C1067
"The Master hasn't changed at all."
Raon let out a dry chuckle as he watched Rimmer standing with his chest puffed out with pride.
'That's not an act.'
He had considered that it might be the Leader of the White Blood Religion's magic, but that was definitely not the case. Only Rimmer could be brazen enough to openly ask for money like that.
-Indeed!
Wrath nodded emphatically.
-That shameless face can't be created by mere magic!
He smiled warmly, confirming that this was truly the real Pointed Ears.
"Master? Martha called me Master too..."
Rimmer's eyes widened with curiosity.
"Why does everyone call me Master?"
He tilted his head in confusion.
"So you did help Martha after all, Master."
From Rimmer's words, it seemed he had helped Martha with her revenge within the Sword Domain.
"I just gave her a little push."
Rimmer waved his hand, saying he hadn't done anything special.
"Martha was the one who moved her legs and swung her sword."
He curved his lips into a smile, proud of how Martha had become a worthy swordsman.
"I agree."
Raon nodded, thinking of Martha, who had finally achieved her goal.
"Forget that! Why are you still calling me Master!"
Rimmer frowned curiously.
"There's nothing else to call you. You're not the Division Leader or the Vice-Leader anymore."
Raon raised his hand towards Rimmer.
"Instructor feels too cold like in the old days, so Master is more appropriate."
Though there were other things he could call him, Master was the most suitable title to describe Rimmer.
"If you don't like Master, I could call you loafer, gambler, debtor, or sleepyhead."
Raon wiggled his fingers as he offered the options.
"L-let's stick with Master."
Rimmer sighed, finding none of the alternatives appealing. Talking face-to-face with him like this felt like being back in the fifth training ground.
"Right. Now that I think about it, I am dead."
Rimmer let out a bitter smile as he realized that was why he could no longer be called the Division Leader or Vice-Leader.
"That's right..."
Raon pressed his lips tightly together.
"But, how did you end up inside the Blade of Requiem?"
He asked what he had been wondering to break the somber atmosphere.
"Not sure?"
Rimmer blinked, as if wondering why Raon would ask him that.
"What?"
"Maybe I got dragged in, or maybe I went on my own. I'm not really sure."
He shrugged, indicating that he didn't know the details himself.
"That's such a typical answer from you, Master."
Raon let out a dry chuckle and nodded. Even without getting an answer, he was enjoying himself. He wished this moment would last a little longer.
"Still, I got to see a lot of good things thanks to that."
Rimmer slowly closed his eyes.
"I was by your side when you reached Transcendence and avenged yourself, when you brought down the Black Tower, when you split The Fallen's soul, and even today when you shattered the Leader of the White Blood Religion's soul."
He opened his eyes as he spoke of sharing all those moments.
"But more than those grand achievements, I was happier during the simple moments: eating together, training together, sleeping together. Every moment spent with all of you was precious."
Rimmer smiled softly, saying he was content with just watching over the Light Wind Palace.
"So you were just loafing around after all."
Raon smiled slightly as he asked why Rimmer hadn't shown himself if he had been there all along.
"Sorry about that. You know how much I love to sleep."
Rimmer played along with the joke, clasping his hands together as if asking for forgiveness.
"The truth is, I entrusted the Light Wind division to you because it was you. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have handed over the kids even if the Head of House had arrived. My choice was right after all."
He revealed a nostalgic look in his eyes as he looked at each of the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen outside.
"Master..."
Raon let out a heavy sigh as he looked at Rimmer's downcast eyes.
"Have your thoughts about becoming the head of the house changed?"
Rimmer raised his right eyebrow, asking about Raon's thoughts on becoming the head of the Zieghart family.
"No. Now..."
Raon lifted his now firm gaze as he thought about today's battle.
"I want to climb up there on my own."
After avenging Derus, he couldn't leave because he had become too attached to the Zieghart people, or rather, Zieghart itself. If he could, he wanted to become the head of the house and protect everyone like Glenn.
"I knew you'd say that! That throne belongs to you!"
Rimmer clapped enthusiastically. Hearing his applause after so long made Raon's heart burn with excitement.
