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It wasn’t because of the door’s size, but because of the absolute being on the other side.

“Don’t be so nervous. He won’t say anything bad today.”

Rimmer grinned and patted his shoulder from behind.

“Mhm.”

Runaan’s humming could be heard next to him. Despite being nervous while rescuing the children, no trace of tension could be found when she was about to greet the head of house. She was a strange one indeed.

Thud.

The audience chamber’s door opened with a huge noise, similar to a giant’s footsteps. A powerful pressure stormed out, opening the door completely.

Withstanding the pressure that was as endless as a furnace’s flame, they entered the audience chamber.

And Glenn was there, at the center of the threatening pressure.

Like always, he was sitting on a golden throne and looking down at them.

“Greetings, my lord.”

After Rimmer’s greetings, Raon and Runaan knelt down at the same time.

‘Was he supposed to compliment us?’

Raon wrinkled his nose. The wave of energy directed at them was too fierce for it to be a compliment.

“Stand up.”

Glenn’s dignified voice resounded as he waved his hand.

“Raon Zieghart, Runaan Sullion. I heard that you did well on your first mission.”

“We’ve merely done our best.”

“……”

Raon bowed once again and Runaan copied him.

“I did already hear about it, but do tell me what you did.”

“Yes, sir. When we arrived at the foothold, there were four locations where the bandits could’ve been hiding. Although the bandits were as strong as the beasts in the mountain, I suspected that they would’ve been hiding somewhere else in order to shake off the pursuers. Therefore…”

Raon explained everything that happened during the mission to Glenn, who didn’t really look interested.

He didn’t nod or blink. He kept listening to the end without any reaction whatsoever, to the point that Raon felt awkward.

“It’s just as I heard. Wiping out the enemies and rescuing hostages in your first mission is certainly an extraordinary achievement. However.”

Glenn’s eyes were bleak.

“That was too clumsy. If you’d made the slightest mistake, or if the bandits were a bit stronger, or if you hadn’t coordinated as well as you did, then those children would’ve died and you would’ve been seriously injured.”

It felt like his heavy voice was pressing upon his head.

“Planning is important, especially for trainees that don’t have any experience. You should only act after making multiple backup plans.”

“Yes…”

“Actually, you should’ve contacted the other trainees and led them upon finding the bandits’ tracks. Your experience and might are too shallow to deal with everything on your own.”

“I’m sorry.”

Raon lowered his head once again.

“How is this a compliment?”

He was sure he heard Glenn was going to compliment them, but he kept pointing out his mistakes after a small compliment in the beginning.

“However, it’s a fact that you succeeded despite your methods being full of holes.”

When Glenn gestured with his chin, his butler Roenn brought a golden plate forward.

“I award you a bronze tablet for your accomplishment in the mission and the rescue of the children.”

“You did a great job.”

Roenn handed over the bronze tablet with a gentle smile.

“Thank you.”

Raon and Runaan accepted the tablet with both hands and bowed to Glenn.

“Ah, I have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

“What shall I do with this elixir?”

Raon took out the Teuton Flower that he took from the Snow Tiger leader. The flower bud, yet to blossom, was rolled up in a circle.

Glenn watched the Teuton Flower for a bit, then shook his head.

“Since you’ve acquired it, it is yours. Take it.”

“…Okay.”

Raon tilted his head slightly. Since the elixir was rather rare, he didn’t expect him to just give it to him.

“You should leave now.”

He leaned back and rested his chin in his hands, signaling that the audience was over.

Raon and Runaan bowed and stepped back, leaving the audience chamber.

***

The audience chamber, only three people remaining inside, was filled in silence for a moment.

“Pfft.”

Rimmer burst into laughter, unable to bear the silence.

“Why are you laughing? And why are you here when I didn’t even call for you?”

“I mean, if you wanted to hear about Raon\'s accomplishment from him personally, you should’ve just asked him honestly. What were all those excuses?”

Rimmer grinned, watching Glenn frown.

‘He really isn\'t honest.’

Since he’d already sent the report, Glenn was already aware of everything that had happened during the mission.

Glenn was worried about his grandson, and the sight of him giving him advice while pretending to scold him was just too funny.

“Is this what we call a meanie grandfather?”

“Shut up.”

“Huff!”

Rimmer hid his mouth with both hands.

“It looks like the head of house is also looking at Raon as a potential successor.”

“What?”

“His own progress is more important than taking care of the others, since he’s still a trainee. But the reason you asked him to lead the trainees was in preparation for when he would challenge the throne of Zieghart, right?

“……”

Glenn didn’t respond to Rimmer’s sharp remark. He was simply looking at him silently.

