The battle had ended.
Yet the training grounds had become louder than ever.
Snow continued falling from the sky.
Cold northern winds drifted across Frostbound Coast.
The damaged arena still carried scars from the hour-long battle.
Cracks stretched across the ground.
Destroyed training dummies lay scattered nearby.
The snow itself had become a mixture of white and crimson.
And in the center of all of it...
Lyra sat upon a wooden bench.
Several healers surrounded her.
The ancient serpent looked annoyed.
Not because of her injuries.
Because the healers kept treating her like a fragile noble lady.
"I am fine."
"No, Lady Lyra."
"I survived centuries."
"Please stay still."
"I literally fought three Masters."
"Please stop moving."
"..."
The serpent woman sighed.
Meanwhile.
A few hundred meters away.
The training grounds had transformed into a giant gossip battlefield.
Every knight.
Every guard.
Every servant.
All discussing the exact same topic.
The ten blood swords.
And more importantly...
Whether Lyra had actually used Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts.
The argument had become intense.
Extremely intense.
Knight Rowan pointed dramatically toward the damaged battlefield.
"She absolutely used Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts."
Immediately.
Knight Brann objected.
"No she didn't."
Rowan looked offended.
"What do you mean she didn't?"
Brann crossed his arms.
"The swords were made of blood."
"So?"
"The Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts use Aura."
"So?"
"So blood isn't Aura."
"..."
"..."
Rowan stared.
Then pointed again.
"The swords were orbiting around her."
Brann froze.
That was a valid point.
The nearby knights nodded.
Very valid point.
Another knight immediately joined.
"I agree."
Everyone looked toward him.
The knight adjusted his armor proudly.
"The orbit part was definitely there."
Several others nodded.
"True."
"Very true."
"The orbiting was undeniable."
Then another knight spoke.
"Maybe she only used half."
The entire group turned toward him.
The knight became nervous.
"What?"
Rowan frowned.
"What do you mean half?"
The knight pointed carefully.
"Maybe she used the Orbit."
A pause.
"But not the Sovereign."
The entire group froze.
Then someone slowly whispered.
"He's onto something."
The discussion instantly intensified.
Meanwhile.
Near another section of the training grounds.
Several veteran knights had gathered around Gareth.
The Captain immediately regretted existing.
Because everyone wanted answers.
"Captain Gareth."
"What?"
"Was that Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts?"
Gareth sighed.
"I don't know."
The crowd immediately became disappointed.
One knight looked shocked.
"You don't know?"
"No."
"How can you not know?"
"Because I wasn't the one fighting."
The knight looked unconvinced.
Another knight stepped forward.
"Captain."
"What?"
"If I throw potatoes around myself."
"..."
"..."
"Would that become Sovereign's Orbit Potato Arts?"
The surrounding knights immediately lost control.
Several collapsed laughing.
Even Gareth nearly laughed.
The Captain rubbed his forehead.
Then replied.
"No."
The knight looked relieved.
"Good."
A pause.
Then Gareth continued.
"Probably."
The entire crowd erupted.
"What do you mean probably?!"
The Captain raised both hands.
"I'M NOT LORD KEL."
The argument resumed immediately.
Meanwhile.
Near the weapon racks.
A group of younger knights had developed an entirely different theory.
One knight whispered.
"I think Lord Kel planned this."
Another nodded.
"Obviously."
"No."
The first knight shook his head.
"I mean everything."
The others stared.
The knight lowered his voice dramatically.
"The blood swords."
A pause.
"The breakthrough."
Another pause.
"The battle."
Another.
"The weather."
The group blinked.
"What?"
"The weather."
"..."
"..."
"You think Lord Kel planned snowfall?"
The knight hesitated.
Then pointed toward Kel.
Who was currently drinking tea calmly.
The group looked.
Then looked again.
Then surprisingly...
Nobody immediately rejected the possibility.
Because after everything they had witnessed...
Who knew anymore?
