Chapter 96

Even after Rayden fell with his teeth knocked out and the flames that had adorned the air subsided, the training ground remained silent.

“Waaaaa!”

“Raon! Raoon!”

“Young Master!”

“He won! Young Master Raon won!”

The first to break the silence were Sylvia and the maids from the annex. They, who had suffered the most, were about to run down from the spectator stands, tears streaming down their faces.

“Raon!”

“Raon!”

“Squeal!”

They screamed in a mixture of cheers and shrieks, ignoring the glares from the direct and collateral lines.

The resonance was refreshing and liberating, breaking the oppression they had endured, and it felt free.

“Raaaaon!”

“Wowaaaaa!”

The cheers echoed from all corners of the training ground. They were the voices of the trainees who had practiced with Raon for over three years.

“Master Raon!”

“Raon!”

“Yaaaaa!”

The direct line, collateral line, the vassal families, and the recommended students from outside all united in shouting his name.

“Hmph! I had to do at least that much. It wouldn’t do to wear the title of top student for nothing.”

Balen leaned back in his chair and nodded.

“I thought from the beginning that he would win.”

“Hmm, for someone who thought that, you sure screamed a lot, didn’t you?”

Balen’s butler smiled and tilted his head.

“Didn’t you say, ‘Raon. If you lose here, I won’t let you off. You have to lose to me’?”

“T-That….”

“Then you shouted, ‘Fight, crush him! Flatten that brat’s nose!’ And when Young Master Rayden fell, you let out a roar of ‘Waaaaa!’”

“S-Stop!”

Balen’s face turned red and he scowled.

‘I don’t remember that….’

He was so excited that he couldn’t recall saying those things.

But he didn’t think he was wrong. If someone had defeated him and become the top student of the Fifth Training Ground, it would be right to knock down a punk like that.

“I’m not the only one. All the trainees are shouting Raon’s name….”

“Hmph. Can’t even control your emotions and you’re screaming. You’re still a baby.”

Marta, sitting below, glanced up and snorted.

“Pathetic. From now on, just suck your thumb. Don’t pretend to know anything.”

“Grr, Marta Zighard….”

“Miss Marta.”

Balen’s butler pointed to the railing in front of Marta. The round railing was dented by her fist.

“Did you grip that with your fist? It seems you were quite excited, Miss.”

“No, I didn’t. What nonsense?”

Marta shook her head violently, looking visibly flustered and cursing.

“Excited by such a low-level sword fight? Hah, you’re not even a snot-nosed kid.”

She flicked her head in disbelief.

“Marta. You can’t pretend now. I heard you cursing.”

“You’re the one pretending. If you’re angry, just challenge me!”

“Raon.”

Balen and Marta, who had been growling at each other, turned their heads simultaneously at the thin voice from below.

“Raon.”

Lunan Slieron, covering her mouth with both hands, kept calling Raon’s name.

“Raon.”

Even with her hands together, her voice was too soft to be heard, but Lunan kept calling Raon’s name.

“Huh….”

“Hmm….”

Seeing Lunan’s weak but sincere cheering, the two of them lowered their hands at the same time.

“Tsk, it was a sword fight not worth watching. So low-level.”

Marta scratched her head, embarrassed, and stood up.

“Hey, you blind-eyed ones!”

She put her foot on the chair of the knights sitting in front of her.

“Didn’t I say there would be an interesting outcome?”

“Ah….”

“That, that was….”

The knights, unable to speak, shuffled their shoulders and fidgeted.

“You need to be quick-witted if you’re not skilled. You need to train hard to survive with rotten eyes like yours.”

She laughed at the knights and left the training ground.

“Temperamental.”

Balen shook his head and stood up. That woman was only well-behaved in front of Raon; otherwise, she was more ferocious than ever.

“Huh….”

Turning his head, he looked at Raon standing confidently in the center of the training ground.

Seeing the boy standing straight and surveying the entire training ground, he was reminded of the time Raon had stood alone in front of the Blood Demon.

‘I won’t forget that. It’s a debt I’ll have to repay for a lifetime. But I won’t give up.’

Balen clenched his fist tightly and fixed his gaze on Raon’s back.

“I’ll definitely catch up.”

* * *

“Hmm!”

Glen sat up straight in his chair. His eyes were larger than usual, and his eyebrows were drawn down.

For someone who rarely showed emotion, this was a significant reaction.

“Master.”

Roan, his jaw trembling, turned to look at Glen.

“Wasn’t that the Taihua Step that Young Master used mixed with the Garambop method at the beginning?”

“…Yes.”

“Huh!”

