He watched as the woman demonstrated a technique - she channeled a pale silver mana that formed a protective shell around her arm. When one of the knights attempted to replicate it, the shell shattered almost instantly, and the man staggered back, clutching his arm as if burned by invisible frost.
"Again," the woman commanded coldly. "Your lives will depend on this."
Julian's lips curved into a faint, thoughtful smile. The Duke for sure was preparing for a confrontation.
He lingered for nearly an hour more, observing the grueling session. The knights were being pushed to their absolute limits, their bodies and mana cores tempered to fight something unnatural. By the time the training began to wind down, Julian had gathered enough to know that this was only the beginning.
The pieces are moving faster than I expected.
