The Flame Sword Scroll

Raon tapped the fluffy ball floating above his shoulder.

-This King ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is the Lord of Wrath ruling the Demon Realm.

Blue cold air burst from Wrath, so icy it chilled the bones.

-Not once since gaining existence has this King uttered a single lie.

The words "since gaining existence" meant he had never told a falsehood.

-This King and you are bound by a bet. Even if you refuse, I will make you comply, so do not worry.

"Then stop dragging your feet and give it already."

-Before that, I have one question.

"What?"

-How did you break through that sharp-eared one's momentum, and how did you imitate the arrogant brat's martial arts?

Wrath's question was exactly as expected.

"First, give me the reward. That's the priority."

-Hmm, understood.

Wrath's blue flames fluttered like butterflies, and a message appeared in the air.

As the stats surged, a surge of joy filled Raon's body and he bit his lip. The reward was not yet over.

"Sense of Frost Flowers?"

Raon tilted his head at the name.

-It is a good trait that does not suit your insignificance.

"What does it do?"

-It expands the range of senses. At Rank 1, the range will increase by about 10%.

"10%..."

If one could perceive 10 meters with current senses, the range would become 11 meters.

It might seem minor now, but the utility of this trait would skyrocket as the sensory range expanded.

-In my case, I can detect more than ten times the senses I originally had.

"Is that so?"

Upon reflection, the "Rank 1" after Sense of Frost Flowers indicated it would grow like the Flame Rings.

"It's fine."

Raon nodded. As an assassin who valued senses above all, he saw no reason to refuse.

"But why Sense of Frost Flowers?"

-Taste. Respect it.

"Hah."

The ice flower bracelet and the name "Snow Flower" were both matters of taste. The sense was truly twisted.

-The bet with this King is over...

Just as Wrath moved closer, a new message appeared.

"Huh?"

-What!

Wrath, unable to see the status window but able to read the messages, was startled and opened his mouth wide.

-You little rat! Taking away this King's stats again!

"It's not me. The system is doing it on its own. Besides, compared to your main body's abilities, one point is nothing."

-O-of course!

"Then there's no problem."

-That may be so, but...

Wrath rolled his eyes awkwardly and sighed.

-Hah, fine. Now it is your turn. Tell me what your true identity is.

"I don't want to."

-What? What did you just say...

"I said I don't want to."

Raon shook his head with his usual expressionless face.

-You dare insult this King! You said you would reveal your abilities...

"I never said that. I asked for the reward first."

-...

Raon, recalling the memory, opened his mouth wide.

"Right? I never said I would give you an answer."

Raon smiled faintly.

'I cannot tell him about reincarnation.'

To bring out the assassin Raon's skill, one must speak of reincarnation. Wrath might do something unpredictable, so he could not reveal that.

'It is the same for the Flame Rings.'

Besides protecting and growing the body and mind, the Flame Rings had a special ability to discern the flow of martial arts.

It allowed him to copy Burren's public domain martial arts in sparring because it included the opponent's martial arts, not just his own.

Of course, it was possible because the status window's enhancement and Burren's public domain achievement were lower than the Flame Rings.

But from the beginning, he had no intention of giving Wrath information.

'He is an enemy.'

Although he seemed a bit closer, Wrath still targeted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his body and soul. He could not give even small information.

-You dare mock this King!

Wrath could not hold back his anger and spewed blue flames. The pain of thousands of ice blades piercing the skin was felt.

'Still, it is tolerable.'

It was fortunate to have met Wrath after gaining resistance to cold attributes. Without resistance, Wrath's fire attribute would have broken him long ago.

Raon suppressed Wrath's cold energy that made his chest boil and smiled.

"You also have low learning ability. You should attack me in this calm state; only then will you be able to beat me."

-Shut up!

Wrath's flames intensified further. The cold energy seeped into the bones. Hands and feet trembled from the chills.

Huaaaa!

Perhaps because the external cold was too strong, the cold energy embedded in the mana circuits came alive, making it even more unbearable.

