Chapter 16: First Battle
Lucen wore a thick coat over his newly forged armor. Strapped across his body were several powder horns, and his pockets held lead balls and revolver bullets, along with two compact iron spheres and a lamp. In his bag, he carried more ammunition, a map of the area, rope, and enough rations for several days.
At his side hung the latest model of the arquebus, now upgraded with Robert’s shardstone ignition system. And on his hip, a newly forged short sword gleamed with clean edges, untouched by battle but ready for it.
Several people had gathered to see him off.
There was his stoic father, Duke Vardon. The always composed Vahn, retired knight and ever-loyal butler. The muscle training-obsessed Sir Thalos. The eccentric alchemist Robert and, to Lucen’s surprise, his younger brother, Cael.
It was the first time Lucen had seen Cael since regaining the memories of his past life.
That familiar silver hair, those sharp icy blue eyes, Cael Thornehart, the genius of the house.
This little brother of his would one day become the heavy tank of the protagonist’s party. But right now, Cael hadn’t even held a sword.
Based on the game’s backstory, that moment would come a year from now, the day he would first grasp a blade and awaken his Aura. Not only that, he would immediately form his first Mantle.
In this world, if mages possess a mana core that forms circles, then aura users are cloaked in energy, their strength measured by the number of Mantles they wear.
Just as each magic circle grants a mage greater control and the ability to cast stronger spells, each Mantle represents a new threshold of mastery, a deeper, tighter control over one’s Aura.
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