Aster was surprised by his master's words and asked,
"What did I forget?"
"Calmness…" Valorant replied, exhaling deeply.
"Anger has already begun to take hold of you. I'll leave you alone so you can reflect on your mistake."
With that, Valorant left the open clearing in the forest and headed back toward his hut.
Aster watched his master leave with a conflicted expression. Then he looked down at his hands and noticed a faint—but unmistakable—tremble.
This was what happened when his anger began to rise—something inside him went out of balance.
Anger and rage were an Elestar's greatest enemies.
Before facing an external foe, an Elestar must first confront their own fury. If they cannot control these two, victory in battle is not even worth considering.
Realizing his mistake, Aster sat down more comfortably and began meditating and concentrating. He remained there until he had fully regained control of his mana.
After some time, once he felt steady again, he recalled his master's words and continued training on his own.
He trained until the sun disappeared behind the trees. Only after night fell did he return to the hut.
Since it was already late, Valorant had lit a fire in front of the hut and was warming himself beside it. Aster joined him and sat down quietly.
Without saying a word, the old man took food from a container and handed it to his disciple. Aster accepted it and began eating in silence.
As night deepened and stars appeared in the sky, the forest fell completely quiet. Valorant seemed to take comfort in that silence, listening to the peaceful sounds of the woods.
Suddenly, the calm was broken by Aster's question.
"Where did you learn to fight?"
Valorant straightened slightly and looked at his disciple.
"Why do you ask?"
Turning his head a little, Aster replied,
"I've wanted to ask for a long time, but I didn't know how. I thought now was the right moment."
Clearing his throat, the old man spoke.
"Combat can't be learned in a single place. It's something you acquire over many years of experience. I learned many things from my youth all the way until I became a general. And even after that, I never stopped learning."
Aster was taken aback.
"You were a general?"
Valorant lifted his head proudly.
"Yes. I once commanded an entire army on my own. Afterward, I retired. Now, my disciple leads the army in my place."
Those words left Aster stunned.
"May I ask one more question?"
Valorant closed and opened his eyes once—an unspoken permission.
"You disappear to the same place every day. Why?"
"I check whether any messages have arrived from messenger birds."
That answer didn't satisfy Aster, and he continued looking at his master. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Valorant sighed and explained further.
"When you arrived, I began to worry that demons might cross the border again. If one or two come, I can kill them. But what if an entire army arrives? That thought troubled me. So I began sending daily reports to my disciple by messenger pigeon—updates on what's happening here. If no message arrives, he knows to come."
"So that's why you go out at night," Aster said.
Valorant looked up at the vast, star-filled sky and replied,
"Yes. Demons, like vampires, can't move during the day. Sunlight kills them both. That's their punishment."
"Punishment?" Aster repeated, frowning in confusion.
"For their sins," Valorant said.
"Demons kill humans, devour them—and not only that. They can even turn humans into demons."
To make humans one of their own, demons performed a special ritual. But not everyone survived it. Those who succeeded became high-ranking demons; those who failed became nothing more than corpses.
Aster felt a chill run through him.
"I didn't know demons had so many abilities."
***
A new morning dawned, birds beginning to sing.
Aster was alone inside the hut. Not feeling his master's usual wake-up method felt strangely unsettling.
'Why didn't he wake me?'
With that thought, Aster got up and looked around.
There was no one nearby. Thinking his master had gone out for some reason, Aster began his usual morning routine. He ran through the forest, did push-ups, and practiced striking techniques.
This continued until midday. While meditating inside the forest, he suddenly felt a familiar mana approaching.
'Master Valorant.'
Opening his eyes, Aster looked toward where his master was coming from. Valorant's clothes were different—as if he had changed everything he was wearing.
Whether because the new clothes suited him better or because his old ones had been in poor condition, Valorant looked far more presentable now.
Seeing this, Aster asked,
"Where did you go?"
"I had to visit somewhere," Valorant replied, nodding slightly.
He was carrying a large bag with him. From its appearance, it seemed heavy and full, which caught Aster's attention.
Valorant took the bag into the hut, then returned to his disciple, and they resumed training.
No matter how many times Aster tried to land a hit during their sparring, not a single strike reached his master. Valorant effortlessly deflected every attack and threw him to the ground.
These lessons were not wasted. After countless falls, Aster learned how to fall properly and land more safely.
Exhausted and unable to stand, Aster lay stretched out on the ground and spoke as loudly as he could.
"I'm done. I have no strength left."
Looking down at him, the old man smiled slightly.
"Are you tired of falling?"
A genuine smile appeared on Valorant's face.
"Did you just laugh?" Aster asked.
"Yes. So what?"
Since becoming his disciple, Aster had never seen his master truly laugh. At most, Valorant would give a faint smile or remain silent.
"You haven't laughed even once in a whole month. That surprised me."
It meant something.
Valorant had begun to accept Aster as his disciple. But that closeness did nothing to ease the training.
After resting on the ground for a while, Aster felt his strength return and stood up again.
"Take the staff," Valorant said, tossing one toward him.
"We'll begin sword training."
Seeing this, Aster was filled with joy.
'Finally! Today we're starting sword training. And it looks like Master is happy about it too.'
Holding a staff in one hand, Valorant faced his disciple calmly.
"Show me."
Aster gripped the staff and tested its weight, first getting used to it. Once it felt right in his hands, he raised it and charged straight at his master.
He lifted the staff to strike downward—
But before he could even swing, the old man closed the distance between them in an instant.
Valorant's staff rested beside Aster's neck.
Aster didn't even have time to understand what had happened.
'How did he do that?! I didn't even see him cross the distance between us!'
Valorant lowered the staff from his disciple's neck.
"We continue."
They trained until late, until darkness fully settled around them. After returning to the hut, they sat by the fire and talked.
"You trained well today," Valorant praised.
"How? I didn't hit you even once."
The old man shook his head lightly, as if that wasn't what he meant.
"I didn't see anger on your face even once today. You've learned to control yourself much better."
After yesterday's mistake, Aster had done his best to restrain himself—whether he fell or got hit.
"Of course! After realizing my mistake yesterday, I tried not to get angry again."
Stirring the firewood with a poker, Valorant continued,
"Calmness is an essential trait for a warrior. No matter the situation, always remain calm. Only then will your mind stay clear."
Aster nodded in agreement.
Then, unexpectedly, Valorant said something Aster hadn't anticipated.
"I have a gift for you."