"Hoo..."

Raon slowly took a deep breath and operated the Flame Rings. The pain gradually decreased.

-You damnable brat! How do you endure it!

"Mental strength."

He answered lightly, but it was not just words.

Even with Flame Rings and cold resistance, it was hard to endure. Without the experience of enduring hell training in his previous life, he might have fainted.

Grinding his teeth, exerting all his strength to endure, a blue window appeared before his eyes.

As the stat increase message appeared, vitality filled his mind and body. The cold energy that had been pressing on the mana circuits began to subside.

-Dammit!

Wrath screamed and detached from Raon's body. Wrath was still angry, but it seemed he realized he was biting the hand that fed him.

-What the hell are you! There was no one like you in this King's record of human history!

"I don't know either."

It was not a joke.

He did not know why he reincarnated, why he was born in Zieghart, or why he was connected to Wrath.

-Do not underestimate this King! I will find out your true identity somehow and chew and swallow your body and soul!

"I keep saying it. If you can, try it."

Smiling, Raon sat on the bed. The goose that laid golden eggs had done one thing today as well.

"However..."

Raon's gaze looking out the window was cold, as if covered in frost.

"What is that..."

The Heavy Martial Palace where Karun Zieghart stayed. The room, which seemed to embody the word "splendor," was filled with silence.

"Ugh..."

After standing in proper posture for nearly four hours, a groan that Burren Zieghart had been holding back finally escaped from his mouth.

Only then did Karun's eyes, who had been sitting at the desk, turn to him.

"Burren Zieghart."

"Y-yes."

Because he had not spoken a word for a long time, Burren's voice came out flat and suppressed.

"What did I order you to do?"

"T-to bring the top trainee position. And not to support anyone, h-he said!"

"Indeed. I did not ask for much. To break that girl from Slyon family, trample Raon, and then get the top position."

Karun's eyes burned red.

"But it is not that girl, but the son of Burren who fell from the direct line, beaten in front of everyone?"

The low, cold voice that shook the room made one's heart twist.

"What do you want to humiliate me to this extent? Do you want to become like the third or fourth?"

"N-no!"

Burren shook his head vigorously ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠while trembling. He did not want to become like his two older brothers who were not even called by name anymore.

"You already lost your first chance."

There was no joy in Karun's eyes for the son he met after a long time. Only anger and irritation filled them.

"Ah, I know."

Burren could not meet those eerie eyes and bit his lip while looking at the tips of his feet.

"After completing basic training, when graduating as a trainee, I will grade your performance so far and select the top again. Bring that position."

"Y-yes..."

Burren swallowed hard and answered as if spitting blood.

"If you want to live as a direct descendant of Zieghart, do not miss this last chance given to you."

Karun waved his hand as if telling him to go.

"T-thank you."

Burren did not even properly look at his father's face after six months. With head bowed, he left the room.

"Damn it!"

Burren, who came out of the Heavy Martial Palace, roared and hit the wall.

"Damn that guy..."

Teeth grinding. Because he had lived his whole life receiving only praise, his father's scolding hit harder.

Especially that it was because of that damn Raon that he ended up like this. It was too infuriating.

"Huff!"

He exhaled the accumulated irritation in his chest as a sigh, but it did not ease at all. To shift his mood, he walked aimlessly.

"Why am I here..."

When he came to his senses, he had arrived at the Fifth Training Ground. The door was locked. He jumped over the wall and entered.

"Indeed."

Burren snorted. The outside door was closed, but the doors to the indoor training ground and lounge were open.

"Dumb instructors."

Pouting, he headed to the lounge. As he tried to close the open door, he saw a locker with Raon's name on it.

"Hmm."

Muttering that he was just looking, Burren opened Raon's locker. Inside was clean. Except for a box at the bottom, there was nothing.

"What box is this... eh?"

When Burren opened the box, his mouth opened wide.

"W-what is this! How many pairs of shoes!"

Inside the box were training shoes with soles worn out or torn. Not just a few, but over ten pairs.

