Raon looked at the mercenaries stretched out on the ground with a smile that stemmed from the bottom of his heart.

The ’s proficiency increased noticeably as he crossed blades with the mercenaries, who had lots of hands-on experience. Choosing the match instead of food was the correct answer.

He became slightly emotional.

He didn’t manage to completely fix the problem of getting excited by the madness that came from the . It seemed he needed to practice more before he could remain completely levelheaded as he pierced through his opponent’s openings.

“Are you done fighting me?”

Raon swirled his sword to point at the Wolf Mercenaries.

“I’m not even done warming up yet. I’ll be disappointed if that’s all you’ve got after picking a fight with me first.”

“Eeek!”

“Fine, come at me!”

“You aren’t good enough, I’ll do it.”

Following his provocation, the mercenaries competed with each other to be his next opponent.

“Five of you is perfect. Come at me at once.”

“You crazy…”

“Are you seriously trying to fight against five people at once?”

Raon nodded silently.

“You are looking down on us too much!”

“Let’s go! Beat him up with our numbers!”

“That’s enough.”

As the mercenaries were about to attack him, an enervating voice could be heard.

A green-haired man with long limbs stepped out from the group of soldiers that were standing at the center. His appearance resembled a mantis.

“Huh?”

“V-Vice captain!”

The mercenaries bowed at him, calling him the vice-captain.

“What are you guys doing?”

Despite his sharp appearance, his voice was as slow as a turtle.

“Uh…”

“Th-That’s…”

“I got the gist of it.”

He clicked his tongue, looking at him and the mercenaries that were collapsed in a corner.

“Haah… I am Cliff, the vice-captain of the Wolf Mercenaries. My boys are a bit rude.”

Cliff bowed politely, offering an apology.

“It’s al…”

As he was about to tell him that it was alright, he met Cliff’s eyes as he raised his head. The completely serious, ice-cold eyes weren’t those of an apologetic person.

“I heard you say that you wanted to fight against five of our boys at once, but may I fight you instead?”

Despite his polite words, his voice was filled with combative spirit, as if he were about to swing his fist at any moment.

I thought he was different, but he is exactly the same.

Ugh. I thought I could finally taste the pizza, but it’s starting again.

Raon smiled lightly and faced Cliff. He looked up at his narrow eyes and nodded.

“I’d be glad if you do, since I haven't finished warming up yet.”

“That’s a relief. I also enjoy warming up with a fight.”

Cliff showed his teeth and smiled. It looked like he wasn’t even trying to hide his combative spirit anymore. The pressure coming from a swordsman at the Expert level was pressing on his shoulders.

Creak.

He drew the long sword attached to his back like a spear.

“Since there’s a difference in age, I’ll allow you to attack first.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Raon brandished his sword and kicked the ground. As he was about to dash ahead, a deadly blade popped out in front of his eyes.

It was a high-speed attack utilizing his long arm and the long sword’s range. It felt like the sword surged up in front of his eyes.

Raon was already expecting that kind of attack the moment he saw Cliff’s arm and the long sword.

Clang!

Raon nonchalantly deflected the long sword rushing at him.

Using that opening, he kicked the ground. As he was about to pierce into his space, Cliff stepped back and retrieved the sword—whose trajectory went amiss—and thrust it once again.

All of that happened at the speed of light. He didn’t show the slightest bit of confusion, as if he was ready for it to happen.

Raon smiled.

He didn’t want a fight he could easily win, but an intense one where he could use the to the best of its abilities.

“You are so laid back.”

Cliff smiled coldly and thrust his sword. Raon hacked towards the blade, bending like a hawk’s claw.

Clank!

Even though it was a powerful strike, the long sword didn’t shake that much. Cliff quickly retrieved his blade to prepare his defense and attack at the same time.

Raon licked his lips. It took three clashes of their blades, but he had a grasp on how to create an opening from Cliff.

Thud!

With a powerful step, he dashed to the front.

Whoosh!

Cliff immediately thrust his sword. It was about 1.5 times faster than before, which meant he’d been hiding his abilities.

In fact, he was hiding even more than him.

Raon dodged the long sword as it thrust at his shoulder by a paper-thin difference, then slashed his sword.

Clang!

It was the loud sound of collision, but the long sword wasn’t pushed back that much.

The reason was simple.

