The Weight of a Challenge
Martha Zieghart raised her hand to her waist and lifted her chin. Her eyes were arrogant. It didn't match her delicate appearance, but in another way, it was extremely natural.
“This place doesn’t seem like a good idea?”
Raon tapped the floor of the training ground with his foot. Dorian had warned him, but he hadn’t expected her to immediately provoke him. Indeed, there were no proper humans around.
-I didn’t expect a cheeky brat with pointed ears or blue eyes to come out. Hand over your body. This King will freeze that girl whole!
“This is what I thought would happen.”
Raon’s outburst also began with Las’s reaction. Seeing the explosion of anger, he was much more furious than usual.
“Hmph.”
“Martha Zieghart.”
Thinking about what to do, a voice cold and unlike a child’s came from the side.
“What are you doing without any dignity right now?”
It was Burren Zieghart. His cool eyes glared at Martha.
“Huh?”
Martha puckered her lips. It wasn’t the face a noble’s child should show, but the expression of someone who had stepped into the dark world.
“That’s what I should say. Raon Zieghart was recognized as the top student in front of the instructor and the clan head. Are you denying that?”
Burren stepped forward as if it were his own matter to block Martha.
“As far as I know, you were also causing a ruckus because you couldn’t accept the test results?”
Martha’s lips curled up. A thick, mocking smile. Unlike denying the top spot, she knew the process of the test.
“Because I didn’t want to see the ugliness I saw at that time in front of you now.”
“Eh?”
“Don’t tarnish the name of the Zieghart family. Martha Zieghart.”
Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at Burren’s back.
“That guy…”
Burren’s eyes were clear. It wasn’t about fighting spirit, but it seemed he was only trying to prevent the situation from getting messy.
It seemed his bow of apology was sincere.
Bam!
It wasn’t only Burren who tried to block Martha. Like Runaan stepping forward to protect Raon.
“You have the same thought?”
Martha scanned Runaan and Burren and laughed with a grin.
“Go.”
Runaan spat out one short word with a sullen expression.
“Move aside. Martha.”
“I said it.”
Martha’s eyes flashed.
“I don’t listen to the words of those weaker than me!”
Her fist pierced the air and shot towards Burren.
Whoosh!
The fist containing aura reached just before hitting Burren’s face, and a green wind rose up.
Boom!
Rimer, who was on the raised platform, appeared in the blink of an eye and blocked Martha’s fist.
“You guys don’t respect me too much? Even if I’m easygoing, if I treat you like no one, it would be disappointing.”
He smiled and pushed away Martha’s fist.
“Martha. You failed because of your temper, and it’s still the same.”
“That’s…”
“Burren and Runaan may not know, but Raon didn’t even master aura like you said. Do you still want to fight?”
“I don’t plan to use aura either.”
“Even so, you know the conditions are different. There will be a chance later, so hold back today.”
“Tsk…”
Martha pouted and took a step back. However, she didn’t leave and glared at Burren.
“Burren Zieghart.”
“What?”
“You know that your brother beat you up and you lay in bed for a month? To show off your arrogance, you need to build up your skills first.”
“I’m different from my brother.”
“You’ll see that.”
Martha smiled thinly and turned her body. Runaan and Burren also relaxed and stepped aside.
At that moment.
While Martha turned her back, she stomped the ground.
“I hate cowards who hide behind others more than arrogant brats!”
She instantly rushed forward and threw a punch at Raon.
“Hah!”
“Ah!”
Burren and Runaan didn’t react, and Rimer just watched quietly.
“Just as I thought.”
Raon’s pupils sank deeply. He had expected her to rush in when she turned her back and placed her weight on the rear.
Thud!
He blocked Martha’s punch aimed at his chest with the back of his hand.
“Eh?”
“Ready to take a hit?”
She thrust her clenched fist. The rotating fist of the Gongho Fist shot towards Martha’s empty abdomen.
“Hah!”
