Chapter 20

"Huh…"

Rimer covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn't hide her gaping jaw.

'What is this?'

The duel between Raon and Baren was planned from the beginning to go according to her intentions.

She expected Baren to raise an objection when she appointed Raon as the top student, leading to a duel between the two.

The situation was supposed to end with correcting Baren's arrogant attitude and showcasing Raon's uniqueness to everyone. That was the scenario she wanted.

But Raon changed all her plans.

No, the storyline remained the same, but the content was shockingly different.

Raon didn't just use strength, agility, and technique; he used the principles of the Gongho Quan in reverse to send Baren flying.

'Is this even possible…'

Even without infused aura, Baren's exceptional talent effectively utilized the principles of the Gongho Quan.

However, Raon analyzed the flow of the fist Baren created and counteracted it by reversing the rotation.

For an untrained child to display such a feat, it was a story that would get you slapped if told in a back-alley bar.

"Hmm…"

Rimer swallowed and looked around. Not only her, but everyone present was staring at Raon with a dazed expression.

'Even the head of the family?'

Glen, who had been expressionless like a statue, narrowed his eyes in surprise.

"Raon."

Rimer swallowed and approached Raon.

"Yes, Instructor."

"What did you just do?"

This simple question carried many implications. It asked whether Raon had merely imitated the Gongho Quan after seeing it, learned it from someone, or if it was a different technique altogether.

"I saw a rotation in Baren's fist. It was spiraling like a whirlwind."

That was correct. The characteristic of the Gongho Quan itself is a spiral rotation.

"The rotation was so fast that even my fist and the back of my hand, which were defending, were pushed away. I thought I couldn't just fight normally."

Rimer nodded. She had expected this, knowing that the duel was to see how he would overcome it.

"I was confident in my physical strength, so I considered running while fighting. But as I watched Baren's fist, I felt something."

"Felt something?"

"Yes. The flow created by his fist was clearly visible to me. I felt I could replicate it, so I reversed the rotation to nullify Baren's."

"Ah!"

Rimer involuntarily gasped.

'This kid is the real deal!'

Her heart pounded as if struck by a wooden rod. The ability to understand and replicate an opponent's martial arts technique just by observing it is what earns the title of genius.

But Raon went beyond that.

Using the opponent's flow for his own, a talent she had never seen before.

"Unbelievable!"

Baren's father, Glen's second son, Karun Zighart, jumped up. His eyes burned with intense flames.

"No matter how low Baren's level is, no one can grasp the Gongho Quan at first sight!"

"But it actually happened, didn't it?"

Rimer shrugged, pointing at Raon.

"He must have seen Baren's training and knew it in advance! Or someone must have told him!"

Karun's fierce gaze turned to Sylvia and Raon.

"First, I'm lazy, so I'm not the type to tell such things. And who could Raon, who lives in the annex, have learned the Gongho Quan from? It doesn't make sense. And Baren isn't the type to let someone steal his training."

"Hmm…"

He frowned deeply. He seemed to have something to say but was holding back, perhaps wary of Glen.

"Is there anyone who wants to challenge Raon?"

Rimer raised her hand and looked at the children. No one raised their hand, having seen what happened.

"Runan?"

"…"

Runan shook his head and approached Raon, attempting to replicate the reverse rotation of the Gongho Quan that Raon had shown.

"Hmph."

Rimer smiled and turned around. The situation was different from what she expected, but the outcome was much better.

"Raon, you win."

"Thank you."

Rimer smiled, and Raon bowed.

"There's no need to thank me. You did it on your own. The head of the family will take good care of the blue token."

"Yes."

Rimer glanced at Raon, who answered. She checked his condition, but as expected, there was no aura.

'Really unbelievable.'

She sighed softly and turned around.

"Head of the family, it's over."

Glen nodded and stood up. He briefly observed Raon, Baren, Runan, and the other children before leaving the training ground.

"Let me give you one piece of advice before I go."

Rimer clicked her tongue and called the children.

"The qualified will rest for a week and return here next Monday. Don't be too disappointed if you didn't qualify. A second chance will come soon. Dismissed! Spend some good time with your family."

Rimer clapped her hands and jumped over the training ground's wall.

"Raon!"

"Master Raon!"

As soon as she left, Sylvia and Helen ran to Raon and hugged him.

"Wh-What happened?"

"Master, are you hurt anywhere?"

The two were as they always were, asking if he was okay to the point of being annoying, rather than how he did it.

"I'm fine."

Raon smiled and shook his head.

"Let's go home. I want to eat stew for the first time in a while."

"Stew? Oh, I get it! Let's go!"

"I'll go prepare it first!"

Helen quickly left the training ground, and Raon followed, holding Sylvia's hand.

"Phew…"

"What happened in those six months?"

"Raon Zighart…"

"Such talent exists…"

The people left in the training ground stared at Raon and Sylvia's backs with stunned expressions.

"Ugh…"

Baren, now out of everyone's attention, bit his lip and stared at the ground.

* * *

At the end of the training ground's outer wall, five men and women stood on a thin wall where a bird could barely perch. Their chests bore the emblem of a sword burning with red flames.

"How did you see it?"

A long-haired man sitting in the first row asked.

"A genius. There's nothing else to say."

"If that's true, he has a talent beyond that kid."

"Beyond flow, to replication. Unbelievable."

"…"

The four men and women answered honestly with what they felt.

"We came to see Runan and Baren, but we got a good show."

They all nodded in agreement.

"You know, our Red Cloud Corps has suffered many losses recently. So, you can take Baren or Runan as you see fit, and I'll take Raon…."

