Episode 67
From bookshelves to desks and tables. From the old-fashioned room filled with all-black wooden furniture, the sound of creaking handwriting could be heard.
The source of the sound was the desk.
A middle-aged middle-aged man with silver hair shining like a snowfield was drawing an unknown pattern on a book full of blank pages.
Oddly enough, the patterns he wrote disappeared after a while, leaving the book as if nothing had been written on it.
It was a time when a middle-aged man engraved a pattern without stopping for a moment.
tuk.
Drops of blood dripped from the open wound on the back of his right hand and wet the book.
The middle-aged hand stopped for the first time. His gaze turned to the bloodstains staining the white paper red.
tt
A silver-haired middle-aged man and the ruler of the South. The celestial swordsman, Derus Robert, clicked his tongue briefly.
‘It hasn’t healed yet.’
The scar on the back of his hand that occurred when he killed a hunting dog named Raon 17 years ago has not gone away.
I ate a good quality elixir, and called a famous healer or priest, but no one could erase this sword.
‘It doesn’t happen though.’
The wound did not heal or open.
It was just kept as it was in the first place, as if it were to be remembered. It’s really strange.
“Are you asking me to remember a dead ghost?”
Derus Robert smiled and patted the wound on the back of his hand. The blood that was seeping out began to slowly stop.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t look back. We are just moving forward.”
He picked up the fountain pen again and began to draw patterns on the book.
Until the rising sun sets in the middle of the sky and a new sun rises again. Derus sat at his desk, constantly engraving patterns.
When Derus finally turned the last page, he saw the cover of a book with a black dragon painted on it. It was as vivid as if it were alive.
“It was.”
Derus Robert smiled contentedly when he saw the finished book.
‘Now there is not much left of the grand line.’
As he placed his hand on the book, the eyes of the black dragon on the cover flashed.
* * *
The new year has dawned.
At the age of 15, Raon, who seemed to have melted the word “beautiful” in her appearance, sat in the spot where the charcoal kiln had been, with her eyes closed.
A red haze rose endlessly over his shoulder, and a cool chill emanated from his pores.
Cold and heat intersect, and the charcoal kiln was filled with misty smoke.
Raon, unaware of such a mysterious situation, did not open his eyes until the rising sun went down to Seosan Mountain.
Raon’s change, which did not move as if it were a stone statue, began only when the moon rose.
The red haze blooming over his shoulder became a blazing fire, and the steam flowing out of his pores turned into cold air.
Quick!
The moment when fire and cold compete and sparks are sprung.
Raon opened his eyes. Red eyes that seemed to have fallen from lightning pierced the darkness of the night.
Kwok.
He clenched his fists and let out an exhilarating breath.
“finally.”
Translucent messages floated above the tight voice.
[One strand of the curse of the cold has disappeared.]
[The manga artist has risen to 3 stars.]
[The cold of the cold has risen to 3 stars.]
[The sense of fairy tale has risen to 3 stars.]
[Fire resistance has risen to 3 stars.]
[Sword Expert – You have reached the stage of entry.]
[Auror operation speed increases.]
[All stats are greatly increased.]
[Swordsmanship proficiency increases.]
[Stepping proficiency increases.]
A message that pops up.
“Are you an expert at last?”
Raon checked the message and nodded satisfactorily.
Thanks to his continued training despite many incidents, he rose to the level of expert within a month of the new year.
Although it was not a beginner level, the joy of achievement made me smile.
– Expert? Even the Sword Master is just a trivial bug, but do you just like being an expert?
Lars snorted as if he didn’t like it.
“Being an expert at 15 is rare.”
It is clear that the expert is an excellent field, but when viewed as a whole, it is difficult to be called a strong person.
But if it’s a 15-year-old child, it’s not just a normal family or a kingdom. It was an astonishing achievement even for the yukhuang and Oma.
-age? On the battlefield, it’s only idiots who question your age. Regardless of age, the weak are just the weak.
“That’s not true. Because no idiot on the battlefield sees you as young.”
He nodded his head and chuckled.
“But I don’t want to stop because I’m an expert.”
Raon pushed Lass away and stood up.
‘Light.’
Is it because of the release of another strand of cold shackles that seem to always tighten the whole body? His body was as light as a leaf, and he was full of vitality.
“Status window.”
After moving his body lightly, Raon called up the status window.
Read at noblemtl.com
Name: Raon Sieghard.
Title: First Victory.
Status: Curse of Cold (5 strands)
Attributes: Rage, Ring of Fire (4 stars), Water resistance (4 stars), Sense of fairy tales (3 stars), Cartoonist (3 stars), Cold weather (3 stars), Fire resistance (3 stars). Bleeding Curse (1 star).
