It was already night when Nikolai together with Taro arrived at Mount Sorel in their mist form. It was a sanctuary sandwiched between Cordon's northwestern lands and Valcrez's southeastern territories. A sacred place protected by both kingdoms, it also served as an exclusive academy for those who want to enhance their combat skills in all aspects.
As was agreed upon long before, independent Masters that didn't involve themselves in any political strife in any of the kingdoms were in charge of managing it, and they were very strict in terms of who they accepted into their fold. They didn't just accept any disciple that wanted to join them. No, they had to pass their particular tests first before they could even begin to be accepted into their prestigious halls.
