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The trainees, who had become seventeen-year-olds, were more than one span taller than before. They looked more mature, and their postures were brimming with confidence and pride.

And the best part was their eyes. They reflected the accomplishments they’d achieved with their own strength, emanating a pressure on a different level from before.

However, the trainees\' complexions weren’t that great, even though they were guaranteed to obtain their swordsmen license after passing the year-long survival exam and obtaining the instructors\' recognition. They looked like they were unsatisfied about something as they frowned.

In particular, Burren, Runaan, and Martha’s faces were more wrinkled than the others.

“That bastard. Why has he still not returned?”

Burren, who had grown sturdier rather than bulky, was frowning so hard that his already low eyebrows were touching his eyes.

“What the hell is he even doing for him to not show himself until the day before graduation?”

He nervously bit his nails and kept running around the training ground.

“Raon…”

Runaan, whose silver hair was tied back, blankly looked up to the clear sky and murmured Raon’s name. Her voice was so small that it didn’t even reach right next to her, but that made it even more scary.

“Why is Raon not coming? Where is Raon? We need to eat ice cream together…”

Watching her blankly walk around the training ground was giving others goosebumps.

“Hmph, he probably got beaten up from acting up too much just because he got a little stronger. That must be why he’s still not here.”

Martha now looked like a real woman, her ebony hair contrasting with her white skin. She snorted, but her eyes were rolling in anxiety at the same time.

“It’s actually better if he doesn’t return. I can just represent us instead of that small guy.”

Her mouth was scornfully rolled up, but her slightly trembling lips showed that she was forcing herself.

“That frustrating bastard, why the hell is he not coming?”

She murmured in a low voice that no one could hear, clenching her fist.

“Raon will return.”

As Martha awkwardly smiled, Runaan walked up to her and pouted. Her blank eyes were reflecting trust.

“What?”

“Raon will return.”

“He would’ve been here already if that was the case. It’s too late already.”

Martha turned her chin. She didn’t say anything harsher, since she didn’t want it to come true.

“I’m sure he is hiding somewhere because he is too ashamed of losing.”

“He didn’t lose! He will return soon!”

“He won’t!”

“He will!”

“He won’t!”

“He will!”

Silver hair and black hair. As two people with contrasting hair colors growled at each other, dark green sparks started blasting around them.

The trainees inside the training ground didn’t try to stop them. That was because their conflict had lasted for almost a month.

“Why are Raon and Dorian not back yet?”

“Maybe they got in an accident on their way back.”

“They could’ve met Eden…”

“Stop saying such an awful thing.”

The trainees kept worrying about Raon while training or conversing.

They were completely different from when they laughed at him after meeting him for the first time. Although one year had passed, they were still following Raon from the bottom of their hearts after he’d saved their lives.

Slam!

As they were unable to focus and were awkwardly swinging their swords, the training ground’s door burst open and Rimmer entered, fluttering his fiery red hair. The wind he created felt even more relaxed than before as he stood in front of the trainees.

“What is with those unfocused eyes? Did you not sleep yesterday?”

Rimmer looked around at the trainees with his characteristic frivolous eyes.

“Instructor, you shouldn’t open the door with your feet.”

“The door is mine. Try arguing again.”

He wagged his finger towards Burren, who frowned.

“Ugh…”

Since he wasn’t exactly wrong, Burren could only grit his teeth. Their relationship hadn’t changed at all, even after a year.

“Tomorrow is the graduation ceremony. All the higher ups in the house are going to come to see you. Are you planning to look like idiots in front of them? Wake up already.”

Rimmer clicked his tongue, looking at the trainees that were unable to focus.

“Raon isn’t coming.”

Runaan sighed heavily, looking at the bead ice cream box in her hand with her shoulders drooped.

“Just as you said, tomorrow is the graduation ceremony. So why the hell is Raon still not here? Did he really get kidnapped or something?”

Burren looked like he was about to bite the platform as he frowned. His blue eyes were filled with worry.