Strength: 55
Agility: 56
Stamina: 57
Energy: 40
Sense: 62
As soon as I saw the status window, my lips went up. The level of resistance to the cartoonist, the cold of the cold, and the fire property has risen, and the stats have also risen significantly.
In addition to these simple numbers, the mana circuit has been increased, so the amount of Aurors that can be operated at one time and the operation speed have also increased.
‘Expert is the beginning, but it will be at a lower level.’
The thought of having a force that was superior to the grades or figures shown, power entered my hand spontaneously.
– I’m sorry. One of the king’s fingers. No, it’s powerless that even nails can’t stand.
“It is not.”
Raon smiled brightly.
– Then why are you smiling?
“Because it would not have been possible to bring up the word ‘nail’ in the past. Didn’t you admit that you’ve grown up in your own way?”
-Will the main king recognize such a thing as a human?
“It’s true that your voice is trembling a little. Having been with you for a long time, I can understand your thoughts to some extent.”
– Being a human trying to pierce the real king, chewing on bones is not enough!
Lars’ chill surged like a tidal wave.
Whoa!
Raon raised the cartoonist who had risen to 3 stars and melted all of Lars’ cold air.
“Is that all? If you don’t recover your strength quickly, will you be eaten by me sooner or later?”
-huh! Hearing nonsense, it reminds me of the past. When the main king was in the demon realm, there were demon tribes who came to the castle to argue… .
“Oh, I’m going to go relax.”
-Where are you going? Listen to the king!
* * *
“Training is over.”
“thank you for your effort.”
At Limer’s concise voice, Raon sighed and bowed his head.
“thank you for your effort!”
The trainees followed Raon and shouted thanks.
“OK.”
Limer smiled and waved her hand. It seems like I’m giving a rough answer because it’s annoying, but it was a greeting in its own way.
‘It looks like everyone is used to it now.’
Raon nodded slightly as he looked at Limer, the instructors, and the trainees.
After spending more than three years being the closest, everyone was quite close.
Beren and Marta, who were the most picky, now know what kind of person Limer is and are a little more generous.
“Instructor. Since you’re 20 minutes late today, shouldn’t you be adding another 20 minutes of training?”
Of course, there was still no compromise on perception.
“Let’s replenish that tomorrow. Enough for today.”
Limer smiled awkwardly and went down from the stage. Seeing how he was taking a step backwards, it was clear that he was going to run away after talking roughly.
“It’s your turn to start cleaning up the gym.”
Raon muttered that it was still there and turned around and ordered the cleanup.
“All right!”
Dorian on duty nodded vigorously and ran to the corner where the cleaning tools were.
“Huh!”
Without opening the toolbox, he saw the person standing next to him and screamed.
“what? I’m the one on duty, right?”
Marta lowered her eyebrows as her black hair wet her shoulders again.
“Oh, no. never! It is an honour… .”
“Twitter.”
She gave her a tongue kick, picked up the choreographer, and started her duty before Dorian.
In the past, Martha would have gone to direct training by handing over chores to collaborators or recommended students, but she couldn’t escape from her duty because of Raon’s instructions.
“Did everyone see you? You need to clean up, so go somewhere else!”
“Uh-huh!”
“Aww!”
Martha thumped and rolled her feet. strong vibration. The trainees, who were staring blankly at her, hurriedly ran to the exit.
“Hey!”
Dorian, who was next to her, sat down in surprise.
“It’s still the same, but it seems you’re the only one who changed your personality.”
Raon turned his head at the voice he heard behind his back. Limer was approaching with a sly smile.
“Didn’t you run away from Beren’s nagging?”
“Oh, I forgot something, so I’m back.”
“Damn… .”
“Attention everyone!”
When Limer clapped her hands, all the trainees who were running away from Marta’s threats stopped.
“I have something to say.”
As the trainees approached, Rimer went up to the stage again.
“I forgot something very important.”
He smiled embarrassedly and scratched the back of his head.
“What else?”
“Ah, a second mission has come down to you.”
For a moment, silence fell throughout the auditorium.
“mission!”
“Did you forget that?”
“That man is really… .”
The trainees sharpened their teeth because they did not know that they would forget the mission.
“It’s a mission… .”
Leon closed his eyes.
‘It was longer than I thought.’
After successfully completing the first mission, I thought the second one would come soon, but more than half a year has passed.
For trainees, missions do not seem to be an opportunity that often comes up.
‘Whether Sieghart raised the children softer than expected, or the mission was very difficult.’
either one. Personally, I was hoping for the latter. Because that would be an opportunity for greater growth.
