"Then teach me swordsmanship… and the fiery magic you used."
After I said this, Master Valorant paused and looked at me. His gaze resembled someone who wasn't quite sure what to make of what they'd just heard. Then he spoke, but it felt as though he needed time to fully grasp the weight behind my words.
"And what good would it do if I did?"
"I'll give you all the money I have, if that's what you want. I just want to become strong."
He heard my final words but pretended not to. He turned away, ignoring me. That's when I realized: convincing him wouldn't be easy.
[What must I do to make the old man train me?]
With that thought in mind, I watched him closely the entire day. It was then I noticed something unusual about myself. The wounds I'd received just the day before had started to heal far faster than normal. Bite marks from the demon hounds had become shallow scratches, and bruises from the villagers' stones had faded into mere redness. It was clear—he must've used some kind of magic to heal me.
Later, while we were eating, I asked him again.
"Why won't you teach me?"
"And why should I?" he replied flatly.
"You're right. You don't owe me anything."
It was the truth—he wasn't obligated to help me in any way. In fact, it was I who owed him a debt.
"I don't go around teaching Elestar techniques to strangers I don't know."
"What did you say? Elestar…? What is that?"
"A form of sorcery."
"Please tell me more about it."
"If you're done eating, go to sleep. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can leave."
I understood—he didn't want me to stay here long. I had to convince him to teach me magic before he made me leave. If I learned magic, I could defeat demons on my own. And come to think of it… he probably knew more about demons than anyone I'd ever met. I should ask him.
"May I ask one more question?"
"What now? If it's another request for training, forget it."
He expected me to ask again. Funny. Honestly, anyone would have thought the same in his place.
"No, it's not about that. It's a different question."
I looked him in the eyes, my face serious.
"Why did that demon chase me? Why me?"
This boy... he doesn't even know who he is. Or maybe he's trying to fool me. No, judging by his face, he's serious. Fine. I'll answer.]
"Alright, but sit down and listen carefully. The reason the demon chased you is because of the uncontrolled and immense mana leaking from your body. Demons are drawn to mana like moths to flame. That's why it hunted you. Do you come from a line of powerful sorcerers?"
"No. At least, my mother never said anything like that."
"Strange… Your mana is unusually strong—so strong it attracts demons. Just as humans can't live without food and water, demons can't survive without mana. That level of power usually runs in noble bloodlines or magical families. But you… you don't look like a noble child. And if your family had no history of sorcery, then where did this power come from?"
I fell silent. Deep down, a heavy thought twisted inside me.
[It was all because of me. All of it. If I hadn't left the house that day… none of this would've happened.]
The guilt of knowing my mother died because of me was unbearable. I couldn't accept it. Sensing my pain, Master Valorant tried to console me.
"Your mother's death isn't your fault. It's that demon's."
His words felt both comforting and deeply painful. Without realizing it, tears welled up in my eyes.
"No… it was my fault. If I hadn't gone outside, she might still be alive. My mother… she died because I was foolish. I couldn't protect her. I was too weak. I did nothing but stand and watch her die."
"Blaming yourself won't change anything."
"After that day… I made a vow. No matter what, I'll survive. My mother's sacrifice, her final moments of agony—none of it will be in vain. I also realized something else. When that demon raised its spear over my chest, I understood that survival isn't just about running. It's about having the strength to stand and fight. You can't run from demons forever. That's why I'm begging you—please teach me magic!"
Master Valorant listened, and something in him shifted. As if my words had reopened an old wound. He stared for a long time.
"If you've finished your speech, go to sleep. In your condition, talking any more will only make things worse."
I'd hoped my words would touch his heart, that he'd change his mind. But maybe they didn't. Maybe soon I'd have to leave after all.
"I'm sorry… if I troubled you with my words."
I lay down, while Master Valorant sat at the table, deep in thought.
Morning came. While I was still asleep, I felt as though a river had poured down over me. Shocked, I screamed out:
"Aaah! What's going on?!"
I sat up and looked around. In front of me stood Master Valorant, holding a wooden bucket.
"What did you just do?!"
He looked at me calmly and said nothing.
"Morning training starts now. Get ready and come outside!" And with that, he walked out of the hut.
That meant only one thing: Master Valorant had agreed to teach me magic.
