"You've memorized it all, right?"
After teaching the Gale Wind Style mantra to all members of the Light Wind division, Raon tilted his chin.
"Huh?"
"H-how are we supposed to memorize that after hearing it just once!"
"It's too long to memorize right away!"
The Light Wind division swordsmen, who were mumbling the mantra to themselves, shook their heads vigorously, saying it was impossible to memorize it all at once.
"A-as expected of a Supreme Martial Art. My head feels like it's going to explode just from the mantra..."
Krein massaged his temples while repeatedly reciting the beginning part of the mantra.
"It's easy though?"
Dorian smacked his lips, saying it was a mantra of reasonable length.
"Y-you've already memorized it all?"
"Of course."
He nodded with a calm look in his eyes, unlike his usual self.
"The most important skill for a quartermaster is memorization! This level is a breeze!"
Dorian laughed, saying that practicing identifying and retrieving items from his pouch inevitably improved his memory.
"Ugh, even that idiot Dorian memorized it in one go, while I'm struggling..."
"This hurts my pride more than losing in a sparring match..."
"I'll memorize it no matter what! Absolutely!"
The Light Wind division swordsmen shook their hands in frustration after seeing Dorian memorize it so easily.
"I've memorized it all, so I'll help my squad members."
"Me too."
"Well, if you can't memorize the mantra, you can't even start. You idiots! Come over here right now!"
Burren, Runaan, and Martha also memorized the mantra in one go and helped their squad members memorize it.
Raon smiled faintly as he watched the swordsmen split into three groups to memorize the mantra.
'This is nice to see.'
Seeing Burren and Martha, who used to only care about their own progress, now taking the initiative to help their squad members, filled him with a strange sense of fulfillment.
After looking at the Light Wind division with a satisfied gaze, he turned around.
Mark Goetun and Rimmer were sitting face to face, discussing the mantra.
'Is Mark Goetun's memorization skills not that good?'
Thinking that high martial prowess doesn't necessarily mean good memorization skills, he approached the two.
"Have you memorized up to the 'Path of Wind' part?"
"It's a bit confusing."
Rimmer awkwardly laughed while scratching his head.
"Ah..."
Raon's jaw dropped at the sight.
'That Elf forgot it?'
He had naturally assumed Mark Goetun would be the one who couldn't memorize it, but the culprit was Rimmer. Moreover, the 'Path of Wind' part was right at the beginning. It meant he hadn't been concentrating from the start.
"Am I getting old these days? It goes in one ear and out the other."
Rimmer chuckled while touching his smooth skin, which wasn't inferior even to the Light Wind division members in their early twenties.
"Hmm..."
Mark Goetun also gave an incredulous look, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Division Leader. Cut me some slack. My concentration has been really poor lately, so it's not easy. I'll go home and memorize it all."
"Wait."
Raon approached Rimmer's side and opened his hand. He created flames above his palm, forming the shape of cards.
"Huh? What's with the cards?"
Rimmer blinked, as if asking what he was doing.
"Do you know what this is?"
As he said this, he showed four cards, all with the number 4.
"It's four of a kind!"
Rimmer shouted the name of the poker hand in less than 0.1 seconds.
"Then what about this?"
Raon slightly narrowed his eyes and showed a different combination of cards.
"Flush."
"Three of a kind!"
"High card!"
"Full house!"
"Royal Straight Flush."
It wasn't even 0.1 seconds. The answers came out before the shapes even fully formed. It seemed like his brain function was all-in on gambling.
"How about that? This is the skill of a professional gambler!"
Rimmer proudly thumped his chest.
"Your concentration is really something."
Raon snorted after clenching his fist to extinguish the flames.
"Getting old my ass. If you don't memorize it all today, I'm not letting you go home."
He waved his hand, saying to memorize it no matter what.
"Y-you devilish Division Leader!"
Rimmer gritted his teeth, seemingly frustrated at being tricked.
-How dare that pointy-eared bastard!
Wrath gritted his teeth even harder than Rimmer and raised his head.
