The next morning, the small square at the center of Buena Village was packed with people.
Nearly every villager, young and old, men and women alike, had gathered there of their own accord.
They had set aside their farmwork for the moment.
With anxious yet eager hearts, they awaited the arrival of the rumored "miracle."
To these common folk who spent their days working the land, magic and swordsmanship
were as distant and unreal as the myths sung by traveling bards.
Battle Aura, at least, was something they could more or less understand.
With a strong body and persistent training, everyone would eventually acquire it. It was a power that flowed through every person's veins.
Talent merely determined how strong or weak it would be.
The village's young people occasionally felt that power surge through them while arm wrestling.
But magic was different.
It was an art that required an inborn "gift," a means of communing with the invisible, mysterious forces between heaven and earth.
In the villagers' simple understanding, it was a domain only "nobles" could master.
And so, with gazes mingling anticipation, curiosity, and even a hint of awe,
the villagers watched the somewhat petite, blue-haired woman standing in the center of the square.
The sun was still merciless, scorching their skin with its fierce heat.
Facing hundreds of watching eyes, Roxy felt her palms sweat and her heart beat several times faster than usual.
Roxy tightened her grip on the staff that stood taller than she did.
The blue crystal at its tip refracted dazzling light in the sunshine.
Could I really... do this?
If I failed, what would everyone think...?
The confidence she had only built up yesterday began to waver under the immense pressure.
Instinctively, Roxy searched the crowd once more.
Soon, she spotted that