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Arlon entered the isolated training chamber he had used before and shut the door behind him.

The room was vast, designed for intense sparring sessions, but tonight, he wasn't here to spar.

He stood in the center of the room, rolling his shoulders before summoning his sword. The weight was familiar in his hands, an extension of himself.

Then, without warning, he moved.

His blade cut through the air in a precise arc, the movement effortless. He shifted his stance, striking again—faster this time. His footwork was smooth and controlled.

Each motion built upon the last, flowing seamlessly like a dance.

His goal wasn't just speed. It wasn't just power. It was control.

He switched between different techniques, transitioning between standard swordplay and magic-infused strikes.

His mana pulsed through his veins, responding instantly as he wove magic into each slash.

For hours, he trained, testing his limits.

It wasn't enough to be strong. He had to be better.

Stronger than he had been in his past life.

Stronger than he was now.

As sweat dripped down his forehead, Arlon finally came to a stop, exhaling deeply. His heart pounded, his muscles ached, but he felt good.

Still, there was more to do.

He raised his sword once again.

Tonight wasn't over yet.

He trained until the next day.

---

On Saturday, Arlon had the chance to meet Zephyrion. Apparently, the Beastman had set aside his training time just for this meeting. That alone was enough to make Arlon curious.@@novelbin@@

So, without hesitation, he accepted the invitation. He needed to speak with Zephyrion anyway.

But when he entered the usual top-floor office, the towering Beastman was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, he found Ben and Lady Rael deep in conversation.

"Congratulations again. So, when are you announcing it?" Ben asked, leaning casually against the desk with a smirk.

Lady Rael sighed. "Hmm... I don't know. It's hard to make an announcement these days without turning it into a spectacle. Zeph thinks there will be people against me."

Ben scoffed. "Of course, there will. There are plenty of old diapers just waiting for an excuse to make his life miserable. But I doubt Lord Zephyrion will care."

"Still, I don't want to cause problems for him," Lady Rael said, crossing her arms. "He's already busy enough." Then, as if sensing something, she turned her head. "Anyway, I believe we should welcome our guest now."

Arlon, who had absolutely not been trying to eavesdrop (but also hadn't exactly been trying not to), froze as Lady Rael's gaze met his.

Right. He kept forgetting that Lady Rael was something like a seer.

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"Sir Arlon, welcome," she said with a small smile. "I assume you're here for Lord Zephyrion. He'll be here shortly. Won't you join us?"

"Ah, sure," Arlon said, stepping forward. "Hopefully, I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Not at all!" Lady Rael waved a hand dismissively. "There is something, but it's not that big of a deal. You'll probably hear about it soon anyway."

That piqued Arlon's interest. If it was something worth announcing and congratulating, he could take a guess.

"By any chance, Lady Rael," he said, tilting his head, "are you pregnant?"

Ben immediately choked on his drink, nearly toppling over as he coughed violently.

Lady Rael, meanwhile, blinked in surprise before letting out a soft laugh. "Hehe! No, I'm not. And you really shouldn't ask something like that to a woman, Sir Arlon."

"Ah—right. That was probably rude." Arlon rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry if I offended you. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I overheard a little, so I assumed..."

Lady Rael shook her head, still amused. "I understand. No harm done. Well, I don't see any reason not to tell you now anyway."

Ben, still recovering, frowned. "Are you sure, Lady Rael? We don't need to rush."

"Don't worry," she reassured him. "If Lord Zephyrion trusts him, I do as well. Besides, it's not some grand secret."

She glanced at Arlon, her expression turning soft.

"Lord Zephyrion and I got engaged."

Arlon nodded, unsurprised. "Ah, that makes sense. Congratulations."

Ben narrowed his eyes. "Wait—you're not shocked? No dramatic reaction?"

Arlon shrugged. "It was either that or pregnancy."

Even if he didn't know, Arlon wasn't someone who would react grandly.

The same couldn't be said about the other players, though. So he wondered how they would react.

While he was lost in thought, the door to the inner rooms opened, and Zephyrion stepped inside.

"Ah, Sir Arlon, you are here," Zephyrion said, his deep voice filling the room.

Arlon noted the formality in his tone. To most, "Arlon the guide" was simply a valuable figure who had contributed greatly to Trion's safety.

The Beastman ruler acknowledged that status, just as he would with any other key figure in the war.

Even Lady Rael wasn't aware of the full truth.

She couldn't see the pasts or futures of the players, and while she could make educated guesses, Arlon's existence was as much a mystery to her as any other savior's.

Could she look into Zephyrion's past and see Arlon there? It was an interesting question, but one for another time.

"Lord Zephyrion, thank you for making time for me," Arlon said, standing to greet him properly.

"Not at all. Let's go to another room," Zephyrion suggested.

Before they could move, though, both Lady Rael and Ben stood up.

"There's no need for you two to leave. We were already heading out," Ben said, stretching his arms as if he'd been waiting for an excuse to leave.

"Yes, I have important duties to attend to now," Lady Rael added with a graceful nod.

Zephyrion let out a low hum of approval. "Ah, perfect then. Let's continue here."

It was almost too smooth—Arlon had a feeling Zephyrion wanted this outcome from the start.

Once Lady Rael and Ben left, Arlon took a seat opposite Zephyrion, resting one arm on the chair's armrest.

"Congratulations, by the way," Arlon said. "I heard you got engaged."

Zephyrion exhaled through his nose. "Have you already heard? I suppose it was bound to get out eventually."

Arlon tilted his head. "Was it supposed to be a secret?"

"Not exactly, but Lady Rael wouldn't tell just anyone. Please keep it to yourself for now. There are those who might try to use this against her."

Arlon gave him a firm nod. "I won't tell anyone."

"Good. I trust you," Zephyrion said before leaning forward slightly. "Now, let's move to the real topic. We found something in Poko Mountain—just as you said we would."

So they had discovered it. That meant they were talking about the monster core.

If Arlon hadn't interfered, they would have still found it in about four and a half years, but it was better for them to have it now rather than later.

"But we don't know what it is," Zephyrion continued. "All we can tell is that it contains mana."

"It's a monster core," Arlon confirmed. "A condensed form of mana left behind when certain creatures die. It's highly valuable."

Zephyrion listened intently as Arlon explained. Of course, he left out the part about absorbing powers—no need to stir up unnecessary interest.

Instead, he focused on enchantment applications, a subject that would be easier for Zephyrion to grasp immediately.

"So," Zephyrion said, tapping his fingers against the desk, "you're saying that with this, we can create enchanted equipment—similar to what the Royals or the Endgame sets use?"

Arlon shook his head. "Not exactly. I'm saying it's possible, but to actually make it happen, you'd need to use the saviors."