When I woke up, the butler was standing in my room.
"Why are you here?"
"Lord Cadeon and Lady Kaera had to leave for a while. I was ordered to assist with your training."
"What? Why did they leave?"
"The Cobre Empire has launched an attack. Since they're one of the top three empires, both the army commander and the Sword Princess had to respond."
"Do they have people as strong as my brother and sister?"
"I can't say for sure. But there must be a reason they're ranked among the strongest. One name stands out—Zigo Van Cobre. He holds the same rank as Lord Cadeon, but he prefers being on the battlefield. That's the real issue—he can tear through entire armies using nothing but needles, threads of steel, and tiny blades. He avoids direct fights with Lord Cadeon, but he once fought Lady Kaera one-on-one... and nearly won. In fact, she would've lost if Lord Cadeon hadn't stepped in."
"He beat my sister!? I thought only my father or brother could manage that..."
"The continent is vast, young master. Even the Archa Empire—considered the weakest—could destroy the Cobre Empire if they went all out."
"How can the weakest empire destroy one of the strongest?"
"Because of one man—Leon Vi Archa, the Ancient Archer. In the heart of the Archa Empire stands a massive tree, and he sleeps within it. He wasn't born into the royal bloodline, but he was chosen. He proved himself to Emperor Kuda Van Archa, and they adopted him into the main family. He lived around 700 years ago, back when Archa was one of the top three. He entered that tree to ensure the empire would never fall in times of war. Even Lord Cadeon might not be able to defeat him."
"A single person protecting an empire... without waking up for 700 years? That's insane. Not even my father, who's practically a demigod, could do that. How is he even alive?"
"Four of the greatest mages of that era were assigned to the tree. Their entire lives are dedicated to casting a continuous renewal spell on him. In return, their families were granted noble status."
"So... they weren't nobles?"
"No, young master."
"Then Archa must be full of noble families by now."
"In Archa, that's the only way to become noble. The empire doesn't grant titles for any other reason."
What a strange place. Even if someone saves the empire as a general, they're not considered noble? That's ridiculous.
The butler cleared his throat.
"We should get going, young master. I was instructed to escort you to the Circle Wall."
"How much do you know about bound souls, butler? Since my brother isn't here, you'll be the one I rely on."
"Actually, I won't be the one teaching you. The Emperor of Ulsar appointed a personal instructor for you."
"And how qualified is this instructor?"
"They're descended from a rare type of bound soul. I don't know the exact ancestor, but they were unlike any others. Instead of becoming a warrior, they shut themselves away in a lab and wrote dozens of books. Your instructor has studied them all. You won't be wasting time reading aimlessly—they'll teach you directly."
"Is bound soul lineage really that rare? They tracked a normal person's bloodline all the way back?"
"Bound souls are the ultimate weapons on the battlefield. Absolute control. Absolute power. Absolute freedom. They can have it all—at least, the rare ones like you can."
"Creating power on my own... sounds both terrifying and amazing."
"Exactly. Your limits will be the ones you set for yourself. Now, let's head to the training grounds."
The butler ended the conversation there, and we made our way to the Circle Wall.
I passed the sword training area and entered the mana grounds. There, a woman stood waiting. She had long brown hair tied in a high ponytail, brown eyes, and wore a flowing robe in blended shades of purple and blue.
"Hey, Verblade kid. I'll be in charge of your training for a while. You probably know why."
"Verblade kid? Show a little respect, will you?"
"Oh, so the brat thinks he can lecture me about manners?" She flicked a fireball at me.
I drew my sword and sliced the flame in half.
"You're my instructor, so I'll keep my mouth shut—for now. But you should know, I'll be reporting this to my father and brother."
That seemed to do the trick. A flicker of fear crossed her face.
"Alright, alright. Let's start over. My name is Veldora. Veldora Kaiben."
"Andreas Van Verblade. Let's hope we get along."
After a short pause, she broke the silence.
"So what, are we gonna stand here all day? Let's start."
"You're the one teaching. Your move."
"Fine. Let's begin with mana control. You know the basics, right?"
"Yeah. The color of your subconscious reflects your mana quality. And your bond with your mana spirit determines how well you can control it."
"Good. Now—can you split your mana?"
"I think so. I've managed to send mana to my sword and enhance my vision at the same time."
"That's something. But I meant splitting mana across different elements at once."
"That's not even possible."
"For regular soul-bearers, no. But bound souls don't follow the rules. Ultimate mana control means adapting your mana to multiple elements at once. That's what I expect from you."
"You're starting me at the highest level? I can barely do the basics!"
"What did you say determines your control again?"
"My relationship with my mana spirit. But that doesn't help."
"It does. I'm going to enter your subconscious and help build that bond."
"Enter my subconscious? How?"
"The butler will knock us both out. But before that, you'll focus on me—picture me clearly. I'll chant a few spells, and your mental image of me will determine how I appear inside."
A smirk formed on my face.
"Now you're in trouble. Let's see who really lacks manners."
"Please take this seriously. If I can't get in cleanly, this entire training ends here."
"What!? Why!?"
"You'll understand once we're inside. Now sit down, cross-legged. Take my hand. Think of me—and don't stop until you pass out."
"Alright… but this is starting to feel a little creepy."
Veldora's cheeks flushed red.
"Watch your mouth! I'm way older than you!"
"Oh yeah? How old?"
"Twenty-seven. Same age as Lord Cadeon. So you can call me 'Instructor'... or 'Big Sister.'"
"Pfffft. Big Sister? You're like a child. Your face turns red so easily."
"You're testing my patience."
I chuckled.
"Alright, alright. Let's just do this. Butler, come here and follow Instructor Veldora's orders."
The butler stepped forward.
"Now," Veldora said, "focus only on me. I'll say the spell. Then the butler will knock us out."
"Got it. I'm starting."
I closed my eyes and focused on her. After two minutes, her image solidified in my mind. Then I heard her whisper:
"Viente, Dor, Meir de vantu..."
And then, the world went dark.