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His heart started pounding once he imagined fixing his energy center, where the aura was leaking like water from a bottomless pot, and his mana circuit that was giving him stabbing pains whenever he tried to use the aura.

“Hmm…”

However, he couldn’t easily take them. It wasn’t because he doubted whether he could return to the past or not, but because he felt like he didn’t deserve the artificial energy center and the elixirs.

‘The elixir from the head of house must’ve been reserved for me.’

The Tear of Shetty that Burren received from the branch must’ve been prepared in advance by Glenn. He didn’t mind taking that one, since it was meant for him to begin with.

‘However.’

Rimmer sighed faintly, looking at the artificial energy center and the Elixir of Eternal Flow.

‘Those two are different.’

Raon risked his life in a dungeon in order to obtain the artificial energy center and the Elixir of Eternal Flow. He couldn’t easily take them because there was one more person in Zieghart who could use them.

‘This guy…’

Rimmer slowly raised his head to look at Raon. He laughed bitterly upon facing his red eyes, as unwavering as the moon in the middle of the night sky.

‘Is he testing me or something?’

Raon’s mother Sylvia also had a broken energy center and mana circuits. She would be able to obtain a new life if he gave those to her, so he couldn’t understand why he was giving them to him.

‘No, regardless of that…’

Rimmer closed his eyes. He chuckled while thinking about the Light Wind swordsmen, who he was familiar enough with to read all their thoughts and emotions just from looking at their eyes.

‘I won’t be able to protect them if I have to start all over.’

Recovering his previous might by using the artificial energy center was definitely a great thing. He could feel the pounding of his heart from the anticipation as he thought about it.

However, it required a lot of time to recover his might. Even though he was an extremely powerful warrior himself, accumulating the aura all over again was an entirely different matter.

Rimmer slowly opened his eyes. He smiled faintly while looking at his students one after the other, all of whom looked exactly like how he imagined a moment ago.

‘I can’t betray the ones who trust me and follow me.’

It was regrettable for sure, but it couldn’t be helped. He didn’t want to entrust them to someone else yet.

‘Just a little bit longer.’

He wanted to stay by their side just a tiny bit longer if he could.

He wanted to watch Runaan’s bright smile, Burren gaining Karoon’s acknowledgment, and Martha finishing her revenge to regain her mental security.

And…

In the end, he met Raon’s eyes, which were glowing as calmly as before.

‘I want to watch him become Zieghart’s king.’

It was probably impossible, though.

Rimmer made his decision while looking at Raon’s gaze. It might have been different if no one else needed it, but since that wasn’t the case, he thought it was better for everyone to back down.

“The hell? It’s going to take forever to accumulate the aura all over again! That sounds so annoying, I won’t do it! I’m just taking the elixir.”

He refused, and violently shook his head.

“Instead, let’s sell this artificial energy center and the other elixir to the auction and split it fifty-fifty between u…”

Rimmer giggled, and when he extended his hand to grab the elixir, Raon caught his wrist.

“R-Raon?”

“Is that really your decision, squad leader?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking whether that decision really comes from the bottom of your heart or not.”

“Ah…”

Rimmer couldn’t respond because Raon’s red eyes felt like he was reading straight into his soul.

* * *

Raon narrowed his eyes while holding Rimmer’s wrist.

‘I knew he would answer like that.’

Raon had considered how Rimmer would react on his way back to Doran Village.

Despite his carefree appearance, he was actually more serious than anyone on the inside. Since Raon was aware of that fact, it was obvious how he would react.

‘He’s only going to take the elixir to recover his mana circuit, all so that he can protect us.’

It was bound to take a pretty long time to recover his previous might after using the artificial energy center. Since the Light Wind squad wouldn’t be able to fight without him for such a long time, he must’ve been trying to only take the elixir to recover his mana circuits.

‘And he must’ve also remembered my mother.’

Sylvia’s energy center was also broken. Rimmer must’ve backed down so that she could use the artificial energy center and the elixir instead.

However, Rimmer was wrong on both accounts.

“R-Raon? I’m a patient…”

Rimmer frowned while pointing at his wrist, which was turning red from his grip.

“Are you really choosing the elixir?”

“No, but I’m pretty old, you know? It’s going to take forever to accumulate my aura. It’s so annoying.”

“That’s not the reason.”

Raon shook his head without releasing Rimmer’s wrist.

“There are two reasons, right?”

“Huh…?”

Rimmer’s eyes widened as Raon mentioned there being two reasons.

“I’ll start with the first reason. Those two items can’t fix my mother’s condition.”

“What are you mea…”

“The artificial energy center should be able to replace her broken energy center, but the Elixir of Eternal Flow isn’t enough to recover her mana circuits.”

