## Chapter 1109
A light draft brushed past as Rimmer tapped Raon’s shoulder, a silent prompt for him to begin.
"How about we take a seat?"
Raon gave a thin smile and sank down against the trunk of a tree. Rimmer moved closer with a low whistle, the wind dancing around his fingers as if poking at Raon to start talking.
"Sigh..."
Raon let out a heavy breath, scanning the forest dappled in sunlight. He shut his eyes, soaking in the atmosphere of the place where he had once shared time with Rimmer and Glenn.
'Is this truly the right move?'
Rimmer was now a manifestation of the wind rather than a physical Elf, yet his essence remained vivid, capable of grasping both language and sentiment. Not knowing how the mentor would process his confession made Raon’s pulse race and his hands shake, a sensation usually reserved for facing a terrifyingly powerful foe.
'I haven't felt this kind of dread in a long time.'
Revealing the truth to his teacher—who viewed him strictly as Raon Zieghart—was daunting. To speak of a previous existence where he lived as a cold-blooded assassin was a heavy burden that made the words stick in his throat.
'Nevertheless, it must be said.'
He had resolved to share the secret of his past life with only three individuals: Wrath, Glenn, and Rimmer. For those who shared a bond deeper than simple alliance, he wanted to lay bare his history before the end.
Conversely, he chose to keep Sylvia in the dark; she was perhaps the person most precious to him, and he knew the knowledge of his suffering would haunt her with eternal grief.
'To be honest, a part of me still wants to hide it.'
But this felt like the final opportunity. Rimmer had depleted his soul’s essence to the point where his Elven appearance could no longer be sustained. He had hauled the massive corruption to this spot, holding out until it was cleansed, and then funneled that purified power into the awakening of Sterin and Siyana.
Having spent so much of his core, it was only a matter of time before he faded away entirely.
'Yes. I will tell him.'
Even if Rimmer’s perception of him shifted, or if he began to see Raon as a stranger, Raon felt he owed the truth to the man who had always dealt with him with unwavering sincerity.
"Master."
Raon’s eyes slowly fluttered open. After a brief look at the lush canopy above, he fixed his gaze on the swirling soul of Rimmer.
"Every word I am about to say is the absolute truth."
*Whoosh!* Rimmer stirred up a gust that tossed Raon’s hair, a clear signal to stop procrastinating and get to the point.
"This is not my first time living. It is my second."
Raon didn't dance around the subject, dropping the most vital piece of information immediately. Rimmer remained still, silently listening for more. Raon couldn't help but smirk; this was exactly the stoic patience he expected.
"I have clear memories of a life before this one. In that world, I was a mere tool for Derus Robert, a puppet used to inflict misery on others. Even though my mind was conditioned, I took innocent lives, stole secrets, and mentored other killers."
Raon let out a breath that carried more weight than a standard sigh as he unburdened his history. Suddenly, Rimmer shot up above his head, spinning through the air like a frantic wheel, seemingly connecting the dots between Raon and the villainous Derus.
'He’s reacting just as I thought he would.'
The exaggerated, immediate response was quintessential Rimmer.
Had Wrath been present, he surely would have grumbled about the "Pointy Ears" making a scene.
With a soft breeze, Rimmer wagged a tail made of air, beckoning Raon to keep going. He seemed to be trying to lighten the mood, encouraging Raon to speak without the weight of shame.
"Very well. I’ll start from the beginning. I was snatched away by Derus Robert’s men when I was a small child. Deep within a cavern beneath Lushain Mountain, in the western lands of House Robert, they forged assassins. That is where I..."
Even as he recounted the grim details of his former life, Raon spoke with a faint, peaceful smile.
"...After I perished while cursing Derus with my final breath, I opened my eyes to find my mother. That marked the start of my path as Raon Zieghart."
Concluding the tale of his execution at the hands of Derus Robert, he closed his eyes tightly. He bit his lip, a sharp intake of breath escaping him; he simply didn't have the nerve to look Rimmer in the face.
