We caught up with the boat, where Munk was waiting for us at the stern.

  “Well, is it training time?” Vasa asked before we even had a chance to sit down in the cockpit.

  “That already happened!”

  “That wasn’t training, it was healing. The real training starts now!”

  “Very well, dear Vasa, I’m landing the boat.”

  After landing in a clearing in the middle of the forest, I immediately rose into the sky, where the Goddess of War was already waiting for me.

  “Good luck, kid!” Munk shouted from below.

  Yeah, good luck to me… I activated five magic circles.

  At night, when I entered the cabin, Irgen was already lying on the bed, drawing in the air with her index finger. A white trail followed it, cascading down like glowing flour.

  “Congratulations on the seventh circle. It’s just a pity I didn’t hear it from you.”

  When I lay down on the bed, she lay on top of me, pressing her sharp chin into my chest.

  “There’s nothing to celebrate, honestly.”

  “That’s a shame. You’ve got a damn good chance of becoming a true mage of the seventh circle.”

  She turned her head, pressing her long ear to my chest and listening to my heartbeat.

  “So loud…”

  “Irgen, don’t dodge the question. What do you plan to do after graduation?”

  “I’ll be with you…”

  “You know that won’t get you anywhere.”

  “On the contrary, it’ll get me exactly what I want…”

  Her sharp teeth bit into me.

  “Are you ever serious?”

  I flipped her onto her back, her white hair fanning out across the pillow.

  In the morning, I sat in the cockpit, wrapped in a cocoon of aura so no one would disturb me. I closed my eyes and recalled the movements the Goddess of War had shown me yesterday, slowing them down a thousandfold in my mind. I didn’t care about her saber technique—it was the principle behind each movement that mattered. Once I confirmed my conclusions, I imagined holding a spear and made a few movements. No, that didn’t feel quite right…

  “Get up, it’s training time!”

  Vasa smashed my barrier with her palm, leaving a print on my back. Damn! I opened my eyes and realized, with surprise, that it was almost evening. Strange, time had passed so quickly… I exhaled and landed the boat.

  Vasa seemed especially irritable today. Was it because I made her spend the whole day with Munk?

  Unexpectedly, I discovered that my daytime meditation had helped me hold out longer and more easily against the Goddess of War, as if I were predicting her every next move. Could it be, I wondered, that the Gods of War spheres are a concentration of all their battle techniques? And since I had already seen and understood her spheres, I could now anticipate her moves by interpolation… What an intriguing thought… I should test it, because if it’s true, the vague path I sensed yesterday will become a direct and wide road!

  I began attacking Vasa more aggressively, successfully dodging her counterattacks. It really worked—I could predict when and at what angle her fist, knee, or foot would change trajectory… I no longer had to overcompensate with unnecessary movements to stay safe. I dodged just as much as needed! I got so into it that I slipped and crashed to the ground.

  “Whew, not bad, kid! You even made me sweat today. Got a secret to such rapid progress?”

  “Dear Vasa! It’s all thanks to you clearing my head yesterday! All thanks to you! Thank you again!”

  In high spirits, I jumped onto the boat.

  “Strange!” she shouted after me. “I’ve never seen such a stunning result from my method!”

  I paid no attention. I was eager to dive back into my, so to speak, experiment. So, if defense and attack spheres are a focus of their martial arts, then if I can extrapolate my knowledge of spear techniques, perhaps…

  I sat on the bench in the cockpit and closed my eyes again. Slowly, but surely, my technique began to take shape. It was almost there… Wait a minute—why not weave in my step-sequence technique and… magic!

  I shattered what I had already formed and started over, activating my five magic seals in the process. My thoughts became incredibly fast, clear, and precise… Time seemed to stop. Those faint, ghostly outlines finally turned to steel! And it was beautiful!

