In Larton, inside a mansion nestled close to the mountains, a tranquil atmosphere enveloped everything. If one were to overlook the colossal breach in the wall or the anxious expressions etched on the faces of the people inside, yes, everything was calm.

"Please reconsider, Aron."

"YES! YES! We don't want you to die…"

"...Or worse, be traumatized."

A group of girls encircled the couch, pleading with Aron, while others still grappled with the shock they hadn't fully overcome.

SIIIIPE!

The man in question sat serenely on the couch, relishing the tea prepared by his maid Mia.

"Well, my friend, it was a pleasure knowing you. I'll be there to pray at your funeral." Seated across from him, a man with golden hair and a blindfold sighed in defeat.

"HAHAH…" Aron burst into laughter. "No need to worry, girls, nothing is going to happen—"

"You say that because you don't know her like I do." Father Valarian interjected, earning him a few glances from Aron for the interruption.

"Please… Enlighten me," Aron said, crossing his legs.

"Sigh… That woman is a monster. She's the most formidable individual I have ever encountered in my life," Valarian began, capturing the attention of the girls who were eager to learn more about Thyra.

"Once, a king dared to insult Thyra and make demands of her... Sigh, so she paid a little visit to his kingdom."

"And?"

"It's common knowledge, Aron. The kingdom vanished," Scarlett interjected suddenly.

"How?" Aron was indifferent to the fate of the kingdom; he was more interested in the manner of its disappearance.

"What do you mean how?" Valarian raised an eyebrow. "The earth swallowed the kingdom whole, wiping out thousands of years of progress and millions of souls in less than ten seconds."

"I see"

"Yes, and that was when Thyra was still young and inexperienced. Now, imagine her strength at present."

"Well, that's a good thing."

"Good?" Valarian tilted his head in confusion.

"Yeah, that means no one is better than her to train me."

Aron's proclamation hung in the air, causing a momentary silence in the room as everyone processed his unexpected response. The girls surrounding him exchanged bewildered glances, attempting to comprehend the nonchalant attitude he displayed in the face of ominous tales about Thyra.

Father Valarian, still caught off guard by Aron's seemingly indifferent demeanor, stuttered, "Train... you? Are you out of your mind? You heard what I just said; she's a force of nature!"

Aron leaned back on the couch, a sly smile forming on his face. "Exactly, Valarian. A force of nature. What better mentor could I ask for? If I want to become stronger, I should learn from the strongest, right?"

After his battle with Xenodrake, Aron realized he had overlooked many things and made numerous mistakes. The most glaring one was the lack of simultaneous coordination between his mind and body.

'My body and instincts remember how to fight, but the mind doesn't.' Contemplating his shortcomings, Aron's gaze shifted from one concerned face to another in the room.

'I've been relying too much on raw power, which is fine for the lower ranks, but on the higher ranks, techniques rule supreme.'

'Hm…' Aron felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Looking down, he saw a young, shy blue-haired elf.

"What's wrong, Luna?"

Luna hesitated for a moment before speaking her mind. "Aron, where is Raum?"

"Eh?" Confused by her question, Aron quickly remembered that he had neglected to explain things to the girls, taken by the sudden arrival of the strongest warrior in the form of a beautiful woman.

Scanning the room, he immediately spotted a sleeping kid wrapped in bed covers like an ice cream cone in a corner.

"There he is…" pointing at the kid. "A lot of things happened, Luna; his appearance was changed."

Crack.

Luna froze, staring at the kid. The image of a small, handsome raven dancing around shattered in her mind.

"Sob…No"

"!!!" Seeing the elf on the verge of tears, all the women instantly tensed up. Some exchanged uneasy glances.

Kasumi sneakily approached Aron and whispered in his ear, "Master, we need to calm Luna as quickly as possible, or our mansion will be no more."

"Seriously?" Aron asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Master. Luna will lose control over her magic when her emotions get messed up."

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'Not good. I like this mansion.'

Aron swiftly approached the sleeping Raum, grabbing him with both hands. Aron began shaking the kid violently.

"Raum! Wake up we have a problem." Aron's voice carried a sense of urgency as he continued shaking the still-sleeping kid. The room held its breath, waiting for a burst of tsunami at any moment, how? Because they saw it happening before.

"W-WHAT!" With a sudden jolt, Raum's eyes fluttered open, disoriented and confused. Before Raum could utter another word, Aron leaned forward, locking eyes with him.

"Raum, I don't care how, but you have to change back to your raven form."

"Eh?" Raum took a few seconds to process what Aron just said, and then he burst out. "Impossible, I tried it before, and no matter what, I couldn't."

"Sob… Sob."

Drip. Drip.

Panic spread as water leaked from Luna's hands and feet. Immediately, the other girls joined Aron, encircling the poor Raum, and urging him to transform into a raven.

"RAUM! DO IT NOW!"

Raum, panic evident in his voice, responded, "I told you, Aron, I've tried everything. It's impossible."

"DO IT!"

"ALRIGHT!" Raum shouted, closing his eyes, and focusing on his mana.

Within the circle of concerned onlookers, Luna's distress escalated. Drips of water turned into a small stream, emanating from her hands and feet. The atmosphere was charged with anxiety, everyone aware that they stood on the precipice of a magical outburst that was closing in and fast.

Suddenly, Raum felt something inside him seeking release. Focusing on it, he pushed.

'Come on. Change back'

The pressure inside him shifted a little.

'Close… please change.'

BRRRRR.

"!!!" Raum's eyes widened, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Ahem… Sorry… Aron–" Raum began, but Aron cut him off abruptly.

"No one cares about your farts. Change back NOW." Aron's impatience was evident.

'KYAA! Don't say it'

Despite the awkward interruption, the room remained tense, awaiting the outcome. Raum focused once more, determination etched across his face. However, a few seconds later, he sighed in defeat.

