The Asheville Estate gradually fell silent beneath the late-night skies.
After returning from the noble gathering, the atmosphere throughout the mansion became calm once more. Servants quietly extinguished unnecessary lanterns while distant patrol knights rotated evening shifts along the outer estate walls beneath cold western winds.
The scandal of the viscount still spread throughout Citadel.
Yet inside the Asheville Estate—
Peace returned.
Kel quietly retired toward his chamber without unnecessary conversation afterward.
Meanwhile—
Reina also returned to her room.
But unlike ordinary nights—
Sleep did not arrive immediately for either of them.
The silver-haired matriarch sat quietly beside her chamber window long after midnight while moonlight illuminated portions of her face softly. Her thoughts continuously returned toward the carriage conversation earlier.
Kel's thoughts.
His understanding of humanity.
The frightening honesty within his worldview.
And strangely—
Despite hearing how cold parts of his mind truly were…
Reina did not feel fear.
Only sadness.
Because somewhere deep inside—
She understood why he became that way.
A cursed child abandoned emotionally by the world would naturally learn to distrust people eventually.
Yet despite that distrust—
Kel still protected others constantly.
That contradiction lingered heavily inside her thoughts until eventually—
Exhaustion pulled her into sleep beneath the silver moonlight.
Meanwhile—
Elsewhere within the mansion—
Kel rested calmly beneath darkness.
Yet even during sleep—
His aura quietly circulated throughout his body instinctively.
Stable.
Monstrous.
Evolving endlessly even while unconscious.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly observed him silently.
Then eventually muttered:
"You really never stop moving forward."
Kel however remained asleep.
And for one rare peaceful night—
No politics disturbed him.
No dragons.
No wars.
No fate.
Only silence.
Then—
Morning arrived.
Cold dawn mist spread softly across the Asheville training grounds while pale sunlight slowly illuminated the western skies beyond the estate forests. Dew rested upon the stone arena floors while distant servants quietly began preparing the mansion for another day.
And as always—
Kel trained first.
SHHHHHK—
A sword carved sharply through the cold morning air.
Kel moved alone at the center of the training grounds beneath drifting mist while crimson-black aura wrapped around Reina's gifted sword resting within his hand.
Then—
The aura leaked outward.
And condensed.
One sword appeared beside him.
Then another.
Then another.
Semi-transparent aura blades floated around him like orbiting spirits born from compressed energy itself.
Multi Aura Sword Strike.
The incomplete combat style he continued developing endlessly.
The floating swords rotated violently around him afterward while Kel shifted stance and attacked again.
SHHHHK—
The main sword slashed downward.
Simultaneously—
Three floating aura swords attacked from different angles.
Another fragmented mid-flight.
Another rotated defensively around his blind spot.
The entire arena trembled beneath the pressure.
Then suddenly—
Another presence entered the training grounds.
Reina.
The silver-haired matriarch quietly approached beneath the cold morning mist while wearing black training attire instead of noble clothing today. Her silver hair had been tied higher than usual while sharp observant eyes quietly watched Kel's movements carefully.
This time however—
She did not merely watch.
Instead—
She carried a notebook.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly laughed.
"She's studying you like some forbidden martial manual."
Kel calmly stopped afterward.
Reina quietly approached closer before speaking softly.
"…Again."
Kel slightly raised an eyebrow.
Reina calmly opened the notebook afterward.
"The third rotation pattern."
Another pause.
"When the leaking aura condenses near your dominant sword arm."
Kel stared briefly.
Then silently—
He demonstrated again.
The aura surged.
Flowed.
Leaked.
Condensed.
Reina carefully observed every movement afterward.
Not only the swordplay itself—
But the aura circulation patterns.
Breathing rhythm.
Core synchronization.
Pressure distribution.
And slowly—
The silver-haired matriarch began understanding something terrifying.
Kel wasn't simply creating extra swords.
He was weaponizing unstable aura leakage itself.
A technique most swordsmen considered impossible.
After observing several more demonstrations—
Reina finally attempted it herself.
The silver-haired woman slowly raised her own sword afterward while aura gathered around the blade carefully.
Then—
She attempted external condensation.
A second sword began forming weakly near her side.
