The atmosphere inside the Rosenfeld dining hall subtly changed.
Warm candlelight flickered against ancient dragon-carved walls while silver flames danced quietly within enormous braziers beside the black marble pillars.
And at the center of the long dining table—
The book remained opened.
"Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts"
The strange sword manual continued drawing everyone's attention endlessly.
Young knights stared at the diagrams with fascination.
The older generation observed it with caution.
Because everyone understood instinctively—
A combat art capable of changing aura theory itself…
Could reshape military power entirely.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly sat beside Duke Aktaris beneath the warm chandelier light.
Calm.
Silent.
Composed.
As though the entire discussion held nothing particularly surprising for him.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly laughed.
"You're enjoying this more than you admit."
Kel calmly drank from his wine glass.
"…Not really."
"You absolutely are."
Another amused pause followed.
"Watching people analyze your own technique while pretending ignorance."
Kel ignored her internally.
Meanwhile—
At the head of the table—
Duke Aktaris finally spoke.
"So."
The deep voice instantly quieted the hall again.
His crimson eyes slowly shifted toward Kel afterward.
"Kel."
Another pause.
"Do you know how to use this sword art?"
Silence followed immediately afterward.
Because honestly—
Everyone suddenly became curious.
The returned heir had spent two years traveling anonymously.
And somehow—
His answers earlier carried suspicious familiarity regarding the manual itself.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly placed his wine glass down.
Then answered simply.
"…Somewhat."
Inside his mind—
Sairen nearly burst into laughter.
"Somewhat?"
Kel remained expressionless externally.
Meanwhile—
The younger cousins looked visibly interested now.
Even the older knights leaned slightly forward.
Meanwhile—
Duke Aktaris slowly stood from his chair afterward.
The atmosphere shifted instantly with that single movement.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Authoritative.
The Slaughter Dragon calmly looked toward his eldest son.
"Then show us."
The hall fell completely silent.
Meanwhile—
The Duke continued calmly.
"Give it a try."
Another pause.
"I want to see how many aura swords you can create."
Inside his mind—
Sairen sounded deeply entertained now.
"Oh this should be fun."
Kel silently stood afterward.
"…You're enjoying this too much."
"Absolutely."
Meanwhile—
The rest of the family immediately became interested.
Even servants subtly paused movement.
Because honestly—
Watching the returned heir demonstrate the Empire's newest legendary sword art sounded impossible to ignore.
Meanwhile—
Duke Aktaris calmly turned toward the hall exit.
"Training grounds."
And naturally—
Everyone followed afterward.
The northern training grounds stretched enormously beneath the winter night.
Cold winds moved endlessly through the open arena while silver moonlight illuminated vast black stone platforms carved with ancient aura-resistant runes.
Towering dragon statues surrounded the training field from every direction.
The air itself smelled faintly of snow and steel.
Meanwhile—
Members of House Rosenfeld gradually gathered along the outer viewing platforms beneath flickering mana torches.
Even several nearby knights arrived quietly after hearing the Duke personally entered the training grounds.
Because such events rarely happened casually.
Meanwhile—
At the center of the arena—
Kel calmly stood alone.
Cold northern winds moved softly through his black hair while moonlight reflected against the dark noble clothing covering his figure.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly whispered:
"You're going to hold back."
Kel calmly extended one hand afterward.
"…Obviously."
The spirit laughed softly.
"If you demonstrate seriously your father might declare martial law immediately."
Meanwhile—
Several practice swords rested nearby upon weapon stands.
Kel quietly selected one afterward.
Simple.
Balanced.
Ordinary steel.
Yet the moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt—
The atmosphere subtly shifted.
Because somehow—
Even holding a basic training sword—
Kel looked dangerous.
Meanwhile—
The younger cousins watched eagerly from the sidelines.
His younger brother especially looked excited beyond restraint.
Meanwhile—
Duke Aktaris stood silently observing from nearby beneath the moonlight.