Filled with excitement, I got up and stepped outside.
"Master Valorant, where do we begin?"
He looked at me for a moment, then replied thoughtfully.
"Call me Master Valorant, not Sir Valorant."
"Alright, Master Valorant."
"I won't be teaching you magic, but rather the Elestar techniques. Mana plays a critical role in these techniques. That's why, first, I'll teach you what mana is, then how to control, contain, and sense it."
The way Master Valorant spoke, this all sounded very intriguing.
"What do I have to do?" I asked eagerly.
He looked at me, then turned his eyes toward a tree stump near the cabin. Naturally, I followed his gaze.
"Sit on that stump and watch the sky. That will be your first exercise."
He had given me a strange task. I didn't understand why I needed to sit and stare at the sky.
"So… just watch the birds flying by?"
"Focus your attention. Simply observe the sky. That's all."
"Nothing else?"
"Just do as I say."
"What's the point?"
"I said do it! Enough talking!"
His voice rose sharply at the end, startling me. Frustrated, I walked over and sat stiffly on the stump. He turned away and busied himself with his own tasks.
From that point, I sat there watching the sky—sometimes birds, sometimes I turned toward sudden sounds. In truth, I just sat still, not leaving the stump.
Even at midday, Master Valorant brought me food and instructed me not to move. I had my lunch right there on the stump. I stayed there until night fell, not rising until Master Valorant came over.
"Attu, that's enough. Get up."
"Okay..."
After sitting in one spot all day, trying to stand was hard. When I moved slightly, I heard creaking from my back. As I stood fully, my spine popped loudly—so much so that Master Valorant heard it too.
When I approached him, he was already preparing dinner. As I neared, he handed me a bowl.
"What was that about?"
"The food."
"I meant sitting like a log on that stump all day!"
"Didn't you enjoy it?"
"No! I wasted the whole day doing nothing!"
"If you hated sitting that much, you're welcome to lie down tomorrow," he said with a smirk.
"Why are you laughing? I thought you were going to teach me something!"
"Only someone who understands the pain of stillness will value the meaning of movement," he replied, tossing more wood onto the fire and stirring the coals with an iron rod.
"What does that even mean?"
His answer only irritated me more. I felt like the whole day had been wasted, and his vague words only added to my frustration.
"Do you actually know anything? Or did you just get lucky killing that demon?"
His expression changed. He grew cold. In one swift motion, he brought the red-hot iron near my neck. I hadn't even noticed it until the searing heat startled me. I froze. My face turned pale as I realized how close it was. He glared at me with a stern, commanding voice.
"Never forget this: no matter who the teacher is—good or bad—they never teach what they don't know themselves. Understand?"
"Y-yes… I understand," I stammered.
I hadn't expected him to lose his temper so quickly.
"Now, eat."
I took the food and began eating slowly. He put the iron down and continued speaking.
"The reason I had you sit there is because the mana in your body is chaotic and excessive. I needed to find something out."
"What?"
"Whether the mana flowing from your body is from emotional stress or your own true mana."
"What's the difference?"
"People are strange beings. We live with others, love them, lose them. When someone dear to us dies, we experience a range of emotions—grief, rage, despair, guilt. These emotions influence mana."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I suspected that your large mana pool might be the result of your mother's death."
"What does that have to do with it?"
"When people lose control of their emotions, their bodies produce too much mana. That can lead to serious injury—or death."
"How?!"
"Imagine people as different-shaped, different-sized glass cups, each filled with varying amounts of water. That water is mana. The cups with water represent people who can use magic. Those without it are ordinary people. Get it?"
"Yeah, I understand."
"You're one of those cups filled with water. You have your own shape, volume, and color. When you cast magic, you pour that water out. Then your body—your cup—refills itself. But sometimes, the cup starts refilling before any water is poured out. What happens then?"
"The water spills over."
"And if it doesn't?"
"The pressure breaks the cup."
"Exactly. When someone can't control their emotions, their body overproduces mana. If they don't release it in time, or if they don't use enough, they die. But now I understand something—your mana isn't the result of emotional trauma."
"How can you tell?"
"If it were, you'd already be dead—or writhing in agony."
"So sitting on that stump all day… was just to see if I'd die?"
