Chapter 439

"How could he do this to us?"

Yulius kicked the pebble on the ground while pouting.

"How could he leave without giving us time to say goodbye?"

He frowned while thinking about Rector and Mustan, who he only had time to say goodbye to before they left because of how late they told him about their departure.

Frustration was welling up inside him like a tidal wave because he'd gotten so close to them despite the short time they'd spent together.

"Hey."

Yulius waved his hand at Yua, who was adjusting her clothes after her training.

"Why are you so quiet? Aren't you sad that Sir Rector left?"

"I'm sad."

Yua nodded gently.

"But there must've been circumstances around it. I couldn't hear any the sound of a lie."

"Sound of a lie?"

"Yes. His heartbeat was mild and serene."

She told him that there were definitely some circumstances around it, and he must've had no choice.

"I also don't think that they lied about it. It's just regrettable…"

Yulius sighed deeply.

'Because he reminded me of my grandfather, who I haven't been able to see in a long time.'

He felt like he was training his swordsmanship with his deceased grandfather the closer he got to Rector, and that was why he was so saddened by their quick departure.

"Same goes for me. But we should be able to see them again, so we need to endure it."

Yua smiled cheerfully and walked towards the annex building's garden.

"Where are you going?"

"The young master isn't coming back even though it's dinner time. I'm going to fetch him."

She told Yulius to wait inside before running outside the annex building.

'He skips meals all the time if I don't go get him.'

Raon was the type of person who even forgot about meals if he was too focused on training.

Even though he should've been hungry, he was going to train until late at night once again if left alone.

"He's such a handful… Hmm?"

As Yua was heading towards the fifth training ground after leaving the garden, a pouch suddenly dropped from the sky.

It was an luxurious, orange colored pouch the size of an adult man's palm.

"What is this?"

She tilted her head while picking up the pouch. She looked around, but she couldn't find anything special about it.

'How did it happen?'

There was no buildings or trees around her, and the weather wasn't even windy. She couldn't understand how the pouch ended up falling there.

She thought it was strange as she opened the orange pouch.

The pouch was filled with a sword, armor, gloves, boots, various books, cooking utensils, and dozens of pineapples compressed into small shapes.

It wasn't an ordinary pouch but a subspace pocket.

"Hmm…"

Yua tightly closed her lips while closing the pouch.

'I need to return it to its owner.'

It wouldn't have mattered if it were an empty and ordinary pocket, but it was a subspace pocket and was completely full. She could guess that the owner must've been looking for it.

She thought that she should tell Raon about it and increased her speed to run towards the fifth training ground.

Creak.

Yua opened the training ground's door and entered. Raon was standing at the center and was reading a book that she didn't recognize.

"Young master!"

"Ah, Yua."

Raon smiled faintly upon noticing Yua.

"What brought you here at this hour?"

"What else?! I came to fetch you because I was worried you would skip meals again!"

Yua wrinkled her nose while putting her hands on her hips.

"Ma'am also asked me to bring you back no matter what!"

"Hah…"

Raon laughed weakly while looking at Yua, whose chin was jutted out.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"My bad, you were too cute."

He unconsciously laughed because her frown, which he hadn't seen in a long time, was just so cute.

He quickly apologized and placed the Azure Sky Sword book into his clothes.

Huu…

Raon was cleaning up the surroundings when Wrath suddenly raised his head and sniffled.

Pineapple Girl is as nice as always. She's the only one who takes care of the King of Essence!

Wrath ground his teeth, saying that he would've starved again if it wasn't for Yua.

'She's taking care of me, though, not you.'

Shut up! That's what you call kindness! Your shitty geezer doesn't apply!

He shook his plump hand, telling him to get it right.

'The person who gives me a book of martial arts is kinder than the one who gives food in my perspective.'

Raon slapped Wrath's fat belly away and walked up to Yua, who was standing nearby imposingly.

"Yes, let's go. I got hungry after I heard that from you…"

When he was about to tell her that they should return to the annex building, he noticed the luxurious pouch Yua was holding in her hand.

"What is that?"

"Ah, I think someone lost it."

"Was it lost?"

"Yes, I picked it up on the way here a moment ago…"

Yua told Raon about how she got the pouch.

"Can you give it to me for a moment?"

"Yes! Please return it to its owner!"

"I'll do it if possible."

Raon accepted the pouch from Yua and examined it.

