I wiped the sweat from my brow, staring at the cleaned house.
"Phew... finally finished," I muttered, breath ragged. My whole body felt like it was on fire. The soreness was insane—probably from the whole 'burnt-my-body-to-near-death' stunt against those damn Dragonic beasts. Guess that's what I get for using my muscles at 100% for so long.
Aura could only do so much.
I sighed, stepping back and taking in the cleaned room.
"Not bad… but I'm not done yet."
There was still training to do.
I walked over to the far corner of the room. A small closet sat awkwardly against the wall, half-off its hinges. I pushed it aside—and there it was. The trapdoor. Hidden, but obvious once you knew where to look.
"Perfect spot to train," I said to myself, pulling it open. A cool gust rose from below.
---
Later, at the market...
I walked into the blacksmith's shop, eyeing the gear lined along the wall.
The swords glinted under the lantern light. Their craftsmanship was clean. Sharp. Balanced. The kind of blades only experienced hands could shape.
I frowned. "Why's a blacksmith with this quality not swarmed with customers?"
I tested the weight of a sword that stood out. Sharp edge. Tough spine. Felt right in my grip.
"Hey, how much for this one?" I asked, holding it up.
"One gold, twenty silver," the smith replied, barely glancing up.
I handed over the coins without arguing. A sword like this? Steal of a price.
---
Dragging my haul back to the house was another nightmare. Weights. Training gear. A few basic supplies. I nearly dropped the anvil-sized bag three different times.
"Ungh… heavy..." I wheezed as I dropped the final crate into the basement. Sweat dripped down my neck. My shirt stuck to my back.
This was gonna suck tomorrow.
I wiped my face and climbed back up the steps.
While organizing the bookshelves, something hit me.
"Wait…"
Didn't the Emperor mention Cassian had a younger sister?
So where the hell is she?
The room fell silent for a second.
"...I'll have to look into that later."
---
End of Chapter
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