Doubt, Lionheart Knight Method, Shocks Everyone

7 p.m.

A knock sounded at the door.

When he opened it, Logan was standing outside.

Before long, Ian followed him to a stone house.

Logan pushed open the door.

Inside, four boys and two girls were already seated, all turning to look at them.

"This is Ian. You should all have heard about him today—he's also one of those who successfully condensed a rune. I invited him to join our Mutual Aid Society. No objections, I assume?" Logan introduced him.

Normally, no one would have objected.

But a somewhat chubby boy with a face full of pockmarks stepped forward.

"I object."

"Halman, what do you mean?"

Logan frowned at him.

Ian looked over as well.

He remembered this person. He seemed to be one of those who had succeeded this time too.

Halman shot Ian a glance and puffed out his chest.

"I've seen him before. He used to be a serf. As a noble, I refuse to sit with him."

"Halman, this isn't the kingdom anymore." Logan was speechless.

The others could barely hold it together as well.

Halman was the oldest among them, already fourteen.

His father was a duke of the kingdom, and before coming here, he had already been a viscount.

Ian did not feel insulted.

After all, they were just a bunch of brats. With that arrogant look plastered across his face, Halman seemed more like a stupid husky.

It depended on how Logan handled him.

"Halman, if you can't accept it, then please leave."

Logan looked at him calmly.

Compared to an idiot, he would naturally choose Ian, even if Halman had brought more valuable things with him.

"Logan!"

Halman's eyes widened, unable to believe it.

Ian was somewhat surprised as well.

So decisive.

Halman clearly did not want to leave. After all, he still needed to exchange experiences with the others.

So he looked at Ian and said, "Ian, let's have a match. Nothing else—just compare our proficiency with the Meditation Method. If you win, I'll allow you to join. If you lose, you leave."

"Ian, I'm really sorry. You don't need to compete."

Logan immediately turned to him.

This was outright humiliation.

Ian was the one he had invited, and he would never allow something like this to happen.

But Ian's expression flickered.

Before coming to the Mutual Aid Society, he had considered what he could trade.

After thinking it over, it seemed that only his experience with the Meditation Method could be exchanged.

After all, he had the proficiency panel.

He could meditate almost without error, and whenever a problem arose, he could correct it quickly.

That was something the others could not match.

In terms of proficiency, even those three with Third-grade Talent might not surpass him.

He had even considered paid trial and error—he would only need to see whether his proficiency increased.

This was a good opportunity.

"Fine. But if I lose, I have to leave, while if you lose, you pay no price at all. Isn't that a little unfair?"

Ian asked in return.

Halman was delighted. Ian had actually accepted.

So he said, "If I fail, then I'll leave the Mutual Aid Society too."

"Not enough."

"Including my family's Lionheart Knight Method."

Halman was very confident, because he did not think he would lose.

A knight method?

Ian's eyes flickered. He knew this was something cultivated only in mortal kingdoms.

But it was also something only nobles could possess.

It could strengthen the body, so it should count as transcendent knowledge. It should be able to improve one's talent.

"Fine."

Ian nodded in agreement.

At this point, Logan naturally could not say anything more. He merely sighed.

Very quickly, a small open space was cleared out.

The contest itself was simple: they would see who could sense Mental Power first, and who could meditate longer.

The two sat on the ground and began meditating, with two hourglasses placed beside them.

The six people around them all watched the pair.

"Ian is being too impulsive!" A red-haired girl shook her head.

"Indeed."

A burly youth beside her nodded as well.

Though they did not particularly like Halman, they had to admit that he was talented in the Meditation Method.

Perhaps it had something to do with his family inheritance. After all, a grand duke of the kingdom could obtain at least some scattered transcendent resources.

Meanwhile, Logan was thinking about how to invalidate the contest later and drive Halman out.

Time passed.

"Wait, something's wrong."

A cry of alarm rang out. It came from a girl in a white dress, who was pointing at Ian.

Everyone looked over.

They saw only that Ian, seated in the center of the clearing with his eyes closed, was giving off faint ripples.

Everyone recognized them.

This meant Ian had already sensed Mental Power.

Halman beside him had yet to succeed.

"How is that possible?"

Halman was also disturbed by the cry. He opened his eyes and glanced at Ian.

But he immediately closed them again and continued meditating.

He could not lose.

The hourglass beside Ian was flipped over, and the timing began.

Before long, Halman too entered the state and began meditating.

Now they would compare the length of their meditation.

This was purely a contest of proficiency.

And this was the part Halman was most confident in.

Yet when he opened his eyes again, he did not hear a single sound.

"What's going on?"

His face filled with confusion as he saw everyone else staring fixedly at Ian.

"The third hourglass."

He faintly heard someone cry out.

Three hourglasses?

How could that be possible? He could normally only last through two hourglasses.

That was already the longest among everyone present.

Halman's eyes widened. He lowered his head to look at his own hourglass, just as two hourglasses' worth of time came to an end.

Meanwhile, Ian remained in meditation. Finally, just as the third hourglass ran completely out, he opened his eyes as well.

"Three hourglasses' worth of time."

Logan took a deep breath.

No wonder Ian's talent was inferior to his, yet he had not taken much longer to successfully condense a rune.

That Meditation Method proficiency was absurdly high.

They had all studied for a month, yet the gap was this enormous.

As expected, they hadn't invited the wrong person.

"Halman, you lost." Logan turned to look at Halman.

As everyone's burning gazes fell upon him, the proud Halman felt as though he were about to suffocate.

"This is the Knight Method."

He pulled a booklet from his clothes and tossed it out, then strode from the stone house as if he desperately needed a breath of fresh air.

Ian picked up the Knight Method from the ground and stood.

"Ian, you're incredible. I'm Emily Garrett," said the red-haired girl.

"William, you absolutely have to share some Meditation Method experience with us!" introduced the burly youth.

"Shirley." This was the other girl in the white dress.

She was young, but already very well-developed, with her chest beginning to take shape.

"Alfie." "Luke."

"Logan, Ian, welcome aboard. I hope you can share more of your Meditation Method experience with us. Of course, if you need tricks and the like, we can share those with you too. I'm sure everyone will be more than willing."

As the organizer, Logan gave him an enthusiastic welcome.

"I have a few zero-ring tricks here."

"If you need to learn the Knight Method, I can share my experience."

Everyone was extremely enthusiastic.

Compared to being able to meditate for longer, these things were nothing!

"Happy to help."

Amid the crowd, Ian looked at everyone and smiled.