C815
In front of the gently burning campfire, Raon examined the martial arts manual he received from Darkan, letting out a small laugh.
"It's still amazing, even after looking at it again."
The mantras and methods of use are incredibly refined. Sword Control is a complex martial art that very few have mastered throughout the history of the continent. Even transcendent warriors find it difficult to learn, but this manual breaks down the complexities of Sword Control so that even great masters can understand it.
'I knew his skills were exceptional, but to this extent...'
Creating legendary martial arts like Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Fire Ring, and even interpreting Sword Control to a level anyone can understand, the Zieghart ancestor he had seen was nothing less than a martial arts god.
"A true grand master."
Although he himself was creating various sword techniques and martial arts, it seemed he couldn't even come close to his ancestor's level at present.
"But what exactly was someone of that caliber preparing for?"
The Zieghart ancestor had traveled all over the continent, planting seeds for the future. He wondered what such a powerful person was preparing for.
'Was it because of that strange being I saw in the cave...?'
"Just because of that!"
As Raon recalled the ancestor's dream, Wrath suddenly jumped up.
'Hmm?'
"If this king had set his mind to it, he could have created a martial art even more outstanding than that!"
Wrath pounded his chest, claiming he could create a martial art stronger than Sword Control.
'For example?'
Raon briefly pointed his chin towards Wrath.
"If it were this king, I could create countless Sword Control techniques with ice and send them flying!"
"Oh, let's see it then."
"Eh?"
Wrath's eyes widened in surprise. He seemed bewildered, not expecting to be asked to demonstrate, as his boasts were usually ignored.
"You said you could do it. Go ahead, show me."
"Oh..."
He swallowed hard and then quickly turned his head.
"W-why would this king do something for your sake?! It's easy to create, but I won't show you!"
"No, you don't have to teach me how to do it. Just do it."
"Forget it! You'll just copy it by looking at it! I can't reveal military secrets!"
Wrath made the ridiculous excuse of military secrets as he slowly backed away.
'Honestly.'
Raon smiled and returned to his book. Perhaps because they had become closer, it seemed Wrath's bravado and humor had increased.
"How is it?"
Martha asked, licking her lips as she looked at the Sword Control manual.
"Do you think you can use the proper Sword Control now?"
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity about the Sword Control technique as she leaned in.
"Yes, it's not difficult to understand."
Raon nodded calmly as he lowered the manual.
"If I refine it well, I might be able to make it usable for you when you become Grand Masters."
He felt that if he reached Transcendence and improved his mastery of Sword Control, he could create a version that even Grand Masters could use. Of course, it would be impossible for beginners, and they would have to be at least mid-level Grand Masters.
"Really...?"
Runaan, who was staring intently at the campfire, suddenly stood up.
"Can we actually learn Sword Control too?"
"Eh? Oh, probably..."
"Wow!"
Runaan raised both arms and clapped softly. It was an extremely exaggerated reaction considering her usual behavior.
"I didn't know you were so interested in Sword Control."
Raon smiled slightly as he watched Runaan raise her hands repeatedly.
"Interested? As if."
Martha shook her head as if to say absolutely not.
"She's always going around saying there are things that bother her and make her sleepy. It's obvious she wants to learn Sword Control so she can ride it."
She snorted, saying it was all too clear.
"Come on, surely not..."
"That's right."
Runaan nodded firmly, confirming Martha's words.
"I want to travel with a sword and take naps on it too."
She blushed and said it would be nice to sleep in the sun while riding a sword.
"Idiot! You'll fall off the Sword Control if you sleep!"
Martha frowned and said it was ridiculous.
"...I can do it."
Runaan lowered her eyebrows, insisting she wouldn't fall.
"You absolutely can't!"
"I can do it."
Martha and Runaan argued like cows, debating whether or not one could use Sword Control while sleeping.
"Sigh..."
Raon sighed as he watched Martha and Runaan start to headbutt each other.
"Why are they becoming more childish?"
Those two seemed to become more childish as they grew older, even though they had been mature as apprentices.
"It's because they've become closer."
Wrath gestured with his hand, saying it was a good thing and to leave them alone.
'Like you?'
"What nonsense!"
"No, it's true."
Raon chuckled and tried to focus on the manual again when Burren approached.
"Raon."
