With wide eyes, Ben watched as the mage made a beautiful black scabbard appear before him, its warping shining like Cale's in the red light. He recognized it immediately, which he probably owed to the relationship between his father and Tavian Hagn.

"Karekama."

"Yes, that's right. Karekama. One of the three legendary swords forged by the master with the golden hand, Linus Kama", Cale explained, holding one of the rarest swords in the world in his hands. One that any sword master could only dream of. Linus Kama had forged hundreds of swords before his death, all of them unique and of inestimable strength. His three masterpieces, however, were almost a legend.

"How..."

"The first councilor, in consultation with the elder, gave it to me. It was in the care of the Magistrat, but the council didn't trust some people, so they bequeathed it to a mage who knows zero magic. And the choice fell on me."

Ben stood motionless a few feet away from Cale, next to him Liam, who was equally amazed. The whole conversation of just over an hour ago had been completely pushed to the back of their minds, and instead the two young swordsmen start at the beautiful sword. The only reason Cale showed them the sword at all was Ben's snarky comment. Cale had grabbed the two after eating and spread them out in an open area a few feet from the camp. The mage wanted to teach the swordsmen about the sword, which Ben found a bit laughable. He knew Cale was a High-Mage and would in no way dare to attack his knowledge on that point. But sword fighting? He thought that was impossible and his statements scratched Cale's ego.

"I thought the three swords of Kama could only be wielded by a swordmaster because they have a mind of their own?", Liam brought up quietly, watching as Cale made some elegant movements with the weapon in his hand, almost as if he were dancing with it.

"You have a point there, too", Cale replied, making the mighty sword disappear in his hand and conjuring up another silver sword. He deliberately covered the small seal on the hilt with his palm, because this sword also came from the forge of Linus Kamas, even if it was not one of the legendary three. He had discovered it by chance dozens of years ago from a blacksmith in Bellator who was known to produce equipment for the palace. "Zero magic wasn't the only reason I was chosen."

He calmly tossed it back and forth between his hands a few times before straightening his positions and catching the sword with his left hand. In a perfect vertical line, he held the weapon in front of him while tucking the other hand behind his back. With his legs firmly on the ground, he stood before the two men and presented one of the starting positions of the swordsmanship he had learned quite a few years ago. From his master Jonat Paseru.

"High-Magician Grischa Vonstetten knew that I could handle the sword and that Karekama would not turn against me. It is one of my duties to keep the sword in my care until the Magistrat finds a worthy leader."

Each time, Cale increased the difference in strength between them, causing a feeling of emptiness inside Liam. With each additional secret Cale shared, Liam felt he was not worth traveling with. Thinking back, he noticed something he hadn't realized before. It was not Cale who had joined his group, but the group who had joined Cale. He knew full well that High-Mages could use flight magic, but Cale chose to walk. There was no reason for him to waste energy and time unnecessarily, but he did. What's more, he told them one secret after another, even though no one forced him to.

"Enough words. I want you two to attack me. I woun't use mana and will only buck your attacks with my sword. You, on the other hand, can and should use everything you have against me", Cale announced, deliberately limiting himself. Neither against Liam nor against Ben was it necessary to use his true strength. He therefore deliberately dispensed with magic and mana so that he would use sheer strength and agility against them.

Liam shuddered at the statement and looked into Cale's serious eyes. The mage was dressed in black. He wore a dark shirt and dark pants, as well as high boots similar to her own. He also wore a black cloak over his head and shoulders, which is why you could barely make out his face. But his eyes... they shone golden.

"Let me ask just one question, please", Liam raised as he reached for the sword at his waistband.

"Go ahead."

"Your eyes... what's wrong with your eyes?", Liam tried to make his question clear, but Cale immediately understood what he was getting at.

"Ah, that's my real eye color. I usually dye them I black with the help of my magic, even though I try to give off as little mana to the outside as possible. However, I trust my swordsmanship and also want to give you a fair chance, which is why I'm blocking my mana leakage completely now."

"Such a thing is possible?", interjected Ben into the discussion. That Cale was basically telling them that he had mastered shapeshifting magic, no one realized at this point.

"Obviously, yes, except that no normal person does it. Every human has mana, even if only a little. However, if a mage suddenly discovers a person who does not emit any mana at all, it does not mean that this person is harmless. Rather the opposite is the case then, it signals quite clearly that he is able to control all his mana at will. I know one or two exceptions, but to discuss that would take a while. The important thing for you to know is that you should always be on the lookout for mana sources and never underestimate your opponent. Even if you are sure of winning a fight, still prepare as if it were a matter of life and death."

Liam understood what Cale was trying to explain. A mage, like Cale, intentionally lets some mana out to keep up appearances of being a normal human. He had used the same principle when they first met, which is why Aletta also assumed he was not a mage.

