Elandor released my shoulder and stepped back like he didn't just crush my spirit with ten percent of his power. "That's enough for today," he said calmly. "Take a rest."
Easy for him to say. That whole training session felt heavier than the others. Not just physically. Mentally too.
Elariel waved goodbye before leaving with the royal attendants sent by her parents. I did the same and dragged myself back to my room. The moment I opened the door, Blaze jumped off my shoulder and landed straight on the bed.
"Finally," he said. "A proper throne."
"You're a lizard."
"And yet I have better posture than you."
I ignored him and dropped face-first onto the mattress. My body was exhausted… but my mind refused to sleep. I stared at the ceiling. I was getting better with a sword. My fire magic had improved. My mana control was cleaner than before.
But healing magic…That still felt unfinished. If I wanted to keep up with monsters like Elandor–or whatever waited outside this kingdom–I needed more than what I already had.
Then another thought crossed my mind.
The elves with king had said Blaze carried something called dragon's malice. I glanced at him. He was curled into a ball, pretending to sleep…Yeah. I'll deal with that mystery later.
Right now, something else bothered me more. Whenever I healed myself… or when Mom healed me before… or when I restored Elariel and Elandor after training…
There was always that warm sensation.
Not just warmth. Connection. Like my mana was brushing against theirs. Responding to it. And when Saints gave buffs to knights and mages, it looked the same way. Mana reaching out, linking, strengthening.
So if healing magic could interact with another person's mana flow…Could it also disturb it?
I slowly sat up. Mana was almost like life force in motion. If I struck someone physically while forcing healing energy into them at the same time…
Would their body fail to process both impacts? Would it shock the natural mana flow in their bodies? Would they pass out?
Would it depend on how hard I hit them?
I grinned in the dark. "So if I punch someone hard enough and heal them at the same time…"
Blaze opened one eye. "That sentence alone is disturbing."
"There's only one way to test it." My body chose that exact moment to give up. I passed out mid-theory.
The next morning came too fast.
I arrived at the training hall expecting pain, lectures, or both. But Elandor wasn't there or even the other elves. For the first time since training began, the hall was empty. Then the doors opened behind me. I turned. "You're late today."
"No training today," Elandor replied.
I blinked. "Are you sick?" He ignored that completely.
"We are preparing for the Thalael Festival."
"The what?"
He walked past me with his hands behind his back. "A celebration to honor the first great elven hero. Long ago, our people were divided. Violent. Prideful. Kingdom against kingdom."
"…Sounds familiar."
He gave me a side glance. "Thalael stood beside the king of his era during that chaos. He was powerful enough to wage war…" He paused. "But he chose wisdom instead of bloodshed."
That made me listen. "He used knowledge to enlighten others. Through him, the old age of conflict ended, and the Enlightenment Era began."
"Huh. So he was that important." Elandor nodded once. "He was also known as Thalael the Wise."
Then he added casually– "He was our great-great-grandfather."
I frowned. "Wait you mean you and… the king?"
"Yes." I stared at him. "You really enjoy dropping insane information casually, don't you?"
"For today," he said, ignoring me again, "find the princess. Walk the city. Enjoy yourself."
Man…I really wanted to show him my new theory. But a free day was a free day.
Finding Elariel turned out to be easy.
Because she was already looking for me.
The moment she spotted me, she ran over and grabbed my wrist. "Lucien! There you are! Come on!"
"Good morning to you too–" Too late. I was already being dragged. The plaza was incredible. Colorful banners stretched across the streets. Lanterns floated overhead. Music echoed from every direction. Food stalls lined the roads, and children ran between dancers wearing silver masks.
It almost felt like home. No…Better. Then trouble arrived. Three elves around our age stepped in front of us. One girl with long green hair. Two boys beside her.
The tallest one pointed at me. "You human. This is no place for you."
Elariel immediately frowned. "Stop it, Sylas. It's festival day." So that was Sylas. He flipped his hair dramatically. "Princess Elariel, you should be with me instead of this pathetic human."
She crossed her arms. "He's human, yes. But pathetic? He can beat all three of you together." I looked at her. "Why are you volunteering me for violence?"
