The morning was still calm when I left my room and walked through the corridors of the mansion in Vailor. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows and illuminated the wooden floor, creating golden streaks along the ground. The house was quiet, but my mind remained stuck on the same issue since the battle against the Fourth General of the demons.
The sword.
Even now, hours after waking up, that scene was still vivid in my memory. The moment when everything changed during the battle.
When the pressure became too great, the blade reacted.
The golden armor appeared around my body and, suddenly, my power increased absurdly. That was how I managed to win.
But that had not been control.
It was instinct.
Maybe not even that.
Maybe it was just the sword acting on its own.
I ran my hand along the hilt of the weapon as I walked. Its weight was already familiar to me, but now it seemed to hide something I still didn't understand.
If an even stronger enemy appeared in the future, depending on a power I didn't master would be a serious mistake.
When I reached the main hall of the mansion, I found all of them already gathered.
Liriel was seated near the large table in the center of the room, flipping through a small magic book. Her light hair reflected the sunlight from the window as she read attentively.
Elara stood beside her, analyzing some scrolls spread across the table.
Rai'kanna was sitting in a relaxed manner on a chair near the wall, slowly spinning a small dagger between her fingers.
Lyannis was leaning against the window, watching the garden while playing with a small sphere of mana floating above the palm of her hand.
Vespera stood a bit apart, calmly checking her bow.
As soon as I entered the room, all of them looked at me.
Rai'kanna was the first to speak.
"You've got that look of someone who spent the whole night thinking too much."
I let out a small sigh and approached the table.
"Because I did."
Lyannis raised an eyebrow with curiosity.
"Something serious?"
I placed the sword on the table carefully. The sound of the blade touching the wood immediately drew everyone's attention.
Liriel slowly closed the book.
"Does this have to do with the battle against the Fourth General?"
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Silence filled the room for a few seconds.
Then I spoke.
"I didn't win that battle alone."
Rai'kanna tilted her head.
"You defeated a demon general in direct combat. That sounds like a win to me."
I shook my head.
"The sword reacted on its own."
Liriel immediately recalled.
"The golden armor."
I looked at her.
"So you noticed too."
Elara answered calmly.
"It was impossible not to notice."
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"That didn't look like normal magic."
I ran my fingers along the hilt of the sword.
"Because it wasn't something I controlled."
I explained again what had happened during the fight. From the moment the energy appeared to the way my power increased during combat.
The more I spoke, the clearer the problem became.
I didn't know how to use it.
When I finished, no one spoke for a few seconds.
It was Liriel who broke the silence.
"So you want to learn how to control that power."
"Exactly."
Elara thought for a few seconds before answering.
"That requires mana control at a very high level."
I nodded.
"That's why I'm thinking of going to the Arcane City."
Lyannis gave a small smile.
"The famous City of Mages."
Rai'kanna let out a small whistle.
"So you want to learn from real mages."
"Yes."
Vespera finally spoke, her voice calm.
"That sounds like a good idea."
I looked at all of them for a few seconds before continuing.
"But there's another detail."
Elara slightly tilted her head.
"What?"
I took a deep breath before answering.
"The elves paid us fifty thousand gold coins after the war."
Lyannis widened her eyes.
"I'm still not used to that number."
Rai'kanna let out a small laugh.
"Me neither."
I continued.
"Training with high-level mages probably isn't cheap."
Liriel crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"You want to use part of that money to pay a master."
"Yes."
I looked at each of them.
"But that reward belongs to all of us."
I paused briefly.
"So I wanted to know if you agree."
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then Lyannis answered first.
"That shouldn't even be a question."
Rai'kanna nodded.
"If that training makes you stronger, it also protects all of us."
Elara agreed with a slight nod.
"Besides, investing in knowledge is never a waste."
Liriel closed the book that was still on the table.
"If you learn to control that power, you can prevent it from getting out of control in the future."
Vespera completed calmly.
"And it also increases our chances against the demons."
I looked at all of them again.
None of them hesitated.
None of them seemed worried about the money.
Their answer was simple.
They trusted me.
I let out a small sigh, but this time I felt a bit of relief.
"Then it's decided."
Rai'kanna smiled excitedly.
"We're going to the Arcane City."
Lyannis lifted the small sphere of mana still floating in her hand.
"I've always wanted to see that place."
Elara began organizing the scrolls on the table.
"Then we need to prepare."
Liriel looked at me with curiosity.
"When do you intend to start?"
I ran my hand along the hilt of the sword once more.
Now the decision was clear.
"First, we need to find out how to enter the city."
I looked at all of them.
"After that, we begin the journey."
The sunlight continued to illuminate the silent room of the mansion.
But at that moment, I already knew that soon everything would change.
The Arcane City was waiting for us.