Chapter 17: The Mountain of the Iron Tempest
The following morning...
Vee left Ashford Manor before sunrise.
His mother hugged him three separate times before finally letting him go.
"Eat properly."
"I will."
"Sleep enough."
"I will."
"And don't let your uncle overwork you."
Vee smiled.
"I'll try."
His father chuckled.
"That depends on whether your uncle remembers mercy."
"I've heard he misplaced it years ago."
His mother glared at the Duke.
"That's not funny."
"...It was a little funny."
---
The carriage traveled for hours.
Cities disappeared behind them.
Roads became narrow mountain trails.
The air grew colder.
Towering cliffs surrounded them.
Finally, the coachman stopped.
"We can't go any farther, Young Master."
Vee stepped outside.
Before him stood a mountain so tall that its peak vanished into the clouds.
Stone stairs carved into the mountainside stretched endlessly upward.
"...You've got to be kidding."
The coachman smiled apologetically.
"Master Rowan prefers visitors to walk."
Vee sighed.
"Of course he does."
---
Three hours later...
Vee finally reached the summit.
He leaned against a stone pillar, breathing heavily.
"...Why..."
"...does he live..."
"...this high?"
A deep voice answered from behind him.
"So that lazy visitors give up before reaching my home."
Vee turned.
Standing there was a man nearly two meters tall.
His short black hair was streaked with silver.
A long scar crossed one eye.
His simple gray robes couldn't hide the powerful physique beneath them.
He carried a plain wooden practice sword.
Yet...
His presence alone made the air feel heavier.
"The Iron Tempest..."
"Uncle Rowan..."
In the novel Vee had read...
Rowan Ashford was considered one of the kingdom's greatest heroes.
He had defeated armies.
Slain legendary monsters.
Protected entire cities.
He rarely appeared in the story...
But every appearance reminded readers why his name inspired both respect and fear.
Rowan looked Vee up and down.
"Hm."
"You climbed without complaining."
"I complained."
"...Only in my head."
Rowan smiled faintly.
"Good enough."
He walked over and patted Vee's shoulder.
The "pat" nearly knocked Vee off his feet.
"...You're stronger than your father was at your age."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was."
---
"Welcome home."
A gentle voice called from behind the house.
A beautiful woman walked out carrying a basket of fresh vegetables.
She smiled warmly.
"You must be Vee."
"I'm your Aunt Elara."
Vee bowed respectfully.
"It's nice to meet you."
She immediately pulled him into a hug.
"Oh..."
"You're just as handsome as your mother said."
Vee laughed awkwardly.
"I guess the family likes hugging."
"We do."
---
"Father."
Two more voices echoed across the courtyard.
A boy and a girl approached.
The boy looked about Vee's age.
He had dark hair, amber eyes, and a practice sword resting on his shoulder.
The girl appeared slightly younger.
Her long black hair reached her waist.
Her blue eyes calmly studied Vee.
The boy smiled first.
"So you're Cousin Vee."
"My name's Ethan."
He extended his hand.
Vee shook it.
"Nice to meet you."
Ethan grinned.
"I've heard you became the Academy's Apex."
"I also heard you got lost."
"...News travels fast."
"It does."
Vee looked toward the girl.
She looked back.
For several seconds...
Neither spoke.
Then...
She simply nodded once.
"..."
"...Hi?"
She turned around and quietly walked back toward the house.
Vee blinked.
"...Did I say something wrong?"
Ethan laughed.
"No."
"That's just Iris."
"She doesn't talk much."
"Especially to people she just met."
"Oh."
"I thought she hated me already."
"No."
"If she hated you..."
"...she would've actually said something."
Vee scratched his head.
"I don't know whether that's comforting."
---
Later that afternoon...
Uncle Rowan showed Vee around the mountain estate.
A quiet river flowed beside the house.
A forge stood near the eastern cliff.
There was a vegetable garden, a stable, and...
An enormous training ground.
It was bigger than the Academy's practice arena.
The ground was covered with sword marks.
Entire boulders had been split cleanly in half.
One cliff had a slash so deep it looked as though a giant had cut the mountain itself.
Vee stared.
"...You did this?"
Rowan nodded.
"Years ago."
Vee slowly looked from the cliff...
Back to his uncle.
"...I'm in danger."
Rowan smiled.
"You are."
---
As the sun began to set...
The family gathered for dinner.
The atmosphere was peaceful.
Even Iris occasionally glanced at Vee, though she still didn't speak.
After the meal...
Rowan placed his cup on the table.
"Training begins tomorrow."
Vee straightened.
"What time?"
"Three."
"...Three in the morning?"
"Yes."
Vee stared.
"...Does morning even exist at three?"
Rowan ignored the question.
"You return to the Academy in one week."
"We have six days."
"So..."
"We won't waste a single moment."
His gaze sharpened.
"When I train someone..."
"I don't train them halfway."
Vee smiled confidently.
"I can handle it."
Rowan looked at him for a long second.
Then nodded.
"We'll see."
---
The Next Morning
Vee's eyes slowly opened.
The room was completely dark.
A loud knock echoed through the cabin.
Knock! Knock!
"Wake up."
It was Rowan.
Vee groaned.
"...The sun isn't even awake."
"Good."
"It won't distract you."
Twenty minutes later...
Still rubbing sleep from his eyes...
Vee walked toward the training ground.
Torchlights illuminated the massive arena.
To his surprise...
Rowan wasn't alone.
Ethan was already there.
Wooden sword in hand.
Perfect posture.
Completely awake.
A few meters away...
Iris quietly stretched while holding a slender practice blade.
She looked as calm as if it were midday.
Vee blinked.
"...You've both been awake this whole time?"
Ethan laughed.
"We've been training since two-thirty."
Vee's soul nearly left his body.
"...There's an earlier time than three?"
Rowan folded his arms.
"You're late."
Vee looked toward the sky.
"It's still night."
"Excuses."
Vee sighed dramatically and stepped into the center of the training yard.
"...I have a feeling..."
"...these are going to be the longest six days of my life."
Rowan's faint smile returned.
"Correct."
He picked up a wooden sword and tossed another one to Vee.
It landed perfectly in Vee's hands.
"Now..."
"Let's see whether the Academy's Apex..."
"...can survive mountain training."
The cold mountain wind swept across the training yard.
Vee tightened his grip on the practice sword.
His real training...
Was about to begin.