"Hmm?"
"What do you think about what the former leader of the Holy Sword Alliance said?"
Burren's expression darkened, as if he was still worried about the idea that Zieghart might be connected to the Holy Sword Alliance.
"I don't think it's absolute, but I think there's a possibility."
Based on what he saw in his dream and the stories from Rector and Darkan, the Zieghart ancestor who appeared in his dream was clearly related to the origins of the Holy Sword Alliance. For him, it was a safe situation, but since he couldn't reveal everything, he only mentioned it as a possibility.
"I see..."
Burren pressed his lips tightly together. He seemed surprised by the fact that Zieghart could be related to the Five Demons, as he was prouder of Zieghart than anyone else.
"There's no need to be surprised or angry."
Raon shook his head calmly.
"But the Holy Sword Alliance is one of the Five Demons! Although it has changed a lot now because of your grandfather, when you think of the previous Holy Sword Alliance, it can only be described as evil..."
"What about the members of the Holy Sword Alliance you met here?"
"What?"
Burren's eyes widened as if he didn't understand what Raon meant.
"Leaving aside the Holy Sword Alliance of the Five Demons, what did you think of the people you actually met there?"
Raon urged Burren to think carefully as he tried to calm him down.
"...There were some rough individuals, but fundamentally, they were good people with a strong passion for swordsmanship."
Burren bit his lip and said they weren't much different from the Zieghart swordsmen.
"Those people are still associated with the Five Demons, both now and in the past. But if you ask if they are evil... Probably not."
He nodded slightly, letting out a small sigh.
"The Holy Sword Alliance has certainly committed many evil acts and is rightly called one of the Five Demons."
Raon drew two lines on the ground with both hands.
"The connection between Zieghart and the Holy Sword Alliance that Darkan mentioned goes back hundreds of years or more. At that time, the Holy Sword Alliance might have been good, or Zieghart might have been evil. In the future, it could be the opposite again."
He continued the right line straight and twisted the left like a maze.
"We've seen firsthand what kind of person Derus Robert is. This world changes depending on how you look at it."
Raon smiled slightly as he connected the lines that had drawn different trajectories.
"That's true..."
Burren nodded heavily, seeming to understand what Raon was saying now.
"We have to look at the core, not just the name or reputation. Whether it's people or families."
Raon nodded, conveying what he had understood through his past and present lives.
"I'm sorry. I think I was too obsessed with the name 'Five Demons'."
Burren let out a long sigh, saying he had been thinking wrongly.
"It's alright. I thought you were an annoying young master at first too."
Raon smiled and patted Burren on the shoulder.
"T-that was because I was young back then..."
Burren blushed and bit his lip, seemingly speechless about his behavior as an apprentice.
"I'm just kidding."
Raon waved his hand lightly.
'Burren's interest in the name Zieghart must be because of Karoon.'
Burren still respects Karoon, and Karoon has a very strong pride for Zieghart. It was understandable that a son would be influenced by his father, which gave him that personality.
"Now that I think about it, you never cared about names or reputations from the beginning."
Wrath narrowed his eyes and said that wasn't typical of a young man.
'I've been through some things.'
Raon twisted his lips, remembering Derus from his past life.
"And that's not something I only tell Burren."
The advice to look at the core instead of the surface was also a commitment to himself, as he shouldn't create another victim, another "Raon", in his quest for revenge against Derus.
"It's ready! Drink while you talk!"
Dorian prepared tea and distributed it among everyone. Perhaps because of his Mind's Eye ability, the color of the tea he gave each person was different.
"Eh...?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the thick, green tea-like liquid.
"What is this?"
He found it difficult to drink easily, as he had never seen tea of that color before.
"Oh, that's tea made with mint chocolate!"
Dorian smiled and said he made it because it seemed necessary.
"Mint chocolate?"
"Mint chocolate!"
Runaan and Wrath gathered around the teacup simultaneously.
"Ugh..."
Runaan lowered her eyebrows as if she didn't like the steaming mint chocolate and immediately backed away.
"Ooh! My wish came true!"
However, Wrath licked his lips as if he had personally ordered it. It seemed he had planned it when he danced on Raon's head before.
"Hot mint chocolate really isn't good..."
"Shut up and drink it!"
