CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 66

Ezra exhaled softly and slid his practice blade back into its sheath.

The dummy froze mid-motion, gears locking in place. At the edge of the training ground, Xavier lowered his hand from the control lever with a faint smile.

"Not bad," he said. "Blindfolded, strength suppressed, mana sealed... and you still made it look effortless."

Ezra tugged off the suppression bands from his wrists and ankles, their dull weight clattering against the floor. Pulling off the blindfold, he blinked against the light before walking to the side of the training hall. A small refrigerator hummed quietly in the corner. He bent down, pulled out a chilled energy drink, cracked it open, and took a long sip.

On the other side of the hall, the steady thud, thud, thud of heavy kicks came to a halt. Dravis, drenched in sweat, had been hammering a reinforced punching bag for the past half hour. He rested his forehead against it, chest rising and falling, before finally unfastening his own suppression cuffs. The steel rings clinked as they hit the floor.

"Pass me one," Dravis muttered, gesturing toward Ezra with a tired grin.

Dravis collapsed onto the floor with a groan, arms spread wide as if the polished stone had claimed him. Sweat rolled down his temples as he muttered, "Man... I’ve been practicing and studying twelve hours a day for the past two months. I’m dead."

Xavier, still leaning against the control panel, raised an eyebrow. "Well, you wanted to compete with Ezra. Then keep competing."

Dravis tilted his head, glancing at Ezra. The boy sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, eyes closed, breathing steady, already slipping into cultivation as though exhaustion didn’t exist.

"What a monster," Dravis muttered. "Eight hours cultivating, two hours training against dummies, two more hours buried in books, classes in between, and weekends sparring with Professor Kael. Doesn’t he ever get tired?"

Xavier shrugged. "Isn’t it good to be hardworking?"

"It’s good," Dravis admitted, raising a hand dramatically, "but wouldn’t it be better if he enjoyed life too? It’s not like he’s the protagonist of some cheesy novel who has to slay the Demon Emperor." He snorted and laughed at his own joke.

Xavier chuckled. "You might be right. Maybe I should talk to him about it."

Before either could say more, the heavy training room doors opened with a clang. Renji stepped inside, his gait more confident than it had been a month ago. His aura had sharpened, the faint ripple of fire-element mana humming faintly around him. His sword hung casually at his waist, yet his presence alone spoke of progress—enough strength now to rival a peak Rank 4 if he went all out.

"This month’s profit has already been transferred to your accounts," Renji announced, his voice calm.

Dravis bolted upright as if resurrection had struck him. "Haha, Renji, you know that’s the best thing you’ve said in weeks!"

He hurried to the side table, pulling up the ledger projection. His eyes widened at the glowing digits: one million gold, neatly credited into his account.

"All digital," he muttered with awe. "The profit’s gone up quite a bit from last month."

Renji slipped off his coat, setting it neatly aside, and reached for a practice sword. Without another word, he stepped into the gravity-suppression chamber, adjusting the settings before beginning his own drills. His voice echoed faintly from within.

"As long as the mana crystal vines keep developing, the profits will keep climbing. My father says if this continues, we’ll be earning hundreds of millions within the year. He also asked me to thank all of you—he knows none of this would be possible without your help."

Dravis leaned back with a satisfied grin. "Anyway, what are you guys doing with this month’s break?"

Xavier spoke first, folding his arms. "I’m taking my sister to the Elven Continent. She’s been begging me for months."

"Lucky guy," Dravis muttered. "As for me, I’m heading home. My not-so-loving grandfather apparently wants to see me."

"Business deal in the south," Renji called out between strikes. "What about Ezra?"

All eyes turned toward the boy in meditation. Ezra opened his eyes slowly, exhaling as if surfacing from a deep lake. He stretched his shoulders before answering in a calm tone, "I’m going north."

Xavier frowned. "North? Why there?"

Ezra’s lips curled slightly. "Someone invited me. So I’ll meet her."

Dravis shot up like a spring, grinning wide. "Oh-ho? Her? Who is she?"

"Elena Voncrest," Ezra said dryly, his sarcasm subtle but sharp enough to make Dravis wince.

Renji paused mid-swing. "She invited you... and you’re actually going?"

Xavier smirked. "So it is a girl. Figures."

Ezra’s gaze slid toward him like a drawn blade, sharp and unamused. "Nothing like that. I simply want to relax a little, and since Elma Voncrest is stationed with the Northern Army, I might as well train with her while I’m there."

Dravis threw his hands up. "Training again! My boy, you’re hopeless. A vacation exists to stop training. Try relaxing for once."

Ezra gave a small shrug. "That’s the plan."

But inwardly, his thoughts stirred.