"By the way, this is also a point we will address in the next few days. Your mana sensitivity and your mana control", Cale quickly added, which made Liam grin. Cale had probably worked out a plan in his head how he would torture them for the next few days. And Liam was looking forward to it. He had rarely used all of his strength, but in the face of Cale and his shield that he could build in an emergency, he would not have to hold back at all. "Does that settle any questions?"

Ben and Liam drew their weapons, both realizing that just because Cale didn't use magic didn't mean they should underestimate him. From the things they had been allowed to see in the last few weeks, that would probably be a huge mistake.

"Fine, as I said, you can use any tricks you have. Attack me whenever you want", Cale signaled the start of the fight. The two swordsmen calmly regarded the mage, who didn't move from the spot while they strengthened themselves with the help of their own mana.

"First, let me test how much he can take."

Agreeing, Liam nodded at Ben's quiet statement, and in the next second the big man shot full weight at the mage. With a long, sweeping swing from the side, he aimed for Cale's head, but he ducked easily at the last moment. Ben had reckoned with this and swung his sword in the air in a fluid motion before slashing it down with full force from above. Cale couldn't dodge the swift attack, so far Ben had reckoned, and hoped that Cale would parry the blow. So he did. Cale held his sword with his left hand against Ben's broad sword as he smiled.

"Nice combination. You definitely didn't underestimate me", he announced triumphantly, causing Ben to push off from Cale in surprise and land in a big leap next to Liam.

"Did you see that?", interjected Ben in amazement.

"I did, yeah."

"That's madness. He blocked my sky punch with one hand and didn't even flinch."

Respectfully, the brown-haired man watched as the mage returned to his starting position and grinned. He had not brought out his right arm behind his back for support.

"He didn't underestimate us eather, though", Liam stated casually, clutching his weapons tighter.

"Yes. He knows exactly what he's getting into", Ben replied, well aware that the mage could easily gauge their strength, knowing their identities.

"Let me have a go", Liam announced himself, before sliding mana into his feet, before dashing towards the mage with a firm kick. He knew full well that Cale was also capable of consolidating his movements with mana. Cale had used the same method in the storm, but since he had promised not to use mana, Liam was sure he could outrun him in speed. His goal was to throw Cale off balance.

With a powerful leap, Liam rose into the air and shot from above at Cale, who again raised his sword to block his attack, but instead of attacking with his sword, Liam hurled his feet towards him. With all his might, Cale pushed against it to avoid toppling backwards, but when Liam abused Cale's weapon as a springboard, the latter inevitably had to take a step backwards. Half kneeling, Cale now stood on his spot, watching in fascination as his friend landed expertly on the ground and in the next moment ran at him. From this position, Cale could not parry well, so he dodged Liam's attack backward, always with one foot on solid ground to control his speed.

Liam was quick. Attack after attack followed and Cale tried as best he could to extend them without having to parry them and without using his free hand. But in a moment, he lost his footing and toppled over backwards with his whole body. He was sitting with his ass to the ground when Liam shot again with the tip of his sword. With a practiced roll, Cale dodged this attack to the side and straightened up again in the same move before waving the dust aside with his left hand including his weapon.

Liam's sword, on the other hand, dug into the ground, but he was undeterred, dragging the sword through the dirt and darting towards Cale. With a powerful strike from below, he aimed at Cale, who, however, blocked the attack with ease. With a loud clashing sound, the two parties came to a mere power struggle of strength, while Cale looked almost amused at Liam's strained expression.

"Aren't you going to help him, Ben?"

Liam withdrew his sword at the statement and fled further back. At the same moment, Ben appeared beside him, who had been watching the whole duel from a safe distance.

"He just blocks and dodges, all with just one hand. Besides, he's fast, even without the aid of mana. But what gives me goosebumps is his reaction time. He reads our attacks faster than we utilise them and can react to them better - accordingly. And he distributes his power. He knows exactly when to parry and when it's better to keep his distance."

Agreeing, Liam nodded. He had realized something similar. Cale was toying with them, that much was clear, but the fact of how easily he dealt with their attacks was frightening.

"Want me to give you a hint?", Cale mockingly interjected, pointing the tip of his sword at the two men standing in front of him.

"You want us to attack together, don't you?" retorted Liam, spotting a confirming smile on Cale's face. It almost seemed as if the mage was ridiculing their pathetic attempts, but Liam as well as Ben had also held back so far.

"Correct", Cale countered calmly, pulling his second hand out from behind his back and switching the sword from his left hand to his right. In disbelief, the two watched as Cale subsequently clasped his left hand behind his back. "Now that you've grasped that, I'm going to put some effort into it, too."

"You didn't even use your main hand? What are you, a monster?", Ben almost shouted.

"That's pretty hurtful to hear", Cale replied wryly, positioning himself in his initial stance, which signaled to the two that he was waiting for them to attack. Liam sighed as he too picked himself up again and prepared to attack.

"Never underestimate your opponent", he muttered to himself, as he stared at the mighty rock in front of him.