C862
"Oh, come on!"
Siyana punched the air in frustration before collapsing onto the ground. Instead of tears, her eyes were filled with irritation and confusion.
"Why won't you let go, you stubborn caterpillar? You stupid brother!"
Siyana used her spiritual energy to touch the Requiem Sword, begging Rimmer to come out, but he didn't show a single hair of his soul, as if he had decided not to emerge.
"Eh..."
Sterin let out a sigh as he looked at the Requiem Sword that was vibrating strongly.
"The guy who was once diligent has returned as a troublemaker..."
He shook his head, lamenting that Rimmer's personality had been ruined.
"To be honest, he wasn't exactly normal to begin with."
Erian clicked his tongue briefly.
"Considering that the one who should have become the leader of the Guardians left the forest following a human, he must have been crazy from the start."
He frowned, considering the situation absurd.
"However, I don't think Rimmer's stubbornness is a bad thing. There must be a reason for it."
"I believe so too."
Sterin nodded with a slight smile.
"Thanks to the time he spent with the Zieghart, I've come to understand what kind of man my grandson is."
He clasped his hands behind his back, expressing his confidence in Rimmer.
"This is no time for either of you to be smiling!"
Siyana stomped on Sterin and Erian.
"Mmm..."
"S-sorry."
Sterin and Erian hunched their shoulders, seemingly surprised by Siyana's wrath.
"Is there any problem if the Vice Leader stays in the sword?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Requiem Sword.
"If it's his will to stay, maybe we should leave him alone for now."
"With a normal sword, it wouldn't matter. But..."
Siyana let out a deep sigh.
"It's not good for my brother to stay in the Requiem Sword."
She shook her head as she looked at the World Tree, whose blue light was fading.
"Is it because the Requiem Sword is a cursed sword?"
"That's right."
"Then there's no need to worry. As Lady Siyana has felt, the souls in the Requiem Sword aren't evil."
Raon shook his head as he stroked the Requiem Sword.
'They are rather pitiful beings.'
The souls of the Requiem Sword were ordinary people killed by the White Blood Religion. Despite becoming vengeful spirits, they didn't want to harm others and had even helped them several times. The fact that they accepted Rimmer's soul and sent him to the mental world showed that they didn't want to harm him.
"I know that too."
Siyana created a transparent drop of water on her palm.
"Then why..."
"Because even if they are kind and good, they are still vengeful spirits."
The drop of water floating on her hand produced dozens of thorns that looked like chestnuts.
"Vengeful spirits are pitiful souls who cannot leave this world because of the resentment they still feel. They inherently possess negative energy, so even if they don't want to, they end up harming other souls."
Siyana let out a short sigh as she gripped a sword made of water.
"It's the same principle by which a giant elemental monster causes harm to people regardless of its intentions."
"Ah..."
Hearing Siyana's words, Raon remembered the Red Dragon Turtle that had consumed the earth's energy when it received Vulcan's Heavenly Impulse.
"On the other hand, my brother's soul is pure. As you said, Raon, he has no attachments, so if he comes out now, he will be able to return to mana with the blessing of the World Tree."
She clasped her hands together as she looked at the World Tree.
"It's certainly good that my brother is comforting the vengeful spirits, but if this continues, it will cause problems for his own soul."
Siyana's fingers trembled as she expressed her concern about this.
"Does the Vice Leader know this too?"
Raon swallowed dryly as he leaned forward.
"Well! Tell that damn Vice Leader! Tell him his soul might get hurt, so he should come out!"
Marta raised her voice, urging them not to remain silent but at least convey the message.
"It's true. The Vice Leader is surprisingly delicate, so if we say it's dangerous, he might come out!"
Burren also pleaded, bowing slightly.
"Hurry up!"
Runaan also approached Siyana with an urgent expression. His eyes, normally expressionless, were filled with concern.
"T-that's not possible..."
Siyana bit her red lips tightly.
"Even I can't communicate with souls."
She shook her head and explained that while she could use spiritual energy to try to extract Rimmer's soul, she couldn't communicate with it like a shaman or a priest would.
"And my brother must be aware of that too. He must feel his soul changing, like black ink dripping onto white paper."
Siyana sighed and said that was why she understood him even less.
"..."
Raon frowned as he looked at the Requiem Sword.
'Why?'
