Raon returned to Zieghart with Runaan, who was embracing her new sword as if it were a precious treasure, and Wrath, who was sulking because he wasn’t able to eat the Utan roasted pig.

Since he now had an affiliation, he went to the fifth training ground before going to the annex building. Because it was dinner time, there were no swordsmen around. Rimmer was sprawling alone on the platform.

“Squad leader, I’ve returned with my sword.”

“Huh? Huuh.”

Rimmer stood up, waddling like a drunkard. His face was a lot thinner than before, bandages were wrapped around multiple parts of his body, and his red hair was blackened—as if it had been scorched by fire.

“Did something happen to you?”

“Not really.”

He waved his hand dismissively, telling him that nothing really happened. His expression gave him away, though. Raon figured that he had been beaten up by someone for causing trouble while gambling.

“Did you rampage again after losing money?”

“I-I didn’t lose! I won this time!”

“Then why do you look like that?”

“There was this nasty old man…”

Rimmer sighed, looking at the ground.

“A nasty old man?”

“Yes. He’s an extremely evil person. He doesn’t reveal what he’s thinking and can’t stand to see others doing well… Keuh!”

“I see…”

Just like when he listened to Wrath, Raon simply brushed off his words. Rimmer was apparently being pathetic again while he was forging the Heavenly Drive.

“Yawn…”

Even Runaan was yawning. She must’ve been bored.

“Since I delivered my report, I’m going back.”

“Wait!”

As he was about to leave after saying goodbye, Rimmer raised his hand.

“Did you two try using your swords?”

“We returned right after receiving them. Of course, we didn’t.”

“Then you should give them a try.”

He smiled, pointing at the Heavenly Drive hanging around Raon’s waist.

“I have a pretty good insight on swords, as you already know.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“A-Anyway! I’ll watch, so try drawing your swords.”

Raon shook his head, but Runaan immediately drew her sword. She apparently wanted to brag about her sword.

Cling.

The silver blade gleamed under the golden-yellow moonlight, lighting the dim training ground.

“Ooh!”

Rimmer’s eyes widened after examining Runaan’s sword from top to bottom.

“It has the sharpness and coldness befitting a sword made from Cold Blood. It’s nicely made.”

He admired it, checking Runaan’s sword from different angles.

“It looks like it was made by the current chief of Mirtan Village. The pattern is exactly to his liking.”

Apparently, he wasn’t lying about his insight on the swords, as he instantly knew the maker.

“What’s the sword’s name?”

“Snow Flower.”

“With such a nice name and perfect balance, it should match perfectly with your swordsmanship and aura. Congratulations on getting a nice sword.”

Rimmer smiled gently, looking at the flower pattern at the center of the blade.

“Thank you.”

Runaan hugged Snow Flower tightly, satisfied with Rimmer’s compliment.

“It’s your turn now.”

Rimmer looked at Raon, gesturing with his hand to urge him to draw his sword.

“Alright.”

Raon drew Heavenly Drive. A dignified energy and frightening sharpness came from the painfully beautiful blade all at once.

“Huh…?”

The smile disappeared from Rimmer’s face. His eyes were trembling violently, revealing that he didn’t expect it to be so good.

“That… old man created another monster.”

Rimmer swallowed nervously, moving down the platform. He groaned in bewilderment and glared at Heavenly Drive.

“With the shape of a versatile sword, it has extreme sharpness and dignity. It was a strange power in it, surpassing the aura amplification ability it has.”

He shook his head, saying that he hadn’t seen a sword of that caliber in a long time.

“Even for you, this sword is too good for a swordsman in his first year. What’s the name?”

“Heavenly Drive.”

“A sword that leads the heavens. Honestly, I think it’s one of the ten best swords I’ve seen so far.”

Although Rimmer was nothing but a lazy gambling addict now, he used to be an indomitable swordsman that had gone through countless battlefields. What he said was pretty much the best compliment he could get.

“Hmm, it looks like you both managed to get swords that match you. Congratulations.”