'He used this in six months?'

It was unbelievable, so Burren checked the shoes, but all were the same size and shape. All were Raon's issued shoes.

"Huh."

Burren let out a hollow laugh. He received the same training shoes as Raon, but he had changed them only twice.

'This cannot be.'

It was hard to believe that while he changed his shoes twice, Raon had changed them more than ten times.

"Insane..."

Looking at the shoes that seemed worn for years, it felt like being hit on the back of the head with a club. The shock was greater than when scolded by his father.

'I feel like I have woken up from a dream.'

As his head cleared after being drenched in cold water, the things he had ignored came to mind.

Raon coming to the training ground earlier than anyone and leaving later than anyone.

Sweating, spitting cold air from his mouth, yet never giving up training even once.

The images of him running alone in the dark training ground after completing strength training in the indoor training ground came one by one.

'He was swinging the sword with show, while I was resting in the accommodation, the guy was surpassing his limits every day...'

The reason Raon's momentum was higher than any temporary trainee was right there.

'That is the Zieghart-like appearance.'

The one who showed the most Zieghart-like appearance in the Fifth Training Ground was Raon.

'And I, on the other hand...'

I mocked Raon, laughed at him, did not accept the result in the exam, and ended up losing shamefully.

"Kuuu!"

His face flushed with shame. Eyes blinded by jealousy, he felt disgust towards himself for doing only dirty and ugly things.

Burren sat in the empty lounge for a long time, then lifted his head. His green eyes no longer had the luster they had when entering the training ground.

"Never again..."

Past events cannot be changed. What is important is not to repeat the same thing in the future. That was the Zieghart-like appearance, and the attitude that should be pursued even now.

"Hoo!"

Burren exhaled a deep breath to empty the stubbornness in his heart. His footsteps leaving the training ground were light like Rimer's.

Two days after returning to the annex and resting, Raon's routine was the same as when at the training ground.

From dawn, he ran around the annex, and after breakfast, instead of equipment, he did bodyweight exercises for strength training.

Since he spent time with Sylvia yesterday, there was only one thing that could disturb him.

-Training again? This is really boring. Do something else for this King.

When Raon ignored the freely given Wrath and tried to continue training, someone came looking for him.

"Chief Butler Roen of the Lord's Palace."

An elderly man with an amiable appearance whose hair was half cloud-colored.

"Lord Glenn called the young master."

He bowed with polite etiquette.

"Called? Why me..."

"To award the same-colored badge."

"Hmm."

Raon narrowed his eyes. He thought someone would just hand over the badge, but he did not know he would be called directly.

"Huh!"

Sylvia, who was in the building, jumped out from the window.

"R-Roen-nim."

"Sylvia-nim."

The two, of course knowing each other, bowed at the same time.

"Father. No, Lord Glenn called me directly?"

"Indeed."

"Um, is there something special..."

"There is no special matter. It is just an award ceremony as it is."

Roen smiled kindly as if telling him not to worry.

"Raon..."

"It is fine. I will go."

Raon brushed off the dust on his clothes and put on his outer garment.

"Wait! Change your clothes!"

"It is fine as is."

Glenn is a natural martial artist. He would not dislike the fact that he came from training.

"Then let's go."

Roen smiled faintly and led the way, Raon gave Sylvia a signal and headed to the Lord's Palace.

"..."

Raon looked up at Glenn sitting on the golden throne, his fingertips trembling.

In the audience chamber spacious enough for hundreds of people, facing Glenn one-on-one, his mouth went dry.

-That guy is strong, huh. I want to poke those red eyes.

Of course, completely insane Raon was an exception.

"Even if you do not like it, you have to keep your promise."

Glenn put unnecessary words in front and gestured to Roen.

"Yes."

Roen nodded slightly and brought a subtly shining same-colored badge.

"Thank you."

Raon received the same-colored badge from Roen's hand. In the center of the badge was a burning sword, the Zieghart family pattern.

"I award you the same-colored badge. You will return the badge and can request something suitable or make a request."

