Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the Light Wind squad fight against the Gambling Monster by using the great Light Wind formation.
âI can see them so much better now.â
Thanks to the Ring of Fire reaching seven-stars, he could see the weaknesses that each swordsman had and the problematic parts of the sword formation easily.
âMartha, lower your posture a bit more and hold your sword a bit lower. Itâs important that you fight more safely from the front so that your team members can remain assured from the back.â
âDamn itâŚâ
Martha swore, lowering her posture and placing her sword in front of her energy center. The way she was instantly correcting her flaw showed the huge amount of progress she had made over the past month.
âRunaan, you are getting slower at using your aura. You should polish your aura in more detail to stop the general administratorâs movements.â
âMhm.â
Runaan nodded, the silver energy spreading out from the tip of her sword like mist to dominate the Gambling Monsterâs space.
âBurren, you have too many unnecessary worries. You should attack more boldly when you see an opportunity. You didnât do anything after noticing the general administratorâs opening, and thatâs a mistake.â
âI thought it was a trapâŚâ
âAnd knowing how to differentiate between a trap and a weakness is part of your ability. You should work on it.â
âKuh, I know!â
Burren shouted, charging at the Gambling Monster head-on. Cold wind was emerging from his decisive strike.
âLetâs join him!â
âMhm.â
Martha and Runaan followed him and charged from the sides to perform their respective attacks.
Whenever the Gambling Monster overwhelmed them with astral energy, the Light Wind squad withdrew while maintaining formation, attacking his weakness whenever he was weakened.
âEveryoneâs doing so well.â
Even though the Gambling Monster was going easy on them, they were still fighting equally against someone who could use astral energy. Raon figured that even the Light Wind members would be proud and satisfied with themselves.
Satisfied?
Wrath gasped and pointed at the Light Wind squad.
Are your shitty eyes really seeing them as âsatisfiedâ?
Raon examined the Light Wind squad once again, focusing on where Wrath was pointing his finger. Their eyes were slightly unfocused, their breathing was rough, and their hands were trembling. They mustâve been pushing themselves far beyond their limits.
It could be called a natural phenomenon since theyâd been training all week long with almost no rest. However, it was completely necessary for them to go through that training in order to reach their maximum potential.
âIâm sure itâs painful, but it will be too late if they experience that state during an actual fight.â
Even Tyler, the Axe King, and the fourth apostle that he encountered during the last mission were difficult opponents to face. Moreover, the Axe King was even capable of annihilating the entire squad.
In order to avoid repeating such a scenario in the future, it was necessary to increase the might and willpower for everyone in the Light Wind squadâincluding himself.
Hmm, well. Thatâs not wrong.
Wrath nodded, saying that he couldnât argue against that.
The ice cream girl and the beef girl need to survive, after all.
âAnd thereâs one more person.â
Raon pointed at Dorian who was staying at the rear of the sword formation because he was too scared.
UghâŚ
Wrath slowly nodded, since he had no other choice.
I-I know. He was my first servantâŚ
He sighed, while murmuring and questioning why heâd ever made him his servant.
Tell that coward to move ahead. The formationâs flow is getting pushed back because of him.
Wrath pointed out Dorianâs drawback with a frown on his face. Regardless of how he acted, he cared for his subordinates from the bottom of his heart.
âDorian.â
âYees?â
âStop being afraid. Move forward. You shouldnât keep hiding, since you are the strongest among them.â
âO-Okay.â
Dorian swallowed nervously, then moved the foot that was slightly outside the formation.
Rumble!
That was enough to render the formation even more effective. Everyone combined their forces to pressure the Gambling Monster.
However, power wasnât all they needed. The Gambling Monster attacked the center of the storming strike with his astral energy.
Whaam!
Since the Light Wind squad was too focused on attacking, they were scattered in all directions from the Gambling Monsterâs power, which managed to shatter the center of the formation.
âKuhâŚâ
âD-Damn itâŚâ
âWe were too hastyâŚâ
The Light Wind members groaned, lying flat on the ground. Thanks to the various experiences and battles theyâd gone through before, they were perfectly aware of their mistake.
