Chapter 7

Siegfried, living up to his reputation as the ruler of the north, possessed formidable military organizations. Each of these groups was a force to be reckoned with, but if asked which was the most valiant, five out of ten would name the Cavalry Corps. Karun Siegfried, the leader of the Cavalry Corps and Glen's second son, frowned and clicked his tongue.

"A patient. A patient who can't even move properly, right?"

"Many of the maids who overheard the conversation between the Saint of Rags and the head of the household said that the illness was indeed serious."

"I heard that too. When I saw him before, and even today, the child's body was not normal. But…."

Karun Siegfried tapped the desk, and with each tap, the entire office seemed to tremble.

"He withstood Father's aura."

The aura Glen emitted was like a firefly before the sun compared to his true power.

But a 12-year-old, a sick child, withstood it. Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't believe it.

"Could Baren have withstood it?"

"……"

There was no answer to Karun's rhetorical question.

"Yes, he couldn't have."

Baren, his own son, had started training at seven and regularly consumed high-quality elixirs.

Even Baren couldn't withstand his father's aura, yet Raon's victory kept circling in his mind.

"Sylvia was also exceptionally talented."

Though now her dantian and mana circuits are broken, making her a mere cripple, Sylvia's talent was unmatched by anyone.

"Can we place someone in the annex?"

"It will take some time, but it's possible."

The butler waiting at the door nodded.

"Place them there."

Karun's cold eyes gleamed as he turned his body.

"Report everything that happens there."

* * *

Raon left his room before dawn. After a light warm-up in the garden, he started running around the annex.

He claimed he was training to prepare, so no one interfered.

"Huff…."

Even though he hadn't run for long, his breath was already short. His body was much weaker than in his previous life.

"Haaa."

He tried to control his rapid breathing. Focusing on the simple act of breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, he operated the Ring of Fire.

Every breath, both in and out, carried the essence of nature's mana.

Particles of mana, like pollen, flowed through his mana circuits, invigorating his body and calming the coldness within.

'Good flow.'

Raon nodded. The Ring of Fire reveals its true value when used alongside physical activity. The amount and purity of the mana he could operate were far superior to usual.

"Huff…."

His clothes were drenched in sweat, and his mouth tasted of blood, but the vitality created by the Ring of Fire made him smile.

"Raon!"

Just as he was feeling the thrill of training and trying to focus more, the window burst open, and Sylvia's face appeared.

"Don't overdo it on the first day!"

"Huff, huff…."

Raon stopped and panted.

"You're sweating so much, and you've overdone it!"

"It just happened…."

He bowed his head, breathing heavily.

'It's not an interruption. It's good that I stopped.'

This time, Sylvia was right. His current body is almost that of a patient. Even with the vitality from the Ring of Fire, if he had run any further, he would have collapsed.

'There's still plenty of time.'

A month remained before the basic training began.

With the Ring of Fire at the end of the second stage, he had time to advance to the third stage. He shouldn't rush and should progress steadily.

"I'll rest in my room."

"Are you okay? Is anything wrong?"

Sylvia scanned his body with worried eyes. He shook his head at her.

"No. I think I should stop for today."

"If you overdo it again tomorrow, I won't let you train."

"Don't worry."

Raon smiled faintly and went back to his room.

'Now, it's time to practice the vertical Ring of Fire.'

The horizontal Ring of Fire strengthens the body, while the vertical Ring of Fire enhances the spirit.

Having practiced the horizontal Ring of Fire so far, it was now time to cultivate the vertical one.

Raon sat on the floor and closed his eyes. Calming his mind more than when running, he absorbed the natural mana.

Zzzz!

Beside the two Rings of Fire swirling around his heart, a faint shadow began to form.

* * *

Glen Siegfried left the head of the household's hall and headed alone to the Fifth Training Ground.

Opening the door to the training ground, he saw instructors tamping down the yellow earth, capable of accommodating hundreds.

"Greetings, head of the household!"

Glen raised his hand in response to the instructors' greetings and entered the chief instructor's office on the outskirts of the training ground.

In the center of the messy room, a rocking chair swayed, and on it lay a man with a straw hat covering his face, seemingly lifeless.

