Chapter 1158
"Lord of the Family..."
Sheryl spoke with a cautious tone as she kept pace with Glenn, who was making his way back toward the Lord’s Manor.
"Is it truly your intention to withhold all instruction from Raon?"
Her gaze sharpened slightly, her eyes reflecting a sense of concern for the young man’s progress.
"Hahaha."
Roenn offered a slow shake of his head, resting a steadying hand upon Sheryl’s shoulder.
"The Lord of the Family undoubtedly possesses his own logic..."
He was prepared to suggest they place their confidence in Glenn’s perspective and remain patient.
"Kuhup!"
Suddenly, Glenn pressed the back of his hand against his eyes, a stifled, trembling breath escaping his lips.
"L-Lord of the Family?"
"Are you unwell?"
Sheryl gasped in sudden alarm, while Roenn’s eyes, typically narrowed in a soft, habitual smile, flew wide in shock.
"It is simply..."
Glenn lifted his countenance, his voice thick and wavering with moisture.
"It is simply so moving!"
Though he didn't name the source of his agitation, Sheryl and Roenn grasped his meaning instantly.
"R-Raon?"
"Hahaha, the Light Wind Palace Master is truly something else, isn't he?"
Both Sheryl and Roenn nodded in unison, recognizing that Raon was the catalyst for Glenn’s emotional state.
"To be disregarded for an entire month—anyone else would have pouted or abandoned the training field entirely. Yet, he remains the very first to arrive and the absolute last to depart."
Sheryl lifted her hand to emphasize her point, seeing exactly why Glenn was so stirred.
"That dedication is indeed stirring, but that is not what I am referring to."
Glenn let out a soft, controlled exhale.
"Something else..."
Roenn’s eyes thinned with intrigued curiosity.
"Raon was driving himself beyond his limits. It didn't look like he was merely getting ready for the conflict with the Five Kings; he looked as if he intended to hunt down Derus Robert all on his own."
Glenn sighed heavily, the memory of Raon’s face—etched with a murderous intent—weighing on him.
"But isn't possessing such lethal intent usually considered a strength?"
Sheryl shook her head, arguing that a warrior lacking a killer instinct could never truly reach the heights of power.
"You speak the truth. Lethal intent is a vital component. However, as you noted, that applies to standard circumstances. Raon has reached the zenith of Transcendence. He is nearing the threshold of the legendary figures from the time of the Six Kings and the Five Demons. At such a height, becoming fixated solely on raw power can lead to the corruption of the soul."
Glenn’s features grew shadowed and grim.
"You understand better than anyone the tragedy that befalls a Transcendent when they chase nothing but strength."
He bit his lip hard, clearly pained by the memory of his own past failings.
"That is..."
"Mmm!"
Sheryl and Roenn both winced, the memory of Glenn’s own dark period clearly flashing through their minds.
"The grandson follows the grandfather’s footsteps. Raon was beginning to tread the same treacherous path I once took. But because he hasn't fully ascended those final stairs yet, there was still a window to pull him back."
Glenn shook his head, clarifying that this was the sole reason he had offered Raon no guidance.
"If that was the case, why didn't you just explain it to him..."
Sheryl’s brows knitted together, remembering how much Raon seemed to be laboring under the weight of his struggle.
"A person haunted by a heart demon and consumed by the thirst for power will not heed the words of others. Direct intervention might have even accelerated his descent."
Glenn nodded, speaking from the bitter well of his own experience.
"That is why I chose not to interfere and simply observed. I was terrified that my silence might be a mistake, especially since his condition seemed to be worsening of late..."
He turned his gaze back toward the training grounds, his fingers twitching with a slight tremor.
"But today, for the very first time, Raon stayed his blade and allowed himself a moment of stillness. He has discovered the missing piece on his own!"
Glenn squeezed his hand into a fist, his face flushing a deep crimson as he felt the weight of Raon’s breakthrough.
"He is a far more exceptional grandson than a stubborn old fool like me deserves!"
His eyes grew glassy once more, claiming there was no greater joy than witnessing such growth in Raon.
"Ah!"
"So that was the plan!"
Sheryl and Roenn finally saw the full picture of the silent battle between the two and nodded their understanding.
