Aren wandered through the castle corridors, utterly lost. He was trying to find his way back to his room after the meeting with Isla. This place is a freaking maze! How did I even get turned around? I thought I remembered the way… or did I just imagine it? Maybe I should have left a trail of breadcrumbs like in that fairy tale. He stopped, leaning against a cold stone wall, trying to get his bearings. Fragments of memories—turns and forks in the path—swirled in his head, all blurring together into one indistinguishable mess. Alright, old man, get it together. You're not some kid lost in the woods. Think logically… although, what logic is there to be found here?

He bumped into a guard patrolling the corridor. He didn't want to look like an idiot in front of the castle staff, but it seemed unavoidable. "Ugh, excuse me. I'm trying to find the dining hall. Could you just point me in the right direction? I seem to be going in circles." From there, he could find his way back to his room.

The guard, a stern but courteous man, gave Aren clear and concise directions. "Of course, sir. Proceed straight down this corridor until you reach a large tapestry depicting an Ursai. Turn left there, then pass three statues of knights, and you'll see the grand doors to the dining hall," the guard replied, standing ramrod straight. He gestured in the direction, as if guiding a lost traveler.

Ursai? I suppose I will know it when I see it.

Aren thanked him and finally found his way back to his room. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, as if he'd escaped a dark forest. He went to the window to look out over the city, but the pleasant view was quickly replaced by thoughts of Isla. She wasn't one to give up or compromise easily. And she probably wouldn't talk to her father either. Aren remembered his grandson from Earth, Daniel. Even though everyone respected and feared his grandfather, he never listened to anyone, always doing whatever he pleased. Geez, am I getting sentimental, or is this just the new hormonal profile of this body? When I get the chance, I'll have to visit that rascal. Now I've got plenty of money.

While Aren was pondering the past and how to deal with Isla, Valerian knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response.

"Aren, are you ready for your evening training? I've been informed by the healer that your flows are a bit… unsettled. It may cause problems even if you don't use Ether. Are you sure you're up to it? You didn't seem to heed her warnings before, but I thought I'd check."

Aren waved away Valerian's concern, declaring that he felt fine and was eager to demonstrate his combat techniques. He didn't want Valerian to think he was a weakling. "I'm fine, Valerian. I feel great! By the way, what happened to 'Sir Aren'? I thought that's how you'd be addressing me now," Aren replied with a smirk, clearly teasing.

"Ha! Duke Darius appointed me as your Ether instructor, which, I suppose, entitles me to address you simply as 'Aren'," Valerian said, appreciating Aren's jab. "Since you appear to be in good spirits, shall we proceed to the training grounds? Leo is positively eager; I haven't witnessed such enthusiasm in him before. You're having a good influence on his determination."

Aren, Leo, and Valerian gathered at the training grounds. The evening sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, creating a beautiful backdrop for their session. "Alright, today I'm going to show you some basic techniques. They're simple but effective, based on the principles of balance and using your opponent's strength against them," Aren said, adopting a fighting stance. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hands raised in front of him.

Aren demonstrated a series of simple but effective martial arts moves, emphasizing efficiency and practicality. He showed them how to use their body weight to knock an opponent off balance, how to block strikes, and how to deliver quick and precise counterattacks. Each movement was polished and precise, as if he'd been doing this his whole life. I'll only show them the basic stuff. But to them, it'll look like magic! The key is confidence and presentation.

Leo was skeptical at first. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched Aren with disbelief. "This all looks rather… simple. I'm not sure how effective it would be against a well-armed opponent," Leo said, raising an eyebrow.

Valerian, on the other hand, was intrigued. He watched Aren's every move intently, as if trying to unlock the secret to his skill. "I see potential in this. These movements seem intuitive and fast. Show us again, Aren," Valerian requested, his eyes glued to each action. He leaned forward for a better view.

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Aren demonstrated the basic stances, angles, and shifts in the body's center of gravity. He explained how to put your entire weight into a strike, not just a portion of it. "See how I use my body weight to amplify the force of the blow? It's not just about strength, but also proper positioning and balance," Aren explained, demonstrating the technique in the air.

"Alright, Leo, you try it now. Let's start with the stance and balance. When you're standing, you need to center your weight between your feet, regardless of their position. Don't tense your legs too much; be like a spring. That way, when I push you, the force will travel through your body to your legs and then into the ground, and you'll stay put."

Leo got into the stance, shuffling his feet to find the right position.