"Sorry, Aron; I can't just say 'Transform into Raven form,' and it would magically—"

BOOF!

Raum suddenly exploded in a black cloud, startling everyone. Onlookers took a step back, expressions a mix of anticipation and surprise. Soon, the bed covers fell into Aron's hands, leaving Raum's disappearance a mystery.

FLAP. FLAP.

"Kaaahh! My head," came a voice from above. As the black cloud dissipated, a raven fluttered its wings.

"HEY! It worked!" Exclaiming, Raum quickly checked himself in this form, looking for anything out of the ordinary—can't be too careful. Without giving the raven a chance, Aron quickly grabbed him by the neck and brought him close to Luna.

"Here, Luna… look, look."

"I-I can't breathe," Raum begged.

"Shut up." Treating Raum like a fluffy doll, Aron spoke calmly, "Luna, it's Raum."

"Raum?" Luna questioned, her voice wavering. She tentatively reached out to touch the raven, as if confirming his reality. Instantly, her face brightened up, tears stopped, and she swiftly snatched Raum from Aron's hand.

"H-Help!" Raum cried out, unable to breathe again.

"Sorry, buddy; your sacrifice would let us keep our home."

The girls sighed in relief when they saw the water beneath Luna disappear.

"What was all that about?" Father Valarian asked, confused. With his eyes, he saw the elf girl's magic suddenly explode, but when they gave her the raven, she calmed down.

Aron turned to the Father, "Nothing to worry about, Father; ah, family things."

Valarian was about to say something when he suddenly halted and glanced at the window. "She's back."

THUD!

Something heavy just landed in the mansion garden. "ARON! Come out."

Aron chuckled inwardly, hearing Thyra's loud voice. "Oh boy, she's really excited."

Valarian approached. "Of course, my friend; no one was crazy enough to ask her to train them." Placing a hand on his shoulder, he added, "Try to survive."

…

Strolling beyond the mansion's door, everyone witnessed something both captivating and unnerving. A wyvern, a tamed white wyvern with feathers and owl-like visage.

"So, it's true, she genuinely succeeded in taming wyverns," one of the girls suddenly inquired.

Thyra, atop the majestic wyvern, looked down at Aron. "Took you long enough. Are you ready to begin your training?"

Aron grinned. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"You could die, you know," she asked once more.

Aron maintained a serious gaze., "If I died then; I had no right to grow stronger from the start."

Satisfied with his response, he landed with a thud on the ground. "Alright, let's get started."

She proceeded to a spacious area on the left of the mansion. "This should serve as a suitable spot." Placing her hands on the ground, Thyra utilized her magic. Immediately, four black metal pillars emerged from beneath, and with a wave, she crafted a large metal box.

"Aron come here–"

ROAAR

"!!!" Thyra snapped instantly, turning back only to witness Aron facing her wyvern. The wyvern stood on its legs, roaring at Aron with all its might.

Thyra contemplated intervening but stopped when she noticed her wyvern cease its roar and approach Aron, sniffing him.

The unexpected reaction surprised everyone observing. The wyvern nuzzled against Aron, almost affectionately. Aron, for his part, was amused and slightly surprised, because he felt something close to a kinship with this wyvern.

As Aron's hand reached out, the wyvern lowered its owl-like head in submission, allowing Aron to rub it. Thyra watched the scene unfold with a raised eyebrow, seemingly impressed by the unexpected event.

"Seems like you've made a friend," she commented dryly. It took her months just to tame this beast; then a stranger came and in just seconds he managed to do the same.

Aron chuckled, continuing to stroke the wyvern. "Guess we understand each other."

Growling, Thyra shouted, "Just come here, okay."

"Yeah Yeah"

Approaching her, Mia intercepted his path with a bag in hand. "Mister Aron, some sustenance for you."

Before fully taking the bag, Thyra intervened. "Don't. You'll consume what I provide; it's part of the training."

"Okay." Turning to the maid, Aron said, "Sorry, Mia, but thank you." Nodding, Mia stepped back.

Standing next to the black metal box, Aron inquired, "So, what now?"

Thyra didn't respond and produced a small white crystal, affixing it to the box. Instantly, a door materialized.

Turning to the onlookers, she said, "My maid will be here in two days. Valarian, ensure she has everything she needs."

Bowing, Valarian said, "Understood, Lady Thyra."

"Good. Now you," facing Aron, she pointed, "get in."

"Sure." Opening the door and stepping inside, Aron was stunned by the expansive space, a room ten times the size of the box or even more.

"How?" he asked the platinum-haired woman.

"Magic bullshit."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"In this room, you have everything you need. Just think of it, and it will materialize. Keep in mind it only works for weapons and armor." Thyra explained.

"Understood"

"Good, but first." Thyra raised her right hand, a ring on her middle finger shining gold. Immediately after, an orb appeared in her hand.

"What's that?" Aron asked.

"A time-slowing orb."

"No, I mean the ring."

"Oh, it's a special ring made to store items inside."

"That's handy. I should get one too."

"Keep dreaming, boy. My sister developed them; they're not on the market yet." Thyra smirked.

"Tsk; that's unfortunate. And what about the time orb? What can it do?"

"Hmm…this orb would allow us to extend the month time of training into three"

"Wow, that's...great, more time," Aron exclaimed, liking what he's hearing, that means more strength.

"Yeah; now shut up and strip"

"Eh?" Stunned for a moment, Aron questioned, "Excuse me?"

SLAP

Slapping the back of his head, Thyra shouted, "Keep the dirty thought out, I need to assess how your body has developed."

"Hehehe….Okay okay" Noticing the slight redness in her cheeks Aron chuckled inwardly

'These three months will be great.'