I looked at the kid that stood in front of the dummy. He wasn’t very old, probably the same age as Cecil, black hair and eyes. Normal things. He still looked at the dummy with a smirk and then pointed his palm at it. I tilted my head in confusion, but he continued.

“O fire, hear my will. From the deepest ashes, from the darkest remains. I, swear upon my name I will turn this barren land in a deserving one, one deserving of the crimson skies and the orange sparks. Hellfire!” A long cast and ‘cool’ sounding words, only for him to emit a small red flame from his hand. It slowly floated towards the dummy, once it hit the dummy it slowly consumed itself and died out... One spark, two sparks... and then nothing. I lifted my brow, it wasn't done. The dummy twitched for a second and it erupted into a five-meter flame pillar. It burned for a few seconds. He looked at me with a stupid smirk.

“Did you understand the difference yet?”

“...” I tilted my head, was he serious? “You should look at the dummy again…”

“There is no way it would survive that. It was hellfire after⁠—” his eyes glued into the undamaged dummy, his eyes started to tremble and his mouth quivered. “H-How… I-I have trained so hard… I-I…” He dropped on the ground in disappointment.

I approached the dummy and closely inspected it. Dan looked at the kid as I was doing my thing. “I am sorry kid, the dummy is as tough as a B-ranked monster. Something like that will not do much damage to it.” Dan tried to sound regretful but he was being nonchalant about it and almost laughed at the kid that was on the verge of crying. I looked at Dan and gestured him to come.

“Do you need something?” I leaned close to his ear, which made him stagger a bit but he did not move much.

“Well, you see. I could either burn the dummy to cinder or burn it. My other spells do not show any real physical effect on the exterior…” Dan seemed confused but pondered for a second.

“Well, I don’t know what kind of shadow magic you know. But yes, you can also burn it. It’s not that expensive anyway, it’s just a [Rare] item after-all. For a one time thing, it brings me amusement.” I just nodded.

Cecil had never seen me use magic before, well this time it wasn’t going to be magic either. Ari just quietly watched me; I smiled at her as I approached the dummy. The random kid who had been crying stood before me. “What do you think you are doing? Do you think you can take care of the dummy or what?! If Hellfire did not do anything then no low-tier spell will do anything to it!” I just ignored him and stood in front of the dummy.

I sighed and gathered fire on the tip of my finger, it was akin to a droplet of water. Fire was like a second nature to me, it felt even better to use it now than before for some reason. I looked at the yellowed-orange fire that was shining like a jewel. The kid noticed this.

“Something like that won’t work!”

“I am curious to see what happens…” Dan added.

I just touched the dummy with the flame. It spontaneously combusted and turned into a pile of ashes and charcoal in less then a second. It went from fire to nothingness in an instant, it was the first time I had seen something so strange. Dan was pale and the kid had an agape mouth. However, I was also shocked. I didn't really think something like that could happen. Did I become stronger and never realize it? “Interesting…” I murmured.

I sighed and walked back to Ari. She seemed confused. “Aizen, how did that happen?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. Cecil looked at me with curiosity and she opened her mouth.

“Hey Ai⁠—” Cecil got interrupted.

“Hey, you are Aizen right?”

“That was amazing!”

“I must’ve misjudged you, let’s be friends!”

“I told them, you were unique but they didn’t believe me, however, I believed in you.”

A crowd gathered around me and started praising me, throwing nice-sounding things at me. I dropped my shoulders, it was annoying. Before anyone realized it, Dan was standing in front of me. I didn't even realize it myself, I wonder how did he do it?

“Sigh… Kiddies, go back to the classroom. I have something to talk to with mistress over here.” Dan seriously instructed. Everyone left. He was somewhat oppressing but I nonchalantly looked at him, the first thing I picked up. Is that I did not see him coming at all. Was he another assassin? I looked at him with a discerning eye. Dan met my eyes and flinched.

“What’s with that look, you look like you are about to end me… If you think I am an assassin well, I am not... I am a thief, it’s different…” he sheepishly confessed his class. “Anyway, stop looking at me like that, it makes me scared…” I nodded. “I just wanted to ask, what kind of fire spell was that? I have never seen anything like that before, not even from the old man… Since it’s dangerous I must know of it, so it could help if you told me…” Dan was very… how to put it… lame? He was very submissive. I sighed.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Dan, don’t worry about it. The so-called spell is not a spell. Although it could technically blow up the entire kingdom.” He stiffened. “There is no use knowing about it. It’s a racial skill.” He pondered.

“Weren’t you human?”

“Well… It's complicated...” I pondered.

"How so?"

I wasn’t human. I am not really a dragon. Hmm... Well, I guess it doesn't matter.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, even though I don’t really understand where you are coming from." Dan casually said.

“I don’t know what my race is.” I casually said as I looked fixedly at Dan.

"How does that even work!?" He seemed oddly mad.