Wrath forcibly opened Raon's mouth, urging him to drink quickly.
"How disgusting..."
Raon had no choice but to drink the mint chocolate, but he spat it out before finishing half of it.
"This is something new!"
Wrath's eyes glazed over as if the hot mint chocolate wasn't bad either.
'Your taste is truly incomprehensible... Hm?'
Raon turned around as he wiped the mint chocolate from his tongue.
'What was that?'
He had felt someone's gaze just now, but when he turned around, there was no one there. Even when he extended his Aura Perception, he didn't even detect any animals.
"Wrath, was anyone here?"
"What are you talking about! Don't worry, drink more mint chocolate tea!"
Wrath was already so engrossed in the mint chocolate that his eyes were glazed over.
"..."
Raon stared at Wrath before pouring the mint chocolate tea into the campfire.
"Noooo!"
Wrath touched the campfire with his chubby arms, but of course, he couldn't stop it.
"Y-you're going to heaven! You'll be a slave there for eternity!"
'I'm sure that...'
Raon ignored Wrath's tantrum and looked back.
'There was something there.'
* * *
Rumble, rumble, rumble! A huge vibration occurred throughout Zieghart, as if an earthquake had happened.
"Ah, is it six already?"
"Let's eat."
"What was the side dish for today?"
The Zieghart swordsmen who were at the training ground headed to the dining hall, licking their lips as if nothing was happening, despite the strong vibrations. The swordsmen who were on the street were the same. They walked down the main street, chatting as if they didn't even feel the earthquake.
"Hahaha!"
Rimmer burst out laughing as he saw it.
"He moves his leg every day at the same time. Now it's become an alarm clock! Should we call it the North Destructive Clock?"
He held his stomach and laughed as he watched the dining hall start to fill up.
"It's been two months, so I guess they've accepted it now."
The Game Monster also let out a hollow laugh, as if this situation was ridiculous.
"But if he's going to make such a fuss, why doesn't he just go see it?"
He muttered that he didn't understand as he looked at the main building of Zieghart.
"He says he can't go out because he doesn't know when the Five Demons might act."
Rimmer briefly moistened his lips and said the collapse of Zieghart's walls had been a great shock.
"I can understand it to some extent, but it's quite disappointing."
"But I don't understand you."
The Game Monster narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rimmer.
"Me?"
Rimmer pointed at himself as if asking what he meant.
"Yes."
The Game Monster stepped forward and looked Rimmer in the eye.
"You usually just goof off, but for the two months that Raon was gone, you've been living more diligently than anyone else."
Originally, Rimmer didn't care about his own training, let alone the Light Wind division's. But during Raon's absence, he focused not only on the Light Wind division's training, but also on his own.
He didn't expect Rimmer to show such consistent behavior for two months, even if he had regained some common sense.
"They say people die if they change suddenly, so have you caught some kind of deadly disease?"
The Game Monster gave him a fierce look, telling him to tell the truth.
"That saying doesn't apply to me since I'm an elf."
Rimmer shrugged and told him to think whatever he wanted.
"You're an unpredictable guy no matter when I see you."
The Game Monster clicked his tongue, as if he didn't like it.
"Instead of worrying about me, you should pay attention to that side... eh?"
Rimmer's eyes widened as he pointed towards the source of the vibration, the Lord's Mansion. Unlike usual, the earthquake stopped very quickly.
"What's happening?"
The Game Monster also raised his eyebrows, realizing that Glenn's leg-shaking had ceased.
"Is the stopping time earlier today?"
"Why do you think?!"
Rimmer smiled and raised his head.
"The esteemed grandson is back!"
He left the training ground, saying only Raon could stop that leg movement.
"The division leader is back?"
"Has it already been two months?"
"It's been more than two months."
"Let's go see him! We have to show him how we've changed!"
The Light Wind division swordsmen also followed Rimmer to greet Raon and show him the results of their hard training. When Rimmer and the Light Wind division arrived at the main gate, they saw Raon, the three squadron leaders, and Dorian entering through the wide open gates.
"Eh?"
"Oh, oh."
The Game Monster and Rimmer exclaimed simultaneously.
"Why have they passed?"
The Game Monster let out a hollow sigh after examining Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian one by one.
"They've all changed so much they're unrecognizable."
He smiled and said they had each become a different person.