'It's a subspace pocket, just like I thought.'

He looked inside and saw that it was filled with various objects.

Moreover, they were clothes that would be perfect on Yua, equipment like a weapon and armor, cooking utensils, and even pineapples.

'They almost looked like they were prepared for Yua's sake. But why can I feel some mana from outside the pocket?'

He thought it was strange and tried to imbue a small amount of aura into the pouch.

Whap.

A faint golden light radiated outside the pouch, and the name Yua appeared.

"Huh? Is that my name?"

"It looks like it belongs to you."

"What? But I didn't get anything like this though…"

"Considering that it fell on your head, it is indeed yours."

"Ah…"

Yua's lips parted. She looked like she hadn't even considered the possibility that it was hers.

"It's just my guess, but…"

Raon smiled faintly while returning the pouch to Yua.

"A certain kind-hearted person must've given it to you."

Raon was resting in his room after dinner when he heard two knocks.

"You can enter."

He immediately told her to enter, since he'd figured out who was outside the door through her presence.

The door opened smoothly, and Sylvia entered the room with a small wooden box in her hand.

"Can I come inside for a moment?"

"You are already inside, though."

"Yeah, I asked just in case."

Sylvia chuckled and sat on the chair next to the bed. She placed the wooden box she brought with her on the table.

"Your room never changes."

She sighed deeply after looking around the room.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I decorated it when you were a baby, and it hasn't changed at all since then. There's no difference whatsoever. Don't you ever get the urge to try decorating your room?"

"Hmm…"

Raon licked his lips and looked around the room.

His room was a bit too bright despite his personality, probably because of his name—Raon—and the fact that he used to be called Sunshine at one point. However, he didn't find it bad.

"Not really. Decorating the room is a lot of work for no reason."

"Haa, your mom is so sad because her son is no fun. It's a relief that I have Yua and Yulius with me."

Sylvia frowned, asking him to play along sometimes.

"Okay."

Raon nodded with a faint smile on his face.

"So, what brought you here? You could've told me during dinner."

"Guess what this is."

Sylvia tapped the wooden box on the table with her finger.

"Is it an elixir?"

Since elixirs were mostly put into wooden boxes like that, his guess was naturally an elixir.

"Yes. Moreover, it's an extraordinary elixir."

Sylvia swallowed nervously and opened the box.

There were two small glass bottles inside, and they contained translucent milky white liquid.

"Hmm…"

Raon opened the cap. The fragrance brushing past his nose was sweet enough to make his mind feel fuzzy.

"Milky white color and sweet fragrance? Could this be…?"

Raon's chin trembled as he looked at the glass bottle once again.

"Yes, it's the Fairy's Tear."

"I knew it…"

He'd guessed right. The Fairy's Tear was the only elixir with that color and fragrance.

'I never thought I would get to see the Fairy's Tear."

Despite the name, the Fairy's Tear wasn't related to fairies. The energy of the world gathered in deep caves that were untouched by humans and was condensed into liquid. It became the highest-grade elixir. It was rumored that a single drop could bring good health and longevity.

"Why do you have this, mother?"

"Sir Rector left it behind."

"What?"

Raon's eyes widened. He was honestly even more surprised than when she'd taken out the Fairy's Tear.

"Helen found it in a corner while cleaning up Sir Rector's room. I wanted to return it to him, but he has already left…"

Sylvia shook her head, saying that the gift he left was far too good.

"Wasn't there anything like a letter?"

"There was. There wasn't anything special written in it though. He just thanked us for the enjoyable time he had."

She showed him a small note. Just like she'd said, a short sentence was written on it, mentioning that he enjoyed the stay.

"But we enjoyed it just as much as he did…"

Sylvia sighed deeply, saying that she should've been the one to thank him.

"I agree."

Raon nodded while watching Sylvia bite her lip.

'She's right. He helped us a lot more than we did for him.'

Rector had taught swordsmanship to everyone in the Light Wind division, allowed them to learn more about what kind of person Glenn was, and brought a smile to Sylvia and the children's faces.

Since Rector had done way more than Raon did for him, the Fairy's Tear was an excessive gift.

"Raon."

Sylvia lowered her voice while fiddling with the wooden box.

"Yes?"

"This is just my guess, but…"

She hesitated for a long time before she finally decided, her lips parting slowly.

