Dumptkan bowed to Ariel alongside his disciple.
“Thank you, we’ve gained valuable experience thanks to you.”
House Tven’s swordsmen smiled, saying they’d been enlightened through the spars against the Light Wind division’s swordsmen.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Ariel placed her hand on her knees and smiled in a similar manner as the swordsmen.
“But was Sir Raon’s swordsmanship amazing enough to enlighten you?”
“It was literally fantastic. He cut through my astral energy in an instant, and I had no room for counterattack at all.”
Dumptkan praised Raon’s swordsmanship by saying that he’d never seen such a flashy and sharp attack in his life.
“I was defeated in a single strike, but I wasn’t embarrassed at all. It allowed me to broaden my horizons.”
“Wasn’t it regrettable that it ended so quickly?”
“Not at all. I was actually enlightened because I was defeated in a single strike.”
He looked outside the window while saying that he felt nothing but gratitude towards Raon for fighting him seriously.
“Hmm. I must’ve taken too much of your time. I’ll take my leave now since it’s getting late.”
Dumptkan said that he needed to put his enlightenment together and bowed politely before leaving the reception room.
“Haa…”
Ariel sighed and placed her hand on her forehead.
“Raon. Raon Zieghart…”
She had to press her fingers against her temple because she was automatically getting a headache whenever she heard Raon’s name. She had a feeling that it was going to become a bad habit.
‘How can they thank him when they were defeated in a single strike? How pathetic.’
House Tven wasn’t the only one. Every single warrior from various houses and kingdoms that she’d sent to Raon had blabbered about learning a great lesson from Raon before they left.
She was feeling uncomfortable because she had to suppress the urge to shut their mouths to stop them from complimenting Raon.
‘I never expected this result.’
Raon treated those who were kind to him with kindness, and he returned malice with an even greater malice.
She’d guessed his personality and sent him true warriors who’d spent their entire lives working for their martial arts among those who didn’t belong to the Five Divine Orders.
She was planning to turn him into a coward if he refused their requests, and if he’d gone easy on them after accepting their requests, she was going to spread a rumor that Raon was a fool who didn’t know anything about the warrior spirit.
Stealing Raon and Zieghart’s martial arts was a bonus.
‘However… Everything went wrong.’
Raon politely accepted the warriors’ sparring request but crushed them in a single strike during the matches.
‘He’s completely unpredictable.’
Judging from Raon’s personality in the past, he should’ve gone easy on them as a spar instead of defeating them in a single strike.
She’d never expected that trying to understand a twenty-one-year-old greenhorn could be so difficult.
While Ariel was venting her frustration by pressing her right hand with her left hand, a knock could be heard.
“Master.”
McCain opened the door and entered soon after that and bowed at her.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t see Raon and the Light Wind division’s fights because of the fog surrounding the mansion.”
He frowned, saying that the fog intensified whenever he was trying to look inside even though it was just a thin fog.
“The black rose girl played a cute trick.”
“Are you talking about the disciple of the Black Market’s master?”
“Yes. I heard that she’s been learning array technique, but I didn’t expect her to be good enough to set up the Soft Mist Dancing Array.”
Ariel shook her head while twisting her lips.
‘I would’ve gone there myself if I knew that was going to happen.’
She’d been preparing for the conference while counting on her subordinates, but Denning Rose had made an unexpected move.
Nothing was going well for her where Raon was concerned.
“Is Encia Yonaan still in there?”
“Yes. We haven’t seen her come out, so she should be still inside Zieghart’s lodgings. She isn’t using the lodgings for House Yonaan at all.”
“We need to get acquainted with them. This is troublesome.”
She’d only called for Denning Rose to make fun of her, but she’d invited House Yonaan to develop a friendly relationship with them.
However, Encia didn’t even come to greet her, instead immediately approaching the Ziegharts and never leaving them.
‘Is this because both of them have been saved by Raon?’
The savior was bound to leave the deepest impression.
She could guess that Denning Rose and Encia started to follow Raon from the bottom of their hearts after he’d helped them.
“I don’t think we can leave them like this.”
“Master.”
Ariel tapped the table with his finger, and McCain lowered his head.
“I heard he extorted four thousand gold from the Demon Slaying Spear as well. We need to maintain our composure since he’s clearly acting according to a plan.”
“I know.”
She nodded at McCain.
‘This isn’t time to be happy about the Demon Slaying Spear losing twice as much money as me.’
The Five Divine Orders had already lost almost 5500 gold to Raon.
It was a tremendous amount, enough to even found a trading company, and she couldn’t just laugh it off as someone else’s business.
“But don’t worry about it.”