Raon smiled faintly while standing at the edge of the platform.
âIâm repeating this once again. The moment you strike is the best moment for your opponent to counterattack. You should always keep that in mind.â
âYesâŚâ
âU-Understood.â
The Light Wind squad barely managed to nod their heads with weakened voices.
âAnd next upâŚâ
âI canât do this anymore! You crazy bastard! Kill me already!â
Martha raised her head from the ground and shouted at him.
âI-Iâve also reached my limit. O-Oh my godâŚâ
Burren gathered his hands to pray for his life.
âIâm sleepingâŚâ
Runaan closed her eyes without caring about what could happen to her anymore. Her steady breath told him that she really had fallen asleep.
âListen to the end. The next training exercise will be tomorrow, so you should head out and rest for today.â
âOh?â
âHuh?â
âS-Seriously?â
âWoaaah!â
The Light Wind squad widened their mouths while looking at the sun, which hadnât even set yet.
Because training hadnât ended before sunset for the past week, they all shouted with joy.
âYou should brace yourselves for the next session, since we are going to spar against other squads.â
âSpar against the other squads?â
âIt is necessary to try out your aura blade against opponents on a similar level.â
The spar against Raon or the Gambling Monster was sometimes meaningless because the difference in skill was too large.
Experiencing an all-out fight against an opponent on the same level was bound to be extremely helpful for them.
âWe are going to take their titles.â
âI like it!â
Martha grinned and raised her hand.
âIâll do anything if it means I can get stronger.â
Burren also nodded.
âMmmhâŚâ
Runaan was sleeping.
âSo when are we starting this? Letâs thoroughly prepare ourselves for a landslide victorâŚâ
âTomorrow.â
Raon grinned and pointed at the fifth training ground.
âTomorrow at noon, we are going to fight the Blue Hawk squad right here.â
Every member of the Light Wind squad widened their eyes and raised themselves upon hearing him. Even the idea of rest couldnât create such a reaction from them.
âTh-The Blue Hawk squad?â
âBut they have so many people!â
âW-We donât even have one day until noon!â
âYou bastard! Even the squad leader gave us one day to prepare!â
âOh my god!â
âIf demons exist in this world, they should take him away with them already!â
The Light Wind squad pleaded to the gods and demons while smashing their faces on the ground.
I-Iâm sorry.
Wrath sighed, unable to raise his eyes from the ground.
Even the King of Essence was defeatedâŚ
* * *
Cring!
The sad resonance of the Blade of Requiem resounded throughout the small garden.
âGood job.â
Raon caressed the Blade of Requiem, which sounded like it was weeping, before returning it to the scabbard hanging around his waist.
âThis is the Blood Rain. How did you find it?â
He looked at his right side with a faint smile on his face. Roenn, Yua, and Yulius were staring blankly at him.
âSniffâŚâ
Yua pouted and she started to sob.
âThe melody itself is cheerful, but I canât stop my tears because the sword was crying so sadlyâŚâ
She was unable to continue as her tears ended up dropping to the ground. She mustâve felt the sadness of the souls involved in the Blood Rain thanks to her talent in music.
âI-I was impressed! I honestly donât really understand the Blood Rain, but the Blue Rain makes my heart boil. It makes me want to immediately start swinging my sword!â
Yulius smiled while grasping the wooden sword around his waist tightly. His flushed face suggested that he really liked the Blue Rain. Raon smiled at him, because that personality was the stereotype of swordsmen.
âYou are really amazing.â
Roenn nodded while smiling. Raonâs demonstration was the result of his request to see the Blue Rain and the Blood Rain when he came to take Yua and Yulius back home, and Roennâs expression revealed his admiration.
âThe Blue Rain seems to have advanced one stepâno, multiple steps since the last demonstration. Both the power and range are incomparable to before.â
âYou are flattering me.â
Raon smiled faintly and shook his head.
âAnd the Blood RainâŚâ
Roenn narrowed his eyes and waited before he continued.
âIs a sad song, just as Lady Yua has described. Resentment, screaming, pain, and even yearning can be found in it.â
He managed to discern all of the emotions contained in the Blood Rain from listening to it a single time. He was truly an extraordinary warrior.
