Just a Moment, I Need to Go Over the Training
The Dullahan, who had been watching them all along with arms crossed, uncrossed them.
Clank!
Clang!
As he clenched both fists and knocked them together, all eyes snapped to him at once.
His green eyes glowed faintly, then closed.
And slowly, he bowed his head.
Heungmi caught on first and waved her hand.
“Great job, sir! Dullahan Teacher!”
Amelia dipped her head slightly too.
“Th-thank you……”
Perdikion and Rune followed suit.
“You worked hard.”
“Thank you.”
The heat from the recent lesson still warmed their bodies.
Rune rubbed his nape, thinking.
Even in such a short time, this fighting spirit...
A hot, rising sensation he couldn't feel during solo training.
But now that the combat drill was over, it was just pointless heat.
Though once it's done, it somehow feels lacking.
Rune chuckled inwardly and neatly tucked away his feelings, as always.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Amelia asked.
“Th-this area around here... Is it really okay like this?”
At her words, the others looked around.
The beautiful waterfall and forest were gone, replaced by lingering ash and demonic energy thickly mingled everywhere.
Here and there, dense shadows floated like debris.
The pooled valley water bubbled away, and any grass or trees not burned were withered dry.
A scene of nature's destruction, plain and simple.
Perdikion tossed a remark at Amelia, who looked genuinely concerned.
“Thinking needless thoughts again.”
Amelia startled and glared at Perdikion.
“N-needless? Th-that's too harsh……”
“What?”
Rune shook his head, mediating the fire dragon boy's sharp retort.
“Amelia, I think I get what hyung means. No need to worry too much about that.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah.”
Rune nodded affirmatively and continued.
“It's badly damaged, sure, but Christina would've expected even that.”
Christina was a dragon of the light tribe, harboring deep hatred for the demon race.
This mock battle required using demonic energy by nature.
But she wouldn't have allowed it in her light lair.
Nor would she send young hatchlings to some abandoned wasteland.
That means several conditions were necessary.
Safe, far enough from the lair—that was basic.
It had to withstand various elemental attack spells, explosions, even demonic energy, with zero outside interference.
As if Rune had hit the nail on the head, Perdikion added.
“Lady Christina would know plenty of places like this. No need to worry.”
Amelia thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Y-yeah. If that's the case……”
But she still glanced around uneasily.
Perdikion sighed audibly, exasperated by the sight.
“Wouldn't it be more productive to think about why you got hit just now and how to fix it?”
“!”
It was true, but the words stung—Amelia bit her lip.
She was already bothered by being the first eliminated.
Man.
Rune pondered briefly, then turned to Perdikion.
“Hyung, let's tidy up a bit before we go.”
“Do we have to?”
Perdikion wanted to savor the rare high after battling a worthy rival.
And Rune read him perfectly.
He acts all mature, but he just wants to bask in the afterglow of that intense fight.
The immersive thrill.
He understood wanting to linger in that feeling afterward.
Rune came up with an offer sure to tempt Perdikion.
“Hyung, don't you still feel that itch in your body too?”
“……Well, yeah.”
No denial.
Time for the straight pitch, then.
Rune nodded with an innocent look.
“The battle traces are thick here. Perfect for reviewing together with those who didn't go all the way.”
Now that he mentioned it, Perdikion noticed things too.
Footprints varying by power level, traces of force used.
Sensing his hesitation, Rune pressed on.
“For the next fight. Let's all check it out together.”
Though eliminated, Heungmi and Amelia were sensitive to mana and had sharp combat senses.
They'd surely gain from observing and realizing on their own.
Perdikion finally agreed.
“Hm. Fair point. A bit annoying, but okay.”
That was as good as a yes.
Rune nodded and continued.
“I wanna cool down too before we go. Our weapons are in this state—who knows if demonic traces stuck to them.”
Christina would see them as pups rolling in mud.
But Perdikion's expression turned odd.
“You feeling something weird? Like demon vibes or whatever.”
“?”
Of course not.
Rune was more skilled than they thought.
Demon weapons were dangerous, but with Christina's powerful seal as a sheath, just drawing them wouldn't cause issues.
If I'm not careful, he'll jump to weird conclusions.
But Perdikion was a master of gut instincts and quick reactions.
Which meant he sometimes acted first, thought later.
Sure enough, his eyes flashed suspiciously.
“Can't rule it out. Who knows what those devilish bastards did.”
Rune wanted to smack his forehead.
The fire dragon boy's boldness solved things fast and clean sometimes, but he also spouted wild nonsense without hesitation.
Rune shook his head.