"Stop pretending to sleep and get up."

"Ugh…."

The man in the rocking chair exhaled heavily and removed his hat. He looked to be about 20, with red hair hanging down, and he yawned as he sat up.

His ears, unlike those of ordinary humans, were leaf-like, and his appearance exuded an otherworldly mystique.

Pointed ears and a beauty beyond human. The chief instructor of the Fifth Training Ground was not a human but an elf, a being of nature.

"Your sleep spell doesn't work on anyone but the head of the household."

"While the instructors sweat and tamp the ground, the so-called chief…."

"They are following my orders. I work with my mind, and they work with their bodies, so it's fair."

"Rimer, you haven't matured in 50 years."

"People change when they die. Oh, I'm an elf."

The elf called Rimer chuckled and stood up from the chair.

"Why have you come here today? Could it be for your youngest grandson?"

"……"

Glen didn't speak but looked at Rimer. As comrades who had fought together, he seemed to understand what Glen was thinking just by looking at his eyes.

"Sylvia came and pleaded, but I didn't expect you to come as well."

"Sylvia?"

"Raon asked to be watched over so he wouldn't get hurt. If you came to make the same request, it was a wasted trip."

Rimer's playful green eyes darkened.

"You said you wouldn't interfere with this training ground. No exceptions, even for your youngest grandson."

"Go ahead."

"Excuse me?"

Rimer's mouth dropped open at Glen's words.

"Don't lower the training intensity; increase it. Filter out the weaklings."

"Raise the intensity, not lower it?"

"Yes."

"Then the grandson might fall behind… Ah!"

Rimer clapped his hands and smiled.

"Wow, you seem to love your youngest grandson more than I thought. The love you couldn't show Sylvia…."

"If you weren't my comrade, you'd be dead now."

"Ugh!"

He rubbed his neck with a sly smile.

"Clearly separate the wheat from the chaff. Only the worthy should receive your training."

"Understood!"

"Leaving."

"Yes, sir!"

Glen left the room, receiving Rimer's salute. The instructors were still tamping the ground as he walked out.

"……"

Glen looked toward the annex in the west, then turned and walked back to the head of the household's hall. His steps seemed a bit heavier than usual.

* * *

Raon sat in his room with his eyes closed. After more than three hours, a golden mist slowly rose from his shoulders.

[The third Ring of Fire has been created.]

[<Ring of Fire> has reached the third stage.]

[The <Ring of Fire (3rd Stage)> enhances the body and soul.]

[The <Ring of Fire (3rd Stage)> increases strength, stamina, and agility.]

[The <Ring of Fire (3rd Stage)> enhances mana sensitivity, mental strength, and vitality.]

[<Water Resistance> has reached the third stage.]

[One strand of the Cold Curse has been removed.]

"Done."

Raon clenched his fist, looking at the translucent message in front of him.

<Status Window>

Name: Raon Siegfried.

Title: None.

Condition: Cold Curse (eight strands), poor stamina, reduced physical ability, reduced mana sensitivity.

Traits: ???, Ring of Fire (3rd Stage), Water Resistance (3rd Stage)

*Additional abilities not unlocked.

'The third stage is definitely different.'

His body became more sensitive, and his mind clearer, as if fresh mana had swept through him.

The width of his mana circuits expanded, reducing the pain from the cold, and his muscles began to take shape.

'Leaving the beginner stage definitely improves the effects.'

The third stage is the beginning of the intermediate level of the Ring of Fire. Even at this early stage, he could feel a significant difference in his body and mind.

'The effects of the status window are also a factor.'

Thanks to these magical messages and the status window, the Ring of Fire was likely producing far superior effects compared to his previous life.

'One strand of the Cold Curse is gone, too.'

He stood up and moved his body lightly. It felt as light as a feather. In this state, he was confident he could endure the Siegfrieds' rigorous basic training.

'No, more than that.'

He felt he could even match the Siegfried children, known as geniuses.

"Hmm?"

Lost in his excitement, his stomach growled. He realized he had skipped both lunch and dinner.

'Might as well eat something.'

