Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

“Lacking.”

Even though Aira’s body was a complete mess, and her mind was exhausted, her eyes still shone brightly and determined.

She had gone through dozens of sparring sessions, but there hadn’t been a defeat as crushing as today’s.

“How on earth does he…”

Born a day apart, the siblings found themselves in a competitive race where grievances held no ground.

Was it a lack of effort?

No.

Was it a lack of time?

No.

Whenever Aira thought she’d finally taken a single step, he had already moved two steps ahead.

Just when she thought she’d caught the hem of his garment, he’d already cast it aside and donned something new.

“Annoying.”

What aggravated her was the lack of concern her brother, born a day later, had towards the rivalry she perceived between them.

It seemed as though she was the only one struggling, while he had effortlessly claimed his place.

“Someday, I’ll bring him down a notch. Definitely.”

She intended to grow stronger, to outdo him, and then…

“Hoo.”

Aira approached a large and splendid door at the end of the hallway, having run a quick path to get there. She paused to catch her breath and straighten out her appearance.

Barely moments had passed since leaving the training grounds. She hadn’t showered, nor had she changed clothes, and her appearance was quite a mess.

Her clothes were disheveled and blue bruises had formed all over her body. Half of her hair was in disarray.

If this place hadn’t been the mansion of a noble family but just an ordinary street, she would have been someone nobody wanted to approach.

Aira, well-aware of her appearance, adjusted her attire and smoothed her hair to present herself as decently as she could before knocking on the door.

“Um…”

“Come in.”

The voice from beyond the door was icy cold, suggesting no tolerance for interruptions.

Aira cautiously opened the door and entered the room.

The inside gleamed far more than the splendor of the entrance seen from outside.

Aira quietly approached the table. As she sat down, Liana, who had been sipping tea and reading a book, glanced at her before setting her book aside.

Liana’s black hair shimmered with sophistication, her ruby-like red eyes enhancing her enchanting features even more.

She resembled Aira, yet the way she viewed others made her impression starkly different.

“You’ve lost again today.”

“I’m sorry, mother.”

Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Have you eaten?

She didn’t even aspire for such routine questions.

Yet, lacking even a modicum of concern, the cold words once again left a small mark on Aira’s heart.

Unperturbed by Aira’s feelings, Liana set her glasses down on the table.

“I heard you went for another spar after sneaking out of the infirmary.”

“Well…”

“Was even that disgrace insufficient?”

“…”

At her mother’s words, Aira’s face sank, and she hung her head low in gloom.

Since turning thirteen, there had been a regular sparring session every month. Yet, Aira had never been able to defeat Christian since their very first spar filled with confidence.

It was hard on Aira, but Liana found it doubly humiliating.

The child she had proudly birthed seemed lacking compared to that woman’s son in every aspect. She’d tried everything to close the gap.

But seeing Aira always fall behind Christian filled her with not only anger but also disappointment.

“Leave.”

With a cool word, she picked up her book again. Familiar with this sight, Aira turned around and left the room without another word.

“Still…”

At the soft voice, Aira paused with her hand on the door handle and looked back.

“It seems you’ve grown a bit.”

A passing, indifferent remark.

Her mother still didn’t even glance in her direction, but Aira heard it clearly.

And that one simple phrase immediately brightened Aira’s expression.

Despite being cold, her mother was a presence she couldn’t help but be happy with even her slightest praise.

***

After finishing the sparring with Aira, the first thing Christian did upon returning to his room was sit cross-legged on the floor and start meditating.

He had somewhat grasped the state of his body, but only in fragmented parts.

There was a need to thoroughly examine the exact state of the body and its growth.

Closing his eyes to focus, Christian soon discovered something and clicked his tongue softly.

‘As I thought, this body was stubbornly just increasing its mana capacity.’

Mana, in some ways, was a versatile tool.

When imbued in the body, it could strengthen it. When infused in a sword, it became a sharp blade that could cut anything.

To handle this versatile tool, focusing on mana sensitivity seemed natural but…

‘A strong mind dwells in a strong body. To compress and contain highly pure mana, a sturdy body is necessary.’

This was the theory proposed by his master, and it was proven through none other than Christian, an excellent experimental subject.

Born from this was the genius, hero Christian, who swept away all the titles of the youngest across the continent.

Afterward, many no longer stubbornly focused solely on mana but also began to prioritize a robust physique. Yet, no one saw definite results like the previous life’s Christian.

Fundamentally, Christian was born with innate mana sensitivity and a blessed body that could store immense mana without strain. Even when he pushed his physique to the limit, the mana naturally supported it.