Rimmer applauded for them, looking back and forth between Raon and Runaan.

“Try using them now.”

“Using them?”

As Raon was about to sheathe Heavenly Drive, Rimmer shook his head.

“An excellent sword that can amplify aura is called an energy sword, and your swords are both energy swords. Since I’m sure you aren’t used to the effect yet, you should try using it there.”

He pointed his finger at the center of the training ground, telling them to move there.

Raon and Runaan went to the center, following his gesture.

“Energy swords have something called a path. Just like the mana circuit, it has a line where the aura can pass through, and the aura gets amplified before coming out if you insert your aura through that line. You should try it.”

“Yes.”

Runaan gave a big nod, then focused her aura on Snow Flower. Frost fluttered like pollen on the silver blade, and her pressure was greatly amplified.

“Wow…”

Surprised by her own pressure, a glittering light appeared in her hazy eyes.

“I knew you would be good at this. Although it consumes a lot of aura, you should be able to use more powerful techniques. You should train to precisely check how much power you can use.”

Rimmer nodded at Runaan before looking at Raon.

“Why aren’t you doing anything?”

“I don’t have anything like that.”

“What?”

“I don’t have anything similar to the mana circuit in the sword.”

“That can’t be true, since that’s such a powerful sword.”

“It’s true. I just need to hold the sword for it to amplify my energy.”

Raon shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t lying. He just needed to use his aura while grabbing the Heavenly Drive for his energy to be amplified.

Since the amplification happened immediately, it didn’t have the side effect of increasing his aura consumption either.

“Huh? Huuh?”

Rimmer’s eyes widened in confusion.

“R-Really?”

“Really.”

Raon nodded, inserting his aura into Heavenly Drive. The clear flame of the flared up to engulf the blade. The size and heat were a lot more intense than before.

“That’s insane…”

He faltered as he walked towards him in bewilderment.

“Can I try holding it?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. I’ll just take a look… Ah, it’s hot!”

The moment Rimmer tried to grab Heavenly Drive, flame burst from the hilt.

“D-Does it even recognize its owner?”

He frowned, pulling his hand back after almost touching that heat.

“No way, does it actually have an ego?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Raon shook his head with a sour expression.

“According to the blacksmith, the instinct inside the Golden Shard is chasing after my aura. Rather than an ego, it seems to have an instinct that desires its master’s aura.”

“You were aware of that all along!”

“I didn’t expect it to start breathing fire, since the blacksmith could hold it at least.”

It was true. It was the first time fire had come out of it just because someone other than its master tried to grab it.

“Huh, that’s so weird.”

Rimmer licked his lips, looking at the Heavenly Drive that Raon was holding. He could force it to accept his touch by using aura, but he was probably not doing that because it felt troublesome.

“It looks like the sword’s aura amplification ability is also outstanding. Try making the strongest aura thread with it.”

Aura thread was one of martial art’s special techniques, consisting of surrounding a blade with a bundle of thinly sliced aura blades. It was far weaker than astral energy, but it was still stronger than the aura blade.

“Understood.”

Raon imbued Heavenly Drive with the full power of the .

Whir!

The clear resonance of the sword reverberated throughout the dark training ground, and a clear aura of fire surged along the blade. The way the blade radiated heat on its own resembled the sun, and the aura almost looked like it had materialized.

“That’s… insane…”

Rimmer’s lips trembled as he watched the raging blade.

“Are you telling me this is an aura threat? It’s pretty much an astral blade at this point!”

“Hmm.”Raon narrowed his eyes, observing the materializing fire on the blade. It was his first time putting as much aura in as he could, and he didn’t expect the sword to amplify the energy to that extent.

“Stay still for a moment.”

Rimmer drew his sword from his waist. The green aura of the wind gathered to fill the blade. Just like the energy on Raon’s sword, Rimmer’s had also far surpassed aura thread.

“I’ll try attacking from the front, so block it.”

“Understood.”

Raon nodded. Rimmer struck downward.

Cling!

Raon swung Heavenly Drive up towards the Light Wind’s strike.