"Ready? Good. Now I'm going to push. Direct the force of the push into the ground through your legs." Aren approached and gently pushed Leo in the chest. Leo wobbled slightly but remained standing. He's too heavy. I'll have to push harder. Aren repeated the push, putting his full weight into it to have some effect on the giant. Leo couldn't resist and took a step back.

"Hey! You pushed too hard!" he protested.

"I weigh a lot less than you. If your stance was correct, I wouldn't have been able to move you at all!"

Valerian stepped in. "Alright, focus!"

Aren and Leo straightened up.

"Then try pushing me. I'll show you. Just don't come at me with full force. You understand the point of the exercise, right?" Aren suggested.

"Okay, I get it. I need to push hard enough to make you lose your balance."

Aren adopted his stance. Actually, he always stood balanced like this out of habit, but for the full effect, his feet needed to be shoulder-width apart. Leo lightly pushed him with one hand. Aren tilted his body slightly and absorbed the push like jelly. Leo was surprised and decided to try again, but the result was the same. Suddenly, a "brilliant" idea came to him. He enveloped his body in Ether and pushed Aren even harder. Aren didn't expect that, but he didn't fall. Since the force was directed towards his legs, he slid about half a meter across the ground, leaving two lines from his feet.

"Hey, that's not fair!" he exclaimed.

"Hahaha! I wanted to test you. Turns out this stance is even more amazing than I thought. You didn't even fall."

"Leo, behave yourself," Valerian's gruff voice cut in. "Nevertheless, he's right, Aren. That's truly remarkable. To withstand a push like that solely through proper stance is something else."

Leo was impressed by Aren's skills. He began to understand that behind the simple movements lay a deep understanding of combat principles. Valerian expressed his appreciation.

"We'll take things slowly with the new techniques. Leo, you'll concentrate on perfecting that stance, and I'll give you a hand with your practice. And you, Aren, you've done splendidly. I recommend you continue with your Ether meditation. The more you persevere, the quicker you'll find your flow."

Aren sat down next to them in a meditative pose, recalling Valerian's instructions from the morning training, and immersed himself in the search for Ether. Leo got into his stance, and Valerian pushed him with a training sword from different angles to help him get used to maintaining his balance and directing the force into the ground. This went on for a couple of hours. Leo gradually began to absorb the light pushes, but Aren still couldn't feel the Ether, which frustrated him greatly, even though he knew it could take months. As the training session was coming to an end, one of the servants approached and informed Valerian that Veridian Jaxx'im had arrived. The servant looked out of breath, as if he had run to the backyard as quickly as possible. "Forgive me, General, but a guest has arrived, Scholar Jaxx'im," the servant said, bowing.

"That's enough for today. Aren, Leo, come with me. We must greet our guest," Valerian said, leaving the training sword in the weapon rack.

They walked through the castle to the outer courtyard, where the main gates were located. Isla and Kira joined them along the way. Isla shot Aren a resentful look and pointedly turned away. Well, she's definitely mad.

They emerged into the outer courtyard, where Darius and Lady Oriana were already standing with a crowd of servants and guards.

A carriage pulled by two black horses stood at the gates. It was immediately clear who the Veridian was. Standing next to the carriage was Jaxx'im – a humanoid figure with dark blue skin and bright lime green glowing eyes without pupils. He wore a long robe adorned with strange symbols. His face conveyed wisdom and mystery. Aren was stunned and fascinated. He had never seen anything like it. What in the hell is that? Blue skin and acid-green eyes! He looks like some sort of demon from a movie.

Jaxx'im surveyed the castle and everyone present. He was accompanied by ordinary people in similar robes, as well as a rider and a couple of guards in armor unlike that of Stormborn. He approached the Duke and bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Your Grace. I bring many glorious tidings and gifts." His voice was almost reptilian, raspy, and easily heard even from a distance.

"Welcome home! I can't wait to hear your stories!" Darius spread his arms wide in his usual manner, his voice echoing across the courtyard. "Your chambers and laboratory have remained untouched since your departure. Settle in and join us for dinner. I have much news to share as well."

Jaxx'im bowed again and gestured to the group accompanying him to unload the carriage. They moved towards the eastern part of the castle, presumably where his laboratory and chambers were located. Everyone began to disperse. The servants started helping Jaxx'im's team, and the rider lit a pipe.

Aren decided not to ask why the Veridian looked the way he did. But he was very curious to hear what he would say at dinner.