‘The problem is whether this body can handle it.’

Moreover, it was difficult to outright label the current method as bad. His master’s theory was applicable only to a blessed genius.

‘From the start, Ether Weapon is not something that succeeds just by having a lot of mana.’

Ether Weapon.

Also called the armament of the soul, its form, method of use, effects, and abilities differ depending on the user.

To manufacture this armament requires not only abundant mana but also appropriate mana sensitivity and a unique material called “Soul Stone.”

A Soul Stone refers to a mana cluster possessed by high-caliber magical beasts such as dragons, or by magical creatures and spirits.

These materials are mana clusters of entities close to the pinnacle of living things, unlike ordinary monsters.

‘Well, it’s not like anyone can create an Ether Weapon just because there’s a Soul Stone.’

Despite this, the reason those who handle mana are so obsessed with it is simple: to control the colossal mana cluster that is the Soul Stone, equivalent-level mana is necessary. Hence, they strive to increase their mana capacity first.

If, by any chance, they were consumed by the mana of the Soul Stone, it would spell their end.

“Ha.”

Thinking of the Ether Weapon left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Ether Weapon Master.

Though slightly embarrassing and old-fashioned, no title fit Christian Worden better.

Typically, due to the mana capacity of an Ether Weapon, it was difficult for one person to handle more than one.

Since the Soul Stone itself represents a mana cluster amassed by an entity close to the pinnacle of life over a lifetime, the mana capacity of the Ether Weapon made from it is beyond imagination.

Furthermore, aside from the massive mana, the Soul Stone itself is exceedingly rare.

It’s hard to obtain and even harder to handle, which meant not many possessed an Ether Weapon.

However, Christian Worden was different.

He had to be.

“Twelve Ether Weapons.”

He possessed not just one but no less than twelve Ether Weapons, which were notoriously difficult to handle, let alone possess. Remarkably, he wielded all of them at will.

One was of his own making.

And…

“Eleven were passed down.”

These were left behind by comrades who had risked their lives together to hunt the mighty dragon.

As each came into his possession one by one, they eventually totaled eleven…

‘The last one I received was my master’s.’

Thus, the total number grew to twelve.

Having used those twelve weapons to successfully subdue Magnus, the mad dragon was no doubt deserving of the term ‘monster.’

Thinking back on it sent chills down his spine.

Despite the countless who joined the dragon hunt, it was still unbelievable how they managed to slay that beast.

A being even feared among other dragons, it wasn’t named the ‘Mighty Dragon’ for no reason.

“Whew, even if I only had the Ether Weapons, I wouldn’t have to worry about the future.”

He decided not to dwell on what he lacked.

Christian sent mana coursing throughout his body as if to shake off such regrets.

Cleansing the inside of his body with mana, akin to taking a bath, helped alleviate physical fatigue and greatly relieved mental exhaustion as well.

It was certainly better than having no mana at all.

His body was still growing, so he could create plenty.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

As he quickly moved the energy to wash away his fatigue, the flow suddenly stopped, causing Christian to tilt his head in confusion.

Even though it wasn’t his own body, controlling mana was supposed to be easier than stealing drinks from his master.

Did he make a mistake?

‘Is there something wrong with the body?’

Mana is like blood.

Just as blood flows throughout the body through veins, mana too flows through and moves around the entire body.

Whether it was an accident or an illness…

Not knowing why he died so young made him worry about such trivial matters.

If it was today…

‘How long has it been since I was revived, and already it’s my death anniversary?!’

It was unfair!

No matter how much he had hit his master on the head, this was too much!

Despite grinding his teeth, he decided to examine his body once more.

The mana, which should have been spreading throughout the corners of his body, stopped simultaneously.

The problem was the place where it had stopped: Christian could not help but be alarmed.

“The heart?”

The mana had stopped right at his heart.

‘What’s going on here?’

The place where mana is stored varies per individual, but the solar plexus area is common.

The heart is usually not favored for storage because even minor shocks can lead to significant problems.

There is only one reason to store mana in the heart: Christian was startled by the massive magical presence felt from it.

“Could it be?”

With tentative hope, he directed mana towards the heart once more.

But something blocked it like a tightly sealed pathway, refusing entrance. It seemed to haughtily imply, ‘You dare look down on me?’ yet didn’t inflict any harm.

“There’s no way…”

Christian incredulously rubbed around his heart.

There, his former life’s Ether Weapon, Airen’s Heart, known as the Arsenal, weakly made its presence known.

“Arsenal…”

Christian had also stored eleven Ether Weapons inside the Arsenal all along.