Chapter 293
In the middle of the training grounds, three girls stood.
One of them, Ar, twitched her ears, unable to contain her excitement.
‘I get to learn Aura Skills directly from Master Arron!’
What greater honor could there be!
While Ar’s blue eyes sparkled endlessly, Eiran kept sneaking glances at the girl beside her.
‘T-to think I can train alongside my ancestor…’
Velkia, the Fairy Knight.
The great hero who led the elves after the Era of Calamity.
Luna, the Founder of the Nebula, had been her master, and until her final day, Velkia had served as the elves’ guardian.
That was why Eiran admired Velkia’s tales as much as Luna’s.
Not merely because she was her family’s ancestor or a great hero.
In every story, Velkia was proud and unyielding.
As the disciple of Great Heroes, she strove never to tarnish their names.
For timid Eiran, such stories were spellbinding.
And now, to train under the Great Hero Arron alongside her?
‘Oh! I’m shaking!’
Her nerves were at their peak when—
“Why do you keep sneaking glances at me?”
Velkia narrowed her eyes.
“N-no! It’s just… um…!”
Flustered by her sharp gaze, Eiran ducked her head and stammered with a reddened face.
“B-because you’re beautiful.”
Velkia blinked, then muttered,
“You’re pretty enough yourself.”
“R-really?”
Eiran’s joy seemed genuine, though Velkia’s suspicious look lingered.
Yet Eiran only smiled innocently.
Swish— Velkia sidled over to Ar.
“Hey, isn’t she a little strange?”
“She looks normal to me.”
“That’s normal? The way she looks at me, all dreamy and burning? What if she’s falling for me? That’d be a problem.”
“I don’t know about her taste, but dreamy and passionate looks normal enough.”
Velkia gave Ar a strange look—
“Sorry I’m late.”
Arron arrived at the training grounds.
“Master Arron!”
“Eek?!”
Ar bolted like an excited cat, pouncing toward him.
“You’re amazing! I respect you!”
“G-get away!”
Arron panicked, fleeing from her.
Watching, Velkia frowned deeply.
‘Are they… perverts?’
Taking a deep breath, Arron looked at the three girls before him.
Ar’s fervent, sparkling eyes were a little terrifying, but he had his own questions.
“You there…”
“Yes!”
“You said you can transform freely?”
“Yes, sir!”
Velkia’s eyes widened.
‘She can transform freely, like Master Arron?’
“Show me.”
“Yes!”
Ar steadied her breathing.
Arron’s transforming was possible because of his special breathing technique—
A rhythm that stimulated beast blood within the body, forcibly triggering transformation.
Only Arron possessed this unique breath, later passed down to beastkin as [The Hero’s Breath].
But its true resonance could never be replicated, so full transforming remained impossible.
During her entrance exam, Ar had acquired his breath as a raid reward when she and Leo cleared his Hero’s World.
‘That’s my breath.’
Arron’s eyes widened at the identical pattern.
‘But she can’t control her transformation properly.’
After watching her transform, he asked,
“Can you use [Howling]?”
“Of course! Want me to show you?!”
“Wait—!”
“Roooaaar!”
The feral roar of a beast tore through the grounds.
Velkia and Eiran, sensitive-eared elves, instinctively clapped their hands over their ears.
Arron buried his face in his hands.
Ar beamed up at him, waiting for praise.
“Ow!”
Velkia smacked her on the head.
Moments later, pale-faced soldiers rushed in.
“What’s happening?!”
“We heard something terrible!”
The grounds erupted in chaos, and Ar shrank down.
“It’s nothing.”
Arron soothed them and waved them off.
“Alright. I get it now.”
He nodded.
“Your transforming and [Howling]—you can’t control their strength.”
“Eh?”
Ar’s eyes widened.
She’d heard those words before.
‘That’s what the Black Rabbit said to me too.’
Her tail swished.
“How should I explain this… I’ll think on it.”
Crossing his arms, he turned to Velkia and Eiran.
“Eiran. You remind me of Velkia.”
“M-me?!”
“T-to compare me to her is…”
Velkia narrowed her eyes, but Eiran looked overjoyed.
“Yes. It’s like you share her blood.”
At that, both Ar and Eiran flinched.
“I-in what way?”
“You smell the same.”
‘As expected of Master Arron.’
‘Sharp as ever!’
If he learned Eiran was Velkia’s descendant, the raid would fail.
The two stiffened nervously.
“So—why not spar? You could learn from each other.”
“That makes sense.”
Velkia drew her sword.
“Draw yours. Fight me.”
“Wh-what an honor!”
Ar’s eyes sparkled.
“Master Arron! Should I fight them too?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Kneel before me first.”
Snap–!
Ar dropped to her knees instantly.
“Close your eyes.”
She obeyed.
“Focus. Stay still.”
“What effect does this training have?”
“Discipline.”
“Of course! To avoid being ruled by power, focus is vital!”
‘Maybe she won’t pounce on me anymore if she calms down.’
Ar didn’t know—
That the hero she revered was genuinely terrified of her.
—
Lunia stared tensely at Katariu.
Beside her, Fiora nibbled on the chocolate Lunia had given her.
Katariu regarded her with a detached expression.
“What do you think is the essence of fire?”
Lunia answered,
“Immortality.”
Katariu chuckled.
“Why?”
“Because the Phoenix flame burns forever.”
“A fitting answer from one who wields it.”
She leaned her chin on her hand.
“But wrong. Fire’s essence is destruction.”
