The Light Wind swordsmen went down on their knees and bowed at Glenn just like Raon.
"We'd like to make the same request."
They revealed their heated emotions, saying that they wanted to join the search mission no matter what.
"Hmm…"
Glenn tapped the armrest with his long finger while leaning back into the throne once again.
"Only danger awaits you without any reward. Are you still willing to go despite that?"
"Danger and reward don't matter. I'm just doing what I have to do."
Raon bowed, asking him to just let him look for them since he didn't need any prize or honor, as he'd previously mentioned.
"How foolish. However…"
Glenn nodded with an enervated laugh.
"You said you are just doing what you have to do. I like that part, at least."
It felt like the coldness in his voice had drastically subsided.
"Because many nowadays are unable to do so, or aren't even aware they should."
Glenn's finger that was tapping on the throne's armrest came to a halt.
Raon quietly raised his head.
'Is he giving his permission?'
Glenn's words and voice weren't as cold as in the beginning. Glenn continued when Raon was getting confident that he should be able to get the search mission.
"Do you remember what I told you when you returned?"
"Hmm…"
Raon narrowed his eyes and looked downwards. Since there was no way he was talking about the rewards he'd received, there was only one thing left by the process of elimination.
"About the beginning of a turbulent period?"
"Indeed."
Glenn nonchalantly nodded with his chin.
"The gate to heaven is currently opened up a lot. There has been no case in the continent's history that has even come close to this. Since heaven's gate is open, the world is brimming with talents, geniuses, and monsters, which naturally results in a turbulent period."
He continued with a nonchalant voice, as if he'd never been cold to begin with.
"Countless flowers fade away before blooming during a turbulent period. However, the flower blossoms of this hell are more beautiful and splendid than anything else. How about you? Are you ready to bloom in this era?"
He seemed to be asking whether they could overcome all hardships and return to the house.
"Of course."
"Yes!"
Raon nodded, and everyone in the Light Wind division shouted loud enough for the dust to fall from the ceiling.
"I like your answer, at least."
Glenn nodded while supporting his chin on his fist.
"Nothing will be certain in this mission. You need to keep a cool head in all situations, as the Light Wind division's lives will depend on your judgment."
"Yes."
"Leave right after getting the information from the Shadow Agents' leader. The disappearance only happened yesterday, but we still don't have any time to waste."
He shook his hand, telling them to leave already and get themselves ready.
"Thank you."
"We won't disappoint you!"
Raon and the Light Wind division bowed once again before they stood up and turned around. None of them looked back as they left the audience chamber.
"Huhuhu."
Roenn smiled faintly while looking at the door the Light Wind division had left through.
"Even his mind seems to have drastically grown up now, on top of his might."
"Hmph, he still has a long way to go."
Glenn shook his head while curving his lips into a frown.
"He's still a child. I still have a lot to teach him."
"But of course. Please keep teaching him."
Roenn nodded, telling him that he should obviously do so.
"However, I'm worried about the Warring Steel division's well-being."
He lowered his brow while thinking about the Warring Steel division that had gone missing.
"Those children should be able to save them as long as they arrive on time. However…"
Glenn's gaze became serious as he touched his chin.
"Did the Black Tower's master really appear?"
"According to the Shadow Agents' information, it has more than a ninety-five percent chance of being true."
Roenn bit his lip. The appearance of the Black Tower's master hadn't happened for the past dozens of years, even though it didn't seem to be related to the ongoing incident.
He could feel once again that a turbulent period was really getting started.
Tsk.
Glenn briefly clicked his tongue while looking outside the window.
"I won't be able to make any moves this time."
* * *
Raon left the lord's manor and looked behind him. The Light Wind division was already clad in sharp pressures and gazes—as if the battle had already started.
'They are amazing. It looks like their hearts are already ready.'
Ooh.
Wrath slowly nodded while looking at the Light Wind division.
Not bad. They are still only as strong as an insect, but I can feel their resolve at least.
He licked his lips, saying that the Light Wind division seemed to be slowly growing respectable.
They should be suitable as the King of Essence's royal guards once they get a bit stronger.
'Get out of my way, I can't see anything.'
Cough!
Raon slapped Wrath's fat belly away as he giggled and looked at the Light Wind division once again. Their mentalities seemed to have gotten a lot more mature. It was worth going out of his way to train them even though he was having a hard time himself.
'But how did they get here?'
He did tell Dorian that he was heading to the Shadow Agents, but he'd never mentioned anything about visiting the lord's manor. That was why Raon had been curious about it since he'd first seen them.
"Hey, how did you figure out that I was here?"
"It's obvious."
