Chapter 53

<Bleeding Curse (1 Star)>

When dealing a fatal blow to an enemy that causes bleeding, there is a 10% chance to reduce the opponent's physical abilities.

"Wow!"

Raon let out an exclamation upon reading the description of the ability.

Although the 10% chance was a bit disappointing, it was still a very useful ability.

"Really generous, this tree. Thank you."

All his stats had increased to 2, and his Strength and Agility had further increased. With the effect of almost all stats rising to 3 and the new ability, the nickname "The Generous Tree" was well-deserved.

-Not even a special ability. At that level, it's the lowest of the abilities I possess.

"That depends on who uses it."

Raon smiled. While Ras uses cold, he uses a sword and is skilled at ambushes.

By utilizing the techniques and experience from his previous life, he could maximize the effects of <Bleeding Curse>.

"Perfect."

Raon turned his shoulder and stood up. He put on his outer coat and opened the door to his quarters.

-What is it?

"I'm going to practice a bit."

-Again?

"I need to check and adapt to the changes in my body."

-You're the reason I can't sleep!

"I'll sleep later."

-You'll be fried in this lava!

Feeling good, even Ras's curses and swearing sounded like music. Whistling a tune, he ran to the training ground.

* * *

Two months later, in the early morning, the training ground was filled with a chilly air.

Raon was the first to arrive and was practicing swordsmanship.

Not long after, Baren and Martha entered almost simultaneously.

"Tsk!"

"Does he even sleep…."

Baren clicked his tongue and immediately grabbed his sword, while Martha frowned and started to warm up.

"Haa."

Weak Lunan came out late and yawned like a young sparrow.

His eyes were brighter than before, having completely escaped the darkness of Syria. Still, he was quite slow.

The latecomers also started their training preparations, chatting lightly.

Just as a normal day was about to begin,

Bang!

The training ground door was roughly opened, and Rimer entered.

"Sir, you're supposed to open the door, not kick it."

"It's fine. It's mine."

Rimer waved his hand at Baren, who wrinkled his nose, and easily climbed up to the platform.

"Listen carefully while continuing your training."

He clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention and instructed them to continue training. For the young trainees, this was impossible.

"How can we do that?"

"We're not experts yet!"

"Just hurry up and tell us!"

The trainees waved their hands, urging him to speak.

Only Raon, while focusing on his swordsmanship, was listening to Rimer's voice clearly.

"Then I'll tell you. You've been given a mission."

"Huh!"

"Mission!"

"A mission?"

The word "mission" made the trainees' eyes sparkle like stars. The side branches were unsurprised, but Baren and Martha also opened their mouths wide.

Of course, Raon continued to swing his sword, and Lunan yawned blankly beside him.

"Yes. This is your first mission."

"Wow!"

"A mission!"

"Finally, real combat?"

"Huff, huff…."

The trainees' reactions were varied. Some shouted in excitement, some clenched their fists, and others panted from excitement.

"Of course, you're not going alone. We can't send just the young ones, so the instructors and I will go with you."

Everyone nodded, as if they had expected this.

'First mission…'

Raon recalled his first mission from his previous life while listening to Rimer.

'When I was 8, I think.'

At a much younger age than now, he went on a mission alone. It wasn't a killing mission, but it involved gathering information from enemy territory, which was extremely dangerous, and he almost died.

The fact that instructors would accompany them on their first mission showed that the Zighart family, despite its reputation, wasn't entirely cold-hearted.

"What is the mission?"

Dorian, trembling, raised his hand. As the biggest coward in the 5th training ground, he was already scared.

"There's a bandit hideout called Seolho, a bit outside the Zighart protection zone."

A bandit hideout built on a mountain is called a "mountain fort." Since he had never heard of Seolho, it was probably not a large-scale operation.

"They were part of the North-South Alliance, living by opening mountain paths and collecting tolls, but recently they've become more violent. They've been stealing all the merchants' goods and even killing them."

"So the mission is to eliminate the bandits!"

"A proper mission, huh!"

"Bandits…."

"It's part of the North-South Alliance, one of the Five Great Powers. It could be dangerous."

The North-South Alliance is one of the Five Great Powers that opposes the Six Emperors, to which Zighart belongs.

It's a coalition of bandits from the Terukan Mountains in the southwest and pirates from the Reible River in the northeast.

