Meanwhile Turan was in the underground section of the Burke family estate, inside a temple dedicated to the goddess Monka, accompanied by a knight named Haram Burke.
The man explained that all the walls and all the doors in that place were extremely solid, without a single gap, comparing them to muscles trained over hundreds of years, which made escape virtually impossible. Turan did not quite understand the point of the explanation, but simply listened as Haram Burke went on emphasizing how solid, how resistant and how unyielding the place truly was.
Then, suddenly, Haram Burke began to train, swinging his sword with extreme precision and without wasting a single movement, until he noticed Turan watching him. He asked what he thought of it, and Turan replied that the movement seemed very good.
Haram Burke said that was to be expected, since most nobles considered martial arts insignificant. They preferred to attack from a distance with magic, mainly because they had weak bodies and could not master their own physique, and so relied only on tricks.
Turan reflected that unless it was a bloodline focused on physical combat, like the Hercules lineage, prioritizing magical power was generally more efficient. Though he acknowledged that in extreme situations there were challenges that could not be avoided.
At that moment Haram Burke told him to pick up a sword immediately.
Turan found that strange, since he was being kept there under suspicion and was now being handed a weapon, but Haram Burke explained that it was just a piece of iron. The true essence of a sword lay in the body of the one who wielded it. And according to him, with Turan's current physical condition, there was no risk at all.
Turan tried to use the sword while concentrating mana, and was immediately corrected. Haram Burke told him not to involve mana, and adjusted his posture — the position of his legs, the firmness of his footing, the angle of his elbow, the support of his arm — making it clear that with a stance that weak he could even injure himself.
Without realizing it, Turan began training under his guidance, as though he had been taken in as a disciple. All the while Haram Burke kept insisting that mana was nothing more than a trick, and that many mages believed they had physical security when in reality they only used the bare minimum their bodies could offer. To him, a well-trained body could cross a battlefield without relying on mana at all, and Turan needed to understand that difference.
Turan said he would keep it in mind.
At that moment Aziz Burke's mother entered the temple and said that she had been rude to Turan, mistreating someone who had saved her son. Turan apologized as well, saying that as a guest his own conduct had not been appropriate, but she explained that Mesa wanted to apologize to him personally.
Later the two of them met, and Mesa said she had heard that he had been confined in the temple because of her, and apologized for the situation.
Turan replied that he was just glad she was well.
Then Mesa brought up the magic he had used to decompose the animal. It seemed like something from an unknown lineage, she said, especially given how much mana it consumed, and she raised the suspicion that he might be deceiving people.
Turan explained that this was not the case, and that anyone could do the same if they understood the principle behind the technique.
Mesa then challenged him, asking whether he intended to teach it for free — since without revealing the method, there was no way to prove that it was not a bloodline ability.
Turan said he did not care about the outcome of the competition, but she refused to leave it at that, and proposed a deal instead. If he revealed the secret of the magic, she would teach him a secret technique of Badal Arabian.
Turan accepted, considering it a fair trade.
After hearing his detailed explanation, Mesa concluded that at its core he was using a form of biological enhancement applied to invisible microorganisms — something she herself used unconsciously, which explained her low efficiency. She admitted that she had lost, since she had only managed to reproduce the technique through brute force.
Turan said he considered that part of the wager, but she disagreed, stating that magic is not usually evaluated based solely on large amounts of mana, and suggested to Aziz Burke that they call it a draw, to prevent Turan from getting conceited.
Trying to recover her pride, Mesa demonstrated a simple trick with static electricity using a comb, but Turan was already familiar with it, which annoyed her even further, since she considered that kind of knowledge advanced.
Unable to surpass him at that moment, she said she would think of another way to compensate him, and suggested that they continue training together — making it clear that it was only to repay the debt.
Turan agreed, and they decided to meet every day at dusk in the garden.
Later, during dinner, Aziz Burke was surprised by the amount of food, saying it was more extravagant than his own birthday, but his mother told him to be quiet.
Turan realized that this was not an ordinary meal, and soon enough Aziz Burke's mother returned to the previous topic, saying she had heard about the promise of a reward made by her son, and asking whether he had any specific request.
Turan said he would like something focused on defense, since attacking with magic is easier than protecting oneself, especially against surprise attacks.
She replied that such items were common for them, although they did not have anything ready at the moment. Aziz Burke offered to craft the artifact himself, and another person interrupted, saying that if he did not want to embarrass the family, he should give up.
That person took on the task instead, explaining that he had just finished a request for the main house and had some free time. He suggested creating something discreet — a ring, an earring, a necklace — capable of automatically injecting mana and activating a defensive effect of the Guardian lineage in case of danger, and estimated about a month to complete it.
Aziz Burke's father commented that he did not like to boast about his children, but revealed that his eldest son already possessed abilities comparable to those of a family head, which meant Turan would be receiving an artifact of extremely high level.
Turan felt grateful, but questioned whether it was not too much, and Aziz Burke's mother replied that it was not, because anything less would diminish the value of her son's life.
With that, it was decided that Turan would remain as a guest of the family for that period.
Later, while walking through the streets of Zabalin, Aziz Burke mentioned that his mother had taken an interest in Turan, noting that she had spoken about him before going to sleep, highlighting both his magical talent and his dedication to training. He explained that his own initial intention had only been to prevent her from underestimating him for his lack of family support.
But Turan realized that it sounded more like a recruitment attempt.
Aziz Burke confirmed that this was how things worked. First they offer benefits. Then they create pressure. And finally they try to bind the person to the family, often by presenting a potential partner. Even so, he assured him that nobody would force him into anything just for accepting the artifact.
In the end, Aziz Burke asked whether Turan had any plans for the moment, and he replied that he would only be training with the princess in the afternoon. So Aziz Burke pointed out that they still had plenty of time, and suggested they go on a patrol around the city together, commenting that even though it was not the capital, Zabalin still had a lot to offer.