After the last class of the day, Fian would always head to the headmaster’s office for training under the near-century-old elf.
Though truthfully, Asta didn’t personally coach him every day.
Most of the ti, Fian simply practiced on his own according to the instructions Asta had given beforehand.
When Fian pushed open the heavy stone door —which, for so reason, was never locked for him— he found Asta sitting behind his desk.
"I heard you managed to use both of your Talents at the sa ti during today’s duel," Asta said.
Fian had no idea how news traveled that fast to him.
Fian nodded. "But I could only do it a few tis. It’s still hard to maintain both simultaneously."
"Being able to do it even once is already impressive, Fian."
Asta smiled gently, like a grandfather proud of his grandson. "And in just three months, you’ve mastered all the basic elf skills as well."
In his mind, Fian felt all that was nothing compared to Gara’s abilities.
Those basic elf skills Asta praised? He had already learned them unintentionally under Gara’s guidance.
Basically, he was just relearning everything, but with deeper understanding this ti.
And of course, Fian trained nonstop because he wanted to catch up to Gara.
Asta’s smile didn’t fade. "In training, you’re courageous, even borderline reckless, but you actually are a cautious person. You’re always watching your surroundings."
Fian couldn’t deny it. His two years living with Gara, being treated kindly, still couldn’t erase the twenty years of suffering before that.
Only with Gara and the people in the dinsional ho could he lower his guard even a little. Outside of that, he kept his distance from everyone.
Suddenly, Asta stood up. "Co with ."
Fian followed, a bit surprised that Asta was personally teaching him today.
In the past few months, Asta had only coached him directly three tis.
The ancient elf only appeared when Fian fully mastered a skill he assigned, and only then would he teach the next.
Once again, Fian wondered how Asta always knew his progress so accurately.
They approached the wooden door beside the window. Fian knew this door well.
He never trained inside the academy grounds, his training room was always behind this door.
Beyond it stretched a vast sky ending in sweeping mist.
"This is..." Fian suddenly felt like he was standing at the watchtower inside Gara’s dinsional space.
"We’re in one of the border-village towers in Swargaloka Province," Asta explained. "This is where you usually train."
Fian examined the stone walls behind him more closely. They really were similar to the room he always trained in.
He’d assud the door was like Gara’s satchel, a dinsional connector— but apparently, it was a teleportation portal.
It’s just that, before this, it always led to the sa place, and only now did he realize just how far this place was from the capital city.
"Fian, can you feel the nature energy here?" Asta asked.
"Nature energy?"
"The one that clears your mind and lightens your body."
"Oh— yes," Fian nodded. He hadn’t noticed, since the energy inside Gara’s dinsional space was much stronger.
"This energy cos from the sacred tree deep inside the mist, this village is the closest one to it."
Fian recalled what he’d learned at the academy about the sacred tree, the holy tree of the elves.
Because of it, elves no longer had their own territory.
"The sacred tree is vital to us elves, and to all plant life in the world," Asta said.
Fian nodded quietly.
Asta, used to Fian’s silence, continued, "In the past, every elf had to touch the sacred tree to form a connection. It wasn’t just a tradition; the sacred tree grants us protection, and in return, it survives through the connections it forms with us."
Fian didn’t fully understand, but nodded again.
"Right now, only two elves still have a connection with the sacred tree. Myself and Elder Kaden. He’s far older than I am, he witnessed the golden era of the elves. I was still very young back then."
"Today, we have no territory, and elves are pri targets of illegal slave traders. The reason you rarely see elves in towns or cities isn’t just because we live nomadically, our numbers are decreasing."
Asta looked out at the mist with a softened, sorrowful gaze.
"But recently," he said, turning back to Fian, "Sir Agus told we may have hope. We might be able to purify the mist without waiting for their main assault."
The ntion of Agus imdiately told Fian that this was connected to Gara’s dinsional space.
