C849
"Lord Derus."
Kubara knelt to the right of Derus.
"Both Beorn and Bardiel were defeated by Raon Zieghart, who has ascended to transcendence, but why..."
According to the reports that reached Derus, the plan to steal Alice's power had been a resounding success. However, it was claimed that Bardiel and Beorn were killed by Raon Zieghart, who had ascended to transcendence. Given the confirmed information, it was unclear why he had come here personally.
"I can't believe it."
Derus frowned as he looked at the clearing in front of the dungeon, which seemed to have been burned so completely that even the blood had turned black.
"Even if Bardiel was not a combat specialist and Beorn had not adapted to Aris's power, it makes no sense that they would be defeated by Raon Zieghart, who just ascended to transcendence."
He shook his head as he turned Bardiel's feather into gray ash in his hand.
"It’s more plausible that the demon residing in his body was released."
Derus lowered his brows and said he needed to ascertain the exact process and results for future plans.
"We may have lost Bardiel, but we should not have lost Beorn here. We needed a disposable card to break Glenn Zieghart's neck."
He bit his lip with his snow-white teeth, apparently irritated.
—Raon Zieghart. No, Raon.
Derus Robert murmured Raon's name and cracked a dry smile like that of a parched land. From the wound on the back of his hand dripped sticky blood.
"You continue to block and interfere with my path to the end."
The air twisted with Derus's rage. The ground vibrated as if it were moaning, and the Shadow assassins and shamans trembled, clutching their throats as if they couldn’t breathe.
"S-Sir Derus."
Even Kubara could not withstand Derus's icy aura, and blood flowed from his lips.
"Haha..."
After suppressing the anger and irritation that surged from the depths of his soul, Derus gathered the energy that had spread throughout the island.
"Search. Do not lose even the slightest trace; find it all."
He sent half of the shamans and assassins into the dungeon and ordered the rest to investigate the clearing.
"W-We apologize."
An hour later, a middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader of the assassin group approached Derus and knelt.
"There is not even the slightest trace left; it’s as if everything in this area has been burned."
He lowered his head and said that there was no information to be obtained from this land.
"Sir Derus."
An elder wearing a worn robe stood in front of Derus and lowered his staff.
"There are no traces that can be extracted through magic. It seems that even the magic that remained in this clearing has been erased by the flames."
The elder squinted and said there seemed to be an exceptional shaman among Raon's group.
"However, we were able to hear a story from there."
He said he had summoned the soul from elsewhere while raising a gray mist over his palm.
"It is a spirit bound to the earth that dwells deep in the forest. It says that a golden-haired human killed a winged human and a red-haired human here."
The elder tilted his head and said that while he could not see the detailed situation because the spirit was far away, that part seemed certain.
"The winged human must be Bardiel, and the red-haired one Beorn..."
Kubara let out a brief sigh. Derus clenched his fist so tightly that his bones creaked.
"Raon Zieghart."
I want to kill you right now. He thought it would be more beneficial for the cause for Raon to stay alive, given that his identity had already been revealed and it was certain that a demon resided within him.
However, when Beorn, who had been prepared over a long period and cost an astronomical amount, died in vain, a deep anger arose that made him want to take Raon's head right now.
'Since the second card has broken, I have no choice but to sharpen the first one even more.'
There was no time to prepare another card like Beorn. It seemed he had no choice but to strengthen the one he had prepared from the beginning. Tsk. As Derus frowned after clicking his tongue briefly, the assassins and shamans who had entered the dungeon returned.
"Lord Derus."
The middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader of the assassins who entered the dungeon approached Derus and knelt.
"The cave has collapsed, and we cannot enter. If we forcefully excavate, it seems that the ground might collapse, making entry impossible."
He shook his head and said there was no way to enter.
"Just in case, we examined the magical circuits inside the dungeon, and there were traces of magical power twisted forcefully to adjust time."
The leader of the assassins lowered his brows and said it seemed that someone who was not a Shadow shaman had manipulated the magic.
"Ha, then it’s true that they manipulated the time of the dungeon with magic."
Derus let out a dry laugh, as if he couldn’t believe it. His gaze fixed on what had happened, and murderous intent swirled in his fingers.
"Even with a demon residing in him, he has incredible adaptability and a growth rate."
Derus bit his lip as he calmed his boiling emotions.
"From now on, I will raise Raon Zieghart's threat level to that of a leader of the Five Kings and the Five Demons. Avoid him from now on unless there are unavoidable circumstances."
He acknowledged Raon once more as he exhaled a red breath.
"We're leaving."
Derus stared at the ground that seemed to have been burned with the blood of Beorn and Bardiel before heading toward the port.
"..."
Kubara swallowed dryly as he watched Derus's back move forward with a calm aura, apparently having suppressed his anger.
'To maintain composure even in this state...'