"Get rid of that old man and that envious Karoon, and hurry up!"
He shook his fist as he uttered words that would make dozens of lightning bolts fall if Glenn heard them.
"Lord Karoon has changed a lot. He's not an easy opponent anymore."
"Well, that's true. I never expected him to change like that."
Rimmer smiled with satisfaction, suggesting that there were ways to reform people.
"Ah, wait! Hey you! Why haven't you answered when I asked if you had money!"
He extended his hand as if he suddenly remembered his request for money.
"I have a lot of money."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rimmer's palm.
"But none to give you."
Even knowing his gambling addiction, Raon never expected him to lose even his underwear gambling with spirits. The absurdity of it was so energizing that it made him feel alive again.
"Did you really lose money to spirits?"
"I'm telling you! Those guys are gambling sharks! The cards keep changing in their hands!"
Rimmer waved a deck of cards that had appeared out of thin air. Seeing this, it really seemed like he had been gambling inside the Blade of Requiem.
"Hah..."
Raon let out a long sigh as he held his forehead.
"Should I melt some gold coins and burn them for you? Or should I bury them?"
He asked because traditionally, to send money to the dead, one had to burn it or bury it in the ground.
"Huh? Did you become an idiot while I was gone?"
Rimmer swirled his finger near his head as if suggesting that Raon had gone crazy.
"You obviously need to send it to people! I have addresses!"
He touched his crown, telling Raon to snap out of it.
-Oh, this is infuriating!
Wrath gnashed his teeth in frustration.
-That guy has a talent for irritating me, alive or dead!
Despite his words about the irritating Pointed Ears, he wore a very faint smile.
"A-addresses? Do spirits have addresses?"
Raon frowned in confusion.
"Real addresses, of course. Using the Soul Weapon must have made you stupid!"
"Well, of course I'm confused when you suddenly start talking about the addresses of real people after discussing spirits!"
Raon shouted. He found himself laughing, realizing that this was the first time since Rimmer's death that someone's words had taken him by surprise.
"Some of these spirits have parents or children outside the village. Some want to help people they knew. I would like you to take care of those people."
As Rimmer spoke, he placed his hand on Raon's forehead. As a gentle breeze blew from his fingers, the spirits' stories and the faces and locations of the people they wanted to help flashed through Raon's mind.
"Can you do that?"
Rimmer clasped his hands in supplication.
"Master..."
Raon touched his forehead where Rimmer's hand had been and smiled softly.
"You really haven't changed at all."
Despite appearing like human trash on the outside, his master still had the deepest heart of all. Confirming that he hadn't changed brought peace to Raon's restless heart.
"I understand. I will take care of everything with the money you left behind. I'm still making donations to that orphanage too."
Raon nodded solemnly, telling him not to worry.
"Ah, it's embarrassing when you mention that..."
Rimmer grabbed his head as if remembering his secret vault.
"Usually, people are proud of donations and ashamed of gambling, you know?"
Raon let out a dry chuckle at Rimmer's inverted reactions.
"I'm not your average Joe!"
"That's quite true. You damned Elf..."
He chuckled and nodded. The simple act of exchanging these lighthearted jokes seemed to make all his fatigue disappear.
"And... hm?"
Rimmer lowered his eyebrows as he noticed the spirits gradually fading away while trying to say something more.
"It seems our time is up."
He clicked his tongue, saying it was time to go.
"The spirits..."
Raon's fingers trembled as he watched the spirits fade.
"Will they be able to go to a good place?"
"No."
Rimmer shook his head, his smile disappearing.
"No matter how unjust their deaths were, these guys ignored the laws of the world and remained in this realm. If they had stopped there, it might have been different, but they also achieved their revenge, so they can't go to a good place."
He let out a heavy sigh, saying that only oblivion remained for them.
"I see..."
Though he knew it honestly, hearing it still ached his heart. It seemed this was truly the end of his journey with the Blade of Requiem.
"So..."
Rimmer took a step towards him.
"These guys want to give you one last gift."