  I rose into the air without opening my eyes and extended my hand, holding an icy spear created with third-circle magic. I made a move, and it flowed, wrapping around me with impenetrable force. It seemed to swim, never stopping—only accelerating, growing from a simple thin line into a mass, and finally forming a sphere…

  But that wasn’t all. Now I had… I drove my aura through the icy spear to the very tip, gathering it there, compressing and twisting it into a small black-and-white sun, wrapped in a web of gray lightning. The space around my sphere groaned and thundered, unraveling into thin patches under the spear’s movement. Yes, this was it—maybe not as terrifying or strong as the Gods’ of War, but this was definitely my own defense sphere!

  Realizing this, I fell.

  I came to as someone slapped me across the face without holding back. This time, Vasa was straddling me—and clearly enjoying herself.

  “Well, had enough fun?”

  “What happened to me?”

  “Total aura exhaustion, you idiot!”

  Oh yeah, this did feel familiar.

  “Dear Vasa, I’m fine now. Maybe you could get off me?”

  Swaying, I got to my feet and walked to the cockpit bench, nearly collapsing onto it, letting my trembling legs rest.

  “So, how was it?”

  “How was it?” Irgen, Vasa, and Raman shouted in unison.

  “You sat still for three days, then flew into the sky and put on a show that almost killed us all, you brainless dolt! Thank the mages for throwing up mana shields in time!”

  “Hmm,” I mused. “Seems like something went wrong…”

  “Wrong? It was incredible! Your sphere was tearing space apart—I’ve never even heard of such a thing! And you’re just a Battle Ancestor!”

  “Thank you, dear Munk, at least someone appreciates me!”

  Vasa grabbed me by the clothes and lifted me off the bench so our eyes were level.

  “Aney, listen to me very carefully—never do that in battle! With such an aura drain, even a God of War wouldn’t last long!”

  “Hmm, dear Vasa, I don’t quite understand. What did it look like from the outside? I forgot to check, and then you were already slapping me, so…”

  Vasa put me back down.

  “It really looked horrifying and terrifying, I still feel goosebumps even now. Your sphere, it… it seemed to become a solid form of your teacher’s technique. I don’t know how that’s possible, or even how a Battle Ancestor can have a protective sphere…”

  “Is Aney really still a Battle Ancestor?” Irgen asked.

  Vasa gave her a superior look.

  “I beat him up every evening, you think I can’t tell what level he is?”

  “I’m sorry, Lady Vasa, I didn’t mean to offend you!” Irgen mumbled and fell silent.

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  “Aney, how did you manage to channel your aura through the magical spear?” Munk interrupted, trying to keep the silence from turning worse.

  “Dear Munk, I wouldn’t have done it if it had been an ordinary spear. I can’t say it was easy. I could clearly feel how my spell was clashing with the aura.”

  “Thought so! Listen, when you recover, try it again with a regular weapon. I guarantee the effect will be even better!”

  “Alright, dear Munk!”

  “Try it again? Better effect?” Vasa roared, grabbing Munk. “Come here, you damned advisor! Weren’t you half-dead just recently?!”

  They both fell overboard. This time, I was rooting for both teams. My cheeks still hurt. My gaze dropped to the navigation map. There were about a thousand kilometers left to the capital.

  Finally, the day after tomorrow, our idiotic journey would end.

  “Let’s go…” I either hugged or leaned on Irgen’s shoulders and led her down to the cabin.

  I had no strength left today for training with the Goddess of War.

  “Dear Munk, what kind of forces does the church have in the capital?”

  I asked him the next day.

  “Generally, the main strength of the church in the Northern Empire lies in the Nine Gods of War, known as the Cardinals. There are three Black Cardinals — those are the lower-tier Gods of War, three Grey Cardinals — the mid-tier ones, and three White Cardinals — the higher-tier ones. Usually, four Cardinals are present in the capital — two high-tier and two mid-tier, while the others are spread across the five largest cities of the Empire.”

  “Can you say anything about the relations between the church, the Imperial Court, and the other guilds?”

