Raon looked at Sylvia with his mouth agape. She wasn't content just to shout "freedom"; she raised her arms to the sky like a liberated slave and let out a cheer.
'What on earth is going on?'
Raon had thought that Sylvia was content with following his training, but he never imagined she would shout "freedom" like that. It felt like a nightmare.
-What a nightmare!
Wrath approached with his blue eyes glaring.
-You were the nightmare for your mother!
He shook his head, calling Raon clueless. It was shocking to be called clueless by that fluffy creature. Raon was too dumbfounded to respond.
"Uh, Mom."
Raon raised his trembling hand to call Sylvia.
"Hooo…"
Sylvia let out a long sigh and turned her gaze to Raon.
"It was really too hard. You should tone down the training a bit!"
She glared, saying it was too painful to endure the training.
"But you liked it too, Mom. You even smiled as you improved quickly…"
Raon, flustered, reverted to calling her "Mom" instead of "Mother," as he did when he was younger.
"I wasn't smiling because I liked it; it was a pained smile from the hardship! You clueless son!"
Sylvia frowned and stomped her foot.
"Ah…"
Raon trembled at the sight of Sylvia's scowling face.
"But you said you wanted to train hard…"
"I didn't know it would be this intense! I get criticized by you all day here and then endure night training at the annex! I want to train hard, not die!"
She shook her head vigorously, saying she would have quit long ago if he weren't her son.
"What, what? You weren't only training here?"
Burren exclaimed, astonished.
"He trained you at that intensity in the annex too? He really is crazy…"
Martha frowned, indicating she hadn't expected it to be that severe.
"Demon Raon…"
Runaan shuddered, saying he was scary.
"Ugh, I feel like poison would come out if you pricked him instead of blood."
Dorian stepped back as if frightened.
"Ugh…"
Raon bit his lip, unable to refute Burren and Dorian.
"But Mom, you've improved a lot. No one else in the Six Kings would have progressed this fast!"
"That's because I used up my lifespan to improve! If I had continued, I would have really died!"
Sylvia's claim of sacrificing her lifespan left Raon speechless.
-Puhahahaha!
Wrath began to laugh, clutching his belly.
-Seeing you speechless is sweeter than eating mint chocolate!
He patted Sylvia's back, urging her to continue.
"Raon, I spent over twenty years in the annex. I did housework and gardening with the maids, but I stopped all training as a swordswoman."
Sylvia lifted her dazed eyes.
"With my energy center being newly formed, how could I keep up with your training? The problem isn't that I improved; it's a miracle I survived!"
She shook her head wildly, her disheveled blonde hair swaying.
"Well, then you should have said something."
"You didn't listen when I did!"
"When…"
"I suggested we take breaks and try different training, but you insisted that basics were important and made me repeat basic swordsmanship endlessly!"
Sylvia quickly spoke, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
"Moreover, you kept criticizing without a single word of praise. How could anyone endure that?"
"I prefer it that way…"
"What?"
"Nothing."
Raon scratched his cheek and lowered his voice. In his past life, and learning from Glenn and Rimmer, he rarely received praise.
He was simply doing what he had always done, but now he was being scolded and didn't know what to do.
"Enough. I'm really exhausted now."
Sylvia lay down on the floor in a big X shape. She closed her eyes, saying she was going to rest for a while.
-I've always told you. There's no one as crazy about training as you, even in the Devildom.
Wrath shook his head with a smile on his lips.
-Mom! Don't worry. From now on, the humane me will take care of you.
'Ugh…'
It was infuriating that Wrath called himself humane and patted Sylvia's shoulder, and Raon couldn't refute it.
"I knew this would happen."
Rimmer approached with a smirk.
"You should have given her freedom like the great teacher here."
He shrugged, saying modern education should balance freedom and discipline.
"Ha…"
Raon sighed. It was frustrating to be mocked by his laissez-faire teacher.
"You're too rigid. People need to be flexible sometimes…"
"Just tell me about the mission."
"Impatient as always. It's not a big mission."
Rimmer smacked his lips and opened the mission report.
"It's a message from the Sinigen Branch. A place that seems to be the base of the South-North Union has appeared in the south, and many people are going missing. They want us to investigate."
"South-North Union…"
It had been a long time since Raon had heard about the South-North Union, apart from its leader. Since they had been quiet for a while, expanding their base wasn't surprising.
"Whenever the Vice Division Leader takes on a simple mission, it turns out to be tough…"
"Right. It always gets strangely difficult."
"Unlucky hand."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan frowned, doubting Rimmer's mission-picking skills.
"It can't be helped! All the easy and good ones are taken by the higher-ups!"
Rimmer waved his hand, saying he would need to be promoted to get better missions.
"Anyway, we leave in three days. It's not an urgent mission, but be thorough with your preparations. And learn some restraint."
He patted Raon's shoulder and disappeared leisurely.
"Hoo…"
Raon sighed, watching Sylvia, who hadn't gotten up even as Rimmer left. It seemed she really intended to rest.