“It looks like you really cherish Raon. You didn’t even do that when you were raising the young masters…”

“You are being too noisy.”

“How about being a bit more honest now? I’m sure Raon would like it if you tried saying ‘Good job, grandson. Come here so I can hug you, peekaboo’…”

“Rimmer.”

Glenn’s pressure grew fiercer. Not just the audience chamber, but the entirety of the lord’s manor started trembling.

“Huff!”

Pretending to not laugh, Rimmer moved far away.

“Hehe.”

When Glenn’s pressure was about to explode, Roenn interfered with a gentle smile.

“It’s pretty nice.”

“What is nice?”

“It’s been thirty years since I last saw you two playing around together. I haven’t seen that reaction from my lord for a really long time, either…”

Roenn’s wrinkled eyes were recalling the old memories.

“Hmm…”

“Oh, I knew it. Sir Roenn knows what’s up.”

Glenn eased his pressure and Rimmer smiled once again.

“Ah, and there was one thing Raon didn’t mention.”

“Are you talking about the South-North Union?”

“Yes. Their young leader heard Raon’s name and left.”

“Why didn’t you stop him?”

“He withdrew, facing Raon’s spirit. It wasn’t our territory, and since he acknowledged Raon, I didn’t really want to catch him.”

“Hmph.”

Glenn snorted, but he didn’t look displeased.

“And lastly, I’d like you to be a bit more honest with your grandson. It’s not that hard.”

“I’m always honest with everyone.”

“No way. If you were honest, you would’ve been like this.”

Rimmer cleared his throat, folding his hands behind his back like an actor.

“Raon. I’m so proud that you’ve accomplished your mission so well. My grandson, give your grandpa a kiss. This much is enough to make Raon happy, yourself happy and even me happy as I watch you! Everyone would be happy!”

“Haa…”

Glenn sighed heavily and stood up from the chair. An energy wave threatening enough to destroy the world filled the audience chamber.

“I-I’ll be leaving then. I gotta drink, I mean, an important appointment.”

Rimmer walked backward while rubbing the back of his head and left the audience chamber.

“Tsk, he’s getting smugger every time.”

Glenn clicked his tongue and lowered his hand.

“I still liked it. It reminded me of when you were commanding the continent together.”

Roenn smiled lightly, moving to the side.

“Hmph.”

Without saying anything, Glenn crossed his arms and leaned his back.

“Since all this seems to be thanks to the young master Raon, I took a liking to him.”

“It’s fine to like him on the inside, but you should treat everyone equally, whether they are successors or other children.”

“You are absolutely right.”

Roenn bowed, smiling. As he raised his head, he saw Glenn. Despite what he said, the corners of his mouth were higher than usual.

* * *

* * *

Raon headed to the annex building as soon as he left the lord’s manor.

He considered training right away, but he figured relieving Sylvia and the maids, who must’ve been worried, came first.

When he reached the annex building, loud noise was coming from inside.

‘That’s how it should be around here.’

The annex building was always noisy and active. He was already feeling at ease.

Raon opened the annex building’s door brightly.

“Huh?”

His eyes were wide. There was somebody he’d never expected in the annex building.

“Dorian?”

Dorian was standing in the lobby, and Sylvia, Helen, and the other maids were surrounding him.

“Oh, is the young master back?”

“Why are you here?”

“Ah, madam asked me to come by after the mission and tell her about what happened.”

“Th-then…”

“Yes, I told her everything about the young master Raon’s touching endeavor.”

Dorian wiped his tears away.

“Young master.”

“Ah, our young master really did.”

The maids were also wiping their tears. It seemed he’d really told them everything.

‘Oh, shit…’

He was going to fudge over it to avoid worrying Sylvia and Helen. He’d never expected them to contact him first.

“Raon!”

“Young master!”

Sylvia and Helen approached him at the same time, with their hands on their hips.

“Ah, that wasn’t my intenti…”

“Good job!”

As he was about to give excuses, Sylvia hugged him and patted his back.

“Huh?”

Raon’s eyes widened at the unexpected reaction.

“Did you really think I was going to scold you for that?”

“You keep telling me to be careful.”

“The reason the Zieghart’s ancestors wielded their swords was to protect the weak. Since then, Zieghart has always been protecting the weak and those living in their domain.”

Sylvia’s red eyes glittered like rubies.

“I also wanted to become a swordsman with the old Zieghart’s spirit, so there’s no way I would scold you for saving the hostages and risking your life.”

She grabbed his hand tightly. He felt like his exhaustion was being wiped away by her warmth.

“Mom is really proud of you.”

“Mhm!”

