Chapter 480
Dumtkan and his disciples bowed to Ariel.
"Thank you. We were able to have a good experience thanks to you."
The Tven family's swordsmen smiled, saying that they were able to gain enlightenment through sparring with the Light Wind division swordsmen.
"That's good to hear."
Ariel placed her hand on her knee and smiled in a similar way to the swordsmen.
"But was Raon's swordsmanship enough to give you enlightenment?"
"It was pure fantasy. In an instant, he cut through my astral energy and entered. There was no room for a counterattack."
Dumtkan said that he had never seen such a flamboyant and sharp swordsmanship before, and he shook his head.
"I lost in one move, but I was not ashamed. I was able to properly expand my field of view."
"Were you not disappointed that it ended too quickly?"
"Never. In fact, it was because I was broken in one move that I was able to gain enlightenment."
He looked out the window, saying that he was only grateful to Raon for genuinely facing him.
"Well, I think I've taken up too much of your time. It's late at night, so I'll be going now."
Dumtkan politely said goodbye, saying that he needed to organize what he had learned through his sparring with Raon, and then left the office room.
"Phew...,"
Ariel sighed and put her hand on her forehead.
“Raon, Raon Zieghart...”
Now, just hearing the name Raon induces a headache, prompting an involuntary touch to the acupoint. It seemed to be a troublesome habit.
“What a pathetic bunch of people, thanking him after being knocked out by a single sword stroke.”
Not only had the Treven family, which had just left the room, but also all the swordsmen from the families and kingdoms she had sent to Raon returned, prattling on about how much they had learned from him.
She was so disgusted that she wanted to shut their mouths up, praising Raon.
‘I didn't expect this result.’
Raon is kind to those who are kind to him, and he responds with even greater malice to those who have ill intentions towards him.
Predicting his personality, she sent real swordsmen who were not affiliated with the Five Divine Rulers but had devoted their lives to martial arts.
She planned to label him as a coward if he rejected the swordsmen's sparring requests, and as a fool who didn't comprehend the beliefs of a warrior if he accepted the spar and then fought back moderately.
Extracting Raon and Zieghart's martial arts was a bonus.
"But…”
‘Everything's gone wrong.’
After courteously accepting the swordsmen’s sparring requests, Raon, in the actual sparring, shattered their swords with a single strike.
‘He's an unpredictable one.’
Given Raon's personality she witnessed so far, rather than swiftly dismissing the approaching swordsmen, he should have engaged them moderately, like in training duels.
It was unexpectedly challenging to gauge a mere 21-year-old.
Ariel, unable to contain her frustration, heard a knock while pressing her right hand with her left.
"Master."
Shortly after, Mekein entered, bowing his head.
"I apologize. Due to the mist enveloping the lodging, I couldn't see how Raon and the Light Wind division fought."
Although he insisted it was just a light mist, it darkened when attempting to peer inside, furrowing his brow.
"The Black Rose girl pulled off a sly move."
"The Black Market Master's successor?"
"Yes. I heard she was learning formations, but I didn't think she would be able to set up the Connected Fog (mist) Formation."
Ariel twisted her lips and shook her head.
‘I should have seen it myself if I had known this would happen.’
While trusting her subordinates to handle things well during the meeting preparations, she hadn't expected Denning Rose to take direct action.
Truly, when it comes to matters involving Raon, things never seem to resolve properly.
"Is Encia Yonaan still there?"
"Yes. Since I haven't seen her come out, she should be in Zieghart's lodging. She didn't use the lodging assigned to the Yonaan family at all."
"We need to establish a connection with them, but it's become quite troublesome."
The invitation for Denning Rose was intended for mockery, while the Yonaan family invitation was genuinely sent to build a good relationship with them.
However, she didn't even show up for the greeting and immediately stuck to Zieghart's side without detaching.
‘Perhaps, is it because both Denning Rose and the Yonaan family owe their lives to Raon?”
A debt of life is the most profound impression a person can leave on another.
It seemed that Denning Rose and Encia had truly come to follow Raon after receiving his help.
"I think we can't just let it go."
"Master."
When Ariel tapped the table with her finger, Mekein lowered his head.
"That guy. He also took 4,000 gold coins from Demon Killing Spear. He's definitely a man who moves by plan, so you shouldn't get excited."
"I know."
She nodded at Mekein.
'It's not the time to be happy that Demon Killing Spear was robbed more than twice as much as us.'
The amount of gold that has passed into Raon's hands from the Five Divine Rulers is close to 5,500.