When he snapped his fingers, the spirits turned towards Raon just as they had when they were aiming for the Leader of the White Blood Religion. *Whoosh!* Unlike when they had devoured the Leader, the spirits approached his soul without showing their teeth, leaving behind their pure energy.
"Wait, wait! If they leave their power with me, those guys..."
Raon looked at Rimmer with trembling eyes.
"It's a power that wouldn't make sense for them to keep. It's a gift from comrades, so it would be appropriate to accept it."
Rimmer nodded, saying gratitude was enough.
"Comrades..."
Raon bit his lip hard as he watched his soul strengthen while the spirits weakened. After transferring their pure energy and souls to him, the spirits returned behind Rimmer, surrounded by the same purple aura they had when they first entered the Blade of Requiem.
[You have received the sincere gratitude of the spirits.]
[The <Soul Weapon (Spirit)> trait evolves to the <Soul Weapon> trait.]
Raon performed the Zieghart sword salute to the spirits, feeling that he could now wield the Soul Weapon with his own power alone.
"Thank you."
Just as the spirits had shown him their sincerity, he showed them his sincerity. The spirits sent a final message expressing their own gratitude before slowly rising into the air. Their own existence began to fade from this world.
"So this is the end."
Rimmer gave a faint smile as he watched his body fade like the spirits.
"What will happen to you, Master?"
Raon grabbed Rimmer's hand.
"My soul has been contaminated from being with the spirits, so I probably can't return to the World Tree right away."
Rimmer frowned, saying he wouldn't be able to merge back into nature like other Elves.
"Once my soul is purified as I wander the world like wind, I might try to visit. I might even become a spirit."
He waved his hand gently, saying he would keep watching over him.
"Master..."
Raon gritted his teeth as he refused to let go of Rimmer's hand.
"I wanted to help Martha achieve her revenge, see Runaan overcome his trauma, and see Burren defeat his father, but what I was most looking forward to was seeing you ascend to the Zieghart throne. I will definitely be watching."
He gently released his hand, promising to visit him no matter what.
"I can't call you little king anymore. Become a king you can be proud of."
After saying that this was his last request, Rimmer rose into the sky like a green wind.
"Tell the Light Wind Palace children to live doing what makes them happy. Holding back only leads to sickness."
He clicked his tongue regretfully, as if wishing he had time to visit and advise each one personally.
"Ah! Lastly, tell Sheryl to never forget me and to always remember me! Tell her she must live alone!"
After shouting to make sure he told Sheryl, Rimmer disappeared towards the north along with the purple mist left behind by the spirits.
-T-that's telling her to live as an old spinster!
Wrath gaped in disbelief.
-He's leaving with a curse! He's really crazy!
He shook his head, saying Rimmer was truly insane.
'It's not that.'
Raon shook his head calmly.
'Since Lady Sheryl never listens to the Master, he means the opposite: that she should forget him and find someone nice.'
Rimmer wanted Sheryl to forget him and be happy.
"You must..."
Raon wiped away the clear, light green tears that had formed in his eyes as he looked at the sky where Rimmer had disappeared.
"You must return."
He gripped the Heavenly Drive, promising to show Rimmer the moment he was waiting for.
***
"...Are you alright?"
Runaan held Raon's shoulder, his eyes wide.
"After a purple gust burst from the Blade of Requiem's hilt, the Palace Master didn't move for a while."
Burren shook his head, saying he thought Raon had fainted with his eyes open.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Raon let out a weak chuckle as he picked up the Wooden Ring Sword that had fallen at his feet.
"I have something to tell you all..."
"Raon!"
Martha looked up from checking on Denier and raised her hand towards him.
"I saw that loafer Elf! In the Soul Weapon you sent..."
"I met him too."
Raon nodded, saying he knew everything.
"E-loafer Elf? Could it be..."
"There's no 'could be' about it! There's only one loafer Elf in the world!"
"Did you see the Master?"
"Where, how?"
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen, who had been doing different tasks, gathered around him and around Martha.
"I'll go first. Inside my Sword Domain..."
Martha began to tell them what had happened to her.
"Wait, wait. So Miss Rakshasa can't wield a sword anymore?"