"Finally, our demon Vice Division Leader will quiet down."
Krein smiled at the Light Wind division members.
"Thinking about that monster being depressed makes me feel good already."
He shook his head, saying Sylvia wasn't the only one who had suffered from hard training.
"Where's Ensia? I want to capture this shocked expression in a picture…"
Krein stopped mid-sentence, tilting his head. The swordsmen were standing silently, looking dazed.
"Why aren't you saying anything? When else will you get to mock him?"
"Be-behind you…"
"What? Behind me…"
Krein turned his head and stopped dead. Raon, with eyes more intense than the sun, was breathing heavily.
"Ra-Raon! I-I was just…"
Raon grabbed Krein's head and forcibly turned it.
"I have no intention of quieting down, but I can quiet you. How about that?"
He gave a chilling smile as he looked at the Light Wind swordsmen one by one.
"I can train you like I did my mother."
"That's physically impossible…"
Krein laughed awkwardly, shaking his head.
"We're not as talented as Sylvia, and we need to prepare for the mission…"
"Preparation only takes an hour."
"What?"
"From now until we leave for the mission, we'll conduct real combat training. Of course, I'll be your opponent. And the first one is…"
Raon's eyes moved as if selecting his first opponent.
"Ugh!"
"Eek!"
The Light Wind swordsmen backed away naturally, leaving Krein in the middle.
"Krein. I choose you."
Raon motioned for him to come.
"Why always me!"
"Haa…"
A woman with narrow eyes yawned loudly as she looked out the window, where the dawn breeze was blowing.
"Lisia. Is it that boring?"
The branch manager, with a kind face, laughed lightly from his desk.
"Night duty is always boring, but Sinigen itself is too dull. The base in the south is small, and the Lakion family in the east takes care of itself."
Lisia, yawning again, rested her chin on her desk.
"So that's why you applied to return to the main house at the end of the year."
The branch manager put down the book he was reading and shook his head.
"The main house is different from this branch. It's a cold place. If you fall behind even a little, you won't even be looked at. After a month there, you'll miss this boring place."
"I came from the main house too, you know!"
Lisia pouted, looking at the branch manager.
"And I didn't apply to return just because it's boring here."
"Then?"
"There's the life-or-death duel between the Light Wind Vice Division Leader and the Axe King on January 1st next year. I have to see that fight!"
She clasped her hands, gazing out the window with dreamy eyes.
"I've seen many handsome men in my life, but Raon's beauty is unparalleled. Just thinking about him defeating the Axe King with that handsome face…"
Lisia looked at the moon with a dreamy expression as if she had envisioned Raon beheading the Axe King in her dream.
"I hate to burst your bubble, but the Axe King is strong. He was renowned for his axe skills even before the Light Wind Vice Division Leader was born. Honestly, I think it'll be hard to win. A draw would be best."
"Raon defeated the Blue Dragon Kaivar, remember? He won't lose to a human."
"The Axe King is also a warrior capable of defeating a dragon if given the chance."
"Whose side are you on, Branch Manager?"
"Of course, I hope the Light Wind Vice Division Leader wins. I just want to remind you not to underestimate the enemy."
The branch manager waved his hand as a warrior on guard outside the branch entered.
"Branch Manager? You need to come out."
The warrior cautiously bowed his head.
"What's going on?"
The branch manager and Lisia got up and went outside.
"A child?"
Behind the warrior stood a young girl with striking red hair, shoulders hunched.
She was so hurried that she had lost one shoe, and her luxurious clothes were in tatters.
"Wait, you're…"
The branch manager widened his eyes upon recognizing the girl's face.
"Aren't you Siuelen!"
The girl was Siuelen, the youngest daughter of the Zieghart-affiliated Lakion family. He had greeted her at the Lakion family head's birthday last year, so there was no mistake.
"What's going on! Were you attacked?"
The branch manager exhaled heavily, unable to comprehend why a Lakion family princess was in such a state.
"Calm her down and ask."
Lisia went to get warm water, leaving for the pantry.
"That's true."
"P-please deliver my message to Zieghart!"
The branch manager nodded and sighed as Siuelen grabbed his sleeve.
"Come, sit here."
The branch manager helped Siuelen, whose legs were trembling, to sit on the sofa in the center of the branch.
"Tell me everything. Take your time."
"Haaa…"
Siuelen clutched her chest, catching her breath. She raised her gaze, determined, and looked into the branch manager's eyes.
"Lately, many people in our family have suddenly disappeared. Those close to me left without even saying goodbye, all in one day."
"Hmm…"
The branch manager groaned. A sudden and significant disappearance of family members was not a good sign.
"On the other hand, strangers I didn't know kept filling their places. It felt strange, so I investigated secretly, and those people…"
Siuelen's voice trembled as she continued.
Boom!
The front door of the branch burst open, and a middle-aged man with red hair walked in as if it were his home.
He wore a gold eyepatch over his left eye, and a tremendous aura emanated from his remaining eye.
"Be-Bells?"
