The night before their departure settled gently over Lumisdale.
The vast grasslands lay quiet beneath a sky scattered with distant stars. The wind moved softly, carrying with it the calm, steady rhythm of Aether that had become so familiar over the past months.
The training had ended.
Renn sat outside. He reached for his dagger. The blade rested silently at his side. He held it.
"…Lumindelle."
A pause.
"…Are you there?"
For a moment, there's no response. Nothing. Then, a voice. Soft, playful, yet ancient.
"…You have completely forgotten me."
Renn's grip tightened slightly.
"All this time… I've been here," the voice continued, faintly amused, "sleeping inside this sheath of yours."
A brief pause.
"…Oh?" A subtle shift in tone. "Your aura is different."
Renn remained still.
"The last time I saw you," Lumindelle added, almost teasingly, "your Aether was unstable. Wild." A pause. "You used it recklessly. You were exhausting your own meridian."
Renn exhaled lightly. "…Tell me something." A pause. "What do you know… about a golden sphere of Aether?"
"…Alma Aetheris?"
The name settled heavily in the air.
"What an unexpected question," Lumindelle murmured.
"…She is my mother."
Renn's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I am a fragment of her," Lumindelle continued. "Drawn from that sphere… and given form." "In short, I am being materialized into a weapon."
Renn looked at the dagger in his hand. "…Can you get out?"
A soft hum followed.
"…I can't." A faint sigh. "You exhausted my Aether the last time you fought that one… Malveris. And whatever little I had left…" Her tone turned slightly smug. "…I may have used it bragging to children about how magnificent I am."
Renn didn't hesitate. He unsheathed the dagger. Golden Aether began to gather in his hand— Then flowed into the blade.
"…How about now?"
The blade pulsed faintly.
"…Not enough. More."
Renn increased the flow.The golden aura thickened, pouring steadily into the weapon.
"…You're quite gluttonous," Renn muttered quietly. The light intensified. Then, it happened.
A small form emerged from the blade. Particles of golden light gathered. Condensed and took shape. A small, cat-like figure.
Lumindelle.
She stretched slightly, her luminous body flickering at the edges like drifting embers.
"…At last." A slow breath. "…Fresh air."
Renn watched her closely. "…Now tell me." A pause. "Who exactly are you?"
Lumindelle sat down calmly, her glowing eyes meeting his. "I told you already," she said lightly. "I am a manifestation of an Aether weapon."
She glanced upward briefly. "I was drawn from Alma Aetheris… and given form." Her tail flickered behind her, dissolving into light.
"Every Sovereign being possesses a unique Aether weapon."
Renn's gaze sharpened. "…Sovereign?"
Lumindelle nodded slightly. "A peak beyond mastery. A state beyond human limitation. A being that no longer merely uses Aether, but embodies it."
Silence followed. Renn looked at her.
"…Do you know any?"
"…No." Lumindelle shook her head lightly. "I don't." Her tone softened. "I only remember waking up and seeing you, holding my blade."
Morning came gently over Lumisdale.
The sun rose without haste, its light spilling across the vast grasslands like a quiet blessing. Dew clung to the blades of grass, and the air carried a calm warmth—soft, steady, and alive.
The five stood once more before Chief Mumanko.
She moved around them slowly, her small frame deliberate, her fingers occasionally hovering their backs as if sensing something beyond the surface.
"Hmmm…"
She paused behind Kael. Then Taren. Then Renn.
"Well," she said at last, nodding to herself, "I suppose there's nothing more I can do." She stepped back, folding her arms.
"Your Aether meridians are in good shape." A faint smile formed. "You're good to go."
The group relaxed slightly.
Then, Mumanko tilted her head.
"…Although…" A playful glint crossed her eyes. "…would you like to relax a bit before you leave?"
Taren's face immediately stiffened. "…Don't tell me it's the acupuncture again."
Mumanko blinked. Then smiled wider. "No, no…" A pause. "I'm sure you'll like this one."
Moments later—
Splash.
