"Hyaaah! Hup!"

     "Hahh! Hyah! "

     Soru silently observed Aeden and Völun as they exchanged blows while training.

     "Even though your proficiency in Warhammer Arts was slightly better compared to my Axe Arts , you won't beat me in close-quarter combat!" Aeden exclaimed.

     Aeden swiftly launched her fist and landed a huge blow on Völun, but he managed to block her attack.

     "Kugh!"

     Völun jumped back in order to gain some distance between them. He felt numbness in his arms due to him blocking her punch.

     The heck... Our gap in raw strength is simply too great!

     Just when Völun was about to take countermeasures, he was surprised when Aeden vanished from his sight. He frantically searched for her.

     Where did she—

     "Caught you!"

     "What!?"

     Völun looked below and saw Aeden crouching in front of him. He couldn't see her because Aeden made a swift sprint on her left side, away from Völun's range of vision, and slid quickly towards Völun without his notice.

     Without a moment to react, Aeden immediately kicked both of Völun's legs, tackling him down within a second.

     "Ghkk!"

     Völun fell to the ground in an instant. Aeden stood in front of him with a disappointed look.

     "Is this the extent of your combat skills? It seems like you rely on your weapon so much that you forgot to train your body!"

     While Aeden was busy scolding him, Völun secretly took a handful of dust from the ground. Choosing the right timing, he threw it in Aeden's eyes without her notice.

     "Gaaah!?"

     Aeden's eyes got irritated by the dust particles, and she immediately covered her eyes and rubbed them. Seeing that it was the perfect chance, Völun kicked her abdomen with his foot.

     "Hwaaggh!"

     Aeden was knocked away and fell to the ground. She groaned in pain and held her stomach.

     "Yahoo! Another one bites the dust!" Völun exclaimed.

     Literally!

     Aeden opened her eyes as the dust particles were washed away by her tears. He looked towards Völun with anger.

     "You little..!"

     Without hesitation, Aeden immediately tackled Völun and pinned him to the ground. She grabbed both of his legs and stretched them to their limits.

     "Ow! Owww! OOOWWWW!"

     "You dare play tricks on me, then proceed to show your back towards your enemy! Do you have a death wish or something!?"

     "Owww! Stop! Stopp! I'm sorry!!"

     Seeing such a spectacle, Soru got interested in their training session.

     I've seen some shows that using your body as a weapon is quite handy if you want minimal damage to the surrounding area...

     Perhaps... It is time to learn some moves.

     Soru stood up and approached both of them in the middle of their session. Both of them got surprised and immediately stood up and fixed themselves.

     Both of them remembered what Alguis warned them about yesterday evening.

     "You shouldn't provoke that person and be wary of your actions and attitude towards him. Despite being a human, I sense no remorse nor hesitation in his actions, and killing us is an easy feat for him."

     "Mr. Shin... What do you want from us..?" Aeden asked him.

     Suddenly, Soru slowly raised both ends of his mouth, mimicking a smile gesture.

     Völun noticed Soru's strange action and got confused. He whispered to Aeden.

     "Was that kid... faking his smile? It seems like he's mocking us..."

     Aeden suddenly stomped Völun's foot to prevent him from yapping further. Völun whimpered and tried to prevent his voice from coming out of his mouth.

     "Ahh... I apologize for his rude behavior, sir. I hope you don't mind," Aeden said.

     Aeden stared at Soru's blank face, waiting for his response.

     "Those moves you did before... could you teach me how to do them?" Soru asked Aeden.

     Aeden's eyes widened upon hearing his request. 

     Does he mean... those Body Arts we performed before?

     "Uh... S-Sure, we could teach you. But it's more complicated than it looks," Aeden said.

     "The name of those 'moves' you mentioned was called 'Phantom Combat Technique'."

     "However, it might be an inconvenience if you learn that Body Art." Aeden added.

     "Why is that so?" Soru asked her.

     "Basically the 'Phantom Combat Technique' is a kind of Body Art that was meant to disable opponents with quick succession and mainly relies on speed. In exchange, it would lose its firepower, although it could immobilize the enemy with precise attacks of its balance."

     "And on top of that, you must train with focus and dedication, as it requires knowledge of your enemy's blind spots and ways to disturb their balance to disable them quickly..."

