The following days passed more peacefully after I started studying the book Lyannis had given me.
But something had truly changed.
I could clearly notice it during training.
Before, the Dragon's Breath felt like an unstable force inside my body. It was like trying to control a constant explosion of mana and heat at the same time.
Now...
The flames were beginning to respond better.
There were still difficulties.
It still consumed a lot of energy.
But it no longer seemed impossible.
That morning, I woke up early again.
The sun was just rising on the horizon when I left the hilltop mansion alone.
The cold wind swept across the fields while small drops of dew covered parts of the crops.
I walked to a more secluded area near the old stones the cyclopes used for physical training.
I took a deep breath slowly.
Then I began to concentrate mana.
This time I did exactly as Lyannis had explained over the past few days.
Without forcing it.
Without accelerating the magical flow.
Just controlling it.
The energy moved through my body much more smoothly.
Then small golden flames slowly appeared around my hand.
I observed them carefully.
They were stable.
Much more stable than before.
I slowly concentrated more mana.
The fire spread up my arm while the heat intensified around my body.
But unlike before...
I still maintained complete control.
The flames were not escaping.
Nor were they consuming an absurd amount of mana.
"So you finally started to understand."
I looked back.
Rai'kanna was slowly walking toward me with her arms crossed.
"You figured it out quickly."
She watched the flames for a few seconds.
"Your mana is much more balanced now."
I slowly extinguished the fire.
"It still feels strange using this power."
"That's because it still isn't completely part of you."
She sat down on one of the nearby stones.
"Draconic power works differently from human mana."
I nodded slightly.
Over the past few days, Rai'kanna had been helping a lot with training related to Dragon's Breath.
She understood that energy better than anyone else in the group.
Even if she didn't possess exactly the same power as I did.
"Dragons don't release fire through strength alone."
She continued speaking calmly.
"They control temperature, pressure, and magical flow at the same time."
That explained a lot.
Before, I was simply releasing raw energy.
Now I was slowly learning to control the details.
I concentrated mana once more.
The flames reappeared slowly.
This time I tried compressing the fire instead of simply increasing its size.
At first it was difficult.
The temperature rose rapidly.
The heat partially escaped.
But I kept adjusting the magical flow little by little.
Then I finally succeeded.
A small, extremely compact flame appeared above my hand.
Much smaller than before.
But unbelievably hotter.
Rai'kanna smiled faintly.
"Now that's more like it."
I silently observed the small flame.
It was strange.
It looked much more dangerous despite being smaller.
Lyannis would probably love to analyze it.
After training, we returned to the mansion.
Scarlet was already awake, training near the garden while Vespera silently watched from atop the stone wall.
Liriel was helping some servants organize medicinal herbs.
And Elara was once again reviewing reports with Minister Dargan.
Life had truly become stable during this period.
Scarlet sheathed her sword when she saw me approaching.
"You trained early again."
"I'm starting to improve."
She quickly looked at my hands.
"Did the fire get stronger?"
"More controlled."
Lyannis appeared shortly afterward carrying the same massive magic book.
"Control is more important than strength."
Scarlet sighed.
"Here comes the magic professor again."
Lyannis completely ignored the comment.
She was already used to it.
We spent most of the morning organizing matters related to the village alongside Dargan.
Trade routes were growing rapidly.
New merchants arrived practically every week.
Agricultural production also continued to increase steadily.
The region was truly becoming important.
While we were reviewing reports, one of the village guards quickly entered the room.
"Lord Takumi."
I immediately looked at him.
"What happened?"
"A messenger has just arrived from Vailor."
I frowned slightly.
A few minutes later, the messenger entered carrying a document from the guild.
I calmly took the paper.
Then I began reading.
A new mission.
Rank A.
A small demonic infestation near a trade route north of Vailor.
I sighed softly.
It had been several days since our last mission.
Scarlet immediately smiled.
"Finally."
Rai'kanna also looked more excited.
"I thought we'd be stuck here forever."
Dargan crossed his arms.
"The lands are stable at the moment."
"Then we can leave for a few days."
Elara closed several reports before standing up.
"We also need to stay active within the guild."
That was true.
We couldn't completely abandon our missions.
We were still adventurers.
That afternoon, we departed for Vailor.
The journey was relatively peaceful.