Derus had prepared Beorn for a long time as one of the cards to neutralize Glenn. Although the most important piece had vanished in vain, it was astonishing that he maintained his rationality in that way. It was chilling enough to make his skin crawl.
«He's becoming more and more terrifying».
This being was called Derus Robert. No, he felt as if a growing fear was rising from within his soul for this existence, which he could no longer be sure was human. When Kubara and the assassins arrived at the port city, feeling as if their souls were being oppressed, they saw fishermen preparing their nets for the dawn work near the entrance.
"Eh? Why are you coming from there at this hour?"
-You don't look well; are you okay?
"Did you encounter monsters?"
The fishermen, apparently worried about Derus's pale complexion, left their nets and approached.
"..."
Derus said nothing and passed by the fishermen. Bang! The moment his foot touched the entrance of the village, the heads of the fishermen exploded like firecrackers.
"Ahhh!"
"W-What is this..."
The two young men from the watch group guarding the village also screamed before collapsing like bloodied masses, their bodies shattered. Step. Blood flowed in Derus's wake, and buildings collapsed. He was the embodiment of disaster, bringing death with just his breath.
"Kyaaaah!"
"P-Please forgive me..."
"What kind of calamity is this…?"
Those who barely survived fell to their knees and trembled, unable to believe that the village they had lived in all their lives had turned into a hellish scene. Step. When Derus set foot on the edge of the port, a huge wave rose as if it touched the sky, engulfing the entire village.
Everything, from the surviving humans to the debris of the collapsed houses, was swept away by the fierce current.
"Phew..."
Kubara pressed his lips tightly as he watched Derus's back.
"He's gotten even stronger..."
Derus killed people, destroyed buildings, and caused tsunamis with just his will. It was growth that surpassed imagination. At this rate, it seemed he could catch up to Glenn in no time. But Derus did not trust his own power and continuously gathered information and devised strategies to exploit the weaknesses of his enemies.
Such cold-bloodedness was more terrifying than his raw power.
"We're going back."
Derus exhaled a low sigh as if feeling slightly relieved and disappeared through a dimensional door he opened.
"..."
Kubara suppressed the stomach pain that made him want to vomit and followed him. Puff! After Derus and the Shadows left, all that could be heard was the sound of waves breaking on the island, as if it had been uninhabited from the start.
* * *
"Head of House."
Raon approached Glenn, who was watching the smoke from the crematorium.
"Thank you."
He bowed his head and placed his hand on his chest. After reading Rimmer's last letter, Glenn had asked the artisans of Zieghart to build a new crematorium. It was a crematorium exclusively for Rimmer, and Raon couldn’t help but express his gratitude.
"You don't need to thank me."
Glenn shook his head calmly.
"That bastard is the problem, being annoying until the end."
He let out a brief sigh, saying that even at the last moment, Rimmer wouldn’t leave in silence.
"That's right. What a foolish thing to want to become the wind!"
Vulcano, who had personally handled the crematorium work from start to finish, snorted.
"Thank you too, Master."
Raon smiled slightly and also bowed to Vulcano.
"That's fine. I had a connection with that guy before I did with you, so it was something I had to do."
Vulcano waved his hand, saying there was no need for gratitude.
"But I didn’t expect it to end this way..."
He clicked his tongue bitterly, as if he still couldn’t accept Rimmer's death.
"Master."
Raon approached Vulcano and clasped his hands together.
"I'm sorry, but can I ask you for one more favor after the funeral?"
"A favor?"
—Yes. I’m thinking of taking my master’s sword to Sepia, but I would like you to take a look at it before that.
Rimmer's sword was one of the sacred objects of Sepia. He wanted to keep it in Zieghart, but it felt right to take it with him when he informed them of his death.
"I see. You’ve thought it through."
Glenn nodded, saying it was a good idea and that he hadn’t thought that far yet.
"Well, it's not a difficult task."
Vulcano nodded calmly, saying it was nothing major.
"However, I need to examine the black sword that stabbed Alice first, so bring it afterward."
"Understood."
As Raon bowed his head and expressed his gratitude, the door of the crematorium opened with a creak, and Sheryl, with dark circles under her eyes, came out holding a white urn.
"I'll leave the rest to you now."
Sheryl said she would entrust them with the remaining tasks and handed over the urn with trembling hands. In fact, Raon had wanted to go in and collect the ashes himself, but he yielded, sensing the relationship between Sheryl and Rimmer.
"Thank you."
Raon took a deep breath and received the urn. It felt heavier than it actually was. It seemed as if Rimmer's soul was inhabiting it.
"Then let’s go."
Glenn bit his lip slightly and ascended North Grave Mountain. He stopped in front of a tiger-shaped rock about halfway up the mountain.
"This guy liked to watch over everyone while leaning against this rock."
Glenn gently stroked the back of the tiger rock with a slightly trembling hand.
"He will be satisfied if we send him out of here."
"Mmm..."