"Then can I ask right now?"

Raon clenched the badge and looked up at Glenn. He had already thought about how to use this badge.

"...Speak."

Glenn was silent for a moment but nodded.

"Sylvia Zieghart."

"Hm?"

"To raise my mother to her original position, what do I need to do?"

Glenn and Roen, who did not expect such words, widened their eyes and looked down at him.

"If it is the original position, does it mean direct line?"

"Indeed."

Glenn closed his mouth. As if trying to read his intent, he scanned his whole body. Feeling his gaze was enough to make one's heart twist.

"Merit."

"If it is merit..."

"Even if it is not just me, if I accumulate merit recognized by the entire family, it is not impossible."

"Then you mean it is possible?"

"Indeed."

Glenn nodded. With a slightly brighter look than before, he continued.

"But it is close to impossible. Receiving recognition from various people is harder than catching the stars in the sky."

He curled the corners of his mouth mockingly. It seemed like he was saying you will never achieve it.

-It is arrogant. If this King finds the main body, I can kill that guy within thousands of exchanges!

Wrath glared at Glenn with burning eyes. But challenging thousands of exchanges meant that even for Wrath, it was an overwhelming super strong opponent.

"Then it is settled."

Raon returned the badge to Roen.

"Thank you."

Accumulating merit was something he had done as if breathing in his previous life. He stood up, vowing to return Sylvia to her original position no matter what mission he completed.

"Wait."

Just as he was about to leave, Glenn's voice came from the stage.

"You have not said what the reward is."

"Huh?"

"You only asked a question. Such things can be told without a badge."

When he turned around, Glenn was looking at him with the same cold eyes. But something unexplainable by words seemed to have changed.

'What is this?'

Glenn did not think he would say such words. He thought he would force the badge, but it was an unexpected appearance.

"Say your wish."

"..."

Raon looked at the same-colored badge in Roen's hand and his eyes sparkled.

'There is a predetermined next wish.'

After the question about Sylvia's return, he had already thought about what was needed.

'Aura cultivation method.'

The Flame Rings were undoubtedly an ancient cultivation method, but it only trained the body and mind, not creating aura.

He needed an aura cultivation method superior to the Shadow Aura Cultivation Method he had learned in his previous life.

"I need an aura cultivation method."

"Aura cultivation method? That will be taught by the instructors during basic training."

That was correct. The cultivation methods given in basic training were mid-to-high level when viewed across the continent.

But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that level was not enough.

To restore Sylvia's position and cut off Derus's neck, he needed a higher level cultivation method.

"I need a cultivation method superior to that. I would like you to provide a cultivation method equivalent to the same level badge."

"..."

Glenn closed his eyes. Continuously feeling, but he had less emotional expression than Raon, the assassin. The nickname "Cold Blood" suited him well.

Thud!

As he closed his eyes and snapped his fingers, the floor of the Lord's Palace shook as if an earthquake.

Kugugugu!

Golden flames rose from the floor. In the flames spiraling and burning, a circular scroll rose endlessly.

"What is this..."

Raon opened his eyes wide. The scroll was so large it reached the high ceiling of the audience chamber, and colorful books were inserted in each compartment.

"This is one of the Zieghart bookcases. If you place your hand in the center, the book most needed for you right now will come down."

"Ah, I understand."

Calming his mind, he approached the bookcase. Looking up, his neck hurt from the height, and the number of books was countless.

'If it is better than the Shadow Cultivation Method.'

While hoping for an aura cultivation method better than the Shadow Aura Cultivation Method, he placed his hand on the bookcase.

Uuuuung!

The bookcase vibrated. The books shook and trembled as if in cold.

The bookcase rotated like being carried by the wind and then stopped abruptly.

Bang!

The first book in the first compartment of the first unseen section came out by itself and unfolded.

Huaaaak!

While spewing an enormous golden flame that was too large to open eyes.

"What the hell!"

Glenn Zieghart, watching the scene, slammed the handle of the throne and stood up abruptly.