The bandits and pirates of the North-South Alliance are mostly powerful enough to use aura. If you underestimate them, you'll lose your head in an instant.

Especially the leader of the North-South Alliance is a super expert, whose name is listed among the Ten Thousand of the Continent.

The trainees swallowed hard, tense at the mention of their first mission and the North-South Alliance.

"Alright, I'm not done yet."

Rimer clapped his hands again.

"As you said, the mission was to eliminate the bandits."

"…Was? Isn't that past tense?"

"Right. It was to eliminate the bandits, but it changed yesterday."

"Huh?"

"Why, why?"

"What do you mean? Why did the mission change?"

"The bandits attacked a village south of the mountain fort, killed everyone, and set it on fire before fleeing."

Rimer's unusually cold voice made all the trainees fall silent.

"Our mission is not to eliminate the bandits, but to track down and exterminate the bandits of Seolho."

The trainees swallowed hard, looking at Rimer's serious eyes.

"When do we leave?"

Baren raised his hand.

"Tonight."

"Isn't that too soon?"

"As I said, we're not attacking a stationary bandit fort but tracking down fleeing bandits, so time is limited. And in the Zighart family, there's no such thing as fast or slow for a mission. You just follow orders."

"…You're right. I'm sorry."

Baren, rarely, acknowledged and bowed his head.

"The training swords you're most familiar with can't be used for the mission."

Rimer's gaze signaled the instructors, who brought in five real swords each.

"These are the real swords we gave you during the orc combat. They have the same weight, shape, and length as the training swords you've been using. From today, you'll use these swords."

"Real swords…."

"A, a bit nerve-wracking."

"What are you nervous about? It's a necessary step."

The trainees received the real swords one by one. Their hands trembled, though to varying degrees.

"Raon, here's your sword."

"Thank you."

Raon received the real sword with both hands. Although it was said to have the same weight as the training sword, it felt a bit heavier, perhaps due to his imagination.

Rimer smiled faintly and climbed back up to the platform.

"Although the Zighart emblem is not engraved, these are real swords passed down in the family. This is a temporary recognition of you as Zighart knights."

"Zighart knights…."

"Recognition…."

The trainees swallowed hard, looking at the real swords.

"Even if it's temporary, a Zighart knight is a knight. Prepare well so that you're not ashamed in any situation."

Rimer turned and said they would gather again before dinner after preparing for the departure.

"What do we need to prepare?"

Baren followed and asked.

"Think about it yourself. Not just the mission, but preparing for the mission is also part of your growth and experience."

Rimer waved his hand lightly in response.

"Hmm, that's true."

Baren nodded and stepped back, and Rimer went straight to the lounge.

"Hmm…."

Raon, seeing Rimer's expression, realized that what he just said wasn't sincere.

'Troublesome.'

It was a good statement, but he had clearly made it up because he was too lazy to answer.

'It doesn't matter to me, though.'

Raon was a top assassin who had completed countless missions. He didn't need to think about what to prepare for tracking and extermination.

A little nervous, though.

Was it because it had been so long since he heard the word "mission"? His heart was slightly racing.

* * *

Raon returned to the annex to pack his things. Sylvia and Helen, who were tending the garden, stood up and smiled.

"What brings you here at this hour? Missing your mom?"

"Not really."

"You're so decisive."

Sylvia approached, laughing softly, but stopped, her gaze fixed on the real sword at Raon's waist.

"That sword…."

"A mission has been assigned."

"Huh? A mission?"

"A, a mission? What kind of mission for a trainee…."

Sylvia's eyes widened, and Helen dropped the hoe she was holding.

"Don't worry. It's my first mission, and the instructors are going with us."

"Oh…."

Mentioning that the instructors were going with them, Sylvia and Helen's faces relaxed. They seemed to know something.

"Already time for the first mission, our son has grown up."

Sylvia tried to hug him, but he dodged.

"Did you just dodge your mom?"

"Sorry, but I don't have time. We leave tonight."

Raon shook his head. He was embarrassed, but he also needed time to prepare.

"Leaving right away? What kind of mission?"

"Chasing a criminal?"

"What kind of criminal?"

"A thief."

To avoid worrying Sylvia and Helen, he said it was a thief instead of bandits.

