The next evening, the usually peaceful estate became noisy again as the front doors burst open dramatically.
"I'm back!"
Leo walked inside carrying enough energy to power a small kingdom despite clearly returning from academy classes.
Beside him walked Xavier, looking far more composed as usual.
Out in the courtyard, Mia lazily lifted her head from where she'd been resting in dragon form.
"…You're loud."
Leo ignored that completely.
"Hey Mia."
"Hm?"
"Can you fly us to the palace?"
Mia blinked once.
"…Why?"
Leo grinned immediately.
" Tomorrow is my first training day with Ebruhan."
The excitement in his voice was almost dangerous.
Mia stared at him flatly.
"What happened to waiting for the three-day academy breaks?"
"It STARTS tomorrow."
"…You memorized the exact second freedom began, didn't you?"
"Yes."
That answer came disturbingly fast.
Then Mia noticed Xavier standing nearby.
She tilted her head slightly.
"…Eh?"
A claw pointed directly at him.
"He's coming too?"
Xavier raised both hands defensively.
"Just watching."
Then he smiled slightly.
"And honestly…"
"It's been a while, Mia."
Mia's expression softened a little.
"…Yeah."
"You rarely visit lately."
Xavier sighed dramatically.
"Business tutoring, My father wants me handling trade negotiations eventually."
Mia blinked.
"…That sounds exhausting."
"It is."
Leo pointed proudly at himself.
"See? THIS is why I chose dragon training."
"Pretty sure getting punched by Ebruhan is also exhausting," Mia muttered.
Xavier laughed softly at that.
Then Leo suddenly clapped both hands together dramatically.
"SO."
He pointed toward the sky.
"Shall we?"
Mia stared at him for a second.
Then sighed the sigh of someone accepting fate.
"…Fine."
She pushed herself upright before lowering one wing slightly.
"Get on."
Leo immediately climbed onto her back like a child who had waited his entire life for this exact moment.
Xavier climbed on more carefully behind him.
Then he paused.
"…Wow."
Mia glanced back slightly.
"What?"
Xavier smiled faintly.
"It really has been a while since I rode on you."
Silence.
Leo slowly turned toward him.
Mia's eyes narrowed immediately.
"…That sentence sounded incredibly wrong."
Xavier froze.
"…Wait."
Leo immediately burst out laughing.
"YOU WALKED RIGHT INTO THAT."
"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT."
Mia groaned loudly while spreading her wings.
"yoy guys are exhausting."
FWOOOSH!
And moments later, the massive black dragon launched into the evening skies carrying two laughing idiots toward the royal palace once again.
By the time Mia reached the royal palace, the evening sky had already begun darkening into deep orange and violet.
She landed smoothly within the royal garden courtyard while servants and guards calmly stepped aside, already familiar with the giant black dragon arriving whenever chaos was nearby.
And unsurprisingly—
Ebruhan was already there.
Specifically—
surrounded by noble ladies again.
"…And THEN," Ebruhan was saying dramatically, "the Abyss beast tried biting my arm off."
Several noblewomen gasped.
"What happened next?!"
Ebruhan smiled proudly.
"I bit harder."
Mia landed with a loud THUD directly behind him.
The noble ladies jumped slightly before quickly bowing politely.
Ebruhan glanced back casually.
"…Perfect timing."
One of the noble ladies whispered quietly to another:
"They really do arrive together often…"
Mia's eye twitched instantly.
"No."
The noble ladies immediately excused themselves after that, trying very hard not to laugh.
Ebruhan sighed dramatically while watching them leave.
"…You ruined my audience."
"You were flexing again."
"I was educating them."
"About what? Dragon ego?"
"Exactly."
Meanwhile Leo jumped off Mia's back with enough excitement to frighten nearby birds.
"Teacher!"
Ebruhan looked mildly pleased hearing that title again.
"I assume your father permitted the training?"
Leo nodded immediately.
"Yes!"
Then Ebruhan's eyes shifted toward Xavier.
"And him?"
Xavier instantly raised both hands defensively.
"I'm just watching."
Ebruhan stared at him for one second longer.
Then nodded.
"Fair enough."
Afterward, the blue dragon looked up toward the sky.
