In the midst of a snowy mountain shrouded in white mist,
A man with black hair was kneeling on one knee, observing the situation before him.
"...They're all dead."
"It seems so."
Dorothea nodded at Rutiger's words.
The corpses of the monsters lay frozen upon the cold breath of the white mountain.
Although there was no terrible smell, the traces of their last breath were clearly visible in their expressions.
"They died in an instant. I don't think the first monster even realized its own death."
Dorothea said as she approached the corpse of the gray orc, whose eyes were open.
"It moved like this."
Rutiger approached Dorothea and walked in the direction she pointed.
Indeed, she was right.
The first body was facing forward.
The one in the middle was trying to look backward.
The last corpse finally looked back but couldn't avoid it.
It was estimated that the number of scattered orc corpses around was close to 50.
"What you're trying to say is that they all died from a single strike."
Rutiger understood the situation and nodded.
The bodies of gray orcs that had been torn apart as if struck by something enormous.
The being that silently approached and tore through the orcs before they could do anything about it rushed forward without even looking back, leaving only death behind.
Rutiger looked at the orc limbs scattered here and there and let out a deep sigh.
"...Joseph's report was correct."
With those words, Rutiger lifted his head and looked at the white mountain.
However, the snow-capped mountain with its sharp peak did not respond to Rutiger's gaze regarding what it held.
The perfect being shattered by the Sword Master fell to the ground, spreading its blood throughout the world.
Thus were created the remains of the fallen dragon.
Some dragons lose their wings, others lose their eyes.
Then the dragons scattered throughout the world, forgetting they were dragons.
And now, for some reason, the one with the most perfect legs realized it was a dragon.
***
"Let's go!"
A blond boy running, sweating in the middle of a large training ground.
Vlad kept running non-stop with heavy sandbags tied to his arms and legs.
Neighing—
The black horse seemed to find it amusing to see him struggling under the weight of the heavy sandbag despite his strong will, so it followed Vlad and ran.
Looking at the excited black horse, Vlad could only exhale heavily.
"How long do I have to do this?"
"Until you reach your limit."
"But why do I have to do this?"
"You said you wanted to learn the type of Aura I use? Then don't ask silly questions."
In response to Ramund's firm reply, Vlad turned his head, gritted his teeth, and began to run.
With every drop of sweat falling from the tip of his chin, he expressed his resentment towards Ramund in his heart.
"…."
Ramund lost in thought as he watched Vlad run.
He was born in a dark alley, lived with glamorous prostitutes, and even had an unnecessary pretentious appearance.
Therefore, there were some prejudices, but the boy in front of him had no complaints and simply ran quietly like an ox plowing a field.
You're strangely honest.
Ramund felt relieved seeing Vlad training quietly.
At least I've confirmed he's not the type to go crazy boasting and believing only in his talent.
"Think even while you run! Imagine infusing Aura into your body!"
The old knight shouted loudly at Vlad, who ran and panted.
At first glance, making someone run recklessly while carrying a heavy load seemed like an outdated training method, but Ramund wasn't just a stubborn person who believed in old values.
His training method was designed with Vlad's current condition in mind.
The boy had talent and willpower but lacked swordsmanship and the endurance to achieve it.
Rather, his excellent physical ability made him neglect the physical training he needed for constant development, and Ramund realized this and was pushing the boy.
"What did you do back then? When you took down the barbarian!"
A body that reaches its limits is destined to keep growing, and a body that has lost its strength is destined to try to fill it with something else.
Ramund constantly checked the boy's limits using the senses he had acquired over many years.
"No more!"
Ramund's shouts echoed in forgotten times.
Upon hearing that shout, Vlad closed his left eye once again and began to elevate his world.
The boy's world, which couldn't be expressed through a sword, scattered everywhere without anywhere to go.
'Is this okay?'
Vlad, who had been running across the training ground for an unknown amount of time, tasted blood on the tip of his neck.
However, Ramund's eyes still didn't waver, and every time Vlad looked into those eyes, a sense of relief and reassurance spread through Vlad's heart.
You can go further.
I guess I can still do it.
Efforts without a clear goal and direction would be nothing but a futile struggle, but now there was a person next to the boy firmly guiding the way, so he could move forward without hesitation.
The moment Vlad put his completely weak left foot down on the ground.
"…!"
The body, which had completely lost its strength, caught and held a streak of color in the world to fulfill the boy's will to keep going.
The sensation he was constantly aware of while running surged up, touched the boy's thigh, and momentarily tensed the boy's muscles.