Roan’s false smile, which he always maintained, broke. He looked at Raon in disbelief and let out a gasp.

“Hmm….”

Glen narrowed his eyes. What surprised him the most today was not that Raon had overwhelmingly defeated Rayden.

It was that Raon had used the Taihua Step, which he had only learned two weeks ago.

The Taihua Step was a stepping technique he had created after transcending the Martial realm. It was a high-level martial art that an ordinary martial artist would find difficult to master in a lifetime.

‘But….’

Raon had mastered it. And in just two weeks.

It was so astonishing that even the usually emotionless Glen was amazed and flustered.

‘I thought it would take at least half a year.’

Glen smiled bitterly as he looked at Raon standing confidently. He had expected it to take at least half a year for Raon to use the Taihua Step.

‘Two weeks….’

For the first time since transcending, his judgment had been off. It was absurd, but he couldn’t help but laugh.

‘And his swordsmanship….’

At the end, Raon had even drawn out the true essence of the Flexible Sword Technique. For a 15-year-old, a trainee who hadn’t even qualified, to draw out the true essence of swordsmanship was astounding.

“Truly remarkable. The Taihua Step, the Flexible Sword Technique, and even the final flames….”

Roan was so shocked that he couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“No, not that much. The Taihua Step is only at the 1-star level, and he’s only just started. The Flexible Sword Technique is still lacking. If Rayden had used a different sword technique, he wouldn’t have been so easily defeated.”

Glen hid his surprised expression and shook his head, maintaining his usual calm gaze.

“No, that’s not true. Master, your expression… hmm.”

Roan covered his mouth and smiled slyly.

“No, it’s not.”

Glen stroked his cheek and turned his head. Lately, Roan’s personality had become more sly, probably due to spending time with Rimer.

[The winner of the sword fight is Raon Zighard!]

The announcer, who had forgotten his role, finally declared Raon’s victory, and cheers erupted from all over.

“Waaaaa!”

“Raon!”

“Raaaaon!”

The voices were still immature. They were children.

“Those children….”

The trainees who practiced with Raon, from the direct line, collateral line, vassal families, and recommended students from outside, all shouted the same cheers from different positions.

“I haven’t seen such a scene in a long time. No, it’s the first time everyone has cheered for a collateral line, isn’t it?”

“Hmm….”

Glen nodded slowly.

‘Indeed….’

While the collateral line had achieved success and won duels before, it was the first time they had received cheers from the direct line, collateral line, vassal families, and recommended students.

Today was a day of many unusual sights.

“It would be nice if others could unite like this.”

“……”

Glen didn’t respond. When he ruled this place with an iron fist, such unity was impossible.

The era divided by force and blood was too long, and he was too old to change it.

But there was hope in that.

If it was Raon, born into the direct line and aware of the injustices of the collateral line, perhaps he could change the family someday.

“Master. The sword fight is over!”

The announcer knelt in front of the podium and bowed. The entire training ground’s attention turned to Glen.

“Hmm!”

Glen stood up. It was time to praise the winner of the sword fight. Of course, after dealing with the scoundrels who had interfered with this noble battle.

Grrrr!

His cold gaze turned to Balder, sitting below to the west.

* * *

Raon walked to the front of the podium with the announcer, who was carrying the unconscious Rayden.

‘Intense.’

Glen’s expression was even more blank than usual. It seemed he didn’t like this situation, and a cold aura surrounded him.

‘Is it because I won? Or….’

Glen didn’t like him much, Raon knew. But Glen was a man who believed in strict justice.

While he might not like Raon’s victory, he wouldn’t be so openly cold unless there was something more.

Ku-gu-gu-gu!

When Glen stood up in front of the podium, the atmosphere in the training ground became unbearably dry. It was as quiet as a library, with not even a breath heard.

“The winner of today’s sword fight is Raon Zighard.”

“Waaaaa!”

Glen’s declaration elicited even louder cheers from the trainees. Of course, most of the direct and collateral lines watching the training ground remained silent.

“I will now reveal the conditions that Raon Zighard set for this sword fight.”

The conditions set by the swordsmen in the duel are revealed only after the fight. Curiosity about the conditions made people fall silent again.

“Raon Zighard’s condition was for Rayden, who caused trouble in the annex, to kneel and apologize to Sylvia and the maids of the annex, and for the Martial Hall to not interfere with the annex in any way.”

“Eh….”

“Hmm….”

People stared at Raon, unable to speak for a moment.

“Those were the conditions?”

“An apology?”

“Huh, to the maids as well….”

Typically, the conditions set in a sword fight were everything the opponent owned.

It was a battle of pride, so it was common to destroy the opponent’s property, the best weapon, or even break their arm or dantian.