Even though it looked like a long sword that had nothing special about it except for its length, it was a flexible sword that could bend like a whip. He’d partially decreased the solidity at the moment of impact to absorb the shock.

Raden Zieghart’s swordsmanship was more powerful and flashy, but his technique was more intricate.

Whoosh!

Using his arm, which was pulled back, he thrust his sword like lightning. The speed had increased even further, to a level that even an excellent warrior would be unable to see.

However, the trajectory was clearly visible to Raon’s eyes.

He thrust his sword, using the superhuman strength of the from his energy center.

The moment Cliff tried to weaken the center of his long sword, Raon turned his wrist. He slammed his sword against the edge of the long sword, following the spark of the .

Wham!

Cliff’s long sword didn’t manage to weaken in time, snapping in half, before it was slammed into the already cracked ground.

“Wh-What is this?”

Cliff shook his hand in panic, but the sword didn’t easily come out of the ground.

Slam!

Raon smashed the ground so that he wouldn't be able to pull out the sword at all, then dashed at Cliff. The moment he was about to strike his chest with the flat of his sword, Cliff’s eyes glowed dangerously.

“I’m sorry, but a mantis has two scythes!”

He drew the second sword from his back with his left hand. It was a small sword that was attached to the end of his sheath.

“I know.”

Raon drew the Blade of Requiem with his left hand and swung it down.

Slash!

Cliff’s small sword was cut apart like tofu. His hand started shaking in real panic.

“W-wai…”

“There’s no such thing as waiting during a fight.”

Raon sneered and hit his abdomen with his left fist, which was holding the Blade of Requiem.

“Kuaaah!”

His entrance was different, but Cliff met the same end as the other mercenaries as he collapsed on his back while foaming at the mouth.

“Haa…”

Raon nodded in satisfaction and sheathed his sword.

Real fights were the best way to increase the ’s proficiency. He turned around, thinking that he should review the enlightenment he got just now.

“Kuaah!”

“Wh-What was that?”

“How did that mantis demon lose just now? And to such a young kid, at that!”

“No, but how does this make any sense? How could Cliff lose like that?”

“H-He is the new star. The new star of the future!”

Swordsmen, knights, and soldiers. Everyone that’d been spectating the fight couldn’t find the jaws that they dropped.

“Woaaah!”

“He is the best!”

“Please, fight against me next time!”

“Hey! Where are you from?!”

Lots of soldiers and swordsmen were cheering over the awesome fight they’d just witnessed.

“S-Sir Raon, good job!”

Dorian gave him a towel and an apple juice. Telling him that he’d believed in him all along, he took out a grape juice and started drinking.

“Raon.”

As he was wiping his sweat with a snicker, Vice Commander Terian came up to him. His expression was indifferent, unlike the others.

“Follow me. The commander has summoned you.”

He turned around and walked away. He was walking ahead, pretending to be indifferent, but he couldn’t hide his trembling fingers.

* * *

* * *

Raon was once again standing in front of the commander Milland after being gone two days. His eyes skimmed over him from top to bottom with a probing gaze.

“I shall express my gratitude first. Thank you for saving the lives of the scouts.”

Milland slowly closed his eyes.

“I only did what I needed to do, since I’m also part of the scouting party.”

“That’s a boring answer, unlike when you were fighting.”

“Did you watch?”

“I didn’t watch, but I could feel it.”

He snickered, pointing at the window behind him.

“How shall I describe it? Your might and personality are both different from what I saw here. I didn’t expect you to accept the mercenaries’ challenge.”

“I normally don’t avoid requests for fights.”

“That’s a good mindset as a swordsman. I can understand how you got to have such prowess at your age.”

“Why did you come here?”

“Sorry?”

“Even though it was because of your house’s orders, didn’t you have something you wanted to achieve for yourself?”

“Yes, I do.”

Red light shone from Raon’s eyes.

“I want to experience many things. I want to participate in as many fights as possible, and experience as many battlefields as I can.”

He didn’t just want to complete the and improve the to increase his prowess. He also wanted to learn more about emotions, to strengthen his mind.

“I-I’m against it! I just want to be a supply soldier from the ba…”

Raon covered Dorian’s mouth as he started saying useless things.

“Many fights and many experiences…”

Milland tapped the desk with his charred finger.

“Which military unit do you think is the most dangerous one?”

“Isn’t it the infantry?”

