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“If you mean Lord Hainel Fremunt… isn’t he the Aura Master?”

After Damian left, Dianal and Kyle couldn’t hide their shock.

Next to them, Jerka was startled by Dianal’s words.

“An Aura Master? Are you saying the captain has gone to meet an Aura Master?”

He looked at Dianal.

Dianal then turned to Leonhark and asked, “Is it true?”

“It’s true. An invitation came from Hainel.”

Given how much of a legend he was, Hainel was known for rarely meeting people unless they were recognized by him.

The name “Hainel” alone had a tremendous impact.

“…Do you know why the captain went to meet him?”

“I don’t know that part either. But…”

Leonhark recalled the look in Damian’s eyes when he mentioned Hainel.

There had been something desperate in his gaze.

What exactly was Damian seeking by meeting Hainel?

“…We’ll find out when he returns.”

The other soldiers nodded in agreement.

Damian always had a clear reason for his actions. No matter how much free time he had, he wasn’t the type to leave the unit without a solid reason.

“Until the captain returns, we’ll focus on our training. We can’t afford to show any signs of slacking.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t worry. We’re training like our lives depend on it.”

At Jerka and Kyle’s determined responses, Dianal nodded. And then…

“Haha.”

Leonhark, observing Dianal, was already planning something else.

With less than a month left in their preparation period.

‘It seems like many things are about to change.’

Leonhark smiled softly, thinking about the upcoming events.

* * *

“Tell me, why did you want to meet me?”

Hainel’s question brought a sudden weight pressing down on Damian’s chest.

‘Just how deep is this man’s power…?’

He had thought he had grown stronger than his past self, in both strength and depth.

But sitting across from Hainel, Damian realized he couldn’t even begin to measure the man’s level.

It was hard to believe that this man was over fifty years old.

Gulp.

Damian swallowed hard, trying to calm himself before answering Hainel.

“I want to learn how to control my magic.”

“How to control your magic?”

“Yes, and further, how to establish aura.”

“…”

The word “aura” wasn’t something easily spoken.

Even reaching the level necessary to qualify for aura was difficult, and even then, it required tremendous talent and luck.

“Haha, you’re quite a bold, young man.”

Was he even twenty yet?

To hear such words coming from someone who didn’t look old enough to be twenty was remarkable.

However…

‘If he’s the captain of the unit that defeated the Rose Knight Order, that changes things.’

In other words, this young man had already reached an extraordinary level at a young age.

‘The ability to fight against ten Rose Knights.’

If a teenager possessed such skill, it would surely shake the entire continent.

Hainel let out a small sigh.

“Hmm…”

He looked Damian up and down, then stood up and said, “You’ve come all this way. I can’t just let you leave without showing you something. Come outside for a moment.”

Hainel stepped outside, and Damian followed him.

Hainel grabbed two wooden swords that had been leaning against the wall and tossed one to Damian.

Thwack.

As Damian caught the sword, his eyebrow twitched slightly.

It wasn’t an ordinary wooden sword.

Noticing this, Hainel’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Did you recognize it?”

“I’m not sure what kind of wood it’s made from, but I can tell it’s special.”

“It’s a wooden sword crafted from the branches of ironwood, over a thousand years old,” Hainel explained, raising his own sword.

“When ironwood reaches over five hundred years, it becomes strong enough to withstand magic. And when it’s over a thousand years…”

Rumble.

“…!”

An immense pressure suddenly radiated from Hainel’s body, causing Damian to instinctively raise his sword and leap backward.

The surge of energy from Hainel made the hairs on the back of Damian’s neck stand on end.

Now about ten meters back, sweat began to pour down Damian’s face.

Hainel smiled gently at him.

“Good reflexes. And your instincts are sharp.”

Hainel genuinely praised Damian’s ability, but Damian couldn’t feel pleased.

The energy around Hainel was like crackling lightning.

Damian, trying to calm his racing heart, asked, “Is that… your aura, Lord Hainel?”

“That’s right, this is my aura in its released form.”

The red lightning visibly crackling around him looked as hot as a blazing fire, yet as sharp as a blade.

Hainel then asked Damian, “Do you know much about aura?”

“…I’ve heard that it manifests in unique forms depending on the caster’s nature.”

“Correct. That’s why, in a fight between Aura Masters, identifying the form of the opponent’s aura is crucial.”

Knowing the nature of the opponent’s aura allows for a better comparison with one’s own.

“However, simply knowing the form doesn’t mean you can understand its characteristics. Even if we display our aura on the battlefield, its true nature is difficult to decipher.”

Ssssh.

With a light swing of his sword, the lightning surrounding Hainel dissipated.

“…Whew.”

Only then could Damian finally let out the breath he had been holding, the tension releasing from his body.

While Hainel’s aura had been active, Damian’s mind had been blaring warnings, as if danger could strike at any moment.

“Now, let’s see your level. Show me what you’ve got.”

“Yes.”

Damian gripped the wooden sword.

Though the sword wasn’t his main weapon, it didn’t affect his ability to channel magic.