-There's no one like this in the Devildom! Call him an angel!
He glared, saying not to compare this bastard with innocent demons.
Thanks to the efforts of the squad leaders and their innate talent, the Light Wind division swordsmen perfectly memorized the Gale Wind Style mantra in less than an hour.
Rimmer finished memorizing as soon as he heard the mantra again, revealing that his claim of decreased concentration was just an excuse. He was truly an unpredictable person.
Raon climbed back onto the platform and looked down at the Light Wind division.
"Now that you've memorized the mantra, it's time to try using it."
He nodded, making eye contact with the swordsmen.
"Let's begin using the Gale Wind Style."
"Division Leader."
Burren raised his hand and stepped forward.
"It's getting late, so it might be better to start using it tomorrow. We didn't skip today's training, so we might not be able to handle it."
He shook his head, saying that the Light Wind division's concentration had decreased due to standing guard and training.
"I agree. I'm eager to learn, but since it's a Supreme Martial Art, it might be better to start tomorrow."
Martha also nodded, seemingly agreeing with Burren's words.
"I'm fine with it though?"
Runaan blinked, unexpectedly saying she wanted to start now.
"The Gale Wind Style is easier to learn when you're relaxed rather than tense."
Raon said with a faint smile, wiggling his finger.
"Get ready."
"Geez, that stubborn fool."
Rimmer's voice was heard from behind, but Raon ignored it.
"I guess we have no choice..."
"I know it'll be difficult, but I'm also excited."
"That's right. It is a Supreme Martial Art after all."
The Light Wind division sat in the training ground with faces half worried, half expectant. As if by agreement, everyone closed their eyes simultaneously and recited the Gale Wind Style mantra.
Woooosh!
Perhaps because it was a wind-based martial art based on Garunua, a quiet wind enveloped the surroundings of the Light Wind division.
After a while, the swordsmen who had finished using the Gale Wind Style opened their eyes simultaneously.
"As expected, it's not working..."
"Yeah. It's too difficult."
"I can't get the hang of it..."
"Since we don't know the meaning of the mantra, it's hard to even feel the wind."
The Light Wind division shook their heads, saying it wasn't easy as they had expected.
"It's difficult, but doesn't this flow feel familiar from somewhere?"
"Yeah."
Runaan and Martha looked at each other and nodded.
"Of course you've felt it before."
Burren swallowed dryly as he looked at Raon.
"Because this is the flow of the Light Wind Formation."
"L-Light Wind Formation?"
"Now that you mention it..."
"It's similar. No, it's almost identical!"
The Light Wind division swordsmen also realized that the Gale Wind Style and the Light Wind Formation were of the same nature, and their jaws dropped.
"That's right. The flow of the Gale Wind Style follows the Light Wind Formation."
Raon smiled slightly as he made eye contact with Burren.
"This time, try using the Gale Wind Style while deploying the Light Wind Formation."
He continued speaking while tracing the shape of the Light Wind Formation with his finger.
"You'll probably feel different from before."
* * *
Burren used the Gale Wind Style while deploying the formation with the Light Wind division as Raon instructed.
The wind generated from the Light Wind Formation was drawn into every pore of his body following the Gale Wind Style mantra.
It wasn't a phenomenon occurring to him alone. As if in resonance, the same thing was happening to everyone maintaining this Light Wind Formation.
Woooosh!
The pure wind energy that entered his body spread throughout his mana circuits, guided by the Gale Wind Style mantra.
Woooosh!
The more he recited the mantra, the more energy melted into his body.
The wind, which was already close to him, felt even more familiar now.
As he began to understand the wind itself, the complex Gale Wind Style mantra started to unravel like a thread, naturally seeping into his mind.
'Hah....'
Burren bit his lip as he felt the intense changes occurring in his energy center, mana circuits, and mind.
'Is this really working?'
By deploying the Light Wind Formation for practice, he was able to understand the mantra and absorb more energy.
Even though he was experiencing it directly, it felt like a dream.