"Yeah. But hey, you're still alive, so don't worry! There's another reason too: while you sat there, your mind and body calmed down, and your mana levels returned to a normal state. I had to verify that. What use do I have teaching a boy who might die tomorrow? Ha-ha-ha!"
After hearing those final words, the food in my mouth suddenly felt like stones. I couldn't swallow.
Was this luck? Or fate?
I didn't know what to believe anymore.
"Hey, don't worry," said Master Valorant. "Everything will be fine. But with your current condition, you won't be able to begin physical training just yet. So tomorrow...
we'll start working with mana instead. Oh, and give me your hand."
"My hand? What for?"
If Master Valorant was right, then the reason I survived… was luck. Because my sorrow, my grief over my mother, could have very well killed me.
But somehow… it didn't.
He took my palm gently and pulled a small black stone from his pocket, placing it in my hand.
It looked ordinary, nothing special.
A regular stone?
No—magicians don't carry ordinary stones around, do they?
"Close your eyes," he said.
"Focus on the stone. Visualize it."
I obeyed.
In the darkness behind my eyes, a flicker of flame sparked into existence.
Then it grew, spreading and encircling me.
Fire.
It wrapped around my body—not burning, just surrounding me completely.
And then I heard his voice again.
"Alright. Open your eyes."
I opened them slowly, expecting to see the same black stone.
But it wasn't black anymore.
It had turned blue.
"What…?" I gasped.
Even Master Valorant stared at my hand, surprised.
"Interesting…" he muttered.
"What? What's wrong? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. But… it seems you can wield the Blue Flame."
"The Blue Flame…? What does that mean?"
"There are four known flame types in this world.
The Eternal Flame—ordinary fire.
The Green Flame—the kind I used to destroy Baskervill.
The Black Flame—it consumes all living matter.
And the Blue Flame—it takes form according to the will of the wielder."
"It takes form?"
"Yes. You can shape it. Not into complex structures, but simple ones—things you can control."
"So I can really use flame magic?"
"You can use fire. But not just any fire.
You've been gifted the Blue Flame."
"And what now?"
"Now, starting tomorrow, we'll begin your foundational training.
The basics—so you can control and awaken the flame within you."
He stood and gestured toward the cabin.
"Go get some sleep. Tomorrow, the real work begins."
I nodded and walked toward the cabin, my chest swelling with emotion.
The fact that I had an affinity for fire magic—especially Blue Flame magic—filled me with joy.
For the first time in a long while,
I went to bed smiling.
The sun had already risen by the time I woke up—and once again, I had overslept.
Master Valorant stood over me, an empty bucket in hand, water dripping from my soaked clothes and hair.
"Get up! You plan to lie there all day? Morning training has begun! Move!"
"I—I'm getting up!"
He walked away, leaving the door open behind him.
But I caught a glimpse of something different in his eyes—something soft.
It looked like he was… pleased to be teaching me.
As I got to my feet, I noticed something else.
My body—it felt completely healed.
["How is that possible?"]
Just two days ago, I could barely move. Now, not a trace of pain.
"You look a lot better," he said.
"Yeah… I feel great. Did you use some kind of magic on me?"
He pulled a small black stone from his pocket, resting it on his open palm.
As I watched, it began to glow a soft green.
I stared in awe.
"W-Wow… You can use the Green Flame? What does it do?"
"Yes. My flame is green. It can burn from the inside—and more importantly, it heals."
"Healing sounds a lot better than internal combustion."
"It also works well against poison. Especially demonic poison.
Baskervill's hounds left you with more than just wounds.
They tried to poison you.
The Green Flame purged it from your system—and healed you."
"That explains how I'm standing today…"
He nodded. "Now that you're stable, it's time for your first real lesson. I'll explain the fundamentals of flame magic, and then… training begins."
According to Master Valorant, fire-wielding Elestars are trained in a combat style called 'Flaming Wrath.'
It's composed of seven levels.
1st Stage: Flame Mana
2nd Stage: Burning Hands
3rd Stage: Eyes of Fury
4th Stage: Augmentation
He didn't tell me the rest. "You'll learn them when you reach level four," he said.
He also explained why the technique was called Flaming Wrath—because fire draws strength from anger.
