Iri was making an effort to use her head more in the absence of her parents, who were not around to provide their usual guidance. With their absence, she felt a greater sense of responsibility to think critically and handle situations on her own. This was particularly important to her because she didn’t want to add to Raiden’s worries or burden him with additional concerns about her well-being.

Understanding that Raiden was already managing his own challenges, Iri was determined to be more self-reliant and thoughtful in her actions. She was aware of how much Raiden had to juggle and didn’t want to become a source of stress or distraction for him.

In any case, after eating, they went to their rooms to rest. Raiden felt very sleepy thanks to the cold night and the fact that he had been using his head quite a bit lately. Still, he woke up as early as usual to make breakfast. Much to his surprise, the extra stew he made had been devoured... but it looked like the kids didn’t even do their dishes.

"Iri will have to give them an earful," Raiden thought.

Raiden and his family had always been used to heartier breakfasts, typically consisting of meat or robust soups, reflecting their active and demanding lifestyle. This morning, however, he found new ingredients for a different kind of breakfast, one that seemed more practical and fitting for their current surroundings.

There was an abundance of dried fruits, fresh bread, and jars of colorful jams. These items seemed to reflect the preferences of the elves and dwarves, who favored a more straightforward and portable breakfast.

The presence of jam and dried fruits was particularly new to Raiden. While he had never encountered such items during his time in the mines, he recognized them for some reason. The practicality of this breakfast option was evident; it was easy to prepare, quick to consume, and ideal for travelers or those with busy schedules.

Raiden found the spread both intriguing and refreshing. It reminded him of the diverse culinary habits of different cultures and provided an opportunity to appreciate the simplicity and convenience that such foods provided. Although it was a departure from the hearty meals he was accustomed to, Raiden was open to trying new things and enjoyed the change in routine.

In the end, Raiden decided to make some sandwiches with what he found around... it was easier, and it didn’t take a lot of time to make a lot of them. Still, it was better for the dishes to be cleaned before, but fortunately, Iri arrived to solve it there. She was still yawning and trying to fix her bed hair.

"... It looks like some scoldings need to be given," Iri furrowed her eyebrows. "No breakfast until all of this is cleaned."

"You can tell that to everyone then," Raiden said. "When are we going to leave?"

"We are to be at the training grounds around the same time the lessons start in the towers of mastery, so I guess two hours," Iri replied. "We can’t mess up on the first day already, and we will have to be more professional too... I guess all this freedom might come to bite us in the butt."

The group had arrived without their seasoned veteran warriors, a strategic decision aimed at fostering greater responsibility among the younger members. The idea was to give them the opportunity to step up, make decisions, and handle challenges on their own, which would help them grow and develop their skills more effectively.

Raiden, upon reflecting on this decision, couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t realized this approach himself. He realized that his focus on his own training had made him overlook the broader implications of such a strategy. The absence of veteran guidance had clearly been designed to push the young ones to become more accountable and resourceful.

This realization came to him as he noticed the dynamics within the group. The younger members, though initially uncertain, were gradually taking on more responsibility and adapting to the demands of their situation. Raiden appreciated the wisdom behind this approach and recognized that his own immersion in training had perhaps clouded his view of other important aspects of leadership and growth.

In the end, the others began to arrive while looking a bit sleepy, but soon they flinched when they realized that Iri looked more serious with her arms crossed. She scolded them for leaving the dishes uncleaned and told them they had to leave half an hour early every day to the training grounds to be sure. Everyone had to do their part...

After that, they began to eat, and they truly enjoyed themselves... the jam was very sweet, a bit too sweet for Raiden’s tastes, but Iri felt like it was the most delicious thing in the world she had eaten.

"I guess she had a sweet tooth," Raiden thought.

"We won’t be monitored, but we will have to be efficient to show results," Iri declared when they finished their meal. "We will split into groups in order to monitor five people each. The first step is to teach them how to use Aura Force within a month. This shouldn’t be hard since they are used to training."

When Raiden learned about that, he felt a pang of frustration and disbelief. He almost facepalmed at the realization, recognizing that the idea of having to monitor and teach others, particularly how to use the Aura Force , was a daunting task for him.

His dark hair had always set him apart and made him less popular among the elves and dwarves, which added an extra layer of difficulty to his role. He wasn’t particularly well-received or trusted by the local population, making the prospect of taking on a teaching role even more troublesome. Despite this, Iri had evidently believed that involving Raiden in this was the best option for everyone, despite the potential challenges.

Raiden understood Iri’s intention was to ensure that everyone, including the younger members, could benefit from the situation. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the added responsibility, especially given his less-than-ideal standing among the elves and dwarves. He acknowledged that Iri’s decision was made with good intentions, aiming to balance the group’s dynamics and growth, but it left him grappling with the complexities of his new role.

"To make things work as best as possible, we will show them our skills a bit, and that will help them decide who they will follow," Iri added. "I don’t think that they will fight among themselves as long as we only show basic things like how Aura Force can power us up."

At that point in time, Raiden truly couldn’t help but facepalm... his big sister was truly following a weird route that would cause a lot of trouble to him. He could easily see himself ending up with troublemakers that would make his job a lot harder than it had to be...

Still, Raiden couldn’t say much since he couldn’t change all that strategy to suit his needs... he was working, and he would be paid for it, so he would have to show the results.

Before long, the group made their way to the training grounds, a dedicated area where the young elves and dwarves honed their skills and prepared for their future roles. The place looked like some large fields with short grass, but there were some marks around of things that had been moved out from it.

As Raiden and the others arrived, they were greeted by the sight of young elves and dwarves arriving there as well. The scene was lively and bustling, filled with the energy and enthusiasm of youth determined to hone their skills.

Iri counted their numbers, and she confirmed that everyone was there, even though there were still ten minutes left. Before long, she decided to step forward to make the most of their time. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Hello, everyone. My name is Iri. Since everyone is here, we should have already started. For starters, I would like to show you all Aura Force in action. After that, we will explain it. Everyone here has mastered Force already, so you won’t have to worry about anything."

The participants gathered in a designated area of the training grounds, their curiosity piqued. Iri called for the first round of demonstration. Each person struck the ground with their full strength but without channeling the Aura Force . The result was impressive in its own right; the ground trembled slightly, and some of them left minor indentations where their fists had made contact.

The young elves and dwarves examined the ground, noting the small, shallow impressions left by the punches. While the impact was noticeable, it was relatively contained, demonstrating their physical strength but not causing any significant disruption.

Next, Iri signaled for everyone to repeat the exercise, this time utilizing the Aura Force . As they struck the ground with the added power of the Aura Force , the difference was dramatic. The ground shook with a more pronounced tremor, and the small holes left behind were deeper and more distinct, taking the shape of their fists.