for argument.
Seven paused. He didn't need to see her to know who it was.
'Eden Hart...'
The guard stepped aside immediately, bowing so deeply that his armor clinked.
"My apologies, young lord. You may proceed."