"What's the difference between bloodlust and aura?"
"Bloodlust is a type of aura. But aura itself is a power that lets you present yourself to others however you want. Politicians and leaders use it to appear powerful and majestic in front of crowds."
"Can you show me both types?"
"If I show you bloodlust now, it might overwhelm you. I don't want to scare you."
"I don't mind. I want to understand what it is—please show me."
"Alright. But don't blame me if you feel sick. You asked for it. First, I'll show you a positive aura."
Master decided to show me the aura of majesty first.
"I don't feel anything."
"Hey! Slow down and focus properly!"
I did as he said, watching him closely. Then… I felt it. As if he were shining with a warm, radiant light like the sun. It felt… pleasant.
"Did you sense it?"
"Yes. How did you do that?"
"I'll teach you later. It's just a way of making yourself appear innocent, guiltless. By the way, if you use this in front of girls, they'll fall for you instantly."
"Oh, come on!"
His words made me blush a little.
"No, really! Try it and see for yourself. Humor helps when using aura, too."
"Humor?"
"Yeah. A light smile in front of a girl, and suddenly you're the kindest person in the world to her. Just know when to use it."
I started daydreaming.
[A crowd of girls is chasing after me, yelling 'Attu! Attu!' or waiting in line to confess their love. And when I say 'I love you all,' they all faint from happiness. Wow, what a life that would be!]
"Please teach me! I'm begging you!"
"Of course. I'll teach you not just aura, but also how to talk to girls—where they're most sensitive. You have in front of you the death of maidens—fifty years of experience."
"Oh, mighty one! I am forever grateful!" I said, bowing deeply to him inside the carriage.
"Alright, get up. I'll teach you everything I know." We both laughed.
[I never imagined I'd see Master so happy. When we first met, he was cold and distant. But now… after all this time, he treats me like family. And I feel the same—like I've known him my whole life.]
"Now show me bloodlust!"
"Alright, but brace yourself. Here it comes." Master closed his eyes.
I sat up straight in the carriage and mentally prepared myself.
[It's okay! This is just a demonstration. Master won't actually hurt me.] I repeated to myself. Once I was ready, I told him:
"I'm ready!"
As soon as I said that, Master looked at me with a serious expression. That look alone sent a chill down my spine. My throat clenched as if something were stuck in it. I couldn't swallow.
It felt like if I made one wrong move, I would die on the spot. Even though I knew Master wouldn't hurt me, his gaze alone convinced me otherwise.
[Master's going to kill me. No—he's going to crush me in an instant.]
The light-hearted mood inside the carriage from just moments ago vanished completely.
After a while, Master released his bloodlust aura. I immediately felt a sense of relief—the suffocating sensation around my neck disappeared.
"Are you nauseous?"
"No, I'm okay. I was just really scared. I'll be fine after a while."
"Let me know if you feel worse."
I hadn't expected Master's bloodlust aura to be that intense. After that conversation, I sat clutching my chest, trying to calm my heart.
Outside, Scott looked even more terrified than I was.
[What was that? Why did you even ask for it, Attu? It felt like someone was standing right behind me, ready to kill me.]
And so, Master and I continued chatting in the carriage about all sorts of things. Since Scott wasn't an Elestar like me—just an ordinary person—we took turns driving the carriage.
When he got too cold, I took his place outside and drove using my Flame Mana. And when I became too tired from maintaining the mana, Scott would take over again. This arrangement was Master's idea.
"It's not right to leave Scott outside in the cold. Switch places with him from time to time. It'll help you train your Flame Mana as well."
At the moment, it was my turn. I was sitting in front, driving the carriage. Evening had fallen, and everything was growing darker. I stayed as alert as possible, keeping an eye out for wolves or any other wild threats like before.
As I guided the horses forward, I heard Master's voice from behind—he had stuck his head out the carriage window to speak.
"Are you freezing out there?"
"Not yet."
"How much longer can you maintain Flame Mana?"
"About half an hour."
"Good. We're almost at the city. Just hang on a bit more."
Half an hour passed. The sun had set, and night had fallen. I was completely exhausted from using Flame Mana. The moment it faded, I immediately felt the freezing cold—something I hadn't noticed while the mana was active.
[I didn't realize how cold it really was until my mana ran out. It's freezing! And still no sign of the city. I should ask Master. Master! Master! Why isn't he answering?]
I glanced into the carriage—and found both Master and Scott fast asleep, snoring peacefully.
"They're sleeping?! I'm freezing out here and they're sleeping! Now I understand what Scott went through."
Still, I didn't wake them. I continued driving the carriage on my own.
Ten minutes later, Master awoke and looked outside. The snow had stopped falling, and the sun had long since disappeared. He stuck his head out and looked down the road. By now, we were approaching the city. Seeing this, he called out to me.
"Attu."
I didn't respond. He called again.
"Attu."
Then he pulled back inside the carriage and opened the panel that connected to the driver's seat. He looked at me—and saw that I was frozen solid. Immediately, he opened the door, stepped out of the moving carriage, and came to sit beside me.
I was so cold, I could barely stay conscious. My eyelids were heavy from exhaustion, and I could hardly keep my head up.
Master summoned his green flame and placed his hands on me. The ice that had formed on my clothes slowly began to melt. But as the last of it melted, my clothes suddenly caught fire.
Master had turned up the flame too high while trying to thaw me out. I hadn't completely passed out, so I knew what was happening. And when my clothes caught fire, my thoughts panicked.
[Is Master trying to burn me alive? If he really wanted to warm me up, he could've just used Flame Mana. Is this how I die?]
To put out the fire, Master began slapping me, but the flames wouldn't go out. Then a smarter idea struck him. He quickly removed his own cloak and wrapped it tightly around me.
That finally smothered the flames. As warmth returned to my body, I began to move again, though I was still feeling the aftereffects of the cold.
Master placed his arm around my shoulder, guiding my head to rest against his. He took the reins from my hand and drove the carriage himself. I slowly regained my senses and began to whisper to him.
"Master… I had a dream."
"What kind of dream?"
"You were trying to burn me alive. You summoned your green flame and lit me on fire… and you even beat me while I burned."
"That was just a dream. Don't take it seriously."
"Are we close to the city?"
"Yes, look ahead. You can see it. We'll stay there for the night. Tomorrow, we'll be on the road again."
While I was talking to Master Valorant, I drifted off to sleep without realizing it. It happened so quickly.
Master then placed his hand on my forehead and felt that I had a fever—my body temperature was extremely high. He summoned another green flame, this time much smaller, and gently pressed it against my forehead.
"Just hang in there. We're almost inside the city."
When Valorant reached the city gates, two guards were warming themselves by a fire. Seeing a carriage approaching, one of them stepped forward to stop it.
"Good evening! State your name!"
"One of the Seven Sages—Valorant. I'm in a hurry, let us pass quickly!"
" Valorant! My apologies. I'm sorry to trouble you. Please, you may enter the city," the guard replied respectfully.
"I have a question."
"How may we assist you?"
"Where can we find an inn to stay for the night?"
"If you go straight along this road toward the city center, there's an inn called Golden Goose."
"Thank you for your help," Valorant said and continued driving.
The first guard returned to his companion, who asked,
"Who was that?"
" Valorant."
"One of the Seven Sages?"
"Yes, him."
"What's someone like him doing here?"
"There must be important business. A man of his stature wouldn't come to a remote city like this without reason."
"Maybe he's heading to the capital."
Valorant searched around the city center for the Golden Goose inn. Upon finding it, he stopped the carriage in front, got out, and carefully lifted Attu into his arms before walking into the inn.