Yet immediately—
The unstable aura structure cracked violently.
BOOM—
The construct exploded apart into scattered particles.
Kel instantly moved.
His hand grabbed her wrist before the unstable backlash spread further.
"Stop."
Reina blinked once.
Kel calmly looked toward her afterward.
"Don't copy my technique directly."
The morning winds drifted softly around them.
"This combat style is incomplete."
Another pause.
"And dangerous."
Reina quietly observed him.
Kel continued calmly.
"The current structure damages aura pathways if synchronization fails."
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"Understatement."
Meanwhile—
Kel released her wrist afterward.
"Develop your own variation instead."
Reina slowly lowered her sword thoughtfully.
"…Using the principle rather than the structure itself."
Kel nodded once.
"Exactly."
Then—
For the next several hours—
They trained together beneath the cold morning skies.
Kel guided.
Reina adapted.
Sword strikes continuously echoed throughout the training grounds while mist gradually disappeared beneath rising sunlight.
And strangely—
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
Natural.
As though this quiet routine itself mattered more than noble politics ever could.
Eventually—
Training ended.
Both returned separately to freshen themselves afterward before meeting again inside the breakfast hall.
The morning atmosphere remained calm beneath soft golden sunlight spilling through crystal windows.
Yet during breakfast—
Kel suddenly spoke.
"Today…"
His dark eyes shifted toward Reina calmly.
"…we'll visit that village again."
Silence followed briefly.
Then Reina quietly nodded.
"…Understood."
And soon afterward—
They departed.
Several Asheville knights accompanied them while horses moved steadily through western territory roads beneath pale afternoon sunlight.
Eventually—
The village appeared again.
Yet this time—
The atmosphere had completely changed.
No tension.
No fear.
No nervous silence.
At the center of the village—
The former chief's severed head hung publicly beneath a wooden post.
Below it—
A detailed notice listed every crime committed.
Slave trafficking.
Abuse.
Murder.
Corruption.
And beneath all of it—
One final sentence:
Under Lady Reina Asheville's rule, no innocent shall suffer injustice.
The moment Reina arrived—
The villagers rushed toward her immediately.
Not in fear.
In gratitude.
Tears filled several faces while elderly villagers bowed deeply.
"Lady Matriarch!"
"Thank you!"
"You saved us!"
"We'll never forget your grace!"
The silver-haired matriarch quietly dismounted afterward.
Then calmly—
She personally handled the situation herself.
Reorganized administration.
Appointed temporary oversight.
Selected a new village chief after reviewing trustworthy candidates carefully.
Resolved compensation for affected families.
Stabilized village governance.
And throughout everything—
Kel remained completely silent.
Observing only.
Exactly as promised.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"You really are forcing her to stand on her own now."
Kel quietly watched Reina speaking with villagers beneath afternoon sunlight.
"She already can."
Eventually—
The group returned toward the estate once more.
And later that evening—
Kel personally trained Asheville knights within the western training grounds.
Sword guidance.
Formation corrections.
Aura control.
Combat efficiency.
The knights practically worshipped him by this point.
Meanwhile—
Inside the mansion kitchens—
Reina quietly stood beside simmering pots beneath warm lantern light.
Several chefs looked horrified.
"Lady Matriarch please allow us—"
Reina softly shook her head.
"I already finished today's work."
The cooks looked helpless.
Reina calmly stirred the soup afterward.
"I simply want to do something myself today."
Another pause.
"And besides…"
A faint warmth entered her expression.
"…I wanted something warm tonight."
She never mentioned Kel.
Yet eventually—
She prepared two bowls instead of one.
Later—
As sunset painted the western skies crimson and gold—
Kel quietly returned from the training grounds.
And there—
On the upper balcony overlooking the distant forests—
Reina waited.
The evening winds moved softly through her silver hair while two bowls of warm soup rested quietly beside the small balcony table.
Kel slightly blinked seeing it.
Reina calmly handed one bowl toward him afterward.
"…You trained longer than expected."
Kel quietly accepted it.
Then silently—
He sat beside her.
And together—
They watched the sunset slowly disappear beyond the distant western horizon while stars gradually began appearing one by one across the darkening skies.
Eventually—
The moon emerged quietly above them once more.