"A different exam?"
Raon tilted his head. Zieghart's trainee graduation exam was a simple one, consisting of either a match between the trainees or passing a course the instructors made for them.
Judging from Rimmer's sly expression, the exam seemed to be rather extraordinary.
"You guys have a lot more experience than the other trainees."
Rimmer clicked his tongue and wagged his finger.
"Matches of honor, battles of life and death, and a fighting method that uses your level. You went through experiences that you would normally face after becoming a regular swordsman,"
He was right.
Although it wasn't as much as Raon in his previous life, the fifth training ground trainees had experienced various things, more than House Robert or the other training grounds.
It was pointless to give them an average test since they would easily pass.
"Exams are an opportunity to accelerate your growth. Since an average test wouldn't help you in any way, I decided to change the content."
"Hmm…"
"Certainly."
Everyone nodded after hearing Rimmer's explanation. It was a natural reaction since the trainees wanted to become more than just average swordsmen after watching Raon's fights and growing up with him.
"So, what kind of exam are we going to take?"
Burren raised his hand and leaned forward.
"Survival."
Rimmer's expression suddenly changed. He wasn't an old man living in the neighborhood anymore. Heavy and sharp pressure emanated from him.
"It's survival. You are going to live outside, without using your position as Zieghart trainees. Your name and a single sword are the only thing you will be allowed to carry with you."
"S-survival…"
"Eek!"
"We have to go outside with just our name and a sword?"
Since the trainees didn't expect survival at all as an exam, their jaws dropped at once.
"I understand your confusion, since it must be completely different from what you expected from a graduation exam. However, I'm sure this trial is necessary for you."
Rimmer sat on the platform and looked down on the trainees.
"You are currently overflowing with confidence. You've defeated Owen Kingdom's knight trainees, survived a battle against Eden and took an elixir to grow both your aura and body. There were also smaller matters, like the battle against the sixth training ground. Well, it was mostly thanks to someone, though."
He cast a furtive glance at Raon.
"In your current state, where you are brimming with confidence, you should see just how big and wide the world is with your own eyes."
"Hmm…"
While the trainees were too confused to say anything, Raon was the only person to nod.
'He is right.'
Just as Rimmer said, a real experience was what the trainees needed the most since they had become stronger both physically and mentally.
Experiencing a real battle by themselves, without using the house's name, would lead them to a higher level.
"However, you are allowed to refuse."
Rimmer smiled widely, raising his eyebrows.
"It won't be easy for you to live outside as you've always been eating and living with what the house provided you with. Moreover, you could really die this time since there won't be any instructors following you this time, not even me."
He slowly nodded.
"That's why I'll prepare a different graduation exam for those who are too scared. If you want to refuse, tell me tomorrow after thinking over it thoroughly."
"Hmm…"
"Uh, a different exam?"
"I don't need something like that."
Unlike the other trainees, who were rolling their eyes as they pondered, Martha tapped her hair and shook her head. Her black eyes were shining as she stepped forward.
"Survival? I've been doing something like that ever since I started walking. Bring it on."
Martha sneered, ready for any kind of exam.
"I'm also fine with that."
Burren's indifferent voice could be heard as he stepped up. His serious eyes held no sign of wavering.
"Graduation exam with survival as its theme, I agree that it's an opportunity for me to grow. I'm going to accept it."
"So, we have two people already."
Rimmer raised two fingers with a grin on his face.
"I-I'll do it as well!"
"Me too!"
"Please, sign me up!"
Everyone started raising their hands, telling him they also wanted to join since Burren and Martha said they would.
"Good, good."
Rimmer clapped his hands and smiled each time the trainees said they would join.
"Runaan."
Raon turned around to call Runaan, who was standing there blankly. She was tapping her feet at the same time Rimmer clapped his hand to get into the rhythm. It looked like she didn't really care about what was happening.
"What are you planning to do?"
"What will you do, Raon?"
"I'll do it."
"Then I'll do it too."
She went up and told Rimmer she would participate. As such, all forty-two trainees raised their hands, Raon being the only one left.
"Raon, how about you?"
