Chapter 173:

Chapter 173: Chapter 173:

Chapter 173:

He wasn’t being particularly rude, nor did he appear annoyed by her questions, but his answers remained brief enough that she eventually understood he wasn’t going to share anything else.

Sasha lowered her gaze towards the remaining meat in her hands, quietly wondering whether she had said something wrong or whether he simply preferred keeping his personal affairs to himself.

’Is he still wary of me~?’

Sasha couldn’t help but think as she recalled the look he had given her that day when she had reached towards his helm, and the memory was enough to make the guilt that had been lingering in her heart grow stronger.

*******

After eating, Osborne didn’t head to bed but sat near the fire, quietly watching the flames dance beneath the night sky, as if deep in thought.

Before they arrived at the Vonroth County, he knew there were several things he needed to take care of, and among them was improving his strength.

With a thought, two manuals appeared on his lap, their covers looking somewhat worn from being stored alongside the other spoils he had collected during his previous adventures.

Sasha, who had been sitting on the opposite side of the fire, noticed the sudden appearance of the books and couldn’t help becoming interested.

Her curiosity eventually got the better of her, and she unconsciously leaned over to get a better look at the titles written on their covers.

’Ravenous Beast Blade... and an Aura cultivation manual.’

Sasha blinked her eyes upon reading the titles, looking between the two books before turning her attention towards Osborne.

"Are those manuals yours, Master?"

"They are now."

Osborne replied without looking up, casually picking up the first manual and examining its cover.

The first manual was something he had picked out of the spoils of war from the traffickers, and judging by its name, he guessed it must be the same technique that the trafficker boss had used against him back then.

He could still remember the man’s fighting style, especially the way he used his broadsword to deliver powerful attacks that seemed capable of tearing apart anything standing in his path.

Although the man’s technique had been rather crude in certain aspects, it wasn’t without its merits, and Osborne had been curious about the method behind those attacks ever since their confrontation.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the opportunity to properly examine the manual until now, as there had been several other matters demanding his attention.

As for the second book, it was one of the countless copies he had found back then as well, and unlike the first manual, its contents were focused on the cultivation of Aura rather than a particular sword technique.

Osborne opened it and began reading through the first few pages, carefully examining the instructions while comparing them with what he already knew about Aura.

He hadn’t thought of seeking out an Aura cultivation manual before because of one reason.

During his time in Roosevelt, his aim at the time was to obtain the Roosevelts’ Aura cultivation manual, and considering that they were a family with generations of swordsmen, he knew that their cultivation method couldn’t possibly be an ordinary one.

After all, there was no way a family with that much heritage would settle for mediocrity, especially when their influence and strength had been built through generations of powerful Aura users.

The Roosevelts had produced numerous skilled swordsmen, and their secret techniques were known to be among the family’s most valuable possessions, so it was only natural for him to believe that their cultivation manual would be worth the effort required to obtain it.

He had originally intended to acquire it once he had secured his position within the household, but things hadn’t exactly gone according to his plans.

Not that he particularly regretted abandoning that idea, considering everything that had happened between him and the Roosevelts, although he couldn’t deny that losing access to their resources had made certain things more troublesome.

However, with more and more threats appearing at every given opportunity, he knew he couldn’t continue putting his Aura cultivation at a distance anymore.

His current strength was far from enough to guarantee his safety, and although his magic had provided him with several advantages, relying on it alone would be rather foolish.

There were opponents who could close the distance before he had enough time to cast his spells, while others possessed abilities that could make fighting them with magic considerably more troublesome.

Having another method of fighting would give him more options, especially since he had already discovered that combining his swordsmanship with magic could produce rather useful results.

Even without an Aura instructor, he still needed to at least improve his Aura cultivation.

At the moment, he wasn’t even a full fledged first-star Aura user but simply someone who had awakened Aura, and although that alone was already a considerable achievement for someone without proper guidance, it was hardly enough for his current circumstances.

He had been fortunate enough to obtain the ability to use Aura, but that didn’t mean he could simply leave it unattended and expect his strength to improve on its own.

Osborne closed the first manual and placed it beside him before turning his attention towards the Aura cultivation manual.

He wasn’t particularly worried about learning the basics by himself, especially since he had already experienced the process of awakening Aura and understood some of the things required to control it.

Besides, he wasn’t someone who needed an instructor to explain every little detail before attempting something, and as long as the manual provided him with a reliable method, he was confident that he could figure out the rest through practice.

But if he were to focus on his Aura cultivation as well as his Magic cultivation, then who knew just how powerful he could get.

The thought itself was rather appealing, although he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that he could master everything overnight.

For now, he simply needed to make steady progress without neglecting either side of his strength.

Osborne adjusted his sitting position before closing his eyes, allowing his attention to settle on the instructions he had just read.