Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Choice of the Mind

"The mind is a place of its own; one thought can turn heaven into hell, and another can turn hell into heaven."

Hearing such a peculiar incantation, Lina Jones couldn't help but show a look of frustration. If she hadn't seen Dean Bruce perform magic with her own eyes, she might have thought he was trying to trick her.

This incantation was so different from anything she had encountered before, it was difficult to accept.

In truth, Lina Jones wasn't lacking in talent. The reason she hadn't been able to grasp the magic was due to the resistance she felt toward these strange incantations.

The two sisters from the Michelle family were different. They had been on the brink of life and death, knowing that without trusting Dean Bruce, there was little hope for their family's revival.

So, despite finding the incantations odd, they chose to believe in them.

Nicholas William, after having the meaning of the incantations explained by his elder, was also able to embrace them without resistance.

But Lina Jones was different. She already had considerable status, and once she officially became the saintess of the Temple of Wisdom, she would have access to not just high-level spells, but even Ultra-High-Level spells.

Given her position, Lina was less inclined to explore something she didn't understand, and her skepticism held her back.

Dean Bruce noticed the doubt in Lina's eyes and couldn't help but feel disappointed. It seemed relying on her to improve his own power was not going to work.

After a moment of hesitation, Dean finally spoke. "Do you find these incantations strange?"

"Yes," Lina admitted softly. "Sometimes I wonder how you managed to draw magic from something so odd. Or is it that everyone on your continent learns magic this way?"

"No," Dean replied calmly. "Nicholas and the others are from this continent, and they still managed to grasp the magic in a short time."

Lina fell silent.

Dean sighed. "It's fine. Maybe it's just that your talent isn't on par with theirs. If you can't figure it out, we'll leave it at that. It seems our connection is limited to mere cooperation."

"I..."

Lina hesitated, wanting to say more.

She didn't desperately need to learn high-level spells, but the sting of Dean's remark about her talent not being as strong as the others ignited a competitive fire within her.

She certainly didn't believe she could be outshone by the son of some provincial lord.

Taking a deep breath, Lina said firmly, "I will do my best to understand it."

Dean smiled. "No need to force yourself. If it's a matter of talent, don't push too hard. Although this is the most suitable spell I've selected from many, I imagine it may still be difficult for you to succeed."

"..." Lina Jones ignored the first part of Dean's statement, her eyes widening in surprise. "The most suitable one for me?"

"That's right," Dean Bruce responded calmly. "Though you present yourself as genuine and innocent, deep down, your mind is much more guarded than you let on. This isn't a good thing—it can darken your soul."

"I hope, as you learn this spell, you'll also transform your inner self."

Lina's pupils shrank, but she didn't argue.

She knew Dean's assessment of her was spot on. Outwardly, she appeared to be someone who knew very little, a naive girl, even in the dangerous situation at Lulu Ruins. She had acted as though she hadn't experienced much of the world.

"Everyone needs their own space and time," Dean replied with a light laugh. "If you spend too much time together, it'll just increase tension between two people."

Herbert's expression froze, and he scratched his head, not quite grasping the meaning behind Dean's words. Not wanting to dwell on it, he quickly changed the subject. "Wanna train together for a bit?"

"Oh?" Dean raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I thought we were heading to the governor's mansion?"

"What for?" Herbert scoffed. "We were only going early to talk about my sister's engagement. Now that that's off the table, we don't need to rush. We barely know the governor, so as long as we don't show up late to the banquet, there's no point in getting there early!"

"There's still plenty of time before the banquet. How about we train together for a bit?" Herbert suggested eagerly.

"..."

Dean nodded slightly. He saw no reason to refuse and figured this would be a good opportunity to bond with Herbert and see if he could nudge him toward learning magic.

"Great! Finally, someone to train with!"

Herbert exclaimed, practically pulling Dean along as he led the way to the training room.

With Herbert leading the way, no one dared to stop them, giving Dean a chance to take a good look at the rest of the estate.

He mentally noted how the Jones family estate was much larger than the Michelle family's, with numerous buildings scattered throughout. It certainly wasn't sparse.

There were two stables and even a courtyard converted into a makeshift prison, housing a few low-level beasts.

Seeing this, Dean finally understood why Lina had referred to most of her siblings as lacking talent, except for Herbert.

They had access to beast meat from a young age and received a decent education, yet their progress in cultivation seemed slow.

Even Herbert's current level of strength didn't seem particularly impressive for someone labeled as a genius.

Of course, Dean kept these observations to himself—it wouldn't be wise to insult the Jones family like that.

In a world ruled by the strong, the training room was a family's most vital asset.

The Joneses had multiple, each large and brimming with concentrated magical energy.

It was clear there were magical formations nearby.

And from the strength of the magic, the formations weren't low-level either. The environment was almost on par with a magic academy.

This was just a family estate!

Once inside Herbert's private training room, Dean was greeted by the sight of various sandbags and boulders.

All marked with signs of heavy impact.

This sight left Dean genuinely surprised. "You... you've been training your body like this the whole time?"

"Yep!" Herbert replied, scratching his head with a sheepish grin. "My father and the rest of the family focus on magic, so they don't really know much about physical training. I've just been relying on brute force for my workouts."

"By the way, Dean," Herbert continued, his curiosity piqued. "Earlier, when Ezra shook your hand, I felt like your hand turned rock-hard all of a sudden. How did you do that?"

Dean grinned in response, amused by Herbert's keen observation.