âIt shouldnât really inflict any damage to ordinary people for now, but it can potentially endanger the normal people once the Light Windâs vice squad leader or the Blade of Requiem grows a bit stronger.â
âAhâŚâ
âHonestly, I had to control it slightly this time.â
Roenn pointed at Yua and Yulius with a smile. Although the Blood Rain only used to affect the White Blood fanatics that could use the bloody energy, it seemed to also affect regular people after the Blade of Requiem absorbed the apostleâs bloody energy.
âThank you for telling me about it.â
His advice was extremely helpful because he hadnât used the Blood Rain for long.
âYou should be able to master a more detailed control of your aura by practicing the control of the Blood Rain and Blue Rainâs output and range. It will be difficult to achieve, but it will become an important lesson.â
âYes, Iâll try.â
Raon nodded. He figured it wouldnât be too difficult to control the Blue Rain and Blood Rain because his Ring of Fire had reached the seven-stars.
âAh, do you still have the pyroxene necklace that the head of house bestowed upon you previously?â
Roenn looked like he just remembered it as he raised his finger and pointed to his neck.
âIâm not wearing it right now since I left it at the annex building.â
He left the necklace in his room because it seemed to be a cosmetic item without many effects.
âThat necklace is made of refined pyroxene, which grants it a higher protection ability against internal and external injuries and mental attacks compared to other pyroxene necklaces. You should definitely wear it all the time.â
Find the original at "pawread dot com".
âAh, I will do that. Thank you.â
Raon nodded and smiled.
âIâll be taking my leave now. Letâs go.â
âYesâŚâ
âYes!â
He left for the annex building alongside Yua and Yulius.
Roenn smiled while watching Raonâs back getting further away.
âHeâs always looking above him.â
Even though he was looking above him, he wasnât neglecting the ones below him either. He was like the ideal warrior despite being so young.
âGood luck in your upcoming battles.â
* * *
[Translator â Kyangi]
[Proofreader â Harley]
* * *
The bright sunlight was shining down Zieghartâs lordâs manor on the first day of the new year.
While Glenn was listening to Sherylâs report about the Heavenly Blade divisionâs activities, the audience chamberâs door opened and Roenn and Chad, the Shadow Agentsâ leader, entered.
âM-My lord. We are in trouble.â
Chad ran up to the center and went down on his knee.
âTrouble?â
Rimmer was standing on the side while leaning his back against a pillar. He tilted his head upon hearing from Chad.
âW-We already knew it would happen thoughâŚâ
Chad sighed deeply while lifting the document he brought.
âThe Axe King Roman sent a l-letter to announce his duel to the death against the Light Windâs vice squad leader on the first day of the year in three years.â
âAh, that one.â
Rimmer snapped his finger while pulling his back away from the pillar.
âHe gave him some extra time by making it three years after the new year. Although heâs a loser, he still has some redeeming features.â
They thought it was going to be three years after their encounter with Roman, but the way he gave them three years after the new year revealed that he wasnât a completely shameless person.
âSo in three years⌠Huh?â
Rimmer looked up on the platform upon realizing that the audience chamber had suddenly fallen silent.
Glenn, Sherylâwho was standing in front of himâand Roenn from next to the entrance were glaring at him as if they wanted to kill him.
âWh-Whatâs wrong with all of you? Why are you looking at me like that?â
Rimmer swallowed nervously while facing their murderous gazes.
âThe matter wouldnât have escalated so badly if you had done your job.â
âYou are pretty much a cockroach at this point. Did you really have to survive by mooching off of your subordinate?â
âHuhu, I think Sir Rimmer is really bad at showing his worth.â
Glenn, Sheryl, and Roenn were digging a hole in his heart with their words instead of swords.
âKuhâŚâ
Rimmer grasped his heart and stepped back.
âThose words are too harsâŚâ
âIf you donât like words, shall we use something else instead?â
Crimson sparks flashed from Glennâs hand.
