— You’re damn strong! — Tot began chattering excitedly as soon as we stepped out of the guild. — You absolutely must compete in the tournament! With that kind of strength, you’re guaranteed a spot in the top three!


    — Oh yeah? And how exactly am I supposed to win? Talk everyone to death? Did you forget that I have neither weapons nor armor?


    — Oh, that’s nothing, easily fixed.


    — Still no. I don’t want to serve the royal family.


    — But it’s not mandatory, — Tot scratched his nose. — They’ll offer, but you have the right to refuse. Though, I don’t recall anyone ever doing that. Everyone wants it.


    — Well, I don’t. I have other plans.


    — What kind of plans?


    — I want to become a mage. A strong mage!


    — Then talk to my sister, she’s the mage in the family.


    I glanced at Sui, who was walking beside us with a quiet smile.


    — How old are you? — Tot still wouldn’t let up.


    — Twenty.


    — Twenty?! You’re two years younger than me and already a Battle Master? Did you start training in your mother’s womb?! I’m twenty-two, and I’m still just a warrior. I’m a failure…


    — You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Keep training, and you could even become a Battle Ancestor. — I tried to encourage him.


    — If it were that easy, we’d all be Ancestors by now! But there are only about twenty of them in the whole kingdom. Do you know why? Why there are so few Battle Ancestors? Do you think Battle Masters don’t train enough? No, and again no. Some can cross that threshold, and some, no matter how much they train, never will!


    — So you’re giving up without even trying?


    Tot fell silent, clenching his fists as he walked. Well, at least that shut him up…


    — Sui, how old are you?


    She flinched at the question and blushed. Clearly, she hadn’t expected it.


    — S-s-seventeen!


    — Did you study somewhere to become a mage, or is it all natural talent?


    Sui looked at me as if trying to decide whether I was serious or just an idiot.


    — Of course I studied. Ten years at the Magic Academy.


    Wow! Ten years just to get from the first circle to the third. My ambition to become a mage took a serious hit at that moment.


    — Do you have any beginner’s books on magic from your school? Maybe some textbooks?


    — No, magical literature can’t be taken out of the academy. I only have some old notes from those days.


    I hesitated for a few minutes before finally mustering the courage to ask.


    — Can I read them? I promise I’ll return them…


    She laughed, her dark eyes glinting as she glanced at me.


    — Of course! They’re just notes, nothing secret in them.


    — Thank you. Do you know anything about the master we’re going to meet?


    — A little. He appeared in our city a few years before I was born and settled near our family estate. When I was little, I’d always hear him clanking metal behind his fence. But then something happened, and he started doing alchemy instead. It did get much quieter after that, but sometimes the stench coming from his house is awful.


    — Wow! So he’s not just a master weaponsmith but an alchemist too?


    I remembered how, in the forest, a wounded Battle Ancestor swallowed a single pill, and his wounds instantly healed. Interesting. Very interesting.


    — What’s he like as a person? Do you talk to him?


    — No, he’s got a terrible temper and starts yelling over the smallest things. That’s why he lives alone. Even the maids he hires for housework run away in tears the same day.


    Buying a spear from him might be harder than I thought.


    — Tot! Are you sure this old master will be cooperative? Sui says he’s practically insane.


    Tot paused for a moment.


    — No, not sure. But it’s worth a try. Besides, we’re almost there.


    We turned off the main street into an alleyway.


    — Well, I’m heading home, — Sui said. — Good luck with the old man.


    — Uh-huh. — Tot was noticeably nervous, his usual chatter completely gone. — Let’s go.


    After a few dozen meters, we stopped in front of a tall brick fence with old wooden gates. Both the fence and the gates looked neglected, with the wood beginning to rot at the bottom. Tot knocked on the gates with his fist.


    — Old master!


    Silence. Tot waited a bit and knocked again. No response.


    I spread my senses and saw a man sitting on the porch in a rocking chair, pouring alcohol from a copper teapot directly into his mouth. I couldn’t gauge his strength—either he was just an ordinary person or… a Battle Ancestor! Either way, he wasn’t simple.


    — Maybe he’s not home? — Tot shrugged and looked at me. — Should we wait?


    — No, he’s home, just pretending we’re not here.


    I pushed Tot aside and called out loudly:


    — Sir, I know you’re home. Please open the gate. Those useless fools at the craft guild sent us here. They admit that, compared to you, they’re all incompetent, cross-eyed hacks who can only produce garbage instead of weapons!


    I could feel I had piqued his interest—he stopped chugging alcohol and was now listening attentively.


    — They say only your unparalleled skill can help me. I just want to buy a weapon and will leave immediately without disturbing you further.


    The gate creaked slightly open.


    — Come in, then, since you’re already here…


    We slipped through the narrow opening.


    On the porch sat an enormous man whom I could never call “old,” despite his snow-white hair, mustache, and beard.


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    He wasn’t ordinary. He was definitely a Battle Ancestor!