The intruder was Bells Lakion, the first son of the Lakion family head and already the designated heir.
"My sister caused some trouble."
Bells bowed politely to the branch manager.
"She's been throwing tantrums because training is tough. Please forgive her if she said anything strange."
Despite the aura in his eyes, he wore a gentle smile.
"Ugh…"
Siuelen trembled like a leaf, even though her brother was there.
"Hmm…"
The branch manager held Siuelen's trembling hand and hid her behind him.
"Of course, I understand. However, I am having a personal conversation with Siuelen, so could you wait a moment?"
"…"
Bells did not respond, his previously cheerful smile darkening.
"You heard, didn't you?"
"Bells?"
"Then there's no choice."
He grinned, drawing the longsword from his back.
"What are you doing! This is a Zieghart branch…"
"So what."
Bells ignored the branch manager's words and slashed his longsword down like lightning.
"Grrk!"
The branch manager pushed Siuelen back to avoid the sword strike and raised his hand to perform a hand chop. Despite his surprise, his aura was unwavering.
Slash!
However, Bells' longsword cut through the branch manager's aura like paper, severing his neck.
"Ah…"
"B-Branch Manager!"
The warriors trembled, watching the branch manager's head roll on the floor, their lips quivering in disbelief.
"Kyah!"
Lisia, bringing tea, screamed and dropped the tray.
"Branch Manager… grr!"
Lisia quickly regained her composure and ran inside to send an emergency call to the main house.
Bells, seemingly aware of her intention, raised his longsword and hurled it like a spear.
Boom!
The sword shattered the wall, splitting Lisia's body in half. Blood-soaked rubble scattered pathetically.
"Little sister."
Bells looked down at Siuelen, whose face had turned blue and lips were trembling.
"The reason people are dying here is because of you."
After that, only screams and cries echoed through the Sinigen Branch.
Raon left his room before dawn.
As always on the day of a mission, Sylvia and the maids were standing by the front door.
"Young Master, please be careful."
"Don't overexert yourself like on the last mission."
"I dried some beef jerky. Eat it if you get hungry."
Helen and the maids handed him beef jerky and snacks, bowing and wishing him well.
This was routine whenever he went on a mission. Only one thing was different.
"Raon. Come back safely."
Sylvia's lips trembled slightly as she spoke.
"Mother…"
Raon frowned at the sight of Sylvia's lips.
"Are you happy that I'm going on a mission?"
"Happy? What do you mean!"
Sylvia shook her head vigorously.
"I just woke up, so my face is stiff."
She awkwardly smiled, lifting and lowering her lips with her fingers.
"I heard you celebrating in your room."
Raon narrowed his eyes at Sylvia.
'I heard it clearly.'
Sylvia's cheers had echoed from her room early in the morning. If he had been practicing his aura, his mana circuits would have tangled, causing internal injuries.
"Ah…"
Sylvia scratched the back of her head, at a loss for words.
"I guess the soundproofing isn't good. I should call someone to fix it."
She rolled her eyes awkwardly.
"Hoo…"
Raon sighed at Sylvia, who had turned away.
When she nagged him, it was annoying, but seeing her happy to see him leave made him feel a bit sad.
-This is amusing.
Wrath patted Raon's shoulder.
-Watching you look so miserable is more entertaining than I expected!
'Shut up.'
Raon pushed Wrath away and clicked his tongue.
"Raon."
Sylvia approached and took his hand, a gentle smile on her lips.
"Training with you was really tough, but there were good moments too."
"Of course, because you improved quickly…"
"That's not it."
She shook her head firmly.
"I got to see how hard you worked and how strong you've become. That's why I can send you off with peace of mind."
Sylvia patted Raon's head, saying she was just kidding.
"Be careful."
"I will."
Raon smiled faintly and received Sylvia's blessing.
"I'll check how much you've improved when you return."
"Sure."
Sylvia clenched her fist confidently.
Raon looked at Sylvia and the maids in turn, his heart now at ease.
"Goodbye."
With those words, he left the annex.
Passing through the garden, which was turning green with spring, he looked at his fingers, still warm from Sylvia's touch.
'It doesn't matter. I'm just glad Mother is healthy.'
Sylvia had always looked pale and collapsed easily when her energy center and mana circuits were damaged.
Just the fact that she was healthy made retrieving the energy center worthwhile.
'That's enough satisfaction…'
"Finally free! Everyone, shout!"
"Waaah!"
Just as Raon exited the garden, he heard Sylvia's shout from the annex.
Her cheerful and loud voice belied her earlier kind words, filled with joy.
"Mom…"
Raon turned back, trembling.
-Are you truly satisfied?
Wrath grinned, patting Raon's shoulder. It seemed he intended to take revenge for all the past grievances.
-It seems your mother likes me more than you!
"Ugh…"
Raon didn't respond and headed to the great training ground. His steps were as fierce as a storm.
'I'll crush whoever the enemy is.'
-It's a reconnaissance mission. Who are you going to crush?
'Shut up!'