As he sat in his self-imposed gloom, he felt a soft pressure against his head. A hand was gently smoothing his hair.
'This feeling...'
Opening his eyes, he saw a scuffed, familiar boot on the grass. It was the same footwear that stirred up dust on the training fields every afternoon. The boot of the world's most shiftless Elf.
'No way!'
Raon looked up, his eyes shimmering with emotion. Amidst a soft green aura, Rimmer stood there, stroking Raon’s head with a gentle, knowing smile.
"M-Master..."
Raon’s jaw shook. The touch was warm and real, despite Rimmer being made of spirit and wind.
[I honestly thought you were going to admit to stealing the Lord's favorite Nadine bread, but this is a much heavier burden. I see why you were hesitant.]
The sound of Rimmer’s teasing voice made Raon’s chest tighten with overwhelming emotion.
[Regardless...]
Rimmer gave a slow nod and pulled his hand back.
[I appreciate the honesty. It feels like every puzzle piece regarding you has finally clicked into place.]
He beamed with warmth, still viewing Raon as the same person he had always known.
[You’ve carried a heavy load, Raon.]
Rimmer placed a firm hand on Raon’s shoulder, his voice striking a balance between gravity and comfort as he validated Raon’s long struggle.
"Mmm..."
Hearing that simple acknowledgment caused the emotional walls Raon had built to crumble. His nose began to sting, and his sight grew misty.
"...I regret keeping it from you for so long."
Raon lowered his head in a gesture of apology. Seeing Rimmer’s kindness made him wish he had spoken sooner.
[Don't dwell on that. Perhaps it's easier for me to digest because I’ve already stepped past the veil of life myself.]
Rimmer waved off the apology, suggesting that his status as a spirit made the concept of reincarnation easy to accept.
[When you decide to tell the others, pick your moment. Don't just blurt it out.]
He let out a short laugh, imagining that Glenn might actually faint from the shock.
"What happens to you now, Master?"
Raon rubbed his eyes and looked back at Rimmer.
[I’m not entirely sure. I burned through a massive amount of essence for the old man and my reckless brother. I wasn't really looking at the price tag.]
Rimmer gave a carefree grin, admitting he had acted on impulse without a safety net.
"How could you be so certain that Sterin and Siyana would wake up?"
Raon sighed in frustration.
"It doesn't seem right that they could find strength through your disappearance."
He didn't know the specifics of what Sterin or Siyana required for their ascension. He couldn't grasp how Rimmer had been so sure of the outcome.
[I just had a gut feeling.]
Rimmer smirked, claiming it was the same intuition he used when training the recruits at the fifth training ground. It was a ridiculous justification, yet it was perfectly in character for him.
"I’m relieved it worked, but you took a massive gamble."
Raon nodded, his brow furrowed in concern.
[It turned out well. I had faith in you.]
Rimmer gave a thumbs-up, making it clear that his confidence in Raon was what fueled his actions.
"I suppose this is where I stop looking after you, Master."
Raon wiped the spot on his palm where the wind had touched him.
"I can feel my own form fading. It’s time for me to move on."
Observing his hands becoming translucent, Raon realized his window in this realm was closing, much like it had for Sterin and Siyana.
[Since you’ve made the journey, you shouldn't leave empty-handed.]
Rimmer moved closer, a smile playing on his lips.
"A little extra mana won't change much for me at this point."
Raon shook his head. He wasn't being cocky; his current power level was such that a small boost in energy wouldn't register.
[It's not about the mana.]
Rimmer smiled and reached toward Raon's forehead.
[This is a gift for your bravery. Thank you, Raon.]
As Rimmer offered his gratitude and touched his head, Raon’s past and present began to flash before him like a vivid montage. It was a true unfolding of the spirit. The two separate lives—the assassin and the Zieghart—began to weave together like a single tapestry.
His entire journey felt like different colors of paint being swirled by a master's brush, merging into a unified, vibrant soul.
"Haah..."
