"A bet?"
Raon narrowed his eyes.
"What kind of bet are you talking about?"
He couldn't understand why Wrath suddenly wanted to make a bet.
You don't need to be nervous. The King of Essence doesn't lie, nor will I try to deceive you. I will show you myself.
A new message appeared as soon as he said that.
[Wrath proposes the first bet.]
Condition: Pass the test for official trainees first in the list.
Upon success: All stats +2, a random trait.
Upon failure: Creation of 10 points of emotion in Wrath.
He could understand what he meant upon reading the message. It looked like Wrath intended to hand over his own abilities if Raon managed to win the bet.
"Are you talking about ending up first in the test to become an official trainee that Rimmer mentioned?"
That's right. He said that there will be a first place, so the result will be clear.
"Hmm…"
He still had a few questions.
"What do you mean, a random trait?"
One of the traits that The King of Essence possesses will be granted to you. Of course, its level will be downgraded to match your mediocrity.
"A trait…"
Raon looked at Wrath, who was burning as if fuel had been added. He had always called himself a Monarch of Devildom.
He couldn't trust him on that, but it was obvious that he was a special existence. That meant that his random trait was most likely going to be a useful ability.
"One more thing. This is the most important part. What do you mean by creating ten points of emotion in wrath upon failure?"
It means what it says. You will gain the emotion of wrath, which the King of Essence possesses.
"Are you saying that you are capable of controlling my feelings?"
It's not that much. I will be giving you a very small amount of wrath. It really is a little bit. However…
Wrath's voice contained an obvious expectation.
Just like the saying goes, many a little makes a mickle.* If you keep taking in the King of Essence's wrath, you won't be able to control your emotions anymore… No matter how strong your willpower is.
"Was that your goal all along?"
Raon looked down on Wrath coldly. It seemed that he was trying to slowly take over his body, giving up on doing it at once.
You should've realized that your body changes according to the stats in the status window by now. If you partake in this bet, you will be one step closer to your revenge.
Wrath calmly worked to convince him to accept his suggestion, despite being the King of Essence. Raon felt frustrated by him for the first time.
'Why is he making a bet like this?'
Since his main body existed still, he could've just used that to conquer his mind. Raon couldn't understand why he had to use such an elaborate method instead.
As I've already said, the abilities of the main body of the King of Essence are connected to you. If I could use that power, I would've taken over your body already.
Wrath responded as if he read his mind.
"Are you sure there's no lie?"
The King of Essence is a Monarch of Devildom. And a Monarch of Devildom doesn't lie.
"Haaah…"
Raon sighed lightly. Wrath was certainly a psychopath, but he had never lied about anything when he answered him.
"Do I have no choice but to eat this poisonous apple?"
He couldn't refuse, not when the reward was two points in all stats and a new special ability.
On the other hand, the risk upon failure was relatively small—if dangerous when accumulated.
"Hmm…"
There were many outstanding children in the fifth training ground. Not just Runaan and Burren, but the collaterals and the recommended children also had special talents.
An average child couldn't ever dream of being first place.
However, he had been reincarnated.
Whatever the test was, no matter how talented the children were, he was confident he wouldn't lose if he made use of his previous life.
"Alright, I accept."
A wise decision.
[You've accepted the bet with Wrath.]
Raon looked into Wrath's eyes through the message. He was smiling, confident that he would win.
So he smiled back.
'It won't go the way you think it will.'
***
The Next Day, Before Dawn.
Burren opened the door to the training ground and entered.
Despite being so early that the sun hadn't even risen yet, his hair was properly brushed, and his training uniform was ironed out. He was indeed an exemplary noble.
"Hmm?"
Krein and a few other collaterals, who used to greet him excessively, looked away after bowing awkwardly.
'Why are they doing that?'
He remembered the incident from the day before as he wondered.
'Don't tell me… Did they harass him?'
Burren frowned. He didn't like Raon either, but harassing him personally was an act that would stain the name of Zieghart.
'Pathetic bastards.'
Just as he was about to approach the idiots to scold them, the door opened and Raon entered.
"Hmm?"
He was completely fine. There were no injuries nor bruises, so it didn't look like he'd been hit. Instead, he looked even more confident than the day before.
"Eek!"
"Hie!"
On the other hand, Krein and the collaterals hid in the corner like dogs as soon as they saw Raon.
'What? Just what happened?'
Burren swallowed. He couldn't understand what kind of situation this was.
"Hey."
He couldn't stop himself from approaching the trembling collaterals.
"Lo-Lord Burren!"
Krein and the other collaterals lowered their heads with gaping mouths.
"Why are you trembling like that?"
"Th-That is…"
"Ahem!"
The collaterals closed their mouths upon seeing Raon, not Burren. Fear could be seen in their eyes.
'They are afraid of Raon instead of me?'
Just what did Raon do to them, for them to be so afraid?
"No, nothing happened."
"That's right. Nothing really happened."
"Hehe!"
The collaterals scratched their heads with awkward expressions.
'Did they get beaten up instead?'
That was the only possibility.
The collaterals must've been beaten up instead when they tried to teach him a lesson.
Burren turned around to look at Raon. Just like the day before he was just standing silently, as if he wasn't interested.
'So he was hiding his abilities.'
It was laughable that a talentless patient would hide their puny level of skills.
'Struggle as much as you want.'