Watching carefully.
Very carefully.
Then finally—
Kel moved.
Slowly at first.
A single controlled breath escaped him.
The northern winds drifted across the arena afterward.
And gradually—
Aura began emerging from his body.
Dark silver energy flowed quietly around the blade held within his hand while the training sword itself hummed faintly beneath the pressure.
Meanwhile—
Several younger knights immediately widened their eyes.
Because Kel's aura control looked unnaturally refined.
Not explosive.
Not wasteful.
Perfectly stable.
Inside his mind—
Sairen quietly muttered:
"You suppress yourself frighteningly well."
Kel calmly ignored her while continuing the flow.
Then—
The important part began.
Aura leakage.
Tiny streams of silver aura escaped naturally from the main blade afterward.
Normally—
That energy would simply dissipate.
Disappear.
Waste itself into the air.
Yet slowly—
The leaking aura suddenly condensed.
Compressed.
Shaped.
And eventually—
Two floating aura swords materialized quietly behind Kel's shoulders.
The entire training ground became silent afterward.
Because even though everyone knew the technique theoretically—
Seeing it personally felt completely different.
The floating swords shimmered beautifully beneath moonlight.
Silver.
Sharp.
Weightless.
Orbiting slowly behind Kel like loyal spirits accompanying their sovereign.
Meanwhile—
The younger brother immediately spoke breathlessly.
"He actually did it…"
Several knights nearby stared openly.
Because the condensation looked absurdly smooth.
No instability.
No distortion.
Only flawless control.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly raised the main sword afterward.
And simultaneously—
The two floating aura swords mirrored the movement perfectly.
Like extensions of his own body.
Then—
Kel stepped forward.
One motion.
One slash.
The main blade cut horizontally through the cold night air.
At the same moment—
The two floating swords attacked separately from different angles.
Fast.
Precise.
Coordinated.
The stone practice target ahead exploded apart instantly.
Three clean cuts.
One from the main blade.
Two from the orbiting swords.
Meanwhile—
Shock quietly spread through the observing knights afterward.
Because the synchronization looked monstrous.
Inside his mind—
Sairen laughed softly.
"You're making it look easy intentionally."
Kel calmly lowered the blade.
"…Because it is."
The spirit sighed.
"Abnormal monster."
Meanwhile—
The younger cousins looked visibly stunned now.
Especially because Kel only used two swords—
Yet the battlefield pressure already felt overwhelming.
The older knights meanwhile looked far more serious.
Because unlike the children—
They understood the tactical implications.
Multi-directional attacks.
Constant pressure.
Simultaneous offense and defense.
A swordsman using this technique could overwhelm ordinary formations entirely.
Meanwhile—
Duke Aktaris remained silent.
Watching.
Observing every detail carefully.
Especially Kel himself.
The stability.
The posture.
The natural synchronization.
And strangely—
The Duke noticed something unsettling.
Kel looked too comfortable using the technique.
As though this wasn't newly learned experimentation.
But something deeply familiar.
Meanwhile—
Kel calmly dispersed the floating swords afterward.
The silver aura dissolved softly into the cold northern winds.
Silence lingered across the training grounds briefly afterward.
Then finally—
His younger brother shouted excitedly.
"That was amazing!"
Several younger knights immediately agreed loudly afterward.
Even some older warriors quietly nodded.
Meanwhile—
The eldest uncle folded his arms thoughtfully.
"Only two swords…"
Another pause.
"…yet your control is exceptional."
Kel calmly returned the training blade afterward.
"It's still incomplete."
Inside his mind—
Sairen immediately laughed.
"That statement alone would emotionally devastate every swordsman here."
Meanwhile—
Duke Aktaris finally spoke again.
"How long did it take you to learn?"
The cold winds drifted softly through the arena afterward.
Kel quietly looked toward his father.
Then answered calmly.
"…Not long."
Inside his mind—
Sairen sounded mercilessly amused.
"You are absolutely your father's son."