Chapter 262: Power Up Together!
The next day, I resumed training the heroes as usual.
They’d grown used to my methods by now. The grumbling and confusion from our first sessions had long since faded. Now, they followed my directions with discipline, determination, and even a sense of anticipation.
Their magical endurance—especially in relation to their familiars—had noticeably improved. They could now maintain their summons much longer than before. Some even experimented with calling upon their familiars in rapid succession, testing the limits of their stamina and connection.
Soon, I believed they’d reach the next milestone: actually being able to speak with their familiars. Once that communication was established, their combat coordination would reach an entirely new level. I was confident they’d succeed in just a few weeks.
Serena, Cain, Theresia, and Freya were giving it their all. Their spirits were high, and I could see the beginnings of pride in their eyes—not arrogance, but a quiet awareness that they were getting stronger.
Around midday, something different happened.
During our forced aura training session with Mercenary King Yunho and Mercenary Queen Mina, a few new faces unexpectedly joined us.
Serena, Cain, Theresia, and Freya looked surprised. And understandably so—the newcomers weren’t strangers.
They were our friends.
Marius, Luna, Leopold, and Termina had joined the session, along with several other A-rank knights. Even Garren, the commander of the 8th Knight Division, was among them. His presence added a certain weight to the atmosphere, as if signaling that this training was no longer just for heroes-in-training but a serious battleground for growth among the elite.
We waved at them, and they came over to greet us.
Theresia immediately hugged her younger sister, Termina. She asked what she was doing here, and Termina simply replied that she didn’t want to fall behind—not from us, and not from Julius, who was currently undergoing the Hero’s Trial.