WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

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Chapter 213: A Way to Tame the Flames (2)

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The differences between human Aura control and orc Aura control did not lie solely in spirits.

Unlike the human method, which was based on moving the body, orcs focused on seated cultivation. Rather than using the entire body as a vessel for Aura, they concentrated on only a few points within it.

Even now, Airen Farreira’s mind remained full of everything he had learned in Durkali.

But he put all of it out of his mind.

As he continued training, he came to a realization.

Fine techniques were not what mattered.

Even before he learned everything Karakum and Gorha had taught him, he had been able to control metallic energy.

He had been nurturing flame energy on his own.

Of course, the theoretical knowledge of the Five Elements Divine Technique had accelerated his growth. Still, Airen had not forgotten that the heart was what mattered most...

“Whew.”

After taking a deep breath, Airen looked within himself.

In an instant, the darkness faded and his Mental Realm appeared.

Though it had been a while, nothing felt unfamiliar. A smile formed on his face.

But only for a moment.

Airen quickly sharpened his focus.

Forgetting that he had smiled, and even that he had been sitting on the floor, he quietly observed his heart.

‘...It really is different from before.’

The first thing he saw was the iron stake planted at the center.

No, it could no longer be called an iron stake. Sharpened by the flames, it had taken the complete form of a sword.

Not just any sword, either. It looked exactly like the golden sword he summoned through Sorcery.

That was not all.

Flames burned fiercely around the sword.

Fire Energy, enough to make his chest grow hot just from seeing it, had spread far and wide, much farther than before.

Airen’s expression grew serious as he watched sparks spread beyond the expanded boundaries of his heart, all the way past the horizon.

‘It’s definitely too much.’

Would the flames remake him into someone new?

Or would they consume him and leave him suffering day after day?

Naturally, Airen wanted the former.

Charlot, Victor, Grayson, even Illia Lindsay as he had seen her in the Proof Land, none of them were what he wanted to become.

Nodding, he began moving Water Energy according to the teachings of the Five Elements Divine Technique and the voice flowing through his heart.

Sssssss...!

He suppressed the Fire Energy, powerful enough not only to refine the blade, but to melt it away.

He also poured water over the sparks rising throughout the vast field. He did everything he could to keep that warm heat from turning into painful burns.

But it had little effect.

Fwoooosh!

The streams of water turned to steam the instant they touched the flames.

In some places, the flames only grew fiercer.

It was like trying to put out a forest fire with a bucket of water. Even so, he could not give up.

Still, no matter how much effort he put in, the flames showed no sign of calming down. Even Airen could not think of a solution.

He ended his meditation without achieving much, then looked bitterly at the sweat pouring down his body.

‘I knew it wouldn’t be easy.’

Airen recalled meeting Kubharu at a tavern around two years ago. He remembered the advice Kubharu had given him.

What lay in his heart was a lump of iron, and what would shape it was blazing fire.

‘He even used Spirit Magic to explain it in a way someone as inexperienced as I was could understand.’

Knowing that had not brought change right away.

He had realized his desire to improve at Alhad Den.

He had realized his fighting spirit after meeting Ignet, and through his past encounter with Illia.

Only after countless experiences, worries, and reflections, after establishing his resolve, had he finally achieved meaningful growth.

Water Energy was the same.

If the problem could be solved simply by learning the Five Elements Divine Technique and controlling Aura alongside water spirits, he would never have nurtured such enormous flames in the first place.

‘In the end, what matters isn’t spirits. It’s the heart. The Heart of Water.’

The problem was that there was no mentor beside him now who could advise him on it.

Things had been different when he traveled the continent with Kubharu. Even when Airen did not actively seek anything out, Kubharu had guided him in the right direction at the proper time.

At that thought, Airen laughed.

Remembering the orc spirit mage’s warm smile for the first time in a while eased his gloomy mood a little.

‘And... when I think about it, it’s not such a big problem.’

It was true that he had no clue yet.

It was true that he had no mentor by his side right now.

But where was he headed?

Krono Fencing Hall.

There might be debate over whether Ian was the continent’s strongest swordsman, but that the continent’s greatest teacher was waiting for Airen was beyond dispute.

That fact alone comforted Airen. It cooled his restless heart.

Of course...

‘I can’t rely on that alone.’

Having finished his thoughts, Airen wiped away his sweat with a towel.

Then he entered meditation again.

The flames were still hot.

The stream of water was still weak.

But Airen did not give up. Even when it was difficult, he continued his efforts and steeled his heart.

That day, the next day, and a week later.

Naturally, the results were not significant.

No, it would be more accurate to say there were none. Airen’s heart was still filled with heat, no different from before.

The problem was that Airen was growing impatient with the situation again.

“Whew.”

There had been a time when, no matter how much flame he poured onto the iron stake in his heart or how long he forged it with the hammer of his will, there had been no meaningful progress.

Back then, Airen had simply continued doing what he had to do.

He did not hope for too much or feel too disappointed. With a heart as heavy as steel, he endured each day.

But he was no longer like that.

He now possessed flames far hotter than those of his peers. They had given him a passion he had never known before, but he had lost some of his old patience.

He was trying to handle water with the heart of fire, yet he did not realize it. That was what tormented Airen.