“I heard that orcs appeared near the village of Cebu to the southeast of Sieghard.”
Limer pointed to the village of Cebu with a gesture in the empty air. Seeing that he didn’t bring a map, it was obvious that it was annoying.
“Your mission is to go to Cebu Village, defeat orcs and monsters that threaten people, and protect the village. In other words, protecting the village and subjugating monsters.”
“Oak!”
“It’s a monster subjugation!”
Monster subjugation is the easiest and coolest mission compared to escort or dungeon exploration. The trainees cheered because it was easier than the first mission, subjugating the bandits.
“You like missions, you’re young.”
Limer clicked her tongue and continued.
“Unlike the first mission, the instructors do not move. You guys are the only ones going to Cebu. It will not be easy for you to think and judge for yourself both at the beginning and at the end of a mission.”
“I have a question.”
Burren raised her hand.
“What the hell were you thinking, so you forgot to tell us about the mission we only go to?”
“Well, that’s not a question, it’s a rebuke, right?”
Limer was sweating profusely.
“Whoa!”
Burren sighed after making an impression like the bark of a tree.
“Then let me ask you a real question. You said that only we can move on, but if an insurmountable crisis comes, how should we solve it?”
“It is also your ability to grasp it. If it’s an overkill, giving up and returning is a skill. so that… .”
Limer’s gaze glanced at the trainee, then stopped at Raon.
“Once again, the ability of the leader is important. In a crisis situation, should you break through by force, use a ruse, or run away without looking back? You should read it.”
Everyone’s eyes followed Limer’s green eyes.
“Isn’t it a problem if I run away from the mission?”
This time Dorian raised his hand.
“It depends on the situation. If you run away from a goblin, you will be disgraced by a deduction, and if you face one of the Omar and retreat, you deserve praise.”
“Oh oh!”
At the sound of running away, Dorian burst into tears. His cowardly temperament has not changed over the years.
“understand.”
Burren looked at Raon for the last time. low shining eyes. It was an expression of recognition and a small amount of envy.
“The departure is the morning of the next day. Take a break from training today and tomorrow, and get ready for departure.”
“Come on, come on, wait! Two days later?”
Dorian’s eyes jumped from side to side like a grasshopper.
“yes. two days later.”
“Why are you so tight! That’s too fast! It’s all gone today, so there’s only one day left!”
“Monster subjugation is a mission that is more urgent than escort or dungeon exploration. If you are late, there will be casualties in Cebu.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me earlier!”
Burren exploded again and stumbled.
“Uh… .”
“More… .”
“stop.”
Raon’s low voice pierced the center of the dance hall.
“The instructor said it a long time ago. I don’t know when or how the mission will come down. Now is not the time to panic and argue, but the time to prepare for the mission. The more you ask, the more you fall for the instructors’ intentions.”
“Uh… .”
“That’s right.”
“okay. Let’s move right away.”
When the trainees who were raising their fever with Burren nodded, Limer smiled contentedly.
“I will pluck out those ears someday.”
Marta muttered the same words as Lars and grinded her teeth.
Runan stood there blankly, licking his lips as if it didn’t matter what happened. He seemed to be thinking of ice cream to eat when he gets home.
“Wild Orcs are more ferocious and stronger than the Orcs they faced during actual training. Because there are so many numbers, it will be a one-to-many battle. If we have learned footwork, it is more advantageous to fight with evasion rather than defense. Make your equipment as light as possible and gather here at dawn the next day.”
Raon said so and turned around.
“yes.”
“Tt… .”
Runan nodded like a young bird, and Marta left the dance floor with a tongue-tied tongue.
“All right!”
The trainees following Raon answered loudly and ran to the dormitory.
“Well… .”
Burren stared at the instructors for a moment, but turned around without opening his mouth any longer. The guards followed him to the main building.
“Now, everyone looks like a leader.”
Limer smiled with her arms crossed. What caught his eye, of course, was Raon’s back.
“That’s it.”
“I didn’t know that child would change like that.”
“Because I came up from the bottom, I have an open mind.”
“I’ve seen a lot of kids, but this is the first time I’ve ever had a senior follow them through hard work, not status or talent.”
The instructors approached Limer’s side and nodded. They all recognized Raon.
“Well, I have to prepare myself. We have to start before the children.”
As the youngest instructor saw the children leaving, his taste buds were dry.
In the past, only trainees really sent missions, but after Glenn left the village, the instructors secretly followed the rules of the second mission recently.
“no.”
Limer tapped the youngest instructor on the shoulder and shook his head.
“I’m coming.”
“Yes?”
“Eh?”
“Are you really?”