If Rimmer’s mana circuits could be compared to a torn and dry hose from overexertion, Sylvia’s mana circuits were a hose that was completely cut apart with scissors. Water simply could not circulate through such a hose.

Even though the Elixir of Eternal Flow could recover the condition of the mana circuits, it couldn’t reconnect Sylvia’s severed mana circuits.

‘It’s not good enough yet.’

In order to reconnect her mana circuits, it was necessary to improve the elixir by telling the Saint how to produce it.

“That’s…”

“And the second reason.”

Raon released Rimmer’s wrist, then pointed at the Light Wind members behind him.

“We are strong. No, we will become strong enough that we won’t lose to anyone. We will be waiting for you, so you should follow your heart, squad leader.”

Rimmer was a warrior, and he had reached the highest level as a swordsman. Since it was impossible to reach such a height unless he loved swinging his sword, he must’ve desired the recovery of his energy center.

He was just holding back for the Light Wind’s sake and because he wanted Sylvia to recover instead of him.

“H-He’s right. We can wait!”

“It’s because you always try to back down that you keep losing when gambling.”

“Mhm.”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan nodded. They must’ve also realized Rimmer’s intentions.

“Squad leader! Aren’t you underestimating us too much?”

“Please recover completely and come back, since we will be waiting!”

“Squad leader, you are the one who gathered all of us together. You have to believe in us!”

The Light Wind members waved their fists and shouted, asking him to believe in them.

“Your Sword Field Creation.”

Raon looked straight into Rimmer’s eyes while scratching the ground with his hand.

“You told me before that you created that technique in order to fight against powerful opponents without straining your energy center, right?”

“I did.”

“But you have to use your vitality to fuel that sword field. Moreover, it even reduces your lifespan.”

“H-How did you realiz…”

Rimmer’s lips were shivering.

“We don’t want to see our squad leader make such a sacrifice.”

Raon clenched his teeth, while meeting Rimmer’s wavering green eyes.

“We want you to live properly.”

“Squad leader!”

The Light Wind members behind Raon agreed with him as they bowed to Rimmer.

“Seriously…”

Rimmer laughed bitterly while covering his eyes with his hand. His shoulders moved up and down for a while before he finally spoke.

“Can you really endure without me?”

“Of course we can.”

Raon nodded firmly.

‘I won’t allow anyone to die.’

No matter what.

Light Wind squad was his second family, with the first being the annex building. He was determined to keep everyone alive, even if he had to give up everything he had.

“Alright. A teacher needs to believe in their students, I guess.”

Rimmer called them his students, which he hadn’t done in a long time, and lowered the hand that was covering his eyes. A clear glow was radiating from his green eyes, which resembled a leaf.

“Then I’ll take both the artificial energy center and the elixirs…”

When he extended his hand to grab them, Raon took the artificial energy center before him.

“Eek?”

Rimmer dropped his jaw upon realizing that he had only caught the air.

“Wh-Why would you do that now…?“

“I’ll give it to you, but we need to first confirm whether this artificial energy center can be duplicated or not beforehand.”

It wasn’t very likely considering what Lohengreen had said, but he wanted to check just in case.

“Since Lady Encia is soon going to visit Zieghart, I’ll ask her about it before giving it to you. You should equip the bracelet and use the Tear of Shetty to improve your mana circuits’ condition first.”

Raon returned the artificial energy center to his inner pocket after saying that.

“Y-You should’ve given it to me later if that was your plan! Why would you take it away when I was so ready to use it?”

“I just realized that it’s safer to use it after we return to the house. And I figured that it’s better to check about the artificial energy center before using it too.”

“God damn it! You should give it to me right now! I was so excited! I was looking forward to it so much!”

Rimmer floundered around on the ground like a kid, telling him to do something about his mood.

Hmm!

Wrath nodded in acknowledgment from the top of Raon’s shoulder.

That was a nice way of making fun of him, as expected of the King of Mockery! I knew you were better suited to be in Devildo…

‘I’m not!’

* * *

* * *

Raon helped Rimmer recover his mana circuits after taking the Tear of Shetty before climbing the tower located at the center of the village.

The tower wasn’t that high as he watched over Doran Village, and it was completely peaceful. People’s faces were brimming with smiles, and their conversations were full of kindness and hope.

He felt relieved that he managed to protect their smiles and kindness.

‘I was lucky.’

It was a close call once again.

The encounter with Flumen allowed him to discover Tyler’s true character, Rimmer’s protection allowed him to survive the encounter with the Axe King Roman, and Lohengreen being Wrath’s servant allowed him to bring back the artificial energy center and the Elixir of Eternal Flow.

There wasn’t actually much that he did by himself.

‘The fights in the future shouldn’t be this way.’

He felt fear upon encountering the Axe King Roman.