Runaan's eyes trembled, as if they couldn't believe that Martha wasn't a swordsman anymore.
"Yeah. My soul is bound by a restriction. Even if I wanted to, I probably couldn't use swordsmanship."
Martha nodded, saying the blood oath was wrapped around her soul.
"You. No. Hah..."
Burren's lips moved silently, as if they didn't know what to say.
"I'm fine. Thanks to this, I was able to complete my revenge."
Martha let out a refreshing laugh, saying she didn't regret it at all.
"Hick!"
"Division Leader..."
"Martha..."
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen, sensing Martha's determination, bit their lips and asked no more questions.
"I'll tell you what happened next. When the Blade of Requiem's hilt broke..."
Raon told them what had happened with Rimmer to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"Gambling with spirits? That Elf hasn't changed."
Burren chuckled as if he could imagine Rimmer's pathetic expression.
"Yeah. He's still an idiot..."
Runaan nodded with a slight smile on his lips.
"It was so comfortable when the Master was teaching..."
Krein closed his eyes, saying he now understood how precious Rimmer had been.
"At least he wasn't trying to kill us. This is hell..."
Dorian sighed, pointing out the difference in the intensity of the training.
"It's thanks to the Palace Master's hellish training that we're alive now."
Mark Goetun placed his hand on his sword, saying they were able to overcome the pressure from the Leader of the White Blood Religion thanks to facing the Soul Weapon.
"That's true."
Martha nodded in agreement.
"If it weren't for that training, I'd have died a long time ago."
She smiled slightly, saying she had held on thanks to that grueling training.
"And also... Ah!"
Martha quickly turned her gaze towards the groan she heard beside her.
"Are you conscious?"
She ran towards Denier as she saw him struggling to open his eyes where he had fallen.
"M-Martha..."
Denier whispered Martha's name in a dry voice.
"A-are you alright?"
Martha took Denier's hand. The desperation in her eyes suggested that she still saw him as a father.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
Denier repeated his apologies in a hoarse voice.
"Don't talk! The medical team will be here soon!"
Martha yelled at him to please stay still, holding his shoulders to prevent him from moving.
"I-I was born in falsehood, but thanks to you, I was able to live a true life in the end."
Denier slowly raised his hand with a gentle smile.
"Thank you very much."
He touched Martha's forehead with his bright white finger.
"Bloody energy?"
Runaan gritted his teeth and unsheathed his sword.
"No."
Raon raised his arm to stop Runaan. This was the same technique Rimmer had used on him to transfer memories.
"Ah, ah..."
Martha sat stunned as if she were reading Denier's memories, then gasped and opened her eyes.
"Y-you? How could you...?"
Her eyes filled with tears so thick that her dark pupils were no longer visible.
"Thanks to you, I can die as a human..."
Denier smiled like a kind father, as if proving his words about being human.
"I will take on your remaining karma."
He abruptly grabbed Martha's wrist as if his original power had returned. The blood oath that had been wrapped around Martha's soul began to be absorbed by Denier.
"Let go! Let me go!"
Martha screamed and tried to shake Denier's hand, but he absolutely wouldn't let go. He seemed to be using all the energy of his last moment before death.
'The oath has become a curse.'
Unlike Martha, who fulfilled her promise, Denier would suffer terrible pain for trying to transfer her oath to his own soul. That pain would likely never fade, even in death.
"Kuak..."
Though Denier coughed up blood repeatedly from the unbearable pain, he absolutely refused to let go of Martha's wrist until the end. His firm resolve burned like flames in his red eyes. Finally, Denier extracted the blood oath that had been constricting Martha's soul into his own soul, multiplying his power several times.
"W-why...?"
"You were the light of my life."
Denier raised his trembling hand to wipe away Martha's tears.
"My dear daughter."
With those words of love as his last, he closed his eyes. His hand, wet with tears, fell heavily to the ground like a stone.
"G-get up..."
Martha's chin trembled as she grabbed Denier's sleeve.
"Get up! You promised to explain everything to me! Not through memories, tell me with your own mouth!"
She slammed her fist, bleeding, against the ground and buried her face in Denier's chest.
"Father..."
-
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