Raon let his body go limp as the tide of his soul rose, and he drifted into a state of deep meditation. *Whoosh!* Primal forces of fire, wind, ice, and earth erupted around him, yet they didn't scatter. Instead, they were pulled inward, centering on him.
*Zing!* A profound resonance echoed through Raon’s spirit, body, and energy. Mind, body, and mana became one. A fresh vitality surged into his existing power, reinforcing his foundations into an impregnable castle. Rimmer drifted back, satisfied that Raon had reached a true state of awakening.
[You’ve gotten so big that it’s getting hard to pat your head. You really are a handful for a student.]
He let his hand drop, a soft chuckle escaping him.
[Derus Robert and the assassin Raon, eh?]
Rimmer made a thoughtful sound.
[I have to go, but even so...]
---
"Sigh..."
Raon’s eyes snapped open as he purged the last of the stale air from his lungs. Above him, the World Tree radiated a lush vitality across the land, its leaves dancing in the air.
'Truly incredible.'
He caught a stray leaf, a small smile appearing on his face.
'I didn't foresee this kind of clarity.'
Initially, he had expected nothing more than a slight increase in aura from entering someone else's mental landscape. But by opening up to Rimmer, he had achieved a breakthrough of the soul that transcended mere martial technique.
It wasn't just an upgrade; it felt as though he had unlocked a completely different dimension of power.
'It won't all show up at once, though.'
Within him, the souls of his two lives were still in the process of fusing. Information he once possessed as mere knowledge was now becoming a core part of his being as his true self crystallized.
'Once the merger is final...'
The Soul Sword he wielded would reach a level beyond anything he had previously imagined.
-Hey, what's been going on with you?
Wrath was perched on his shoulder, looking stunned.
-Why does your soul look so tangled!
He grabbed Raon and gave him a frantic shake.
-This makes no sense! Your essence should be falling apart, but instead, it’s blending together perfectly...
'I’ll explain it all to you soon.'
Having confided in Rimmer, Raon now felt he could eventually tell Wrath about his past as well. Since the moment wasn't right, he just patted Wrath’s head and asked for his patience.
-Hmm...
Wrath looked skeptical, sensing the gravity of the change, but he nodded and agreed to wait for the full story.
"Haaa..."
Raon gazed up at the World Tree, sensing his internal power becoming more refined and lethal.
'...Is he truly gone?'
The essence of Rimmer had vanished. The sharp, refreshing scent that always accompanied the Elf was gone, replaced only by the neutral wind of the World Tree. Raon bit his lip and pushed his senses to the limit, but the comforting warmth that had just touched him was nowhere to be found.
It appeared that after ensuring Sterin and Siyana’s growth and providing one last lesson to Raon, Rimmer had finally spent the last of his energy.
-He leaves just as he lived, that Pointy Ears.
Wrath let out a huff, having also noticed the departure.
'He does.'
Raon gave a solemn nod. Having bared his soul to Rimmer and received his blessing, he felt a sense of closure. He could let him go with a smile rather than tears.
'I hope you find peace wherever you are.'
Though he longed for another meeting, he knew it was unlikely. He offered a silent prayer for his master’s journey. Raon lowered his hand and turned around. A crisp breeze, distinct from Rimmer’s, met him as he faced the group that had been waiting.
In front of the assembled Elves stood Sterin, looking rejuvenated and younger, and Siyana, who had matured significantly. With a steady, dignified pace, Siyana walked toward him, her golden eyes filled with clarity.
She moved with the poise and commanding aura of a true Guardian.
"I, Siyana, Guardian of Sepia, officially recognize Light Wind Palace Master Raon Zieghart as..."
Siyana offered a deep bow, her eyes brimming with thanks.
"The Successor of Zieghart."
Following her lead, Sterin and the rest of the Elves performed the Sepia salute, placing their left hands on their right shoulders. This was the final legacy Rimmer had left behind.
-
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Thanks for the support
This is the best chapter, I'm crying.. Thanks for the translation!
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