The last sunlight was fading quickly now.
Night approaching.
"…Tomorrow morning."
Leo blinked.
"Huh?"
"Training starts tomorrow morning."
Leo immediately brightened.
"But we still have time tonight though!"
Ebruhan answered instantly.
"No."
The tone changed slightly.
Not harsh.
Just firm.
"First lesson."
Leo straightened unconsciously.
"…Rest?"
Ebruhan nodded once.
"A tired body learns poorly."
His expression became calmer now.
"If you intend to train seriously…"
"…then learn when NOT to fight."
Even Mia glanced toward him slightly at that.
Because that sentence sounded less like swordsmanship…
and more like experience.
Abyss experience.
Leo slowly nodded.
"…Understood."
Ebruhan crossed his arms.
"Good."
Then immediately ruined the serious atmosphere by adding:
"Besides, tomorrow you'll probably regret if you don't rest well"
Leo froze.
"…What?"
Mia immediately turned away to hide her grin.
Xavier looked deeply entertained already.
Ebruhan smiled pleasantly.
"Sleep well, young master."
Morning sunlight poured across the royal palace grounds as servants began preparing the gardens and training areas for the day.
The peaceful atmosphere lasted exactly until—
FWOOOOSH!
A massive shadow swept across the courtyard.
Several guards looked upward immediately.
"…Lady Dark Flame."
Mia descended from the skies before landing smoothly within the palace training grounds.
Dust scattered lightly from the impact.
Perched proudly on her back—
Leo looked absurdly energized for someone awake this early.
Meanwhile behind him, Xavier already looked concerned for his friend's future survival.
As Mia transformed into human form, another figure approached calmly from the center of the training grounds.
Ebruhan.
Unlike his relaxed attitude yesterday, today he looked more composed.
Focused.
Still calm.
But carrying the presence of an actual instructor now.
He stopped in front of Leo and crossed his arms.
"Good morning, young master."
Leo immediately stood straighter.
"Morning, teacher!"
Ebruhan nodded once.
Then smiled faintly.
"…You ready?"
Leo answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
No joking.
No dramatic complaints.
Just determination.
Ebruhan studied him quietly for a moment.
Then nodded slightly.
"Good."
A pause.
"Because today will hurt."
"Before strength…"
He walked past Leo slowly.
"…comes foundation."
Then he pointed toward the massive palace training field.
"Run."
Leo blinked.
"…How far?"
Ebruhan looked at the enormous field.
"Until I say stop."
Silence.
At first, Leo ran confidently across the massive palace training grounds.
Actually confidently.
Good posture.
Controlled breathing.
Steady pace.
Mia watched with mild surprise.
"…He's lasting longer than I expected."
Beside her, Xavier nodded.
"Academy training isn't completely useless apparently."
Meanwhile Ebruhan stood calmly with arms crossed, watching silently like a very patient predator.
One lap.
Two laps.
Three.
Sweat began forming across Leo's forehead.
By the fourth lap—
his breathing became heavier.
By the fifth—
his pace slowed slightly.
And by the sixth—
reality arrived.
Leo stumbled forward slightly while gasping.
"…Huff… huff…"
His legs burned.
His chest hurt.
And somehow the training field looked BIGGER now than when he started.
He dragged himself forward stubbornly anyway.
Ebruhan's voice echoed calmly across the field.
"Your breathing is collapsing."
Leo tried responding.
"…I… AM… BREATHING…"
"Poorly."
Mia snorted loudly.
Leo pointed weakly toward her while still jogging.
"YOU… ARE… NOT… HELPING…"
Xavier sat nearby eating fruit like this was premium entertainment.
"His form's getting sloppy."
Mia nodded seriously.
"Very tragic.poor him"
Leo looked moments away from disowning both of them.
Still—
he kept running.
That part Ebruhan noticed immediately.
Most noble kids would've:
complained
slowed to walking
asked for breaks
Leo didn't.
Even exhausted—
he kept pushing forward.
Then finally—
his legs nearly gave out and he stumbled onto one knee.
"Huff… huff…"
Sweat dripped onto the dirt beneath him.
His entire body felt heavy.
Ebruhan calmly walked over.