It wasn’t afraid of his own death, but the death of the others.

He was so scared that the Light Wind squad might die, since they were his family and companions at the same time, that his excellent teacher Rimmer might die even though he acted like an immature brat, and that Flumen might die when he could finally get along with his tribe.

It was a relief that Roman could be convinced to leave. If he was facing a Grandmaster from Eden or the White Blood Religion instead, Rimmer would’ve ended up dying and the Light Wind squad most likely would’ve been annihilated as well.

“Haa…”

Raon bit his lip.

‘It’s scary.’

Leading the people was scary.

Even though he used to be an officer of the shadows in his previous life, he didn’t really care about his companions back then.

Since he was raised as a hunting dog that didn’t care about his subordinates’ deaths, nor his own death since mission took priority over everything else, fear simply couldn’t exist.

However, it was different in his current life. Since he’d been watching the lives of the Light Wind members from right next to them, and because he was aware of what kind of person Rimmer was, he didn’t want to let anyone die.

‘What I need to do to save everyone is simple. I need to get stronger.’

It was necessary to get stronger even faster, by training and fighting even more intensely than before.

“Moreover…”

Raon clenched the hand holding the hilt of his sword.

‘It’s not just about me. Everyone has to get stronger.’

Just like he told Rimmer before, everyone in the Light Wind needed to get stronger in addition to himself.

It was necessary to get strong enough and gain enough experience to become capable of escaping against any opponent in any situation.

‘The squad leader would’ve been fine after the last incident if we were strong enough.’

Rimmer had to overexert himself because the Light Wind squad was weaker than the South-North Union.

If he was capable of winning against Raptor, and the Light Wind squad could defeat the pirates from the Misfortune, Rimmer would’ve never needed to push himself to the limits to drive Roman away. Everything was the Light Wind squad’s fault for being too weak.

Raon smiled faintly while looking back at the squad’s lodgings behind him.

‘You should rest as much as you want while you can.’

‘Because I won’t let you sleep once we return.’

Since he was planning to do some excruciating training in order to prepare himself for the duel to the death against the Axe King that was going to happen in three years, he decided to make the Light Wind members train beyond their limits alongside him.

‘Tempering steel only makes it harder.’

He could only smile, because he could already imagine the Light Wind members crying.

‘As for him, I’m also going to…’

Hmph!

As Raon was smiling, Wrath popped out of the ice flower bracelet and snorted.

You won’t get stronger just by thinking about it. There would be no weakling in the world if that were the case.

‘I’m going to do my best.’

It doesn’t matter whether you do your best or not. What you are going to do is the important part. In the King of Essence’s opinion, you and your servants have a clear limit.

He pulled his cheeks to lengthen his mouth and giggled.

I can see it. I can already see your pathetic appearance as you beg for the King of Essence’s help because there’s no Shitty Ears to help you. It’s as clear as day!

Wrath started dancing with his shoulders, saying that he would be able to inject more wrath into him.

Your body is soon going to belong to the King of Essence…

Whir!

Wrath’s laughter intensified, and the Blade of Requiem vibrated violently.

“Hmm?”

Messages appeared in front of Raon’s eyes as soon as he took the Blade of Requiem’s hilt in hand.

[The Blade of Requiem has purified an enormous amount of bloody energy.]

[The Blade of Requiem offers purified bloody energy.]

Energy with extremely high purity rushed into his body like a tidal wave from his left hand, which was the one holding the blade.

Whir!

It was an unprecedented amount of bloody energy. Since the purity was also at the same level as nature\'s mana, shivers ran down his spine from absorbing so much energy.

‘Amazing.’

The purified bloody energy depended on the quality and quantity of the bloody energy that had been absorbed. It was obvious that he was getting an unprecedented quality and quantity of purified bloody energy, since it was the bloody energy of an archbishop and an apostle that he’d defeated and fed to the Blade of Requiem.

Whir!

He circulated the high purity energies that he received from the Blade of Requiem through his mana circuits according to Glacier and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s principles, then settled them in his energy center.

Even though his energy center had grown even further upon becoming a Master, it throbbed violently before he could take in all of the energy.

[All stats have increased by 10.]

[Trait Adaptation to Ghastly Energy has increased to Four-Stars.]

[Trait Backstab has increased to Four-Stars.]

Wh-Why is this message here? I mean, why is it here now of all times?

Wrath widened his eyes upon seeing the messages. His astonishment could be seen from his trembling eyes.

Argh! I’m sure it’s listening to the King of Essence! There’s no way it’s not, considering how it appeared with the worst timing…

He shouted, saying that it couldn’t be happening, but it was too early to be surprised.

Because there was one more message left.

[A new ability has been created in the Blade of Requiem.]

Stooop!