"Alright then, we'll start with a simple game."

When they took a break on the road, Kain played a game with Mera just as she'd requested.

Kain didn't need to play mind games for training, as his mind was already chaotic enough.

However, he knew that mind games were necessary for Mera to get used to the convoluted thinking of those who never thought simply.

To set up the game, Kain simply picked up a small stone from the roadside.

"This game is called... Guess Which Hand."

"Have you played it before?"

"No, I just thought of it a few minutes ago, but it's quite common, so you probably know it. Basically, you need to guess which hand I'm hiding the stone in."

"Oh, I know that game! When I was little, some smarty-pants... no, I'm not talking about you, Kain. Anyway, they used to play it a lot, but with coins." Mera's voice dropped then, her expression a little pouty. "I thought you'd let me try some kind of strategy game..."

"Not like that, Mera." Kain shook his head and chuckled. "Strategy is always hidden in action, no matter how big or small. Wisdom and thought are the core, and everything else is just a stage for wisdom and thought to display their depth."

"Just play with me, and you'll understand why."

Then, Kain put his hands behind his back to hide the stone. After that, he brought his two clasped hands forward, palms down with only his knuckles facing up, in front of Mera.

"Mera, guess which hand I'm hiding the stone in?"

Mera, of course, didn't guess randomly.

Although she hadn't truly entered the political arena of masterminds, Mera had performed quite well, especially when she tricked the five pursuing Magus earlier.

And despite having no immediate clues, Mera started by observing the direction of the other person's gaze, just as she used to guess which hand a coin was in as a child.

This wasn't some advanced technique; it was a basic one anyone could do. Those hiding a coin in one hand would often look at that hand more, then glance at the person opposite them as if confirming whether they'd guessed correctly.

But...

Would Kain make such a low-level mistake?

Mera couldn't help but wonder, but she still lifted her gaze from his hands to observe Kain.

Just as she thought, Kain's gaze was perfectly normal; he wasn't paying attention to either side.

So, she lowered her gaze again to look at his two arms.

However, at that very moment, Mera's eyes furtively darted up, just in time to catch Kain's gaze directed at his left hand.

"Bullseye!" Mera couldn't help but inwardly cheer.

Indeed, Kain wouldn't make a low-level mistake like revealing his gaze, especially not under someone else's observation.

That's why Mera deliberately created a situation where she observed, then stopped observing, because she guessed that when she looked away, Kain would confidently glance down at the hand hiding the stone to confirm whether she had noticed.

And it was true; Mera secretly saw Kain look towards his left hand.

"Kain, it's this one!" Mera pointed to his left hand, a cunning expression showing through her faint smile.

However, when Kain opened his left hand, it was empty.

Mera's face went blank.

"Oh, too bad, Mera. Looks like you're out of luck this time," Kain said with a nonchalant smile, making Mera purse her lips, finding his demeanor incredibly provoking.

She really wanted to pounce on him and bite him!

What do you mean "out of luck"? He clearly tricked her with that gaze.

Only after this defeat did Mera realize that when she told him about playing this game in her childhood, Kain had already anticipated this outcome. Because the "guessing by looking at the hider's eyes" trick is the most common method people use for this game.

Yes, Mera's deduction wasn't wrong.

Kain did indeed use her story to create that eye-trap in this first round.

Even Mera's extra layer of reasoning—thinking that he wouldn't reveal such an obvious flaw—was within Kain's predictions.

So why did Mera make that decision?

That's because, for her, guessing based on eye movement was the fundamental way to play this game. So even with her newfound ability for deeper deduction, Mera would still rely on this foundation.

And just as Kain thought, Mera would assume he would only reveal his gaze when no one was observing.

Thus, a single fake gaze was enough to lead Mera to the wrong conclusion.

From start to finish, Kain never forced Mera to use his gaze to determine which hand held the stone. He even actively "hid it," so Mera could "discover" it and be pleased, thinking she had found the correct answer.

This was merely a "basic" level for Kain. Mera still had a lot to learn.

"Let's start a new round! Let me try again!" Mera declared, rolling up her sleeves as if preparing for a grand magic battle.

Though, this was just a simple guessing game even children played.

But at this moment, Mera understood Kain's earlier words: wisdom and thought are the core, not just the surface on which they are displayed.

"Alright, as you wish." Kain indulged Mera, once again putting his hands behind his back to switch the stone, then presenting them to her.

"Mera, guess which hand I'm holding the stone in."

Mera slightly lowered her head, deep in thought, but her eyes furtively darted up to observe Kain's gaze.

And she saw Kain, for a fleeting moment, glance down at his right hand, then return to normal.

"Good thing I didn't loudly state why I lost earlier, so he probably thinks he can still trick me with this move," Mera thought to herself.

Although she hadn't won against Kain in the previous round, she still knew how to keep her mouth shut.

Therefore... Kain must have hidden the stone in the opposite hand he didn't look at, which means his left hand!

"I choose the left hand!" Mera pointed to Kain's left hand, blinking, full of anticipation.

However, when Kain opened his hand, it was empty. Where was the stone?

Mera's face went blank for the second time.