The days returned to being peaceful after the great harvest.
The cyclops village remained busy, but now there was a different feeling in the air. The villagers seemed lighter. The constant worries about poor production had practically disappeared, and even merchants had begun visiting the region more frequently.
That morning, I woke up early as usual.
The sky was still partially dark when I got out of bed and walked to the bedroom balcony.
The cold dawn wind slowly crossed the fields below the hill.
The crops swayed gently while small lights still remained lit in some of the village houses.
I stood there observing everything in silence for a few moments.
It was strange how much that place had changed in such a short time.
Before, it had seemed like a forgotten region.
Now it was slowly beginning to grow.
"You're up early again."
I looked back.
Lyannis was sitting near the window with an open book resting on her lap.
She had been awake for quite a while.
She probably hadn't slept much at all.
"Do you ever sleep?" I asked.
"Mages rest by studying."
"That doesn't sound healthy."
She simply ignored my comment.
Scarlet was still sleeping deeply while Rai'kanna occupied practically half the bed by herself. Liriel remained wrapped in the blankets, and Vespera wasn't in the room again.
Elara appeared shortly afterward carrying several papers.
"The minister sent new production reports."
I let out a light sigh.
"My life has really become work."
Scarlet slowly opened one eye.
"You complain about that every day."
"Because it's true."
Lyannis calmly closed the book she had been reading.
Then she watched me silently for a few seconds.
"Your mana control has improved considerably over the last few weeks."
"I noticed that too."
Especially after the training sessions with the Dragon's Breath.
At first, that power had seemed almost impossible to control.
The flames consumed too much mana.
The heat escaped easily.
And my body still wasn't completely accustomed to draconic energy.
But little by little, that had been changing.
Gradually.
Lyannis slowly stood up and walked to a small bookshelf near the wall.
She picked up a thick dark-covered book before returning to me.
"I want you to read this."
I looked at the book silently.
The cover seemed ancient.
The symbols engraved on it resembled magical runes very different from ordinary ones.
I slowly took the book.
"What is this?"
"An old magical study material."
She crossed her arms.
"Very few people can fully understand this book."
Scarlet let out a small laugh.
"So basically you brought him a bunch of complicated words."
Lyannis completely ignored the comment.
"This book explains advanced fundamentals of magical flow, mana compression, and elemental stabilization."
That immediately caught my attention.
"Can this help me with the Dragon's Breath?"
"Probably."
I slowly opened the first pages.
The content really did seem complicated.
Far more complex than normal magic books.
Much of it discussed mana circulation inside the body, elemental balance, and advanced control methods.
Elara moved closer to take a look as well.
"This looks difficult."
"Because it is difficult," Lyannis replied calmly.
"Magic doesn't depend solely on brute power."
I looked back at the book.
Maybe it was exactly what I needed.
Until now, I had been trying to master the Dragon's Breath mainly through physical practice and repetition.
But perhaps what I lacked was understanding.
True control.
After breakfast, I decided to spend part of the day studying.
Something I honestly never imagined I would do so much in that world.
I sat in the mansion's small library while Lyannis arranged several other books around the table.
She was truly taking it seriously.
"First, you need to understand how your mana circulates."
"I can already feel it."
"Feeling it isn't enough."
She opened several pages of the main book.
"Most warriors simply release mana without understanding how it truly works."
I studied the magical diagrams drawn on the pages.
Lines represented energy circulation through the body.
Specific points indicated mana concentration.
It resembled a magical anatomical study.
Lyannis continued explaining calmly.
"The Dragon's Breath is an extremely unstable ability because it mixes human mana with draconic energy."
"That's why controlling it is so difficult."
She nodded.
"Your body is still learning how to withstand it."
I spent most of the morning reading while Lyannis explained various complicated concepts.
Mana compression.
Continuous flow.
Thermal stabilization.
The more I read, the more I began to notice mistakes in my own training.
I had been trying to increase power before mastering control.
Maybe that was exactly why my mana consumption was still so high.
In the middle of the afternoon, I left the mansion to train alone near the fields on the outskirts of the village.
The cold wind slowly crossed the region while the sun remained high above the crops.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds.