At another corner.
The three newly advanced Masters sat together.
Recovering.
Listening.
And greatly enjoying the chaos.
The silver-haired Master laughed.
"They're losing their minds."
The second Master nodded.
"As they should."
The third Master smiled.
"Honestly."
A pause.
"I'm still confused myself."
The other two nodded.
Very reasonable.
They had fought Lyra directly.
Yet somehow...
They understood less than the spectators.
Meanwhile.
The argument reached its peak.
One knight suddenly shouted.
"LET'S ASK LORD KEL!"
The training grounds became silent.
Everyone froze.
Then slowly.
Every single head turned.
Toward Kel.
The Count sat beneath a pavilion.
Calmly drinking tea.
Reading reports.
As though none of the madness around him existed.
The knights exchanged glances.
Then collectively marched toward him.
Like soldiers preparing for war.
The moment they arrived.
Kel looked up.
"...Why are all of you here?"
No one answered immediately.
Because suddenly everyone became nervous.
Eventually.
Knight Rowan stepped forward.
"My Lord."
Kel nodded.
"Yes?"
The knight pointed dramatically toward Lyra.
"Was that Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts?"
Silence followed.
Every knight leaned forward.
Every guard focused.
Even Lyra stopped arguing with the healers.
Everyone waited.
Kel blinked once.
Twice.
Then asked.
"What do you think?"
The entire crowd almost died.
That wasn't an answer.
Not even close.
Knight Brann immediately objected.
"My Lord."
"Yes?"
"That's not an answer."
Kel nodded.
"It is."
"It isn't."
"It is."
"It isn't."
The argument lasted ten seconds.
Eventually.
Kel sighed.
Then placed down his tea.
The training grounds instantly became silent.
Because everyone recognized that sigh.
A teaching sigh.
A dangerous sigh.
The Count looked toward the battlefield.
Then toward Lyra.
Then back toward the knights.
Finally.
He spoke.
"What is Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts?"
The knights blinked.
Then immediately answered.
"Floating swords."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Everyone froze.
Another knight tried.
"Controlling Aura Swords?"
"No."
Another.
"Using mental power?"
"No."
Another.
"Orbiting weapons?"
"No."
The knights looked increasingly confused.
Then Kel pointed toward the sky.
"Constellations."
Silence.
Nobody understood.
The Count continued.
"A constellation is not the stars."
Another.
"It is the pattern."
The training grounds became completely silent.
Kel pointed toward Lyra.
Then spoke calmly.
"The swords aren't the art."
Another.
"The blood isn't the art."
Another.
"The Aura isn't the art."
Another.
"The orbit isn't even the art."
The crowd looked shocked.
Then what was?
Kel answered.
"The expression."
Nobody spoke.
The Count continued.
"The Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts are a framework."
Another.
"A philosophy."
Another.
"A method for expressing yourself through orbiting weapons."
The realization slowly spread.
Like dawn.
Like sunlight.
Like understanding.
Kel pointed toward Lyra.
"Those blood swords are hers."
A pause.
"Not mine."
Another.
"They represent her path."
Another.
"Not mine."
The training grounds remained silent.
Then Kel smiled slightly.
A faint smile.
A teacher's smile.
And finally answered the original question.
"Did she use Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts?"
Everyone waited.
Kel looked toward Lyra.
Then replied.
"Yes."
The knights nodded immediately.
Then Kel continued.
"And no."
The entire crowd collectively screamed.
"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!"
Laughter exploded across the training grounds.
Even Lyra laughed.
Even Gareth laughed.
Even the three Masters laughed.
Only Kel remained calm.
Though for a brief moment...
The corners of his mouth rose slightly.
And watching the chaos unfold.
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren laughed harder than anyone.
Because after all the breakthroughs.
After all the blood swords.
After all the revelations.
The knights of Frostbound Coast had somehow found the most important question of all.
Was it actually Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts?
And somehow...
The answer remained completely confusing.