Chapter 21

"Surely you haven't forgotten, right?"

Raon tapped Ras, who was floating above his shoulder.

-This king is the ruler of the Realm of Anger.

A cold blue aura emanated from Ras, a bone-chilling presence.

-Since my existence, I have never uttered a lie.

By "since my existence," he meant he had never lied.

-You and I are bound by a wager. Even if you don't like it, you'll have to go through with it, so don't worry.

"Then stop stalling and give it to me."

-First, I have one question.

"What?"

-What method did you use to break through the momentum of those pointy-eared creatures, and how did you mimic that arrogant brute's martial arts?

Ras asked a question that was exactly as expected.

"Give me the reward first. That's the priority."

-Hmm, I understand.

As Ras's blue flames fluttered like butterflies, a message appeared in the air.

[You have won the wager with <Wrath>.]

[Your victory reward is being granted.]

[All stats increase by 2 points.]

As his stats rose, the physical thrill surged, and he bit his lip. However, the reward wasn't over yet.

[One of <Wrath>'s traits is randomly generated.]

[<Snow Blossom Sense> has been selected.]

[The trait <Snow Blossom Sense (1-star)> has been generated.]

"Snow Blossom Sense?"

Raon tilted his head at the name of the trait.

-It's a good trait that doesn't match your insignificance.

"What does it do?"

-It's an ability that extends your senses. At 1-star, it will roughly increase your range by 10%.

"10%...?"

If he could currently perceive 10 meters with his senses, it would now be 11 meters.

It might not seem like much now, but the more the range of his senses increased, the more valuable this trait would become.

-In my case, I could detect ten times my original range.

"Is that so?"

He noticed that <Snow Blossom Sense> had a 1-star designation, meaning this trait could grow like the Ring of Fire.

"Pretty good."

Raon nodded. As an assassin, he valued his senses more than brute force. With an increased range of his senses, he wouldn't envy any other trait.

"But why Snow Blossom Sense?"

-It's a matter of taste. Respect it.

"Huh."

The ice flower bracelet, the name Snow Blossom, and his taste were all quite poor.

-Now that the wager with this king is over...

Just as Ras was about to approach, a new message appeared.

[You have achieved your first victory in a wager with <Wrath>.]

[The title <First Victory> has been generated.]

[All stats increase by 1 point due to the title's effect.]

"Huh?"

-What!

Ras, who couldn't see the status window but could see the message, was shocked and opened his mouth wide.

-You little rat! Taking away this king's stats again!

"It's not me; it's your system doing it automatically. Besides, compared to your main body's abilities, a 1-point stat increase is negligible, right?"

-Of course!

"Then it shouldn't matter."

-That's true, but...

Ras rolled his eyes awkwardly and sighed.

-Hmph, fine. It's your turn now. Tell me what you are.

"No."

-What? What did you just say...

"No."

Raon shook his head expressionlessly as usual.

-Are you mocking this king! You clearly said you would tell me your abilities...

"I never said that. I just asked for the reward first."

-...

As Ras recalled, his mouth dropped open.

"Right? I never said I would give you an answer."

Raon smiled faintly.

'I can't tell him about reincarnation.'

To explain how he brought his assassin's level to this, he would have to talk about reincarnation. He couldn't risk it, not knowing what Ras might do.

'The same goes for the Ring of Fire.'

The Ring of Fire not only protected and enhanced his body and mind but also had a special ability to understand the flow of martial arts, both his own and his opponents'. That's why he could mimic Burren's techniques during their sparring.

Of course, this was possible because the enhancement from the status window and Burren's achievement in martial arts were lower than the Ring of Fire.

Regardless, he never intended to share information with Ras from the beginning.

'He's an enemy.'

Though they seemed to be getting closer, Ras was still after his body and soul. He couldn't afford to share even a small piece of information.

-You're toying with this king!

Ras, unable to contain his anger, emitted a cold flame. It felt as if thousands of ice blades were piercing his skin.

'Still bearable.'

It was fortunate he met Ras after gaining water resistance. Without it, or if Ras had fire affinity, he would have collapsed long ago.

Raon suppressed the cold and smiled.

"You have a low learning ability. Attacking in this calm state only hurts you."

-Shut up!

Ras's flames intensified. The cold seeped into his bones, and his hands and feet trembled from the chill.

Whoosh!

The cold from outside was so intense that the cold in his mana circuits, which had been dormant, came to life, making him feel even worse.

"Huff..."

He slowly inhaled and activated the Ring of Fire. The pain began to subside gradually.

-You stubborn brat! How do you endure this!

"Mental strength."

He replied casually, but it wasn't easy.

