A Lesson in Control
Arteon slowly opened his eyes.
“…….”
Staring up at the tent ceiling, he eased himself upright and drew a steady breath.
From the light filtering in from outside, not much time seemed to have passed.
And yet……
How long has it been since I last rested this comfortably?
Feeling the complete recovery of his body, Arteon let out a quiet note of admiration. The deep rest had helped, of course—but more than that, ascending to the four-star realm appeared to have wrought considerable changes within him.
Just then—
“You’re awake?”
A low, quiet voice seeped into the tent. Arteon turned his head.
“Ah, Lord Seran.”
He spoke as he looked at Seran, who sat opposite him. The man was simply sitting still, yet a peculiar presence rolled off him—the tension of the battlefield woven into his very flesh. His expression, however, looked darker than before.
Arteon asked, “Was the meeting less than smooth?”
If nothing were wrong, his face would not look like that. The atmosphere alone was enough to guess how the discussion had gone.
“…….”
At Arteon’s question, Seran closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. He shook his head.
“No. There was no problem.”
The words carried a strange dissonance, yet Seran paid it no mind and continued.
“Tomorrow we will select the finest soldiers from the entire force and form a special unit. That force will sortie to seize the hill ahead.”
Arteon’s eyes narrowed. He knew full well that whichever side—ally or enemy—claimed that hill first would turn the tide of the war.
He asked, “…Will you be going as well, Lord Seran?”
A subtle tension colored Arteon’s voice. If they were choosing the best among the entire army, Seran’s selection was a given. Especially now that he had reached the four-star realm, his strength would be indispensable against the Kar Tribe’s commander-class warriors.
And……
“…….”
Seran did not answer at once. He seemed lost in thought, weighing something carefully. But it did not last long.
“I will take part as well. This is the moment when every strength must be gathered into one. If we fail to take that hill, this battle will only drag on needlessly.”
Arteon nodded deeply. Seran had struck cleanly at the heart of the war.
Just as the rumors said.
He had stepped onto the front only once, yet he could read the situation with such keen precision. Rumors were usually exaggerated; with Seran, Arteon found himself thinking the opposite—that the rumors had understated him.
Seran studied Arteon for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“More importantly…… I’m sorry to ask, but could I receive that help you mentioned earlier?”
“Of course.”
Arteon answered with a smile. He knew the request was anything but light. For a man of higher rank and greater age to reach out to someone beneath him required considerable courage. Seran was the sort who could cast aside unnecessary pride and lower himself for the sake of his goal.
Arteon rose from his seat.
“Then…… shall we go somewhere without people?”
“I’ve already scouted a place.”
Seran left the tent and led the way. Night gradually settled, darkness descending. The main force was taut with tension over tomorrow’s sortie, yet Seran looked at Arteon with a different kind of tension entirely.
When they arrived at the place Seran had spoken of—
“…I didn’t know a spot like this existed.”
Arteon said as he looked around. Deep in the forest, ringed by dense trees, the space lay beyond any outside gaze. The ground was soft earth—perfect for training.
Seran offered a small smile.
“I walked the surroundings looking for a place to train without worry. This seemed the best.”
Arteon nodded, acknowledging it as an ideal training ground.
“In that case, would you first try forming your aura?”
Seran steadied his breath and slowly raised his sword. Mana condensed at his fingertips; soon a vivid blue aura enveloped the blade and climbed its length. Blue aura flickering like flame. Its fierce presence made Arteon’s eyes narrow almost imperceptibly.
…The color is deep, but the solidity is lacking.
He grasped it at a glance. The mana output was high, so the power might be formidable—but the binding force that held the aura together was markedly unstable. Compared to the strength the aura possessed, the control needed to sustain it fell short.
Still……
I should confirm it first. You can’t diagnose the problem accurately without clashing head-on.
Arteon slowly raised Iglis. As he poured mana into it, the rod-shaped weapon transformed into a spear. Seran watched with faintly surprised eyes.
“An unusual weapon. An artifact?”
“Yes. A keepsake left by my father.”
“…Your father must have been an exceptional spearman as well.”
“I only ever learned by watching over his shoulder. Shall we begin?”
A nod. The moment Seran inclined his head, Arteon formed his aura in an instant. Blue light wrapped the spear in a dense, refined shape. Seran’s expression grew more startled than when he had first seen Iglis.
At that age…… an aura of this caliber.
He almost wondered if he were dreaming. But he soon steadied himself and raised his sword.
“Then I shall take a lesson from you.”
“The honor is mine.”
Their voices overlapped, and the tension in the space thickened further. The two advanced toward each other—slowly, yet with solid footing.
And then—
Clang!
A fierce metallic ring announced the first clash. The air shuddered; leaves scattered through the forest. A faint crease formed between Arteon’s brows.
Strong…… just as expected.
Seran’s aura, for all its instability, carried tremendous destructive force. Arteon kept his distance and extended his spear in long thrusts. The attacks were simple, yet calculated—meant to test the aura’s nature and response.
