The Hero's Puppet Master

Bryce led Ronan and Aurelia toward the training grounds, a growing group of adventurers following behind, eager to see what the two rookies could do.

Inside the guild, at one of the tables, sat Cian. A half-elf with golden hair and calm green eyes, he watched the commotion. His gaze followed Ronan and Aurelia as they disappeared outside. Without saying a word, he stood and started walking toward the training grounds.

"Cian, where are you going?" called his party member, Lyra, a petite redhead with a bow slung across her back.

He didn't answer.

She huffed and got up to follow him. Their teammates—a burly swordsman and a wiry rogue—exchanged glances before standing as well.

The training grounds were a wide-open field surrounded by tall stone walls. There were weapons racks and magical training dummies set along the edges.

Roland, a tanned A-rank adventurer, stood near the back of the crowd. Known for his easygoing laugh and carefree attitude, he raised an eyebrow as he saw Cian walk past him.

"What's got your attention?" Roland teased, crossing his arms. "You never care about these things."

Cian stopped beside him, his face unreadable. "This one's different. This'll be interesting."

Roland chuckled. "If you're saying that, it might actually be worth watching."

In the middle of the training grounds, Bryce rolled his shoulders and relaxed his stance. He looked at the pair with an easy grin. "Let's see what you've got. Ronan, you're up first."

Ronan stepped forward, unsheathing his sword slowly. Its black blade seemed to swallow the light around it.

The crowd murmured.

"Look at that sword!"

"Is it enchanted?"

"No… there's something else about it."

Bryce raised an eyebrow. "That's one hell of a weapon. Where'd you get it?"

Ronan smirked, "just parting gift from old friend."

He then whispered, "wind coating."

His words had barely left his lips when wind began swirlling around him in a gust. Green mana coated his sword in an outline of sharp, glowing energy.

"Wind mana coating?" someone whispered in the crowd.

"And it's that refined? No way he's a beginner."

Bryce tightened his grip on his heavy iron mace. "Alright, kid. Let's see what you've got."

Ronan vanished.

Sharp gusts swept past as Ronan reappeared before Bryce, his sword slashing down with blinding speed. Bryce barely had enough time to lift his mace.

When the weapons hit each other, a blast of wind shot up, spitting dirt into the air.

"Flash Step!" someone shouted.

"That's an advanced technique!"

Bryce gritted his teeth under Ronan's relentless pressure. Strike piled on strike—the speed at which they came multiplied and gathered strength with every one.

Bryce blocked and parried what he could, but with each clash, his footing faltered. Ronan twisted mid-attack, redirecting the force of his blade to catch Bryce off balance. A sharp arc of wind followed his movement, sending Bryce skidding backward several paces.

"You're relentless!" Bryce barked, steadying himself as he swung his mace in a wide arc, attempting to force Ronan back. But Ronan sidestepped effortlessly, his figure a blur, before appearing behind Bryce in a gust of wind.

"Too slow," Ronan said calmly, his sword aimed squarely at Bryce's back.

Bryce spun just in time to deflect the strike, the impact rattling his arms. The clash sent a shockwave through the training grounds, making several spectators step back. Bryce's breathing grew heavier, sweat dripping down his temple as he realized he was on the defensive in every exchange.

Several more rounds went by, and Bryce was driven all the way to the border of the training ground when he finally stepped back and threw up a hand. "Okay, okay, I surrender!" he shouted, panting but grinning.

The crowd murmured in shock.

"He surrendered?"

"To a novice?"

"That kid's mana control is better than half of the guild!

"Hey Cian, did you see that?" Roland asked looking at Ronan.

"I know only you can notice that here, he is holding back heavily," Cian replied.

Ronan sheathed his sword calmly, his expression bored as if the fight hadn't been a challenge at all.

Bryce leaned on his mace, catching his breath. "You're the real deal, kid. I'd love to see what you're like when you're going all out."

Aurelia stepped forward eagerly, her bright eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Let's see if you're as good as your partner," Bryce said, straightening his stance again.

Cian's sharp gaze followed her closely, his green eyes narrowing.

"Her friend's strong," Roland mumbled, standing beside him. "But this one feels… different."

Cian smirked faintly. "She's hiding something."

Aurelia stood in the center of the grounds, gripping her sword tightly. The crowd watched as she channeled her mana. In an instant, flames burst around her blade, bright and wild, radiating intense heat.

The crowd murmured in awe.

"Fire mana coating?"

"And that much power?"

Bryce took an uneasy step back as sweat began to form on his face—not from effort, but from the heat rolling off her blade.

"I… I give up," Bryce said suddenly, raising his hands in surrender.

The crowd erupted into chaos.

"Is he serious?"

"He's scared of her fire? That can't be it—he just fought that Ronan kid!"

"Wait, is it because she's a girl?"

"What?" Aurelia froze, staring at him in disbelief. "You're giving up already? We haven't even started!"

Bryce rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her fiery glare. "Trust me, kid, it's not because you're a girl. I just like not being on fire."

The crowd murmured in disappointment.

Lyra, watching from the sidelines, frowned. "What a letdown. She looked like she was just getting started."

Cian tilted his head slightly. "She's more than she looks," he said, his voice quiet but certain.

Roland laughed. "Yeah, real smart move by Bryce, there. He'd be done in a minute."

Aurelia scowled at Bryce, her mana still flaring. "You can't just quit on us! I wanted to fight!"

Before she could do anything else, Ronan intervened, catching her arm. "That's enough, Aur."

"But I want to fight!" she objected.

"You'll have your chance," Ronan said, dragging her away. "Let's not burn down the guild on our first day."

The crowd laughed and started speaking excitedly about the two as they walked away.

Roland crossed his arms, still grinning. "This guild is about to change with those two around."

Cian watched them leave, his sharp eyes thoughtful. "That girl isn't normal," he said quietly. "Neither of them is."

Lyra tilted her head. "What are you thinking?"

Cian's lips curved into a faint smile. "I think things are about to get very interesting."