    — So, what do you want? — The old man took another swig of alcohol.


    — Master, we need your help, — I began carefully. — I accidentally destroyed the guild’s weapon hall because they only sell garbage. And their head craftsman said that, about ten years ago, he saw an unmatched spear in your hands that you wanted to sell, but the guild couldn’t afford it at the time. So I came here with one goal in mind. Would you be willing to sell me that spear?


    — An unmatched spear, you say? — He scratched his beard, lost in thought. — Ah, you mean that old piece of junk?


    The old master pointed to a rusty stick propping open the door of some storage shed.


    — Well, try it if you can.


    I walked over and yanked the spear from the ground where it had been stuck. Heavy! A bit rusty and dirty from the rain, but…


    I flooded the spear with aura, making it vibrate so intensely that all the rust and dirt flew off in a cloud.


    A treasure!


    I examined its solid metal shaft, covered in an ornamental pattern that mimicked the fine scales of some beast. The outer scales gleamed, while the grooves between them were coated in a dark gray patina. The spearhead, a forearm-long blade as wide as my palm, with deep fullers on either side, was flawless!


    I stepped into the courtyard’s center, spun the spear over my head and around me, then executed a few straight thrusts. An incredible weapon! Not even a fifth-class spear could compare!


    — Master, this is the finest weapon I have ever held!


    The old man watched me intently.


    — I would like to purchase it. Could you name your price?


    — The spear is not for sale.


    I stared at him in shock. I didn’t understand. He had been using it as junk to prop open a door, and now he was saying the spear wasn’t for sale? Was this some kind of joke, or was the old man just trying to drive up the price?


    — But, Master…


    — That doesn’t mean you can’t get it! — he interrupted me. — I won’t give my spear to someone who has no idea how to use it. Sure, you have some kind of power, but your strength is worthless if you swing a weapon like a club!


    Was he trying to assert himself at my expense? The old man stood up and slowly approached me, circling around as he inspected me. Like a horse at a market, I thought.


    — I’ll give you this spear on one condition, — he kept pacing around. — You must become my apprentice!


    What the hell was he talking about?


    — The old master must be joking, — I thrust the spear back into the ground and headed for the gate. — Let’s go, Tot, this old man is completely insane.


    But I hadn’t even taken two steps when he suddenly appeared by the gate and hit me with his aura so hard that I went tumbling all the way back to the porch of his house.


    — Boy, I let you in, but I don’t recall giving you permission to leave!


    Damn! The old man really was out of his mind! I saw no way out—compared to his power, I was nothing more than an ant.


    — Master, is this really how you invite apprentices?


    If I couldn’t escape by force, maybe I could do it with cunning.


    — This is exactly how I do it. You got a problem with that? Then prove me wrong with your strength!


    He pressed me into the ground with his aura so hard that deep cracks spread through the dry clay beneath me. I was going to die! Was he completely crazy?


    — Master, forgive me, but I want to become a mage! My level of combat skills already suits me just fine!


    — Foolish pup! — the old man raged. — You don’t have any level at all, what nonsense are you spewing?!


    I was doomed! What should I do? Agree? And then, when the time was right, escape? My thoughts scattered in all directions. No, there was no escaping someone like him. He didn’t even need a contract—at his level, he could find me no matter where I hid, even at the edge of the world, and crush me like a flea. Damn it! If I had to agree, I needed to get something out of it!


    — Alright, I understand now. I was mistaken!


    The old man slightly eased the pressure of his aura, waiting to hear what I’d say next.


    — I agree to become your apprentice, but on one condition!


    — What condition? Speak quickly, my student. If I can grant it, I certainly will!


    — Teach me not just martial arts, but alchemy as well!


    — Alchemy? What do you need that nonsense for? It’s child’s play. Besides, you’ll never be a good alchemist—you don’t have celestial fire.


    — That’s my concern. Promise to teach me, or just crush me here and now, because I won’t become your student otherwise!


    The old man fell silent, deep in thought.


    — Fine. But I have one condition as well!


    — What is it?


    — I’ll only start teaching you alchemy if you win in the upcoming tournament.


    — I accept!


    — Hooooo? That confident in yourself? You won’t even make third place at your current level! Good thing we still have time to train. What’s your name, my student?


    He withdrew his aura, allowing me to stand up.


    — My name is Aney. And what is your name, Master?


    — My name is Kruk, but just call me Teacher. That will please me greatly. That over there is your new home, — he pointed to a small house in the corner of the yard. — Be here for training in half an hour!


    — Understood, Teacher!


    — You! — he pointed at Tot. — Tomorrow, take him to register for the tournament!


    Tot just nodded and headed for the gate.


    — What the hell is this? One Master, another Ancestor, and only I am a worthless nobody… — he groaned as he left.


    I shut the gate behind him and went to my house.


    — Suck on that, you old geezers! Now I’ve got an apprentice who will tear yours to pieces! Ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha! — came the laughter from my new teacher’s house.