In the original novel, this month passed quietly. Daelen was training with his master... but now, Ren Kurogane isn’t his master anymore. That single change twists everything. What will he do now?

Ezra rose to his feet, brushing off the dust. "Anyway, before I leave, let’s visit Xavier’s sister. She’s been asking to meet us for a while."

Dravis grinned and clapped his hands. "Yes! Finally. Let’s go, then. Renji, finish your training fast—we’re not waiting forever."

Renji only smirked, blade flashing in the weighted chamber.

———————

The group left the training hall together, their laughter echoing down the corridor. The day had worn them out, but the promise of seeing Xavier’s sister lightened the air.

"Ezra," Dravis said, leaning over his shoulder as they walked, "you better not act all cold and mysterious when we meet her. Girls don’t like statues."

Ezra gave him a sideways glance. "And what exactly do they like? Someone who collapses after two hours of training?"

Renji chuckled from behind. "Careful, Dravis. He’s sharper with words than with his blade."

Dravis clutched his chest dramatically. "Ah! Betrayed by my own comrades. Xavier, back me up here!"

Xavier didn’t even glance at him. "You dig your own grave every time you open your mouth. Don’t drag me into it."

By the time they reached the small residential wing, the sound of humming drifted out from one of the doors. Xavier slowed, straightening his uniform almost unconsciously before knocking gently.

The door opened to reveal a girl with warm black hair tied in a simple braid, her eyes bright and lively. She looked a year or two younger than Ezra, carrying herself with the easy grace of someone used to dealing with her overprotective brother.

"Brother! You actually brought them?" she said with a bright smile.

Dravis froze for a second before whispering, just loud enough for Renji to hear, "Cute."

Ezra gave the faintest nod of greeting. Renji offered a polite bow. Dravis, however, stepped forward with a grin that spelled trouble.

"So this is the famous sister you’ve been hiding from us, Xavier? I’ve got to admit... she’s too cute. Tell you what—how about we exchange? I’ll trade you my grandfather. He’s rich, I promise."

The words had barely left his mouth before a shing! split the air.

Xavier’s sword flashed out, stopping just a hair’s breadth from Dravis’s throat. His expression was calm, but his eyes were pure murder.

"Say that again," he said evenly.

Dravis gulped, his hands raised high. "Whoa, whoa, easy there, Romeo. It was just a joke!"

Renji leaned casually against the doorframe, smirking. "You really do have a death wish."

Ezra’s lips twitched, though he didn’t speak.

But Dravis wasn’t one to back down completely. His grin returned, crooked and mischievous. "If you’re that mad... why don’t you prove your sister’s worth defending? A duel, maybe?"

Xavier’s eyes narrowed. "Fine."

Before anyone could intervene, the two had already stepped into the courtyard. The air buzzed with anticipation as Xavier drew his blade in a smooth arc, his stance disciplined and sharp. Dravis, still grinning, summoned his own weapon with a flourish, spinning it once before pointing it forward.

"Don’t cry when I win," Dravis teased.

Xavier didn’t bother with words. He lunged.

The clash of steel rang out across the yard. Xavier’s strikes were clean, controlled, and merciless. Dravis, on the other hand, fought with unorthodox movements, slipping in feints, kicks, and sudden bursts of recklessness that forced Xavier to adjust.

"Not bad!" Dravis shouted between parries. "But you fight too stiff. Loosen up!"

"Shut up and focus," Xavier shot back, his blade arcing dangerously close to Dravis’s cheek.

Renji called out from the side, "Xavier, if you kill him, who’s going to annoy us during training?"

Ezra folded his arms, expression unreadable. "A silence I wouldn’t mind."

"Et tu, Ezra?" Dravis yelped as Xavier’s sword grazed his shoulder.

The spar grew fiercer, each clash sparking light under the setting sun. Yet there was no real killing intent—only pride, stubbornness, and the kind of rivalry that made them both push harder.

Finally, after one last furious exchange, Dravis’s weapon was knocked from his hand, spinning across the grass. Xavier stopped with his blade poised at his throat once again.

"Yield," Xavier said flatly.

Dravis lifted both hands in defeat, sweat dripping down his brow. "Fine, fine! You win. No exchanges. Your sister’s off-limits."

From the doorway, Xavier’s sister giggled, covering her mouth. "You’re all ridiculous."

Xavier sheathed his blade with a huff, shooting Dravis one last glare. But even he couldn’t keep the edge in his voice when he saw her laughing.

Renji shook his head. "I can’t believe this is what counts as relaxation for us."

Ezra finally allowed a small, rare smile to cross his face.

And for a moment, the courtyard was filled with nothing but laughter—light, unburdened, the kind of sound that made the weight of cultivation and missions feel far away.