Chapter 8: Byranze

The smoky substances slowly solidified into the forms of Samjoko, Chunyong, and Bonghwang. Although Chunyong and Bonghwang were larger, they took their place behind Samjoko in deference, just as they had in their ethereal forms before.

Byrael and Azela stared in shock at the three elementals. Their jaws dropped as they struggled to find words. Azrael mused to himself, *I wasn’t entirely surprised by this. There have only been two recorded cases of people having three elementals.*

Byrael was astounded. After what had happened at the lake, he had expected Azrael to summon two elementals, given that he had used water and darkness spells. The thought of even two elementals had excited him—having dual elementals was exceedingly rare. Not only did it require a high affinity for both elements, but it also demanded a vast amount of mana to sustain them. Dual elemental mages were highly sought after, and kingdoms vied for them with enticing offers. The dream of his family rising in prestige seemed like it might become a reality.

But three elementals? That was extraordinary. Only two people in history were known to have had three elementals, and they both became legendary figures. The azure dragon and bird, in particular, had an aura of elegance that demanded respect.

“Th… three… three elementals?! You… you’re a tri-elementalist?!”

Azela finally managed to articulate her shock. Like Byrael, she understood the significance of having three elementals. She would have been thrilled if Azrael had just one elemental, but three? (Azela hadn’t seen Azrael use water magic due to the darkness cloud at the time.)

“Waaaaah!!!”

Suddenly, two excited squeals came from the second floor. Looking up, they saw the twins, Aurora and Azer, peering over the stairs with wide, sparkling eyes. Hurrying down the stairs, they stood before the elementals, their faces alight with wonder. Aurora seemed to have a sudden idea and whispered something to Azer. He nodded in agreement.

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After Aurora returned to her spot, both twins bowed in unison. With bright smiles, Aurora cheerfully introduced herself.

“Hello, misters and miss animal, I am Aurora. Nice to meet you!”

“Hello, misters and miss animal, I am Azer. Nice to meet you!”

Byrael, Azela, and Azrael watched in disbelief as the twins introduced themselves. Slowly, their faces softened into warm smiles, and soon, laughter filled the room. The elementals, initially surprised by the sudden greeting, looked at the twins with warm glances. The earlier shock of their parents dissipated, replaced by the twins' endearing actions. Azrael sighed inwardly in relief.

“Hello, little ones, master’s parents. My name is Bonghwang.”

“Hahaha, nice to meet you too. I am Chunyong.”

“Greetings. This one is called Samjoko.”

One after another, the elementals introduced themselves. Seeing this, Byrael and Azela responded in kind. The twins, seeing that greetings were over, quickly started conversing with the elementals.

“Miss Birdy, you’re really pretty!”

“Ho ho ho, why thank you, little girl.”

Aurora was fascinated with Bonghwang, her eyes sparkling as she eagerly chatted. Azer immediately approached Chunyong.

“Wow!! So cool!!”

“I do look cool, don’t I? Hahaha!”

Azrael noticed Chunyong’s cheerful demeanor and wondered if it was a new trait. Meanwhile, Samjoko simply shook his head slowly. Byrael and Azela watched their children interacting with the elementals and eventually had to coax the twins back to bed.

“NOOOO!!! I want to talk to Miss Birdy!!!”

“DAAAAAAAAAAAADDD but I was talking to Chunyong!”

Aurora and Azer protested all the way, wanting to continue playing with the elementals. Azrael smiled at their cuteness. Even as they went to their room, their protests were still audible from the living room.

Once the twins were gone, Azrael dismissed the elementals' ethereal forms. He had been able to maintain their ethereal forms for nearly thirty minutes now. His mana purification meditation had greatly improved his mana efficiency, allowing him to sustain their forms longer and with greater strength.

*Master, even though we saw them while inside of you, your parents and siblings really are kind and loving.*

“Haha, I agree, Chunyong. I really am blessed to have been born into this family.”

*…That was surprising. Seeing a human bow and be so happy to introduce themselves to an elemental…*

“Was it Bonghwang? I suppose you three don’t have much interaction with humans, after all.”

After a few moments, his parents finally returned downstairs, looking exhausted. They sank into the sofa with tired expressions. After resting for a while, Byrael sat up and spoke to his son.