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    Half an hour later, I was standing in the yard, waiting for the teacher. He stepped out onto the porch and pulled off his shirt, remaining barefoot and wearing only pants. Damn! Next to him, I looked like a scrawny teenager.


    — Release your aura with killing intent—I want to see it, — he said, approaching me.


    I did as he asked. Not a single hair on his beard moved, and he kept walking toward me with that same steady pace. Incredible! Were all Battle Ancestors like this?


    — Not bad, not bad… — he reached out his hand. — Give me the spear. I’ll show you the first three strikes.


    I withdrew my aura and handed him the spear, stepping aside.


    — Watch closely, Aney. I’ll repeat each strike slowly, so you don’t just see it but fully understand it.


    Teacher took a stance and performed a simple thrust, effortlessly, without using any aura. But what a strike it was! I was standing far to the side, yet I still felt the wind from it! How?! I sharpened my senses, analyzing the movement of every muscle, every bone, their speed and the force applied at each moment.


    — I understand, Teacher! Show me the next one!


    — You already understand? — he squinted at me. — Fine!


    He didn’t seem convinced but decided to test me anyway, demonstrating two more strikes.


    — Are you sure you understand? All three? — he kept asking as he handed me back the spear.


    — Yes, Teacher!


    I took the spear and got into a stance, releasing my aura—only to immediately receive a smack on the head.


    — No aura! — he barked.


    I stared at him in shock. He shook his head.


    — You don’t even know that? Aney, aura is a tricky thing. On one hand, it can greatly enhance a fighter. On the other hand, if you use it to reinforce flawed techniques, it becomes a crutch. And what happens when you kick a crutch out from under a cripple? That’s right! He falls and never gets back up. So remember, Aney —only perfection should be enhanced with aura. Otherwise, you’re just a cripple that even a weaker master can easily take apart.


    — I understand, Teacher!


    He was right. All my previous fights had either been unfair or against monsters. I had beaten two Battle Masters in the principality through trickery, you could say. And beyond that, I hadn’t had any serious duels with people. The garrison captain didn’t even count—he was two ranks below me, that was just an execution.


    I took a stance and closed my eyes for a moment. Slowly, I replayed the teacher’s movements in my mind and performed the strike. No, that wasn’t it—too slow. Again—no, too weak. I repeated it a dozen times, but it still wasn’t right. What was I missing? Strength? Speed? No, I had plenty for such a simple strike.


    Then what? Explosion! That was it! The force of a strike depends on the square of the velocity multiplied by mass. And if I could apply explosive speed… The penetration power would be immense! What could stop it? The beginning of the movement had to be like an explosion!


    I concentrated mana into the muscles I needed and detonated it like a blast. There it was! My strike was almost perfect. The teacher jumped out of his chair.


    — I did it!


    I repeated the strike several more times until it became flawless. Blood trickled from my torn palm down the shaft of the spear.


    — You really did it! — he said in shock. — So quickly… Here!


    He tossed me a pill that healed my skin in seconds.


    — You still have two more strikes to master. Don’t forget!


    Half an hour later, those were done too.


    — Good, good. I wasn’t wrong about you! Rest until tomorrow. In the morning, I’ll show you how to combine these basic strikes.


    — Thank you, Teacher!


    I went to my house. It seemed I hadn’t stayed here in vain. If the old man taught me his techniques…


    The next morning, Tot scratched at the gate, and the three of us, along with Sui, set off for the tournament registration.


    — Sorry, Aney, I didn’t know the old man was a Forefather! Even my father didn’t know that. I’m really sorry you got into such trouble!


    — Oh, come on, it’s not that bad. Training with a Forefather has its perks.


    — I prepared some notes for you. Will you pick them up on the way back?


    — Sure, Sui, thanks! Are you really sure you want to compete in the tournament?


    — Yes! What, are you going to try to talk me out of it just because I’m a girl?


    — No, no! — I was surprised by her reaction. — It’s just that you’re so delicate, and the people fighting there will be like me…


    Damn, what am I even saying, idiot! It’s none of my business—if she wants to smash faces, let her.


    — You think I’m weak? — Sui frowned. — Sure, I might not be able to beat you, but I’m at least on par with my brother!


    — She’s lying. — Tot said indifferently. — She’s stronger. I barely win one out of ten fights against her.


    — Whoa! — I looked at Sui with new eyes. — What’s your attribute?


    — Secret!


    — Sui has quite an unusual attribute, — Tot decided to spill all his sister’s secrets, — that’s why they call her the Butterfly Queen.


    — Braaaaat!


    — My advice to you, — he went on, ignoring her, — if you ever see her night butterflies—run. Run as fast and as far as you can. Or else—death.


    — The only one facing death here is you! — Sui growled. — Pray we don’t meet in the ring!


    — Okay, okay, peace, peace! — I pulled them both close, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders.


    — Aneeeey! — they wailed in unison, just like a real brother and sister.