Whaam!

The head-on clash between the red blade and the green blade created a tremendous storm of heat, which spread throughout the training ground.

Whoosh.

Inside the heat, which wasn’t dissipating easily, Raon and Rimmer were looking at each other’s swords.

“That old man created one nasty sword.”

Rimmer admired Raon’s sword, looking where the fire’s intensity had slightly decreased.

“With this level, it should even be able to block astral energy a few times. How the hell is a sword… No, wait!”

He raised his hand, looking at the sword in bewilderment.

“The sword isn’t the only thing that’s great. Did you actually become even stronger?”

“It just happened…”

“How did you get even stronger when all you did was make a sword? What did you even do?”

“I just slayed a turtle and helped them forge the sword.”

“T-Turtle? You killed a turtle?”

Rimmer kept blankly murmuring the word turtle in confusion.

“Huh…”

He shook his head, looking at the fire aura burning from Heavenly Drive and Raon’s dignified eyes.

“What am I even raising right now?”

A monster met another monster…

* * *

* * *

Rushine mountain’s underground grotto could pretty much be called House Robert’s darkness.

The grotto, which used to contain one hundred and eight children, only had thirty people remaining now.

However, the children’s eyes had turned a spiteful red, and their breath was full of murderous intent.

“Nice.”

Derus Robert drank his wine, enjoying the children’s murderous intent as a side dish.

“My lord.”

The large, masked man that had three lines drawn on his chest knelt in front of him and bowed.

“The children have been filtered in accordance with your orders. We can say that there’s only the tenacious ones left now.”

“How did you decrease their numbers?”

“I placed three of them in a room where only one of them could come out. It’s pretty much a small pot of curse poison.”

Curse poison was a shamanism technique consisting of placing countless insects inside a pot, then opening the lid after a long time to create a single insect that had the most potent poison.

After their failure with Raon, Robert's shadow was using an even more extreme method to raise the children.

“Curse poison, huh? That’s a nice idea you had.”

“Thank you!”

The masked man slammed his head on the ground at Derus’ compliment.

“I like their eyes.”

His mouth curved into a smile at the sight of the murderous intent in the children’s eyes.

“How are they doing with their education?”

“They are doing better than any other group so far. The fast ones have already reached the instructor’s level in assassination techniques.”

“They need to shed blood in order to awaken their instinct, after all. Use the same method for the next group as well.”

“Yes!”

The masked man’s voice became louder at the compliment.

“We even have three children that are expected to grow beyond Raon's level.”

“Beyond Raon’s level…”

Derus took off his black leather glove, raising his hand to look at the back of it. The blade scar that still hadn’t faded away revealed its pitch-black hole in the dim lighting.

“So, you are saying that those three children are capable of doing this, right?”

His pressure became frighteningly sharp, overwhelming the entire underground grotto.

“N-No that’s…”

The masked man bit his lip. He only said that because he was asked to raise assassins that could catch up to Raon, yet Robert was angry at him instead.

“I guess they wouldn’t. After all, he had the best achievements ever among the shadows as an assassin, and he even managed to leave a scar on me.”

“Th-They might not be able to reach his level in terms of murderous intent, but we can teach them to surpass him in terms of assassination technique, at least.”

“I see.”

“Yes! Please trust me!”

“I see.”

Derus stood up with a cold smile. It was as he was about to return that it happened.

Drip.

A drop of frighteningly red blood dropped down from the scar on the back of his hand. The pure white sword hanging around his waist let out a small cry, as if it were baring its fangs against someone.

“Uh…”

The masked man stepped back with trembling hands, confused by the phenomenon he’d never seen before.

“Igio.”

“Ah, yes!”

“Were there any reports from the shadows that went to investigate the north?”

“There was an abnormality, but since it’s not organized yet I was planning to report to the head butler after more information was gathered.”

“Abnormality?”

Derus slightly tilted his head, urging him to say it.

“It's news about the return of Rimmer, who used to be called Zieghart’s Sword of Light. I’m not sure about the exact name of the organization, but he apparently became a squad leader.”