Martha tilted her head. She looked like she couldn't understand why Raon was asking that.
"Obvious?"
"Yes, just think about it. You went to the Shadow Agents to hear about the Warring Steel division's disappearance. What would be your next move?"
"I would go to the lord's manor to get permission to look for them myself."
Burren smiled while following up with Martha.
"There's no way we wouldn't know that since we know you."
He said that it was way too easy to figure out and that everyone came to the lord's manor together as soon as they'd heard the story from Dorian.
"The fact that Raon was heading to the lord's manor was as evident as the ice cream being round."
Runaan came up next to him and patted his shoulder. She blinked while telling him that it would've been strange if they couldn't figure it out.
"Actually, the vice division leader is the easiest to read."
"You are always either at the training ground or the annex building if we need to find you."
"You are the complete opposite of our unpredictable division leader."
"Ah, except for when we are training, since you become a monster."
The Light Wind swordsmen smiled, saying that they naturally expected him to be at the lord's manor.
"Huh…"
Raon laughed bitterly while looking at the faint warmth in their eyes.
'They read me, huh… I don't know how I should feel about this.'
Having their personality analyzed was pretty much a death sentence for assassins.
He'd been doing his best to hide his inner self in his previous life, but the Light Wind division was telling him that they knew what kind of person he was. Hearing that made him excited and warmed his heart for some reason.
'Is it fading away a little?'
A small smile was brought to his face before he knew it because it felt like the hellish memories of his previous life were fading away.
"Silence, everyone."
Raon hardened his expression and gathered everyone's attention.
"Get ready for the departure now. Gather at the fifth training ground at noon."
"What about you, Raon?"
Runaan tilted her head.
"I need to do something."
"What do you need to do?"
"I need to report to our lazybone division leader. He is still our leader, after all."
He'd gone and done it, so it was a bit too late, but it was still necessary to notify him.
"Oh, right! We had a division leader!"
"I know, right? I forgot about him because I'm so used to his absence."
"He's pretty much a spoon for bead ice cream."
Martha, Burren, and Runaan's lips parted as they finally remembered that Rimmer existed.
"Huh…"
Raon gasped while looking at the Light Wind division that had completely forgotten about him.
Rimmer was such an amazing person in a sense because they weren't even pretending and had seriously forgotten about him.
"Remember, gather at noon. I'll leave you behind if you are late, so quickly make your preparations."
He sent the Light Wind division off before heading to Rimmer's room.
Creak!
He opened the old door to Rimmer's room. Dust was rising from the floor.
Ugh!
Wrath frowned while looking at the dust.
Shitty Ears is seriously so distasteful! How can he even eat and sleep in such a dirty place?
He frantically shook his head, saying that even his appetite would be gone if he inhaled all of that dust.
'I'm also curious about that.'
He couldn't understand how a patient was living in a room like that.
Raon entered Rimmer's room while blowing away the dust by shaking his hand like a fan. The room looked like a garbage dump with blankets, laundry, books, and trash spread all over the place.
It was even dirtier than the last time he'd been there.
"Division leader."
"Hmm?"
Rimmer stood up from the pile of laundry. He looked even more ragged than the Ragged Saint. His entire body was covered in bandages, and his eyes were hazy.
"What brought you here?"
Rimmer waved his hand, saying 'Long time no see.' Judging from his weak gesture, he seemed to be still recovering.
"We've got a mission for us."
"You've got it for you? What?"
Rimmer tilted his head, noticing the subtle meaning behind Raon's words.
"Yes, I went to the Lord's manor to get it."
"Already? Hey, I understand you want to get achievements, but you are going overboard!"
"It's not for achievement. I heard about this today, and the Warring Steel division…"
Raon told Rimmer everything that had happened in the morning.
"Oh, that's really bad. But…"
Rimmer scratched his nose while looking downwards.
"I can't join you."
He pointed at his body, which was covered in bandages.
"The body is an issue, but I've also gotten internal injuries."
"Internal injuries?"
"There's actually more than the internal injuries, but in short, I'm unable to move right now."
Rimmer shook his head, saying that he should be participating in a matter like that, but the circumstances didn't allow it.
"I had no expectations anyway."
"Hey!"
"Since we don't have any time to waste, we will go without you."
"Are you sure? There are two floor overseers, and they might have even more!"
He asked how confident Raon was with a cold gaze.
"I would've never wielded a sword to begin with if I was afraid of something like that."
His goal was the head of Six Kings, Derus Robert. Since he was going to stab his neck eventually, a mere floor overseer from the Black Tower wasn't anything to be afraid of.
"Wow, are you taking some kind of lessons for those lines? You sound like a hero from a fairytale."