Panic appeared in Martha’s eyes. Grinding her teeth, brown aura gathered in her left hand.
Boom!
The fist and the arm with aura collided, and Raon and Martha were pushed back simultaneously.
“You said you wouldn’t use aura?”
Raon flicked his red fist.
“You, what are you?!”
Martha’s eyes, clear black and white, were bloodshot. She, who had been showing only arrogance, stammered.
“Ya!”
“You, you blocked that?”
Rimer laughed heartily, and Burren swallowed hard.
“Tsk!”
Martha pulled brown aura throughout her body.
“Enough.”
Just as she was about to charge, Rimer straightened his posture and blocked her.
“I can’t allow more than this.”
Smiling, but the aura he was spewing was sharp. It was different from the playful act a moment ago.
“But!”
“Right now, fighting without aura is just incomplete combustion. Later, when Raon masters aura, fight properly. Then I’ll allow it.”
“Haa…”
Martha gnashed her teeth and glared at Raon, then turned her body. This time, without looking back, she closed the door with a bang and left.
“Raon.”
Rimer approached and grabbed Raon’s shoulder.
“How did you block Martha’s attack? It seemed like you knew it in advance.”
“Weight center.”
Raon casually threw the answer as if it was nothing.
“Weight center?”
Burren countered. Runaan also perked up her rabbit-like ears, curious.
“That woman placed her weight on the rear when she turned her back. The direction was not the front, but the rear. It wasn’t Burren or Runaan, but the center, me. I thought she would definitely rush in.”
“Just that…”
After hearing the answer, Burren frowned, and Runaan looked lost in thought, her eyes unfocused.
“Hmm!”
Rimer let out a light exclamation.
“Indeed, her observation and physical abilities are amazing.”
She read the opponent’s intention through the weight center and immediately counterattacked. It was definitely not ordinary talent.
“…”
Burren looked at the floor where Raon and Martha had collided, bit his lip, and left the training ground.
“Since I told you firmly, I won’t bother you for a while. Instead, when you master aura later, you won’t be able to avoid fighting Martha.”
“I understand.”
“By the way, you completely turned the rotation of the Gongho Fist into your own.”
The punch Raon threw at Martha contained rotation. It was a surprising sight beyond a counter.
“It wasn’t that much.”
Raon shook his head and turned around.
-What did you do just now? Sending away the girl who threw a punch at this King! I should tear her limbs and freeze her in a millennium ice...
“I threw one punch.”
-It’s not enough. I should break her head completely!
“No gain.”
There’s no gain in practicing punches here.
When I get something from her later, it’s much better to bet on the top spot.
-Kruuu, I should freeze her whole and crush her...
“Wait. I’ll show you a cooler sight.”
Raon smiled and left the training ground.
***
Raon came out to the training ground before sunrise. He wanted to train alone, but the instruction came down, so he had no choice.
Since most trainees were mastering aura, there were 8 people on the training ground, all commoner trainees.
“D, Dorin.”
Dorian approached with drooping shoulders.
“O, is it true that there are cases where you die while mastering aura? It also says it hurts like your dantian is bursting…”
It wasn’t entirely wrong. In fact, there were people who died or were severely injured while learning bad cultivation methods.
Of course, the cultivation methods provided by Zieghart were stable, and there were excellent instructors around, so there wouldn’t be any problems.
“It’ll be fine.”
He repeated the same words every time he met Dorian.
“Y, yes? Since you said so, I feel a bit more at ease.”
Dorian smiled awkwardly and adjusted his breathing. And a moment later.
“I, really will it be okay? No matter how stable it is, dangerous people might come out, and if it’s me, it’s all over! W, what should I do? If I die…”
“…”
Raon turned his head. No matter how much he said, Dorian’s anxiety wouldn’t disappear. There was no particular reason to worry about the guy.
“Today, you didn’t come late, did you? Perfect timing.”
Rimer entered over the wall as usual. Looking at the dark sky before sunrise, he smiled thinly.