     Soru listened to her explanation in silence. Aeden feared that she provoked him unintentionally, so she thought of another way to teach him something and prevent him from being agitated.

     "Perhaps I could teach you the 'Dwarven Imperial Body Combat'; it focuses on power and would sure help you injure your opponents. Although those who serve with royal families are only allowed to practice it, I could make an except—"

     "Teach me the 'Phantom Combat Technique'," Soru said to Aeden.

     Aeden fell silent and nodded her head in agreement.

     "I could teach you right now, sir, but may I ask you a question?" 

     Soru nods in silence.

     "What's the reason why you would want to learn that Body Arts? Considering how powerful you are, such menial techniques are practically useless to you..."

     Soru stared blankly at her, while Aeden was waiting for his response.

     "It looks humane. Seeing that it wouldn't hurt your opponent by simply disabling their balance, it would be pretty convenient for me."

     And it is also quite entertaining to watch...

     Aeden looked at him without saying a word. Seconds later, she smiled warmly.

     Yesterday you were about to crush us to death, and now you talk about being 'humane'? What an odd person he is!

     "Alright, I will teach it to you. Seeing that you are eager to learn the technique, it is not bad to pass down its legacy to others."

     Suddenly, Völun whispered to Aeden while looking at Soru.

     "H-Hey, are you sure you want to teach that kid?"

     Aeden shoved Völun's face away from her.

     "You are in no position to dictate my actions."

     While they were busy quarreling with each other, Soru remembered Reika's teachings from before.

     Aeden and Völun were surprised when suddenly Soru bowed down in front of them.

     "Thank you." 

     Both of them were surprised and fell silent. Seeing such behavior, Aeded simply smiled at him. She gently patted Soru's shoulder, and Soru raised his head and looked at her.

     "It's fine. You don't have to do that though. Just by simply saying 'thank you' would be enough for me." 

     It looks like he's not as bad as we depicted him to be. He's kindhearted after all! Though his face kind of ticks me off...

     "When will you start teaching me?" Soru asked her.

     Aeden shakes her head.

     "Now is not the right time. We were still exhausted from our training. Maybe I'll teach you later on? That would be good since I could teach you better compared to now..." Aeden replied.

     Without saying another word, Soru nods and goes back to where he sat before. Aeden and Völun fixed themselves and picked up their weapons.

     "I'll go to the nearby river to wash myself," Aeden said.

     "Count me in! We'll go together then." Völun exclaimed.

     "Are you mad? Bathing together while being opposites in gender is off-limits!" 

     "Fine! I was hoping to do so..." Völun murmured.

     Suddenly, Aeden smacked Völun at the back of his head.

     "Freaking lunatic! So you really want to take a bath along with me!?" 

     "Ow! I was just joking! I'll just take a bath on the other end, right where we wouldn't see each other's asses."

     Hearing that Völun was just messing around with her, she left him furiously. Völun also ran, trying to catch up with her pace.

     Only Soru was left in the area. Seeing that the training was done, he stood up and headed towards the settlement.

     As he walked along the dirt path in the settlement, he observed the villager's actions. He saw the happy smiles of the children as they played with each other.

     While walking along the way, he saw Reika and Alguis in the distance, talking at each other. Soru walked towards them without changing his pace.

     At the same moment, Reika also saw Soru, and their eyes finally met.

     When Soru arrived at the scene, Reika immediately stood in front of him.

     "Next time you do something outrageous, you should consider the situation first. It is wrong to jump to conclusions, you know that?"

     Soru stared blankly at her without saying a single word. 

     Fearing that the situation might escalate, Alguis stood between them to manage the situation.

     "I-It's alright, Miss Reika. Sir Soru only did it for your safety, so his actions were understandable..."

     Hearing Alguis, Reika only sighed in response.

     Meanwhile, Soru sat in front of them on a wooden stool he found under the table.

     "I will."

     Reika heard him and finally calmed down. She sat back and continued her conversation with Alguis.

     "Where are we again?" Reika asked Alguis.

     "You asked me about the Ardrom Kingdom." 

     "Oh... Now I remember. So, basically, what will happen if the King of Ardrom finds out the situation of the villagers?"

     Alguis fondled his beard while thinking.

