The difference between the Aura operation of humans and orcs wasn’t just limited to the spirits that they used.
Contrary to the basic human way of moving the body, it also focused on the left and right sides of the body, along with the inside of the body, instead of using the entire body as a vessel for the Aura.
Even now, Airn’s head was filled with the knowledge he had learned from the Durkali tribe.
But he forgot all of them and realized something while practicing.
It wasn't the subtle craftsmanship that was important.
Even before he knew everything about the technique he learned from Karakum and Gorha, he was able to manipulate the metal.
And was nurturing the fire by himself as well.
Of course, it is true that he had managed to control it completely thanks to the theoretical knowledge of the Five Spirits Divine Technique, but in the end, the most important thing was the mind… and Airn hadn’t forgotten it.
“Phew.”
Airn took a short breath.
In an instant, the darkness disappeared, and the world of imagery appeared.
Although it had been a long time, there was no awkwardness at all. A smile crept across his face.
Of course, that was for a short time.
Airn sharpened his concentration.
Suddenly, he had forgotten that he was smiling and that he was sitting on the floor, and he quietly contemplated his heart.
‘… there is a difference from before.’
The first thing he saw was an iron stake.
No, it was no longer in that form. The shape which was sharpened by the fire was in the form of a sword.
Not just any sword, but exactly like the golden sword he summons.
And that wasn’t all.
There was a blazing flame around it. The flame which warms his heart just by looking at it was far wider than before.
Airn had a serious expression as he watched those embers spread around, far beyond the size of his expanded mind.
‘I overdid it.’
Will he be reborn into a new self through these flames?
Or will he be engulfed in them?
Airn wanted the former. Neither Charlotte, nor Victor, nor Grayson, nor Ilya Lindsay had a positive outcome after being engulfed in those flames.
Nodding his head, he began to move the water according to the teachings of the Five Spirit Divine Technique and moved it around his heart.
Shhhh!
The flame was slowly being suppressed.
The water kept being spilled onto the fire, which seemed to be everywhere. And Airn did his best to not leave any embers alone.
However, the effect wasn’t great.
Chhh!
The water turned to vapor and disappeared.
And in some places, the fire even grew stronger.
It was the same logic as not being able to extinguish the flame in a forest with just a bucket of water.
There were no signs of the fire calming down no matter how much effort he put in, and Airn couldn’t even think of anything he could to solve this predicament.
He finished his training without any results, and as he looked at his sweaty body, he had a bitter expression.
‘It doesn’t seem like it would be easy.’
He remembered when he met Kuvar two years ago. And the advice that was given to him.
About the stake in his heart and the flame he had along with it which could help it.
‘He explained it in a way so that even I, who knew nothing, could understand it.’
However, knowing it didn’t mean that the change came immediately.
He only realized it in the Alhad mountains.
When he met Ignet, and he realized his fighting spirit through his meeting with Ilya.
Significant growth was achieved only after establishing for himself a firm will through countless experiences.
And the same would be the case for water.
If something like this had been resolved simply by learning the Five Spirit Divine Technique, then it wouldn’t take anyone so long to hone themselves.
‘In the end, it is the mind and not the spirit which matters… The heart of water.’
The problem was that he didn’t have a mentor to advise him.
Things were different when he had Kuvar next to him. Even if he wasn’t actively doing anything, Kuvar gave Airn the right directions.
Airn burst into laughter as he thought about it. When he remembered the orc with a smile, his depressed mood improved a little.
‘And… thinking about it, it shouldn’t be a huge deal.’
It is true that he had no clue right now.
It is also true that he didn’t have a teacher by his side.
But where was he headed?
Krono.
There was some controversy as to whether he was the best swordsman on the continent, but this person was there at the school, and there was no objection to him being the continent’s best teacher, and that comforted Airn.
Sure…
‘But I can’t just rely on that.’
Thinking about it, Airn wiped his sweat off with a towel.
And he went back to meditation.
There were still hot flames.
And the stream of water was still too weak.
But Airn didn’t give up. He continued to work to keep himself in check. And he would continue to do so today, the next day, and even a week later.
Of course, the effect wasn’t that great.
Rather, it would be more accurate to say that there was no change at all. Airn’s heart was still raging in flames, just like when he had started.
The problem was that Airn started feeling impatient again.
“Sigh.”
There was a time when, despite banging on the stake in his heart repeatedly for days, there wasn’t much change. But at that time, Airn just continued to work.
He didn’t expect much back then, so he wasn’t disappointed. He just endured it each day and persevered. But now, it wasn’t the same.
Unaware, he had a much hotter flame than his friends, and he nurtured an unprecedented passion within him, and that led to him losing his old patience.