“Christina's seal is perfect. Nothing to worry about.”
He quickly added.
“And hyung, I'm a darkness tribe member, you know. I have the highest resistance to demonic energy.”
Mentioning his innate racial trait, but Perdikion's gaze stayed cheeky.
“Say that after you grow as tall as me. You're only Heungmi's size.”
“……”
That damn young age of his.
Not something Rune could control.
He was even a tad taller than Heungmi in human form.
Dragging out the height talk wouldn't help him.
What's the point? Why'd height even come up?
Rune furrowed his brow with a groan.
For some reason, seeing that made Perdikion's mood lift.
“Well, it will help for the next fight. Decent idea—let's do it.”
Rune eyed him incomprehensibly.
Is this guy teasing me right now?
Rune looked childish on the outside, but inside he was as mature as an adult dragon.
Growing will solve it. Gotta focus on growth first.
Rune resolved inwardly.
To eat better, rest better.
They were all at that explosive growth age anyway.
Even Perdikion, teasing the younger Rune.
Amelia, just starting to experience the world.
Heungmi and Baekya went without saying.
Yeah. They'll all grow, and it'll sort itself out.
Rune recalled his imugi days.
The natural way, the proper course.
Recalling that was the mark of a divine beast.
Don't overthink what flows like water.
Gazing transcendentally at the sky for a moment, Rune reached that conclusion.
Then he began tidying the destruction bit by bit.
Heungmi, watching it all, whispered to Baekya.
“Hey, why's Perdikion acting like that?”
“Pip! Pip pip!”
Baekya flapped its wings and chirped above Heungmi's head.
Heungmi nodded as if understanding. “Yeah, yeah.” Then she gasped, eyes wide. “Whoa!”
“Heungmi... Wh-what did Baekya just say...?”
Heungmi pondered her words, then beamed brightly.
“Perdikion's mood flipped while talking with Rune!”
Anyone could see that.
But Amelia blinked, then smiled prettily with a soft giggle.
“Yeah, I get it. Talking with Rune... I feel that way sometimes too.”
Perdikion's words earlier had stung a bit.
But when Rune explained the intent, that feeling eased.
Amelia looked up at Rune, who was calmly tidying with focused eyes.
Rune's amazing. I worried about bothering everyone with lessons at first... but I'm glad I mustered the courage.
As she thought that, Rune called her.
“Amelia. Wet this down a bit.”
A patch of grass burned bald in the center.
Utterly desolate at a glance.
“Y-yeah!”
Amelia used her water power, and the small flames died out.
Rune said.
“Amelia. Instead of just cleaning, imagine along the scorch marks. How the fight went. What clashes happened.”
Amelia nodded and traced the battle flow aloud.
“Um... Matching what I saw earlier... H-here, small force release, then counter... Right?”
“Everything up front is spot on. Not a counter—it was a deflection and dodge. Maintaining a standoff.”
Still, pretty impressive for a first try.
Rune nodded approvingly.
“Doing great for your first time.”
“Th-thanks……”
Amelia beamed happily at the praise.
“Rune! Me too!”
Heungmi shot her hand up eagerly.
As Rune approached, she pointed at shattered rock fragments.
“This got charred black and looks just like you, Rune!”
“……”
Coincidence, probably.
But the blasted rock did resemble a dragon figurine.
Heungmi had spotted more, though.
“Over here. A bit of demonic energy, and Dullahan slash!—severed the tail with his greatsword!”
“……Spot on. Good job.”
“Eek!”
She leaned in with a grin, so Rune naturally patted her head.
Then Baekya arrived, chomping a scorched, wet tree branch hard, dropping it at Rune's feet.
It proudly spread white wings and looked up with beady eyes.
“Piiyak!”
“? Why you?”
“Piyak piyapya! Ppak ppak ppak! Pipiyak ppak ppak!”
Whatever it was, an enthusiastic explanation.
Heungmi nodded along intently to Baekya's chirps... but Rune thought.
Why does Baekya's cry sound like a jinyangmori rhythm?
He gave a vague response.
“Yeah, you worked hard, huh.”
“Piiak!”
The white bird then tap-danced excitedly.
Rune realized Baekya was mimicking its footwork from the battle, in its own way.
But what's a bird gonna do with footwork?
Beak master, now footwork master?
Rune gazed wistfully at it.
This one's born to the wrong species. If it had legs and arms, that talent could've shone.
Clueless to his pity, Baekya hopped around stamping bird footprints.
And that evening.
“Now, time for grades.”
As the bountiful dinner wound down, Christina arrived with a parchment.