Seran, too, swung his sword with clean precision. The evenness of his lines, the unshaken posture—these were the pure distillation of long years of foundational training.
As I thought…… the rumors were no lie.
Arteon analyzed his opponent with quiet admiration. Conversely, Seran’s eyes widened at Arteon’s spearmanship.
Spearmanship this refined…… at his age?
Even a simple thrust traced a perfect trajectory and left no opening.
If he added deceptive strikes on top of this…… he would be difficult to face.
Cold sweat ran down Seran’s spine.
Then once more—
Clang!
A violent blow collided, sending a powerful shockwave outward. In that instant Seran’s aura wavered, gave a tearing sound, and shattered into fragments.
He retreated and tried to re-form the aura. It was not easy.
Wuum……
Taking shape consumed far too much time. Seran clenched his teeth, then let a bitter smile touch his lips and withdrew his mana. Lowering his sword, he bowed his head slightly.
“This is the problem as it stands…… and I have no idea what to do about it.”
His earnest gaze turned to Arteon.
“…….”
Arteon understood the feeling completely. To reach the four-star realm and finally handle aura, only to find it unstable—how that must burn inside.
After a moment to steady his breath, Arteon spoke carefully.
“Then…… may I share my thoughts?”
Seran nodded, expectation and tension mixed on his face.
“Speak without reserve. Even the harshest words are fine.”
His eyes said he would sell his soul to a devil if only this problem could be solved.
Arteon’s expression hardened.
“Your greed is excessive.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
When Seran looked puzzled, Arteon continued firmly.
“When you first form the aura, you are injecting more mana than you can sustain. That is why the aura becomes powerful—yet unstable.”
Aura’s strength varied with the mana used. But if one pursued power alone and forced excess mana into it, the form was bound to collapse easily.
Seran bit his lip and muttered, “But if I do not use that much mana, I cannot form an aura at all.”
Arteon shook his head with a faint smile.
“It is not impossible. You only feel that way because you fastened the first button wrong.”
For stability, one first had to reduce the amount of mana and learn to maintain the form. But Seran was already accustomed to a strong aura, so he could no longer create a weak one.
Arteon stepped closer and spoke with firm resolve.
“The most important thing in creating and maintaining aura is not the quantity of mana. What you need is a clearer image.”
He stepped back again and poured mana into his spear. In an instant a blue aura took shape—unwavering, solid, enough to draw admiration from anyone watching. Seran gazed at it with open envy.
Arteon met that gaze and continued.
“When I form my aura, what I call to mind is death—and flame. What about you, Lord Seran? When you first created aura, what memory rose in your heart?”
Seran hesitated a moment, then murmured low, “I……”.
“Hold onto that memory. And begin by injecting only a very small amount of mana. The form of aura is seized by will and image. The quantity of mana concerns only output; it has nothing to do with forming the aura itself.”
In that moment Seran’s eyes wavered. He understood the words, and yet—
“…….”
—he wondered whether he could truly manage it.
But……
“I understand.”
Resolve settled in him; he nodded.
Wuum!
The first attempt at forming aura. It was not easy. The light wavered unstably, threatening to vanish at any second. Yet Seran did not hesitate. He kept concentrating, recalling Arteon’s advice.
As time passed, he understood. He grasped the “core” Arteon had spoken of.
Wuuuum!
With a faint vibration the aura gradually took stable form. It was not as powerful as before, but the unstable trembling was gone.
Seran opened his eyes and looked at the aura he had created.
“How does it feel?”
Arteon’s voice reached him.
“…It feels as though the burden is lighter.”
Seran answered after a deep breath. Arteon nodded.
“You must remember that sensation well. Once you grow proficient in it, you will be able to increase the mana little by little and still keep the aura stable.”
Seran regarded Arteon with a peculiar expression.
“But you…… how do you know these things?”
The advice defied common explanation. Arteon scratched his cheek awkwardly and looked aside. Seeing that, Seran’s face flickered with sudden realization. Who this man was, and how he knew such things, did not matter. Right now he was a benefactor who had opened a path one step further.
He hastily bowed his head.
“I did not mean to interrogate you. If I offended you, I apologize.”
“Not at all. It is simply…… difficult to explain.”
Everyone had one secret or another. Seran asked no further. He drew a small seal from his breast and held it out to Arteon.
“Ours is no great house, but this is a seal engraved with our family crest. If you ever come to me or to my house bearing this, I will aid you in whatever matter it may be.”
Arteon accepted the seal and looked at Seran. The chance to receive help from one of such ability was a treasure money could never buy.
“Thank you.”
Seran smiled.
“Let us return now. Tomorrow…… an important operation awaits.”
Arteon nodded. This experience would clearly lift Seran to a realm utterly different from the past.
Quietly, Arteon turned his gaze toward the front and let his eyes gleam.
Now it was time to reclaim the initiative of this war.