  “Oh, they quarrel, then make peace again. I don’t stick my nose into that mess.”

  “Thank you, dear Munk.”

  Now I at least had some idea of the nest… into which I was willingly throwing my own head. I didn’t think the church would openly try to kill me, but that they’d send mercenaries after me — I had no doubt. The only thing I didn’t know was whether the Gods of War themselves would take such a contract, or if it would be ordinary Ancestors.

  “Dear Munk, there’s still more than a month until the tournament begins. Would you recommend a decent hotel for our team in the capital for that time?”

  “Hotel?” Vasa interjected. “What hotel, why a hotel? You’ll live at my place, there’s enough room for everyone!”

  “Lady Vasa, we wouldn’t want to…”

  “I don’t care what you want. I’ve already decided where you’ll be staying before and during the tournament!”

  “Good luck!” Munk said with a mournful look, placing his hand on my shoulder.

  “Dear, wha—”

  Munk jumped overboard, not waiting for my question. What in the world is going on here?

  Finally, the next morning, we saw the outskirts of the capital. Rows of private houses filled the horizon, and beyond them, multi-story buildings rose up. Behind those, truly massive structures could be seen, with the most prominent being the main church of the White Twins in the Empire. Two white statues, each a hundred meters tall, stood beside the church facade, forming a gigantic gate.

  I landed the boat near the suburbs, and from there, we all transferred into a gah. The guards on the road recognized Munk and let us through without any questions.

  On the way to Vasa’s estate, first two mages left us, then Munk followed.

  “Now turn right! And pass him! What is that fool doing? Hey! Chicken on the cart! Who gave you permission to ride on the roads, you dolt?!” Vasa was sitting on the coach box beside the rector, shouting at everyone nonstop.

  Around the corner where Vasa told us to turn, we finally saw her estate.

  “No no no, anything but this!” I couldn’t hold back.

  Behind tall wrought-iron gates stood… let’s just say, a palace… painted pink with golden shingles. Oh gods, Vasa, this is too much even for you…

  “Welcome to my home!”

  It seemed she was genuinely proud of her palace. The gates closed behind us, and the gah was immediately surrounded by dozens of third-class fluffy monsters, some of which even tried to jump onto the coach box to get into Vasa’s arms.

  “Oh, my darlings, you missed mommy so much, didn’t you?”

  She jumped to the ground, where the monsters instantly knocked her over and began licking her with their slobbery tongues.

  “These are my pets, don’t be afraid, they’re tame and not aggressive at all. If any of you really like one, I can even gift it to you! Except that one… and that one… and that one over there!”

  Vasa pointed at the monsters she clearly couldn’t bear to part with. The people in the gah looked tense, and if it weren’t for the presence of the Goddess of War, there probably would’ve already been a massacre right there.

  At the porch of the estate, we were greeted by two rows of servants in matching uniforms, lined up in honor of Vasa’s arrival. I noticed that most of them were beastfolk. Not surprising — the Goddess of War had rather… particular tastes.

  “Lady Vasa,” I addressed her once we were sitting at the dining table a few hours later, “may I remind you of your promise to introduce me to the weaponsmith you told me about?”

  “Why not!” she emptied her goblet and stood up, slamming it on the table. “Let’s go!”

  We went on foot, as the weaponsmith, it turned out, didn’t live far away. On the way, I watched the life and daily routines of the locals and was amazed. Even Lygote, the finest city I had seen so far, looked like a backwater province in comparison.

  “Be polite with him, he’s got a fiery temper. But he’s a good weapon smith, maybe even the best in the Empire. If not for his personality, he’d be a famous man.”

  “Alright, thank you, Lady Vasa, for the warning.”

  The Goddess of War pushed open the doors of a two-story workshop marked “Butch’s Forge.”

  “Hey, you old fool, get out here, I’m here!”

  Damn it, and who just lectured me about being polite?!