“That’s so true!”

“I gotta visit the main building tomorrow. I’ll boast about this to everyone!”

Sylvia hugged him once again, Helen and the maids nodded with teary eyes.

‘I don’t get it.’

Raon sighed.

‘Emotions are really difficult to understand.’

However, he didn’t dislike their warmth.

‘Anyway, that damn Dorian.’

He turned his head, looking for Dorian, but he was nowhere to be seen.

That coward ran away a long time ago.

‘Damn it!’

He was a light footed one for sure.

***

After eating in the annex building, Raon changed his clothes and went to the fifth training ground. Sylvia and Helen were telling him to rest for the day, but he wanted to move his body.

“Is that him?”

“Yes. Raon Zieghart.”

“His build isn’t that great, and his pressure is weak…”

“But he really wiped out the bandits on his own.”

“I guess, since Rimmer doesn’t lie, although he sometimes exaggerates.”

He could feel the swordsman\'s blatant gazes while walking to the training ground. It seemed the news about the mission had already spread throughout the house.

‘Seriously, that man…’

He sighed, since it was obviously the red-haired elf’s doing.

“Wiping out thirty bandits, including a mid-high tier Sword User, is an extraordinary achievement.”

“There were rumors about him being at his deathbed from his illness, so I guess he was lucky.”

He felt awkward hearing compliments for the first time when he was used to being insulted or looked down on.

However, his mood and mind were for him to decide. He didn’t need to care about what others said.

Raon entered the fifth training ground while listening to the swordsmen without paying much attention. Naturally, it was empty.

He warmed up and unsheathed his sword from his waist. Slowly lifting it, he put it in front of his energy center. Maintaining the middle posture, he recalled his last fight.

‘I was a bit slow.’

The bandits got in his way, but he could’ve beheaded the Snow Tiger leader from the beginning. Because he was too concerned about the children and the other bandits, he reacted too slowly, ending up wasting a lot of time.

The important part of a real battle was how he used his abilities. That was why it was safe to say that he’d failed.

‘However…’

Since he was aware of that fact…

Since he knew what the problem was, and how to solve it, he could fix it.

‘My aura and body aren’t on the same page.’

His body moved exactly the way he wanted, but his aura was slightly late.

It was necessary that his aura and body moved at the same time, like the two blades of a pair of scissors.

Haa.

Raon calmed his breathing and slowly brandished his sword. The aura emanating from his energy center followed the sword. Despite being a slow movement, the space was mercilessly split apart.

Even though he didn’t move that much, Raon’s back grew wet with perspiration. The slow movement required even more strength.

Raon swung his sword slowly until the energy from the ‘Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’ was exhausted.

Once his aura was exhausted, he went to the cultivation room to replenish it. Then he went out to swing his sword once again. As such, the first day of his return was wet with sweat.

***

A small pub in the back alley of Zieghart’s domain.

The pub should’ve been filled with different people’s voices, yet only one man’s voice could be heard.

“…That’s how my students saved the children that were tied up by the bandits. The bandit boss was using an aura in his saber, but Raon split it in half!”

The red-haired elf was telling Raon and Runaan’s story, standing on the table as if he was giving a speech. Judging from the way his face turned red, he was completely drunk.

“Wow!”

“Did you finally find your aptitude, Rimmer? You taught them really well.”

“No way, he just happened to meet good students.”

“I guess. It’s hard to imagine that elf as a good teacher.”

The giggling people didn’t even look like swordsmen. They seemed to be average citizens.

“It’s both. Both! My students are the best among the current Zieghart’s trainees. No, they are the best among the six Kings!”

Rimmer grinned and poured the beer in his mouth. Some of them agreed with what he said, and others thought the sixth training ground and the other groups were just as good. The two camps started arguing soon enough.

“Hey, stop fighting and pay me since you heard a great story. I lost everything from betting on that fifth horse, so I need to take my revenge…”

As he was putting down his empty beer glass and frowning, a gold coin fell on the table.

“Huh?”

Rimmer raised his head after watching the gold coin for a while.

With a tough face and broad shoulders, the man looked like a general on a battlefield. It was the sixth training ground’s head instructor, Metun.

“Metun? It’s been a long time.”

“Indeed.”

Metun slowly nodded.

“Anyway, thank you.”

“……”

“Huh, can you let me go now?”

He tried picking up the gold coin Metun placed on the table, but he couldn’t take it because of his finger.

“Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”

“For what?”

“That the fifth training ground is the best among Zieghart’s trainees.”

“Of course, my students are the best.”

“You like betting, if I remember correctly.”

Metun’s eyes were heating up.

“Shall we make a bet?”