Chapter 25

Marta Zighart placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. Her eyes were arrogant, a look that didn't quite fit her refined appearance, yet seemed natural in another way.

'Is the ground here bad?'

Raon tapped the training ground floor. Dorian had warned him, but he hadn't expected her to start a fight right away. Truly, there were no decent people around.

- I didn't expect a brat more arrogant than the pointy-eared ones or the blue-eyed ones. Hand over your body. I will freeze that girl solid!

'I knew it would come to this.'

Marta's provocation triggered a reaction from Las. The intensity of his anger, as he felt it, was much more severe than usual.

"Hmm."

"Marta Zighart."

As he pondered what to do, a voice that was uncharacteristically cold for a child came from beside him.

"What are you doing, so uncouthly?"

It was Buren Zighart, who glared at Marta with a chilly gaze.

"Huh?"

Marta twisted her lips. It wasn't a face a child from a noble family would show, but rather an expression one might see from someone who had dipped their toes into the darker side of life.

"Are you talking to me, this older sister?"

She smiled and approached Buren's side.

"If you keep spouting off, you might end up dead. Choose your next words carefully."

"That's what I was going to say. Raon Zighart was recognized as the top student in front of the instructor and the head of the house. Are you going to deny that?"

Buren stepped in as if it were his own matter, blocking Marta.

"From what I remember, you also caused a commotion because you couldn't accept the test results, right?"

Marta's lips curled up. A bold sneer. Unlike her claim of not knowing the top student, she was aware of the test process.

"Exactly."

Buren nodded with a calm expression.

"I don't want to see the ugliness I showed back then, which is why I'm blocking you now."

"Ugh?"

"Don't tarnish the Zighart name. Marta Zighart."

Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at Buren's back.

'That kid...'

Buren's eyes were clear. He didn't seem to be trying to provoke a fight but rather to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

He must have been sincere when he bowed and apologized.

Snap!

Buren wasn't the only one trying to stop Marta. Runan stepped forward to protect Raon, just as he had.

"Are you thinking the same thing?"

Marta scanned Runan and Buren, grinning.

"Go."

Runan, with a sullen look, tersely said one word.

"Back off. Marta."

"I told you."

Marta's eyes flashed.

"I don't listen to anyone weaker than me!"

Her fist shot through the air toward Buren.

Whoosh!

A fist charged with aura was about to hit Buren's face when a green wind surged up.

Boom!

Limer, who had been on the dais, appeared in the blink of an eye and blocked Marta's fist.

"Are you underestimating me too much? Even if I'm easy to handle, it's hurtful to treat me like I don't exist."

He smiled and pushed Marta's fist away.

"Marta. I heard you failed because of your temper. You're still the same, aren't you?"

"That's..."

"Buren and Runan might not know, but Raon hasn't even mastered aura. Do you still want to fight?"

"I don't plan to use aura either."

"Still, you know it's not on equal terms. There will be a chance later, so hold off for today."

"Tch..."

Marta gritted her teeth and took a step back, but she didn't leave, continuing to glare at Buren.

"Buren Zighart."

"What is it?"

"Did you know that your older brother was beaten by me and was bedridden for a month? If you want to act arrogant, improve your skills first."

"I'm different from my brother."

"You'll see."

Marta smiled thinly and turned around. Runan and Buren relaxed and stepped aside.

At that moment.

As Marta turned and kicked the ground,

"I hate cowards who hide behind others more than arrogant brats!"

She lunged at Raon, throwing a punch.

"Ah!"

"!"

Buren and Runan couldn't react, and Limer just watched.

'As expected.'

Raon's pupils sank deeply. He had anticipated she would charge when she turned her back, shifting her center of gravity to the back.

Thud!

He deflected Marta's punch aimed at his chest with the back of his hand.

"Huh?"

"Are you ready to take it?"

He threw a tightly clenched fist. A punch charged with the rotation of the Goho technique shot toward Marta's empty abdomen.

"Ah!"

Marta's eyes widened in surprise. Clenching her teeth, a brown aura enveloped her left hand.

Boom!

A bare fist and an aura-charged arm collided, and both Raon and Marta were pushed back.

"You said you wouldn't use aura, didn't you?"

Raon shook his reddened fist.

"You, what are you?"

Marta's eyes, which were stark black and white, were bloodshot. The confident girl was now stuttering.

"Hey!"

"Y-You blocked that?"

Limer chuckled, and Buren swallowed hard.

"Ugh!"

Marta summoned brown aura throughout her body.

"Enough."

Just as she was about to charge, Limer straightened up and blocked her path.

"I can't allow this to go any further."

Though he was smiling, the aura he emitted was sharp. It was different from the playful attitude he had shown earlier.

"But I—"

"Even if you fight without aura now, it will be an incomplete combustion. Wait until Raon has mastered aura, and then we'll see. I'll allow it then."

"Hmph..."

Marta ground her teeth, glared at Raon, and then turned around. This time, she didn't look back and slammed the door shut as she left.

"Raon."

Limer approached and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"How did you block Marta's attack? It seemed like you knew it was coming."

"Center of gravity."

Raon casually threw out the answer.

"Center of gravity?"

Buren repeated the question, and Runan, looking curious, perked up his ears like a rabbit.

"She turned her back, but her center of gravity was not in front but behind. The direction was not Buren or Runan but me in the center. I thought she would charge."

"Just from that...?"

Buren frowned after hearing the answer, and Runan's eyes lost their focus as he fell into thought.

"Hmm!"

Limer let out a light exclamation.