"AAAAAH—!"
Taren's voice echoed across the open springs as he leapt into the steaming water without hesitation.
"This is heaven!" he shouted, sinking deeper into the pool, his entire body melting into relief.
Steam rose into the morning air.
Nearby, Renn lowered himself into the water more slowly. The heat wrapped around him instantly—not burning, but soothing. Every tension held within his muscles, every strain from months of training, began to dissolve.
"…This is… nice," he murmured quietly.
Kael sank in beside him with a heavy exhale. "…Took them long enough to give us something like this."
Though his tone remained gruff, his shoulders had already loosened.
Lio sat calmly at the edge before easing himself into the spring. "…Your breathing has already slowed," he noted.
Taren floated lazily nearby. "…That's because I've reached enlightenment."
"…You reached exhaustion," Kael replied flatly.
Arden stood at the edge for a moment longer before finally stepping in. He said nothing. But the slight drop in his shoulders spoke enough.
"…Don't get too comfortable," he muttered.
Taren grinned. "…Too late."
The water rippled gently around them. For the first time in months— There was no pressure. No expectations. Just stillness.
On the Other Side
Steam curled softly over the women's spring. The air here was quieter. More still.
Seris sat partially submerged, her posture composed, her presence barely noticeable even within the rising mist.
Chief Mumanko watched her. Silently. Observing.
"…You're a Veil specialist, aren't you?"
Seris did not respond immediately. Mumanko smiled faintly. "…I can see why I thought I was alone in this hot spring all this time."
A pause.
"Your technique is perfect." Her gaze softened slightly. "…Seris, was it?"
Seris gave a small nod.
Silence settled between them. Then—
"Why do you hide your strength?"
The question lingered. Seris lowered her gaze. She did not answer. The steam drifted between them.
"…I see." Mumanko leaned back slightly. "…Well… I suppose you have your reasons."
A long pause followed.
"You know," she said, her tone shifting playfully, "I was once part of the Royal Knights too."
Seris looked up slightly.
"Back then," Mumanko continued, grinning, "I was the most beautiful knight." She placed a hand over her chest dramatically.
"Men followed me everywhere. Some even jumped from the top of the Knight's tower to prove their love."
She burst into laughter.
On the other side—
Taren froze mid-soak. "…What are they talking about over there?"
Kael frowned. "…Don't ask."
Back in the spring—
Mumanko wiped a tear from her eye. "…Kidding aside." Her tone shifted. "I was the strongest among them."
A pause.
"Even as a Priest."
Seris's eyes sharpened slightly. "Priests stay at the rear," Mumanko continued. "They heal. They support."
Her gaze lowered slightly.
"But I fought at the front."
The steam thickened. "People questioned me. They thought I was something unnatural." A pause. "Until one day, we faced a member of the High Table."
The air grew still.
"A Veil specialist."
Seris's fingers tightened slightly beneath the water.
"He was strong." A faint shadow passed through Mumanko's expression. "My entire squad…" A pause. "…died by his hands."
Silence.
"I was the only one left."
The water rippled gently. "He looked at me and said…" Her voice dropped. "'You're strong… so why do you hesitate to attack me?'"
A long pause followed.
"I wasn't hesitating," Mumanko said quietly. "I was giving my frontliners the chance to do their job."
Her gaze hardened slightly.
"But they were gone."
Silence deepened. A faint pulse of Aether moved through the water.
"You see…" Her voice steadied. "I am a dual affinity."
"Veil… and Priest."
Seris's eyes widened slightly.
"Two opposites in nature. One that takes life... One that gives it."
The steam curled around her. "And I chose to save." A pause. Her gaze softened. "Because I didn't want to become something that only destroys."
Silence lingered. Then— she looked at Seris.
"…But strength…" A faint smile returned. "…doesn't come from hiding what you are."
The water stilled.
"It comes from choosing what to do with it."
Seris remained quiet. But this time, she did not lower her head. And for the first time, her presence did not disappear.