But that same anger could overwhelm the Elestar, plunging them into a destructive berserk state.
He made it clear:
No matter what level I reached, if I couldn't control my rage, I'd lose myself—and possibly my life.
So my first lesson… was learning to stay calm.
We began with meditation.
I didn't really understand what it meant at first.
All we did was sit still in peaceful silence.
But Master Valorant didn't make it easy.
Sometimes, he'd suddenly scream,
"AAAAHHHHHHH!"
Other times, he'd yell random insults like "Donkey!" or worse.
I tried to stay calm and not react. That was the real test.
He told me this technique came from the eastern Water Kingdom, where meditation is used to keep mana from leaking unnecessarily.
And it helped.
Those two weeks of meditating every day helped me quiet my mana. I could feel it now, flowing inside me.
Once I had that sense of awareness, he taught me concentration.
Concentration meant focusing all my energy on a single strand of mana, guiding it through my body.
It was… incredibly difficult.
My mana was chaotic—abundant and undisciplined.
Trying to concentrate was like holding water in my hands during a storm.
At one point, I focused so intensely that I could actually see my own mana—and even Master Valorant's.
He explained that during battle, Elestars concentrate their mana this way, weaving it through their limbs and casting spells with enhanced force.
It strengthens both the body and the magic.
The training continued… and got harder.
"Today," said Master Valorant, "we add something new to your routine."
"What now?" I asked.
"You'll maintain mana concentration as usual."
Then he picked up a stick.
"And I'll hit you."
"You'll what?! Are you joking?"
He looked at me—expressionless.
He wasn't joking.
"The lesson is simple. If you maintain concentration, I'll hit you once and check again.
If you're still stable, I stop.
If not… I keep hitting you until you get it right."
"What if I can't keep it stable?!"
"Then you'll keep getting hit.
Now stand up. Let's begin."
There was another thing he taught me that day:
When you concentrate your mana, you can sense the kind of mage someone is.
If their mana is pooled deep in their body—around the heart or core—they're a wizard.
If it flows through their limbs like blood, they're an Elestar.
You can even estimate their strength by how much mana gathers in certain parts of their body.
The more they use mana, the more it lingers in their primary casting points.
I wasn't good enough yet to judge someone that way.
But according to Master Valorant, it was essential—for knowing your enemy, and choosing the right opponent.
That day's training began with meditation.
Then concentration.
Then…
WHACK!
A stick came flying at lightning speed and cracked me across the head.
For a moment, the world turned white.
Then… everything went dark.
Fifteen seconds passed before I opened my eyes again.
Master Valorant stood over me, nudging me with his foot.
"You alive?"
I blinked up at him, dazed.
So this was how day one ended.
"Have you come to your senses? Then resume your concentration."
My master left just as I was coming to. Honestly, I hadn't even noticed him standing so close—his sensitivity to mana must be exceptional. It has to be the result of years of training. A sharp throbbing pain pulsed in my head.
"Start your concentration!" his shout echoed from afar.
"Yes, sir!" I shouted back.
"Don't yell at me!" he barked with anger.
"Yes, sir!" I repeated, still loud.
"Shut your mouth!" he snapped again.
I sighed and resumed my mana concentration. One minute passed. Then five. I couldn't hold it anymore and let go. My body, not used to this much concentrated mana, began to weaken. I could barely stand. My legs felt like jelly.
Just then, I remembered the stick—Master's favorite surprise weapon.
I turned my head to scan my surroundings.
[Not from the left... Not the right... Not the front or back... Guess I'm safe this time.]
Relieved, I took a slow, cautious step forward.
Then a voice rang out from the forest's edge.
"Above!"
I looked up just in time to see the stick plummeting toward me.
"Damn it!" I cursed—too late.
The stick struck me square in the middle of my forehead, and once again, everything went black. I was unconscious for almost five hours and even managed to dream during that time.
In my dream, sticks danced around me, beating me gleefully as if performing a festive ritual. I awoke screaming in terror.
By the time I opened my eyes, night had fallen. I was lying in front of the hut. My master was cooking near the campfire, just as always.
"You're awake?"
"Yes," I muttered, trying to stand. My head throbbed with pain, and I dropped back down, holding my skull.
"Your head hurts? Sorry—I went a bit overboard. I'll be more careful next time."