Even with the Ring of Fire and water resistance, it was hard to endure. If he hadn't survived hellish training in his past life, he might have fainted.

As he gritted his teeth and struggled to hold on, a blue window appeared before his eyes.

[You have demonstrated extreme mental strength in the attack from <Wrath>.]

[Agility increases by 1 point.]

[Health increases by 1 point.]

As the message of increased stats appeared, a surge of energy filled his mind and body. The cold that had been pressing on his mana circuits began to subside.

-Damn!

Ras, still furious, but realizing he was only hurting himself, stepped back.

-What are you? In all the history of humans I've observed, there's never been anyone like you!

"I don't know either."

He wasn't joking.

He had no idea why he was reincarnated, why he was born in Zighart, or why he was involved with Ras.

-Don't underestimate this king. I will uncover your true identity and devour your body and soul!

"I've been saying this all along. If you can, go ahead."

Smiling, he sat on the bed. The golden goose had laid another egg today.

"But..."

Raon's eyes, looking out the window, were as cold as ice.

"What is that?"

* * *

In the main hall where Karun Zighart resided, the room, which seemed to embody the word "luxurious," was filled with silence.

"Ugh..."

After standing at attention for nearly four hours, a groan escaped Burren Zighart's lips.

Only then did Karun's eyes, which had been fixed on the desk, turn to him.

"Burren Zighart."

"Y-Yes, sir."

After such a long time without a word, a hoarse, strained voice came from Burren.

"What did I instruct you to do?"

"To... to secure the position of the top trainee and not lose to anyone!"

"Exactly. I didn't ask for much. I told you to defeat the girl from the Slieron family, crush Raon, and secure the top position."

Karun's eyes burned red.

"But you lost to the offspring of a branch family, and in front of everyone?"

The low, cold voice that echoed in the room made his heart feel like it was being crushed.

"How much more humiliation do you want to bring me? Do you want to end up like the third or fourth son?"

"N-No, sir!"

Burren shook and vigorously shook his head. He didn't want to end up like his two older brothers, whose names were no longer even spoken.

"You've already lost your first chance."

There was no trace of joy at seeing his long-lost son in Karun's eyes, only anger and irritation.

"I know, sir."

Burren, unable to meet those terrifying eyes, stared at his feet and bit his lip.

"After completing the basic training, we will re-evaluate the trainees' performance and select a new top trainee. Bring that position to me."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Burren swallowed hard and answered as if spitting out blood.

"If you want to live up to the name of the Zighart main family, don't miss this last chance."

Karun waved his hand, dismissing him.

"T-Thank you, sir."

Burren, who hadn't even dared to look at his father's face after six months, bowed his head and left the room.

"Damn it!"

Once outside the main hall, Burren cursed and punched the wall.

"Because of that damn brat..."

His teeth ground together. Having only ever received praise, his father's scolding felt even more severe.

He was especially furious that he had been reduced to this because of a single brat, Raon.

"Huff!"

He exhaled a deep breath, trying to vent his frustration, but it did nothing to ease his anger. He wandered aimlessly, trying to change his mood.

"Why am I here..."

When he came to his senses, he found himself at the Fifth Training Hall. The door was locked, but he climbed over the wall and entered.

"Of course."

Burren snorted. The external doors were closed, but the doors to the indoor training area and the lounge were still open.

"Stupid instructors."

He headed to the lounge, intending to close the open door, when he saw a locker with Raon's name on it.

"Hmm."

Muttering that he was just looking, he opened Raon's locker. The inside was neat, with nothing but a box at the bottom.

"What's this box... Huh?"

When Burren opened the box, his mouth dropped open.

"What, what is this! These shoe numbers!"

Inside the box were training shoes with worn-out soles or torn up, and there were more than ten pairs.

'He used all these in six months?'

He couldn't believe it and checked the shoes, but they were all the same size and shape, all the shoes Raon had been issued.

"Huh."

Burren laughed bitterly. He had only replaced his training shoes twice, even though he had received the same ones as Raon.

'Is this even possible?'

It was hard to believe that Raon had replaced his shoes more than ten times while he had only done so twice.

"Crazy..."

Seeing shoes that looked like they had been worn for years, he felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head with a club. The shock was even greater than when his father scolded him.

'It feels like I've woken up from a dream.'

As his head cleared, like being doused with cold water, he began to recall things he had been ignoring.

Raon was the first to arrive at the training hall and the last to leave.

He never gave up on training, even when he was drenched in cold sweat and exhaling cold air.

One by one, he remembered Raon running alone in the dark training hall after finishing strength training in the indoor area.

'While I was swinging my sword half-heartedly and resting in the dorm, he was pushing his limits every day...'