And even though he treated it with water to reduce the fire, Airn wasn’t aware of it. And that tormented him.
And the pain…
The malice which had started from the southern forest appeared again.
Shhh…
And that malice was insidious.
And dark.
It was more silent than a deserted alleyway, and more cautious than a thief. It was the moment when this quiet darkness was slowly seeping into the back of Airn, who was suffering.
Knock!
“Brother. I have something to say; open the door.'
“… hold on.”
Hearing Kirill, Airn got up.
As a result, his senses which were asleep, awoke, and the malice around, was terrified and disappeared into the shadows.
But Airn kept silent.
He didn’t even realize it.
And Kirill was the same. All her attention was on her brother.
She raised her brows.
She heard a lot of stories, but she still thought that he was focusing too much on training and neglected her.
Airn made no excuses for it.
He just nodded his head.
Kirill looked at her brother with displeasure, slammed the door shut, and left. Airn looked at the door with a calm face. And after a while, Lulu appeared with gentle steps.
“Airn, try to understand her. It wasn’t that she meant it like that.”
“…”
“Recently… Airn, it’s looking like the training isn’t going too well. And yes. Kirill told me that. If it isn’t working when you are trying this much, you should put it aside for a moment and think about something else and then come back to it. Was what she wanted to say.”
“Uh. I know.”
“Right? So Airn knows too, right?”
Airn nodded his head.
Kirill was always like that; she wasn’t the kind to speak openly to him.
She can’t say stuff like, ‘don’t push yourself too much’ or ‘don’t neglect yourself.'
Airn turned his head and looked to the side of the bed at the things lined up there.
An animal doll which performed tricks, a snowman doll which sings a song if tapped twice, a sorcery frame which shows a beautiful scene each time…
‘Every time she comes to my room, she always brings a present for me, so there is no way I can misunderstand her.’
Recalling her face, Airn smiled. He didn’t know, but the flames which were spreading in his heart, seemed to be weaker than before.
The Fourth month of April.
It was a chilly morning, but the weather was much more pleasant than when he faced the clown. Airn looked at the sky and smiled. It was one of the most beautiful skies he had ever seen.
“We have finally arrived.”
“Wow, Alcantra! Kirill, did you know? That there are a lot of my friends here?”
The sky wasn’t the only thing that they saw. Alcantra, the city where Krono was located, was seen too.
Airn, Kirill, and Lulu, who looked at each other, laughed.
“Ugh… A-Airn Pareira?”
“What?”
“Ah, nothing th… excuse me but, can I ask you for a sign on my gauntlet?”
“Huh?”
“What is this now? Brother is so successful?”
“You're in the way; you're in the way!”
“Oh! A talking cat… by any chance, are you Lu- Lulu?”
“Yes! I am her! Lulu!”
“If-fi you don't mind, can Lulu sign too… no, just put a paw print in here, please?"
“Ah, sure!”
Airn was shocked at what he was seeing for the first time. This was because although he had attracted attention several times, he never received this much.
It was natural.
If anyone had to pick the most famous swordsmen on the continent right now, it would be Ignet, Ilya, and Airn.
For him, Alcantra was the same as the hometown of his sword, so it wasn’t weird if people knew about it.
“I feel strange.”
“Why is it strange? I feel good.”
“Yes, brother. Think about it. If you become a Master, then this is bound to happen.”
Hearing that, Airn nodded.
Of course, he didn’t agree to it right away but thought that it wasn’t something he could ignore.
Maybe even greater hospitality awaited him when he returned to the Hale Kingdom? Especially from his family.
When he thought about it, he felt embarrassed for a second.
Airn looked at the Krono school of Swordsmanship and gulped.
‘My real purpose… I wanted to know where Khun was.’
Right.
The biggest reason he came here was to know about Khun's whereabouts, and the second was to prove his will to Ian.
But that wasn’t important.
Now he had to catch the fire within him.
Or other words, he had to embrace water.
To ask for Ian’s advice, Airn walked into this place with big steps, and obviously, this meant that he would be meeting with his friends too.
But after a while, he was shocked.
“What? Judith is Khun’s disciple?”
Airn wasn’t the only one shocked.
Kirill too, was shocked.
Although she wasn’t a swordsman, she knew what kind of person Khun was, so she didn’t understand why he took in a disciple.
However, she didn’t ask about it too much.
To be precise, it was because there were things the others wanted to know from Airn.
“Weren't you with Judith and Bratt during the trip?”
“Yes, why?”
“W-what the hell happened to the two during the trip?”
“Right! You should let us know too!”
“Uh? Huh?”
Airn turned flustered at that question.
