Raon blinked as he looked up at the stone mountain that seemed to be piled up layer upon layer of wasteland.
'Is this really the Holy Sword Alliance?'
The stone mountain was as massive as North Grave Mountain, but it seemed too visible to be hiding the Holy Sword Alliance. He couldn't help but think Merlin had sent them to the wrong place.
"It seems Merlin made a mistake."
Raon scratched his head as he turned to look at Rector.
"First, we should figure out where we are..."
"No."
Rector slowly shook his head.
"This is the right place."
He expressed his admiration, saying he didn't know Merlin could send them so accurately.
"Th-this is the Holy Sword Alliance?"
Dorian's jaw trembled in disbelief.
"Hmm, there aren't many trees, so we can see everything inside..."
Burren let out a faint groan as he looked at the sparse trees.
"Yeah. It's all rocks."
Runaan blinked, saying it was empty.
"It's not empty. There are lots of animals and monsters."
Martha licked her lips, saying there were just no people.
"To be precise, we should say it's the entrance to the Alliance."
Rector waved his hand with a smirk.
"To send us here in one go, Merlin's abilities are beyond my expectations. Even though I don't know much about magic, this shouldn't be easily possible..."
He let out a chuckle, seemingly surprised by Merlin's magic.
"That's right."
Raon nodded with a smile.
'Her personality and tastes are peculiar, but her abilities are undeniable.'
If Merlin had belonged to the magic tower or Balkar, she would have been marked as the successor to the two Archmages. Of course, she'd have to stop her stalking behavior first, regardless of her affiliation.
"Let's go up."
Rector wiggled his finger as if telling them to follow him and stepped onto the stone mountain first.
"Follow the path I take."
"Yes."
Raon told Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian to go up first, and he moved at the very back. Rector climbed the stone mountain effortlessly, as if he was using footwork techniques, even though he was walking calmly with his hands behind his back.
"He's... so damn fast..."
"How can he do that without even using aura!"
"I can't even see his feet..."
Martha, Burren, and Runaan were using footwork techniques at full power to keep up with Rector, barely able to breathe properly.
"Ugh..."
Dorian was falling behind, so Raon supported him from behind.
"Grandfather."
As everyone's complexion was turning pale, Raon approached Rector's side.
"Our appearances will stand out. Shouldn't we hide them before reaching the Holy Sword Alliance?"
Raon pointed at Burren, Martha, and Runaan, who were breathing heavily as if they were about to die. His own distinctive golden hair and red eyes were already known throughout the continent, and Burren, Martha, and Runaan were all exceptionally good-looking, so few people wouldn't recognize them.
-What about the pouch boy?
Wrath jerked his chin towards Dorian, who was dry heaving.
'Well, he's cute, I suppose.'
Dorian wasn't unattractive, but he seemed to fade into the background compared to the striking appearances of the other three.
"Hmm..."
Rector stroked his chin as he looked back.
"Actually, it doesn't matter much, but for your sake, it might be better to change."
"What do you mean it doesn't matter much..."
Raon's eyes widened.
"It's not that we're trying to show off, but we'll definitely be recognized..."
Burren shook his head, saying they would certainly be caught.
"What do you think the Holy Sword Alliance is?"
Rector turned his back with a faint smile.
"A bunch of... crazy people who worship swords?"
Martha carefully muttered, but ended up blurting out words in her typical manner.
"Hahaha!"
Rector burst into laughter that seemed to shake the ground.
"That's accurate. That's all there is to the Holy Sword Alliance."
He nodded, saying Martha's words were correct.
"In the Holy Sword Alliance, the most important value is the sword. Strong swordsmen are the truth and the law."
Rector smiled faintly as he looked at Burren and Dorian's trembling eyes, seemingly surprised.
"As Raon said, you stand out. The moment you enter the Holy Sword Alliance, your identities will be exposed. What do you think the Alliance's swordsmen will do then?"
"A-attack us?"
Dorian's lips trembled, already terrified.
"They won't attack since we're with the Alliance leader."
Burren frowned as he patted Dorian's shoulder.
"No, they will attack."