The girl beside Sylas sighed. "I'm Mirelle. Sorry about him." The other boy gave an awkward wave. "Caelen." Sylas stepped forward proudly. "If I beat you, the princess comes with me."
"Fine by me," I said. Mostly because I had an experiment to run and maybe I can actually use this chance to test it.. He charged. Slow. Painfully slow..maybe it is because Elandor was kicking my ass so fast during our trainings that others that are attacking me appears so slow now beside him and Elariel? I sidestepped, coated my fist in healing magic, and punched him straight in the face.
THUD.
Sylas dropped instantly. The plaza went silent. Then, a few seconds later—
"Gah!" He sat up. Mirelle and Caelen helped him to his feet. Sylas pointed at me dramatically. "From this day on… I am your rival!" Then he ran off in embarrassment.
I stood there stunned.…it worked...Holy shit my theory actually worked!... Elariel stared at my glowing hand while dragging me away from the crowd. "
We stopped at a food stall and bought snacks. I took a bite and answered casually..she asked me while we're eating "What did you just do?"
"I punched him hard enough and healed him at the same time. His mana flow got disrupted, so his body shut down." She stared at me. "You did that with healing magic?"
"Yep."
"You're not real." I grinned. "And yet I'm eating your food." She huffed, then laughed. And just like that, we spent the rest of the day enjoying the festival.
But in the back of my mind…I was already thinking of what face Elandor would make when I showed him next time.
While we were eating, something felt… off..Not dangerous, but not exactly unpleasant either. Just strange.
It started the moment I woke up this morning, before I went to the training hall. Now that things had calmed down after the mess earlier, I could feel it clearly again.
A faint pull. Like something or someone was calling me from somewhere nearby.
I paused mid-bite. Elariel noticed immediately. "Why did you stop eating? Don't tell me humans get full that quickly."
"I'm thinking."
"That's rare."
"Keep talking and I'll steal your food."
She covered her plate with both hands. "Monster."
I ignored her and looked around the plaza. Crowds moved between stalls. Music played in the distance. Merchants shouted over each other trying to sell sweets, clothes, charms, and handmade trinkets.
Then my eyes landed on a shop across the street. Weapons. The strange feeling grew stronger instantly. There. I stood up.
"Hey, Elariel. Mind if we check that shop?"
She looked at the sign, then back at me with a teasing smile. "Sure. Just make sure you actually have money this time."
"…You really know how to ruin a heroic moment."
We crossed the street and entered the store. The moment I pushed the door open, a tiny bell rang above us.
*Ring*
The shop smelled like polished wood, leather, and metal. Spears lined one wall. Shields hung above the counter. Swords of every shape and size were displayed neatly on racks. An elderly elf behind the counter looked up.
"Good day, young ones–oh?" His eyes widened. "If it isn't the renowned first human to set foot in Valerión… and Princess Elariel herself."
Elariel waved casually like this happened every day.
"What can I do for you two today?" the shopkeeper asked. But I barely heard him as that sensation hits me again, stronger than before. My gaze shifted to a neglected corner of the shop. One sword stood alone there.
No shine. No display stand. No pride. Just an old weapon leaning against the wall as if forgotten. I walked toward it slowly. The blade was curved. Single-edged. The shape was unmistakable. "It looks like a Japanese katana… but black!" I said it out loud without thinking.
The shopkeeper blinked. "A… what now?"
"Nothing." they probably don't know what a katana is in this world..I crouched in front of the weapon. Even under the rust and dust, I could tell this thing was different. The handle was wrapped in faded black cloth, and the guard had a simple circular design. No jewels. No decorations.
But it felt…Alive. Like it had been waiting.
I picked it up. The weight was perfect.
Not too heavy. Not too light. My grip settled naturally around the handle like I'd held it before.
Yeah. I wanted this immediately. I turned toward the counter, since it looks like neglected too I'm hoping for a cheap price. "How much for this one?"
The shopkeeper scratched his chin.
"That old thing? Five gold coins."
I almost dropped it. "Five gold?! For this rusty scrap?"
He shrugged. "Sorry kid, as rusty as it was, business is business."
I checked my pouch. Eight silver coins. One gold coin.…Tragic, but I wasn't done yet. Time for my greatest skill baby!!!
Bargaining...
End of chapter.