"Do you want to die?"

"You're going to swallow that once-in-a-millennium talent?"

"If you don't want to see blood, choose your words carefully."

"…!"

The atmosphere around the four men and women turned cold instantly, as if they were about to draw their swords.

"Just kidding. Just kidding."

The long-haired man waved his hand with a pale smile.

"Regardless, many things will change because of that kid."

"…"

The four men and women silently agreed, watching Raon leave the training ground.

Raon began to enter the eyes of the Zighart family's military core, the Corps.

* * *

Rimer left the aftermath to the instructors and followed Glen into the head of the family's hall.

"Why did you come out yourself when you're getting weaker?"

Glen frowned as he sank into his jade throne.

"Still, I'm the chief instructor, so I have to do my job."

"Rimer."

The butler Roen, waiting in the hall, handed her a cup of tea.

"It's been a while, Roen."

"Yes."

Though Roen looked older, Rimer was actually much older, so they spoke informally.

"What were you thinking?"

Glen leaned his chin on the golden armrest and asked.

"Why did you make Raon and Baren fight?"

"Well, it just happened…."

"If it went as you expected, how did it just happen?"

"Wow, you really can't be fooled, Head of the Family."

Rimer scratched the back of her head, embarrassed.

"Baren has exceptional talent but is narrow-minded. Raon has something special, but it hasn't been revealed yet. I wanted to give them a duel that would benefit both."

"…"

"As you saw, Raon's body is still dominated by the cold. But his mental strength is on par with a martial artist who has reached a high level."

"I know that much."

"But there was something we didn't know."

Rimer raised her finger and continued.

"His genius. What I really wanted to see was Raon's mental strength. I expected to see how he would respond to Baren, who has learned exceptional martial arts."

Rimer's eyes sparkled like stars.

"But what Raon showed this time was not mental strength, but talent. Once-in-a-millennium talent. To grasp the flow of an opponent's fist technique just by seeing it and counterattack, is that even possible? I've never seen such talent in all the battlefields I've seen!"

"An old quack once said that a child cursed by the cold has special abilities."

"An old quack? You mean the Saint of Rags?"

"Yes."

Glen nodded and continued.

"He said the child might have special talent in cold magic or aura, or gain a stunning appearance."

"That's exactly it!"

Rimer stomped her foot.

"That talent has manifested! That kid was born with absolute talent in martial arts!"

"Hmm…"

"Even Baren, Runan, and the other grandchildren are special, but Raon is beyond them. He has the potential to stand at the peak of the continent!"

Unlike the excited Rimer, Glen's expression was calm.

"I've never seen such talent before. Even the elders didn't have this kind of talent."

Roen, who watched the duel with Glen, also spoke with surprise.

"We need to raise that child properly. Although the blue token went to Raon, if you give a reward better than a silver token…."

"There will be no such thing."

Glen shook his head with a firm gaze.

"Thanks to your childish scheme, I had to give Raon a gift, but it's not right to give excessive rewards."

"Ah! But…."

"You don't need to take care of that child from head to toe. Treat everyone fairly."

"Really, you're so heartless… Ouch!"

Glen's cold eyes made Rimer shut her mouth.

"Anyway, Raon is the real deal. Despite his weak body, he needs to be raised properly. He might be better than the Head of the Family's second grandson, who is a once-in-a-century genius, or the firstborn of the Slieron family. Think about it."

"You're talking a lot."

"Because I saw the real thing."

"Even so, there will be no favoritism. Unless that child brings honor to the family."

"Hey, at least give him the best-grade elixir to remove the cold or a cultivation method…."

Rimer stopped talking as Glen raised his hand.

"The quack said using more fire-type elixirs is not a good idea and that he needs to overcome it on his own."

"Hey! You pretended not to care, but you were well-informed!"

"Rubbish. That talkative quack was just rambling to himself."

"Oh…"

"Hmm!"

Rimer and Roen looked at Glen with sly smiles.

"Whatever."

Glen clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers. Behind him, golden flames rose, and the iron gate of the Zighart report room opened.

"I'll organize the report, so you two go back."

Glen entered the report room.

Rimer and Roen, left in the hall, smiled at each other. They knew he wouldn't actually organize the report.

"He's still not being honest."

* * *

Raon returned to the annex and caught up with Sylvia, relieving the pent-up feelings.

Though he didn't talk much, Sylvia was so curious that the conversation continued endlessly.

He only returned to his room at midnight, having talked for over six hours.

'This is tiring.'

Raon sighed as he closed the door. Spending time with Sylvia was comforting, but it was more exhausting than training.

*Cough* It was a satisfying meal after a long time. From now on, you will prepare meals here every day.

Rimer seemed pleased with the annex's food and the attendant, not getting angry for once.

*The food in the training ground is now unbearable.

"Sorry, but we have to keep eating that."

Now that he was a formal trainee, he couldn't leave the place for years.

*Damn it!

Ras ground his teeth. A picky demon king, what a ridiculous guy.

*By the way, there's something I need to ask you.

"Ask me?"

*Raon Zighart. What is your true identity?

Ras, hanging on his arm, turned into a blue flame.

*I have seen countless humans and lived for hundreds of years in a human body. But I have never seen anyone like you.

Ras's flames burned intensely, more than when they first met.

*I can feel it. There is something special about you. Speak. Your true identity….

"Hey, Ras."

*Don't call the king's name so casually, human.

"There's something more important than my identity or your name."

*What….

"Your memory is worse than I thought."

Raon looked down at Ras, a smile playing on his lips.

"Our bet is over. Stop talking nonsense and give me my reward."