“That’s it if he doesn’t return. Why do you keep looking for him? I feel comfortable without him around.”

Martha laughed coldly with her arms crossed, although her hand hidden in her armpit was trembling.

“Haa, how foolish.”

Rimmer shook his head.

“Do you still not know anything about Raon after spending years with him? Do you think he is the type of guy who’d get beaten up or kidnapped?”

“No matter how strong Raon is, he is just strong among us! No, stop looking at me like that because I’m not particularly worried about him. Raon and Dorian are just from the same training ground as me…”

Burren blushed, embarrassed by the mere fact that he was thinking about Raon.

“Strong for his age, huh…?”

Rimmer smiled playfully and shrugged.

“Huh? You look like you know something!”

“Instructor! You know where Raon is, right?”

“Why is he not coming back?”

“Is Dorian with him?”

“Instructor!”

The trainees rushed at Rimmer like a swarm of ants rushing towards candy. Runaan was among them, the ice cream box in her hand. She looked like she was about to grab Rimmer by his collar.

“How am I supposed to know where Raon and Dorian are? I just know that they will return safely.”

Rimmer shook his head with a smile.

“Stop worrying about him and prepare for the graduation ceremony.”

He nonchalantly calmed down the trainees and left the training ground.

“Well, he is right.”

“Raon is smart. I’m sure he is okay.”

“I’m sure Dorian would manage to hide somewhere if something happened.”

“Yeah, I’m sure there are some circumstances.”

“Even the instructor looks slightly cool when he says that.”

The trainees agreed with Rimmer and started training once again. It seemed their year-long survival exam wasn’t for nothing, as their sharp pressures soared from the training ground as soon as they started to focus.

* * *

“Help me! Sir Roenn!”

Rimmer was half crying as he grabbed Roenn by his sleeve at the midpoint of the North Grave Mountain.

“Why have Raon and Dorian not yet returned? Where the hell are they? Tomorrow is the graduation ceremony!”

Despite his nonchalant appearance in the training ground, he was shaking Roenn’s shoulder with completely impatient eyes.

“I can’t even sneak into the Shadow Agents’ office because the Heavenly Blade is guarding them! They even installed spikes on the ceiling!”

“Spikes…”

“Even if they were the slowest ones to depart, they should’ve arrived a month ago. I don’t understand why they aren’t coming back!”

“Haa.”

Roenn sighed faintly, looking at Rimmer clinging to him. He was beaten by Glenn until he was half-dead after stealing Raon’s information from the Shadow Agents’ office a few months ago, having entered through the roof. After that, the swordsmen from the Heavenly Blade started to guard the Shadow Agents’ office all the time.

“I can’t obtain young master Raon’s information either because of Sir Rimmer.”

“What? You still can’t?”

“Indeed. The head of house has rated the information about Sir Raon higher than the special rate.”

“Phew, he should outright care for him if he cherishes his grandson so much. The way he keeps watching him from behind makes him look like a stalker.”

Rimmer complained, kicking a pebble on the ground.

Glenn had always been with Raon when he was a baby, and when he learned the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, yet he never showed it on the outside and pretended he didn’t care. People said that old age made you stubborn, and he was as stubborn as a cow.

“I agree with you.”

Roenn nodded bitterly. Just like Rimmer, he wanted Glenn, Raon, and Sylvia to live like a family.

“Fortunately, I do have a piece of information regarding that.”

“Information?”

“Yes. One week after we got the report about Sir Raon’s return, the Heavenly Blade swordsmen went towards Habun Castle.”

“Ah, which means!”

“Yes. That must be the measure to protect the girl that was attacked by Eden when Sir Raon was around. Considering the fact that the head of house and the Heavenly Blade haven’t done anything since, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

“Ohh!”

Rimmer’s depressed expression brightened at once, like turning on a magic lamp.

“Then, let’s investigate it properly.”

“Pardon?”

“Since we aren’t certain, let’s sound out the head of house.”