"…Warm-up complete."
Silence.
Leo stared at him.
After Leo somehow survived the "warm-up," Ebruhan finally allowed him to rest.
Then the real training began.
And Leo quickly realized something terrifying.
Ebruhan wasn't just strong.
He was experienced.
Deeply experienced.
The kind of experience carved from countless battles, survival, instinct, and bloodshed.
The blue dragon stood across from Leo in the center of the training grounds with a practice sword resting against his shoulder.
"Strength alone means nothing if your movements are predictable."
Leo listened carefully despite still breathing heavily.
Ebruhan casually shifted his stance.
"Most inexperienced fighters watch the weapon."
Then he pointed toward Leo's shoulders.
"Experienced fighters watch the body."
A pause.
"Especially the shoulders, hips, and feet."
He demonstrated several movements slowly.
"Humans reveal attacks before they swing."
Then he suddenly attacked.
THWACK!
Leo barely blocked in time.
Ebruhan continued calmly while attacking again and again.
"Your feet tell direction."
CLANG!
"Your shoulders reveal power."
CLANG!
"Your eyes reveal hesitation."
THUNK.
Leo got smacked directly in the forehead.
"Ow!"
Mia, sitting nearby beside Xavier, immediately burst out laughing.
"His eyes definitely revealed hesitation."
"I hate both of you."
Ebruhan ignored the suffering entirely.
Then came stance training.
Sword balance.
Weight distribution.
Recovery movements.
Attack flow.
Defense transitions.
Ebruhan explained everything with frightening detail.
Not academy theory.
Real combat logic.
"When fighting larger opponents, never stand directly center."
"Against faster enemies, reaction alone is insufficient. Predict movement instead."
"Choose swords based on combat purpose, not appearance."
He pointed toward several practice weapons laid nearby.
"Longswords provide versatility."
"Short blades increase adaptability."
"Heavy blades break guards."
"Thin blades exploit openings."
Leo listened intensely while trying to absorb everything.
Even Xavier eventually stopped joking and started paying attention seriously.
Because honestly?
Ebruhan's explanations were fascinating.
This wasn't noble fencing.
This was battlefield survival.
At one point Ebruhan suddenly tossed different weapons onto the ground.
"Choose."
Leo blinked.
"…Based on what?"
"Me."
That answer alone felt threatening.
Leo hesitated before selecting a balanced longsword.
Ebruhan nodded slightly.
"Reason?"
"Balanced reach. Balanced defense. Adaptable."
"…Good."
Then Ebruhan casually picked the heaviest weapon available.
Mia immediately muttered:
"Oh no."
The next five minutes became educational violence.
CLANG!!
Leo nearly got launched backward blocking the first strike alone.
"Your enemy will not politely match your weapon style," Ebruhan explained calmly while attacking again.
"Adapt."
CLANG!
"Think."
CLANG!
"Observe."
THUD.
Leo hit the ground.
"…I'm observing death."
Xavier immediately laughed.
Even Ebruhan smirked slightly.
But despite the pain—
Leo improved.
Slowly.
Noticeably.
His footing adjusted faster now.
His guard recovered quicker.
His eyes tracked movement better.
Ebruhan noticed every bit of it.
So did Mia.
And honestly?
Watching Leo struggle this hard without giving up…
made her weirdly proud.
Sweat dripped from Leo's face as he tightened his grip on the practice sword again.
His arms hurt.
His legs hurt.
Everything hurt.
Meanwhile across from him, Ebruhan still looked perfectly fine.
Which was deeply insulting.
"Again," Ebruhan said calmly.
Leo exhaled sharply.
Then charged forward.
CLANG!
Their practice swords collided once.
Twice.
Three times.
Leo suddenly shifted his footing.
Instead of retreating like before—
he moved to the side.
Ebruhan's eyes flickered slightly.
Good adjustment.
Leo ducked beneath the next swing narrowly before immediately twisting his body and driving a hard kick directly toward Ebruhan's knee.
A smart target.
A disabling target.
THUD!
The impact landed cleanly.
And—
…nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
Ebruhan didn't even move an inch.
Leo froze.
"…What?"
Ebruhan blinked once while looking down at him.
