Daybreak, Two days later.
Rimmer was standing on the platform in the training ground where the sun still hadn't risen.
The trainees were looking at him with eyes full of nervousness and excitement.
"I'm telling you for the last time. Anything can happen outside the house. You must doubt over and over. If you think it's too difficult, retreat without a second thought."
"Yes!"
His gaze was directed at Raon, who was standing at the first row. Raon calmly nodded.
"Then go now. It would normally take a month, but you should be able to arrive in two weeks since we've opened the Official Broad Road. I wish you good fortune in battle."
"Thank you."
Rimmer clapped his hands, just like in their usual training. The trainees bowed to him and the instructors, then turned around.
"Line up in four columns. We will be moving in the buddy groups assigned in the morning."
The trainees moved in a perfect order at Raon's command.
"Hah."
Rimmer snorted while watching them.
'Did he make buddy groups?'
Despite being a top trainee, he was still a teenager. He was surprised at his composure and him organizing buddy groups when he should've been nervous about going on a mission without an instructor.
'He always surprises me.'
He never got bored of watching Raon. He always filled him with anticipation.
'The most surprising thing was the Nine Flowers Medicine.'
His jaw had automatically dropped from surprise upon watching Raon take the Nine Flowers Medicine he got as a reward for winning against Martha.
I never expected him to completely absorb it.'
Upon taking an elixir, some energy was inevitably wasted. Getting someone else's help to reduce that waste to a minimum was the common method of taking an elixir, yet Raon had absorbed all of the energy on his own. He was a monstrous guy in many ways.
'I guess they will be fine.'
On top of might and aura, Raon was exceptionally talented with perception. Since he had proved himself during the battle against the sixth training ground, he was going to return safely after completing the mission without much difficulty.
"We've finished the preparation."
Raon came to Rimmer after finishing lining up the trainees. His serene eyes didn't have any sign of excitement or nervousness.
'How is he fifteen years old…'
Rimmer nodded, while feeling goosebumps on his arm.
"Go to battle."
"To battle."
He responded silently and left the training ground, leading the trainees.
"..."
Rimmer stared at the backs of the trainees he'd raised for the past three years.
The instructors approached him once the trainees had completely disappeared.
"Head instructor, shouldn't you start following them now?"
"No."
Rimmer shook his head. He yawned while grabbing the back of his neck with clasped hands.
"There's a guy with an inhuman perception. I'm going to take a nap first."
He went to the head instructor's office after saying that.
"Ha…"
"I-is that okay?"
"It might be late, but shouldn't we go after them?"
The instructors' worrying voices could be heard from behind him, but Rimmer smiled, pretending to not hear them.
'I should worry about the orcs instead of them.'
***
Raon looked back while walking at the front. The forty-two trainees were moving in four lines, but they were divided into three factions.
The first was the collateral faction with Burren Zieghart as center. The collaterals were following Burren as their master.
The second was a faction of vassal families that opposed the collaterals. However, Runaan—who should've been their center—was sticking next to Raon, which made their stance rather awkward.
The third was the recommended children with commoner backgrounds. Raon had helped them back when they were temporary trainees, and they were still following him.
Finally, Martha was the exception that didn't belong anywhere.
After checking each trainee's expressions, Raon closed his eyes.
Honestly, he didn't care what they did or what they became.
Despite his status as a trainee under the Zieghart name, he didn't think he belonged to that place. He was going to leave after returning Sylvia to her position in the direct line.
However.
The spar against the Owen Kingdom, the first mission, and the battle against the sixth training ground made him realize that wasn't all there was to it.
Since he spent a long time with them, sharing the same thoughts, he grew a bit attached to them.
'And Mom's words are also bothering me.'
Sylvia's voice, telling him to act like the ancient Zieghart swordsman as the top trainee, was still engraved in his heart.
'It's difficult.'
Probably because he had lived as an assassin, taking care of his allies was more difficult than killing and destroying his enemies.
"We're going to rest here."
Raon stopped in front of a huge tree, thick enough that five grown men wouldn't be enough to hug it together. The trainees sat down, leaning their backs against the tree.
"I have something to tell you."
As the trainees were drinking water and catching their breath, he stood in front of them.
"Some of you might dislike me, but I'm currently your top trainee."
His calm voice stating the fact made some people clench their fists, some nod their heads, and others didn't show any reaction at all.
"I knew that some of you aren't taking it seriously or are excited, like you're going on a picnic, despite hearing that it's a monster extermination. Whatever you think is up to you, but that lightheartedness will make you or the person behind you into a casualty."
"Hmm…"
The trainees that had such thoughts lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"Just as the head instructor said, we don't know what might happen during the mission. Don't act rashly, follow my orders."
"Mhm."
"Yes!"
Runaan and the recommended children answered loud and clear, and Martha and the vassal family trainees nodded.
"..."
The collateral trainees stayed still, trying to read Burren's mind.
"Of course."
Burren stood up while pouring water on his head.
"I already told you at the end of the battle against the sixth training ground, but I acknowledge you as the top trainee. I'll follow your order even if it might cost my life, as long as it is reasonable. However, if it will stain the Zieghart name, I won't follow your order."
"What is worthy of Zieghart, according to you?"
"It's knowing the honor of a swordsman. Helping the weak, acting proudly in front of the strong, and training with everything they have, so they won't show any shameful sight."
"..."
Raon met Burren's eyes without saying anything.
"I know. I picked a fight against you out of jealousy, and stained the Zieghart name, unable to accept the result. I'm telling you all this because I am well aware of that fact. I'm never going to display that shameful behavior ever again."
Burren hit his chest with his clenched fist. It felt like his willpower could be seen in his green eyes, burning strongly.
'He has really changed a lot.'
