"Really?"
Raon looked at Merlin with trembling eyes.
"Is there really a way to wake her up?"
He had almost given up hope when even the Ragged Saint Federick said he didn't know how to wake Sia. His heart started racing, not expecting Merlin to give a definitive answer.
"Please, I beg you!"
Sylvia approached Merlin and grasped her hands.
"Tell us how to wake Sia!"
She knelt down, saying she would do anything.
"Your word must be true."
Edgar nodded as he moved next to Sylvia.
"I ask you as well. Please help us wake Sia."
He also knelt before Merlin, just like Sylvia. The couple who thought they had lost their daughter seemed to fear nothing now.
"Just tell us the method."
Glenn stood before Merlin, giving her a heavy look.
"She's been asleep for 20 years. We can't leave her like this."
He clenched his fist with trembling hands, saying he would pay any price.
"I feel the same."
Rector bit his lip as he listened to Sia's faint breathing.
"I can't go anywhere without seeing my granddaughter wake up."
He too bowed his head to Merlin, saying he would ask for her help.
"Merlin."
Raon approached Merlin and clasped his hands in front of him.
"Please. Tell us the method."
He bowed at the waist, speaking with sincerity. It wasn't because of his two grandfathers, mother, and father. He wanted to break the Fallen's grip on her soul and give her freedom, because he saw his past life in Sia's life.
"Why are you all making this so burdensome?"
Despite her words about feeling burdened, Merlin stepped forward with a bright smile.
"Don't worry. I'm sure we can wake her up."
As she said this, she squeezed Sylvia's hand tighter.
"Is... is that really true?"
Sylvia, believing her words, let tears fall freely.
"Of course. However, it won't be easy. It's not something we can do right away."
Merlin briefly clicked her tongue as if disappointed.
"What do you mean we can't do it now?"
Raon tilted his head as he looked at Merlin.
"Can't we just enter the mental world like we did before?"
"The situation is different from then."
Merlin shook her head firmly.
"At that time, the young lady's mental world was opened by the Green King, but now she's alone. If you or I were to use that magic to enter now, her soul could suffer a great shock. If that happens..." (E/N: reading the raw, it is not clear if she means "our soul would suffer a great shock" or "her soul would suffer a great shock". I assume she means "her soul")
She roughly bent her own finger.
"The chances are high that she might never wake up."
"Then how..."
"We need an ingredient that allows us to safely face the soul."
"What's this ingredient?"
"A Soul Crystal."
Merlin raised her hand as if this was the main point. A mirror with a rainbow-colored glow appeared above her palm.
"It's an object that allows one to face a soul without any burden."
"You mean that mirror?"
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at the shimmering mirror in Merlin's hand.
"The one I know is this mirror, but there could be other forms."
Merlin sighed heavily, saying it wouldn't be easy to find.
"Where is that mirror?"
Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at the mirror Merlin was showing.
"It's one of The Fallen's artifacts."
Merlin frowned as she floated the mirror in the air.
"It's an object he uses when making special helmets or masks. He always carries it with him, so we can't find it now since we don't know if he's dead or alive."
She clicked her tongue, saying it was a shame.
"You said there were other forms, right? Where are those?"
Raon gritted his molars as he watched the mirror gradually fade.
"I don't know either."
Merlin slowly shook her head.
"No one knows what form they take or where they are."
"What do you mean?"
"Soul Crystals aren't something you can find even if you want to. They appear by chance."
"By chance?"
He asked again, not understanding what she meant.
"Once every few decades. When the sun and moon are closest, the pathway in the sky briefly closes, and if a lost soul is nearby, it may inhabit a nearby object. That's when a Soul Crystal is created with a rainbow glow."
Merlin created a rainbow above her palm, characteristic of Soul Crystals.
"We call them Soul Crystals, but because they're created by chance, they might not actually be 'crystals'. They could be dead trees, plants, or even man-made objects. Even I couldn't find one after searching the entire continent through the eyes of animals."
"Hmm..."
"They don't emit any special mana or aura, and this vivid light only flashes for a moment when the Soul Crystal is created, so very few people even know they exist."
She said they would need to start searching now as she calmed the light flickering in her palm.
"Then how can we recognize a Soul Crystal?"
"Someone like you or Transcendent Warriors should be able to tell just by touching it. Soul Crystals contain the mental world of another person."
Merlin briefly sighed, saying even Grandmasters might be able to do it.
"Tell me more details."
Glenn reached out to Merlin as if wanting to remember everything clearly.
"Of course."
Merlin nodded and summarized everything she had told them so far.
-So, she was talking about a lost soul.
Wrath nodded as if he finally understood.
'You know about them too?'
-This king saw one just once in the Devildom. I threw it away immediately since it had no taste or meaning.
He clicked his tongue, saying it was a shame he threw it away.
"Hmm..."
"Soul Crystal..."
"It won't be easy."
