Chapter 97

"Valder Sieghart."

"Ugh…."

At Glen's call, Valder stood up, biting his lip. Though his expression was one of annoyance, there was no sign of panic.

'So, he knew.'

Raon nodded, watching Valder take a deep breath. If he could sense Valder's presence, there was no way Glen wouldn't have known.

"Answer me. Valder Sieghart."

"Yes…."

"Duels are a tradition and honor of the Sieghart family that have been passed down for a thousand years. To defile it with your petty tricks, are you mocking me?"

Glen's voice grew softer, but his aura exploded.

Rumble!

The entire training ground shook as if an earthquake had struck, and the air pressed heavily on their shoulders.

"Ugh…."

Unable to withstand Glen's overwhelming aura, Valder's knees buckled. He barely managed to steady himself, but he couldn't hide the trembling in his shoulders.

"I'm sorry."

Valder bowed his head to Glen, his lips tightly pressed together.

"But as a father with a son, it was just encouragement to use his strength. I didn't say anything that would interfere with the outcome…."

"Valder Sieghart."

Glen's eyes blazed red like erupting lava.

"Do you want to die?"

A terrifying killing intent suddenly burst forth.

"Wha…."

Raon fell back, even though the killing intent wasn't directed at him. Goosebumps rose, and his strength drained away.

"You told Raiden to respond with force. To kill Hwae and Euiji, and break through with power. Did you think I would miss such a sloppy aura message?"

"Ugh…."

Valder's body bent lower, not by his own will, but forced down by Glen's无形的气势.

Swallow.

Raon swallowed hard. Glen's current aura was already terrifying, but there was something even more astonishing.

'He read the aura message?'

An aura message is a technique that uses the aura from the dantian or heart to communicate with others.

In other words, it's a method that guarantees absolute secrecy, yet it seemed Glen had read the content.

'He's insane.'

To read the content of an aura message, not just infer it from the situation, was as good as saying this space was completely under Glen's control.

"Huh…."

The absurdity of the situation made him exhale even in this serious moment.

"You probably thought that even if you were caught, you could smooth things over after the duel ended. You're my son, the master of the Jinmu Hall, and the head of the Swordsmanship Team, so you thought I would let it slide."

"Ugh…."

The longer Glen spoke, the more Valder trembled. His hands shook like those of a Parkinson's patient.

"But this time, you've crossed the line. You defiled the duel and lied to me."

"I'm sorry! Father, I…."

"As the head of the Sieghart family, I command you."

Glen looked down at Valder, who was bowing like a worm, and raised his chin.

Rumble!

The Sieghart knights knelt simultaneously, causing the entire training ground to tremble.

"Valder Sieghart, the master of the Jinmu Hall, is sentenced to a year of house arrest in the Jinmu Hall. The annual budget of the Jinmu Hall and the Swordsmanship Team will be confiscated, and they will be suspended for a year."

"I accept the order!"

All the knights shouted in unison, bowing their heads. It was a grand and awe-inspiring sight.

"Father! A year? That's too harsh! Moreover, not just me, but the Jinmu Hall and the Swordsmanship Team are also being punished! This is too severe!"

"Too harsh?"

A red lightning bolt flashed in Glen's eyes.

"You've disgraced my face and disrespected the history of the Sieghart family. A year of house arrest is a feather-light punishment compared to your actions."

"I am the master of the Jinmu Hall. I have many responsibilities and duties! Without me…."

"Funny. Do you think you're irreplaceable? The tasks you've handled can be managed by any other hall or team without issue."

"Father?"

Valder's face drained of color as if he had suffered severe blood loss.

"Then, instead of house arrest, should I break your dantian like you did in the duel?"

"That…."

"Choose. A year of house arrest or your dantian."

Glen's cold and ruthless aura showed no sign of leniency.

"…I will accept the house arrest."

Valder answered, bowing deeply. He seemed unable to breathe properly under Glen's oppressive aura.

"Huh…."

Raon exhaled roughly. Even watching from the side was exhausting.

'He really is extraordinary.'

In most families, the direct line's mistakes are often overlooked, swept under the rug like a snake slithering over a fence.

The Robert family, one of the Six Emperors, was no exception. But the Siegharts were different.

