After leaving the library, Aster headed back to his room. He felt happy—happy that he had finally grown closer to the duke's granddaughter.
As he walked down the corridor, however, a strange sensation crept over him. Something felt wrong.
He stopped.
'Someone's here!'
Suddenly, it felt as if an enormous slab of stone had been dropped onto his body. He couldn't move—not even a single step.
He had felt something like this before.
Inside the carriage.
His master's bloodlust aura.
'Whose aura is this?'
He tried to pinpoint where it was coming from.
But in the next instant, the pressure intensified and transformed into something else entirely.
Aster's legs gave out. He dropped to one knee, gasping desperately for air, as though invisible hands were wrapped tightly around his throat.
Hah—hah—
'I'm going to lose consciousness.'
Just as that thought crossed his mind, another presence surged forth.
But unlike the first, this one wasn't trying to kill him.
It felt as though it was protecting him.
Moments later, everything stopped.
Aster inhaled deeply, greedily drawing in the air he so desperately needed. Yet the aftereffects lingered—his trembling body was proof of that.
He staggered toward the nearby wall and leaned against it, taking small, unsteady steps.
'That was stronger than aura… no, not just aura. The pressure squeezing my heart hasn't faded yet. I need to talk to Master.'
In a hurry, he made his way to the door of the room where the duke was resting.
He raised his hand to knock—
The door opened on its own.
Valorant stepped out.
"What was that just now?! You felt it too, didn't you?!" Aster blurted out in panic.
Surprisingly, Valorant was calm.
"First—calm down. Second—are you alright?"
"I'm fine. But—"
"This isn't the time," the old man cut him off.
"Then when is the time?"
"You won't have to wait long."
With that, Valorant escorted his disciple back to his room. The old man seemed to be hiding something, hurrying Aster away from the area as quickly as possible.
'That was definitely aura. But what kind of aura can do something like that? It wasn't just aura… there was something else mixed into it.'
***
The next day arrived.
Valorant behaved as usual, as though nothing had happened, and resumed Aster's training. But Aster didn't feel well.
The incident from the previous night weighed heavily on his heart, leaving him unable to sleep peacefully. Because of that, he spent the night gripping his sword, ready for anything.
Naturally, the lack of rest showed during morning training.
Even so, Valorant didn't stop the exercises—aside from allowing slightly longer breaks.
It was during one of those breaks that Aster finally asked:
"Yesterday… what was that?"
He paused, then continued.
"It felt like aura—but at the same time, it was different."
Valorant didn't drag out his answer.
"Originally, you were supposed to learn about this later. But circumstances demand it," he said with a quiet sigh.
"Imagine this: you're fighting an experienced mage. Obviously, their spell is formed in the air."
Aster nodded.
"Now think—what happens if that mage prepares the spell right in front of your face… or behind you, and then attacks?"
Aster hesitated.
"Do I… die?"
Valorant shook his head.
"Not quite. But you'd definitely be seriously injured. That's where an Elestar's aura comes into play. It spreads your mana over a certain area and prevents spells from forming within that space."
It was like claiming ownership over mana within a set radius—rejecting any attempt by others to manipulate it.
Only Elestars who had reached a high stage could accomplish this.
Naturally, a thought arose:
Then doesn't that mean novice mages could easily defeat Elestars without aura?
That idea was wrong.
Controlling mana outside one's body required even greater experience than most mages possessed.
'Now I understand.'
Aster looked at his master with a serious expression. Seeing that look, Valorant felt as though he were facing someone who had set a firm goal.
"Don't ask me to teach you that yet. You haven't even awakened basic battle aura."
Aster's expression didn't change.
"I don't care. I don't ever want to be unable to do anything like last night again."
A faint smile spread across the old man's face. Slowly, he lowered his hand and grasped his familiar staff.
"Then we'll have to make the training even harsher."
From that day on, the exercises became more brutal than ever before.
Reaching Elestar aura was impossible for him right now—impossible for now. Because of that, he decided to start with ordinary aura instead.
Alongside the intense training, Aster's daily conversations with Anna continued. Nearly every day, the two of them spent time together in the library.
Before they realized it, they had become friends.
That friendship brought other changes as well.
A week later, Anna began joining them for dinner and even exchanged a few words with Valorant.
But that wasn't all.
Aster also realized something else.
The polite, gentle Suna he thought he knew… wasn't quite what she seemed.
In the most literal sense.
***
Three weeks passed.
While Aster was training with his master, Suna came to call them.
"Sir Valorant, Aster—dinner is ready."
They gathered around the table. Anna was there as well.
"How was today's training?" Anna asked.
With a smile, Aster replied,
"It went well."
Suna, who was placing dishes on the table, immediately cut in.
"Well, he says—but your whole body is covered in bruises."
"It's nothing. Just the result of training," he said proudly, puffing out his chest.
"Don't lie," Suna replied, tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Suddenly, the estate's steward entered the room. He walked straight up to Valorant and whispered something into his ear.
As Gustav spoke, Valorant's brows drew together and his forehead creased.
On the other side of the table, Aster was still bickering with Suna.
"That's none of your business. Just eat your dinner," Suna snapped.
Aster was about to argue back when his master placed a hand on his shoulder and turned toward him.
"Do you remember what I said?" Valorant asked.
"I told you I'd explain everything once the second part of the task began."
The room fell silent. Everyone looked at them.
Aster nodded.
"The second part of the task has begun," Valorant said gravely.
"Pack your things. We're leaving immediately—without delay."
"What happened?" Aster asked.
Valorant answered with a single sentence.
"Alaris is dead."