And through that torment...

The malice that had departed from the southern Ancient Forest slowly revealed itself.

Sliiide...

The malice was sinister.

And dark.

It was more secretive than an empty alley on a winter night, more cautious than a thief avoiding the watchmen’s gaze.

Just as quiet darkness began to seep toward Airen’s back while he was consumed by his suffering...

Knock, knock.

“Brother. I need to talk to you, so open the door.”

“...Just a moment.”

Hearing Kiril’s knock, Airen woke from meditation.

His dormant senses awakened as well. Startled, the malice hid itself in the shadows.

Then it fell silent, as though nothing had happened.

Airen did not notice.

Neither did Kiril. All her attention was on her brother.

With her eyes slightly narrowed, she began lecturing him.

She said many things, but the main point was that he had become too focused on training lately and was neglecting himself.

Airen did not make excuses.

He simply nodded and answered quietly.

Kiril looked at him as though dissatisfied with that response, then slammed the door and left. Airen calmly stared at the door his sister had shut behind her.

A moment later, Lulu entered the room with quiet steps.

“Airen, please understand even if Kiril gets snappy. She doesn’t really mean it.”

“...”

“Lately, Airen, you’ve seemed like your training hasn’t been going well. That’s why. Kiril told me. She said that when things aren’t working out, obsessing over them only makes it worse. It’s much better to set it aside for a while, think about something else, and clear your head. That’s what she does.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Right? You know, don’t you?”

Airen nodded.

Kiril had always been like that. She was not the sort of person who could openly say what she felt to someone’s face.

There was no way her brother would fail to understand that telling him not to neglect himself meant he should not suffer over training and should take it easy for a while.

He turned toward one side of the bed.

All kinds of objects were lined up there.

An animal circus doll that performed tricks when its head was stroked, a snowman doll that sang a cheerful song when tapped twice, a magic picture frame that showed beautiful scenery changing by the moment...

‘She always leaves at least one gift whenever she comes to my room. There’s no way I could misunderstand her.’

Remembering his sister’s face and sulky expression, Airen smiled softly.

He did not know it, but the flames spreading through his heart had grown weaker than before.

* * *

April arrived.

The mornings were still chilly, but the weather was far more pleasant than when he had faced the Jester Demon.

Airen Farreira smiled as he looked up at the noonday sky. The most beautiful sky he had seen in recent days stretched before him.

“We’re finally here.”

“Wow, Alkantrea! Kiril, did you know? I have so many friends here!”

The sky was not the only sight before them. Alkantrea, the city where Krono Fencing Hall stood, also displayed its magnificent grandeur.

Airen, Kiril, and Lulu exchanged glances and broke into light laughter before heading into the city.

“Gasp... A-Airen Farreira!”

“Is something wrong?”

“N-no, sir. Um, excuse me, but could I ask for your autograph on my gauntlet?”

“What?”

“Wow, Brother, you’ve really made it.”

“You really have!”

“Gasp! A talking cat... Could you be L-Lulu?”

“Yep! That’s right! I’m Lulu!”

“E-excuse me! If it’s all right, could Lulu also give an autograph... No, could you dip your front paw in ink and stamp it here?”

“Yep! Sure!”

Airen Farreira was flustered by the situation, which he had never experienced before.

He had drawn attention a few times at city checkpoints, but he had never received such excessive interest.

Still, it was only natural.

If one had to name the continent’s most famous young swordsmen, the first would be Ignet Crescentia, the second Illia Lindsay, and the third Airen Farreira.

And Alkantrea was practically the home of swordsmanship for him, so it was not strange for the gate guards to make such a fuss.

“This feels strange.”

“What’s strange about it? I like it.”

“That’s right, Brother. Think of it positively. Once you become a Master, attention is bound to follow.”

Airen nodded at his sister’s words.

He could not fully relate to them, but he did think she had a point.

Perhaps an even grander welcome awaited him once he returned to the Hale Kingdom, especially to his own house.

The thought already made him feel embarrassed, but he decided to set it aside for now.

Airen swallowed as he looked up at Krono Fencing Hall, which had appeared before them.

‘My original purpose... was to find out where Kun was.’

That was right.

The biggest reason he had come to Krono Fencing Hall was to learn Kun’s whereabouts. The second was to prove his resolve and his sword to Ian.

But not now.

A way to tame the flames.

In other words, a way to cultivate Water Energy and the Heart of Water.

To seek advice on that, Airen entered the fencing hall with long strides. As usual, the first people he met were his fellow trainees, hard at work training.

Then, a moment later.

The news they told him left him staring in shock.

“What? Judith became Kun’s disciple?”

Airen was not the only one surprised.

Kiril was surprised as well.

She was not a swordsman, but she knew what kind of person Kun was. She could not understand how someone who had spent his entire life wielding a sword only for himself had taken on a disciple.

But she had no chance to ask about it.

More precisely, before she could, one of Airen’s fellow trainees blurted out a question.

“I heard you traveled with Judith and Brett?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“So, what on earth happened between those two during the trip?”

“Exactly! Don’t keep it to yourself, tell us already!”

“Huh? Uh...?”

Airen Farreira’s face filled with confusion.

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