Rector calmly shook his head.
"But that attack will be..."
"A duel?"
Martha's black eyes sparkled as if she finally understood.
"That's right."
Rector smiled gently as he looked down at Martha.
"The Alliance's swordsmen who know your fame will rush to challenge you to duels. Not to kill you, but to learn what kind of swordsmanship you've mastered and how strong you are."
He nodded, saying that was all there was to it.
"The reason the Holy Sword Alliance ranks high among the Six Kings and the Five Demons is due to their obsession with swords. Their passion for swords surpasses even that of the Zieghart family."
Rector waved his hand, saying the Holy Sword Alliance was just full of people crazy about swords.
"Martha. I think you'll fit in very well with the Holy Sword Alliance."
He smiled slightly, seeming to like Martha's personality.
"More than me, it's this guy."
Martha patted Raon's shoulder.
"In Zieghart, Raon was the only one truly crazy about swords. I'd see him leave after training later than me, but when I came to the training ground the next day, he'd already be there sweating."
She gritted her teeth, saying it was frustrating.
"That's right."
Runaan nodded as she looked at Raon.
"Raon's home wasn't the annex building, but the training ground..."
She shuddered, saying he hadn't gone to the annex for over a month at times.
"Yes. I know that as well as you do."
Rector smiled as if pleased with his hard-earned grandson.
"Then should we not disguise ourselves..."
"It would still be better to do so."
He wiggled his hand, contradicting what he had said earlier about disguising.
"We've dealt with the followers of the previous Alliance leader and the Five Demons' spies, but there might still be some hiding, so it's better to conceal your identities."
Rector turned his back again, saying they should proceed safely, seemingly reminded of the recent war.
"I'll call someone from inside to..."
"There's no need to go! I have everything here!"
Dorian, who had been breathing heavily as if facing imminent death, pulled out a disguise set from his belly pouch.
"Essential items!"
Red bloodshot lines appeared above his eyes. It seemed his obsession with essential items was growing stronger.
"Uh..."
Rector's lips trembled, seemingly surprised by the intensity of Dorian, who had always been so docile.
"Sigh..."
-Here we go again...
Raon and Wrath shook their heads, as if tired of this routine.
* * *
"Then let's go. We're not far now."
Rector climbed the stone mountain again after examining Raon, whose hair and eyes were now dyed black, and Burren, Martha, and Runaan, who each had different appearances. When they reached near the summit, past the middle, his steps halted.
"Here it is."
Rector jerked his chin while standing in front of a small cave formed by piled rocks.
"Don't tell me..."
"Yes. This is the entrance to the Holy Sword Alliance."
He nodded with a small smile. Raon narrowed his eyes as he scanned the area around the rock cave.
'Someone's hiding.'
He sensed the presence of people that hadn't been there before, confirming that this was indeed the passage to the Holy Sword Alliance. They seemed to be Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen protecting this passage.
"Trust me and follow. If we move towards the light in the darkness, there will be no problem."
Rector said it wouldn't be difficult and entered the cave first.
"Uh..."
"Hmm..."
Burren and Dorian blinked at each other. They seemed worried.
"Move if you're not going!"
"Okay."
Martha and Runaan pushed past the two and entered the cave second. The two of them didn't seem to have any fear at all.
"Let's go."
Raon patted Burren and Dorian's shoulders and entered the cave.
'Hm?'
As soon as he entered the cave, he felt a sensation of floating. It didn't seem to be a simple cave. Although it was pitch black all around, there was no sense of danger or gloominess. It felt as comfortable as lying in bed in the dark after finishing a day's work.
-This isn't an ordinary space.
Wrath also rolled his eyes curiously.
'Is it magic? Or sorcery?'
-This king has said it many times, but distinguishing between magic and sorcery is something only weaklings do! It doesn't matter if you just smash everything!
He shook his head, saying not to distinguish between magic and sorcery.
'So you don't know after all.'
-N-no, that's not...
Wrath finally turned his chin away without answering.
'Anyway.'
