The training yard of Wesk Castle was alive with the sound of fire.
A low hum of magic filled the air, heat shimmering above the dirt as the Fire Knight—Flare—stood at the center of a blazing array. Her armor, now faintly glowing from mana circulation, radiated like a miniature sun.
Melissa stood several meters away, holding her staff like a conductor's baton. Her expression was composed, her golden half-elf eyes glowing faintly as they observed every movement.
"All right, Flare. Again."
The Fire Knight groaned, her voice muffled under her flame-etched helm. "Didn't I just do that?!"
"Yes," Melissa said, smiling faintly. "And you failed spectacularly. Again."
Flare growled softly, her gauntlets tightening around the sword hilt. A faint stream of fire coiled around her blade, wild and fierce, like a serpent ready to devour anything in its path.
"Control, not rage," Melissa said coolly. "If your magic is louder than your thoughts, you've already lost."
Flare exhaled—smoke curling out from the vents of her helm—and slashed. The resulting blast scorched a perfect line through the practice dummy ahead, leaving molten straw.
Melissa's staff snapped against the ground. "Wrong! You used too much mana! Again!"
"I hit it, didn't I?!" Flare barked back.
"Yes. And you could have leveled a city gate in the process."
The Fire Knight groaned again. Her tone wasn't defiant; it was exhausted. Melissa's training was relentless—like trying to walk on a tightrope while being slapped with fireballs.
Literally.
Melissa raised her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, several glowing orbs of mana appeared in the air—soft blue, pulsating with elemental intent. "Now, let's add pressure."
"Wait—what does that mea—"
The first orb shot straight at her.
Flare barely dodged, the searing heat brushing past her helm. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
"Focus," Melissa replied calmly, conjuring another orb.
"YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!"
"If I wanted to kill you," Melissa said, her tone frighteningly serene, "you'd already be ash."
Flare wanted to argue, but the orbs came again—dozens of them now, spiraling around her like a storm of light. Each time she tried to channel fire, Melissa redirected her attack, forcing her to release smaller, controlled bursts rather than her usual wildfire of destruction.
Every few seconds, one orb struck her armor, sending a wave of mana vibration through her body—not painful enough to wound, but enough to sting.
"Keep your flame inside the barrier, not outside!" Melissa shouted. "You're wasting thirty percent of your mana output every swing!"
"That's because I'm trying not to DIE!"
Flare swung her sword, producing a thin arc of compressed flame that sliced through three orbs. Her armor glowed fiercely, her aura bursting outward in fiery spirals.
Melissa frowned. "Good… better. But your breathing is uneven."
"Because you're attacking me!"
"Then breathe through it!"
The training field looked like a miniature battlefield. Flames, dust, and mana residue crackled in the air. A few of the gray knights passing by peeked over the wall, muttering to themselves.
"Sir, is she on fire?" one whispered.
"No, I think she is fire."
They quickly ran off when Melissa's glare snapped toward them.
After what felt like days—but had only been an hour—Melissa finally tapped her staff once. The training circle flickered and vanished, the mana dissipating like morning mist.
Flare stumbled, dropping her sword into the dirt, her armor hissing faintly from the heat. She was panting hard, even though her voice came out proud.
"Hah… I… did it."
Melissa walked over, her expression softening for the first time. "You did. Barely."
"Barely's still passing," Flare said, managing to straighten. "I'll take it."
Melissa let out a quiet laugh and nodded. "Good. You're learning faster than I expected."
She looked her up and down. The heat coming off Flare's armor was enough to make the air shimmer. "Take off your helmet."
Flare hesitated, then sighed. "Why?"
"Because I want to see the face of the knight who just managed to keep up with me for a full hour."
After a brief pause, Flare unclasped the latches and lifted her helmet off.
A cascade of auburn hair spilled free, tied back into a single loose braid that shimmered with orange hues under the sunlight. Her skin, a soft shade of creamy bronze, carried faint marks of soot—but her eyes burned brighter than her flames.
Melissa blinked.
"Oh."
