Chapter 195: First Call
The commander walked a few steps forward, stopping a short distance from him.
Her expression was calm again.
But her eyes were sharp.
"...That wasn’t a beginner move."
Arthur shrugged.
"Good thing I’m not a beginner."
She huffed lightly.
"...Clearly."
She studied him for a second longer.
Then nodded once.
"That’s enough."
Arthur raised a brow.
"Already?"
"You’ve shown enough."
He didn’t argue.
Honestly, he got it.
If he kept going, things might actually get messy.
He rolled his shoulders again, letting the tension leave his body.
"...So?"
She crossed her arms.
"So," she said, "you’re even more troublesome than I expected."
Arthur grinned.
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
She smirked faintly.
"It is."
There was a short pause.
Then she added,
"...Just warn me next time before you decide to blow up half the hall."
Arthur laughed.
"Noted."
But even as he joked.. his mind was already moving.
Replaying everything.
The flow.
The control.
And that last attack.
There’s more he can do with it.
And from the look in his eyes..
The commander could tell.
She shook her head slightly.
"...This is going to be interesting."
Arthur let out a breath as he mentally resigned for the day.
"Alright... that was fun."
The commander didn’t reply right away. She just gave him one last look, like she was weighing something, then turned away.
"We’re done here."
Arthur nodded.
"Yeah, I figured."
He didn’t linger. There wasn’t anything left to prove for today, and honestly, he had already gotten more than he expected.
As he walked toward the exit, he raised a hand slightly.
"See you tomorrow, Commander."
She didn’t turn.
"...Get some rest."
Arthur smirked.
"Planning to."
Then he stepped out of the private hall.
The night air felt different.
Cool and quiet.
But it helped him settle.
He walked at a steady pace, hands in his pockets, his mind still replaying everything from the spar.
The wind.
The way it moved.
He chuckled under his breath.
"...Yeah, I like this one."
It wasn’t loud like fire.
Didn’t force its way through.
It followed and guided.
And when it worked with fire..
Arthur shook his head slightly.
"That was crazy."
He could still see it. That moment when the attack landed, the way it spread faster than it should have. He hadn’t even pushed it fully.
There’s a lot more in that.
That thought alone made him grin again.
Step by step, he made his way back to the dorm.
That quiet satisfaction sitting in his chest.
He had gotten stronger.
Not in theory, or in some vague sense.
Real growth.
Something he could use.
Something he could rely on.
"...Feels good."
By the time he reached his room, the fatigue had started to settle in properly.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, then began his usual routine without thinking too much about it.
Armor came off first.
Piece by piece.
Each one hitting the floor with a dull sound.
He stretched his shoulders once, rolling his neck.
"Tch... yeah, I overdid it a bit."
His muscles complained immediately.
It wasn’t a sharp pain.
Just that deep, heavy ache from pushing too far.
He didn’t mind.
It meant the training worked.
He moved toward the wash area and raised his hand.
As a small flame formed.
Controlled. Steady.
The water began to heat up slowly, steam rising as the temperature climbed.
Arthur exhaled as he stepped in.
"...Perfect."
The heat soaked into him almost instantly.
His body relaxed bit by bit, the tension easing as the warmth spread through his muscles.
He leaned back slightly, closing his eyes.
For a moment, he didn’t think about anything.
Just the heat.
The quiet.
Then his mind drifted again.
Back to the fight.
To the way his body moved.
The way everything connected.
That flow...
It wasn’t just the wind.
It was him too.
He had always fought like that, switching things up, not sticking to one style.
Now it finally felt like his abilities were catching up to that.
He opened one eye slightly.
"...Guess I was just missing the right piece."
A small laugh escaped him.
It sounded simple when he said it like that.
But he knew better.
Nothing about what he did today was simple.
Still.. It worked.
He stayed in the wash area a while longer than usual, letting the heat do its work before finally stepping out.
By the time he dried off and got dressed, the fatigue had fully settled in.
The good kind.
Heavy, but calm.
He dropped onto his bed without much thought.
That was all he needed before his eyes closed.
The day caught up to him fast.
His mind didn’t even get the chance to go over everything again as sleep took him almost instantly.
Soon..
Light slipped into the room slowly.
Soft at first.
Then brighter.
Arthur groaned lightly as he shifted on the bed.
"...Too early."
He didn’t open his eyes right away.
Just stretched his arm out lazily, then pulled it back.
Another breath.
Then he finally sat up.
A yawn escaped him as he ran a hand through his hair.
"...Alright, I’m up."
His body still felt heavy, but not stiff.
The soreness from yesterday had settled into something manageable.
Even comfortable.
He stretched properly this time, arms up, back arching slightly.
A small crack followed.
"Yeah... that’s better."
He stood up, rolling his shoulders once more.
His mind was already moving.
Training.
That was the plan.
But this time..
He smiled.
"...Let’s see their faces."
He could already imagine it.
The moment he used wind in front of the others.
They wouldn’t expect it.
And the way it worked with his fire..
Arthur chuckled.
"Yeah... this is going to be fun."
He moved through his morning routine quickly.
Nothing special.
Just the same pace he had built over the past few days.
Steady and Efficient.
By the time he was done, his armor was back on, fitted properly, his gear set.
He stepped out of the room, locking the door behind him.
Then made his way toward the private training hall.
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