Raon stood next to the tiger rock and looked down.
As Glenn said, the Fifth Training Camp was clearly visible.
-Raon, begin.
Glenn slowly lowered his chin, signaling the start of the final part of the funeral.
"Yes..."
Raon nodded and carefully opened the lid of the urn. After staring at the white ashes for a long time, he forcefully opened his lips.
"Burn."
"Yes..."
Burren closed his eyes, then opened them and collected some ash, scattering it into the air.
"Thank you for everything."
He summoned a cold wind to carry Rimmer away and performed a formal salute with the sword.
"Martha."
"..."
Martha approached silently and took some ash in her hand.
"Goodbye. I often displeased you, but I believe there was no other master like you."
She bit her lip until it bled and sent Rimmer off with the wind of the Wind Vendavale Style.
"Runaan."
"Oof..."
Runaan approached with tears still in her eyes.
"Sleep as much as you want there. My napping companion..."
She finally dropped a tear as she bid farewell to Rimmer.
"Dorian."
"Yes..."
Dorian nodded and tightly grasped Rimmer’s ashes.
"Thank you. I will live smiling without forgetting you, Vice Leader. And I will definitely protect those children."
He bowed his head, saying he would continue to visit the orphanage, and bid farewell to Rimmer. It seemed he had shaken off a bit of the pain in his heart now.
"Damn you, Master!"
Kerin shouted as he bid farewell to Rimmer, and Yua and Julius cried again before barely managing to scatter the ashes. All members of the Light Wind division bid farewell to Rimmer while burying his soul in their hearts, to be taken out and remembered at any moment.
"Master."
Raon cried out to Garunua, the wind that Rimmer had wished for.
"You said, 'What joins must disintegrate.' I want to be your disciple again, even if we meet again."
He sent Rimmer's last ashes toward the Fifth Training Camp.
Puff! The green wind that enveloped the ashes brushed past Raon and the Light Wind division before departing for a distant place.
-It seems you feel a little more at ease now.
Wrath nodded, saying that Raon’s expression seemed to have improved.
'Yes.'
Raon nodded as he watched the green wind drift away and rise into the sky of Zieghart.
"Because he saved us until the end."
Rimmer did not want them to continue mourning his death but to move forward. For his sake, they could not remain stagnant.
-So now...
-Yes, I need to train.
Raon nodded and smiled slightly.
-No, idiot! Now fulfill your promise!
* * *
After finishing Rimmer's funeral, Raon practiced sword handling in the clearing in front of North Grave Mountain. After reviewing all his sword techniques, from basic fencing to the Raon Zieghart style sword technique, as if warming up, he tilted his head toward the tree on his right.
"You can come out now."
"Mmm..."
Glenn stepped out from behind the tree, clearing his throat dryly.
"Now that you have ascended to transcendence, I can't even hide from you. It’s going to be less fun."
He clicked his tongue as if he were disappointed.
—If you really had intended to hide, grandfather, I wouldn’t have been able to find you.
Raon shook his head with a faint smile.
"That’s true. Are you okay now?"
"I think I'm gradually adapting."
If he hadn’t seen Rimmer’s last words, he would still be suffering, but knowing his true feelings made his heart feel a little lighter.
"Are you okay, grandfather?"
"At my age, how many people do you think I’ve seen? However..."
Glenn shook his head as he looked at the thin moon.
"This time it hurts a little."
He nodded and honestly said it wasn’t easy.
"...Yes. That is true."
Raon bowed his head heavily.
"But it’s only right to send him off for his sake."
Glenn clicked his tongue briefly and looked at Raon.
"What does it feel like to have ascended to transcendence?"
"I still don’t fully understand it. When I first ascended, I felt like I could do anything, but now I feel more familiar with mana."
"That’s the basics."
He nodded calmly.
"It’s the realm where the mana you possess communicates with the mana of nature, achieving unity between you, the sky, and the earth. Transcendence is the realm where you can achieve everything you desire. Since you reached transcendence by accumulating Ten Thousand Swords, you should be able to do more than anyone else."
Glenn smiled slightly, as if eagerly anticipating what was to come.
"Yes, I should."
"Since we are..."
He extended his hand slightly.
"How about a training spar?"
"...With you, grandfather?"
"Yes. I will be lenient with you, come on."
Glenn extended his hand as if he were speaking seriously.
"All right."
Raon nodded. Training with Glenn was an opportunity and a fortunate encounter to put his skills to the test. He was grateful that Glenn had suggested it first.
"Then..."
Just as he was about to move, he saw Lawaine running from the direction of the annex building.
—Lord Raon! Panting! Head of House, are you also here?
Lawaine startled and tried to bow to Glenn.
"It doesn’t matter. What’s going on?"
Glenn dismissed Lawaine’s greeting and shook his head.
"Lady Alice..."
Lawaine bit his lip and raised his trembling gaze.
"Lady Alice has awakened..."
-
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