She had expected another steel-jawed knight with a face weathered by war, not… this.
Flare wiped a line of sweat from her cheek, grinning. "Surprised?"
Melissa looked away quickly. "A little. You… look far too young to sound that sarcastic."
"I've got experience," Flare said, smirking. "And charm."
"Both questionable," Melissa muttered, though her tone was softer now. She found herself a little envious—Flare was radiant in her own way, both fierce and effortlessly confident.
Shaking the thought, she straightened. "Enough resting. Go take a bath in the castle. There's a water array chamber that should help with the heat in your armor."
Flare tilted her head. "A bath?"
"Yes, a bath. You're practically smoking."
"I am smoking," Flare said proudly.
Melissa sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Just… go. I need to make sure the gray knights don't set the walls on fire trying to 'fix' them."
Flare laughed under her breath. "Fair enough."
As she walked toward the castle, her braid swaying behind her, Melissa couldn't help but sigh again.
"She's infuriating," she muttered. "And yet…"
A small smile tugged at her lips. "She's got spirit."
The castle's improvised "shower" was more like a bathing room—a large wooden tub surrounded by a simple water magic array that recycled clean water through runic flow.
Issac sat there, soaking with his arms resting on the tub's edge, eyes half-closed as the water steamed around him.
"Finally," he muttered. "Peace."
A small, transparent blue screen hovered just above his line of sight.
> [System Quest: Increase Prosperity to Level 2 — (City Rank)]
Progress: 3%
Reward: New Knight Slot +5
Issac exhaled deeply. "So that's the next step, huh… Prosperity."
He looked at the ceiling, droplets of water sliding down his cheek. The thought of building his city into something real—something his people could live in proudly—felt almost impossible, yet… exciting.
"Guess I have to start small," he murmured. "Farms, walls, knights… and maybe less idiocy from my gray army."
He chuckled softly at that thought. "Though I suppose they're trying their best."
The sound of distant hammering echoed through the walls—the gray knights must've been "fixing" something again. He just hoped it wasn't the drawbridge.
Issac leaned back, letting the warm water wash away his tension.
For the first time in days, he felt like he could breathe.
The system had purpose, his knights had spirit, and Melissa…
Well, Melissa was terrifying, but reliable.
Then again, that's what made her trustworthy.
He was just about to close his eyes again when the wooden door creaked open.
"Huh?"
Issac turned his head, blinking. "Melissa, is that yo—"
And then he froze.
It wasn't Melissa.
Flare stepped through the door, steam curling around her. Her armor was gone—only the faint shimmer of fire mana clung to her skin like an invisible veil. Auburn hair framed her face as she walked in casually, her braid still damp from sweat.
Issac's brain stalled.
"F-Flare?!"
She looked up innocently. "Oh, Lord Wesk. I didn't know you were here."
"I—of course I'm here! It's the bath! What are you—why are you—"
She tilted her head. "Melissa told me to take a bath. I thought this was the room."
"T-Then use it after I'm done!"
Flare blinked, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then a playful smile curved her lips.
"But isn't it a knight's duty to help her lord?"
Issac choked. "W-What kind of help—No! Absolutely not!"
She shrugged, unbothered, and began to turn away. "If you insist."
As she stepped back, the light caught her bare shoulder—the faint glow of her fire-touched skin glimmering like molten glass.
Issac's face went red as his brain screamed don't look, don't look, don't look!
She paused at the door, glancing back over her shoulder. "Next time, maybe lock before you relax, Lord Wesk. You never know who might walk in."
Then she was gone, leaving the door half-open, and Issac sitting there in the tub like a stunned statue.
He stared at the doorway for a long time before finally sinking deeper into the water, muttering to himself.
"I swear… this world is going to kill me before the monsters do."
Above him, the faint chime of the system echoed quietly.
> [Bond Level with Fire Knight: +1]
[Title Gained: "Lord of Embarrassing Situations"]
Issac groaned. "Not funny, System."
But even as he buried his face in his hands, he couldn't stop the small, embarrassed smile tugging at his lips.