"How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"How did you throw the stick without even seeing me?"
"Ah... I sensed your mana. I aimed based on that."
"Specifically how?"
"When you concentrate your mana, its flow either stops or slows around you. During meditation, I told you to keep your mana from leaking, to use it for yourself. Through concentration, you circulate that mana through your body over and over. This strengthens it and enhances its effectiveness. Meditation and concentration exist for this very reason."
"I understand now."
"Fire is one of the five primal elements in this world. Because of that, it must be handled differently. If you don't wrap your body in fiery mana while using fire magic, your body will simply burn to ashes."
I froze. Did he say burn to ashes?
"Burn to ashes?!"
"Yes. Like I said, mastering Elestar techniques requires complete self-control. If you lose focus even for a moment, your own flames will consume you. The same goes for the other elements. That's why Elestars are considered elite mages. Even the First Emperor was an Elestar."
"The First Emperor? Wasn't he just a legend?"
"Many believe so. But he was real. He lived about a hundred thousand years ago."
"A hundred thousand years?!"
"Yes. Back then, the Elven Kingdom didn't even exist. That's why there's so little information about him."
"Elven Kingdom?"
My last question seemed to drain the color from my master's face. He looked at me as if I'd deeply disappointed him.
"You don't know that either? What era are you even from? You've never heard of elves?"
"I've heard about them in bedtime stories my parents told..."
"Where is your village?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"It's about a day and a half's walk west from here."
"I've never heard of any village in that direction... Do you know where the nearest city is?"
"Yes. It's a one-day journey from the village along the main road."
"I see. Your village must be extremely close to the border, deep in the forest. That would explain your lack of knowledge."
[Strange... I've never heard of a village where this boy says he's from. Especially not that close to the 'Flame Kingdom' border, near the Demon Realm. Is it even possible for people to live there? Something's off... Could it be the demons themselves who placed people there? It's not unheard of—in the Vampire Nation, humans live by offering their blood in exchange for protection. But Attu said his village was attacked. That doesn't line up. I'll need to investigate this further.]
"If it's possible, can you tell me everything you know?"
"Sure. I'll tell you when we have free time. What do you want to know first?"
"Tell me more about the First Emperor!"
"Alright, listen carefully. Like I said, the First Emperor lived a hundred thousand years ago. I read about him in a book once. He was the strongest mage—an Elestar. There were other mages before him, but none as powerful. He built an enormous empire. While he was rising in the east, demons were establishing their own kingdom in the uncharted west.
The Demon King launched a war. The Emperor led his people into battle and emerged victorious. The first Demon King was slain, but his descendants survived. Demons, like elves, live long lives—but unlike elves, no demon has lived past 2,500 years. Elves can reach up to 3,000. Have you ever seen one? They have long, sharp ears. If you touch one—"
"Wait—you were telling me about the war. Why are we talking about elves now? You said their kingdom didn't even exist back then."
"Oh, right. Sorry. My thoughts drifted... Where was I?"
"The Demon King..."
"Ah, yes! The Demon King was killed, but his children lived. Meanwhile, the First Emperor suddenly died."
"What happened to him?"
"What always happens—human greed."
"What do you mean? What kind of greed?"
"Sometimes humans are worse than demons. Their greed brought down an entire empire. After the Emperor's death, his empire splintered into separate nations. Thankfully, the Demon King's children weren't very strong. They attacked, but couldn't conquer any of the new kingdoms. However, later generations grew stronger and stronger. This led to the rise of some nations and the fall of others. None of the nations that formed after the Empire have survived to the present day. Every kingdom eventually crumbles. Remember that, Attu."
Just as he said those words, a soft snore interrupted him. He looked over—Attu had already fallen fast asleep.
Valorant considered waking him but thought better of it. Seeing the boy sleeping so peacefully, he simply pulled a blanket over him, turned back toward the fire, and whispered:
"You had a hard day. Rest well."
The sun had risen.
I was completely exhausted from the previous day. I hadn't thought mana concentration could be this difficult. Circulating mana throughout the body, moving it from one point to another, or keeping it gathered in a specific spot—it was all incredibly challenging.
Master Valorant had explained how important mana concentration was for an Elestar. You could say Elestars were knights who could use magic.