“I don’t need something unnecessary like that. A bird with a broken wing can’t fly ever again. Is there anything about that boy named Raon and Glenn?”

“There’s nothing special yet. That Raon boy apparently wasn’t anything special, despite the rumors.”

“Hmm…”

He shook off the blood flowing from his hand, letting it soak into the ground, and looked at his still-resonating sword.

“The day is nigh.”

Derus’ frightening eyes became serious as he raised his head.

“I don’t need reports about someone insignificant like Rimmer, so focus on investigating Glenn and the direct lineage instead.”

* * *

Raon shook off Rimmer, who was asking him to lend him money because he taught him about the energy sword, and returned to the annex building.

The annex building was full of the delicious smell of food. They apparently already heard the news of Raon’s return.

Uwaa…

Wrath inhaled deeply until his belly was completely swollen, then groaned in excitement.

This is the fragrance! The King of Essence has been waiting for today ever since he missed the Utan roasted pig!

He floated to follow the smell in the air like a puppy.

“Welcome back!”

“Young master!”

“How was the journey?”

Sylvia and the maids came out from the kitchen and smiled.

“I’m back.”

“Is that the sword?”

Sylvia’s eyes were shining as she looked at Heavenly Drive, which was hanging around his waist. She looked like she wanted to see it right away as she licked her lips.

“I happened to get something too good for me.”

Raon smiled, tapping on the scabbard.

“Is it that good? Show me later then, once everyone has gathered. Let’s eat for now.”

She waved her hand to urge him to wash himself.

Why are you still standing there like an idiot?

Wrath kept hitting his shoulder.

Wash yourself already, then run to the dining room! The King of Essence can’t wait anymore!

Raon pushed Wrath back as he kept beating on him like a drum, washing his face before going to the kitchen.

The maids were sitting inside the dining room, which had become even bigger, and various foods were displayed on the table. Starting from the stew and stir-fried chicken that he usually enjoyed, there was also a lot of food that he’d never seen before.

R-Raon. Eat that thing over there that looks like a roasted pig! Quick!

Wrath had apparently already lost his mind, as he was urging him to eat when he hadn’t even finished sitting down.

Raon sighed, sitting down.

“This is a huge feast.”

“Today is the day you got your first personal sword. We have to celebrate this occasion.”

Sylvia extended her arms to point at the food and smiled gently.

“Helen and Yua made most of the food again today. It feels like I’m going to die from eating too much because they talk about food and keep making delicious meals every time they meet.”

“She has many ideas, and they are all useful on top of being numerous. I’m sure that Yua would succeed greatly if she became a chef instead of a singer.”

“Hehe…”

Upon hearing Helen and Sylvia’s praise, Yua grabbed her twin tails to hide her face in embarrassment.

“Yua, can you explain today's main dish to me?”

“Ah, yes! The roasted pig at the center over there has had its skin deep-fried in oil, and the meat boiled to create a crunchy and soft texture at the same time. Since we have salt and sauces, you can choose one to fit your taste. The stew next to it is made with ground pineapple and meat, mixed with beef…”

Yua explained the food she made one by one. It was mostly made from the ingredients he usually consumed.

“Let’s start eating before it gets cold!”

“Thank you for the treat!”

Raon just moved his lips to pretend to say the same thing as the maids, then took up his spoon.

Eat the roasted pig first! The way the skin is fried in a crispy manner reminds the King of Essence of the Utan roasted pig that he couldn’t eat!

You idiot! You don’t know anything about delicacies! You have to eat the most delicious thing first…

Raon frowned, filling his personal bowl with stew. He started to vigorously devour the stew, as if he were seriously planning to fill his stomach with nothing but stew.

W-Wait! Please wait!

Wrath had turned even more pale than when he was angry as he grabbed Raon’s wrist.

The King of Essence…

The King of Essence is s-s…

Sleepy…

Kuah! The King of Essence is sorry! Please eat the roasted pig over there first!