"Even a thief can be dangerous if cornered. A cornered rat will bite a cat."

"I understand."

"Chasing might take a while."

"True. We should prepare some food."

Mentioning a thief, the two seemed to relax a bit.

"Let's start with some dried meat."

"Right. We should also pack some dried fruits and bread for nutrition."

Sylvia and Helen said they would take care of the food and went straight into the annex.

Raon smiled, seeing the busy kitchen. He felt at ease here, and the slight excitement and tension about the mission also subsided.

'I just need to pack my things.'

Since Sylvia and Helen would take care of the food, he didn't need to worry about it.

'Then…'

He only needed to pack the essentials for tracking criminals, along with clothes, shoes, and a robe.

Raon entered his room and packed the necessary items into a light backpack, placing it under his bed.

"Hmm…."

Sitting on the floor, he calmed his mind using the ring of fire.

'They're not part of the North-South Alliance, so they shouldn't be that strong.'

Since it was his first mission, the bandits' strength wouldn't be too high.

'The main roads are probably blocked, so we'll end up fighting the bandits hiding in the mountains.'

The bandits' main stage is the mountains. No matter how strong they are, finding and fighting them in the mountains won't be easy.

At first, the trainees won't be able to find the bandits, and eventually, the instructors will lead them to a confrontation.

'That's not necessary.'

Even if it's part of the training, a mission is a mission. If he could capture or kill the criminals alone, he would definitely receive a reward. It was a clear opportunity to build his record.

"Huff…."

Raon exhaled the impurities purified by the ring of fire and opened his eyes.

I'll give it a try.

* * *

That evening.

Raon arrived at the training ground later than expected due to Sylvia's reluctance to let him go.

The trainees were already there, most of them as stiff as wooden puppets from the tension.

Baren was tightly clenching his fists and muttering to himself, determined to achieve something on this mission, though his voice was hoarse.

On the opposite side, Marca was sitting with her legs crossed, eyes closed, but glaring at any trainee who passed by. Her rough appearance suggested she was also tense.

In contrast,

Lunan stood blankly, staring at the ice cream box in his hand. He seemed to be barely holding back the urge to eat it.

"If you're not going to eat it now, you should put it in your backpack. You can't use your hands otherwise."

"…Okay."

Lunan stared at Raon for a while before nodding and putting the ice cream box in his backpack.

His eyes slightly trembled, showing a small sense of unease at not having the ice cream box in his hand.

'Impressive.'

Baren and Martha were tense, but Lunan was his usual self. It seemed his only concern was whether the ice cream would melt.

It was a ridiculous sight, but it reassured him that Lunan had definitely escaped the brainwashing of Syria.

-Call me when the girl takes out the ice cream.

'Hmm.'

As Ras muttered about trying a new flavor, Rimer kicked open the door and entered, wearing proper leather armor instead of his usual rags.

He climbed up to the platform with the other instructors.

"Line up!"

Raon stood in front of the platform and gave the order, and the trainees quickly formed a line.

"43 trainees. No exceptions."

"Good."

Rimer nodded with a smile.

"Are you all prepared?"

"Yes!"

The trainees shouted loudly to forget their tension.

"From now on, it's real combat."

Rimer stood up, his usual smile gone.

"The criminals we're chasing have stolen lives and property and burned a village before fleeing. Don't think of them as humans. Cut their heads off the moment you meet them. I give you permission."

"Ugh…."

"Ugh…."

The intense aura, like a rising storm, made the trainees swallow hard.

"Outside is a battlefield and a hell. Don't let your guard down, and always keep your mind sharp."

"Yes, sir!"

The trainees, more tense than before, raised their voices even higher.

"But don't be too tense. If you're too tense, your body will stiffen, and you won't be able to move as you usually do. I said not to let your guard down, not to be tense."

"Haa…."

Rimer smiled again. The trainees, with their shoulders raised like rabbit ears, slowly exhaled.

"That's why the role of the leader is important."

His gaze turned to Raon, standing in the center. A gentle smile. Eyes filled with trust and confidence.

"Raon Zighart. Can you do it?"

"Of course."

Raon slowly bowed, his eyes calm, neither tense nor relaxed. Rimer smiled in satisfaction.

'There's no need to be tense or relaxed.'

I'll take care of everything.