Woooosh!
The wind energy raced fiercely through his body, engraving the flow of the Gale Wind Style.
From the mana circuits and muscles to the mind and energy center. The wind's vibration flowed through his entire body.
The wind that had been spreading like a storm began to settle into the traces of the Gale Wind Style it had engraved, starting to produce a blue light.
Kuuuung!
The moment he finished reciting the Gale Wind Style mantra, a thick lightning bolt struck his mind.
A new wind, different in nature from the piercing wind he originally possessed, filled his entire body.
Woooosh!
He felt the blue wind, just like what Raon had shown, blooming in his body.
'So this is the Gale Wind Style.'
The Gale Wind Style's wind was quietly swirling around him. Super Sense. It was blocking out surrounding noise and movement to prevent interference with his cultivation.
'He's really a monster.'
When he heard Raon's explanation of the Gale Wind Style, he was half-skeptical. He had doubted if the Super Sense was something only Raon could achieve.
But after learning it himself, he realized it wasn't something only Raon could do. This martial art itself contained the Super Sense.
He was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even laugh.
Burren let out a breath and opened his eyes. He saw the red sun rising.
The wind that had been swirling around him protectively faded away silently, tinged with the sunlight.
"Hmm..."
"Ah..."
"It wasn't a dream."
The other swordsmen who had been forming the Light Wind Formation also blinked their eyes as if waking up together.
"You've all finally woken up."
Raon, who had been sitting on the platform, raised his hand with a smile.
"How does it feel to wake up after a week?"
"A-a week?"
Burren's eyes widened as he heard those words.
"Did you just say a week?"
"The sun has risen. It's been a little over a week actually."
Raon nodded, pointing at the rising sun.
"No way..."
It had felt like only a few hours, no, just a few minutes had passed. He never thought a week could have gone by.
'So we fell into a state of enlightenment?'
Given that he couldn't sense the flow of time, it seemed they had been in a state of enlightenment.
'How long has it been since I've reached enlightenment... Ah! Wait!'
Burren looked around with wide eyes.
"You're saying we all fell into a state of enlightenment?"
Raon had said a week while looking at everyone. That meant everyone here had been in a state of enlightenment.
"Y-you, what on earth did you do?"
Martha trembled, forgetting to use honorifics.
"I told you, didn't I? It's a martial art created specifically for you from the start."
Raon smiled, looking at the Light Wind division still in formation.
"The Light Wind Formation is a formation you've practiced daily for nearly ten years, and the Gale Wind Style deeply incorporates its flow. It's bound to be easy to learn. Of course, I didn't expect everyone to fall into enlightenment."
He nodded, saying it seemed like the harmony they'd built up every day had caused a lucky encounter.
"Even so, I've never heard of this many people entering and leaving enlightenment simultaneously."
"Me neither. This is..."
"Lucky encounter? This is almost inevitable!"
"I'm a bit scared now..."
The Light Wind division was both delighted by the serendipitous encounter and trembling with surprise.
"Alright. Let's start with a test."
Raon raised his finger, telling them to try using the Gale Wind Style.
"Defense first."
"Understood."
Burren swallowed dryly and nodded. As he activated the Gale Wind Style, wind surged from the traces of gale engraved in his mana circuits and energy center.
As he thought about defending, a shield tinged with blue light sprouted over the back of his hand. It was the wall of wind that Raon had shown them.
Woooosh!
The blue wind, enhanced by the effect of the Light Wind Formation, erected a massive shield encompassing the entire Light Wind division.
"Now, attack."
Upon hearing Raon's voice, before he could even think, the wind on the back of his hand extended into a sharp blade.
The flow of the Light Wind Formation also changed abruptly, creating a storm of powerful blades.
Kugugugugu!
Burren bit his lip as he looked at the wind blades covering the training ground.
'This is insane...'
By just thinking. No, just by reacting, it forms the most suitable shape for that moment. The name 'Supreme Martial Art' wasn't wasted at all.
He clenched his fist as he watched Raon smiling as if to say 'well done'.