They were primarily trained to fight demons. Mana wasn't just for casting spells—it could also be used to strengthen the body. "That's the key difference between mages and Elestars," Master Valorant had said.
So, my training for the day began again. Today, I managed to maintain my mana concentration for a longer time. My stamina during concentration was growing with each passing day. And so, time kept flowing.
It had now been one month since I met Master Valorant. During this time, I'd done nothing but train in mana concentration—no physical training whatsoever. As a result, I got to know more about my master.
Turns out, Master Valorant was a fan of elves—specifically elf women. If you could even call it fandom. One day, I entered his room while he was asleep and found him clutching a book titled Journal. Curious, I took a look and discovered it was full of model photos of elf women. That's when I realized my master was deeply fascinated by elves. Honestly, elf girls were really beautiful.
"Starting today, you'll be training your body alongside mana. Can you feel your mana now?"
"Yes, I'm feeling it much better now."
"Good. Then we'll begin real training from this moment on."
So we began the real training. That month-long period of calming and sensing mana had come to an end.
Today, I ran through the forest. I didn't expect the master to make me run that far. After that, I did 100 pushups—until I had no strength left. Whenever I collapsed, he would strike me with his favorite weapon: his stick.
"Master! Can I take a break?"
"Of course!" he said, which made me happy. "After thirty more." he added.
That joy quickly disappeared. Truthfully, Master's training was very harsh and intense.
"Remember what I told you!"
"Which part?"
"Only someone who has felt the pain of stillness can understand the value of movement. You've done nothing for a month—now you must pay for it."
That didn't really motivate me, but I kept going anyway. I didn't get far before collapsing face-first into the ground.
"Come on, twenty more!" he said as he struck me again.
"Master… I can't… I'm out of strength…" I muttered weakly.
"Don't die! We still have one more thing to do."
"What?"
"Fine, rest up. We'll continue once you've recovered."
Master gave me a break and walked off. Normally, he didn't do that. Lately, though, he'd been doing it more often—going somewhere and coming back. Whatever. After resting, I had to get back up. Master had returned by now. I should ask him what he's been up to.
"Shall we begin?"
"Begin what?"
"From today, I'll also be teaching you how to fight."
Finally! Master was going to teach me combat. I had waited a long time for this. An Elestar who doesn't know how to fight is like a mage who can't cast spells.
"First, I'll teach you hand-to-hand combat. Later, we'll move on to sword fighting. Actually, we'll fight."
Wait… I'm going to spar with Master Valorant? He'd destroy me in a second! I hoped he would go easy on me, or else this wouldn't even be useful. Anyway, I followed him to see what would happen.
We arrived at a clearing in the forest, a good spot for combat.
"This place will do. Let's begin training here."
Master removed his outer robe. Despite looking old, his muscular body told a different story. His arms were like those of a man in his prime. Maybe it was the clothing making him look stronger? Either way, he looked powerful.
"Attu, you attack. I'll evaluate your skills based on that. Come on, attack!"
I didn't argue—I rushed forward, aiming a punch at his face. Master simply caught my hand. Then he let go and said:
"Too weak. Too slow. Try again."
I charged again. This time, he didn't even grab me. He just stepped aside and tripped me with his foot.
"You need to learn how to stay on your feet."
I fell face-first into the ground, then stood up again. I was starting to get angry. My face was showing signs of rage. I attacked again—this time more deliberately, stopping to throw the punch.
But this was nothing to Master Valorant. Without dodging, he simply grabbed my arm and used his own weight to flip me, slamming me onto the ground.
"Better than your last strikes. That's enough for today." he said, putting his robe back on and walking away.
Why did he end the session so quickly?
"Why stop now? We barely started. You haven't taught me anything!"
"Did you forget something?"
"What?"
"Calmness. Rage has already taken hold of you. We'll continue tomorrow." he said, walking back toward the hut.
Hearing those words, I realized I really had lost my temper. Rage is the true enemy. An Elestar must face their own fury before they can defeat any opponent.
I acknowledged my mistake and sat down right there to meditate and concentrate. After a while, once I calmed myself, I began practicing attack moves using my arms and legs, just as Master had taught me.