But what Raon wanted was just an apology. Not for himself, but for his mother and the seemingly insignificant maids.

People were so shocked by such conditions that they stared at Raon in a daze.

“A sword fight for an apology? What a fool.”

“That’s what I thought. He’s just like Sylvia’s son.”

The direct line and powerful collateral lines mocked him.

“……”

The vassal families remained silent.

“Raon Zighard….”

The weak collateral lines and the external knights, who had been marginalized from the start, deeply etched Raon’s name in their minds.

“Since the sword fight is over, the conditions must be fulfilled immediately.”

“Gulp!”

Glen snapped his fingers, and Rayden, who had been lying flat, spat out blood and opened his eyes.

“Wh-Where am I? Ah! Why am I here….”

Rayden’s speech, with his missing teeth, sounded like a broken pot.

“Sylvia Zighard and the maids of the annex, come forward.”

At Glen’s command, Sylvia, Helen, and the maids of the annex stood up straight and quickly. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

“Come down to the training ground.”

“Yes, sir!”

Sylvia bowed and led the maids down to the training ground.

“Ah….”

“What, what’s happening?”

“Lady, I’m too scared to walk.”

Unaccustomed to being in the spotlight, they walked cautiously, overly aware of their surroundings, toward the podium.

Raon turned and met the eyes of Sylvia, Helen, and the maids one by one. He told them with his eyes that it was okay and they didn’t need to be so nervous.

“Hmm….”

“Stay calm. We did nothing wrong.”

“Yes, Lady.”

The message seemed to work, as Sylvia and the maids’ steps became more natural. They stood next to Raon and bowed to Glen.

“Did you call us?”

Glen nodded and looked down at Rayden, who was still dazed.

“Rayden Zighard.”

“Eh? Ah, yes!”

“The sword fight ended with your defeat.”

“A-Ah….”

Only then did Rayden realize his defeat, and his jaw trembled.

“Rayden Zighard. According to the conditions set at the beginning of the sword fight, kneel and apologize to Sylvia and the maids.”

“G-Grandfather!”

Rayden shook his head wildly and knelt, but not to Sylvia, but to Glen.

“I am a direct line who has earned the title of knight. How can I kneel to collateral lines and maids!”

“The promise was made by you, not me. Since you lost the sword fight, keep your promise.”

“Grandfather, I, I….”

“This is a formal occasion. Call me Master.”

“M-Master! Please forgive me! Next time, I can win….”

“The one you need to ask for forgiveness is not me. It’s them. As a direct line of Zighard, keep your word. Rayden Zighard.”

Glen’s expression twisted, and the already tense atmosphere became even more oppressive. Goosebumps rose on his arms, as if a storm was about to hit.

“Grr….”

Rayden trembled all over, overwhelmed by the pressure. He looked at his father, Balder, but he turned his head, indicating he couldn’t help.

‘D-Damn it! Damn it!’

He cursed inwardly. It was all because of Raon. That bastard had ruined everything.

‘I’ll kill him. No matter what, I’ll kill him…’

Standing up and seeing Raon, his body hair stood on end. His heart raced, and he couldn’t meet Raon’s eyes.

“Gulp….”

Pain surged from his body, where he had been hit by Raon. His lungs felt crushed, and he was too scared to look at Raon’s eyes.

‘F-Fear? Am I afraid of him?’

That was all there was.

“Grr….”

He couldn’t admit it, so he lifted his head, but the moment he met Raon’s eyes, his stomach churned as if he was about to vomit.

Rayden, who had been defeated in all the martial arts he had learned and overwhelmed by sheer force, was hit countless times. It was only natural.

“Go. Go and kneel.”

“Grr….”

Under the closer and more terrifying gaze of Glen, Rayden couldn’t say a word and walked to stand in front of Sylvia.

‘I’ll kill them all, no matter what.’

Rayden, who couldn’t even look at Raon, bit his lip, harboring the will to kill them.

“I’m sorry. I apologize.”

He gritted his teeth and bowed his head so that it wasn’t noticeable.

“……”

“Ah….”

Sylvia said nothing, and the maids, unsure of what to do, bowed their heads.

“No need to bow.”

Raon enveloped the maids with Aura of the Comic Art. The pale faces of the frightened maids regained their color.

“Ah….”

“Raon.”

“M-Master Raon.”

“Today is the day to receive an apology.”

Raon calmed Sylvia and the maids and approached Rayden.

“Do it again. Rayden Zighard.”

“What, what?”

“The condition was to kneel and apologize. Kneel and bow your head.”

“You really are a nobody. After this is over….”

“