"Sir Rector might be related to your father."

Sylvia touched her dry lips with her finger.

"You must've also heard him say that he wasn't related, but I think he was lying. Sir Rector keeps reminding me of your father whenever I see him."

"He reminds you of my father?"

"Actually, I had this thought the first time I saw him. I wondered if your dad has actually survived and returned to us after getting older."

She laughed bitterly. She whispered that she'd really thought that even though it must've sounded like a lie.

'Now that I think about it…'

Raon remembered the way Sylvia was staring blankly at Rector's face for a while during the first encounter.

"And the Fairy's Tear confirms my suspicion. Sir Rector must be related to your father. I can't jump to conclusions, but he's most likely your father's family or relative."

Sylvia furrowed her brow, saying that it was the only way to explain his behavior of leaving such a precious elixir behind.

"I agree with you."

Raon nodded while meeting Sylvia's eyes.

"And he is going to tell us what kind of relationship it was once he returns."

"I wonder, I think he's not going to tell us…"

"No, he is going to tell us."

Rector's eyes weren't those of a liar. Since he'd said that he would explain it to him, he was definitely going to return and tell him the truth.

"Let's wait a little."

Raon.

Raon reassured Sylvia with a faint smile on his face, and Wrath called out to him with serious eyes.

'Hmm?'

It was a rare occasion for the cotton candy to make such a serious face.

'What's the matter?'

Raon nervously looked downwards because he had a feeling Wrath was about to give some information about Rector.

That liquid.

Wrath licked his lips while looking at the Fairy's Tear.

'Err…'

It looks like it would be sweet and great for quenching the thirst. Put it in your mouth right now!

'…'

'I was gravely mistaken. The only time a useless glutton gets serious is when he is being a useless glutton.'

* * *

The next morning, Raon went to the fifth training ground after memorizing the contents of the Azure Sky Sword book all night long.

'It's far more difficult than I thought.'

He could understand why Glenn was trying to personally teach him.

The Azure Sky Sword wasn't just an advanced technique but an extremely elaborate one that required enlightenment. Glenn must've hoped that Raon would become a Grandmaster from completing the Azure Sky Sword.

'I'm just thankful for his expectations.'

Saying that he was thankful wasn't enough to describe his feelings, as Glenn had personally taught him the sword's principles, and had even given him such an excellent book. The only way to show gratitude was to do his best at learning the Azure Sky Sword so that he wouldn't disappoint Glenn.

Shring.

Raon drew Heavenly Drive. He tried all twenty-six techniques of the Azure Sky Sword as slowly as a toddling baby. The form itself wasn't too difficult to imitate thanks to the Ring of Fire, but there was no way he could achieve the true Azure Sky Sword.

'He told me to incorporate the sky. Moreover, a sky of my own. The sky…'

When he thought about it, he felt like he'd watched the sky quite a lot in order to clear away his frustration. Because Derus Robert was holding him by a leash, watching the sky that was the definition of freedom used to quench his thirst.

On the other hand, the sky he'd seen in his current life was heavier. He'd been resolving himself to become as unshakable as the sky that was the same no matter where he watched it from.

'An extensive freedom and an unchanging heaviness.'

They were two unmatched concepts, but it was the best way to honestly describe his feelings.

Raon closed his eyes and clenched his fist.

'I need to incorporate both freedom and heaviness.'

The most important part of learning an advanced martial art was to stay true to oneself. Since his previous life and current life were both a part of him, he guessed that the correct answer was to bring both of them forward instead of choosing one.

'I really learned a lot thanks to them.'

It was all thanks to Glenn and Rector's teachings allowing him to broaden his horizon that he could begin to guess how to learn the Azure Sky Sword.

Just as Raon was about to resume practicing the Azure Sky Sword once again, someone hurriedly opened the training ground's door. He thought it might be the team leaders, but it was unexpectedly Dorian who entered the training ground.

"Vice division leader! A terrible incident has occurred!"

Dorian breathed roughly, a bunch of crumbs around his mouth revealing that he'd been eating some snacks before he arrived. He said it was a terrible incident, but he didn't look trustworthy at all with the way he looked.

"What happened? If you are just trying to make the supplies an even number like the last time…"

"The Warring Steel division…"

Raon scoffed it off as a trivial matter and was about to resume his training, but his arm froze as Dorian continued.

"The Warring Steel division went missing!"