“The sun will rise soon, so let’s start right away.”
“Yes!”
With the expectation of mastering aura, the children let out much louder cheers than usual.
“Other children are mastering aura first, so there’s no need to think you’re behind. Aura is a martial art to master for a lifetime. Think of them as having gone one step ahead.”
“Yes!”
“Then enter the personal cultivation room with the instructor next to you. Until you enter stable cultivation, the instructors will help you. Tell me if there’s anything you want to know or anything difficult.”
Rimer clapped his hands, and the instructors who had been waiting behind took the children to the personal cultivation rooms.
“Hmm.”
Raon looked around. Unlike the other children, there was no one next to him.
“You enter the personal cultivation room alone.”
“Then why did you call me?”
“There are cases where problems arise while learning cultivation methods in the cultivation room. I’ll be waiting outside, so train without worry.”
“…”
I can’t believe it.
Rimer, whom I’ve seen so far, is an unbelievable person. Even if I die in the cultivation room, he’ll probably be taking a nap.
“What is that look? You don’t believe me?”
“No.”
He shook his head and entered the cultivation room. He didn’t expect help. Just standing guard appropriately would be enough.
“Huuk.”
Raon closed his eyes and began to operate the Cultivation of Ten Thousand Flames, and a bright red flame rose and burned on his shoulders.
“Shall I try it.”
***
Rimer immediately straightened his posture as Raon entered the cultivation room. He quietly released his qi perception so no one would disturb him.
“What did he get?”
He unfolded his qi perception and read the mana fluctuations happening around Raon’s cultivation room.
“It’s fire attribute.”
The hot and dynamic mana surged around Raon.
“It’s not a normal cultivation method?”
The aura from Raon’s mana circuit was far beyond normal levels. Explosive aura like freshly erupted lava. While in the process of acquiring the aura cultivation method, such mana movement meant it wasn’t a normal cultivation method.
“This isn’t the same color as the package, it’s a level that even the gold tablet wouldn’t be given…”
He said that the upper cultivation methods wouldn’t differ much from Linden cultivation methods for the children, but Raon’s was different.
More than the cultivation methods taught by the direct line.
If he properly acquired that cultivation method, the aura that would be born from Raon’s dantian was something to look forward to, and his heart was pounding.
However, the flow of aura was very complicated. It seemed it would require a lot of time and effort to acquire.
“…Hmm?”
Rimer lowered his furrowed brows. The hot aura rushing through Raon’s mana circuit. A cool chill was spreading inside it.
“Could it be that guy!”
After sensing Raon’s moving aura, naturally his mouth opened wide.
“Instead of erasing the coldness in the mana circuit, he’s guiding that aura together!”
Raon wasn’t just discarding the coldness being erased by the heat, but was accepting it into his dantian.
“Is this a kid who just learned how to handle mana for the first time?”
A kid who hadn’t even passed a week since learning the cultivation method was able to use mana freely. I really couldn’t imagine it.
“Aura cultivation method isn’t the characteristic, it’s that guy’s talent.”
His mana control ability was amazing beyond even excellent cultivation methods. Even if he had controlled mana from his stomach, it wouldn’t be that much.
“Not only the flow of body and martial arts, but there was talent in mana too…”
Raon had heard in the judgment that he had the lowest talent in mana. But now he was showing mana manipulation ability better than Burren or Runaan.
“If that guy properly masters that cultivation method…”
Rimer smiled with anticipation and clenched his fist.
“Maybe a new monster will be born.”
***
One hour later from then.
Raon Zieghart came out of the cultivation room with hot breath.
“Raon.”
Rimer came down from the raised platform and approached Raon.
“From tomorrow, train in the accommodation.”
“Eh? Yesterday, it was said to come out every day…”
“It’s fine. Train in the accommodation.”
The walls of the accommodation were magic-treated, so even if he did aura cultivation, it couldn’t be felt from the outside.
If someone else sensed Raon’s aura cultivation method, there was a possibility of severe suppression. It was better to train in the magic-treated accommodation.