'I had vowed to follow you no matter what path you took. I thought it wouldn't matter even if your martial art was far inferior to father's, or if your path was more treacherous than death. But deciding to follow you...'
Burren nodded, stirring up a deep blue wind in his eyes.
'It seems it was the best decision of my life.'
* * *
Rimmer let out a hollow laugh as he watched the wind blooming from the back of his hand.
'A state of enlightenment, huh...'
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he last experienced enlightenment.
He had thought he would never enter that world again in his lifetime, but thanks to Raon's mysterious technique, he was able to experience that dreamlike time once more.
"So this is the Gale Wind Style..."
"Maybe because of the enlightenment, I understood it instantly."
"Was this planned? Or was it a coincidence?"
"Have you ever seen our Division Leader act recklessly? Of course it was planned."
"Is the Division Leader really a monster...?"
The Light Wind division was more astonished by Raon as a person than by learning the Gale Wind Style.
'Well, I feel the same way.'
During the state of enlightenment, he had felt supreme ecstasy. The time was so blissful and happy that he was almost scared of Raon who had made this possible.
"To think we'd learn a supreme martial art this quickly."
"I thought it would take until next year to finish."
"Wait. Didn't the Division Leader say it's been a week?"
"Right. A week."
"Then..."
"He's been guarding this place alone?"
The Light Wind division's jaws dropped once again as they realized Raon had been standing guard alone for a week.
"I've decided to follow our Division Leader for life now."
"For life? Are you crazy? We should follow him even after death!"
"I'll follow him even in my next life!"
The swordsmen laughed, saying they would never leave the Light Wind division.
"..."
Burren was clenching his fist tightly, seemingly sharing the same thoughts as the others. He had seemed troubled lately, but now his expression looked like he had shaken off all his worries.
"That monster of a man..."
Martha spoke as if she couldn't believe it, but showed a wide smile. She seemed extremely happy to have acquired a new martial art.
"Oh."
Runaan was spreading frost on the wind, scattering unseasonal sleet over the Fifth Training Ground.
Rimmer grinned as he watched the Light Wind division showing reverence to Raon, and Raon looking fondly at them.
'Now he's truly become a Division Leader worthy of the name.'
* * *
Raon ordered all members of the Light Wind division to rest, but they refused to leave the training ground, saying they wanted to test the Gale Wind Style.
'I had my doubts, but I can't believe it actually worked.'
Even though the Gale Wind Style followed the flow of the Light Wind Formation, he hadn't expected everyone to enter a state of enlightenment. It was a lucky encounter of the highest order.
'Just watching them is filling me up.'
-I-I feel like I'm going to die of hunger...
Wrath raised his thin hand.
'Huh? But we've been eating all along.'
-It was all Nadine bread, wasn't it! Let's stop now and eat some proper food! You said you'd give them something delicious when they wake up, didn't you?
He wailed about eating food with his tail drooping.
'Alright. Let's go.'
Raon nodded as he looked at the staggering Wrath.
In a way, it was all thanks to Wrath that the Light Wind division had fallen into enlightenment and that the Gale Wind Style had become a Supreme Martial Art, so he decided to indulge him with the food he wanted for a while.
"I'll be heading back, so train moderately and get some rest."
"Division Leader..."
As he was waving his hand and about to step down from the platform, Martha raised her hand.
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Did you envision this result from the time you created the Light Wind Formation?"
"Of course not."
Raon calmly shook his head.
"The Light Wind Formation was created by me and the Vice Leader together. I was inexperienced at the time, so the Vice Leader's contribution was greater. We simply utilized the power of a formation designed to protect the swordsmen deploying the sword formation until the end."
As he said this, he looked at Rimmer.
"No way..."
"That Elf did that?"
"Nah, it can't be..."
"Did he win some money that day or something?"
The Light Wind division shook their heads in disbelief.
"..."
Rimmer just smiled gently without saying anything. It was a different reaction from his usual self.
"Hmm..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rimmer.