"But is that really Dorian?"
The Game Monster raised his eyebrows as he looked at the skinny Dorian.
"I think so. He sometimes loses weight like that. Although this time it's a bit extreme."
Rimmer's eyes also widened in surprise at Dorian's transformation.
"Not only his appearance, but his skills have also grown a lot. It's amazing, but..."
Rimmer swallowed hard as he looked at Raon's calm eyes.
"Our division leader seems to be the one who has changed the most."
There was a great change in his martial prowess, but the aura in his eyes was different. A calm but intense energy. It felt as if he was looking at a transcendent warrior far above him.
"We have returned."
Raon stepped forward and bowed to Rimmer and the Game Monster.
"Yes. Good job!"
The Game Monster nodded quickly, as if satisfied with everyone's growth.
"What did you do? Did you train non-stop after getting there?"
Rimmer patted Raon on the shoulder, looking impressed.
"Well, something like that. I have a lot to tell you. But..."
Raon nodded with a smile and then showed his red eyes.
"It seems the guys behind you had it easy."
He walked towards the main building, giving a slight smile as if to say he would see them later.
"Oh? Were you all playing? Why do you look like that?"
Martha twisted her lips as she examined the Light Wind division.
"No, you did train, it's just that the level is quite low."
Burren let out a murky sigh, saying they needed proper training.
"You won't be able to sleep well from now on..."
Runaan nodded firmly as if she meant it and followed Raon.
"You're all dead!"
Even Dorian raised his little fist towards the Light Wind division.
"Mmm..."
Rimmer swallowed as he watched Raon's back. He had trained them a lot, but the growth on the other side was too strange to argue about.
"W-what's going on..."
Krein grabbed his head as he watched Raon and the other four's backs.
"Why the hell did they have to pass to come back all turned into Raon Zieghart?"
* * *
Raon entered the audience chamber and stood in front of Glenn's throne.
"Raon Zieghart and four members of the Light Wind division have returned after completing training at the Holy Sword Alliance."
He knelt and bowed his head, formally reporting his return. Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian, who were behind him, also knelt.
"Rise."
"Thank you."
"Hmm, yes... Ah!"
Suddenly, Glenn let out a sharp gasp as he looked at Raon's face. His expression was difficult to describe. He looked happy, sad, and like a corpse that had stopped breathing, all at once. No, all those expressions were mixed together, creating an extremely strange face.
"Head of House? Are you alright?"
"Huurk, I'm fine."
Glenn shook his head, clutching his left chest.
"Ahem! I was a little surprised to see you after so long."
He gradually regained his breath and relaxed his contorted expression.
"You all have made the growth worth being absent for two months. You've all improved."
Glenn drew a deep smile, looking satisfied as he examined everyone from Raon to Dorian.
"It seems like nothing normal happened."
"Yes, I have a lot to tell you this time too."
Raon nodded, organizing the events that occurred at the Holy Sword Alliance.
"Tell me."
"Yes. Then..."
Raon told him everything, from the various trainings they received to the special swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance, and even the return of the former leader of the Holy Sword Alliance.
"That's how you achieved such growth. Expanding the realm of Ten Thousand Swords even further is an even greater gain than the increase in martial prowess."
Glenn smiled slightly and said it was a good change and growth.
"...And Darkan was actually alive. Gouging out his eye to master the Soul Weapon... That's just like him."
He licked his lips briefly, as if he had expected Darkan to survive. He didn't seem particularly disappointed that he hadn't finished him off.
"Head of House."
Raon bowed his head as he looked at Glenn.
"There's something I'd like to ask."
"Go ahead."
Glenn lowered his hand, as if he was willing to answer any question.
"Among the Zieghart ancestors, was there anyone like me with golden hair and red eyes who used Sword Control? Ah! They also used a golden-colored fire aura."
Raon looked at Glenn as he described the appearance of the ancestor he had seen in his dreams one by one.
"Mmm!"
Glenn's eyes widened in surprise, then he slowly lowered his gaze.
"As you know, golden hair and red eyes aren't uncommon in Zieghart. If we go back in history, there are countless swordsmen like that. But there was only one person who used golden flames."
His red eyes curved with reverence.
"The first Head of House Zieghart. Only he wielded golden flames."
-
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