As night fell and the forest grew dark, I returned to our hut. As always, Master was sitting by the fire. I sat silently beside him.
Without saying a word, he handed me a bowl of food. I also stayed silent and began to eat.
At that moment, a question popped into my mind.
"Where did you learn to fight?"
"Why are you asking that now?"
"I've been meaning to ask for a while, but I didn't know how to bring it up."
"You can't learn something like that in one place. It comes from years of training. I've been learning ever since I was a child, all the way until I became a general. Even after that, I never stopped learning."
"You were a general?"
"Yes. I once led an entire army by myself. Now I'm retired. My former student commands the army in my place."
"I have another question."
"Go ahead."
"Every day, you disappear somewhere. Why?"
"I keep checking if there's any message from the messenger birds."
"Why?"
"After you'd been here for about two weeks, I had a hunch that the demons might cross the border again. If one or two came, I could handle them. But what if an entire army showed up? That's why I've been documenting daily events for my student."
"So that's why you disappear at night too?"
"Yes. Because demons, like vampires, can't move during the day. The sunlight burns them. That's why they only move at night."
"I didn't know that. Why do they burn in sunlight?"
"No one knows. It hasn't been explained yet. But you could call it punishment."
"Punishment?"
"Perhaps for their sins. Demons kill and eat people. Not only that, they can also turn humans into demons. All it takes is a ritual and a few drops of blood."
"I didn't think demons had so many abilities."
After I said that, Master fell silent for a while. And before I realized it, I had fallen asleep by the fire, waking up only when morning had come.
I stood up and looked around. Master wasn't in the hut or nearby. I figured he had gone somewhere on business and began my morning exercises. I ran through the forest, did push-ups, and practiced my strikes.
Around noon, while I was meditating in the forest, Master returned. His clothes were different.
"Where did you go?"
"I had somewhere to be."
"Shall we start training, then?"
"Yes, soon. Let me drop these things off at the hut first."
He showed me the items in his hand.
After returning from the hut, Master sparred with me. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn't land a single hit. Master easily countered all my strikes and threw me to the ground. Eventually, I even learned how to fall with less pain and mastered the best ways to land. But I became exhausted just from all the falling.
"I'm done. I have no strength left."
"What, is falling over and over tiring?" he laughed.
"Did you just laugh?"
"Yes, why?"
"You haven't laughed once in the past month. I'm just surprised."
For the first time, Master had laughed in front of me. It showed we had grown closer.
"Now stand up and take the training stick. We're starting sword training. I'll be teaching you both hand-to-hand and sword combat."
Finally, today we were going to start sword fighting! It seemed like Master was excited about it too.
"Begin!"
I stepped forward and tried to strike from above with the stick. But before I could even lift it, Valorant had already closed the distance. His stick was pressed to my neck. And so, we continued training until nightfall. That evening, we sat by the campfire outside the hut.
"You did well today."
"How? I didn't even touch you once!"
"But not once did I see anger in your eyes today. You've learned to control yourself well."
"Of course! I realized my mistake yesterday and have been trying not to lose my temper."
"Calmness is an essential trait for a warrior. No matter the situation, always remain calm. That way, your mind won't get clouded, and mistakes will be less likely. And—I have a gift for you."
"Really? What did you bring me?"
Hearing this, I became very excited. Honestly, I didn't expect Master to do something like that. He went into the hut and returned with a bag. Sitting by the fire, he began pulling things out of the bag. Inside were clothes, which he handed to me.
"Come on, try them on!"
I was thrilled by the gift—especially the clothing. Master had given me a black cloak, a white collarless shirt, black pants, and a pair of boots.
"These are a gift from me."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
"You've been wearing the same outfit for a month. I thought it was time for a change."
"But how did you even get these? We're in the forest, and the city is almost two days away…"
"I sent a message through the messenger birds asking for supplies. I brought them back when I went out scouting last night."
"So that's why you weren't here this morning!"
Master then pulled out a piece of cloth and handed it to me.
"Put this on."
"Why?"
"To test something."
I tied the cloth over my eyes, unsure of what Master had in mind.
"Is it on?"
"Yes. Now what?"
Master had me blindfolded, but I could still sense the surroundings. Then he asked with his right hand raised:
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
Still blindfolded, I faced him and answered:
"Five."
