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Morning began as usual, almost mundane by this point. We had our breakfast in the common room and gathered our requisite items for the spars to follow. Everything was going normally, and I could feel a noticeable improvement in my skills.
The first thing I did after arriving at the training grounds was show all my available talents to Amara. Among them, aside from the ones granted by my Origin, the only ones Amara lacked information on were my Dragon Talents.
Mana Sight was a fairly simple talent, allowing me to visually perceive the flow of mana. It worked wonders on unsuspecting opponents who had no idea I could track the path of their mana within their bodies. However, against someone like Amara, the advantage was moot.
The Vampire could circulate her mana at speeds that left me dizzy and distracted. Instead of being an advantage, Mana Sight became a liability.
Compared to Mana Sight, Void Step was a far more practical talent. It was probably my favorite so far since it allowed me to teleport any distance within my line of sight.
Of course, actually using the ability was far more difficult. It felt like riding a high-speed carriage with no brakes, trying to maneuver through a busy neighborhood. Needless to say, I wasn't good at teleportation—not good at all.
Draconian Rage was a talent Amara already seemed to have an impression of, considering I had used it in our spar the other day. Not by choice, I'll tell you that. Perhaps it was in the name, but this was a talent I couldn't consciously control. It only activated when I was enraged, and during that time, I wasn't sane enough to make reasonable judgments.
The last talent, Dark Wings, was the most fearsome of them all. The only reason it was classified as S-Rank in rarity was mostly due to the time constraints; otherwise, it would be a completely broken ability. Even then, since it had no cooldown, I could technically spam it consecutively.
That is, if the mana cost was similar to some of my other talents. Unfortunately for me, the mana it required was simply exorbitant, even by my generous standards. I could only sigh in frustration.
Still, as I grew stronger, I should be able to use it more frequently. For now, I had to be content with a 10-second boost every five minutes.
"We have much to work with. Let's get to it," Amara said, and with a flourish, manifested a spear in her hand.
I focused, keeping my breathing steady, before flaring something distinct from talents — a form that belonged to me. Not mana, but essence made manifest.
A shimmer of golden light passed through my body, igniting my hair as if set aflame by celestial fire. I heard the crackle and pop from across my knuckles and felt my grin widen at the sight of a layer of shimmering black scales covering my hand.
"Well, that's new," Amara remarked, though her tone was level, and her spear still pointed in my direction.
I released the breath I'd been holding and sprang forward. Our battle was a dance of crimson and black, our movements effortless and graceful. Although I had trained before, there was something different about the way Amara fought. Or perhaps it was the culmination of all the changes I'd undergone since meeting the dragon, but I could feel my growth — as clear as the light of the sun on my skin.
She stabbed with force, her hand extended and her torso curved to maintain the posture. I dodged the blow with ease. My Agility, though only half of hers, allowed for the seamless flow of my movements. Of course, she wasn't trying her best. But that was alright. If she had been, I wouldn't have stood a chance. This wouldn't have been a spar in the first place.
As I hopped to my right foot, the tip of her spear inches from my face, my fist was already swinging toward her. Amara dropped the spear, letting the shaft hit my arm, then twisted, grabbing hold of it before yanking it downward—and me along with it.
I fell forward, but I had grown used to her tactics by now. I pushed forward suddenly, intending to counter, then to quickly pull back. Yet, as if already aware of my plan, Amara twisted her spear and knocked the butt of it against my forehead, sending me skidding backward.
"Ouch," I muttered, rubbing my forehead, where I was sure a red bruise was already forming.
"You see an opening, you go for it," Amara said. "But you have to understand that sometimes, those can be bait as well."
"How am I supposed to recognize the difference?" I asked.
"Intent," she said, offering a single word as if that explained everything. I shook my head and refocused on the battle.
We continued to spar well past noon when, suddenly, a servant boy arrived to interrupt us. There weren't many servants at Baron's Keep, but the few that existed were humble and diligent.