The head of the Sieghart family held Valder, the fourth son and a family officer, accountable for his crimes, and they were significant.

Glen Sieghart was even more cold and calculating than expected.

"One more thing."

Glen turned to address the entire training ground, not just Valder.

"The conditions of today's duel were two. If anyone acted on behalf of Valder, the Jinmu Hall, or the Swordsmanship Team and harmed the annex, I would personally hold them accountable. Only those who are confident they won't be caught should act."

"Yes!"

The subordinates bowed their heads and answered in unison, their voices echoing through the training ground.

"Despite the unpleasant events, the duel is over. Everyone, return to your duties."

Glen left the training ground, leaving those words behind.

"Sniff…."

Helen, who had been holding back her tears, finally let them fall.

"Sniff!"

Helen, holding Sylvia's hand, began to sob.

As the main party in this incident, she must have felt a great deal of pressure, and now, with all that pressure released, her pent-up emotions exploded.

"It's okay."

Sylvia, with tears in her eyes, patted Helen's back.

"Ow…."

"Sniff!"

"Lady! Young Lady!"

The other maids also began to cry, following Helen and Sylvia. With the head of the family, Glen, declaring that the annex would not be touched, their worries vanished, and their tension eased.

"Phew…."

With the assurance that he could protect these people, the lingering unease in his heart finally dissipated.

"I told you it would be fine."

Raon smiled, not showing any signs of the tension he had felt. He continued, looking at the crying and laughing people.

"Let's go home."

* * *

The training ground, now quiet as the audience had left.

Six people still remained at the entrance of the western corridor. Their left chests bore the Sieghart family's flaming sword emblem, with additional symbols beneath, each unique.

These symbols signified that they were the leaders of their respective teams, who had staked their wills on the Sieghart emblem.

"It's been a while since we've seen something so impressive."

"I thought Limur was joking when he said you cut down a Green-Eyed Demon and survived a Blood Demon, but it seems the rumors were true."

"Not just true, but even more impressive. To master the essence of a low-level sword technique, you've surpassed the level of mere talent."

"He would be an immediate asset to our team."

"…."

The leaders all nodded, seemingly feeling the same about Raon.

"His sword technique is impressive, but he also mixed something from the Garambop method. I can't pinpoint it exactly, but his martial arts are at the expert level."

"Such talent, indeed, fits best with our Black Fox Team…."

"Shut up."

"…?"

The two female leaders at the ends interrupted the man in the center.

"Ahem, in any case, it's clear that he has grown beyond our expectations."

The leader in the center, embarrassed by the interruption, cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head.

"Indeed. I thought he was a weak genius, but he turned out to be a robust monster. If he continues to grow, he will inevitably clash with the other direct lines. It will be very interesting."

The leader with a deep voice licked his lips.

"Now that graduation is approaching, we can raise him in our Black Fox Team. His personality is to my liking. I really believe I can raise him well…."

"Shut up."

"…."

"Black Fox. Do you want to die?"

"Ugh."

Three out of the four leaders glared at the man in the center, making him flinch.

"His words aren't entirely wrong. The graduation of the 5th training ground students is indeed approaching. Once they pass the graduation test, they will become knights and choose their teams and units."

The leader with a deep voice chuckled, gripping the railing.

"The 5th training ground isn't just about Raon. Burren, Runan, and Martha are all at the top in terms of strength and talent. The next selection ceremony will be quite a spectacle."

"…."

The leaders didn't speak, but they all made the same resolve. They would definitely take one of the four in the next selection ceremony.

"Still, I want Raon!"

"Who's going to catch the Black Fox today?"

"Me."

"I'll join too."

"…!"

* * *

Raon returned to the annex with Sylvia, Helen, and the maids.

"Ah…."

Helen sighed, looking around the annex.

"Why?"

Sylvia, holding Helen's shoulder, tilted her head.

"I thought we might not all return together."

Helen closed her eyes. She had imagined countless scenarios for today's events.

If Raon lost, she was prepared to beg for forgiveness with her life. But instead, they received an apology and returned to the annex together, making it feel like a dream.

"Me too."

"Me too…."

"Me too."

The maids nodded one by one, their eyes meeting with a faint smile.

"Now you can relax. Father is a man of his word. No one will dare to touch us."