     "Hm... I don't really know how the King of Ardrom would react after knowing the incident of the villagers, but perhaps he would take action once he found out that the villagers illegally moved to another territory without his notice."

     "Would these villagers be safe? I mean, what if the King would imprison them based on their actions?" Reika asked him.

     "I think that wouldn't be the case. I'm uncertain if the village's wheat production is significant to their agricultural sector, but if the village is one of the main wheat suppliers of the kingdom, I'm pretty sure that the king wouldn't just sit idly by and watch his subjects abandon their duty."

     "They are in danger then! I saw their wheat fields are vast, then your assumption must be right!"

     "But they decided to abandon their kingdom and move here. Even if we convinced them about the consequences of their actions, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't want to go back," Alguis answered.

     Reika watched the villagers with a worried look on her face. Alguis comforted her by tapping her shoulders.

     "Don't worry, Miss Reika. It was our action that led them to this situation. As compensation, we will try our best to protect them from the kingdom's threats."

     Reika sighed.

     "Thank you for your kind actions, Mister Alguis. They would be glad that someone as strong as you is protecting them."

     "You're welcome, Miss Reika. If you want to, I could protect them if you ordered me to do so, since I am your servant now," Alguis said.

     "Hey... I told you that our status remains the same, sir. Such an action of mine was simply because I want you to lend your abilities to me to gain more strength."

     "No. It's okay. Even though our status differs, being your follower isn't bad either. It is just my personal decision, not for you to worry about. I wouldn't mind being a subordinate to a human, considering my status now that I'm just a common dwarf in a foreign land."

     Seeing that she had nothing else to reason out further, Reika gave up and accepted it.

     "Fine. Just do whatever you please, Mister Alguis."

     Alguis smiled at her and patted her head.

     "If you want to, I will treat you like a daughter of mine. How's that sound?"

     Reika blushed out of embarrassment.

     "I-I would like you to reconsider it. It is embarrassing for me."

     "Alright, just a master-subordinate relationship then..." 

     Suddenly, Veylir popped out of nowhere.

     "Wait! Does this mean I have a junior now!?" 

     Alguis was surprised by the sudden emergence of Veylir without his notice.

     "Reika, is that familiar...?"

     "Familiar!? How dare you compare me to such a lowly lifeform as familiar? I am—KEGGGGGHHHK!?"

     Veylir felt that the collar around her neck had tightened. She struggled in pain, as the collar might snap her neck in half.

     "Pardon her rude behavior. I forgot to mention that I obtained a subject before you, Mister Alguis, and this fella right here was the first subject of mine, the Dragon Veylir."

     Hearing Veylir's name, Alguis paused for a moment. Reika felt that her punishment was enough, then decided to loosen Veylir's collar.

     "Veylir... Why's that name so familiar to me? Have I heard it somewhere before...?"

     "Hmph! Allow me to enlighten you, plebeian. My name's Wildfire Dragon 'Veylir', one of the Six Calamity Dragons!"

     After knowing the identity of the unknown familiar in front of him, Alguis finally struck a realization.

     Those dark red scales, majestic wings, and fierce eyes... There's no mistaking it...!

     Alguis stood immediately in shock.

     "Y-Y-You're the Wildfire Dragon 'Veylir'!?" Alguis exclaimed.

     "Humph!" Veylir uttered arrogantly.

     "B-But... The Wildfire Dragon that I heard from the legends was a massive dragon. How did—"

     "What you're seeing right now wasn't her physical body, but rather his soul body. She shrunk it purposely in order to conserve her soul power," Reika said to Alguis.

     "Soul body? I heard that being separated from your physical body would sever its connection to your soul body. Unless...!"

     "Her physical body was long gone."

     Alguis got confused.

     "Long gone... Wait! His physical body perished!? How? Whose strong enough to slay one of the most powerful monsters on this continent!?" Alguis exclaimed.

     "It's Master Soru who slained my physical body. Despite being a human, killing a dragon was such an easy feat for him."

     Alguis looked towards Soru and immediately felt a shivers down his spine. He stepped back slowly, in disbelief.

     I can't believe it... A human who can slay a dragon, and one who can tame a dragon...! 

     Reika noticed Alguis' complexion and began to worry about him.

     "Are you alright, Mister Alguis?"

     Are they...?