Why is he staying in the Requiem Sword? Rimmer had let go of all his attachments and had left with only a desire for happiness, so his current behavior was incomprehensible.
'Does he want to comfort the vengeful spirits of the Requiem Sword, even if it's just a little?'
For now, that was the only explanation that came to mind. Rimmer was more caring than he seemed and always put others before himself.
"Lady Siyana. Do you know why the Vice Leader is staying in that sword?"
"I'm not sure. But if I had to guess, the first reason could be... just for fun?"
Siyana let out a hollow laugh, as if she couldn't believe her own words.
"That's possible."
Martha nodded and said it seemed very likely.
"The second reason, as I mentioned before, seems to be his desire to comfort the vengeful spirits."
Siyana licked her lips as she stroked the Requiem Sword.
"I think that's the right reason. The Vice Leader is very compassionate..."
Dorian sobbed and said that must be the only reason.
"And lastly..."
Siyana looked at Raon and the Light Wind division in turn.
"Maybe he wants to stay with the Light Wind division, even if it's just for a little longer..."
Her eyes reddened as she said that might be the most important reason.
"Mmm..."
"That..."
"The Vice Leader..."
The Light Wind division swordsmen put their hands to their foreheads or let out deep sighs, revealing sad looks.
"That could be."
Raon nodded as he held Yua's shoulders, who was sobbing.
"But that can't be the only reason."
Rimmer intended to leave the Light Wind division without regrets and had even told Raon about the concept of "coming together to separate." It didn't seem like he was ignoring the natural order just to be with the Light Wind division.
'Could there already be a problem with his soul...?'
"That's unlikely."
Wrath shook his head calmly.
"Pointed Ear's soul is as strong as his mind. He should be fine for a while."
"Then why is he doing this?"
"As his pointy-eared sister said, maybe he wants to stay with you a little longer. Or..."
Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at the sword.
"He might be sensing something that only souls can perceive."
Something that only souls can see?
"That's right. Souls have a different pair of eyes."
Wrath shook his head, suggesting that Rimmer might be staying in the Requiem Sword because he is seeing something different from them.
"Let's go back for today."
Sterin shook his head as he looked at the rising sun. It seemed like he wanted to continue next time, as the World Tree's energy had calmed down.
"Hmm. Understood..."
Raon licked his lips as he gripped the Requiem Sword. As he tried to sheath it and leave the sacred ground, the sword vibrated intensely and emitted a loud sword mantra, as if it was resisting being put away.
'Could it be that he wants to stay here?'
There was no other reason for the sudden sword mantra.
"Umm..."
Raon called out to Sterin and Siyana, who were about to leave.
"Can we leave the Requiem Sword here for a while? I'll stay here too, just in case."
He bowed his head and said that Rimmer seemed to want to stay near the World Tree.
"Hmm, do that. Siyana, stay with him."
"What? Oh, yes!"
Siyana's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden instruction.
"Eek!!"
The moment her eyes met Raon's, she covered her face with her hair, as if her shyness had suddenly resurfaced.
"Then, see you later."
Sterin waved his hand lightly and left the sacred ground with the Light Wind division.
"Let's rest a little."
Raon smiled slightly as he leaned against the World Tree.
"Ah, y-yes..."
Siyana sat down beside him, hiding her face behind her intense golden hair that seemed to melt the sun. It was comforting to see her return to the shy person he first met in Sepia.
"Umm, Raon. Can I ask you something?"
"Yes. Go ahead."
Raon nodded as he looked at Siyana. Judging by the serious look peeking through her hair, it seemed like she was about to say something important about Rimmer.
"He's getting a little more touching."
Maybe it was because he now had an older sister named Sia. He felt the need to take better care of Siyana, who had lost her brother. As he thought he would answer anything she asked, Siyana slowly opened her mouth.
"What swordsmanship technique did you use when you took down the Second Apostle with a single blow to get the Soul Crystal?"
Suddenly, Siyana mentioned the incident of killing the Second Apostle, and her shyness disappeared.
"Eh? Oh, I didn't kill her with a single blow. It might have sounded simple, but it wasn't easy. If I had been a little off, it could have been me who..."
"But you took her down with a single blow! What technique did you use?"
"No, that's not what..."
"One blow!"
"Oh..."
