Chapter 17

After washing his face, Raon stared at the sun rising outside the window with damp eyes.

"Today is the day."

Six months had passed, and it was the morning of the fifth training ground's official trainee selection test.

If it was any other day, he would've been swallowing dust as he ran in the training grounds. However, since it was the day of the test, he was still relaxing.

Raon Zieghart.

As he was getting dressed after wiping his face, Wrath spoke to him.

"What?"

Do you remember your bet with the King of Essence?

"Of course."

Raon nodded, putting on his training uniform. He obviously didn't forget that Wrath offered to give things out for free.

I admit that your progress was rather fast for a human, but you didn't manage to catch up to those two. Are you prepared to take in the King of Essence's wrath?

Wrath wasn't wrong. Despite running for three months, he didn't manage to run past Runaan or Burren.

However, the test was a different story. It didn't matter whether he had to spar with them or had to show how much stamina he had accumulated.

He was confident that he would win if he used the 'Ring of Fire' and his experience from his previous life.

"The proof of pudding is in the eating."

There is no point in bluffing. The King of Essence is soon going to take over your soul and body.

'Then tell me about it when that happens.'

I'm looking forward to the day your confidence crumbles.

'That won't happen.'

Raon waved his hand.

'It's difficult to live with an enemy.'

Wrath trying to interfere with his emotions wasn't a big deal, but his talkativeness was rather annoying.

He couldn't understand how one that called himself a monarch of devildom could talk so much.

'It does have its merits, though.'

Wrath's interruption ended up granting him a fair number of stats. It was a bit painful, but Wrath was like the goose that laid golden eggs.

Status Window

Name: Raon Zieghart.

Title: None.

State: Curse of Frost (Eight Strands), Poor Stamina, Decline in Athletic Ability, Decline in Mana Affinity

Trait: Wrath, Ring of Fire (Three-Star), Water Resistance (Three-Star)

—

Strength: 25

Agility: 24

Stamina: 23

Energy: 15

Perception: 44

It wasn't just the numbers. His body's actual abilities had improved drastically, to the point that his movements couldn't even compare to how they used to be.

Kuh! The status window of the King of Essence…

Despite Wrath's groan, Raon smiled in satisfaction and walked out into the lobby.

They look like they are facing death.

'You're right.'

The children gathered in the lobby looked extremely worried, like soldiers being dragged into a war.

'It must be because of the test.'

Rimmer didn't explain anything about the kind of test it was going to be, nor its difficulty or how many people were going to pass.

He only said that they could pass if they did their best, so it was just a matter of course that the children were worried.

Raon thought that he would've been making the same expression if he hadn't been reincarnated, or if he didn't have the 'Ring of Fire'.

How pathetic of them to look like a defeated chicken before the real war even begins.

'They are still children.'

Raon looked around the depressed children, then walked outside.

You are a child as well.

'I'm different.'

Hmph, humans like to believe they are special.

'…' 

He didn't respond to Wrath's provocation, since there was no need to confess that he had been reincarnated.

Swoosh.

As he was walking towards the fifth training ground next to the dormitory, light steps could be heard.

And here she comes again.

"Hmm…"

Raon narrowed his eyes and looked back. A purple eyed girl with silver hair flowing down her shoulders was following him.

"Runaan."

It was Runaan Sullion. After sticking to him during independent training, she was also following him from the dormitory.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Runaan turned her head with a mindless expression. With her hands behind her back, she looked away awkwardly.

"Haah…"

Raon sighed and turned back. Runaan was always like that. She'd silently walk up to him and copy his training while spacing out.

'I don't know why she follows me.'

From what could be seen, Burren's abilities were better than his. He possessed splendid swordsmanship, excellent physical abilities, and pretty decent leadership.

However, Runaan didn't seem interested in him at all. She just followed Raon around, resembling a stray cat that would follow the person that fed them around.

'But I didn't even feed her.'

He did give her a cracker before, but it was Dorian's. He didn't actually do anything for her, so he couldn't understand why she would follow him like a duckling followed its mother.

'She's eccentric.'

Raon shook his head and made for the training ground. When he arrived, a green-haired boy waved at him.

"Y-young master…"

It was Dorian, who was the second person to start following him. His hands and legs were trembling, as if he were cold.

"What's up with you? Are you sick?"

"N-no, I'm not. There's a test today, and I didn't manage to get any sleep, because I was too worried. Ugh."

The bags under Dorian's eyes were as black as coal. Those bags clearly showed his exhaustion.

"You should pass without any problem, though."

Raon glanced past him. Dorian was always scared, but the number of trainees who could best him in terms of talent and tenacity could be counted on ten fingers. There was no way he would fail as long as he showed his abilities.

"But I don't know what the test is, and I'm super weak! There is nothing I can do!"