He acknowledged his own mistake in front of that many people, and even declared his resolution. It wasn't something a fifteen-year-old would do.
"I got it."
Raon nodded. It seemed he could trust Burren since he had changed that much. Putting the water he was drinking back in his bag, he turned around.
"Let's move again."
Burren looked at Raon, who was advancing through the snowy road. He had a small back. It had a size befitting his age, since he had somewhat recovered his health, but he was still small compared to the other trainees—including himself.
'And yet…'
His size as a person was incomparable to the other trainees.
He painfully realized that while observing him as they moved for the mission. The patience he displayed during training was nothing.
Raon didn't get tired. No, he didn't show it despite being tired.
The trainees struggled with the cold and exhaustion, but he was always composed and relaxed. Thanks to that, the trainees that were following him became less nervous and ended up expending less stamina.
'If he was the only one on the mission, he probably would've arrived a long time ago…'
It definitely wasn't a baseless guess.
Raon always took a night watch despite being the top trainee. He was also the only one who didn't doze off during it.
'He must've gotten stronger, too.'
Since it was half a year ago that he defeated Kein from the direct line, who was two years older than him, he must've gotten even stronger. He probably reached the advanced level Sword User, or even the highest level.
Honestly, he couldn't help but think that he could never win against him.
'But I won't give up.'
He didn't work as hard as Raon yet and giving up on matching up to his rival wasn't something a Zieghart would do.
Burren tightly gripped his sword's handle.
He came back to his senses thanks to Raon. He was going to catch up to him to return the favor.
'Just you wait, Raon Zieghart.'
***
Like a peacock fluttering its feathers, the different colored roofs were mingling in harmony. They were the rainbow roofs that were Cebu village's pride.
Raon and the trainees, who had reached Cebu village in two weeks, were looking down at the village from the hill.
"We can see it over there."
"Finally…"
"Phew. We can finally sleep inside."
The trainees, who were tired of sleeping outside, smiled while patting their shoulders and backs.
"Cebu village…"
It was his first time there, but he investigated it a little because of the mission. It was a small village where a small number of people lived off farming without any special products or tourist attractions.
Since monsters came down once every few years, it wasn't really a special mission. In fact, there were wooden fences installed around the village in order to stop the monsters from coming in.
"Let's go down."
Raon nodded after looking around the village and the mountains surrounding it as a whole.
"Yes!"
The trainees tightened their bags and went down the mountain, following Raon.
'Hmm?'
Raon narrowed his eyes and lowered his head slightly.
'What?'
He felt chills running down his back. It was the sensation he felt every day when he was being trained as an assassin: a human's gaze.
'Instructor? No, it's different.'
It was different from an instructor's gaze, as they observed them while knowing who they were. It was the frightening feeling of someone trying to find out everything about them.
'No one knows.'
The trainees' faces were stiff with nervousness over fighting monsters. Even Burren, Martha, and Runaan looked like they didn't sense anything.
'I guess that's normal.'
It was a faint feeling that he himself wouldn't have felt if he didn't have the experience of an assassin. It would've been strange if the trainees could sense it.
He rolled his eyes while lowering his head. He couldn't locate it since his aura and his perception was still too weak.
'Not good.'
He couldn't tell whether it was one of the house's trials or some other crisis. Hiding was the best course of action in such a situation.
Raon went down the mountain without saying anything. As he was purposely walking slowly, the feeling scanning his neck got further away.
It seemed like it was running away to report elsewhere. Now was the time.
Whir.
Creating a thin layer with his aura to prevent the sound from going out, he turned around.
"Burren."
"What?"
Burren raised his head, hiding his nervousness under his calm expression.
"During this mission, you shall be the top trainee and issue commands."
"What are you saying out of nowhere…?"
"Since Runaan and I did everything during the first mission, you should take on the main role this time. Prove what you told me last time was true."
"By what I told you, you mean…"
"That you are going to be worthy of being a Zieghart swordsman."
"Hmm…"
Burren bit his lip. Judging from his frowning expression, he was taking him seriously.
The trainees were walking silently, but their ears and gazes were all directed to Raon and Burren.
"Alright."
Burren slowly nodded. Hesitation had disappeared from his eyes.
"I'll clearly show you that I've changed. Let's go!"
"Yes!"
He put on the pace while shouting out loud. The collaterals following Burren were full of energy.
"You heard that too, right?"
"Yes."
The trainees that usually followed Raon nodded at once.
"Runaan."
"Mhm."
Runaan understood right away and looked at the vassal family trainees that followed her.
"Hmm…"
"Understood."
The vassal families frowned, displeased with the way Burren was getting power, but eventually nodded.
"Martha, I'll tell you the reason later, so consider Burren as the top trainee for now."
Lastly, he turned to look at Martha, who was standing next to him. She closed her eye and opened it again with a cold expression.
"You don't need to tell me. I already said I'd follow your command, so you just have to show me the results."
Martha spoke and walked towards Burren.
Are the young bastards changing a little?
Wrath's somewhat displeased voice could be heard quietly.
What arrogance!
His personality was indeed the worst, as he got angry at everything and anything.
'You can feel the one that is observing us nearby, right?'
Did you notice that? I guess, since you have the King of Essence's trait, you should bite your tongue and die if you don't.
'Where are they? And how many are they?'
Do you think the King of Essence would tell you his location?
'So, it's one person.'
Huh?
'Since you can't tell lies, 'his' means one person.'
Y-you bastard…
Wrath trembled, boiling in anger.
'Even then, there's a problem…'
There was only one person observing them, but there was no way of telling how many they had as allies. He couldn't relax until the end.
"Hmm…"
Raon licked his lips, looking at Cebu village's wooden fence as it started entering his sight.
'I have a feeling this mission isn't going to be easy.'