Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent-Chapter 30: Ch : Change your Mindset- Part 1

The morning after Kyle's clash with the guards, the air was crisp and cold, filled with the sharp sound of training swords cutting through the wind.

Kyle, as always, had started his day before the sun had fully risen, pushing his body to its limits.

However, today, he wasn't alone.

Melissa and Bruce had joined him in the early hours—one eager, the other reluctant.

Melissa immediately went to her drills, her movements sharp and focused. Despite being new to the sword, she had no hesitation in following Kyle's guidance.

Bruce, however, stood awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to do.

"What am I supposed to do? What kind of training will you provide me with?"

He finally asked, sounding a little eager to get started.

Unfortunately for him, Kyle decided to dash his hopes as soon as he got them up.

Kyle wordlessly handed him a wooden sword.

"Start from the basics. I need to know what to correct in your form."

Bruce stiffened, his pride taking a hit.

"The basics?"

He repeated, feeling as if Kyle was mocking him.

This was a joke, right? He had trained for years! He wasn't some beginner who needed to swing a wooden sword like a child.

He opened his mouth to protest—

And then he felt it.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

A sharp, piercing gaze.

His eyes flicked to the side.

'I feel like my throat is closing up when I try to speak. I should not make unnecessary noises when I am in front of Lord Kyle.'

Melissa was staring daggers at him, her expression completely unreadable, but her intent clear—Do not question our master.

Bruce swallowed his words and gritted his teeth, gripping the wooden sword and stepping into position.

Even though he followed orders, his movements were half-hearted, his mind filled with resentment.

'What's the point of this? I already know how to fight. Is this man not going to respect the years I put into my training just because I'm under his command now?'

He thought to himself but got to training.

And yet, as the hours passed, he felt no change in himself.

Kyle, of course, noticed.

By the time training ended for the day, Kyle turned toward Melissa and Bruce, his golden eyes sharp.

"At the end of the week, we leave for the 'Frozen Armoured Bear' hunt."

Melissa brightened immediately, her expression lighting up with excitement.

Bruce, however, felt his stomach drop.

"What? There's no way we'll be ready!"

He blurted out.

Kyle turned to him, his expression unreadable.

"And why is that?"

Bruce felt his frustration boil over.

"Because this isn't about mindset! A human body has physical limitations! There's no way we can be strong enough in just a few days!"

He snapped.

Kyle's face remained blank, but the silence that followed made Bruce nervous.

He took an instinctive step back, but suddenly, his back hit something solid.

Melissa.

Her voice was low and firm as she said.

"You shouldn't disagree with our lord."

Bruce turned his head slightly, his breath hitching at the intensity in her eyes.

She wasn't threatening him outright, but her meaning was clear.

Kyle, however, simply let out a small chuckle.

"It's fine, Melissa. If Bruce doesn't believe me, then he just needs to see it for himself."

He said.

Bruce felt his muscles tense.

"See what?"

He asked cautiously.

Kyle gestured toward Melissa.

"Go up against her."

Bruce blinked in confusion.

"Melissa?"

He repeated.

"Yes. She's only been training for a week. Since you're so certain a few days make no difference, then surely you'll have no trouble defeating her."

Kyle said smoothly.

Bruce felt a surge of confidence.

"Of course, I won't! I'll end this quickly."

He said, straightening up.

Melissa, however, simply drew her sword and took a stance, her blue eyes steady and unwavering.

Kyle watched silently, his gaze unreadable.

"Let's see how long that confidence lasts."

Bruce sighed as he looked at Melissa's small frame.

She was young and thin, her arms barely showing any muscle.

'Does she even eat enough?' 

He thought.

He felt sorry for her.

It wasn't just because of her size.

It was because she worked under Kyle—a brute of a young master who acted cold, ruthless, and unpredictable.

Bruce couldn't understand how someone like her could willingly follow such a person.

'She must be scared of him.'

Bruce's grip on his sword tightened.

"I'll end this quickly, so she doesn't have to suffer."

He looked at Melissa and said in a calm voice.

"I'm sorry about this, but I'll make sure it ends in seconds."

Melissa didn't react.

She simply stood her ground, her sword steady in her hands.

Bruce raised his weapon, preparing to end the fight with a single, powerful blow.

"She won't be able to handle this."

He swung his sword down with full force—

And then his world shattered.

CLANG!

His blade met Melissa's head-on—and stopped dead in its tracks.

Bruce's eyes widened.

"Impossible!"

He pushed harder, trying to force her back.

She didn't move.

Not even an inch.

"How—?"

Shock froze him in place, his arms suddenly feeling weak.

Melissa, sensing his hesitation, took her chance.

She parried.

With a quick, sharp movement, she redirected his attack, causing his sword to slide off hers.

Bruce stumbled back.

His mind reeled.

"What just happened?"

He stared at Melissa.

She looked completely unfazed.

As if his full-powered strike had been nothing.

Bruce's breathing grew uneven.

"She's just a slave... Just a girl... She's only been training for a week!"

His heart pounded.

"Has it really been just a week?"

Bruce could not believe what he had just heard.

"This is what you get for questioning my lord's methods. If you continue to question him, then I assure you that you will lose to me every time we fight."

Bruce flinched at Melissa's words.

'Lose to her? Every time?'

His pride ached, but he quickly scowled.

"She's only been training for a week! This doesn't make sense!"

Still, the way she calmly held her sword, unshaken by his strength, made him hesitate.