'He's been acting strange lately.'
It was strange for someone who would usually be boasting about himself to be so quiet.
Especially after waking up after a week, he should have been making a fuss about not being able to gamble, but he was quietly manipulating the wind.
As Raon was about to approach Rimmer, the door of the training ground opened and Roenn entered.
"Greetings, Light Wind Division Leader."
"Sir Roenn?"
It was an unexpected visit, so he tilted his head and approached him.
"The Head of House has summoned you. If you're not busy, could you come with me?"
Roenn smiled faintly and looked towards the main building.
"If you have any business to attend to, you can visit later."
-Don't go!
Wrath shook his head firmly.
-Now is the time to eat! Absolutely not!
"Hmm..."
As he was about to ask for some time due to his promise with Wrath, Roenn continued speaking.
"Since it's early, I thought you might not have eaten, so I've prepared something."
Roenn smiled faintly, saying to have a meal after talking with Glenn.
"Ah, right now is a bit..."
-Shut up!
As Raon was about to refuse, Wrath elbowed him in the waist with his round elbow.
'W-what are you doing!'
-Didn't he say he prepared food! What are you doing not following him right away!
Wrath smacked his lips, saying he wanted to eat the food from the main building. Raon didn't know which tune to dance to.
"...Alright."
Raon sighed deeply and nodded.
"Thank you. Then let's go."
Roenn smiled brightly and turned around.
After telling the Light Wind division that today's training was free, he followed Roenn towards the main building.
"Why is the Head of House looking for me?"
"I'm not sure either. But it's probably not bad news. He was smiling."
"H-he was smiling?"
He widened his eyes, finding it more surprising than the entire Light Wind division falling into enlightenment.
"The Head of House is originally a person who smiles often."
"I see..."
As they walked while making light conversation, they soon found themselves in front of the audience chamber.
Roenn opened the door of the audience chamber without even knocking. He waved his hand from inside as if telling Raon to follow.
Raon nodded and entered the audience chamber.
Glenn was standing by the window where the sunlight was stretching long. His golden hair, basking in the sunlight, looked as if it was burning.
"You've come."
Glenn slowly turned around. His eyes were still filled with emptiness, but there seemed to be a slight tremor in them.
"I greet you, Head of House."
Raon approached Glenn and knelt down.
"That's enough for greetings."
Glenn waved his hand as if telling him to stand up.
"It seems you've completed a new martial art. A Supreme Martial Art, no less."
"It's all thanks to you, Head of House."
Raon swallowed emptily and bowed his head. To recognize it as a Supreme Martial Art just by seeing it, it was an inhuman ability.
"Ahem. Is that so."
Glenn cleared his throat and slightly turned his head.
"Was it of great help?"
"Huh? Yes. It was truly of great help."
"I see. Then, with Rimmer..."
"Rimmer?"
"Ahem!"
Just as Raon was finding it strange that Rimmer's name suddenly came up, Roenn coughed as if to interrupt.
"Hmm..."
Hearing that sound, Glenn straightened his back and covered his mouth with his hand.
"A supplementary martial art that adds Super Sense to wind. There are various ways to develop it further. Not bad. Train it well."
He nodded, saying it was a martial art worthy of recognition.
"...Thank you."
Raon swallowed dryly. It sent chills down his spine that Glenn could fully grasp the information of a martial art he hadn't even seen in use.
'As expected, transcendence is still far away.'
As he was shaking his head, Glenn took a step closer.
"The reason I called you is none other than this."
Glenn calmly shook his head.
"Do you know about the Room of Self?"
"...Yes."
Raon nodded. The Room of Self was a special room said to grant enlightenment, a legacy left by the First Patriarch of Zieghart.
However, he had heard that one could only enter it once in a lifetime, and entering didn't guarantee becoming stronger.
"Do you have any thoughts about entering that room?"
Glenn nodded as if to say he would send Raon if he wanted to enter.
"Hmm..."
Raon briefly contemplated the Room of Self and himself before raising his gaze.