The others' expressions darkened as if this was their first time hearing about Soul Crystals. It was natural for everyone to feel despair, given that these objects were created by chance, had no distinguishing features when created, and required at least a Grandmaster to sense them.
"Sia..."
Sylvia finally couldn't hold back and started sobbing as she held Sia's hand. Seeing her cry again after smiling without worry not long ago made it feel like the world was imposing a penance on her.
"There's one thing I want to ask."
Raon turned his gaze to Merlin, unable to look at Sylvia.
"What problems will arise if Sia... I mean, if my sister doesn't wake up for a while?"
"Right now, she's in a state no different from sleep. We just need to provide proper nutrition."
Merlin winked, saying not to worry as time wasn't pressing.
"That's correct. Sia's body is currently in a state similar to sleep."
When Federick vouched for this, it became a bit more reassuring.
"Of course, if she remains in this state for several years, the gap between her soul and body might widen further."
Merlin shook her head, saying they shouldn't drag this out regardless.
"Roenn."
At Glenn's call, Roenn dropped out of thin air where there was nothing before.
"Yes, Head of House."
Roenn bowed his head with a solemn look, seeming to understand the gravity of the situation.
"Contact the Black Market and all branches, Vassal Families, and allied forces. Without exception."
Glenn left the hospital room, pulling back the robe draped over his shoulders as if planning to move personally.
"I should look into whether there are other methods as well."
Federick also headed to his office, saying he would contact other doctors and priests.
"Sylvia. Let's go back for today. It will be harder on Sia."
Edgar took Sylvia, who was crying as if about to collapse, back to the annex building.
"..."
Rector bit his lip. He followed behind Edgar without being able to touch his granddaughter again today.
"Merlin. There's one thing I want to ask."
Raon approached Merlin only after they were left alone in the hospital room.
"What is it?"
Merlin tilted her chin as if to say ask anything.
"If we bring a Soul Crystal, everything will be resolved, right? Without any problems?"
"...Of course."
She nodded after briefly drawing out her words, almost imperceptibly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Just trust me."
Merlin smiled, saying she would definitely wake the young lady.
"I don't mean my sister, I mean whether there will be problems for you."
Raon narrowed his gaze as he looked into Merlin's eyes. Since this was magic dealing with souls, he needed to confirm there would be no harm to Merlin as well.
"You're worried about me in this situation? As expected, there's no one like Raon!"
Merlin exhaled hotly and threw herself towards Raon.
"Ugh..."
Raon hastily stepped back five paces using footwork.
"You didn't have to go that far."
Merlin clicked her tongue long in disappointment.
"Just answer the question. Are you really okay?"
"Of course. It's no different from entering a helmet."
She waved her hand, saying there was no need to worry since they had the Soul Crystal as a medium.
"Hmm, that may be true... Anyway, if there's any problem, make sure to tell me clearly."
"Yes!"
Merlin placed her hand on her head as if saluting.
"You must have a lot of people to contact too. You should go now."
She tapped her wrist as if asking if he wasn't busy.
"That's right..."
Raon nodded as he looked at Sia. Even excluding the Black Market that Glenn would contact, there were many people he needed to reach out to, so he should move quickly.
"Thank you."
He bowed his head to Merlin and left the hospital room.
"Such words aren't necessary between us."
Merlin lightly waved her hand as she saw Raon off.
"Haa..."
She exhaled lowly as she watched Raon's back.
"It won't be easy either way."
Merlin sat in the chair in front of the bed, revealing empty eyes. She stroked Sia's hair with a somewhat sorrowful smile.
"This may not be fitting to say, but I envy you, young lady..."
* * *
A pirate ship floated majestically atop violently surging waves, like a child's rough drawing.
"Water's leaking in! Bail it out quickly!"
"Pull from here! We're going to capsize!"
"Is Lady Alice at the helm? Why is it shaking so much!"
Unlike the elegantly bobbing pirate ship, the crew on deck were moving as if they had two bodies as they fought against the waves.
"Ah, how annoying..."
Alice, who had only been blinking her eyes at the ship's bow, placed her hand on her sword hilt. The moment her hand drew out the silver blade, the dark clouds and tidal waves pushing against the pirate ship split in two.
A spatial rift that cleaved heaven and earth opened. The pitch-black storm subsided as if frightened, and the sun that appeared between the dark clouds poured warm heat onto the pirate ship as if blessing it.
"Haa..."
Alice exhaled deeply as she looked at the sea where the waves had calmed.
"Did I neglect him too much?"
She scratched her head as she turned to look at the fake captain Lawaine, who had approached without her noticing.
"I raised him a bit harshly, but I didn't think he'd go without contacting us like this."
Alice frowned, saying she should have been more friendly.
"If you had been any friendlier, you would have passed away before the young master left."
Lawaine let out a hollow laugh as he met Alice's gloomy gaze.
"I'm curious about the young master's news too, but there shouldn't be any major problems. As you always say, he's not the type to get beaten up anywhere."
He shook his head, saying not to worry.