It was a huge amount of money that could even build a family, so it was impossible to laugh it off as someone else's business.
"Still, there's no need to worry."
Ariel stroked her red lips with her snow-white fingers.
"I won't be the one moving this time."
"Yes?"
"I'm thinking of inviting those three to the meeting of the heads of the Five Divine Rulers."
Then...
She pressed the table with her fingers, now tinged with red, and gave a chilly smile
"The pieces will move on their own."
* * *
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In the dim dawn.
Rimmer sighed as he walked through the empty alley with his heart sinking.
"How come they're all gamblers?"
He shook his head as he patted his empty pockets.
"How does that Raon guy win, anyway!"
No matter which gambling den he visited, all he saw were gamblers and experts, making it hard to understand how Raon, with his gambling skills, managed to beat them all.
It was clear that he was using a technique, but it was amazing that no one noticed it.
"Damn it. If he has such a good technique, why doesn't he share it with me?"
Rimmer kicked the wall with his hand in his pocket.
"No, come to think of it, all of my losses are all because of that guy!"
As a result of Raon winning about 6,000 gold coins, all the casino in Barena were on high alert.
Typically, the casino's strategy involves allowing suckers to win initially and then luring them into more significant losses later. However, in this case, the operators left all incoming gamblers at the casino completely broke to recoup the funds lost to Raon.
Thanks to that, he, known as the God of Gambling, was also completely cleaned out without leaving a penny.
They were all real pros, whether they ate and gambled.
"Ah, those guys who only eat and gamble... cough!"
When he looked up at the sky with a frown, an enormous impact hit his side.
Buh-boom!
He couldn't overcome the sudden impact and hit his head on the ground.
"Aaah! It hurts so bad... Cough!"
When Rimmer was about to scream, a woman in a white dress appeared and blocked his mouth with her foot.
She was a woman with a noble atmosphere with her purple long hair down to her waist.
Although she seemed to be seeing him for the first time, he couldn't help but recognize her.
"Sheryl?"
"Shut up."
"What are you dressed like that for! Are you trying to be a noble or something... Cough!"
"I told you to shut up."
When Rimmer sneered, Sheryl stepped on his collarbone.
"Are you crazy? You came here representing Zieghart, and you're just running around gambling? You're really crazy!"
"Ra, Raon went too...."
"He went to provoke the Five Divine Rulers bastards! You're the real one!"
Sheryl kicked Rimmer while grinding her teeth.
"Ahahaha...."
Rimmer rubbed his back, which had been hit, and smiled awkwardly.
"You know well, don't you? Even if I'm playing, Raon will take care of everything. He's a guy I can trust, unlike me."
He waved his hand, saying that everything would be fine if he just trusted Raon.
"Okay. Bring out the report to send to the head of house.”
"Oh, that's it...."
"It's due today. Hurry up!”
"Ugh."
Rimmer pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket with trembling hands.
"Look at the report."
Sheryl snatched the report from Rimmer's hand and opened it.
"Raon earned an absurd amount of money. When he returns, I recommend collecting it all to replenish the family's coffers. Of course, there should be a 10% reward for me, the one who provided the information..."
She stopped reading the report and closed her eyes.
"Huff!"
Rimmer trembled his shoulders as he looked at Sheryl's eyes.
"Do you really want to be struck by lightning and die?"
"No, it's true that he won money! If it's used for the family, how many things can be done....”
“It just hurts my stomach!"
"Hmm....”
He lowered his head without being able to refute.
"Write it again."
Sheryl burned Rimmer's report in one breath and glared at him.
"Or die here."
"Okay, okay. I'll rewrite it after I sleep. You should go now so you don't get caught."
Rimmer got up and waved his hand.
"You can't go in now. Raon is in a trance."
Sheryl explained what had happened at the Zieghart lodging while holding Rimmer's shoulder.
"Trance?"
Rimmer's mouth opened wide as he looked at the lodging.
“Some people may only enter once in their lifetime, even if they wield a sword for their entire life, but why does that bastard go in there like it's his own home!”
Despite his envious words, a smile appeared on his lips.
"Then he'll be able to use cold (ice) and heat (fire) together now."
"Cold and heat?"
"Yeah, he's been using them to try to operate both at the same time since last year. I think that's the reason for the trance."
"If that's the case, you could have given him a hint."
"If I told him everything, it would be difficult for him to make it his own, so I hoped he would realize it himself. Of course, I didn't expect it to be so soon."
He grinned, saying that Raon was a real bastard.