Sylvia turned to meet the eyes of each maid, and finally, she smiled at Raon.

"Let's have a party today! We'll use all the ingredients we have!"

"Yes!"

"We'll make a lot of the stew you like!"

"Of course!"

Sylvia, Helen, and the maids entered the annex with light steps, almost cheerful.

"Phew."

Raon exhaled softly, watching them. Seeing them laugh and chat made his unease completely disappear.

It seemed they meant more to him than he had realized.

As Raon was about to enter the annex, one of the maids slowed her pace and caught up with him. It was Jude.

"Master."

Jude turned to face Raon.

"Did you plan this from the beginning?"

"To some extent."

Raon nodded. From the moment he threw the sword at Raiden, he knew a duel was necessary to resolve the situation, so he deliberately provoked his pride.

As expected, he won the duel and received an apology. However, he hadn't anticipated that the Jinmu Hall, the Swordsmanship Team, and Valder would also be punished.

"You are a truly terrifying person."

Jude sighed, her face pale.

"But you are also more kind than that."

"Kind?"

Raon raised an eyebrow, more surprised by this comment than by Raiden's attack.

"Thank you for saving me back then."

Jude smiled faintly, her ears turning pink. Her smile, which he had seen many times, had always been fake.

But now, it was different. It was genuine, tinged with shyness.

"Let's go."

Raon loosened his fingers, watching Jude's back as she walked into the annex.

'Now, I can reveal the truth.'

* * *

"Ugh…."

Valder Sieghart exhaled roughly. The once clean and elegant Jinmu Hall was now in ruins, with walls shattered into pieces.

The Jinmu Hall's knights lay unconscious, scattered on the floor.

It wasn't an enemy attack.

Upon returning from the training ground, Valder, unable to contain his anger, had destroyed the Jinmu Hall himself and even beaten the knights who tried to stop him.

"Ugh…."

"What do we do now?"

As the remaining people stood in confusion, a brisk wind blew from the direction of the collapsed wall.

"Hello?"

A long finger waved from the hole, and Limur's face appeared.

"Limur…."

Valder glared at Limur with bloodshot eyes.

"Wow, this looks clean. You should keep the windows open more often."

Limur grinned, stepping over the collapsed wall and entering.

"Why are you here? Do you want to die?"

"Would you cause another incident when the head's house arrest is practically a suspended sentence?"

"Ugh…."

Valder bit his lip, ready to pounce. Limur was right; if he caused another incident, the punishment would be unbearable, and he couldn't face Glen again.

"Get out! I have nothing to say to you."

"You may not have anything to say to me, but you do here."

Limur waved a piece of paper he pulled from his coat pocket.

"That…."

Valder's eyes widened at the fluttering paper.

"I know, right? The bet between the master of the Jinmu Hall and a nobody like me."

Limur grinned. His tone, voice, and actions were always so infuriating. It was hard to understand how such a person could be an elf.

"Since you're going into house arrest, it'll be hard to meet, so give it to me now."

"Ugh, no, I don't have it."

Valder shook his head vigorously.

'I can't give it to him in this situation.'

The items he had bet with Limur were not just a few. With the Jinmu Hall's activities suspended, handing over those items would severely impact its growth.

"Tsk, why would someone like you act this way?"

Limur clicked his tongue and wagged his finger.

"Everyone knows the Jinmu Hall received a large amount of medicinal herbs. Did the shock of today's events cause dementia?"

"You. Do you really want to die!"

Valder growled, baring his teeth like a beast.

"Hey! Don't do that!"

Limur took a step back, exaggerating his expression. Raon wanted to rip out his wiggling ears.

"Get out! I have nothing to give you!"

"Are you sure about that?"

As Limur retreated, he smirked and shook his hand.

"If you, who disgraced the head's face in the duel, don't keep your promise, what do you think the head will do?"

He raised his fingers one by one.

"Your house arrest and suspension could be extended to two years, or your assets could be confiscated entirely."

"Such…."

Valder bit his lip.

Given his father's current state, it was entirely possible. He wanted to crush that infuriating person but had no way to do so, which was frustrating.

"Give it to me. I have many more people to collect from."

Limur smiled, holding out his hands like a child asking for pocket money.

"Damn it!"

Valder's scream echoed through the Jinmu Hall once again.