"Unlike Raon, he was quiet but had some desire for power. So I thought we'd hear news on our own, but I didn't expect it to be this quiet."
"In my opinion, he seems to be hiding his identity. Thanks to the recent wars breaking out here and there, we're hearing of the fame of new powerful figures, and he might be one of them."
"Hiding his identity... That could be. That fool has no interest in fame at all."
Alice briefly clicked her tongue as she looked at the gentle waves.
"Sigh, to think of my son when looking at Raon, I'm failing as a mother."
She shook her head regretfully.
"Unlike the young master, Raon is clumsy, so it's understandable."
Lawaine smiled faintly as if he understood what she meant.
"The young master was capable in everything. Martial arts talent, relationships, tactics and strategy. There was nothing he couldn't do. Of course, Raon has even greater talent, but strangely, he was more awkward than a child when it came to relationships."
"Right. I've never seen a child who found it so difficult to call me aunt."
Alice chuckled as she recalled Raon's awkward expression.
"He finally called me aunt after joining the Direct Lineage. It was both refreshing and ridiculous." (E/N: That's...not what happened)
She nodded, saying it was really fun when they competed over grandfather and aunt titles.
"As you said, our son was quick-witted in that area too, so it wasn't as interesting. But hearing Raon call me aunt suddenly made me miss him."
Alice clicked her tongue as she brushed back her red hair.
"I'll also gather information on swordsmen who have recently made a name for themselves. The young master might be hiding his identity."
"Don't just look for swordsmen, search for all Martial Artists. That kid might suddenly take up fist fighting too."
"Understood."
Just as Lawaine was about to withdraw with a faint smile, a white seagull flew in and landed in front of Alice. The bird lifted its leg with the paper tied to it, as if telling her to hurry and take it.
"What a cheeky bird. What could it have written… huh?"
Alice chuckled as she unfolded the paper from the seagull's leg. As soon as she confirmed the contents, she exhaled roughly.
"What's the matter?"
"Two years ago..."
Alice checked the contents of the note twice and trembled.
"Someone saw my son?"
* * *
"Haa..."
Raon exhaled faintly on the platform of the fifth training ground.
'No contact.'
Four days had passed since he shared the information about the Soul Crystal, but there was no contact from anywhere. Seeing that even Glenn hadn't said anything, it seemed he hadn't found anything through Zieghart's reports or his connections.
'Well, they did say it would be hard to find.'
Even Merlin, who provided the information about Soul Crystals, said it would be difficult to find, so it would be strange if they discovered one right away.
-To be honest, it's surprising that humans can discover such an object at all.
Wrath frowned, saying it couldn't be helped.
'Wrath. Didn't you say there was a way for me to go to the Devildom?'
-You want to go to the Devildom for that? Foolish! It's impossible for you now, and it would take too long!
He shook his head, saying it was too roundabout a method.
'Ha, I suppose so.'
Raon brushed back his hair as he looked at the sky.
'I guess I'll have to focus on other areas for now.'
The one fortunate point was that there were no major problems with Sia's current condition. Since Federick also said he would look for ways to treat her medically, Raon felt he should consider various methods as well. After organizing his thoughts, he lowered his gaze to observe the Light Wind division training.
'They've grown accustomed to the Master level now.'
Though Yua and Julius still needed time, all the other swordsmen had become familiar with using Astral Energy. It seemed the practical experience from the recent war had been a great help.
'And...'
He observed the Squad Leaders who were guiding the swordsmen and conducting their own training. As seen recently, Runaan continued to grow, while Martha and Burren were also swinging their swords with desperate eyes, as if not wanting to fall behind. All three of them were on the verge of breaking through.
'Experience really is important.'
Raon rose with a faint smile. Just as he was about to begin his own training, the door of the great training ground opened and Rector entered.
"Ah."
Raon immediately descended from the platform and approached Rector.
"...Grandfather?"
"It seems I've interrupted your training."
"Not at all."
He shook his head, saying he was just about to start.
"Since there's nothing I can do here, I'm planning to return to the Holy Sword Alliance."
Rector nodded, saying he would search for the Soul Crystal directly at the Holy Sword Alliance.
"What will you do?"
"Hmm..."
Raon exhaled lowly as he looked into Rector's straight eyes.
"When do you leave?"
"I plan to go tomorrow."
Rector answered without hesitation, as if he had already made up his mind.
"I'll go with you."
Raon nodded. He felt it would be better to follow Rector and prepare to seize opportunities, since nothing would change by staying here.
"And there's one thing I'd like to ask of you."
"A request?"
"Yes. When we go to the Holy Sword Alliance this time..."
Just as Raon was about to bring up his request to Rector, the door of the great training ground burst open violently. Dorian entered with bread crumbs on his lips.
"Division Leader! Have you heard the news?"
Dorian shook his plump head as if glad to have found him.
"The Thespian Emperor has come to the main gate and requested an audience! With the Head of House!"