âNo! I like the words! Please keep slandering me!â
Rimmer violently shook his head with an awkward smile on his face.
Glenn glared coldly at Rimmer for a while before looking at Chad instead.
âWas the letter sent under Romanâs name?â
âYes, it was under the Axe King Romanâs name instead of the South-North Union.â
Chad nodded while frowning.
âHe must be trying to prevent any kind of interference from us by only using his name. The dirty pirate bastard is trying to use his head!â
âIndeed, itâs a nasty method. He wants this fight to happen no matter what, while avoiding the harm that could be brought to the South-North Union.â
Sheryl and Roenn clicked their tongues before glaring at Rimmer again.
âUghâŚâ
Rimmer secretly stepped away from them while trying to avoid provoking them any further.
Whir!
Sheryl tapped the sword on her back and cold pressure started to spread out from her.
âMy lord, shouldnât we just destroy the South-North Union already to remove the burden on Raonâs shoulders? We already have their location, after all.â
She looked at Chad, asking for his approval.
âAh, yes. W-We managed to locate their headquarters.â
Chad nodded. Since Glenn had ordered them to investigate it with the highest priority, heâd managed to locate the South-North Unionâs headquarters by forcing the agents to move. However, their war potential still remained unknown.
Rumble!
As he was about to report that the South-North Unionâs war potential was still unknown, a tremendous amount of destructive pressure boiled up from Glennâs feet.
âIndeed, itâs about time we got rid of the trash that doesnât even know their place.â
He stood up. He looked like he was about to attack the South-North Union right away, and the entire lordâs manor trembled from his presence, as if a vast mountain was making its move.
âP-Please wait! We haven't managed to find out about their membersâŚâ
Chad tried to stop him, but Glennâs gaze remained completely firm.
âIt doesnât matter who they are or how many they are. I just need to remove all of them.â
âI expected no less from my lord!â
Sheryl raised her fist in joy.
âOur Heavenly Blade division will be the vanguard!â
âW-WaitâŚâ
âYou are too excited.â
While Chad couldnât do anything with a trembling chin, Roenn stood in their way with a gentle smile on his face.
âI said this before, but an objective makes people stronger. I think itâs better to leave the matter as it is, since the young master Raon is currently getting stronger at an even faster pace than before as he prepares for the duel against the Axe King Roman.â
He smiled while remembering how Raon demonstrated the improved Blood Rain for him recently.
âI suggest we wait for two and half years, when he is going to die from a disease.â
âD-Disease? I never heard that Roman had a diseasâŚâ
âAh, itâs just an assassination method that Iâve been researching recently. Itâs very simple.â
Roenn gathered his fingers to gesture a cut to his own neck with a cold smile on his face.
âHmm, not bad.â
Glenn slowly nodded before burying himself on the throne once again.
Sheryl also stepped back while turning her wrist. They sounded like the South-North Union was like a pebble on the road to be removed.
âUuhâŚâ
The trembling in Chadâs chin intensified because of the way they treated the South-North Union like a pebble. He could never get used to them.
âWhat is the Light Wind squad doing nowadays?â
Glenn looked at Rimmer, who was shrinking in a corner.
âTh-They are training by mostly sparring against the other squads.â
Rimmer glared at Chad while murmuring that he came to the lordâs manor to report on it. His eyes said that he resented him for being there at the worst time.
âI heard some strange rumors about the Light Wind squad recently.â
Sheryl narrowed her eyes while looking at Rimmer.
âHuh? What rumors?â
âThat they are the Mad Dog squad rather than the Light Wind squad.â
âHmmâŚâ
Rimmer bit his lip tightly and looked up on the platform. Lightning was sparking from Glennâs eyes, which were directed at him.
âWhy are they being called mad dogs?â
âTh-ThatâsâŚâ
âThey are being called that way because they never back off in front of an opponent and bite until the end to achieve victory. I heard they also bark like dogs sometimes, but Iâve never seen that happenâŚâ
Sheryl told him the reason they were called the Mad Dog squad instead of Rimmer.
