The Duel at Blooming Peak

Just an hour before Kael and Vera met, Aiden and Kael were leisurely gliding through the air, using their Light-foot techniques toward Blooming Peak Pavilion.

Flying close to Kael, Aiden asked, "So, what's your plan, Kael?"

"First, I need to talk to her. See if she has a solid core."

"...A solid core?"

Kael nodded.

Aiden let out a deep sigh.

That was his catchphrase—people needed a "solid core," or so he always said.

It wasn't as if Aiden didn't understand what he meant.

That was simply Kael's way of evaluating talent.

And his personal criteria for determining whether someone was "solid" or not was surprisingly accurate.

Not flawlessly precise, but at least every person Kael ever called an "empty shell" turned out to be exactly that.

And conversely, those he acknowledged always proved their worth.

Though it wasn't an absolute measure, it was reliable enough.