The hall remained silent after Aurelius' words.
The sword was still in my hands. Now, however, its weight felt different. Knowing that this blade had belonged to a hero of the past completely changed the way I viewed it.
Lyannis was the first to speak again.
"So we're walking around with a historical relic."
Rai'kanna let out a small laugh.
"That explains why so many strange things happen around him."
Liriel continued observing the sword with curiosity.
"A hero from centuries ago…"
Elara seemed more thoughtful.
"The Stone of the Cyclops amplifying mana…"
Vespera remained silent as always.
Aurelius rested the staff on the ground again. The soft sound echoed through the hall.
He observed the group calmly.
Finally, he spoke.
"Weapons like this are rare."
I looked at the blade again.
"You said it belonged to a hero."
The archmage nodded.
"Yes."
Lyannis tilted her head.
"You speak about it with a lot of certainty."
Rai'kanna also looked curious.
"How do you know so much about this sword?"
Aurelius was silent for a few seconds.
Then he slowly walked to one of the hall's windows.
The daylight partially illuminated his face as he looked out at the mansion's garden.
When he spoke again, his voice was calm.
"Because I was there."
The entire group froze for a moment.
Lyannis blinked slowly.
"Wait."
She pointed at him.
"You were… there?"
Aurelius turned his head slightly.
"Yes."
Elara frowned.
"But that would have been centuries ago."
The archmage nodded.
"Correct."
Liriel looked intrigued.
"So…"
She hesitated for a moment.
"How old are you really?"
Aurelius turned back to us.
His expression remained calm, as if the question were completely ordinary.
He answered simply.
"A little over four centuries."
Silence took over the hall again.
Lyannis opened her mouth slowly.
"Four hundred…"
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"That's a long time."
Elara seemed thoughtful.
"Mages can prolong their own lives using advanced magic."
Liriel added.
"But four centuries is still impressive."
Vespera simply observed.
Aurelius walked back to the center of the hall.
The crystal staff reflected the light coming through the windows.
"When you live long enough, you end up witnessing many things."
He continued.
"Battles, kings, wars…"
His expression remained serene.
"And heroes."
I looked at the sword again.
"So you knew the former wielder."
The archmage nodded.
"I knew him."
Lyannis placed her hands on her hips.
"And what was he like?"
Aurelius thought for a few seconds before answering.
"Determined."
He continued.
"And also extremely stubborn."
Rai'kanna smiled.
"That sounds familiar."
Liriel let out a small laugh.
Elara watched with interest.
"Did he also use this sword?"
Aurelius answered.
"Yes."
He looked again at the blade I was holding.
"The sword reacted to his flow of mana."
Lyannis tilted her head.
"Just like it reacted to Takumi."
The archmage nodded.
"Exactly."
The hall fell silent again for a few moments.
The information was still being absorbed by everyone.
I took a deep breath.
"If you knew the hero…"
I looked up at him.
"Then you know more about this sword than anyone else."
Aurelius did not deny it.
"Yes."
Rai'kanna tilted her head.
"That means you also know how to use this power."
The archmage replied calmly.
"I know how it was used."
Lyannis crossed her arms again.
"That's already more than Takumi knows."
Elara seemed thoughtful.
"So the training will involve the sword as well."
Aurelius nodded.
"Yes."
He walked a few steps across the hall as he spoke.
"The sword amplifies the wielder's mana."
He subtly pointed to the crystal embedded in the blade.
"The Stone of the Cyclops functions as a core."
Liriel observed closely.
"An amplification core."
The archmage continued.
"But amplification without control can be dangerous."
Lyannis raised an eyebrow.
"That explains the golden armor appearing all of a sudden."
Aurelius agreed.
"Exactly."
He turned his gaze back to me.
"Your body reacted instinctively to support the mana flow."
Rai'kanna smiled.
"Basically, the power exploded."
Elara corrected.
"Exploded in a controlled way."
Liriel added.
"But still without conscious mastery."
I held the sword more firmly.
"So that's what I need to learn."
The archmage nodded.
"Yes."
He rested the staff on the ground once more.
"Mana control."
Lyannis sighed.
"Finally, we're getting to the important part."
Aurelius looked at all of us.
"The training will not be easy."
Rai'kanna shrugged.
"Training rarely is."
Elara seemed excited.
"Learning magic directly from a legendary archmage is not something common."
Liriel agreed.
"Actually, it's extremely rare."
Vespera remained silent but seemed attentive.
Aurelius walked to the hall's door.
He paused for a moment before speaking again.
"The day is already advancing."
He looked at me.
"Takumi."
I nodded.
"Yes."
The archmage smiled lightly.
"Training begins tomorrow morning."
Lyannis stretched her arms.
"Finally."
Rai'kanna looked satisfied.
Elara and Liriel exchanged an excited glance.
I held the sword once again.
That power was still a mystery to me.
But now I had something I didn't have before.
A teacher who knew the weapon's history.
An archmage who had lived for centuries.
And who had also known the hero who used that sword in the past.
Aurelius opened the hall door.
The light from the garden entered the room.
He spoke calmly.
"Rest today."
Then he looked at me again.
"Tomorrow we begin."
And for the first time since the sword awakened during the battle, I felt that I was finally on the path to understanding that power.