"Of course. I will go."
"Hmm, is it okay for you to respond without thinking it through, despite being the top trainee? You don't even know where I'm going to send you."
Rimmer pouted, a mischievous expression on his face.
"That's fine."
Raon smiled, not yielding to his provocation.
"I'm sure it will be really difficult, but the instructor never gives us a trial that we can't overcome."
"You…"
Rimmer's expression suddenly changed at Raon's confidently declared statement. He looked more embarrassed than happy.
Rimmer had analyzed the characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of every single trainee to teach them accordingly.
Raon only found out about it recently, but most of Rimmer's actions were for the sake of the trainees.
Despite his shallow behavior and tone, there was no reason to distrust him. His thoughts alone were thorough.
"I agree with him."
Burren nodded, standing next to Raon.
"You are lazy, bad at arriving on time, and fond of alcohol and gambling, but I can count on you when it comes down to education."
"Hmph."
Martha turned her head, but didn't say anything special, which meant that she agreed with Burren and Raon to a certain extent.
"It's really touching that my students think of me like that."
Rimmer pretended to cry, making the sniffling sound with his mouth. He was pretending, trying to pass it off as a joke, but it was obvious he was happy about it as his mouth was curving up into a crescent shape.
"But that's not a reason for me to go easy on you. You'd better be thoroughly prepared."
He extended his hand behind him, and an instructor gave him the file.
"I was planning to tell you in a week, but since everyone agreed I'll just tell you where you will be going right now."
"Are we going to the same place?"
Burren raised his hand and asked.
"Of course not."
Rimmer wagged his finger.
"You might say that I'm wrong, but you tend to rely on one person too much."
His gaze was directed at Raon, and the trainees followed his gaze.
"Hmm…"
"Th-that's true…"
"Well, I guess that's right…"
The trainees licked their lips, agreeing with Rimmer to a certain extent.
They were jealous of Raon and hated him at first, but they were now wholeheartedly following him after training, fighting, and overcoming a crisis together.
"It's a good thing that you have a better relationship now, but it's not good to one-sidedly rely on him."
With a soft smile, Rimmer looked at the trainees one after the other.
"Become swordsmen who can be relied upon by the others through this exam."
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
The trainees yelled their heads off, as they could feel the instructor's sincere intentions.
"Well, then…"
Rimmer opened the brochure he got from the instructor.
"Burren Zieghart."
"Yes!"
"You will go to the Levine desert in the west."
"Understood."
"Martha Zieghart, you will go to the Saian Canyon in the east, and…"
Without waiting for the trainees' response, Rimmer recited where they were headed one after another.
"…Runaan Sullion, you will go to the Katam jungle in the northwest."
"Yes."
"And finally, Raon Zieghart."
Raon was the only one left after every trainee had been mentioned.
"Yes."
"You will go to the Habun castle in the northeast."
"Habun castle…"
Raon narrowed his eyes.
'He is sending me to such a wretched place.'
Habun castle was located further north than Zieghart, as one of the battlefields that fought against the monsters of the northern sea and Stallin mountain 365 days a year.
'I'm sure it will be helpful.'
Even though he had the Ring of Fire and the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, he still hadn't entirely regained his perception from his previous life.
Living on such a battlefield would probably allow him to regain and surpass the murderous intent and perception he had in his previous life.
"There's one month left until departure. Gather information about where you are headed, think and decide by yourselves what and how you are going to prepare. This is all part of the exam."
Rimmer raised his chin, closing the brochure.
"Yes! Understood!"
The trainees' eyes contained anticipation for their growth and anxiety for the unknown at the same time as they replied, loud and clear.
"It's going to be difficult for everyone, but you are going to suffer a lot."
Rimmer stepped down in front of Raon, trying to scare him.
"That place is called the battle hell because you don't even have time to unsheathe your sword."
"Eeek!"
Dorian was frightened, legs trembling, as he was supposed to go to Habun castle with him. Raon snickered at the sight.
"Hell sounds good to me."
"Huh?"
"Because I'll become stronger if I manage to survive that hell, and…"
Raon nodded, with a confident smile.