Dorian dry heaved and bit his nails with trembling lips. It didn't look like he was acting, as he seemed really scared.

He is the bona fide insect among all the insects I've seen. Crush his head already.

'You've said before that you liked him.'

The King of Essence doesn't need a coward.

"It will be fine."

Instead of encouraging him, Raon told him it as a fact and walked past him. Despite his timid personality, throwing up didn't stop him from training. No matter what the test was, he was certainly going to manage.

"S-Sir Rimmer keeps his word. He said he would discern gems from pebbles, so a pebble like me will fail for sure."

"Then go ahead and fail."

"Eek! Young master Raon!"

Raon waved his hand without looking back. He was just a stranger to him, so he didn't need to give more advice than it was necessary. Talking to him was starting to make him feel depressed as well.

"Hmm."

As he was about to enter the training ground, he met Burren's eyes. He was walking towards him from the side.

Upon seeing Raon, Runaan, and Dorian, his eyes burned with anger, as if he were looking at his archenemy.

"Haah."

Raon sighed heavily.

'There isn't a single normal person around me.'

In his previous life, he was surrounded by madmen. It looked like his current life wasn't much different.

Pluck out his eyeballs.

'Including him…'

* * *

"Raon!"

"Young master Raon!"

As Raon was warming up inside the training ground, a familiar voice was heard from his right side.

"Mom? Helen?"

Sylvia, Helen, and the maids from the annex building were running towards him.

"Raon!"

Upon reaching him, Sylvia hugged him tightly—like a bird embracing its egg.

"Oh my god! Your face has become so skinny! It must've been hard, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Tears welled up in her narrowed eyes. Despite what she said, Raon had gotten thicker with muscles, and by no means was skinny.

"No Mom, I…"

"It must've been hard! Going through so many hardships… Sniff."

Despite six months having passed, Sylvia was still the same. She didn't listen to him at all, and just worried about his body.

Even you look like a child in front of your mother.

'Shut up.'

Wrath chuckled, pleased that he saw something interesting.

"Young master. You've done well."

Helen bowed, smiling lightly. The maids behind her also smiled, telling him that he was amazing.

"I didn't even pass the test yet, though."

Raon scratched his face. The embarrassment from being praised for nothing was making him itchy.

"You held on for six months."

"That's the amazing part!"

"Yes. You really did great."

Helen and the other maids kept complimenting him nonstop. It was a natural reaction since they'd expected him to fail and return right away.

"How did you get here?"

Raon pushed back Sylvia, who was rubbing her cheeks against his, and turned his head to Helen.

"The guardians are allowed to witness the test today. It's not only us, but others are also here."

He looked around following Helen's gesture. Just as she said, children were greeting their parents all over the training ground.

"But who is she…?"

Sylvia's eyes widened as she spotted Runaan standing behind Raon. Runaan bowed to Sylvia.

'This girl is amazing.'

Runaan didn't stop following Raon, despite Sylvia and Helen coming to see him. That personality of hers was more amazing than her talents.

"Runaan!"

While Runaan and Sylvia were looking at each other, a thick voice could be heard from the left side. It was a middle-aged man with slicked back silver hair.

'Rokan Sullion.'

He was Rokan Sullion, the head of the vassal family Sullion, and Runaan's father.

That dumb girl's face doesn't change, even at the end.

Like Wrath said, Runaan's eyes stayed hazy as she looked at her father for the first time in six months.

"Father?"

"What are you doing here? Let's go!"

After glaring at Raon and Sylvia, he grabbed her hand and dragged her away.

…I've seen many humans before, but that one is really… special.

'I know, right?'

He smirked bitterly at Runaan, who kept looking at him while being dragged away.

"Runaan is the youngest daughter of the Sullion family, right? The one who was at the Judgment Ceremony with you."

"Yeah."

"You two became friends, right?"

Sylvia smiled. Asking him how they became friends, she looked at him closely.

"We aren't friends."

Raon shook his head firmly.

"You aren't friends? Then what are you?"

"I wonder…"

He honestly wasn't sure about his relationship with Runaan. He didn't even know what a friend was in the first place.

"My son, if people approach you, you should be friendly to them instead of pushing them away."

Sylvia pouted.

"I've never done that."

He just didn't care whether they approached him or not.

"Don't be like that! Bring her to the annex building next time. Mommy will prepare delicious food for you."

"I already told you we aren't friends."

"Aww, I'm really dying… Ah? Aren't you… Young master Raon's mother?"

While Raon was giving an evasive answer, Dorian—who had been retching—walked up to them with round eyes.

"Yes. And who are you?"

"My… My name is Dorian! The young master has been taking care of me! Please accept my greetings!"

Dorian bowed until his head almost hit the ground.

"Oh my!"

"Oh, young master!"

Sylvia and Helen smiled widely. The fact that Raon had been helping someone was making them happy.