Her gaze turned icy.
Lunia shivered.
“Even a Phoenix eventually meets its end. Even our flames aren’t perfect.”
Fwoosh—
White fire appeared in her hand.
“Even as the Phoenix King, my flames can’t burn forever. I am not immortal.”
She clenched her fist, scattering the fire.
“Oh, but there is a flame that never dies.”
A smile curved her lips as she whispered,
“The hateful flames of calamity that burn the world.”
Lunia’s face went pale.
Katariu’s smile deepened.
“You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”
Impossible to forget.
Even the smallest fragment had brought despair—
The primordial evil.
“The black flames of hatred,” Katariu continued, “that even the Phoenix King’s white fire, long called [Flame Emperor], could only resist. Flames that burn the world itself. That is why fire’s essence is destruction.”
“F… Flame Emperor?”
“What? Everyone knows the Phoenix King’s title is [Flame Emperor].”
“Y-yes…”
Not in Lunia’s era.
That bloodline vanished at the end of the Era of Calamity.
What shocked her was the name.
[Flame Emperor]—the same name as Luna’s unfinished magic that Leo had told her about.
“Of course, that perverted old dwarf insists fire’s essence is creation.”
Katariu raised her hand, golden flames swirling.
“That’s…?”
“Dweno’s fire. He said he’d teach you the essence of flame, didn’t he?”
Her smile turned sharp.
“That means he’ll give you his fire.”
“Give… fire? Is that possible?”
“Yes. If it’s flame equal to mine or the Fire Great Spirit’s.”
Lunia’s eyes widened.
So Dweno’s flame stood equal to a Phoenix King or a Great Spirit.
“Flame grows stronger when it devours flame greater than itself.”
‘So… I must devour Dweno’s fire…?’
Katariu chuckled.
“Though honestly, I doubt you could.”
“Why not?”
“Because his fire is special.”
She raised the golden flame to eye level.
“Dweno’s fire burns longer than mine or the Fire Great Spirit’s.”
Lunia swallowed hard.
“Eat it recklessly and you’ll collapse. You won’t die—but it’ll hurt like hell. Well? Want to try?”
Lunia took a deep breath.
“As long as I won’t die…”
She grinned.
“There’s no problem.”
“Brave girl.”
Katariu casually tossed the flame to her.
She caught it, startled.
Watching her, Katariu smirked.
“Swallow it.”
Lunia clenched her eyes shut and gulped Dweno’s flame.
“Ugh?!”
Heat surged through her body, driving her to her knees.
As she writhed in pain, Katariu crooked a finger at Fiora.
“You. Come here.”
“P-peep?”
Fiora rolled over obediently.
“You’re certainly cute like that.”
“Peep! Peep!”
She bounced around happily.
“But you disgrace the Phoenix’s dignity.”
Fiora froze.
Fwoosh—!
The chocolate she’d been eating burned to nothing.
Katariu rose.
“Beautiful fire comes from a healthy mind and body. So—diet.”
Her smile twisted as she raised a leg.
Whoosh–!
She kicked out like launching a ball.
“Peepaaaaah~!”
Fiora shrieked, fleeing in terror.
“Run faster or I’ll punt you! Kyahahaha!”
Cackling like a wicked witch, Katariu chased her around.
From the window, Carr grimaced at the chaotic scene.
“Is this… alright?”
“Leave them.”
Dweno pulled out a book.
“Alchemy requires personal effort. This is my record.”
“C-can I really have this?”
“Normally no. But so what?”
“Eh?”
“Read it. If you understand even a little, it’s yours.”
He clapped Carr’s shoulder, laughing.
“Your talents are lacking elsewhere, but alchemy—you’ve got potential.”
“…Doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
Carr smiled bitterly.
Moments later, the door burst open.
“Master Dweno! Here it is! The statue I carved with all my heart!”
Driana proudly presented it.
“…”
Dweno took it.
“Unique.”
“Yes! Originality is vital for an artist—”
“Carr.”
“Y-yes?”
“What do you think this is?”
“An… artwork?”
“Ehem.”
Driana puffed her chest.
Dweno’s face turned cold.
“Tell the truth.”
“…Trash.”
Before the words had fully left Carr’s mouth, Dweno hurled it at the wall.
Smash–!
The clay splattered.
“Driana, was it? You dream of being an artist?”
“Y-yes!”
“Give it up.”
“What?”
“Don’t disgrace beauty, you damned brat!”
“Eeek!”
“You quit smithing because you thought you couldn’t match me? With that rotten attitude you dare call yourself an artist?! Trash like that is art? Do you mock beauty?!”
Dweno grabbed her by the collar and shook her violently.
Carr fled to the corner in terror.
Dragging Driana to the forge, Dweno shoved her before the furnace.
“Grab the ore! Forge a weapon!”
“B-but I’ve only ever made poor imitations of your weapons—”
“Better to waste ore on fakes than trash statues! A weapon’s a weapon! Who cares if it’s a fake, as long as it cuts and smashes and blocks blows!”
“B-but weapons are works of art too, aren’t they—”
“Since when are weapons art?! They’re for splitting skulls! How dare you put weapons and art on the same level, you ignorant brat!”
“Eeeek!”
His murderous aura cowed her utterly.
From the corner, Carr muttered to himself.
‘Wait… isn’t this the last thing Master Dweno should be saying?!’
“Grab the hammer! Strike the steel! If I ever hear you call yourself an artist again, I’ll slit your throat!”