"It's just you who is too frivolous, division leader."
"Ugh…"
Rimmer was unable to refute that and lowered his head.
"Anyway, I understand. I'll come to help you once I get better."
He waved his hand, telling him that he would try to recover as fast as possible to join him.
"Don't do it."
Raon firmly shook his head while looking at Rimmer's excited eyes.
"I'd like to decline if you just want to arrive at the last moment in style."
"Ehh…"
Raon got his stuff from the annex building and returned to the fifth training ground. Every single member of the Light Wind division and Mark Goetten were already lined up in front of the platform.
Whir!
Everyone seemed to have resolved themselves even further during their preparations. Raon went on the platform while feeling the swordsmen's pressures, which were as sharp as blades.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
The Light Wind swordsmen responded loud and clear without the slightest hesitation.
"You must've heard it from the Shadow Agents, but it will be a difficult path."
Raon lowered his gaze and looked down upon the Light Wind division.
"It's not too late to withdraw if you volunteered just because everyone else was doing it. This is your last chance."
Raon asked them to raise their hand if they wanted to withdraw from the mission, but no one raised their hand, obviously.
"Is that even a question?"
"It's true that I'm afraid, but I still have to go!"
"He sounds stupid sometimes."
"We have no time to waste! Let's leave already!"
The Light Wind swordsmen waved their hands, urging him to depart.
"We will have to face two floor overseers from the Black Tower, and an even more powerful monster might await us. Are you still thinking the same?"
Even though Raon mentioned the Black Tower's floor overseers, the swordsmen's eyes didn't waver. They seemed to be even more determined than himself.
'I like those eyes.'
Raon smiled. He had the feeling that the reason they didn't look afraid at all was because the enemies didn't matter to them, as who they were going to save was the important part.
'Zieghart swordsmen…'
He realized that he wasn't the only one growing into the mold of the true warriors that Sylvia wanted to see.
"Alright, then…"
Raon nodded in satisfaction and came down from the platform. Just as he was about to order the departure, Chad opened the training ground's door and entered.
"Vice division leader!"
"Leader of Shadow Agents? We were about to visit you…"
"No, it's more appropriate for me to come."
Chad smiled awkwardly and handed over the booklet he'd brought.
"We compiled this in a hurry, but there should be no mistakes."
Raon was surprised he said there would be no mistakes even though the incident had just happened overnight. It was a confidence befitting the leader of Shadow Agents.
"Thank you."
"And…"
Just as Raon was about to open the booklet, Chad came one step closer.
"We've just gotten this news, but the Black Tower's floor overseers haven't shown up so far. Which means…"
Raon clenched his fist while looking at Chad. Crimson flames sparkled from his eyes.
"They must still be fighting."
* * *
Thanks to Chad's preparations, they managed to reach Hoffern through the fastest route without the slightest delay.
Raon admired Chad's excellent ability, as he didn't have much time or information on hand.
He licked his lips while looking at the strange area. The north side of the path was snow-white, while the south was filled with greenery.
'It's been a while since the last time I came to Hoffern.'
Hoffern was located at the border between the north and the center. It was a peculiar place where a snow field and a frozen lake were located ten steps to the north, while a dense forest and a clear lake were ten steps to the south.
"Huh…"
Burren gasped while looking at the clear contrast between the two areas.
"Snow is piling up on the left, and butterflies are flying on the right. What the hell is this place?"
He was agape because of that impossible phenomenon.
"I know, right?"
Martha nodded. It was rare to see her agree with Burren.
"How come they are so different just because there is a path in between them?"
She looked at the snowy path on the right and murmured that it would be difficult to search that way.
"Hmm."
Runaan dashed to the right side and tasted the snow before she blinked.
"This is real snow."
"We aren't here to play around. Focus."
Raon clapped his hand to gather the Light Wind division's attention.
"Let me say it again. Our highest priority isn't battle, it's the search and rescue. Prioritize saving the Warring Steel division rather than fighting."
"Yes!"
The Light Wind swordsmen nodded in unison, saying that they were obviously aware of that fact.
"However, it's also true that we can't leave them alone since they attacked Zieghart."
Raon twisted his lips while clenching the hilt of his sword.
"Wipe out everyone you see once I give you permission."
"I like that!"
"Sure!"
The swordsmen clenched their fists, their voices a lot more ferocious than before.
"Let's go!"
Raon waved his hand towards the back as he advanced through the strange path with heavy snowfall on one side and warm wind blowing from the other side.
The Light Wind swordsmen followed him with their frightening gazes glowing with madness.
They advanced like a single sword, and their fiery aura opened the path through the snow and wind.