'I've already experienced the real hell.'
"D-do you really have to do that?"
Once Raon told the story about the graduation exam in the annex building, Helen trembled and shook her head.
"Habun castle is one of Zieghart's barriers, where powerful monsters endlessly pour in. He said he would prepare a different exam, so why do you need to go to such a place…"
"This is for…"
"He has to go."
Before Raon could talk, Sylvia put down her fork and knife and nodded.
"But that's a really dangerous place…"
"He still has to go."
Sylvia shook her head at Helen and looked at Raon.
"Because it's an opportunity for Raon to grow."
She didn't see Raon as a little child anymore after his match against Raden. A swordsman, that's how she treated him now.
But that didn't mean Sylvia's worries had disappeared. The hand holding her glass of water was trembling slightly.
"Mom is right."
Raon closed his eyes while Sylvia, Helen, and the maids looked at him with worried gazes.
"Just as the instructor said, this is an opportunity to grow, not just an exam. I have to grab this opportunity since it's here."
"Yes, that's a wise decision."
It seemed Helen and the maids still had a lot to say, but Sylvia was different since she used to live as a warrior. She had completely recognized his abilities.
'It's convenient.'
Helen had a great voice in the matter as the head maid, but she couldn't beat Sylvia. Since he had Sylvia's agreement, it would be easier to train in the future.
"I'm going to train, then."
Raon put aside his empty dish and stood up.
"Raon."
As he was about to return to his room, Sylvia turned her head.
"Prepare yourself thoroughly, be ready for any situation."
"Alright."
Raon nodded confidently and left the room.
"My lady, are you really okay?"
"Haa, there's no way I would be ."
Sylvia's hand that was holding the glass of water visibly trembled. There was no way she would feel at ease when her only son was going to a dangerous place.
'However…'
Unlike Helen, she was aware of what kind of people warriors were, and what kind of things swordsmen craved. That was why she had to allow Raon to go there, no matter how much she hated it.
Even if she objected to it, Raon would go there anyway. It was better for his sake to just straight up allow him.
"But I'm still worried. It's such a dangerous place…"
"It's normal to be worried."
Sylvia nodded her head.
"That's why there's something we need to do."
"We need to do something?"
"Yes. We have to maintain our current state to the best of our abilities, so that Raon can rest assured once he returns."
She looked around the maids and smiled widely. She was hiding away her anxiety as a mother and the annex building's master.
"My lady…"
The maids quietly nodded, agreeing with her.
Judiel silently clenched her fist, looking at Sylvia and Helen.
***
Even though he was about to head over to a battlefield in a month, Raon's daily routine remained the same as always.
He did his daybreak training like always, then went to the fifth training ground to have Rimmer and the instructors teach him, and he was the last one to leave in the evening to keep training.
However, the intensity was on a different level from before.
Burren and Martha got sick of him just from watching him, and Runaan was too tired to keep up with him.
"Haa…"
The training was so difficult that it was eating up his immense willpower. Raon kept doing it every day for a week, before returning to the annex building.
Since it was time for everyone to be asleep, he entered his room through the window.
"Hmm…"
It was so tidy that not a single speck of dust could be seen, and a gentle fragrance could be smelled from the clothes and bedding.
'They didn't need to do all this.'
Despite his thoughts, he was smiling on the outside.
He was grateful to Sylvia and the maids, who worked hard to let him rest comfortably whenever he returned.
"Haa…"
Raon exhaled and sat at the bed. He felt sleepy since the recent training had been difficult, even for him.
As he was about to lie down on the bed, he could feel something on it.
"What is this?"
He tilted his head and lifted the corner of the blanket, spotting a small book.
"This is…"
Raon's eyes widened upon reading the book. The book contained information about Habun castle, which was where he was headed.
Its geographic information, information about the monsters that appeared there, and even information about important personnel. It was obvious who left the book there.
'Judiel.'
She had prepared that information after learning that he was headed to Habun castle.
Raon licked his lips, feeling bitterness on the tip of his tongue.
"I need to clear this up before heading out."