“Hey, son, do you know how amazing—”

“Haha, yes, Dad, that’s why I hid it…”

“Ho... Anyway, are you planning to attend a magic academy?”

“Yup, that’s the plan for now.”

“What about your swordsmanship?”

“Of course, I’ll continue to train, even if I go.”

Hearing this, Byrael’s face brightened with a smile. Despite knowing his son’s magic was extraordinary, he still wanted him to continue with sword training. What parent wouldn’t want their child to follow in their footsteps? Azrael showed great potential, reaching Knight Rank even before he turned eight. His talent easily surpassed Byrael’s own at that age.

“Well, luckily, the city beside us has a magical testing center for young children. When you turn eight, we’ll take you there for testing, okay?”

“Sounds good, Dad.”

“Alright then. You should head to bed too. It’s been a long day, and you must be tired.”

“Okay, goodnight, Dad! Goodnight, Mom!”

With that, Azrael went upstairs to his room. Despite his exhaustion, he immediately began meditating. He knew that if someone as strong as the Hero Rank warrior and mage from earlier came along, he wouldn’t be able to protect his family if he didn’t improve.

For the next six months, Azrael trained relentlessly. Whenever he felt tired, he would recall the strength of the Hero Rank warrior and mage and push himself further. *Just one more swing, just one more mile,* he would tell himself, driving himself to greater effort.

Although his physical improvement was modest, he developed a better grasp of swordsmanship. However, the sword still couldn’t compare to his weapon from his previous life.

One day, while practicing swordsmanship, Azrael thought about his favorite weapon. *Hmm… Even though I’ve become much more proficient with the sword, nothing beats the double-edged spear. When I go to the academy, I should see if I can get one made...* He decided that familiarity with multiple weapons would be beneficial.

Initially, Aurora and Azer were displeased with his intense training because it meant he had less time to play with them. Even when they complained, he would only smile and apologize, promising to spend time with them later.

Eventually, they began practicing with an invisible sword alongside him to spend more time together. Watching them swing and yell “yap!” with enthusiasm filled him with warmth. He would ruffle their hair and remind them not to overdo it, feeling renewed strength in his training.

Now that he no longer needed to hide his abilities, he began using magic around the house. Every night, while tucking in the twins, he would make tiny fireballs dance around the room or create flowing water as if it were a river. Aurora’s eyes would shine brightly with amazement.

Their growing interest in magic led them to ask him to teach them. After a week of persistent requests, he finally relented and began teaching them meditation. Although they couldn’t use magic yet without their elementals, they could start purifying their mana.

“Aurora, Azer. Right now, you cannot use magic.”

“Why?!”

“Because Aurora, you two don’t have an elemental yet.”

“What’s an elemental?”

“Remember Miss Birdy and the dragon?”

“”Aaah!””

“Haha, yes, those two are actually my elementals. These elementals help in casting magic spells. However, there is something you can do to help you use magic later. Do you want to learn?”

““Yes!””

Azrael began teaching them the meditation stance, which, although one of the highest forms in his previous life, was accessible to anyone with proper instruction. The only challenge was finding information on it.

At first, they couldn’t feel the mana. When they told him this, he reassured them.

“Of course it’s not easy, you two. It will take time and practice. When you meditate, try to feel the energy inside your body; it should be around your belly area.”

The twins nodded and tried again. Azrael was surprised when, after a few days, they began to grasp the concept. Aurora felt something after two days, and Azer, driven by his competitive spirit, managed to achieve it two days later. *Maybe I was just the one who couldn’t feel mana as a child...* He laughed at the thought and congratulated them, advising them to keep practicing daily.

As time flew by, it was finally the day to get Azrael’s qualifications examined. The sun was rising as Byrael and Azrael said goodbye to Azela. The journey to Byranze, the city where the mage test was held, would take half a day. Although they

could have left any time during the week-long event, Azrael was eager to see the world’s standards and chose to go on the first day.

After kissing his mom on the cheek, they set off. The dirt road to Byranze made for an easy, relaxed trek. They greeted fellow travelers as they went. By noon, they reached the top of a hill and saw Byranze in the distance. Tall marble walls and towers at each corner loomed by the riverbend. They had arrived at Byranze.