  “Get lost, you old hag! You stink of monsters and I’ve got allergies!”

  An old man climbed out from behind the counter, still fairly strong, but with a rasp in his lungs that hinted at chronic illness.

  “Don’t you dare run your mouth at a goddess! I brought you a good client—he needs a weapon repaired!”

  While they threw insults at each other, I examined the weapons hanging on every possible wall. Honestly? I wasn’t impressed. Solid mid-range stuff in both quality and price.

  “Aney, I’m leaving before this old fool stabs my liver with something sharp! When you’re done here, come straight home!”

  “Thank you, Lady Vasa!” I shouted after her as the door shut.

  I approached the counter and pulled out the broken spear fragments.

  “Master Butch, is it possible to repair this?”

  The old man took them in his hands. I tried to warn him they were heavy for ordinary people, but he was quicker. Wow, the old man wasn’t just anybody—he twirled the fragments like they were reeds in his fingers.

  “Yes. One hundred gold.”

  “Deal!”

  I was about to leave, but decided to take a chance.

  “Master Butch, do you work with high-class monster parts to forge weapons?”

  “High-class, you say? Everyone’s calling fifth-class ‘high’ these days, so don’t try to sell me that crap…”

  Instead of replying, I pulled out and laid a chitinous limb on the floor.

  “Ooooh, now your tongue’s not lying, boy…”

  The old man came out from behind the counter, picked up the limb by one end, and spun it around to see if it was straight.

  “Solid ninth-class, spatial element… This is a Crust, isn’t it? Where’d you get it, kid?”

  I kept quiet, not wanting to offend the old man.

  “Don’t tell me you took the beast down yourself? No way… So, what kind of weapon do you want from this?”

  “Master Butch, I’d like a spear, a full copy of the broken one.”

  “No.”

  “Sorry—do you mean you can’t make a spear?”

  “I can make a spear, you idiot. Just not a copy.”

  “Why not? Is there a reason?”

  “Yes, it’s too short.”

  I thought he meant the limb, though from my perspective, it could make three spears. I pulled out two more limbs from storage, much longer than the first.

  “Maybe these will work?”

  The old man froze for a moment.

  “Ha! So you really did kill it!”

  “Master Butch, will these do?”

  “The limb isn’t too short, you idiot. The spear is.”

  “What?”

  “Your mother drop you on your head? The spear—” he pointed at the fragments on the counter, “—is too short for you!”

  “But I’m used to it…”

  “Kid, I know better!”

  What’s with him?! I was about to give up.

  “So it needs to be much longer?”

  “By a finger.”

  “Oh, so eight to nine centimeters…” I mumbled more to myself.

  “By a finger’s thickness, you idiot! Your mom should’ve finished the job and saved me the headache!”

  “Sorry, Master Butch! I agree. What about the timeline and cost? I’d like to order ten spears.”

  The old man scratched his temple for a long while.

  “Alright, listen. Fifty thousand per spear. You’ll pick up one every three days. I’m not keeping that much material in the shop—I still want to live. Got it? You bring material for one, pick up your spear, leave material for the next. Clear enough?”

  Seemed like Butch thought I was a complete moron.

  “Deal, Master Butch. Will you accept cores as payment? One eighth-class core per spear!” I added quickly when I saw him frown.

  I pulled out an eighth-class core.

  “Heh-heh, alright, kid, alright. You’re not quite as useless as you look…”

  The old man grabbed the core and went behind the counter, pulling out a magical tool that looked like a toothed blade. He bent over the Crust limb and with one swift motion sliced off the part he needed for the spear. Damn, that knife cut through ninth-class material like butter…

  “Take the rest of this—” he pointed at the other limbs, “—and come back in three days.”

  Without another word, the old man went into the room behind the counter, taking the spear fragments with him.

  What an old coot… I stepped out of the workshop and closed the door behind me. I heard the lock click from the inside.