As Raon was muttering about how simple-minded Wrath was, it happened. A deep golden flame blazed in the darkness, drawing the shape of a person. Although it was blurry and not clearly visible, it seemed to be a blonde swordsman.
'Wrath. That person!'
-Hm? Person?
Wrath frowned, asking where there was a person.
'You can't see that?'
The moment he raised his finger to point at the swordsman burning in the flame, his figure scattered like a dawn mist.
-Have you gone mad?
Wrath twirled his finger as if asking if Raon had lost his mind.
'No, surely that person...'
As Raon swallowed dry saliva while looking at the subsided flame, the darkness in the cave disappeared, revealing a bright space before his eyes. A green plain stretched out as if he was looking at Cameloon, said to be the most fertile land in the continent, and behind it, neatly built houses formed a city.
His mouth automatically opened, not expecting such a space to exist inside that stone mountain cave.
"What in the world..."
"Hey!"
As Raon was exhaling empty breath while looking at a completely different world, Martha approached.
"Why are you so late?"
Martha narrowed her brows as if she couldn't understand.
"Late?"
"Raon. You were the last."
Runaan raised her finger and pointed to the side. Burren and Dorian, who had been behind him, had already arrived.
"You pretended not to be scared, but you were afraid after all!"
Dorian chuckled, saying he knew all along.
"Hmm..."
Raon furrowed his brows.
'What's going on?'
He didn't understand how he had arrived later than them when he had clearly walked in a straight line. He wasn't sure what had happened.
"Raon. Did anything happen inside?"
Rector approached with a worried look in his eyes.
"No. Nothing happened."
He shook his head, as even Wrath, who was with him, hadn't seen anything. It could have been his own imagination.
'But that person...'
He looked like Zieghart's ancestor. Although the golden flame was too blurry to see clearly, the blonde swordsman resembled the First Patriarch of Zieghart that he had seen before.
"That's good then. I'll have to check the passage anyway."
Rector licked his lips while examining the black cave behind them.
"So, is this really the Holy Sword Alliance?"
Raon blinked as he looked at the peaceful city.
"Yes. This is the Holy Sword Alliance."
"It's quieter than I expected. I thought... Huh?"
Raon's eyes widened as he was looking at middle-aged men farming, cutting trees, and carrying water.
'Wait a minute...'
All these people are swordsmen. Everyone farming, cutting trees, and carrying water were swordsmen who had cultivated aura and swords. They all emitted a refined aura.
"There are no people in the Holy Sword Alliance who are not swordsmen."
Rector nodded as he looked at the people focusing on their tasks.
"Let me introduce it again. Welcome to the Holy Sword Alliance, where there are only people crazy about swords."
He smiled broadly as if proud of such a Holy Sword Alliance.
"I really like it."
"We'll fight to our heart's content."
"Yeah. It's perfect..."
Martha, Burren, and Runaan licked their lips at length, already looking forward to duels.
"Ugh..."
Only Dorian shook his head with a frightened look. He really seemed to have come for a purpose other than swordsmanship.
"Well then, let's start by..."
As Rector was about to suggest going to his mansion, someone came running from afar. It was Mustan, Rector's disciple, with his slick face.
"Lord Raon!"
Mustan approached Raon first, even before his master Rector, and bowed his head. It was a polite yet desperate greeting, as if he had met long-lost parents.
"I've been longing to see you! I'm so glad you're safe!"
"Yes. It's been a while."
Raon smiled and took Mustan's hand. Judging by his reaction, it seemed the power of Envy was still at work.
"Master, you've returned as well."
Only after finishing his greeting with Raon did Mustan bow to Rector.
"Ahem, yes. Has everything been alright?"
Rector cleared his throat awkwardly and asked about recent events.
"Yes. There's been no contact from Derus or the Five Demons, and nothing special has happened."
Mustan shook his head, saying it had been peaceful all along. However, screams and the sound of clashing swords could be heard from far away. Dorian's complexion grew even paler.
"Ah, regarding the Soul Crystals you mentioned, no one knew anything about them."
Mustan bowed his head apologetically.
"I see."
Rector nodded calmly.
