The hall of Aurelius' mansion remained silent after his decision.
The training would begin the next day. That phrase still echoed in my mind as I watched the archmage standing before us.
He seemed calm, as if this were just another ordinary detail of his routine.
For me, however, it was something much greater.
Lyannis was the first to break the silence.
"So… you simply decided to train us."
Aurelius smiled lightly.
"Yes."
Rai'kanna tilted her head.
"That was quick."
The archmage replied calmly.
"When someone encounters something rare, it makes no sense to ignore it."
Elara observed the crystal staff in his hands.
"You spoke about potential."
Liriel added.
"And also about the sword."
Aurelius turned his gaze to me.
"Yes."
He took a step forward.
"May I see it?"
I held the sword for a moment before responding.
There was no reason to refuse.
I extended the blade toward him.
Aurelius did not take the sword immediately.
First, he simply observed.
His blue eyes analyzed every detail of the blade, the hilt, and the small markings on the metal.
After a few seconds, he finally held the weapon.
The movement was careful.
Almost respectful.
The light coming through the windows reflected off the steel as he slowly raised the sword.
Lyannis watched with curiosity.
Rai'kanna kept her arms crossed.
Elara seemed extremely interested.
Liriel was also completely focused on the archmage's analysis.
Vespera continued in silence.
Aurelius turned the blade at different angles.
His fingers touched some markings near the base of the sword.
He furrowed his brow slightly.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
Then something changed.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The calm expression gave way to deeper interest.
"Interesting."
The word came out almost as a whisper.
Lyannis tilted her head.
"What is it?"
Aurelius continued analyzing the sword.
Then he raised his gaze to me.
"Do you know where this sword came from?"
I shook my head.
"No."
The truth was simple.
I had found the sword a long time ago.
At that time, it seemed like just a high-quality weapon.
Nothing more.
The archmage nodded slowly.
"I thought so."
He looked back at the blade.
He ran his finger over a small, almost invisible mark near the base.
"This mark…"
Elara stepped a little closer.
"You recognized something?"
Aurelius answered without taking his eyes off the sword.
"Yes."
The hall fell silent again.
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"That seems important."
Rai'kanna agreed.
"If a four-hundred-year-old archmage recognizes something, it's probably important."
Aurelius finally lifted his head.
His eyes returned to me.
"This sword is not ordinary."
I met his gaze.
"I suspected as much."
He nodded.
"Rightly so."
Aurelius turned the sword once more, observing the blade carefully.
Then he said something that made the entire hall fall silent.
"This weapon belonged to a hero."
For a few seconds, no one reacted.
Lyannis was the first to speak.
"A hero?"
The archmage nodded.
"Yes."
Elara looked surprised.
"Are you sure?"
Aurelius answered calmly.
"I am."
He subtly pointed to the base of the blade.
"This mark is an ancient symbol."
Liriel examined the indicated spot.
"A crest?"
The archmage nodded again.
"A symbol used by a hero who lived centuries ago."
The weight of the information fell upon all of us.
Rai'kanna uncrossed her arms.
"So this sword is…"
Aurelius finished the sentence.
"A historical relic."
Lyannis let out a small sigh.
"That explains a lot."
I was still trying to process it.
A hero.
Centuries ago.
The sword I carried every day had belonged to someone like that.
Aurelius continued observing the blade.
Then something caught his attention again.
His blue eyes focused on a specific point.
Near the center of the sword.
He brought his face a little closer.
"What do we have here…"
Elara frowned.
"What now?"
The archmage raised the sword so everyone could see better.
At the center of the blade was a small embedded stone.
It was discreet.
But it emitted a subtle glow.
Lyannis looked closely.
"Has that always been there?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
Aurelius was silent for a few seconds.
Then he let out a small sigh.
"Now it makes even more sense."
Liriel seemed confused.
"Makes sense for what?"
The archmage replied calmly.
"This stone."
He pointed to the embedded crystal.
"It is extremely rare."
Elara observed closely.
"What kind of crystal is that?"
Aurelius answered without hesitation.
"Stone of the Cyclops."
The name fell into the hall like a stone into calm water.
Lyannis blinked twice.
"Stone of what?"
Rai'kanna also looked surprised.
Elara widened her eyes slightly.
"That's impossible."
Liriel looked at the crystal again.
"The Stone of the Cyclops?"
The archmage nodded.
"Yes."
He returned the sword to me.
"An ancient artifact created to amplify mana absurdly."
I held the sword again.
The weight of the weapon felt different now.
As if I were holding something far more important than I had imagined.
Aurelius observed my reaction.
Then spoke calmly.
"Takumi."
I looked up.
"Yes."
He crossed his hands over the staff.
"Now I understand why the sword reacted during the battle."
Lyannis tilted her head.
"Because he is the wielder?"
Aurelius replied.
"Because this sword was made for a hero."
The hall fell silent again.
The archmage continued.
"And for some reason…"
He looked directly into my eyes.
"It chose you."
I held the sword tighter.
At that moment, one thing became clear in my mind.
This weapon carried a story far greater than I had ever imagined.
And perhaps my destiny was also linked to it.