Ariel touched her red lips with her white finger.
“Because I won’t be the one to make the move next time.”
“What?”
“I’m planning to invite those three to the conference between the heads of the Five Divine Orders. And…”
A frightening smile appeared on her face as she pressed against the table with her reddened finger.
“The situation will unfold by itself.”
* * *
It was a dark daybreak.
Rimmer heaved a deep sigh while passing through an empty alley.
“How come every single gambler is a pro?”
He shook his head while shaking the dust from his empty pocket.
“How the hell is Raon even winning?!”
Everyone was a pro in every single casino. He couldn’t comprehend how Raon was able to win regardless of his opponent.
He must’ve been using some kind of trick, but surprisingly, no one was able to figure it out.
“Damn it, he should be sharing it with me if he knows some amazing technique like that!”
Rimmer kicked the wall with his hand inside his pocket.
“No, now that I think about it, I lost money because of him!”
It was because Raon won almost six thousand gold that every single casino in Banneret was in a state of emergency.
Casinos normally lose a little to the doormats before taking away multiple times the amount later on. However, they needed to make up for the money they'd lost to Raon, and every single guest ended up penniless.
That was why Rimmer had lost everything, without a single copper left, despite being praised as the god of gambling.
Those professional gamblers must’ve been spending all their time gambling when they weren’t eating.
“Oh, they do indeed do nothing but gamble—cough!”
He was frowning while looking at the sky when he felt a tremendous impact on his side.
Smaack!
He slammed his head on the ground, unable to withstand the sudden damage.
“Aaah! It hurts so damn mu—”
Just as Rimmer was about to scream, a woman wearing a white dress appeared and plugged his mouth with her foot.
She was an elegant woman, her long purple hair reaching her waist.
He’d never seen that appearance, but there was no way he wouldn’t recognize her.
“Sh-Sheryl?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“What are you even wearing?! Are you trying to become a nob—ack!”
“I told you to shut up.”
Rimmer sneered, and Sheryl stepped on his collarbone.
“Did you get hit in your head with a sword? How could you hang around in casinos when you are representing Zieghart? Did you seriously lose it?”
“B-but Raon was also in the cas—”
“He did that to provoke the Five Divine Orders! And you were serious about gambling!”
Sherly kicked Rimmer while grinding her teeth.
“Ahaha…”
Rimmer laughed awkwardly while rubbing his back.
“I’m sure you understand. Raon will take care of it even if I don’t do anything about it. He’s a reliable guy, unlike me.”
He shook his hand, saying that everything was going to be okay and he just needed to believe in Raon.
“Whatever, give me the report for the head of house.”
“Erm, about that…”
“We can’t delay anymore. Quick!”
“O-okay.”
Rimmer took out a crumpled piece of paper from his clothes with a trembling hand.
“What is with the shitty state of this report?”
Sheryl took the report from Rimmer’s hand and spread it.
“Raon won a huge amount of money. I recommend taking it from him when he returns and using it for the house. Of course, since I provided the information, 10% of it shall be awarded to me…” She closed her eyes, unable to finish reading the report.
“Aah!”
Rimmer’s shoulders trembled as he treaded carefully.
“Are you seriously asking for lightning to kill you?”
“Wait, but it’s true that he won so much money! We could do so many things by using it for the hou—”
“You are just jealous!”
“Ugh…”
He lowered his head, unable to refute her words.
“Write it again.”
Sheryl burnt Rimmer’s report and glared at him.
“Or you can die here.”
“I get it, I get it. I’ll write it after I sleep. You should leave now so that you won’t be found out.”
Rimmer stood up and shook his hand.
“You can’t enter right now. Raon is in a trance.”
Sheryl grabbed Rimmer’s shoulder and explained what had happened in Zieghart’s lodgings.
“A trance?”
Rimmer’s jaw dropped as he looked at the lodgings.
“Most people can’t enter one once even if they swing their sword all their life, so why is he treating the trance like his home?!”
He sounded jealous, but his mouth was curved into a smile.
“He should be able to use coldness and heat at the same time now.”
“Coldness and heat?”
“Yes. He’s been trying so hard to use them simultaneously since last year. He must be getting enlightenment about that.”
“You could’ve given him a hint.”
“It’s difficult to fully absorb it if I simply told the answer. That’s why I was hoping for him to realize it by himself. Of course, I didn’t think he would do it so quickly.”
He grinned, saying that Raon was gifted.
“I guess I’ll need to stay here until Raon wakes up.”
Rimmer sat down on the ground.
“Sheryl? Can you buy me a hangover stew in the morn—”
“Hey.”
