We left the dungeon in the late afternoon.
The air outside felt lighter than the air inside, but my head was heavy.
Scarlet walked a few steps ahead.
The five of them came right behind me.
No one said anything.
The silence was uncomfortable.
I knew that discussion hadn't ended. It had only been postponed because we were in the middle of training.
When we stopped near the large stones that marked the dungeon entrance, Rai'kanna was the first to speak.
"This isn't going to work."
I looked at her.
"What isn't going to work?"
"You training alone with that woman."
Scarlet turned slowly.
"I'm still here."
"I know that very well," Rai'kanna replied.
I took a deep breath.
"What's the problem now?"
Elara answered before her.
"We want to train too."
"Train?"
"Yes," Vespera added. "Get stronger."
Liriel nodded silently.
Lyannis watched everything with a small smile on her face, as if she were watching a play.
Scarlet crossed her arms.
"My agreement is only with him."
"But we fight too," Rai'kanna shot back.
"And I'm not a group instructor."
The atmosphere started heating up again.
I raised my hand.
"Calm down."
I looked at them.
"You want to train to get stronger?"
"Yes," they answered almost together.
I looked at Scarlet.
"Is there a way…"
"No," she cut me off before I could finish. "I'm not training anyone else."
"Why?" Rai'kanna asked.
"Because it's not part of the agreement. And because I don't have the patience for it."
Silence returned.
I understood Scarlet.
But I understood them too.
They had fought with me against demons, monsters, situations that could have killed any of us.
It was natural that they wanted to evolve too.
Elara spoke calmly.
"If he's going to face the Fourth General one day, we'll be there too."
Vespera added.
"And we don't want to be a burden."
Those words hit me harder than any argument.
They weren't jealous now.
They were afraid of being left behind.
Scarlet noticed that too.
But she still answered firmly.
"I'm not the right person for that."
Rai'kanna then took a step forward.
"It doesn't have to be you."
Scarlet raised an eyebrow.
"And who would it be?"
"I know someone much better."
I looked at Rai'kanna.
"Who?"
"A sorceress from the kingdom of the Demi-dragons."
Scarlet let out a small laugh.
"A sorceress?"
"She's extremely powerful," Rai'kanna continued. "Stronger than many rank S adventurers."
"Specialist in magic, strategy, and combat."
Scarlet fell silent.
Rai'kanna went on.
"She has trained royal guards, commanders, elite mages. If there's someone who can train them, it's that woman."
"Are you making this up right now?" I asked.
"No. I already sent a letter to my father asking for her to come to the kingdom of Valor."
I was surprised.
"You had already thought about this?"
"Since yesterday."
Lyannis laughed softly.
"She's pretty predictable when she's jealous."
Rai'kanna ignored the comment.
Scarlet took a deep breath.
"So you're going to train with this sorceress."
"Yes."
"In another dungeon."
"Yes."
Scarlet looked at me.
"That solves the problem."
I nodded.
"It does."
She uncrossed her arms.
"Great. Then everyone handles their own training."
The tension finally began to ease.
Elara looked relieved.
Vespera too.
Liriel simply watched, but she seemed satisfied.
Rai'kanna was still serious, but she no longer looked furious.
Scarlet turned to me.
"Tomorrow we go back to normal training. No audience."
I looked back.
"You heard her."
Rai'kanna replied.
"When the sorceress arrives, we won't need to follow you anymore."
Lyannis commented.
"But I might keep coming. This is entertaining."
I ignored it.
We started walking back to the city.
This time, the silence was no longer heavy.
It was the silence of a decision made.
As I walked, I realized something.
All of that wasn't just about jealousy.
It was about fear.
Fear of not keeping up.
Fear of being left behind.
Fear of losing me.
And for the first time, I realized that my training didn't affect only me.
It affected all of them.
When we got near the city, Scarlet stopped.
"Rest today. Tomorrow we're going deeper."
I nodded.
She left without saying anything else.
I stood there with them for a few seconds.
Rai'kanna spoke more quietly this time.
"We don't want to get in the way."
"I know."
"We just want to get stronger too."
I looked at all of them.
"Then do it."
They smiled faintly.
And for the first time since the beginning of that training, I felt like things were adjusting.
Each on their own path.
But all heading in the same direction.