"Then I have to stay here until Raon wakes up."
Rimmer sat down on the floor again.
"Sheryl? If you have any money, I'll just have one stew for breakfast....”
"Hey."
Sheryl lowered her eyebrows as she looked at Rimmer. Her gaze was different from when she had scolded him.
"When are you going to stop wearing clothes that don't fit you? Time has passed enough."
"Human and elf time are different."
He shrugged his shoulders, looking at Sheryl. His demeanor was different from a moment ago.
"Hmmm..."
Sheryl sighed and shook her head.
"I was wondering if I should tell you, but I have to."
"What?"
"The Holy Sword Union."
At the mention of the Holy Sword Union, the smile on Rimmer's face crumbled like dried plaster.
"I have information that they have started to move again."
"The Holy Sword Union..."
In Rimmer's eyes, which had contained a sense of emptiness, a glint of determination flashed.
"It's worth living if they're moving again."
* * *
Raon slowly opened his eyelids. It was definitely evening, but the sun was slowly rising.
“Have I entered a state of trance?'
A hazy memory came back. He remembered that he had gained an enlightenment while talking to Denning Rose and Encia.
'It was because of the camera.'
After seeing the photo that Denning Rose dropped, he became curious about the principle of the camera and asked Encia a question, and suddenly gained an enlightenment.
'And it was the enlightenment I was most longing for.'
The simultaneous operation of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier.
The question of the linkage operation of cold and heat, which had failed even after spending a lot of time since last year, was finally solved.
'The answer was not to change the two attributes, but to use another attribute.'
At my current level, it was impossible to operate the flames and frost energies at once, so I should have used a different attribute from the beginning.
'The answer was inside me.'
Wind and Divine attributes.
Currently, in my energy center, not only the heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacier, but also the wind I received from Rimmer and the Divinity that bloomed from the darkness were together.
If I used the energy of wind and divine to flow the cold and heat, it was also possible to operate the two opposing energies simultaneously.
'Let's try it once....'
As he closed his eyes again and tried to operate the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's aura and Glacier's aura simultaneously, he heard a small sound from the surroundings.
When he turned his gaze, he saw all the members of the Light Wind surrounding the lodging with their swords in their hands.
It seemed that they had been guarding him since last night, as he had not realized it since he had just woken up from his trance.
"You're up now. It's late."
Burren rubbed the back of his neck with the hand holding the sword.
"It's faster than before. Did you organize it up properly?"
Martha frowned with her back turned.
"It's always Raon who goes in."
Runaan pouted, saying that Raon was always in a trance alone.
"Why is it only Raon who gets stronger!"
"Where the hell do you the trances!"
"Take us with you too!"
"What if the gap between us gets bigger here!"
The Light Wind division swordsmen also raised their voices, waving their hands in defiance.
Raon looked around at the swordsmen and smiled faintly.
'Anyway.'
Raon felt warm in his heart, even though he was breathing in the morning air, because he knew why the Light Wind swordsmen's were saying those things.
"Thank you."
Expressing his gratitude sincerely, Raon didn't bother with the awkward greetings from the Light Wind swordsmen.
“Thank you to you two as well.”
Raon also bowed his head to Encia and Denning Rose, who were waiting on his right.
"No problem."
Denning rose shook her head gently. She said that she should now release the formation, and she took out her needle case.
A few more photos were added to the hem of her dress.
"I haven't taken any pictures so far, but is it okay to take them now?"
Encia begged Raon to let her take pictures again, saying that she had held back so far in case there were any problems.
She was really shaking her hand, as if she wasn't lying about being addicted.
"…Do whatever you want."
Raon nodded weakly. Anyway, even if he stopped her, Encia wouldn't listen..
Hey!
While he was listening to Encia's pose requests, Wrath suddenly popped out of his bracelet.
'Huh? Wrath?'
Wrath' cotton candy body had turned bright red, unlike usual, and he almost didn't recognize him.
'Why is your body color red?'
It's because of you!
'Why me?'
I'm so angry because you broke your promise that my body transformed red like this!
Wrath said he was angry because he had a stomachache because he didn't keep his promise to eat lobster and pork belly for dinner yesterday.
'Oh, I see.'
He couldn't keep his promise to eat lobster and pork belly for dinner because he suddenly fell into a trance. Wrath was right to be angry.
'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get caught up in it….'
You did it on purpose! You're trying to make fun of the King of Essence!
'Absolutely not. The phenomenon of entering the trance isn't something I can control.'
No, you're different! You fell into the trance from the toilet seat before! There's no one like you in the world!