Sherly lowered her eyebrows while looking at Rimmer. It was a different type of gaze from when she was scolding him.
“How long are you planning to continue that unbefitting act? Enough time has passed already.”
“Elves feel the flow of time differently.”
Rimmer shrugged his shoulders while looking at Sheryl. He looked different from a moment ago.
“Haa…”
Sheryl sighed and shook her head.
“I was contemplating whether I should tell you or not, but I have to say it.”
“Say what?”
“The Holy Sword Alliance.”
The smile around Rimmer’s mouth was destroyed like dry plaster upon hearing the name of Holy Sword Alliance.
“We’ve gotten an intel that they’ve resumed their activities.”
“The Holy Sword Alliance…”
A faint demonic light appeared in his vanity-filled eyes.
“It was worth staying alive all this time.”
* * *
* * *
Raon slowly lifted his eyebrows. He was sure it was evening, but the sun was slowly rising.
‘Was I in a trance?’
The hazy memories were returning. He remembered that he’d gained enlightenment while talking to Denning Rose and Encia.
‘It must be because of the camera.’
He’d seen the photo that Denning Rose had dropped and asked Encia about it because he got curious about how the camera worked, and he suddenly gained enlightenment.
‘Moreover, it was the one I desired the most.’
The simultaneous usage of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier.
He’d spent so much time on the problem of the concurrent activation of heat and coldness but still failed in the end, and it was finally solved.
‘The answer isn’t to try changing something about the two attributes but to utilize another one.’
Since it was impossible for him to control fire and ice at the same time in his state, he should’ve used another attribute to begin with.
‘And I already had the answer inside me. The wind and holy attributes.’
The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s heat and Glacier’s coldness weren’t the only energies in his energy center. The wind he’d gotten from Rimmer and the Divinity Blooming from the Underworld was also inside him.
If he could divert the coldness and heat by using the wind and holy attributes, it would be fully possible to control the two energies at the same time.
‘Let’s see…’
He closed his eyes once again and was about to activate the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier at the same time when he heard a small sound from nearby.
He looked around and noticed that the entire Light Wind division was surrounding the lodgings with their hilts in their hands.
He hadn’t noticed because he’d just woken up from the trance, but everyone must’ve been guarding him overnight.
“You finally woke up. You overslept.”
Burren rubbed the back of his neck with the hand that used to be on his hilt.
“It was shorter than the last time. Did you manage to put it together?”
Martha turned around and furrowed her brow.
“You are the only one who keeps going there.”
Runaan pouted, complaining that Raon kept entering the trance while no one else did.
“Why do you keep getting stronger on your own?!”
“Which part even gave you enlightenment?”
“Bring us with you!”
“What are we supposed to do if you keep widening the difference?!”
The Light Wind swordsmen also shouted while shaking their hands.
Raon looked around the swordsmen and smiled faintly.
‘Seriously.’
Since he was well aware of why they were saying that, his heart was filled with warmth despite the morning wind.
“Thank you.”
He ignored the swordsmen’s wishes who didn’t want to be embarrassed with his thanks and honestly expressed his gratitude.
“Same goes for you two. Thank you.”
Encia and Denning Rose were waiting on the right, and Raon bowed to them as well.
“It was nothing.”
Denning Rose gently shook her head. She took the needle box while saying that she was going to undo the array.
There were a few more photos added under her dress.
“I didn’t take any photos the whole time. Can I take them now?”
Encia begged for permission while saying that she’d been suppressing her urge just in case a problem occurred.
She was telling him that she was having signs of an addiction, and her hand really was trembling to justify her claim.
“…Do as you wish.”
Raon nodded powerlessly. Since she was the same type of person as Merlin, she wasn’t going to listen to him even if he’d said no.
Hey!
While Raon was granting Encia’s request to make certain poses, Wrath suddenly appeared.
‘Huh? Wrath?’
Wrath’s cotton candy body was red, unlike any other time before, and he’d almost failed to recognize him.
‘Why is your body so red?’
It’s because of you, you bastard!
‘What did I do?’
It’s because you broke your promise, and the wrath turned him into this form!
Wrath grabbed Raon by his collar, telling him that he was enraged because Raon broke his promise once again.
‘Oh, I did.’
He didn’t manage to keep his promise to eat lobster and pig’s feet for dinner because he’d suddenly entered a trance. Wrath was indeed entitled to be angry.
‘I’m sorry. It happened before I knew it…’ You did it on purpose! Because you didn’t want the King of Essence to be happy!
‘Not at all. You should know that you can’t enter a trance just because you want to.’