“W-Wait! If you do that…”

“Pfft, it’s okay. He isn’t going to kill me, is he? I’m going ahead!”

Before Roenn could stop him, Rimmer grinned and stood up. Using the power of wind, he ran down towards the lord’s manor.

Upon reaching the entrance of the lord’s manor, Rimmer entered while grinning.

“Hmm…”

Roenn groaned in a low voice. He could already imagine the red-haired elf’s future.

Just like he expected, the lord’s manor shook soon enough, and a thundering sound could be heard.

Roenn prayed for the repose of Rimmer’s soul and closed his eyes.

* * *

* * *

Zieghart

Annex Building.

Although the warm atmosphere still remained after Raon’s departure, the building was now filled with coldness, as if they were facing the winter wind without any protection.

“Haa…”

“Why has he not returned?”

“Everyone else has returned…”

“Young master Raon…”

The maids sighed deeply, while managing the flowerbeds. Since Raon was the only one that hadn’t yet returned among the fifth training ground’s trainees, the annex building felt like a mourner’s house.

“Stop sighting. Let’s finish the work.”

Contrary to the depressed voices of maids, a calm voice melted the cold atmosphere.

“We are almost finished.”

It was Sylvia. With her abundant golden hair flowing over her left shoulder, she was trimming the flowerbed with scissors while smiling faintly.

“Ma’am…”

“I-I’m sorry.”

The maids shut their mouths tightly upon seeing Sylvia’s smile. It was even more difficult to suppress their tears after seeing the bright appearance of Sylvia, who should’ve been feeling more miserable than anyone else.

“Th-That’s right. Y-Young master is going to return soon enough, so don’t worry about him too much.”

Helen scooched down next to Sylvia and shook her head. Unlike Sylvia, she was unable to hide her feelings as her face turned blue.

“Raon promised that he would return safely. Our job is to wait here so that he can rest comfortably once he returns.”

Sylvia met the maids’ eyes one after the other and smiled.

“Ah, yes!”

“Alright!”

“I-I’ll prepare the meal!”

The maids were impressed and started to move to do their jobs.

‘She’s amazing.’

Judiel, who was standing at the end of the line of maids, narrowed her eyes as she watched Sylvia.

‘She must be losing her sleep over her worry.’

While the other maids also treasured Raon, their feelings didn’t match up to Sylvia’s. And yet, she was comforting the maids instead of being agitated by the lack of news about her son, which was truly amazing.

‘They don’t need to worry about him that much though.’

Raon had the scariest nature among the people Judiel had met so far. She’d seen people stronger than him multiple times, but she never saw anyone more cold-hearted and scarier than him.

“Let’s finish quickly and make dinner… Hmm?”

As Sylvia was about to finish tending the flowerbeds, a tall man was walking towards them from the direction of the main building. The man with red hair and pointy ears was the fifth training ground’s head instructor, Rimmer.

“Sir Rimmer?”

However, there was something unusual about him. His red hair were charred black, his eyes had been blackened with bruises, and cloth that was dyed red was stuck in his nose.

“A-Are you okay?”

Sylvia opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish and went towards Rimmer.

“Ah, I’m alright.”

“You don’t look alright, though…”

“It’s not a big deal. I just met a stubborn bull with a bad temper on my way here.”

Rimmer waved his hand, telling her that it wasn’t a big deal.

“Bull…”

It would’ve been understandable if it was a monster’s doing, but since he said it was a bull, Sylvia got curious about what kind of bull could’ve done that.

“It’s not anything special, but…”

Rimmer scratched his back and licked his lips.

“About Raon, you don’t need to worry about him too much.”

“What? D-Did you receive news about Raon?”

“He didn’t get hurt or anything. He might be a bit late to the graduation ceremony, but he’s going to return soon enough.”

“Ah…”

Sylvia dropped her scissors upon hearing Rimmer’s gentle voice. Her legs were faltering from the intensity of her suppressed emotions bursting from her.

“Your son, who is also my student, is on his way back. So, don’t worry about him.”