He left his room and headed to the dining room. The room was dimly lit, and Sylvia was sitting at the table.

"Why are you here at this hour…."

"I was waiting to have dinner with my son."

Sylvia smiled and patted the chair next to her.

"It's late."

Although it was well past mealtime due to his cultivation of the third Ring of Fire, Sylvia smiled and set out a chair.

"Alright. Sit quickly."

Raon sat awkwardly next to Sylvia.

"Helen."

"Yes!"

Helen's voice came from the kitchen. Soon, the maids brought out dishes, all of which were his favorites.

"Raon."

Sylvia pushed the dishes toward him with an awkward smile.

"I have something to tell you, Raon."

"Something to tell me?"

"Yes…."

She nodded but didn't speak for a long time.

"Raon, you're smart, so you must have wondered. Why we live separately, and why others insult us."

"Um…."

Raon put down his fork. Sylvia seemed to be about to tell him a story from the past before training began.

He knew some of it but pretended not to.

"I'm a sinner. I ran away from the responsibilities I should have shouldered and returned to live."

Sylvia's words were heavier than expected.

She fell in love with his father, whom she met by chance during a mission, and left her family to live with him, a common knight, by destroying her mana circuits and dantian.

"Actually, you had an older sister. She was two years older than you and named Sia."

"So, my sister…."

"Yes."

Her voice sank into a gloomy tone, like a river flowing underground.

"A 'Eden' officer who knew my face attacked us. Your father, who wasn't very strong, and I, who was pregnant with you, could do nothing."

Eden is one of the pillars of Oma, opposing the Six Emperors to which the Siegfrieds belong. Despite its warm name, it was a monstrous organization with more powerful individuals than the kingdom.

"Then, how did you return here?"

"Father secretly assigned guards to protect us. They arrived only after your father and sister were attacked."

"Grandfather?"

Raon narrowed his eyes. He never imagined the cold, unfeeling Glen would have assigned guards.

"So, I'm a sinner in this family. I have nothing to say to your grandfather."

Sylvia bowed deeply, and Helen and the maids clenched their hands tightly, saying nothing.

"……"

Raon looked intently at the bowed Sylvia.

'Selfish.'

Sylvia is selfish. She left her family for her own happiness and returned to beg for her life.

He understood why the direct and collateral branches of the family treated her so harshly.

'But…'

She gave him a new life and showed him affection he had never felt before.

Even if others called her selfish, she was the only mother he had met in his two lives.

"Mom."

At Raon's call, Sylvia looked up.

"Do you regret it?"

"Regret?"

"Do you want to go back to before you left the family?"

"No, I don't regret it."

Sylvia shook her head firmly. She said she lived like a transparent person in the family until she met her father and sister, and only then did she live as a human.

"But I'm sorry for you now. I'm a bad mother…."

"Were you happy?"

"Yes. I was happy then, and I'm happy now with you."

"Then it's fine."

"Ra, Raon?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

Raon smiled and picked up his fork again.

'It's okay to be selfish.'

Even if others called her selfish, a runaway, or a coward, it was fine.

'But I'll get it back for you.'

The position in the Siegfried direct line that she lost. He decided to first restore her position and then complete the revenge he was given.

"Sniff."

"Master Raon…."

Tears fell from Sylvia's large eyes, and Helen and the maids standing beside her silently cried.

Clatter.

In the annex dining room, the clatter of dishes and the sound of sobbing formed a strange harmony.

* * *

After sending the puffy-eyed Sylvia and the maids back to their rooms, Raon returned to his room.

'It's best to check and then sleep.'

It seemed best to cleanse his body and mind with the third-stage Ring of Fire before sleeping.

Whirr.

The rings around his heart rotated like living beings, faster and more effective at enhancing his body and mind since reaching the third stage.

'Good.'

If the third stage, the beginning of the intermediate level, was this powerful, he looked forward to what the Ring of Fire would achieve at higher stages.

After making the Ring of Fire rotate five times, Raon climbed into bed to sleep. As he was about to close his eyes and turn off the light, a message he had never seen before appeared.

[The trait <???> has been unlocked.]

[The trait <Rage> has been created.]

[<Rage> has awakened.]