“I’ll come by once in a while to check.”
“Coach? Hmm…”
“I’m not always lazy, you know?”
“I understand.”
Raon nodded with his usual blank expression.
“This is something I should tell right away.”
Rimer felt the lingering hot mana spreading from Raon’s body and smiled with a grin.
***
After all training was over, Rimer went to the audience chamber.
“You’re coming to the audience chamber often these days.”
Glenn Zieghart, who didn’t move from the throne as if it were a rock, raised his head.
“What is it this time?”
“I have something to report.”
Rimer smiled thinly and walked on the central red carpet.
“Martha participated in the training. Her personality was even hotter than I heard.”
“That kid won’t change until someone of her age beats her.”
Glenn nodded slightly as if he knew that would be the case.
“Then maybe we’ll see that appearance soon.”
“What?”
“There was a slight clash with Raon.”
Rimer explained the confrontation between Raon, Martha, Burren, and Runaan that happened yesterday.
“Is that so? Those kids already…”
Glenn nodded slightly. In his expressionless face, a small joy seemed to be floating.
“Ah, but the reason I came is not that. What did you give Raon?”
Unlike the appearance he showed to Raon, Rimer raised his voice with a surprised look.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a cultivation method with such complexity and a well-organized flow. And it’s fire attribute…”
“The Cultivation of Ten Thousand Flames.”
Glenn continued as if it was nothing special.
“The Cultivation of Ten Thousand Flames?”
“It’s the cultivation method of the First Patriarch.”
“Ah, the cultivation method of the First Patriarch. So that’s why such a level of… Eh? Eh?”
Rimer’s eyes were bloodshot.
“F, First Patriarch?”
“Yes.”
“H, I thought it was a cultivation method at the level of gold tablet or silver tablet, but I didn’t expect you to hand over the First Patriarch’s cultivation method. It seems the clan head really treasures Raon.”
“The Cultivation of Ten Thousand Flames chose Raon. I had no intention of giving it to that kid.”
“Hmm…”
Glenn hadn’t explained in detail. There must have been various reasons in it.
“You came to ask about that?”
“Actually, it’s about Raon. His talent is definitely not normal. Not only martial arts, but his talent for mana is terrifying!”
Rimer explained all the mana flow he saw in Raon today.
“You said the Judgment Sword came out below average. Isn’t that somewhere broken?”
“…”
Glenn Zieghart removed his hand from the armrest and stroked his chin.
“There was talent in mana too…”
The golden flame that shone on the Judgment Sword after everyone left seemed to be Raon’s ability after all.
“Is the child’s body condition okay?”
“Still sweating cold, and cold air is coming out from his mouth. There’s definitely a problem with his body, but after training, he seems even more comfortable.”
“Hmm…”
Glenn nodded. It seemed that moving the body actively as Pedrick said was the right answer.
“Raon has special talent in both body and mana. He has observation, insight, and composure. I think he has the potential to become another successor.”
“Talent is not important. Even if Raon has such potential, the kid is too difficult.”
“It’s not impossible. In fact, I’ve never liked my sons very much.”
Rimer looked up at Glenn with narrowed eyes.
“I became a member of the Zieghart family after seeing that flame of yours. But among the successors, there is no king I want to follow.”
“You don’t mean you became a coach because of that…”
Glenn narrowed his eyes. No matter how weak, Rimer had reached the Sword Master realm. It seemed the reason he rejected all offers and became a coach was to find a king himself.
“If Raon is given the qualifications, he can become a successor, right?”
“…That’s true.”
“Perfect.”
Rimer bowed with a dark green light and took a step back.
“One more thing. Raon doesn’t just have talent. Well, the clan head probably knows that better than me.”
He let out his last words before leaving the audience chamber and closed the door.
“Yes. I know well.”
Glenn looked at the empty audience chamber and smiled bitterly.
“What kind of kid that kid is, what kind of heart he holds.”