He pat Sylvia’s shoulder and smiled.

“I’ll be going, then.”

“Won’t you have dinner with…”

“Ah, there’s a big gamble going on right now.”

Rimmer grinned and turned around. He murmured ‘Argh, he hit me so damn hard.’ as he trudged away.

Sylvia bowed towards Rimmer, her hands gathered in front of her body.

* * *

The Next Day.

The great training ground’s door, which was the size of the castle gate, was wide open. The ordinary swordsmen and office workers that usually couldn’t enter the great training ground were sitting on the chairs at the outer part of it.

Sylvia, Helen, and the annex building’s maids—who had become slightly brighter thanks to Rimmer—were also sitting in a corner. They looked like they were praying for something as they looked at the training ground’s entrance with their hands gathered together.

Right before the sun reached the center of the sky, the fifth training ground’s trainees—wearing flashy formal coats—entered one after the other and lined up at the center. They still looked young, but the faint pressure coming from them didn’t lose to an official swordsman.

“Damn it…”

“Is he still not here?”

“But he used to be so punctual…”

“Raon, Dorian. Come back already.”

Their eyes were reflecting more worries than nervousness, and they kept glancing back, as if they were waiting for someone.

The temporary seats were gradually filled as time passed. The executives, such as the division leaders, squad leaders, and the heads of the direct line and vassal houses, went to sit at their assigned places. They were people that didn’t usually show up.

“Haah.”

Rimmer was standing next to the trainees, giving a jaw dropping yawn. His easy-going appearance suggested that he didn’t care about the graduation ceremony at all.

While the people gathered in the training ground were watching the trainees with excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and worry, the swordsmen standing in front of the door slammed the ground with their flagpoles.

Thud!

They gathered people’s gazes with a heavy resonance, before spreading the flags to both sides.

“The true ruler of the north, Lord Glenn Zieghart, is entering!”

“Greeting the lord!”

Upon hearing that sublime shout, the swordsmen inside the training ground stood up, then knelt.

With his discolored blond hair swept back, Glenn Zieghart crossed the training ground wearing a blackish-red coat.

Feeling the overwhelming pressure coming from the transcended warrior god, cold sweat ran down people’s back, preventing them from raising their heads.

Whir!

Until he sat down on the throne, everyone inside the training ground even forgot about breathing and wished for the time to pass.

“Everyone, rise.”

“Yes!”

Everyone stood up at once upon hearing his order. They didn’t decide to do so by themselves—their bodies were moving on their own in response to Glenn’s intimidation.

“Head instructor, begin.”

“Head of house, two people haven’t arrived yet. Can you wait for a little bit longer…?”

“Even though the returning period wasn’t exactly fixed, they must’ve been aware that the graduation ceremony is held in February. They fail if they still haven’t returned.”

“Bur Raon is the top trainee, and Dorian… huff! Alright.”

Rimmer rubbed his fingers, trying to buy some time, but he turned around immediately upon receiving Glenn’s threatening gaze. He couldn’t resist him because he had been beaten up the day before.

“We will start the fifth training ground’s graduation ceremony. With forty-three people total, forty-one people currently present, and two people missing, the forty-one of them here… Huh?”

As he was talking about the number of people, low footsteps could be heard from the arch-shaped door of the great training ground, which had started to close.

Step.

Although it should have been covered by the noise of the numerous people present, the clear footsteps pierced everyone’s ears.

That sound contained the dignity of Glenn Zieghart, the cheerfulness of Rimmer, and the massiveness of Milland.

As the footsteps that gathered people’s attention grew closer, everyone inside the training ground turned to look.

Black shoes crossed the door. A man, who looked more noble than the flashy clothes he was wearing, showed himself. His blond hair was shining brilliantly under the sunlight, and his serious red eyes were drawing everyone’s attention.

His good looks could be called peerless as he glanced through the training ground and smiled.

“I don’t need such a welcoming ceremony.”

Raon Zieghart. The man that had grown up more than anyone else has returned to the heart of Zieghart.