The roads were busy with merchants and carriages coming from various regions.
When we finally arrived in the city, I immediately noticed the intense activity at the guild.
As soon as we entered the main building, several adventurers looked in our direction.
That was becoming normal.
Especially after the battle against the Dragon King.
The recognition had increased significantly.
We quickly obtained more details about the mission.
A small dungeon had appeared near abandoned mines.
Minor demons were attacking travelers and merchants in the area.
Nothing extremely dangerous.
But it still needed to be resolved quickly.
By late afternoon, we headed directly to the dungeon.
The entrance was hidden among rock formations near the mountains.
Demonic mana slowly leaked from the dark opening.
As soon as we crossed the entrance, I immediately felt the difference in the atmosphere.
The air was heavy.
Cold.
And far too silent.
Vespera was the first to move forward.
As always.
She moved almost without making a sound.
Scarlet walked at the front while Rai'kanna remained by my side.
Lyannis and Liriel provided magical support behind us.
Elara carefully observed the corridors.
The first monsters appeared only a few minutes later.
Lesser demons.
Nothing compared to the enemies we had faced recently.
Scarlet charged first, eliminating two of them quickly.
Rai'kanna destroyed another using only physical strength.
Vespera vanished into the shadows before reappearing behind the remaining enemies.
The battle ended in seconds.
We continued advancing through the dungeon's dark corridors.
The monsters appeared in small groups.
But something caught my attention.
I was using far less mana than before.
Even during combat.
The magical flow inside my body seemed much more efficient now.
When another group of demons appeared farther ahead, I decided to test Dragon's Breath again.
I slowly concentrated mana.
Without overdoing it.
Without forcing it.
Then small golden flames enveloped my hand.
The monsters immediately charged.
I calmly extended my arm.
And released fire.
The flames shot down the corridor in a straight line, striking the demons directly.
The impact was instantaneous.
The monsters vanished, consumed by draconic fire almost immediately.
But the most important thing wasn't the attack.
It was the control.
The fire didn't explode uncontrollably.
It didn't consume an excessive amount of mana.
And it disappeared exactly when I wanted it to.
Scarlet looked at me in surprise.
"That's much more stable now."
Lyannis seemed satisfied.
"You finally started applying what you studied."
I silently looked at my own hand.
She was right.
The difference was enormous.
We continued through the dungeon until reaching the main chamber.
The demonic core of that dungeon was relatively small compared to the previous ones.
Even so, the accumulated demonic mana was still unpleasant.
Liriel immediately began a purification spell while Scarlet and Rai'kanna held off the remaining monsters.
I slowly approached the core.
Then I concentrated mana once again.
This time with even greater precision.
Golden flames appeared around my entire arm.
More compact.
Hotter.
More controlled.
Then I struck the demonic core directly.
The impact completely destroyed the black structure almost instantly.
The demonic mana quickly began disappearing from the environment.
And for the first time...
I barely felt any exhaustion.
I spent a few seconds staring silently at my own hands.
That truly was progress.
We left the dungeon after nightfall.
The dark sky completely covered the mountains while the cold wind swept through the region.
Scarlet walked beside me as we descended the road.
"You've changed quickly."
"Maybe because of the book."
"No."
She shook her head slightly.
"You're starting to understand your own power."
I looked ahead in silence.
Maybe she was right.
Before, I simply fought using strength.
Now I was beginning to understand each ability better.
Each flow of mana.
Every detail.
By the time we returned to Vailor, it was already late at night.
The guild was still partially open because of adventurers returning from missions.
We quickly submitted confirmation of the dungeon's clearance.
The staff once again seemed impressed by the speed.
But honestly...
It no longer felt as difficult as before.
After leaving the guild, we returned to the mansion.
Dinner that night was peaceful.
The girls chatted normally while I remained a bit quieter, thinking about the dungeon battle.
The difference had truly been enormous.
After the meal, I went alone to the room's balcony.
The night sky was clear.
The lights of Vailor shone in the distance while the wind slowly swept across the city.
I slowly raised my hand.
Concentrated mana.
And the golden flames appeared once more.
Calm.
Controlled.
Stable.
I silently observed the fire for a few seconds.
Then I realized something.
A month ago, that power had seemed impossible to control.
Now...
It was finally beginning to become a part of me.