Raon's jaw trembled. It seemed that in Siyana's mind, it was already decided that he had finished off the Second Apostle with a single blow. He thought Ensia must have taught her well.
"Th-then, with Crimson Slash..."
Seeing Siyana's look that said the decision was already made and he had to answer, Raon reluctantly mentioned his personally preferred sword technique.
"You used Crimson Slash with blood on your cheek and the back of your hand, and a melancholic look in your eyes, right? ... Ah!"
Siyana exclaimed with joy and began to write new notes in her book.
"..."
Raon's eyes, which had been warm as if they were looking at Sia, quickly cooled down.
"Actually..."
Wrath shook his head as he looked at Siyana.
"There isn't a single normal woman around you."
He let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head, saying he had no idea that that shy girl could change like that when writing in her book.
"Sigh, I don't know."
Raon sighed and sat down on the ground. Seeing Siyana, who had been depressed, looking a little calmer made him feel a little better. He placed the Requiem Sword, which he had been holding to support his head, on the roots of the World Tree.
"Now it stays still."
The Requiem Sword remained motionless, as if it were dead, having stopped its sword mantra and trembling, seemingly satisfied with not leaving the World Tree.
"But why does he want to stay here?"
As he tilted his head, pondering the reason, the red blade of the Requiem Sword seemed to shine with a blue light.
"No, it's not just visible."
It's absorbing the natural energy released by the World Tree. Like rainwater collected in a small container, the natural energy flowing from the World Tree drips and settles in the Requiem Sword.
"Lady Siyana!"
Raon called out to Siyana, who was writing furiously.
"Yes? Oh, yes! Do you have something else to say?"
Siyana nodded, her eyes wide like a rabbit's.
"Is it possible that the mana of the World Tree can soothe the negative energy of the vengeful spirits residing in the Requiem Sword?"
"Eh? Oh, that's..."
She followed her finger with her gaze to the Requiem Sword.
"It's possible. No, does that seem so?"
Siyana nodded and dropped the pen she was holding.
"People think that vengeful spirits are souls that only harm others, but it's actually different."
"How is that?"
"An ordinary soul that dies with resentment cannot produce great power. They become vengeful spirits who kill their own existence to generate power."
She bit her lip and said that the souls residing in the Requiem Sword must still be experiencing terrible pain.
"So the Vice Leader is..."
"Yes. It seems my brother is trying to stay in the sword near the World Tree to ease the pain of the vengeful spirits, even if it's just a little."
Siyana's hands trembled as she said that was certainly the case.
"Brother..."
Unable to hold back any longer, she let blue drops fall onto the book full of writing.
"That Pointed Ears. He's doing something admirable that he never did while he was alive."
Wrath nodded emphatically, as if he were impressed.
'Indeed...'
Raon smiled slightly as he felt the breeze of the World Tree, seemingly stirred by Rimmer.
"I don't understand why it's much more admirable now that he's gone."
* * *
After leaving the Requiem Sword by the World Tree, Raon went to find Sterin and explained why Rimmer was staying in the Requiem Sword.
"I see..."
Sterin pushed back the white hair that was falling over his forehead.
"It's very typical of him, always meddling. He's the same even in death."
Despite his harsh words, he had a deep smile, seemingly proud of his grandson.
"That's right."
Raon nodded with a small smile.
"He's exactly like the Vice Leader."
Later, Raon learned that Rimmer had also sought out swordsmen who couldn't become official apprentices in the fifth training ground, comforting them and helping them find their way.
Being such a caring person, it seemed he was now trying to ease the pain of the vengeful spirits.
"I think he'll come out on his own once the wounds of the vengeful spirits have healed a bit."
"Then we'll have to wait a while."
Sterin nodded, agreeing that would be best.
"Ah, now that I think about it, I was so worried that I forgot."
Raon untied Rimmer's sword from his waist and handed it to Sterin.
"I heard that the Vice Leader's sword is a sacred artifact of Sepia, so I brought it to return it. Thank you for everything."
He bowed his head, expressing sincere gratitude.
"Mmm..."
Sterin stared at Rimmer's sword before shaking his head.
"For now, since the Requiem Sword is on the sacred ground of Sepia, keep that sword with you for a while. And..."
He slowly got up from his chair.
"On the contrary, there's something I want to give you."
Sterin walked out the door, gesturing for Raon to follow.
'Something he wants to give me?'
-
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