From that day onward, everything changed.
Ragna no longer sparred in the crowded training yard. No noble eyes watched him. No whispers followed his steps. No laughter waited for him to fall.
After completing his physical training—his runs, his sword swings, his relentless conditioning—he would leave the main grounds and walk toward the quieter stretch beyond the outer walls.
That was where Sir Aldren waited.
The air there felt different. Calmer. Heavier.
No spectators.
No judgment.
Only teacher and student.
Aldren stood with his sword planted into the soil, arms folded as Ragna approached. "From now on," he said, "you will spar with me alone. But right now, you can't handle a single of my strike, so prepare for tough lessons ahead."
Ragna bowed deeply. "Yes, sir."
Aldren's gaze sharpened. "What happened in the yard cannot happen again. Strength without control is nothing but disaster."
"I understand," Ragna said, without hesitation.
"Good," Aldren replied. "Then we can begin properly."
He gestured for Ragna to sit.
"Before technique," Aldren said, "you must understand will."
Ragna listened intently.
"There are three fundamental wills that shape elemental and string combat," Aldren continued. "The Flame Will, the Water Will, and the Wind Will."
He placed a hand on his chest. "Will is not magic. It is not mana. It is intent—so refined that the world responds to it."
Ragna frowned slightly. "Intent… strong enough to change reality?"
Aldren nodded. "Exactly."
He rose to his feet. "The Flame Will represents dominance, destruction, and transformation. It does not hesitate. It does not retreat. It burns forward."
Ragna felt something stir inside his chest.
"You are compatible with fire," Aldren said. "Which means the Flame Will will answer you more easily than the others—but it will also punish you more harshly if you lack control. I also suffered the this very fate during my rookie days"
Aldren lifted his sword.
"The Flame Will is divided into Upper Strings and Lower Strings,same applies for all other wills" he explained. "The Lower Strings are foundational techniques—raw, direct, and brutal. There are ten strings in total."
Ragna's breath caught. "Ten…"
"Today," Aldren said calmly, "we focus on the First String."
He took a step forward.
"The First Lower String of the Flame Will is called—Blazing Strike."
The name alone made Ragna's heart pound.
"This is a close-range technique," Aldren continued. "Its requirement is simple—but unforgiving. You must be able to coat your sword in fire using will alone. No incantations. No assistance. No mana"
Aldren planted his feet.
"It has immense explosive power," he said. "But its flaw is equally clear. It is a single-use strike. Once released, the flame disperses. If you wish to use it again, you must activate it anew."
Ragna swallowed.
Aldren closed his eyes.
The air around him shifted.
Heat rose—not wild, not violent—but compressed. Flames crawled along the blade of Aldren's sword, wrapping it tightly, obediently. They did not flicker. They did not roar.
They waited.
Aldren opened his eyes.
And swung.
The moment his blade struck the training post, the world erupted.
A thunderous explosion tore through the clearing. Fire blasted outward in a controlled arc, scorching the ground and shattering the reinforced post into splinters. The shockwave forced Ragna back several steps, his hair and clothes whipping violently.
When the smoke cleared, nothing remained of the post but ash.
The flames vanished from Aldren's sword as if they had never existed.
Silence followed.
Ragna stared.
His mouth was slightly open. His chest burned—not from heat, but from awe.
"So… this is the First String," he whispered.
Aldren turned to him. "This is only the beginning."
He sheathed his sword and faced Ragna fully. "Your assignment is simple."
Ragna straightened immediately.
"For the next week," Aldren said, "you will do nothing but learn to coat your blade in fire—consistently, cleanly, and without losing control."
He pointed his finger at Ragna's chest. "No explosions. No shortcuts. If your emotions leak into the flame, you start over. Remember, you must always focus"
Ragna clenched his fists.
"Yes, sir."
"Keep it up ... I'll be back"
As Aldren walked away, Ragna remained standing there, staring at his sword.
Fire flickered faintly at the edge of his vision.
For the first time since stepping into the knights' yard, Ragna did not feel behind.
He felt—
At the starting line.