It's like a manifestation where arrows are fired.
"Damn it!"
For a moment, his vision was ahead.
At least Vlad believed so.
The eyes of the black horse widened as Vlad suddenly leaped ahead of it with a single shout.
[Attempt to fall. Otherwise, you'll get hurt.]
"Eww!"
In a move he hadn't even expected, Vlad floated in the air for a moment and then rolled on the ground.
As the boy fell, dust rose.
"Ha..."
When Ramund saw that scene, he couldn't help but let out a sigh that escaped from his heart.
It was a sigh between joy and despair.
"...I told you to do it, but you did it right away."
Surely there will be a feeling of regret when giving away something you cherish.
And for Ramund, this was the strength of his body, which he had perfected throughout his life.
"A mouse has arrived! Mouse!"
Neighing-
Vlad is covered in dirt, clutching his thighs, and rolling on the ground.
The black horse approached Vlad and snorted, admonishing him for daring to leave it behind.
However, as Ramund watched the chaos, he simply walked slowly, sating his appetite.
Even if you're old, there are probably things you can't easily let go of.
***
Vlad lay helpless on an empty table.
There was a dinner prepared by Marcella right in front of him, but he couldn't even lift a spoon at this moment.
"...Aren't you going to die at this rate?"
In the morning, he was training with Jager.
At noon, he was training the use of Aura with Ramund.
And at night, he was speaking with the voice and even discussing the day's achievements.
The teachings of a single person were overwhelming enough, and Vlad knew it well, but his body screamed that he had to accept them.
There were three teachings from masters that Vlad had to accept, and each one was from an extraordinary world.
"Hey. Captain. How have you been?"
"...Leave."
Vlad growled at Goethe, who smiled at him as he climbed the stairs.
"I listen to the captain whenever I can, but I can't stop now. Lord Joseph told me to stay here from now on."
Goethe smiled at Vlad, who struggled helplessly, and left the luggage he had brought by the table.
"Wherever there are horses, there must be a stable boy."
"…."
Vlad smiled back at Goethe, who joked that he felt a connection with the boy from back then.
"Well?"
It's unfair to suffer alone.
But if we do it together, we'll feel a little more at ease.
Vlad shrugged, thinking of the black horse as it had run out of the stable twice, saying it didn't like the stuffy place.
"Cheer up."
"Huh? Yeah."
It was Goethe who felt anxious seeing Vlad oddly smiling at him.
Vlad turned his stiff head with difficulty, as if frozen, and looked at Zemina sitting in front of him.
Zemina is organizing the gifts sent to her and making a list.
Although her beautiful appearance from a few days ago had disappeared, the earrings on her ears still shone.
"Do you want me to buy you some earrings?"
"That's expensive."
"But it's from Marcella."
"It's mine now."
The girl who dragged the horse with the dresses and accessories Marcella gave her.
Vlad wanted to do something for her because she solved the problem he desperately wished for, but Zemina coldly rejected the offer.
"If you don't even get a decent salary, don't worry about other people's earrings and work hard to save money."
"I'm getting pocket money."
"Ha!"
Zemina snorted as she watched Vlad proudly boasting about getting pocket money.
"Do I know that? Are you saying all the money you pay to stay here will be for you?"
"...Why?"
When the unexpected words came out of Zemina's mouth, Vlad jumped as if struck by lightning.
"I don't know. You have to pay that amount."
"Why me?"
"I don't know either!"
Zemina shouted loudly and pushed the accounting book she had written so far towards Vlad.
"Anyway, you're in debt now! You know that!"
Vlad's eyes trembled as he watched Zemina descend the stairs, as if telling him not to settle for just receiving pocket money.
"Why me?"
As much as Vlad's gaze faltered, the accounting book written by Zemina was filled with crooked letters.
As much as the boy tried to move forward, the girl also tried to keep up.
***
"Rejoice. It's hard to imagine trying to pay off a debt with something like an earring."
Neighing—
Zemina descended to the first-floor stable and offered a carrot to the black horse waiting for her.
"Is that what you think? Oh, you're eating well."
Chewing on the bright red carrot given by Zemina, the black horse grunted as if in a good mood.
"Good. Eat this and help me out. Got it?"
The black horse nodded as if understanding what Zemina was saying.
Marcella had said:
If you want to catch a knight, first catch the horse he rides.
Zemina strengthened her determination as she listened to the advice given by Rose from ancient Soara.
She decided she wouldn't just stand by and watch behind the boy.