The reason Raon's momentum surpassed that of any temporary trainee was right there.

'That's what it means to be a Zighart.'

Raon had shown the most Zighart-like qualities in the Fifth Training Hall.

'And I... I did the opposite.'

He mocked and ridiculed Raon, refused to accept the results of the test, and ended up losing disgracefully.

"Ugh!"

His face turned red with shame. He felt disgust for himself, who had only done despicable and dirty things out of jealousy.

Burren sat in the empty lounge for a long time before finally lifting his head. His green eyes, which had been dull when he entered the training hall, now shone with determination.

"Never again..."

There was nothing he could do about the past. What mattered was not repeating the same mistakes. That was the Zighart way, and the attitude he should pursue even now.

"Huff!"

Burren exhaled deeply, clearing the stubbornness from his heart. His steps as he left the training hall were as light as Rimer's.

* * *

Two days after returning to the annex and resting, Raon's daily routine was the same as when he was at the training hall.

He ran around the annex from dawn and trained his strength with bodyweight exercises after breakfast.

Since he had spent time with Sylvia yesterday, there was only one person who could interfere.

-Training again? Truly, it's tiresome. Show this king some other tricks.

Ignoring Ras, who was offering freely, and continuing to train, someone came to visit.

"I am Roen, the head butler of the main hall."

An elderly man with half his hair silver and a kind face.

"The head of the family has summoned you, young master."

He bowed respectfully.

"Summoned? Why...?"

"To bestow the silver token."

"Hmm."

Raon narrowed his eyes. He thought they would just send someone to give him the token, not summon him personally.

"Huh!"

Sylvia, who was inside the building, jumped out the window.

"R-Roen-sama."

"Sylvia-sama."

The two, who knew each other, bowed simultaneously.

"Father... I mean, the head of the family summoned me?"

"Yes."

"Is there something...?"

"There's nothing special. It's just a ceremony to bestow the token."

Roen smiled kindly, as if to reassure him.

"Raon..."

"I'm fine. I'll be back soon."

Raon brushed off the dust from his clothes and put on his coat.

"Just a moment! Change your clothes first!"

"These are fine."

Glen is a born warrior. He wouldn't mind if he came straight from training.

"Then let's go."

Roen smiled and led the way, and Raon, giving Sylvia a nod, headed to the main hall.

* * *

"..."

Raon looked up at Glen, seated on the golden throne, and his fingertips trembled.

In the audience hall, spacious enough to accommodate hundreds, he was face to face with Glen, and his mouth felt dry.

-Does this brat think he's strong enough to look down on me? I want to gouge out those red eyes.

Of course, the completely out-of-control Ras was an exception.

"You must keep your promise, even if you don't like it."

Glen, after making an unnecessary remark, gestured to Roen.

"Yes."

Roen nodded slightly and brought out a silver token that glowed faintly.

"Thank you."

Raon took the silver token from Roen's hand. In the center of the token was the Zighart emblem, a sword engulfed in flames.

"I bestow upon you the silver token. You can return this token and request something in return or make a request that befits it."

"Can I ask now?"

Raon looked up at Glen, clutching the token. He had already thought about how to use this token.

"...Speak."

Glen was silent for a moment but then nodded.

"Sylvia Zighart."

"Hmm?"

"To restore my mother to her original position, what must I do?"

Glen, who hadn't expected such a question, along with Roen, looked at him with wide eyes.

"Do you mean the main family's position?"

"Yes."

Glen closed his mouth. He seemed to be trying to gauge Raon's intentions, scanning him from head to toe. Just being under his gaze made Raon's heart feel like it was being crushed.

"Accomplishments."

"Accomplishments...?"

"Not just me, but the entire family must recognize your accomplishments. If you can do that, it's not impossible."

"So it is possible."

"Yes."

Glen nodded. His eyes, slightly brighter than before, continued.

"However, it's almost impossible. Gaining recognition from various people is harder than plucking stars from the sky."

He curled his lips in a mocking smile, as if daring Raon to fail.

-How insolent. If this king finds his main body, I could kill this brat in a thousand moves!

Ras glared at Glen with burning eyes. However, being able to last a thousand moves also meant he was an extremely powerful opponent for Ras.

"Then it's settled."

Raon returned the silver token to Roen.

"Thank you."

Accumulating accomplishments was something he had done as naturally as breathing in his past life. He vowed to restore Sylvia to her original position, no matter what task he had to complete, and stood up.

"Wait."

Just as he was about to leave, Glen's voice came from the dais.

"You haven't asked for your reward yet."

"Huh?"

"You only asked a question. I could have told you that without the token."

Turning around, he saw