The instructors widened their eyes. I couldn’t believe that a human who was bothered by education followed his mission.
“okay.”
“There, Chief Instructor. If you overslept and can’t go when the children are in danger… .”
“Ah! what do you see me as Can’t you believe me?”
Limer quickly slammed his hand, but the instructors did not respond. There were not even five times that he was not late during the training period.
“Anyway, I will go. Everyone is resting.”
Rimer left those words behind and turned his back. As he left the gym, he heard a muttering voice telling him to sleep soundly for a while.
“If you want to sleep, sleep here. Why are you following a mission? .”
“If I stay here, the headmaster or other landlords will interfere with me, so I’m leaving.”
“under… .”
The instructors recognized Limer’s thoughts and spit out a fuss.
“He’s such a great lazy guy.”
* * *
Even though the mission started two days later, Raon finished the night training and returned to his dorm.
In front of the room was a backpack with lightening magic applied. It was like a bag I had prepared to take with me on a mission.
‘You’re giving a lot of tea that you don’t care.’
I usually give these bags myself, but seeing them in front of the room like this doesn’t interest me, so I meant to do it myself.
“good.”
Raon grinned and went into the room with his bag. It doesn’t matter whether the instructors come or not. It is enough to return after completing any mission perfectly.
-upstart. Do you think that everything in the world is going your way? Unexpected things can happen.
‘Well, that’s right.”
nodded. As Lars said, you never know what will happen when. However, it didn’t really make sense to me, as I could solve most of the problems with my own hands.
‘You never know what’s going to happen to me.’
-I really want to rip that snout.
‘It’s impossible.’
Raon smiled and started packing. I even got a light bag, so packing wasn’t too difficult.
smart.
As I was packing for a while, I heard a knock.
‘Who is it?’
Everyone was busy preparing for departure, so I thought it was strange and opened the door.
“Ugh!”
Raon opened his eyes and opened his mouth. The only two people who could embarrass him. Sylvia and Helen stood there, blushing.
“Laon! If you’re going on a mission, you should come to the annex and tell Mom!”
“How do you do that? Maybe Dorian again this time?”
“Limer-sama told me!”
Sylvia put her hand on her waist and frowned.
‘That elf. really… .’
A sigh escaped from within. I came to the dorm on purpose because I was afraid Sylvia and Helen would be worried, but I never thought that I would go and talk to them in person.
“Sorry,”
If I hadn’t noticed, I wouldn’t know. I had time to go to the annex, but it was true that I avoided it because I was afraid of an uncomfortable situation if I said I was going on a mission without an instructor.
“… … .”
Sylvia pursed her lips without saying a word and wrinkled her nose. As I was about to close my eyes because I thought I was going to be nagging for a while, I heard her voice.
“Laon.”
“Yes?”
“Senior is not just a place to say hello, but a place where you have to lead trainees in a better direction.”
Sylvia’s eyes gleamed with a more serious light than usual.
“You have to think and move, not just yourself, but all the trainees. Your children’s lives depend on your choices.”
“uh. yes.”
Raon nodded with a bewildered expression.
‘I don’t think these words will come out… .’
I knew I would be scolded and nagged, but I never thought I would give such advice.
“Monster subjugation seems easy, but it is a difficult task. Be sure to root it out so that the villagers do not continue to suffer.”
Sylvia is right. The breeding of monsters is very fast, so you have to be sure to finish it once you deal with it.
“As long as you go on a mission, always keep in your mind that you are not a trainee, but a swordsman of Sieghard.”
She lowered her posture and made eye contact. Eyes twinkling like starlight.
“Did your mom tell you? In the past, Sieghard knew the honor and shame, and was a person who raised a sword against the strong for the weak. Mom wants Raon to show the old Sieghard-like side.”
Sylvia smiled softly stroking Raon’s shoulder.
“Aren’t you mad?”
“Are you mad! Worry too! Very frustrating! but!”
Her expression changed in an instant. Pout your lips again.
“Now is not the time to scold you. I’m prepared for nagging when I come back later.”
“yes.”
Raon smiled softly and nodded. Sylvia, too, knew that now was not the time to be scolded because she had lived a life of a swordsman.
“I’m happy that you’ve become brighter since you started practicing, but I can’t always let go of my worries.”
Sylvia hugged Raon tightly. Her trembling fingers were full of her worries.
She returned after giving some more advice. I didn’t take my time as much as I was prepared for, and I didn’t give my heart away.
Although he was worried about his son, he hoped to complete his duties as a prosecutor properly.
So her voice and her words penetrated deep into my heart.
Raon looked out the window as he packed his things. The moonlight permeated the room as if envious of him.