Wrath frowned, saying that Raon must have known and cheated him. The red that enveloped him was getting darker and darker.
I still can't believe humans!
'Isn't that usually what a demon says?'
Wrath turned his body and shouted, saying the opposite of what a human would say to a demon. He seemed to be quite upset.
'Instead, let's have a more lavish dinner tonight. Lobster, pork belly, salt-grilled shrimp, and steamed clams. How about that?'
I don't believe you!
'I'll make a reservation right now.'
…….
As soon as he said he would make a reservation, Wrath' body, which had turned bright red, slowly began to turn pale.
'They have waffle ice cream, too. We'll have it for dessert.'
Wow, waffle ice cream set….
The cotton candy, which had turned back to grape flavor, turned its eyes slightly.
Really?
* * *
Raon ordered the Light Wind members to rest and returned to the training ground alone. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
'There's no need to rush.'
Since he had gained the enlightenment to use cold and heat simultaneously, he just had to slowly unfold it in that way.
Before operating the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier, he first drew out the wind energy that was wandering around his energy center.
The warmth and coolness of the mild breeze spread throughout Raon's entire body, wrapping around the mana circuit like wrapping paper.
Gooooo!
He simultaneously operated Ten thousand flames cultivation and Glacier. The cold and heat that rose on the wind's energy ran faster and more intensely, filling the mana circuit of the middle energy center.
'Now is the real deal.'
When auras of Ten thousand flames cultivation and Glacier are operated simultaneously, there are mana circuits that intersect. He filled that battlefield with not the wind's energy, but the divine energy that bloomed from the darkness.
Woooowooong!
Just like water and oil do not mix, the two energies that were divided by the divine energy did not compete with each other, but went their separate ways.
Kwaaaaaah!
Raon exhaled a breath and released the cold and heat he had drawn out with both hands.
A wall of fire burned from his right hand, and a blizzard rose from his left hand.
Fire and cold (ice).
The goal he had not been able to achieve since last year was finally achieved.
'That's not all.'
Wind originally has the power to make the flames larger and the frost colder.
Because the wind that wrapped around the mana circuits was present, Ten thousand flames cultivation and Glacier both emitted a more powerful energy than when they were operated separately.
‘All martial skills will become stronger... Huh?’
As he tried to smile with the joy of embodying his enlightenment, the flame sword and ice sword, kept in his mind, momentarily flickered.
The two swords that had never appeared at the same time like the sun and the moon created a huge flow in the world of his mind.
Gooooo!
The heat and cold that were contained in the swords spread to the ground, and the world of his mind slowly began to turn red and blue.
'The world of my mind is changing too.'
Small realizations continued, influencing the imaginary world.
At this rate, it seemed that he would be able to use the incomplete sword field creation sooner than expected.
'However...'
This is more difficult than I thought.
In addition to the excessive consumption of aura, the mental fatigue was severe as he operated four attributes at once.
It seemed that it would take a lot of practice to get used to it.
It's pathetic that you only realized it now.
Wrath shook his hand, muttering that Raon was pathetic.
'What?'
The ingredients were all in your body, but you couldn't use them properly.
He snorted that he had realized something that was possible from the beginning too late.
'It's lucky that I realized it even now.'
Raon shrugged, saying that it was okay.
Ugh....
Wrath looked at Raon and licked his lips.
‘What the hell is this guy really?’
Unlike the words he spat out, he thought that it would take at least next year to get the enlightenment he has now.
He thought that he would succeed after becoming a Grandmaster, and he thought that even if he realized it, it would be more difficult to execute, but that crazy guy succeeded right away.
'Is he really human?'
He began to doubt whether he was really human, given his personality and talent.
He also thought that he might be something other than human, not human or demon.
'What are you thinking about?'
Raon tapped Wrath's head, who was deep in thought.
What do you think the King of Essence's thinking about! Of course he’s thinking about the pork belly he couldn't eat because of you!
'You saw me make the reservation, right? I'll treat you to a full course dinner with dessert, just like I promised.'
I've never seen that damn full course you always talk about! Does it even exist?!
'This time it's real.'
As Raon shook his head to reassure Wrath, there was a knock at the door of the lodging. It was a familiar presence.
Uh, this feels uneasy.
"Come in."
As soon as he said to come in, the door opened quietly and Mekein, the secretary of Heukgeumje, entered.
He bowed his head politely and approached the training ground.
"What is it?"
“Our master has invited Raon-nim to the Five Divine Rulers Conference.”