"Now turn around and tell me how many fingers I'm holding up."
I turned around. Though I couldn't see, I already knew the answer.
"How many fingers?"
"Two."
"Now start walking forward. Keep answering until you can no longer tell."
I did as he said. For every correct answer, Master told me to take one step forward. When I had reached about ten meters, I could no longer sense anything.
"I can't feel anything now."
"Now I'll throw a rock at your back. You have to dodge it. Understood?"
"Yes."
Master picked up a pebble no larger than a fingernail and threw it at me with full force. I sensed the moment he released it and dodged by ducking.
"Enough, come here!"
"I've never seen anything like this. Can you actually see your surroundings with your eyes blindfolded?"
"Yes. I can."
"How exactly do you see?"
"When I put on a blindfold, I can see everything around me. But only within a limited range."
"What about your actual eyes? Can you see with them too?"
"Yes, I can see things in front of me as usual."
"Was there anyone in your family who was an Esper?"
"What's an Esper?"
"Someone with special abilities. They can't use magic, but they have unique powers."
"Yes. My mother had an incredible sense of hearing. Whenever we played hide and seek, she would always find me, even if I hid where she couldn't see."
"I see. Seems like you inherited your mother's ability. That's why you can perceive your surroundings even with your eyes closed. It's like how bats navigate—they don't see, but they hear exceptionally well and can move easily in the dark. But one thing is odd... You said you could see with your eyes as well?"
"Yes. Even with my eyes closed, I could see clearly."
"Did it look just like it does in daylight?"
"Yes, exactly like in the daytime."
"Hmm... I don't get it," he said after pausing for a moment.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. Never mind."
After that conversation, I started to feel uneasy—as if something had shifted in our bond. I began to worry that Master would start seeing me the same way the villagers once had.
"Can I keep wearing the blindfold?"
"Don't misunderstand me... If it helps you feel at ease, then yes, you may keep wearing it."
"Thank you."
And so, I continued my daily training with Master Valorant. Two months passed, and autumn came. During that time, I advanced in my training and reached the first level of the Flaming Wrath technique: Flame Mana. I hadn't fully mastered it yet, but I had started using it.
I never removed the blindfold during that time. I continued talking to Master as usual, although I began to feel a slight shift within myself.
The first time I used Flame Mana, I was overjoyed. It wasn't just a simple milestone—it was the fruit of my hard work.
Flame Mana is the name given to the protective layer formed when an Elestar, someone attuned to the fire element, merges their internal mana with fire essence. This barrier not only protects but enhances the body. It boosts speed, strength, and endurance—key traits in combat.
It has many benefits. For example, hot objects no longer affect me. I can walk bare-chested in winter without freezing, and even walk through fire in summer without harm. It's an amazing defensive shield.
"I've finally reached the first level!"
"Congratulations! Even though it took you longer than usual, you did it. Do you feel your body becoming stronger?"
"Yes, I feel powerful."
"Flame Mana is only the beginning. There's still much ahead. Let's test how well you've learned it."
"Alright."
"Take this metal pot and use your Flame Mana to heat it to 100 °C. If you can do that, it means you've properly grasped the first level."
I dipped my hand in the pot and held my Flame Mana steady. A few minutes later, the water began to boil.
"See? It worked!"
"Now stick your hand into the boiling water!"
"Are you serious?! My hand will burn!"
"I said do it—so do it!" He grabbed my hand and forced it into the water.
I squeezed my eyes shut in fear. Everyone knows boiling water burns. But I felt nothing.
"You're such a coward."
When I saw that nothing had happened to my hand, I tried dipping it again and again. No matter how many times I did it, my hand remained unharmed.
Four more months passed. Winter arrived. Despite the cold, I didn't stop training. I was growing stronger every day, and with Master Valorant's guidance, also becoming wiser and more experienced.
Now, even though it's freezing outside, I run across the snow in light clothing. After four months of Flame Mana training, cold no longer bothers me. I even learned that Flame Mana can warm not just myself, but anyone in physical contact with me.
After finishing my morning run, I returned to the cabin. When I entered, I saw Master sitting near the fireplace, reading a letter. He wasn't looking at me as he usually did.
"What's wrong?"
"Gather your things. We have to go on a journey."