"For the remainder of this training block, I shall remain silent. However..."
Glenn wiped his nose and nodded, his faith on full display.
"Raon will emerge from this having achieved more than any of the others."
He gripped his hand tight, his eyes radiating absolute conviction.
"Um, Lord of the Family..."
Sheryl tilted her head to the side as she studied Glenn’s face.
"Are you actually weeping right now?"
A bewildered laugh escaped her as she spotted the tears clinging to the corners of the great man's eyes.
"I am not weeping!"
Glenn used the back of his hand to brush away the moisture, shaking his head defiantly.
"The Lord of the Family does not weep. But as a grandfather, I find I have little choice."
He bit his lip again, confessing that the sight of Raon today had simply broken his resolve.
"I believe I can relate to that sentiment."
Roenn seemed equally moved, letting out a soft chuckle while rubbing his own reddened nose. The two men shared a knowing look of mutual understanding.
"Hah..."
Sheryl let out a hollow, incredulous sigh.
"I’ve heard that age makes the heart grow soft, but to see the Lord of the Family shed tears is truly something else."
While Glenn had been known to get misty-eyed, this was a genuine display of sorrow and joy. It was, in truth, both shocking and slightly ridiculous to her.
"He would have relished the chance to witness this."
A small, bittersweet smile touched Sheryl’s lips as she thought of the one person who would have relentlessly teased Glenn for this moment.
"Still causing trouble even from beyond the grave, yet never once paying me a visit..."
She clicked her tongue, feeling the sharp bite of the day's wind.
"I’ll be waiting. If you’re determined to pass on, at least have the decency to do it where I can see you. You troublesome elf!"
Sheryl made a dismissive gesture at the sky and hurried to catch up with Glenn and Roenn, who were walking off side-by-side.
"Wait for me!"
'I’ve grown more powerful?'
Raon glanced over at Wrath, his head tilting in confusion.
'What are you talking about?'
He couldn't fathom how he could have made any progress when he had spent the entire time with his eyes shut, merely listening to the echoes of other warriors.
—I am telling you that your overall capacity has expanded, unlike anything before!
Wrath scowled, clarifying that it wasn't a boost to specific attributes like physical strength or energy reserves, but rather an elevation of his entire martial essence.
—Observe for yourself!
He made a sweeping motion with his hand, demanding that Raon stop questioning and simply inspect his own state.
'Hmm...'
Raon pursed his lips and closed his eyes once more to scrutinize his internal condition.
'I was merely resting, so how could I possibly—wait.'
As he focused and expanded his energy perception, he felt a distinct shift. His ability to sense the ambient mana in the air had become significantly more refined.
'How is this happening...?'
It was baffling that he had achieved a martial breakthrough simply by closing his eyes, without any active cultivation or moment of enlightenment.
—That is exactly why I am saying it defies logic!
Wrath bared his teeth, demanding to know what secret trick Raon had pulled.
'You were right there. I was just sitting... Oh.'
Raon was in the middle of dismissing the angry spirit when his realization hit him.
'Sitting still?'
Reflecting on it, he couldn't remember the last time he had truly been at peace.
'I was always in motion, always driving the sword. And lately, it had turned into an obsession.'
With the confrontation with Derus Robert looming, his anxiety had spiked, causing him to train relentlessly. Yet, despite the grueling effort, his progress had hit a wall and refused to budge.
'Lately, it felt as though I wasn't the one controlling the blade—the blade was controlling me.'
While he swung his sword fueled by a sense of impending doom, his mind was often too scattered to actually focus on the essence of the art.
'Was it a heart demon?'
Looking back, he could see the mental exhaustion that had been silently accumulating.
'When did it take root? Was it there from the very start?'
During his sessions with Glenn, he had resolved to shatter every obstacle, but that very resolve had morphed into a toxic burden.
'I pushed too hard.'
Even the best medicine becomes lethal in excess. He had strained himself to the point where his own drive and fatigue were acting as a poison to his spirit.
'And only now is that poison starting to drain away.'
Following Wrath’s unintentional guidance—by putting down the sword, ignoring the thought of Derus, and letting his mind drift like passing clouds—a breach had finally opened in the mental blockade.
