Sonia clenched both fists, speaking with fiery determination in her eyes.

“While Baroness is not present, you probably don’t know how many rumors have circulated in the palace! This time, you need to show everyone clearly that those rumors are false, and Baroness is not a presence to be ignored by all of you. She’s a shining existence alongside the gods in the sky, and everyone should look up to her!”

Sonia went on a rampage, saying that she would quickly call the dress designer, Ella, when the day breaks.

Aisha pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement with Sonia’s words. It would undoubtedly be an uncomfortable situation, but this could be an opportunity to reassess the nobles, understand their thoughts about Karaf, and identify people who could help Karaf.

Above all, it was necessary to know in advance what they thought of Karaf.

Aisha elegantly responded to the invitation from Lady Lilac.

Early in the morning, Jakal tied his hair into a single bundle, dressed in a black training suit that resembled Eastern martial arts attire, and headed to the training ground with Sosa.

His gaze became heavy as he looked at the smooth wooden floor and numerous weapons hanging on the wall.

For him, this place was both familiar and unpleasant.

Since a very young age, precisely when he gained the ability to freely move between the forms of a horse and a human, he spent most of his day training here, separated from his parents.

From learning how to use various weapons to swiftly killing by targeting the vital points of a person, defending against enemy attacks, and even surviving when captured by the enemy, he learned countless techniques, often getting injured in the process.

‘Until you master what you learned today, don’t leave this place. That’s the chief’s order.’

These were the harsh words his mentor threw at him while he lay on the floor covered in sweat and injuries.

Since Jakal’s father was often busy protecting the village and left the village empty, another warrior of the Kelpie tribe took charge of his training.

Breathing heavily, Jakal looked up from the floor to his mentor, but the mentor coldly turned away and left the training ground.

The mentor’s harsh words followed, emphasizing that not anyone could become the successor of the tribe and that the treatment was not too harsh for a young child.

Seeing his mother trying to stop the mentor and protest that this treatment was too cruel for a young child, Jakal clenched his teeth and stood up. Then, with wounds all over and blisters on his hands, he picked up his weapon again.

He wanted to reassure his mother that this level of training was nothing and show her that he was fine.

Only with that thought in mind, he quickly mastered everything he learned in a short time.
When his entire body was battered, and he returned home, his mother embraced him and shared stories about the tribe. Perhaps it was to instill some pride in her son, burdened with the heavy responsibility of being the successor to the Kelpie tribe, and to prevent him from harboring hatred towards the tribe.

Inside the training hall, Jakal closed his eyes tightly. Now, all the faces he had seen back then were gone. Only faint traces of his training remained scattered throughout the place. Perhaps even the assassin who infiltrated the palace on the Enlightenment Day had trained here until the day he left the village for his mission.

Lost in deep thoughts, the chief entered from behind as the door opened. This time, even the leaders of each clan were present. Was he the one instilling such vigilance in them?

Jakal, without greeting them first, just stared at them with a dry gaze. Whether they had heard about what happened in the restaurant yesterday or not, they couldn’t meet Jakal’s eyes. Observing their already subdued postures, Jakal smirked subtly. There seemed to be no one among them who could be considered his enemy.

The chief, although being an elemental user of fire, might be slightly challenging to deal with. However, he was significantly lacking in stamina compared to young and vigorous warriors. If Jakal could harness the power of the water element, he could overpower the chief’s strength.

It seemed the chief also realized that the day was approaching soon. Like a king ruling over a minority, he manipulated people like his pawns, nurturing them to carry out tasks on his behalf.

“To become a spirit contractor, you don’t need such ordinary training. Move to a different location,” the chief said, leaving the training hall first. Jakal and Sosa exchanged glances and followed him.

Before the sun rose, the sky, like spreading azure paint between the clouds, exuded a refreshing and crisp atmosphere. The dense fragrance of damp grass wafted strongly from the lush forest covered in dew.

The place they arrived at seemed like a foggy valley where nature thrived. In the underground cave, hollowed out like the ground, mysterious turquoise water gathered, and a small waterfall flowed down from one side.