     "Miss Reika, are the two of you perhaps... Extremity Beings?"

     "Extremity Beings?" Reika asked in confusion.

     "Both of them don't possess Extremity's Reiatsu at all. It's true that Master Reika's soul is stronger compared to an average human's, but the gap compared to an Extremity Being was simply too great. On the other hand, Master Soru's soul power is close to nonexistent, so his being an Extremity Being is impossible..."

     "How could that be...! Only Extremity Beings had enough strength to contend with the likes of you!"

     "The world's full of uncertainties and wonders, dwarf. Living on this continent for many centuries, even their existence made me baffled."

     "Hey! Would you care to explain to me what those 'Extremity Beings', 'Extremity's Reiatsu' you've been discussing are?" Reika asked in confusion.

     Veylir confronted the bewildered Reika and explained it to her.

     "All beings that exist on this world, be it a dragon or a human, are bound by the passage of time. Even if you live thousands of years, you will face the inevitable thing called death."

     "But Extremity Beings are somewhat an exception. Evolved to the extreme limits of mortality, they could achieve lifespans spanning tens or hundreds of thousands of years. Along with their immeasurable power, they are hailed as one of the strongest entities of this continent, on par with the Six Calamity Dragons."

     "Extremity's Reiatsu, on the other hand, are soul auras emitted by those Extremity Beings. Their physical body isn't the only one that evolved, but also their soul body."

     "Their soul power is far stronger than that of those lower-level lifeforms. That's why those who are sensitive to soul powers could identify Extremity Beings based on the Reiatsu they emit."

     Reika was left speechless after hearing the existence of the Extremity Beings.

     "Such individuals exist in this world... We'd better not provoke them!" Reika exclaimed.

     "Why are you referring to us as Extremity Beings?" Soru asked Alguis.

     "I apologize for mistaking you as one. But as far as I know, only an Extremity Being had the capability to defeat a Calamity Dragon alone. And now a variable like you exists... The power balance of this continent will be shaken!" Alguis exclaimed.

     "If we assume that Master Soru had a strength that could contend with an Extremity Being, then it would be true that the power balance of this continent would change. Since Reika wasn't the one who slained me, then only Soru was the closest variable to being an Extremity Being— No, a pseudo-Extremity Being at least..."

     "But if he chose to maintain his neutrality and kept a low profile, perhaps the balance would remain as it is," Veylir added.

     Alguis, despite being afraid of him, approached Soru with a worried look on his face.

     "Mister Soru, I know you're powerful, but I advise you to maintain a low profile in order not to attract the prying eyes of those annoying individuals, such as Extremity Beings." Alguis said to him.

     "Don't worry. I won't interfere with the strifes of this continent." Soru calmly said to Alguis.

     Hearing such assurance, Alguis sighed and sat back.

     "I hope someone didn't notice all the commotion we've caused these past few days... "

     ...

     Tick-tack-tick-tack-tick—

     The sound of the shoes clacking could be heard echoing across the quiet hallway. A certain man was walking towards a door with a serious look on his face.

     As he reached the door, he lifted up his chest to show his dignity and nobleness. The man opened the door slowly.

     There, he saw two people sitting on smaller chairs. The other chairs were empty, surrounding a long table that extended to the other ends of the room. At the farthest part of the table lies a large, golden chair. It was embroidered with fine, shiny materials, exuding elegance.

     "Here you are, Minister of Military. You're the one who made us gather here in urgency, yet you dare make us wait on your presence for thirty minutes!" One of the men with a bald head exclaimed.

     "It's better be something important, or else you're just wasting our time! We're busy individuals, you know?" Another man with a fancy-looking dress exclaimed.

     "I apologize, Minister of Finance, Minister of Agriculture. I am late because I need validity and some minor clarifications on my report," the Minister of Military said.

     "What is it that made you require our presence here?" The one with the fancy-looking dress, the Minister of Finance, said.

     "Two days ago, one of our border patrol guards spotted a huge flash of light from the sky. It was so bright that the sunlight was comparable to its luminance," the Minister of Military said.

     "They were unsure, thinking that it might be some sort of enemy attack, so they immediately sent a messenger from a nearby outpost in order to send an expedition team and scout the said area..."