"…That was impressive."
Leo stared upward in disbelief.
"I JUST KICKED YOU."
"You targeted the knee correctly."
"No, that's not the issue here!"
Mia immediately burst out laughing from nearby.
Xavier nearly fell over beside her.
Leo pointed accusingly at Ebruhan's leg.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU MOVE?!"
Ebruhan answered with complete calm.
"…I'm a dragon."
Silence.
Leo stared at him.
Then slowly looked down at Ebruhan's completely unmoved stance.
Then back up again.
"…Right."
Realization hit him like a brick.
"You guys keep your dragon body weight even in human form, don't you?"
Ebruhan nodded once.
"sometimes .. yes"
Ebruhan calmly rested the practice sword against his shoulder again.
"Against dragons, physical force alone is often insufficient."
Then he pointed lightly toward Leo.
"Technique matters more."
Leo groaned dramatically.
"So basically I tried kicking a mountain."
"A reasonably accurate comparison."
Xavier was openly laughing now.
Leo looked personally betrayed by reality.
"…This training is terrible."
Ebruhan smiled faintly.
"And yet…"
He lowered his stance again.
"You're still standing."
That sentence hit differently.
Because it was true.
Leo was exhausted.
Bruised.
Overwhelmed.
But he hadn't quit.
Ebruhan noticed that more than anything else.
"Enough."
Ebruhan lowered his sword before looking toward the completely exhausted Leo.
"That is enough for today."
Leo stood there breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his chin while every muscle in his body screamed for mercy,
Ebruhan look to him a bit with pleased.
"Go home."
Then his tone softened slightly.
"Rest properly, young master."
Leo straightened despite his exhaustion.
"…Understood, teacher."
And from that day onward—
training became routine.
Every academy break.
Every free afternoon.
Every chance Leo had—
he trained under Ebruhan.
Sometimes with swords.
Sometimes with endurance.
Sometimes with combat drills so brutal Leo questioned every life decision leading him there.
But Ebruhan taught seriously.
Not as a noble entertaining a child.
Not as a dragon humoring a human.
But as a genuine mentor.
He taught:
swordsmanship
battlefield instincts
enemy prediction
breathing control
stamina management
combat adaptation
survival tactics
And sometimes—
just lessons from experience.
"Fear is normal."
"Panic is dangerous."
"Never waste movement."
"Never underestimate desperate opponents."
"Winning dishonorably is still surviving."
Those lessons stuck with Leo far more than academy lectures ever had.
Of course—
there were days Ebruhan wasn't present.
Because no matter how relaxed he acted…
he was still:
the Great Protector of Kingdom of Lumeris.
Sometimes he vanished for patrols along dangerous borders,
But the most unexpected part?
Others started joining.
First—
Xavier.
Originally he only watched.
Then one day Ebruhan tossed him a practice sword.
"Your turn."
"…Excuse me?"
"Stop spectating and swing."
Xavier looks at for a while, but he nodded
"It won't hurt for few self defense right?"
And surprisingly—
Xavier adapted well.
Not as aggressively as Leo.
But intelligently.
Calm movements.
Careful observation.
Precise timing.
Ebruhan actually approved.
"Hm. Tactical fighter."
Xavier looked weirdly proud hearing that.
Then came the biggest surprise.
Mia joined too.
At first only occasionally.
Then more often.
The black dragon who once relied mostly on raw power began learning actual sword techniques in human form.
And somehow—
she learned absurdly fast.
Ebruhan once sighed dramatically after watching her copy a stance perfectly after seeing it only twice.
"…Black dragon instincts are unfair."
Mia looked deeply satisfied hearing that.in her mind
"I still got a man brain inside here"
Months slowly passed.
And change became visible.
Leo's movements sharpened.
His reactions became faster.
Cleaner.
His body gradually developed real muscle from constant training.
Not massive.
But practical strength.
Meanwhile Xavier improved nearly as quickly.
And Mia?
Mia became terrifyingly adaptable.
Sometimes during sparring—
Leo actually managed to hit Ebruhan.
Rarely.
But enough.
And each time it happened—
the blue dragon smiled a little more.
Because they were growing.
Not just stronger.
But capable.
Together.