No matter what he did, he was going to remain at the bottom.
* * *
While stretching his neck, Raon met the eyes of the collaterals that he'd had a 'talk' with the day before.
"Ugh!"
"Kuu!"
The collateral children let out strange sounds and backed away.
"Huh?"
"What's that?"
The collaterals, who were openly insulting him the day before, were taken aback. The sight made the other trainees wonder about the situation.
Raon turned his head at the scornful laughter. Burren was clearly jeering at him.
'I bet he's thinking that it doesn't matter, no matter what I do.'
Whatever Burren was thinking was as clear as day. He must've been thinking that it was meaningless, no matter how much a talentless boy struggled.
'That's a huge mistake.'
Since Raon had the Ring of Fire, talent was meaningless. By the time he graduated from being a temporary trainee, he would be way ahead of Burren.
That snake's eyes are annoying. Pluck them out.
'Not again.'
Back in devildom, whoever dared to move their eyes would all…
'Please shut up.'
Raon tapped his bracelet. With a zapping sound, Wrath went silent.
Y-you bastard!
'You talk too much.'
The door to the training ground opened as he tried practicing with the Ring of Fire, ignoring Wrath.
Stomp!
Past the creaking door, Rimmer and the trainers entered.
Unlike the trainers, who were properly lined up, Rimmer ran up to the platform with a skip to his steps.
"Good morning."
Rimmer smiled as he looked down at them.
"Yes!"
The temporary trainees responded loud and strong, despite it being so early in the morning.
"Yesterday must've been difficult since you ran at full speed—even if you've been training your stamina. So…"
Rimmer nodded his head and smiled.
"Today you'll run again. At full speed!"
"Pardon?"
"A-again?"
"The limit of a human's stamina increases each time it is exhausted. So, sprint until I tell you to stop."
While the children were frowning, two people kicked the ground. It was Runaan and Burren.
Pang!
Unlike the day before, where they had been saving their stamina, they ran with everything they had.
"Ugh!"
"It's a sprint again!"
The children who thought that they were going to learn something that day started running, all while complaining.
Are you running again? This is boring. You can become stronger without something like this. If you kill an enemy…
'I'm fine with this.'
Raon cut Wrath off. He kicked the ground after inhaling deeply.
Really? Do you enjoy endlessly running and eating dust?
'I can become stronger by running.'
You idiot! If you leave your body to the King of Essence, you could become the strongest within a year…
'But there's no point if I'm not myself anymore.'
Stopping Wrath from talking any more nonsense, he kept moving his feet.
'I'm faster than yesterday.'
Thanks to his increased agility and stamina, he could run faster than before.
He could run as fast as some of the collaterals and recommended children, who he could only catch up to at the end of the test the day before.
"Huh?"
"Hmm…"
"Ra-Raon?"
The eyes of children in the middle-lower group widened as they saw him. It looked like they couldn't understand how Raon was running alongside them.
'I'm growing fast, for sure.'
Raon smiled lightly and ran with them. Having stat points on top of the Ring of Fire was making his growth unbelievably fast.
However, despite running in full force, Burren and Runaan were getting farther and farther away. It looked like their talents and the amount that they had trained weren't at a level he could catch up to.
Yet.
'It's not an unpleasant environment.'
They made him go all out, and there were many children to catch up to. It was the perfect environment to improve himself.
Raon looked at Rimmer, who was dozing off on the platform. He was a frivolous guy, but his training method was reliable.
'Your training… I'll make good use of it.'
***
"Stop!"
The sprint that began before dawn only ended after the sun finished rising.
"Kuah!"
"Haah!"
"Huff!"
Without exception, the children were panting and lying on the ground.
Barely anyone was standing, as most of them had run at full speed.
"This is the end of daybreak training."
"Day… daybreak…"
"Not even morning, but daybreak…"
The children shook their heads when they heard that daybreak training had ended.
"The air is fresh at daybreak, and you can feel the mana more easily. You'd better get used to it, since you will keep doing this even after you become an official trainee."
Rimmer spun his finger. It was a gesture describing how the children were going to run endlessly.
"Now, go get your breakfast."
"After running so much, how can we have breakfast…?"
"I… I can't eat!"
"No way I can swallow!"
The children complained, still lying on the ground.
"You'd better eat, even if it's difficult. Since training will continue, you won't be able to handle it without eating. Although, like always, the choice is yours."
With that, Rimmer left. It was as if he was telling them to do whatever they wanted.
'To tell us to eat after running so much…"
"I… I think I should eat. Even if I throw it up later…"
The children staggered as they went to the dining room. The food was light, not at all greasy. It seemed they had considered the intensity of daybreak training.
Warm soup, soft bread, lean meat, and a few kinds of vegetables were the entirety of the menu.
"The food is really terrible."
"I think I can eat this."
The collaterals looked at Raon who was just staring at the food on his plate.
"Look at him."
"He isn't eating."
"I guess he can't eat that since he grew up sheltered in the annex building."
"True. Despite being the worst in rank, he must've always gotten the better treatment as a patient."
Despite the other children giggling as they mocked him, Raon was thinking about something completely different from their expectations.
'They give food?'
He would've understood it if it was after training ended. However, he had never been given food during training in his previous life.
Since he had eaten grass or hunted animals on his own to appease his hunger, even when he was younger than his current age, he had never imagined that they would feed him.
'This place is really the best!'