Dorian hesitantly responded.

“How about you?”

“It’s the scouts.”

“That’s the right answer.”

Milland snickered and nodded.

“It’s just like you said. The most dangerous unit is the scouting unit. They spend more time outside the castle than in, and they don’t rest when the battle breaks out since they also participate in it. They always fight with their lives on the line, from when they are scouting to when they’re on the castle walls when they are inside.”

He licked his lips with a bitter expression on his face.

“Since they have the highest rate of mortality during missions, we always lack scouts.”

That was something Raon had expected. In fact, they were using lodging for two people with Dorian despite being mere recruits.

“I was initially planning to send you to a combat unit, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll help you fulfill your objective.”

“I-I said my objective is the supply soldie…”

“I’m appointing you two as the special guards for the scouting party. I hope you will save as many scouts’ lives as possible, while fighting to your heart’s content.”

Milland’s eyes shone as he told them his request.

“Understood.”Raon nodded his head. Just as he said, he was certainly going to have as many fights as he wanted if he moved along with the scouts.

“I never said I wanted to fight! I was just standing here!”

Raon and Milland completely ignored Dorian despite being right next to him, as if he’d never existed.

“I’ll officially announce the appointment soon enough. Good job on your scouting mission. You shall rest now.”

“Thank you.”

“Wait a moment! I just want to be a supply soldier in the back line…”

Raon pulled Dorian from the commander’s room since he was spouting such nonsense.

“Ugh, it’s over. It’s over! My life is over!”

Dorian’s shoulders drooped like a zombie’s.

“It’s not over, so stop saying nonsense and go back and rest.”

“Pardon? What about Sir Raon?”

He was munching on a round snack. When he’d taken it out, Raon had no idea.

“I’ll train a little before returning.”

“Ugh, okay.”

Dorian told him to do his best, then returned to their lodgings.

Wait.

Just as Raon was about to visit the soldiers’ training center, Wrath’s voice could be heard.

This isn’t what you promised.

Wrath burst from the flower bracelet and frowned.

Yes. You said you would eat the pizza after the match.

Raon raised his head to look at the sky. It wasn’t exactly time for dinner yet.

Stop lying! I won’t be tricked like that anymore!

R-really?

Raon nodded with a serious expression, thinking that he managed to convince him.

Whir!

The Blade of Requiem also resonated, telling him to just trust him.

F-Fine. The generous King of Essence will forgive you this time. Instead, you have to pick the pizza the King of Essence wants at all costs.

Raon smiled, as if he was dealing with a child, and went to the training center.

* * *

Raon left the training center after the moon rising over the western mountain moved about the distance of three finger knuckles. His expression was filled with satisfaction as he tapped the sheath of his sword.

Fangs of Insanity

He managed to completely engrave the enlightening he got through the match in his body and mind. He was still lacking, but it felt like he managed to break through another layer.

Raon Zieghart!

When he was about to return to the lodging, Wrath—who was hanging on his wrist like a parrot—started emanating terrifying coldness.

How could you forget about the promise with the King of Essence again!

Raon snickered. There was no way he would forget about such a ridiculous promise. He was just playing a prank.

Since Wrath had been silently waiting for him during his training, he was planning to buy him a pizza like he wanted.

Whir!

The Blade of Requiem resounded, looking at the floundering Wrath.

What? Are you telling me the King of Essence is narrow-minded? What’s narrow is your owner’s brain!

Whir!

Stop trying to preach the King of Essence when you are just an insignificant creature! The King of Essence is just curious as a gourmet…

Raon ignored the demon king and the possessed dagger loudly chatting with each other, heading towards the Branch of Frost.

However…

“Huh?”

The lights were off in the pub, and he couldn’t feel anyone’s presence. It looked like they closed down early.

Did they close down?

……

Wrath didn’t say anything, blue flame trembling. The thin coldness coming from him started wavering like a tsunami.

That’s why the King of Essence said we should go there earlier!

Shut up. This is one thing I can’t forgive!

Give back the King of Essence’s pizza!

The coldness emanating from him surrounded his ankles and wrists.

The King of Essence will take over your body this time for sure and eat the pizza with my own hands and mouth!

Wrath’s frost glimmered like a blue lightning. The amount of wrath and ice storming through Raon’s entire body was the biggest so far.

And that day…

Raon’s stats increased by two.