"I was wondering why young master Raon was so handsome, but it was thanks to you! You're really beautiful!"

Dorian took out a flower from his belly pocket and handed it to Sylvia. He couldn't talk at all when he was scared, yet his speech and actions didn't show a speck of hesitation. Raon wondered what the hell was wrong with him.

"Ohoho! Thank you."

Sylvia smiled, accepting the flower. She seemed to really appreciate it from the way she was looking at them.

"Go away now."

"But why?"

Raon tapped Dorian, trying to push him away, but Sylvia interrupted.

"Dorian,can you tell me about how Raon has been doing?"

"Of… of course! Young master Raon has gone up from the lowest tier to the highest tier, making history in the fifth training ground! Everyone watching him has been moved to tears…"

"Hoo!"

Dorian kept talking as if he were trying to overcome his nervousness with chatter. The test hadn't even started yet, but Raon felt already exhausted.

It's outrageous how much that human talks.

'Still not as much as you.'

"…And just like that, thanks to young master Raon teaching us his posture, me and the other recommended children in the lower-tier managed to climb to the middle-upper tier. As for everything else, I'll tell you later! I'm in a bit of a hurry right now!"

Dorian bowed to her, then ran towards the toilet.

"Oh my god…"

"Young master Raon!"

Helen and the other maids were moved to tears as they put their hands together. If they had listened any longer, they might have really started to cry.

"Helping others is nice and all, but how about you? You still get cold easily. Is the dormitory warm enough? Are you sick at all?"

But Sylvia's eyes seemed more worried than moved. She was as true to her emotions, as always.

"I'm fine."

Raon tapped his chest with a confident smile. But it wasn't enough to make all the worries disappear from Sylvia's eyes.

"I'm going to repeat myself, but you can stop whenever it's difficult. Don't mind the others, just follow your heart. Okay?"

"Okay."

He nodded and Sylvia's worries seemed to fade away a little. She was still the same, she has always been the mother who worried about her son's well-being.

"By the way, Helen."

Sylvia slightly turned her head with a mischievous look.

"Yes, Lady Sylvia?"

"Don't you think Raon has gotten cuter in the time he's been away?"

"Certainly. As expected of milady's son."

"Right? Raon! Let Mommy hug you one more time…"

"Ugh! W-wait!"

When Raon tried to step back from the approaching Sylvia, pressure appeared at the entrance of the training ground.

'This power…'

Raon clenched his teeth and stared at the main entrance. Frightening pressure could be felt from beyond the brown door.

Wham!

When the door to the training ground opened wide, a man that he'd thought would never come appeared.

"Gr-greetings, my lord!"

"Greetings, my lord!"

It was Glenn. Everyone who faced the head of House Zieghart knelt.

'Why is he here?'

"Father?"

"Hmm!"

Sylvia and Helen also knelt and bowed.

So, he was the owner of the power I felt from afar. To think that someone like that exists in this era…

Wrath spoke with admiration for the first time since waking up. It seemed like Glenn's prowess was impressive, even for him.

His power is on a whole different level. He broke through the extremity and transcendence. But he might not have much time left.

'Time? What are you talking about?'

…

Without responding, Wrath stared at Glenn.

"Hmm."

Raon turned his eyes to Glenn once more. After slowly looking around at the children and their parents, Glenn walked up on the platform and sat on the chair Rimmer usually sat on.

"Eek?"

Rimmer, who was entering over the wall, opened his mouth wide upon seeing him.

"Why is my lord here…?"

Glenn glared at Rimmer, unsatisfied about something.

"This is an event selecting the family's future. Why shouldn't I be here?"

"Well… I guess you're welcome here."

Rimmer jumped over the wall while smiling awkwardly. Bowing to Glenn, he trotted up on the platform.

"I wanted to take my time. Since my lord is here, I can't do that anymore. Let's start the trainee selection test immediately."

Scratching the back of his head, he instructed the parents to move back. The parents told their children to do their best and moved away.

"Raon."

Raon turned back at Sylvia calling him.

"Don't get hurt."

"Young master, please don't strain yourself."

Instead of telling him to do his best, Sylvia and Helen worried about him and left.

They are so weak, not suitable for you.

Raon nodded. They've never wanted him to be excellent, and all they wanted was for him to stay healthy.

'I still can't get used to it.'

His trainers in his previous life had only wanted results. The stark difference between them made it difficult for him to get used to.

He turned his head back after staring at the two of them walking away, and Rimmer was grinning at him.

"Then everyone, the details of the trainee selection test that everyone has been curious about will be revealed."

Rimmer shook his hand from the platform. His expression was as light as always, but the small pressure emanating from him expanded its colossal wings.

Wham!

Albeit weaker than Glenn Zieghart's, the powerful pressure surrounding the entire training ground made the parents frown, and the children shrink down.