Took a deep breath.
And began concentrating mana slowly.
This time, I tried to follow exactly what I had studied.
No rush.
No violent explosions.
Only control.
The energy began circulating through my body far more steadily than before.
Then I slowly raised my hand.
Small golden flames appeared between my fingers.
I observed them carefully.
The fire was more stable.
More compact.
And most importantly...
Consuming far less mana.
"Interesting."
I looked behind me.
Lyannis was calmly watching while Rai'kanna stood just behind her.
"It looks better."
I continued keeping the flames lit.
Normally, by that point the fire would already be losing stability.
But this time it remained steady.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"Now it's starting to look like real draconic power."
I slowly concentrated more mana.
The flames grew around my hand.
Then partially spread up my arm.
The temperature around my body immediately increased.
But unlike before...
I still maintained control.
Scarlet appeared shortly afterward alongside Liriel and Elara.
"The heat reached the village," Scarlet commented.
Liriel widened her eyes slightly.
"You improved really fast."
Maybe because I was finally understanding how the ability worked.
It wasn't only power.
It was balance.
I continued concentrating mana carefully.
The flames covered nearly my entire forearm before beginning to waver.
Then they slowly disappeared.
I took a deep breath.
It still wasn't perfect.
But it was definitely enormous progress.
Lyannis seemed satisfied.
"Now you've finally begun to understand the structure of the ability."
"So this book really works."
"Of course it works."
She picked up the book again.
"This is ancient magical knowledge."
We returned to the mansion in the late afternoon.
I spent the rest of the day alternating between reading and small training sessions.
The more I studied, the more noticeable the difference became.
Even my perception of the surrounding mana seemed clearer.
Now I could sense tiny magical flows in the environment much more easily.
It was as if my sensitivity had increased.
During dinner, Scarlet looked at the book with a certain amount of suspicion.
"So now you've officially become a mage?"
"Don't exaggerate."
"You spent the entire day reading."
"That really does seem strange coming from you," Elara commented.
Rai'kanna let out a small laugh.
"Before long he'll start talking like Lyannis."
"I hope not," Vespera muttered calmly.
Lyannis simply ignored everyone while continuing to read another book during dinner.
Honestly...
That seemed very typical of her.
After the meal, I went back to the room carrying the book with me.
The night was quiet.
The village lights shone below the hill while the cold wind slowly crossed the balcony.
I sat near the window and continued reading several pages.
Much of the content discussed elemental stabilization.
But one particular section caught my attention.
Demonic energy.
I frowned slightly as I read.
The book explained how certain types of corrupted mana could gradually alter entire regions.
That immediately reminded me of the cyclops lands before the purification.
So there really was a chance that it had been related to demons.
The more I read, the more I realized that magic in that world was far more complex than it initially appeared.
And honestly...
That was beginning to worry me a little.
Because if magic could affect entire regions like that...
Then the enemies yet to come were probably far more dangerous than I had imagined.
I slowly closed the book.
The silence of the night filled the room.
The girls were already resting while only the faint moonlight illuminated part of the balcony.
I slowly stood and walked outside.
I looked at the dark sky for a few moments.
Then I slowly concentrated mana once more.
Small golden flames appeared above my hand.
This time far more stable.
Softer.
More controlled.
I silently observed the fire.
Before, that power had seemed wild.
Now it was slowly beginning to obey my will.
There was still a long way to go.
A very long way.
But I could finally see real progress.
I heard footsteps behind me.
Lyannis calmly stepped onto the balcony.
She observed the flames for a few seconds before speaking.
"It's different."
"I felt that too."
The flames continued burning slowly without wavering.
Without losing control.
Without consuming excessive mana.
Lyannis leaned against the wooden railing.
"Knowledge has always been a form of power."
I looked at her.
Maybe she was right.
Until now, I had evolved mainly through battles.
But understanding magic...
Understanding how power truly worked...
That was another type of evolution.
A much deeper one.
The flames slowly disappeared from my hand while the cold wind crossed the night once more.
I silently looked at the fields below the hill.
Then I realized something.
I was becoming stronger again.
But this time...
In a completely different way.