'It makes sense. Mental clarity is vital at my level, but I was too blinded by my goals.'
The raw urge to gain power for revenge, the weight of wanting to protect everyone, and the frantic need to outmaneuver his foes had trapped him in a cycle of mindless training. Those objectives were valid, but prioritizing his internal balance had to come first.
'Now I see why my grandfather ignored me.'
Among all the trainees, Glenn was the only one who had acted as if Raon didn't exist. He had felt a sting of resentment over it, but the motive was finally clear.
'He wanted me to discover the necessity of rest on my own.'
Glenn recognized the mental strain Raon was under and withheld advice to avoid adding to the pressure. However, Raon had misinterpreted the silence, pushing himself even deeper into the abyss. He finally understood the look of deep worry that would occasionally flicker in Glenn’s eyes.
'I must reclaim my internal equilibrium.'
He looked toward Wrath, working to steady a heart that still hummed with a lingering trace of bloodlust and ambition.
'Wrath.'
Raon reached out and gave Wrath’s head a gentle, smiling pat.
'My thanks. You understood the situation all along.'
Wrath had known that rest was the true requirement, not more labor, and had pushed him to relax. Raon bowed his head slightly, truly appreciative of the spirit's intervention.
—Hah...
Wrath let out a long-suffering sigh, as if to say "It’s about time."
—When I ask how you became stronger, why must you spout such poetic drivel!
He glared, telling Raon to drop the philosophy and explain the mechanics of his growth.
—You’ve siphoned off more of my power, haven't you? You parasitic swordsman!
'...'
Raon exhaled a weary breath as he stared at the genuinely fuming Wrath.
'Of course...'
In the end, he was still dealing with a fool.
The following day, Raon once again left his sword sheathed. He took a seat in the center of the grounds, eyes shut, simply absorbing the rhythmic sounds of training and the distant echo of Glenn’s voice. He wasn't straining to hear. He simply let the noise wash over him like a familiar melody.
'Krein’s speed is up, but his core balance is starting to falter.'
'Is Martha fighting like a wild animal now? Her ferocity is peaking. If she continues this trajectory, she might eventually surpass the Blade Queen in sheer terror.'
'Runaan is back to napping. But her development is peculiar. She might actually break through to Transcendence.'
'Burren is finally diverging from Karoon’s style. For his long-term growth, this is the correct choice.'
'Dorian is moving fast, too. It looks like he’s actually integrating Gluttony into his post-training routine.'
By simply existing within the symphony of the training field, a wealth of data began to fill his mind and resolve itself. It was a sensation of clarity he had never before tasted. For a full week, Raon remained motionless, merely a silent observer of the sounds of war. When he finally stood up after those seven days, the change in his own power was undeniable.
For the first time in his life as a warrior, he had gone a long stretch without touching a weapon, yet his instincts were sharper and his understanding of the martial path was deeper than if he had spent that time swinging until his hands bled.
As the sixth week of the training cycle began, Raon finally moved, though not to train. He began to shadow Glenn silently.
"Burren. A perfect stance is your foundation, but the true master knows when to introduce chaos by breaking the expected path."
Once Glenn moved on to the next person, Raon would linger for a moment.
"You are becoming a slave to elegance. Even Karoon knew when to discard tradition for effectiveness. Seek out the uncharted space."
Raon began layering his own insights onto Glenn’s foundation, offering a second perspective to the warriors.
"Serena. Your execution is flawless, but that flawlessness is becoming a ceiling. You must risk failure with new techniques if you wish to grow."
"Void Sword Division Leader. If you seek a breakthrough, look toward principles that contradict your current style. Integrating the concept of the severing sword will amplify the mastery you already possess."
He spent the next week acting as an echo to Glenn’s wisdom. By day, he analyzed their flaws and contemplated solutions; by night, he processed the rhythm of the sword. Eventually, in the quiet hours of dawn, Raon stepped into a new territory within the Head of House’s training grounds, standing alone in the silence.
—I should have seen this coming...
Wrath ground his teeth as he stared into Raon’s eyes, which had now submerged into the Void.
—Even while you claim to be resting, you manage to stumble into another awakening!
There truly was no point in worrying about a person like this.