Soon, a blue light began to ripple around Damian’s body.

The magic flowing inside him moved according to his will, concentrating into his sword.

Buzz

A faint vibration accompanied the formation of a blue aura blade.

Having reached the 5th star of the Delft Mana Technique, Damian’s magic was no longer just an energy form but had now taken on the distinct shape of an “aura blade.”

Hainel’s eyes widened in shock at the sight.

“…You can already control an aura blade?”

“This is a level I’ve only recently achieved. In fact, this is my first time manifesting it in action.”

Despite the impressive formation of the aura blade, Damian’s face showed signs of exhaustion.

The mental strain of maintaining the aura blade was immense.

Swoosh

The solid form of the blade dissipated, leaving only a faint blue glow of magic around the sword.

“Hah…”

Damian let out a small breath, his brow furrowing. Hainel asked him, “Is that your limit?”

“I can sustain it a bit longer if I only maintain it, but using it in actual combat would be difficult.”

“For your first aura blade, the form is quite distinct.”

It was clear that Damian had either great talent, or he had spent an enormous amount of time practicing with mana.

‘Or maybe… he’s clashed with other forms of mana extensively.’

Given Damian’s age, however, Hainel could only attribute it to talent.

Hainel channeled his own magic, maintaining it in energy form just like Damian.

“Well then, let’s see what you’re capable of.”

Originally, Hainel hadn’t planned on sparring, but watching Damian stirred a competitive spirit in him.

Hainel asked, “How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

Hainel’s shocked exclamation echoed through the air. Even Villipt, who had been watching from the side, looked slightly confused.

It had been a long time since Hainel had shown such strong emotions.

Hainel’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Come at me with everything you’ve got.”

His voice was filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation. But then…

“Lord Hainel, may I change weapons?”

“What?”

“I’m more familiar with a spear.”

“Oh, really?”

Hainel glanced at Villipt, who stood near the mansion.

Villipt quickly fetched a spear and handed it to Damian.

“Sorry, but this is the only spear we have. Will it suffice?”

“Yes.”

Though Villipt’s tone suggested it was a simple weapon, Damian thought to himself:

‘…This is quite the spear.’

It was a finely crafted weapon, clearly made by a master blacksmith.

Damian tested the spear’s balance and weight before looking back at Hainel.

“I’m ready.”

“Come at me anytime,” Hainel said with a raised smile.

This man—or rather, this boy—was already intriguing Hainel, and he was eager to see what Damian could do.

Thud

With a powerful step forward…

Whoosh!

Damian’s body shot toward Hainel like an arrow.

Hainel, watching Damian charge, swung his sword lightly in response.

This should be a fair match for his level, Hainel thought.

But then…

Swish!

“…!”

It had been a casual swing.

Yet, Hainel hadn’t expected his sword to miss entirely.

Hainel couldn’t hide his surprise as his sword sliced through nothing but empty air.

‘What…’

What was that?

There was no time to dwell on it.

Damian had already sidestepped and was thrusting his spear toward Hainel.

‘He’s coming at me full force from the start.’

Hainel realized this wasn’t an opponent he could afford to take lightly.

‘The only opportunity is now—while he’s still underestimating me.’

Just a moment ago, Hainel’s attack had been swift and sharp, but Damian had realized something.

Hainel had matched his swing to Damian’s perceived level.

But that was Hainel’s mistake.

While the sword strike had been fast and fierce, it was also too predictable.

“Hiyah!”

Damian let out a rare battle cry as he thrust his spear toward Hainel’s chest.

Unlike Hainel’s wooden sword, Damian’s spear had a real, sharpened blade.

But Damian didn’t hesitate in his attack.

After all, Hainel wasn’t someone who would fall to such an attack. And besides…

Swish!

“…!”

Villipt, watching from a distance, was startled as Damian’s spear suddenly shifted downward in its trajectory.

Even from where he stood, Damian’s attack seemed incredibly sharp.

It would be even harder for Hainel, who was the direct target of the strike, to deal with it.

Ssshhht!

Damian’s spear, now aiming for Hainel’s thigh, surged forward.

Even highly skilled swordsmen had struggled to block this particular attack.

However…

Clang!

“…!”

The spear, imbued with magic, was effortlessly deflected and sent flying into the air.

Before Damian knew it, Hainel had closed the distance between them, his presence looming as he lowered his stance.

“That was an interesting move.”

‘He’s… too close!’

Without time to react, Damian quickly maneuvered his spear to counter Hainel’s proximity.

His priority was to create space between them, but…

“As impressive as you are, I’m afraid this is where we end for today.”

With those words, Hainel’s sword shot toward Damian’s abdomen.

A precise strike.

The positioning of Hainel’s wrist, the angle of his shoulder, his focused gaze, and even his controlled breathing…

Every aspect of the strike registered in Damian’s senses.

He quickly twisted his body to avoid Hainel’s sword.

Or so he thought.

Thud!

A dull sound echoed as Damian’s vision went black, and he lost consciousness instantly.