"Lord Markus, I have come to fetch you on behalf of Lord Baron," he said, holding a shallow bow.
I exchanged a silent glance with Amara and immediately knew she shared my thoughts. Turning to the boy, I asked, "Am I to come alone?"
"Lord Baron did not explicitly deny anyone's accompaniment," he replied.
A small smile graced my lips, my confidence in the summons' origin growing. "Are you coming with me?" I asked Amara.
She shook her head and dematerialized her spear. "No, I'll check up on Luna—and the other two, if I pass by."
I nodded in understanding. After her spar with Luna yesterday, Arianna had latched onto the Wolfkin like a duckling to its mother. Though she hadn't entirely given up on pestering Amara, I was at least relieved that she kept her distance rather than making remarks right to my face.
It wasn't as if I was blind to her intentions, but I was as selfish as one could be when it came to my family—especially my lovers. They belonged to me and me alone. I couldn't—wouldn't—tolerate any infringement on that rule.
"Alright," I said, gesturing to the servant. "Let's go."
I was led to the Baron's chambers, where the servant knocked on the door to alert the nobleman. He was dismissed promptly, while the Baron urged me to come inside.
The room was as plush as I recalled it to be, radiating comfort and luxury. Yet the Baron sat away from such indulgence, focusing on his work with an earnest expression. It still felt surreal to stand before a man I had only heard about in my younger days and be regarded as his equal.
"Take a seat," the Baron said, gesturing to the chair in front of him. I sat.
He rifled through a bundle of papers before proffering one to me. I accepted it with slight hesitation.
"Um..." I started, leaning forward. "I thought this was a matter related to the Capital. Why am I being handed this letter instead?"
It wasn't just a letter either—it was a letter addressed to the Baron. And he was giving it to me. Why?
"I think the best way to get an answer to your question is by opening that envelope," he said, offering a terse smile.
I looked between him and the letter before sighing and leaning back. The envelope was already open, so I pulled the neatly folded piece of paper out and read it.
It took me only a few seconds to finish, my eyes landing on the golden seal stamped at the bottom—a sword and shield insignia.
"The Guild," I muttered, suddenly realizing what this was all about.
"Yes," the Baron nodded. "The letter arrived yesterday evening. It recounts the events that took place at Erdwatch and mentions the efforts being made to restore the city to its former glory." He paused, his expression unreadable.
"And casually mentions us in between," I finished for him, and he nodded.
"So they're already aware of our whereabouts. They could come at any moment," I said, a sinking feeling settling in.
"That's not entirely correct," the Baron replied. "They won't directly invade the Barony. Even though the Guild holds far more sway than a mere Barony, they would still have to answer to the King for any actions they take."
"Then what's the point of sending this letter?" I asked, waving it slightly for emphasis.
The Baron sighed. "To be honest, I expected something like this to happen. But you don't need to worry. I already have a plan," he said. I waited for him to elaborate.
"If the Guild comes asking for you, I'll already have a story prepared," he continued. "I'll claim that your team is responsible for purging the region of monsters and that you're my guests. Of course, they won't be satisfied and will probably pull some political strings to apply pressure, but I have a counter to that—I just need your cooperation."
"Mine?" I raised a brow.
"Well, not exactly yours," the Baron said, inclining his head. "That of your companions."
I left the Baron's chambers, thoughtful of the proposition. I hadn't given my reply to the Baron, partly because it wasn't for me to decide, but mostly because I didn't want to give the impression that I wanted this deal.
But did I want this deal? Absolutely!
If this went through, we wouldn't have to scour half the world to find a good place to build our home. That was probably one of the most important reasons why I refused to leave. I could have flaunted my Summons' strength and even made the Royal Family act humble toward me, but I didn't. The reason was simple—I didn't want to rely on anyone to build my foundations. Most importantly, I wasn't willing to back down from a challenge.
And the Guild presented a challenge. They just hadn't realized who they were messing with. By the time they did, it would already be far too late.
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