'As expected, his observational skills and physical abilities are remarkable.'

To detect the opponent's intention from the center of gravity and counter immediately—indeed, his talent was not ordinary.

"..."

Buren examined the spot where Raon and Marta had collided, bit his lip, and left the training ground.

"He won't bother you for a while since I gave him a stern warning. But when you master aura, you won't be able to avoid a fight with Marta."

"I understand."

"By the way, you've made the rotation of the Goho technique your own."

Raon's punch at Marta contained a rotation, a sight that was more surprising than the counter itself.

"It's not that advanced."

Raon shook his head and turned around.

- What did you do? Letting a girl punch the king and letting her go! She should be torn apart and locked in eternal ice...

'I gave her a taste.'

- It's not enough. Her head should be smashed!

'It's not worth it.'

Engaging in a fistfight here would yield nothing.

When there's something to gain from her later, challenging her for the top student position will be more beneficial.

- Grr, she should be frozen and smashed...

'Wait. I'll show you a more satisfying sight.'

Raon smiled and left the training ground.

* * *

Raon came to the training ground before dawn. He wanted to practice alone, but he had no choice because of the orders.

Most of the trainees were already practicing aura, so only eight people, all commoners, were at the training ground.

"Y-Young master."

Dorian approached with his shoulders slumped.

"Is it true that some people die while practicing aura? And that the dantian can feel like it's about to explode..."

What he said wasn't entirely wrong. Some people did die or get seriously injured from practicing poor techniques.

Of course, the techniques provided by Zighart were stable, and with excellent instructors around, there was no risk.

"It will be fine."

He repeated the words he always said to Dorian.

"Y-Yes, I feel a bit more at ease hearing you say that."

Dorian awkwardly smiled and regulated his breathing. After a moment,

"R-Really, it will be fine? Even if it's stable, dangerous things can happen. If it happens to me, it's all over! What should I do? If I die..."

"..."

Raon turned his head. No matter how much he talked, Dorian's anxiety wouldn't go away. There was no particular reason to pay attention to him.

"Did I come on time today? It's a good time, isn't it?"

Limer, as usual, climbed over the wall and entered, looking at the dark sky and smiling.

"The sun will rise soon, so let's start."

"Yes!"

The children, excited about mastering aura, shouted much louder than usual.

"You don't need to think you're falling behind because others have already mastered aura. Aura is a martial art that takes a lifetime to master. Think of it as they're just one step ahead."

"Yes!"

"Then, go to the individual practice rooms with the instructors. They will help you until you enter a stable practice state, so speak up if you have any questions or difficulties."

As Limer clapped his hands, the instructors who had been standing back led the children to the individual practice rooms.

"Hmm."

Raon looked around. Unlike the other children, no one was beside him.

"You should go to the individual practice room alone."

"Then why did you call me?"

"When you practice from a manual, problems can arise. I'll wait outside, so practice with peace of mind."

"..."

I can't believe it.

Limer, as he had seen so far, was not a trustworthy person. He imagined Limer would be taking a nap if he were dying in the practice room.

"What's that look? Don't you trust me?"

"No."

Shaking his head, Raon entered the practice room. He didn't expect any help. Just standing guard would be enough.

"Huff."

Raon closed his eyes and began the Goho technique. A bright red flame flickered and burned on his shoulders.

'Shall I start?'

* * *

As soon as Raon entered the practice room, Limer straightened up and quietly extended his aura to avoid any interference.

'Let's see what he gets.'

Using his extended aura, he read the mana fluctuations around Raon's practice room.

'Fire attribute.'

Hot and dynamic mana swirled around Raon.

'This isn't an ordinary practice technique?'

The aura he felt from Raon's mana circuit was far beyond normal. Explosive energy, like a newly erupted lava. For the mana to move to this extent while he was in the process of mastering an aura technique, it wasn't an ordinary practice method.

'This isn't something that would earn a bronze or silver badge, but a gold one?'

He had said that the practice techniques the direct descendants were learning wouldn't differ much from the Linden practice techniques, but Raon's was different.

Beyond what the direct descendants were learning.

If Raon mastered this technique properly, the kind of aura that would be generated in his dantian was something to look forward to, making his heart race.

However, the flow of the aura was extremely complex. It would take a lot of time and effort to master it.

'...Hmm?'

Limer furrowed his thin eyebrows. The hot energy flowing through Raon's mana circuit was spreading a cold chill.

'Could it be this kid!'

When Raon felt the moving energy, his mouth naturally opened wide.

'He's not erasing the cold from the mana circuit but leading it along with the heat!'

Raon wasn't discarding the cold that was being erased by the heat but was accepting it into his dantian.

'Is this a beginner handling mana?'

He couldn't have imagined that a kid who had only learned the practice technique for less than a week could control mana so freely.

'The talent isn't in the practice technique but in this kid.'

Raon's mana control ability was more astonishing than the excellent practice technique. Even if he had been controlling mana from his stomach, it wouldn't have been to this extent.

'Not just the flow of the body and martial arts, but also talent in mana...'

Raon was told he had the lowest talent in mana during the judgment. But now, he showed a better mana control ability than Buren or Runan.

'If this kid masters this practice technique...'

Limer clenched his fist, a smile filled with anticipation on his face.

'A new monster might be born.'

* * *

An hour later.

Raon Zighart exhaled a hot breath and came out of the practice room.

"Raon."

Limer came down from the dais and approached Raon.

"From tomorrow, practice in your dormitory."

"Huh? Yesterday you said to come every day..."

"Never mind.