No, you are different! You entered the trance on the toilet last time! No one in the world ever does that!
Wrath frowned, saying that Raon must’ve been scamming him even though he knew it already. The red color around him was intensifying.
Humans can’t be trusted after all!
‘Isn’t that line normally about demons instead?’
Wrath shouted something that humans usually say about demons and briskly turned around. He seemed to be seriously sulking.
‘In return, let’s make tonight’s dinner even better. How about lobster, pig’s feet, salt-grilled shrimp, and short-necked clam with rice wine?’
He won’t trust you!
‘Shall I make the reservation right now?’
……
As soon as Raon mentioned making a reservation, Wrath’s red body slowly returned to blue.
‘I saw they sell waffle ice cream. Let’s have that as dessert.’
W-waffle ice cream set…
The grape flavor returned to the cotton candy, and he slowly rolled his eyes.
Really?
* * *
Raon ordered the Light Wind division to rest and returned to the training ground on his own. He calmly caught his breath and closed his eyes.
‘I don’t need to be impatient.’
Since he was enlightened about how to control coldness and heat at the same time, all he needed to do was to slowly resolve the problem with the method he’d learned.
He dragged out the energy of wind that was strolling in his energy center before circulating the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier.
The green wind that was warm and cold at the same time spread all around his body and wrapped around his mana circuits.
Whir!
He activated the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier at the same time. The heat and coldness followed the energy of wind and dashed powerfully to fill his mana circuits at the center.
‘It’s starting now.’
He usually had some mana circuits where the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier crossed each other whenever he tried to circulate them at the same time. That place became a battlefield, and Raon filled it with the Divinity Blooming from the Underworld instead of wind.
Whir!
Just like how water and oil don’t mix, the two energies were separated by the divinity and continued on their own paths.
Swaaa!
Raon breathed out and unleashed coldness and heat with his hands.
The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation burst into a wall of fire from his right hand, and Glacier created a storm from the left hand.
Fire and ice.
The goal that he’d been unable to achieve despite having been working on it since the previous year was finally accomplished.
‘And there’s more to this.’
Wind could amplify fire and make ice colder.
Since the wind surrounding his mana circuits was involved, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier were even more powerful than when he was using them separately.
‘All of my martial arts are going to get strong—Hmm?’
Just as he was about to smile because of the successful implementation of his enlightenment, the sword of fire and the sword of ice that he’d created in his mental world throbbed for an instant.
Even though those swords had never appeared at the same time, like the sun and moon, they created a huge flow inside his mental world.
Whir!
The heat and coldness from the sword spread onto the ground, and his mental world started to become red and blue at an extremely slow pace.
‘My mental image is changing.’
The accumulation of small enlightenments was influencing his mental world.
He had the feeling that he would be able to complete the Sword Field Creation faster than he anticipated.
‘However… This is harder than I thought.’
The huge aura consumption was a problem, but controlling four attributes at once was mentally exhausting.
He figured that he would need to practice a lot until he got used to it.
You finally realized it. How pathetic of you.
Wrath shook his hand, murmuring that he was so bad.
‘What?’
You already had all the materials you needed in your body, but you couldn’t even use them.
He snorted, saying that he realized it too late when it was possible from the very beginning.
‘I’m glad that I can do it now, at least.’
Raon shrugged his shoulders, saying that he was fine with it.
Ugh…
Wrath licked his lips while looking at Raon.
‘Seriously, what the hell is this damn bastard…?’
Despite what he was saying, he’d thought that Raon would need at least one more year to gain that enlightenment.
He believed that Raon would only succeed after reaching Grandmaster, and thought that he would have a hard time carrying it out even with an enlightenment. However, the crazy bastard had succeeded at the first attempt.
‘Is he even human?’
Both his personality and talent made him seriously wonder if he was a human.
He even felt like he could be something other than a human or a demon.
“What are you thinking about?”
Raon tapped Wrath’s head as he contemplated the matter.
What else?! He’s obviously thinking about the pig’s feet that he couldn’t have because of you!
‘You saw me make the reservation. I’ll serve you a full course of desserts today, just as I promised.’
He’s never seen that full course despite you continuing to mention it! Does it even exist?!
‘It’s true this time.’
Raon shook his hand to reassure Wrath just as a knock could be heard from the lodging’s entrance. It was a presence that he’d felt before.
H-he has a bad feeling about this.
“Please enter.”
Once he told them to enter, the door was quietly opened and the Thespian Emperor’s secretary, McCain, entered.
He bowed politely before walking up to the training ground.
“What’s the matter?”
“Master has invited Sir Raon to the conference of the Five Orders.”