Chapter 126 (2)
Grass bent beneath rapid footwork while metal clashed rhythmically through the morning air.
Lucas remained noticeably faster and physically stronger even without mana enhancement, but he intentionally limited himself to their pace. Whenever Aris overcommitted, Lucas avoided the strike just enough to expose the flaw without punishing him fully. Whenever Kaya relied too heavily on speed, Lucas redirected her momentum and forced her to recover her balance before attacking again.
It was not battle.
It was instruction through combat.
An hour passed before Lucas finally lowered his blade.
"That is enough."
Aris stopped first while breathing heavily through clenched teeth.
Kaya sheathed her kunai before placing her hands against her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.
The training grounds around them had been torn apart by movement alone. Grass had been flattened beneath repeated footwork, and countless shallow marks scarred the earth where blades had struck.
"What now?" Kaya asked tiredly.
Lucas led them toward the cultivation room near the edge of the estate.
The runes engraved across its walls glowed faintly as he pushed open the reinforced door, and warm concentrated mana immediately drifted outward into the night air.
"The cultivation room," Lucas explained. "The runes absorb ambient mana from the surrounding area and compress it here. The density inside is roughly five times higher than normal."
Kaya stepped inside first.
Immediately, her breathing caught slightly.
The mana inside the room pressed against her skin almost like physical pressure, and her mana core reacted instinctively by drawing energy inward without conscious effort.
"This is incredible," she whispered.
Aris sat down first because he had already grown accustomed to the room over the past week.
Kaya followed beside him.
Lucas sat opposite them.
The three of them cultivated together in silence.
Hours passed unnoticed.
The sun crossed the sky before eventually disappearing beneath the horizon, but none of them moved from their positions. Mana flowed continuously through the room while the runes absorbed more energy from the outside world to replace what they consumed.
With every breath, each of them became stronger.
It was late into the night before cultivation finally ended.
Aris rose first while stretching his sore muscles overhead.
"My body desperately requires a bath," he announced before walking back toward the manor.
Kaya stood more slowly because her legs had stiffened from remaining seated so long.
Lucas walked beside her as they crossed the moonlit training grounds together.
The moon hung high above them, flooding the estate in pale silver light while countless stars glittered across the sky overhead.
"The moon looks beautiful tonight," Lucas said quietly.
Kaya looked upward.
"It does."
They walked together in comfortable silence for several moments while the manor gradually came into view ahead of them.
Soft light glowed through several windows where Tracy had left lamps burning inside.
"This feels strangely romantic," Lucas said suddenly. "You and me training together before walking beneath the moon afterward."
Kaya laughed tiredly. "We are sweaty, exhausted, and covered in dirt. There is nothing romantic about this."
Lucas chuckled softly. "Sweat and exhaustion are honest. Most romance is just pretty lies wrapped in expensive words."
She glanced toward him with amusement. "That sounded surprisingly philosophical."
"I occasionally pretend to be intelligent."
Kaya shook her head while smiling.
After a few moments, her expression softened slightly.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For agreeing to train me. I know you already have too much to focus on."
Lucas looked at her calmly. "You are worth the time."
Warmth spread across her cheeks again.
To hide it, she looked away toward the moon.
"I have been developing new lightning spells," she admitted. "Ideas I came up with during the mission."
Lucas's interest sharpened immediately. "What did you create?"
"[Lightning Spell: Chain Reaction]," Kaya answered. "It creates a lightning bolt that jumps between multiple targets. Each time it chains, the power decreases slightly, but against large groups, it becomes devastating."
Lucas nodded slowly while imagining the spell's battlefield applications.
"And [Lightning Spell: Static Field]," she continued. "I spread electrical energy across an area so anyone entering it experiences muscle spasms and reduced movement speed. It does not inflict heavy damage directly, but it creates openings for follow-up attacks."
"Those are smart spells," Lucas admitted honestly. "Show them to me tomorrow."
Kaya smiled faintly. "I will."
They continued walking beneath the moonlight while wind moved softly through the trees around them.
Then Lucas suddenly stopped walking.
Kaya stopped beside him before looking over curiously. "What is it?"
"Do you know how to dance?" he asked.
The question caught her completely off guard.
She stared at him for several seconds before answering slowly. "Yes. My mother taught me when I was younger. Noble families expect it."
Lucas extended his hand toward her.
His palm felt warm and rough from years of sword training when she placed her hand into his.
He gently pulled her closer before placing his free hand against her waist.
"Then let us enjoy the night a little longer," he said softly.
Kaya's heartbeat quickened immediately.
The closeness between them suddenly felt impossible to ignore.
"I still need a bath," she protested weakly. "And I am exhausted."
"You are exhausted," Lucas agreed calmly. "But you are still beautiful."
Then he began to move.
Kaya followed instinctively.
Together, they danced slowly beneath the moonlight.
There was no music beyond the wind brushing through the grass and trees, yet they moved naturally together as Lucas guided her through simple waltz steps across the clearing.
He pulled her close before spinning her gently outward, only to draw her back again moments later.
His movements remained smooth and confident.
His gaze never left her face.
"You keep staring at me," Kaya said quietly.
"You are worth staring at."
She laughed softly despite herself. "You really are impossible."
"I have heard that before."
They continued dancing until the moon slowly began sinking toward the horizon and the stars started fading before the approaching dawn.
Eventually, Lucas slowed before finally stopping completely.
They remained standing close together in the center of the clearing with their hands still joined.
"Thank you," Kaya said quietly.
"For the dance?"
"For everything." Her eyes lowered briefly toward their joined hands before rising to meet his again. "For training me. For accepting me. For making me feel important."
Lucas gently lifted her hand before pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles.
"You are important," he said quietly. "More than you realize."