âAnyway, their win rate is pretty high.â
âThatâs right. If I remember it correctly, it was even better than twenty-five wins out of thirty matches. Theyâve been pretty much undefeated recently.â
Chad nodded while supporting Sherylâs statement.
âAnd Raon is being called the Mad Dog squad leader, since he tames the mad dogs.â
âNot bad.â
Glenn slowly nodded. He was apparently satisfied with his new nickname and the Light Wind squadâs win rate.
âYoung Master Raon seems to be talented at raising people, on top of his martial art.â
âI remember that his team leaders were very obedient to him when we went on a mission together last time.â
Roenn and Sheryl also smiled.
âRimmer.â
Glenn suddenly stopped smiling and looked at Rimmer.
âYes?â
A chill suddenly ran down Rimmerâs spine as he swallowed nervously.
âYou must be glad that the Light Wind squad got so much stronger.â
âI-Iâm just thankful that the kids are following my teachings so nicely.â
âIn that case, who was their sparring partner yesterday?â
ââŚWhat? Yesterday?â
Did they spar yesterday?
He was completely unaware of it because heâd been cultivating all day long the day before, since Raon and the Gambling Monster were in charge of their training recently.
âHe will kill me if I say I donât knowâŚâ
The experience engraved in his cells was telling him that he was going to die if he couldnât answer the question.
âTheir first partner was the Blue Hawk squad, and the next up was the Soaring Sky division. The third wasâŚâ
He racked his brain to look for the answer as if his life depended on it, and he managed to remember the only organization that didnât have a spar yet.
âThe Warring Steel squad! Itâs the Warring Steel squad!â
Rimmer raised his fist and shouted. However, Glennâs pressure didnât subsideâit doubled instead and crushed his shoulder.
âUghâŚâ
âErm, th-the Warring Steel squad was promoted to the Warring Steel division last year.â
Chad turned his head towards him slightly and whispered.
âEven though you are the squad leader, you seriously donât even know what kind of training your members go through, or who they are sparring against?â
âA-Actually, what I did yesterday wasâŚâ
Glenn shook his hand to dismiss his excuses, and Sheryl and Roenn slowly walked towards him.
âYou are really hopeless. You mustâve been playing in the gambling house again to lose more money.â
âThis makes me a bit angry despite how I usually stay calm. Huhuhu.â
They walked up in front of Rimmer with murderous gazes.
âI was cultivating all day long yesterday! That bastard Raon keeps making me traiâŚâ
âBastard Raon? Did you just dare to insult our lordâs grandson with your meager mouth?â
âAhu!â
Sheryl kicked Rimmerâs side to throw him into a corner and started to beat him up.
Whack! Smack! Smaaack!
Chad swallowed nervously as he watched Rimmer getting mercilessly beaten up.
âTh-This confirms it.â
The head of house cherished Raon Zieghart the most.
The previous leader of Shadow Agents Alissaâs prediction was wrong.
And Glenn wasnât the only one. Even Sheryl and Roenn, who held pretty much the highest authority, cherished Raon the most in the world.
âI need to do something.â
He figured it was necessary to gain Raonâs favor in order to survive in Zieghart. Chad started to think about how to greet Raon in order to leave a good impression while listening to Rimmerâs screams.
âThe leader of the Shadow Agents.â
Glenn closed his eyes before opening them again to look at Chad.
âYes!â
âWe recently got a request about the White Blood Religion, didnât we?â
âItâs a request from the Grand Seville. Lots of people suddenly started to go missing at the end of the last year, and a corpse was recently found at Molve Lake with its flesh chewed off, which makes the White Blood Religion the most likely suspect.â
Chad nodded while remembering the mission request they had received a few days prior.
âDid the client have any specific requests?â
âThey asked to come as fast as possible, and asked for the Light Wind squad if possible. It must be because the Light Windâs vice squad leaderâno, I should call him âthe venerable Light Windâs vice squad leaderââmanaged to slay the fourth apostle.â
âI see.â
Glenn nodded with a faint smile on his face.
âTheyâve rested enough since itâs already been three months.â
Since training and spars were all theyâd been doing, it was about time to let them experience another mission.
âIâm giving the Light Wind squad a new mission.â