"That’s why, Fian, I plan to build a new territory for the elves. We’ll live without the sacred tree for now, but at least we’ll have hope."
"What will happen to the sacred tree when you and Elder Kaden are gone?" Fian asked suddenly.
Asta stared at him, startled.
Fian had only ant to ask how future elves, who had never even seen the sacred tree, would learn to form a connection if Asta and Kaden weren’t around to instruct them.
But Asta took the question differently, and in truth, it was an important one.
"The sacred tree will die," Asta answered quietly.
Fian hadn’t expected that.
Asta sighed and changed the subject.
"I’ll be very busy from now on, you may co here every day to train. You’re also free to visit the small library beside the training room. They have books about elves."
Fian nodded.
He planned to borrow a few books and show them to Gara, that beautiful man would definitely praise him for bringing sothing interesting back.
...
anwhile, Gara —who occupied Fian’s thoughts almost every waking mont— was busy in the alchemists’ association lab.
He’d co to test the effectiveness of his new one-for-all antidote.
"This is the one-for-all antidote that’s supposed to be stronger than a Vena Pill?" asked an alchemist who had once worked with Gara on Ambar’s project.
"Yeah. It’s made from a one-night flower that changed color after surviving for more than a week."
"That’s impressive, you really ca up with another breakthrough already?"
Gara only followed the clues from an old set of notes, even he wasn’t sure if this antidote would end up useful or not.
They continued chatting about the recent situation in the association while running the tests.
Night fell, and the examinations still weren’t done.
Gara remained alone in the lab; the other alchemists had gone ho earlier.
With his identity exposed and Alterian already aware of the triplets, he had a bad feeling danger was coming.
He needed the Duke to wake up soon, and give him the protection he was owed.
After replying to several ssages from Wina and the others, Gara finally finished the checks.
"SUCCESS!" His shout echoed through the empty lab.
A few alchemists in the other rooms heard him, but none were surprised.
Every alchemist reacted like that when their research finally worked. They only hoped they would be the next ones to succeed.
"I need to tell Sir Ramun imdiately!"
...
Ramun was in the office that once belonged to his older brother, Karon. Now, all the responsibility had fallen to him.
Knock. Knock.
He looked up at the door.
He already knew who it was when he called for the visitor to enter.
A middle-aged man dressed in clean, noble attire stepped inside with a pleasant smile.
"Still not used to your duties as heir?" the man asked. "Let help you, Sir."
"Thank you, Count Vardhan."
More and more white strands had appeared in Ramun’s hair, clear proof of how much he was struggling.
Leading tens of thousands of soldiers as a general had never given him this kind of headache.
Count Vardhan shook his head.
"No need to thank , Sir. We’re family. Besides, I’m also here because Diya is extrely worried about her brother."
"Oh, right. Has Diya’s fever gone down?"
Ramun rembered his only sister, now Countess Vardhan.
"It has. She just needed so rest to regain her strength. She really wanted to co here herself, you know. She even sent alone because she refused to break the promise she made." Erdhi Vardhan, his full na, let out a long breath.
Ramun felt both grateful and uneasy about his sister’s condition.
Erdhi began sorting through several docunts, his movents showing how familiar he was with the work.
Amid the rustle of papers, Erdhi spoke.
"Sir, I’ve heard that since the son of the late Sir Gavin was found, you’ve allowed Sir Karon to enter and leave Duke Eshaan’s chambers freely?"
Ramun nodded. "It’s not like he can do anything. All of his communication with the outside world has been cut off."
Erdhi hesitated, looking troubled.
"Just say it," Ramun ordered.
Erdhi lowered his head slightly.
"I don’t an to accuse the late Sir Gavin’s son of scheming with Sir Karon, but... what if they are working together and endanger Duke Eshaan’s life? Sir Karon is a cruel man."
"He poisoned his own father. He could very well use his nephew for whatever evil plan he’s planning."
...
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