Dan's frustration made me reconsider my stance for a second. “Well, I still wonder about it sometimes. Sometimes I am a girl. sometimes I am a dragon. I guess I am just Aizen… Enemy of humanity, Slayer of dragons, Monster⁠—”

“Aizen!” Ari shouted at me, making me tense. “Stop! This is not you, you are my sister. You are not a monster, you are not the enemy of anyone, you are just Aizen. Who cares about race?” I flinched as she stood before me. “Don’t say that again… If I cared about race I wouldn’t be standing here... Race is just that, it doesn't make anyone different, so don't ever mention it again!” She hugged me as I was frozen in place.

Dan scratched his cheek; not expecting the sudden development.

“By the way Aizen, the things you mentioned. As in the things that sounded like titles. Were those titles?” He said with a pale face. I just nodded. “I see… Well… what a problem you have me in…” He pondered for a second. "Alright... This never happened! I am not going to go throw myself to die just because I am the Guildmaster, so, this never happened, problem solved!" Was he seriously that lazy? I mean, I am sure there were other ways to go about it. Well, whatever… I nodded. Ari hissed at Dan.

“Dan, don’t ever say Aizen would do something so horrible as attacking you. Of course she won’t!”

“Y-Yes…”

I hugged Ari back, she gave me a cheerful smile. Making me smile as well. Come to think of it, where is Cecil? She probably heard everything that just happened, no?

“Sorry! I was… at the bathroom!” Cecil arrived panting in front of us.

“I see…”

“Yeah…”

“Okay…”

All of us acknowledged her existence without much interest, things were kind of awkward at this point. However, she did not seem to mind it as she looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Aizen, could you teach me those flames you used?!” Dan stiffened but I just sighed.

“No Cecil, it’s practically impossible…”

“Is it impossible because of the lack of mana? I saw the kid gather a lot of mana but when you did it I saw no change to the mana!” She looked excited about learning something new. I was also surprised somewhat because I had forgotten about mana flows. I just nodded at her deduction making her somewhat sad. I did not want to completely disappoint her I touched her shoulder.

“I can teach you something else eventually if you want.” I offered. She was quick on the uptake and hurriedly nodded. Suddenly an ear-piercing bell rang repeatedly, it was way too loud. Dan smiled.

“Looks like the day is over. Aizen, let’s just pretend nothing happened. I will not do anything, today never existed. I no longer owe you anything!” Then disappeared.

Damn… he is more cunning than what I initially thought! Don’t worry Dan, you aren’t going to get away from me… It’s impossible after-all. Fufufu~

After laughing to myself we hurriedly returned to Cecil’s home.

Fenri stood there with a sad face and not even wagging his tail. Kuro did not take him along, nor did we. He was left alone. I petted him and made him an offer. I would take him to the academy if I got the chance, but I was still unsure since the situation wasn’t estable just yet. Kuro was nowhere near to be seen so I played with Fenri until it became night.

* * *

The door opened and a pleasant humming could be heard. I tilted my head thinking who could it be, the person entered the room still pleasantly humming. It was Kuro… Kuro was humming… What happened? I instantly got confused. She just silently approached me and stood before me with a wide smile plastered on her face.

“Aizen, I will dedicate myself to smithing now!”

“What?!” What is she saying?! Did she lose her mind? What about what she told me.

“Sorry I won’t be going to the academy with you… I have decided!”

“... Are you okay?” I asked with concern. She pouted.

“How rude, I just finally decided I should do something. Besides, this time I am not dragging you along as a portable furnace.” … That was true. I sighed, but it felt oddly nice, something rather... nostalgic.

“So, you won’t be coming?” I asked with a smile.

“Yes…” She flinched seeing my odd behaviour.

“I see. By the way, do you understand how this noble system works. People kept introducing their entire names, and stuff. Now I am conflicted, for example with you K-Yami. Do I use the real meaning of your names or just your names?” She instantly flinched.

“How did you…”

“So, for example. Would you say something like: ‘I am Yami Kuro.’ or would you say. ‘I am Shadow dark. or dark shadow?’” She instantly turned red hearing me.

“T-that is…”

“Don’t worry dark shadow, you don’t need to come to the academy…” I patted her head with a smile. She turned redder.

“Youu… Stupid dragon!” She started shaking me by my collar. She was cute, which was everything that mattered. This was the Kuro I knew, not the wicked blacksmith, not the stupid one. The teasable one that liked smithing was the right one. I smiled.

“Sigh… K-Yami, you can go smithing all you like.”

“Really?!” Don’t get excited just yet.

“But…”

“But?” She was confused.

“I want a full silver scale armor! It better be of good quality!” I rightfully demanded. She flinched but sheepishly took the request with a nod.

Cecil and Ari were taking a bath together. Kuro and I had dinner as I kept teasing her about her naming sense. While I don’t know where she got the Kuro name, she practically called herself Yami so… Well, that doesn’t matter. It just makes it funnier, I don't truly know the meaning of her names but I know it was close enough to tease her, which was just right. I lightheartedly chuckled as I rested on the ground. Now that I think about it, I had to go to the castle. I wonder what will I find there?