     "The expedition team arrived yesterday afternoon, but all they saw was just a pile of rubble and an odd-looking house standing around the destroyed houses. It was a ruined village that was situated on our kingdom's borders."

     "We also saw what we assume was the deceased body of a Swordsmaster named Agnar," the Minister of Military added.

     "Agnar? I heard that name before. Isn't he one of the top Swordsmasters? What is he doing there?" The Minister of Finance asked him.

     "Maybe he was on the fight with someone and got defeated, who knows? That insignificant village got caught in their duel, and they all got killed or fled away from fear," the Minister of Agriculture, the one with the bald head, said.

     "Why are we here anyway? Did you call us here just to listen to the death of some random nobody, which has nothing to do with us?" The Minister of Finance exclaimed.

     "You truly wasted our precious time—"

     The Minister of Finance fell silent when the Minister of Military's face changed.

     "I am not here just to waste your time, fellow gentlemen. This is a matter of national concern, and I am not also here just to waste my breath talking over some whimsical problems." 

     Both ministers fixed their seating positions and got serious.

     "That village isn't an insignificant one, but rather a village that might be vital to our nation if the Minister of Agriculture places it in high value."

     "And what village might that be?" The Minister of Agriculture asked.

     "It is the Signas Village." 

     Suddenly, the Minister of Agriculture remembered the identity of that village.

     "Wasn't that village one of the four wheat suppliers in this kingdom? Don't tell me...!"

     "Yes. Not just their houses, but the entire wheat field was included as well. It was razed to the ground and burned down to its last stalk," the Minister of Military said.

     The Minister of Agriculture fell silent due to shock.

     "That village... how valuable is it compared to other wheat suppliers?" the Minister of Finance asked them.

     "Signas Village's wheat production was the fourth next to the third wheat supplier of our kingdom, Anton Town. Although that village was the least one, its production was still significant and benefited our kingdom for many years," the Minister of Agriculture explained.

     "Three-fourths of our wheat supply was intended for our kingdom's people, while the other one-fourth was exported to other neighboring kingdoms and nations. Now that the village is gone along with its people, our wheat distribution will change, resulting in a sudden change in exports and consumption of wheat within the kingdom!" The Minister of Agriculture added.

     "Wait. The Ministry of Finance manages the export income of our local products, and wheat products do cost a fortune. Now that the distribution will be adjusted, then our export income will be affected too!" The Minister of Finance exclaimed.

     "Now you finally understand the gravity of the situation," the Minister of Military said to them.

     "We need to find those villagers to continue their wheat production!" The Minister of Agriculture exclaimed.

     "I'm afraid it would be difficult to do so," the Minister of Military said to them.

     "Difficult? What do you mean by that, General?" The Minister of Finance asked him.

     The Minister of Military noticed that the Minister of Finance addressed him as general.

     This impudent called me General just now? He should've done it a while ago!

     "Ahem! We asked the nearby villages or towns if there were migrants that came yesterday or days ago, but the report says no one sought shelter on them. It seems like the people from that village moved elsewhere," the Minister of Military said.

     "Preposterous! They dare abandon their own village and their duties in exchange for such selfish matters! Those commoners should've sought shelters in nearby villages or towns temporarily and come back once the matter's been settled!" The Minister of Finance exclaimed.

     "I already sent a search party to find their whereabouts. Not only did they act with such defiance and negligence, they might hold some vital information regarding that shining light incident and the death of Swordsmaster Agnar," the Minister of Military said.

     "Minister of Military, you should find those scums before our next official meeting with the king. We must report those incidents, including the potential threat of what happened in that village that may concern our kingdom's safety," the Minister of Agriculture said.

     Without uttering a single word, the Minister of Military bowed his head on the Minister of Agriculture. Both of the ministers stood up, indicating that their unannounced meeting was adjourned. 

     While both of the ministers went away, the Minister of Military remained in the meeting hall. He looked outside the castle, where he could see the bustling capital city of Ardrom, named "Aroth"."

     I must unveil the truth behind the death of Swordmaster Agnar. Seeing that someone strong enough to defeat a top-ranking swordsmaster enters our borders or even resides in this kingdom, I must be wary of its existence... 

     The identity of that individual who probably unleashed that large-scale attack must be known. Perhaps I could use it to strengthen our military ranks, or it might be a threat that we must get rid of.