"Well, it would be strange for these sword-obsessed folks to be interested in such things."
He sighed softly and turned his back.
"Don't worry. The Holy Sword Alliance has branches spread out, so we'll find a way to locate the Soul Crystals somehow."
Rector clenched his fist as if making a promise to himself rather than to Raon.
"Yes. I'll leave it to you."
Raon recalled Rector leaving Zieghart without even touching Sia. He seemed to understand how Rector felt, so he simply trusted him.
"Then let's go inside."
Rector pointed to a mansion slightly larger than the other houses, saying they should go to the main building.
"Is that the castle of the Holy Sword Alliance leader?"
Dorian's eyes widened in surprise.
"I haven't properly settled here yet. And as I said, what's important in the Holy Sword Alliance is swordsmanship and martial prowess, not the size of houses."
Rector shook his head, saying they would get used to it soon.
"Moreover..."
He was about to add something but closed his mouth as he sensed people gathering.
"We greet the Alliance leader!"
"You've returned!"
The Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen approached and knelt before Rector. It was a scene often seen in Zieghart as well, but there was one difference.
'Fighting spirit.'
The swordsmen's eyes sparkled with fighting spirit towards Rector. It seemed amazing that they harbored a desire to win despite the difference in skill being as vast as heaven and earth.
'No, that's not all.'
The Holy Sword Alliance warriors displayed fighting spirit not only towards Rector but also towards Raon, Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian beside him. They seemed to want to fight the newcomers as well.
'Like a bunch of roosters trying to impress.'
Raon entered Rector's mansion, leaving behind the swordsmen whose eyes stirred his heart. The interior of the mansion was even more modest than the exterior. It looked shabbier than even the annex building.
"The original castle of the Holy Sword Alliance leader was more splendid than this. This is just my preference."
Rector smiled calmly and pointed to a worn-out sofa, gesturing for them to sit.
"Yes."
Raon nodded to Burren, Martha, and Runaan, and sat on the sofa.
"I will deal with the backlog of work and simultaneously put out a search for the Soul Crystals. As for you..."
Rector smiled as he looked at Raon, Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian in turn.
"Enjoy life here to your heart's content."
"Even if you say enjoy, I'm not sure what to do..."
As Raon was tilting his head, Mustan, who had been following behind, brought numerous scraps of paper. The papers were in disarray, as if they had just been written.
"These are..."
"Challenge letters."
Mustan smiled, saying they were letters from swordsmen of the Alliance who had requested duels after seeing them.
"Already?"
"It's not 'already'."
Rector calmly shook his head.
"Once you're here, you've also become swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance. You can challenge or be challenged."
He smiled, asking if it wasn't interesting.
"That's great!"
Martha twisted her lips into a smile, saying she'd take them all on.
"I feel the same. I want to fill in my shortcomings."
Burren clenched his fist and nodded heavily.
"I can't stay stagnant..."
Runaan also examined the challenge letters, mentioning her own inadequacies.
"Ugh..."
Dorian placed his trembling hand on the challenge letters with an expression of extreme reluctance.
"Then I'll also..."
"Not for Lord Raon."
As Raon was smiling and about to examine the challenge letters, Mustan shook his head.
"Huh?"
"I looked through them briefly, but there are no challenge letters for Lord Raon."
Mustan shook his head, saying no one had challenged the black-haired, black-eyed swordsman, only mentioning the appearances of the others.
"Hahaha!"
Rector laughed, holding his head.
"It seems you suppressed your aura too much."
He waved his hand, saying Raon seemed to have been completely ignored.
"Hmm..."
Raon furrowed his brows. He felt regret, thinking he should have raised his aura a bit if he had known this would happen.
"Even now..."
"No, this is actually better."
Rector leaned forward with a smirk.
"How about becoming a challenger instead?"
"A challenger..."
"The swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance each hone their own unique swordsmanship. This means there's something to learn from all of them. For you, who are cultivating the true Ten Thousand Swords, you could make all of them your teachers. If things go well..."
His eyes burned with expectation.
"It might not just be a stepping stone to move upward, but you could reach a realm that only you can attain."