He rubbed his hands to beg, saying that he hadn’t eaten anything delicious for a while.

Raon shook his hand to move back, and slightly dipped the thick roasted pig into salt before putting it in his mouth.

“Oh.”

He exclaimed immediately. The exterior was crunchy, and the inside was moist. The soft flavor of butter filled his mouth after that. Even though he usually didn’t care about delicacies, he wanted to keep eating more.

Huh…

Wrath fainted while standing, his mouth trembling. He was clearly impressed by the roasted pig.

G-God is here. The King of Essence just met the demon god. What are you doing right now? Keep eating more so that the King of Essence can say his greetings to the demon god!

He urged him to continue, saying nonsensical things.

Raon frowned slightly, then dipped the roasted pig into the sauce before eating.

The mixture between the spicy sauce and the roasted pig with moist insides and a crunchy outside created another taste. He personally preferred the sauce.

The sauce is nice, but the King of Essence prefers the salt with its natural flavor.

This is why you are a fool. The natural taste is what you need to savor in food…

Argh, K-King of Essence…

Raon enjoyed the time he spent with everyone while arguing with Wrath. He confirmed once again that he felt most comfortable in that place.

Ahem, the King of Essence is satisfied.

Wrath tapped his swollen belly in satisfaction.

Once the King of Essence obtains a body, he will make sure to take care of that pineapple girl and the ice cream girl.

He smiled pleasantly while looking at Yua.

“We had beef in front of the door once again today. Tell Martha later that I’m thankful for her.”

Sylvia pointed at the beef stew, wiping her mouth.

Hmm? The beef girl came to visit?

Wrath’s jaw dropped, looking back and forth between the delicious beef skewers and beef stew.

It can’t be helped. I’ll also take care of the beef girl. The King of Essence will bring the three maids with him to the end of the world.

He murmured that he would save the three of them at all costs, as if he were doing them a favor.

Fuck off. That was what he wanted to say, but he stopped himself from saying it because Wrath might start rampaging again if he did.

“Let’s look at Raon’s sword now.”

The maids’ eyes were focused at Raon’s waist at Sylvia’s signal.

“It’s a bit embarrassing if you stare at me like that…”

Raon slowly stood up and drew Heavenly Drive. The straight blade reflected the orange lighting of the dining room, gleaming with a different kind of beauty.

“Woaah!”

“It’s cool…”

“Congratulations, young master!’

The maids applauded and cheered, saying that the sword looked cool.

“Th-The sword looks more amazing than I thought.”

Sylvia must’ve realized how valuable Heavenly Drive was, as her red eyes were reflecting her amazement.

“Yua.”

“Ah, yes.”

Following Helen’s call, Yua walked up to him and handed over a white box. When Raon tried opening it, there was an embroidery thread inside, golden and red lines connected to it.

“We made this together.”

“Ah…”

The number of lines connected to the embroidery thread was the same as the number of people in the dining room. It looked like they made it one per person.

“…Thank you.”

Raon was slightly embarrassed, scratching his chin for a bit before bowing to everyone.

“We don’t need gratitude, so try wearing it.”

“Yes, I want to see if it suits you.”

Raon nodded, then attached the embroidery thread to his scabbard. Connecting the embroidery thread that everyone had made to the scabbard, which had the mixture of gold and blackish-red colors, enhanced the rough and noble style.

“We made it while wishing for you to keep walking your own path in the future.”

“Path…”

“You don’t need to think about the house, nor about us. Just walk the path that you believe in.”

Sylvia approached him and hugged tightly. Although she was now smaller than him, her embrace was still warm.

“And…”

As she was about to continue, a knocking sound could be heard from the entrance.

“Argh! Who is visiting while we are spending a heart-warming time with family?”

“Ah, I’ll go and check it out!”

Yua, who was close to the door, ran outside. She returned a moment later, swallowing nervously and clearly flustered.

“E-Erm…”

“What is it? Who was it?”

Yua’s voice was trembling as she pointed at the entrance.

“He said he came from the Central Martial Palace.”