"Captain, what does the Lord want?" Cain asked, settling onto a bench in Doran’s office.

Most of the guard was still looting the corpses outside, leaving only the two of them in the barracks.

"I don’t know." Doran shook his head, sitting at his desk as he organized a list of the barracks’ inventory. "He seemed excited, so it must be something good. Remember to show your gratitude to the Lord."

"I will." Cain nodded.

Few people in this town felt more gratitude toward Ethan than he did.

Ethan was the man who had put an end to his father’s killer. The man who would raise Goldenveil to unparalleled glory!

Cain’s eyes sparkled just thinking about it.

He was already at the peak of the first stage and soon, he would reach the second.

Given the age at which he had reached this level, he should have a chance at the third stage, shouldn’t he?

The thought alone made his chest swell with anticipation.

His lips parted to say something to Doran, but before he could, a soft knock echoed at the door.

Without waiting for a response, the door swung open, revealing Ethan’s clearly weary figure.

"My lord." Both men stood at the same time, bowing toward him.

"Sit down." Ethan gestured with a slight smile. "How is your strength? Ready to advance to the third stage?"

The question was directed at Doran, who merely shook his head with a bitter expression. "No, my lord, not even close... I’m already at the peak of the second stage, but I don’t see even a single path forward."

Ethan said nothing more.

These were the limits of a Rank C talent.

The second stage was almost guaranteed, but the third, which required the formation of one’s own aura, was nearly impossible.

That wouldn’t be a problem for Ethan himself, since he already possessed a Rank B talent and, along with the advancement pearl, had also received a pearl imbued with the intent of the sword, which could be used to form his own aura.

Similar to the aura Mireya had used to freeze all those first-stage warriors without even moving.

Unfortunately, for everyone else, they had to find their own aura and, with it, their own path.

That was the greatest divide between those who had talent and those who did not.

Reaching the peak of one’s own stage was easy, merely a matter of repetition and time. But advancing to the next was a different beast entirely.

This, of course, varied from talent to talent.

An S-Rank talent could break through the third stage in a single night and perceive far more than any C-Rank ever would.

But upon reaching the fifth stage, the difficulty began, and by the sixth, even centuries might yield nothing.

This was a world where talent was everything.

The truths of the universe opened themselves to the gifted, and those who were not blessed could only sink into an eternal struggle.

With a sigh, Ethan glanced at their status screens.

[Name: Cain

Age: 18

Level: 25/25

Class: Swordsman

Talent: B

Opinion of You: 100

Loyalty: 100%] 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

[Name: Doran

Age: 30

Level: 60/60

Class: Swordsman

Talent: C

Opinion of You: 100

Loyalty: 100%]

Both were absolutely loyal and held, deep in their hearts, a firm determination to grow powerful.

Without a doubt, in the future, they would be the spearhead of the Goldenveil army.

Ethan closed the screen and retrieved two golden pills from his inventory.

The pills rested in his palm, their surfaces gleaming under the dim light of the office, a faint warmth radiating from within.

Doran and Cain looked at them with interest, but neither could tell what they were.

Ethan said nothing, simply handing one to each of them.

"Eat them, then circulate your aura. Both of you should begin your breakthrough only after the pill takes effect."

Doran and Cain exchanged puzzled glances but didn’t hesitate, swallowing the pills.

The next instant, they froze.

Doran, the stronger of the two, was the first to feel the change. His eyes went wide. His heart hammered against his ribs.

Everything was so... clear.

He could see everything. Feel everything.

His strength surged through his body, every tiny movement of mana around him becoming visible as never before.

The air itself seemed alive, currents of energy flowing in patterns he had never been able to perceive.

He remembered a book he had read years ago, when he was still an instructor in the Fallen Sun Empire.

It was a book aimed at training instructors, explaining the difference between how a genius sees the world and how a mediocre person sees it.

A mediocre talent sees the painting. The genius sees the brushstrokes.

With just a glance, they understand exactly how everything was constructed. Not merely observing the final product but unraveling the foundation beneath it.

That was what Doran was feeling now.

As if he were unraveling the foundation of the very aura that surrounded him. Every layer, every thread of energy, laid bare before his senses.

He even remembered when he first taught imperial fencing to a young prodigy.

He himself couldn’t get past the first three forms, while the genius needed only a brief glance to master the first six.

That was how he felt now. As if, even without realizing it, he could already master those six forms.

The movements that had once seemed unreachable now felt as natural as breathing.

His talent had improved. Once again. And by an absurd margin.

Doran’s gaze shifted to Cain, who had clearly undergone the same transformation.

The young man’s body erupted with aura as he advanced to the second stage without the slightest difficulty.

An aura heart formed inside his chest as naturally as a river finding its course.

"M-my lord..." Doran’s knees buckled. His eyes shut for a brief moment before snapping open, burning with an intense glow.

That was the lord he had been blessed with the chance to follow, the Lord who would lead Goldenveil to eternal glory!