Haa..."
Sheryl, leaning against the tiger rock like Rimmer, let out a heavy sigh.
"Looks like they're leaving now."
She bit her lip gently as she watched the Light Wind division swordsmen depart from the Fifth Training Ground.
"They're handling it better than I am."
Roenn clasped his hands in front of him as he observed the Light Wind division.
"I still haven't been able to let go of Master Rimmer, but it seems the Light Wind members have somewhat come to terms with it."
He laughed softly, saying his age was embarrassing.
"It can't be helped. We spent time with that damned guy..."
Sheryl furrowed her brow deeply. Her complexion was dark, as if she too had not yet accepted Rimmer's death.
"A swordsman always lives with death on their back."
Glenn, standing atop the tiger rock, spoke gravely.
"But when that swordsman dies, the death they carried becomes a blade that pierces the hearts of those left behind."
Glenn murmured that he was still in the process of accepting the blade Rimmer had left behind, telling them to be patient.
"That's right. All we can do is accept it."
Despite her words of acceptance, Sheryl clenched her fist so tightly her arm trembled.
"That bastard."
Unlike when she showed strength in front of the Light Wind division, her eyes reddened.
"He was truly a wonderful person."
Roenn stroked the tiger rock as he gazed up at the azure sky.
"He would always visit my workplace and cause a ruckus before leaving."
"...Doesn't that just make him a crazy person rather than wonderful?"
Sheryl let out a hollow laugh, as if in disbelief.
"Since I often work alone, I think he came to keep me company so I wouldn't be lonely. Sometimes he would also spar with me when I couldn't control my killing intent."
Roenn nodded, saying Rimmer frequently visited and helped in various ways.
"Him?"
"Yes. Everyone might think he went to gambling dens when not at the Fifth Training Ground, but Master Rimmer wandered around Zieghart, spending time with many people. He had a talent for making people happy just by being near them."
He said Rimmer was lighthearted yet sincere, clasping his hands together.
"His eyes would especially sparkle when talking about the Light Wind division. He would boast endlessly about Raon and the other swordsmen."
Roenn smiled, saying he could learn most of the news without going to the Fifth Training Ground thanks to Rimmer.
"He did the same with me. Even when Raon accomplished small things, he'd come to the Lord's Manor and make a fuss all day. It was like watching a proud father bragging about his child's first steps."
Glenn nodded in agreement, a faint smile on his face.
"He would have been the happiest to see Raon reach transcendence. So he probably left with a smile."
He clicked his tongue, as if regretting not seeing that expression.
"..."
Sheryl lowered her head as she listened to the two of them talk.
"Ah, come to think of it, there's one more thing."
Roenn raised his index finger as he looked at Sheryl.
"Master Rimmer was also extremely happy when talking about you, Sheryl."
"What? About me...?"
Sheryl tilted her head, as if not understanding.
"He often asked for my advice, telling me about the conversations he had with you and how you fought."
Roenn closed his eyes briefly before opening them, saying that Sheryl and the Light Wind division were the ones who made Rimmer happiest.
"I heard it often too."
Glenn stroked his chin as he looked down at Sheryl.
"He'd come to me chattering whenever you were embarrassed or did something well."
He told her that most of Rimmer's chatter was about Sheryl and the Light Wind division.
"That idiot..."
Sheryl gritted her teeth, hiding her face behind her hair.
"Why didn't he say anything to me?"
Her voice broke as she expressed resentment towards Rimmer.
"..."
Glenn and Roenn, sensing Sheryl's feelings, waited silently without saying anything.
"...Actually, I wanted to go."
Sheryl grasped her trembling wrist as she watched the Light Wind division leave the Fifth Training Ground.
"I wanted to give them his last belongings, but I thought it was right to yield to the children who lost their master."
She lowered her eyes, filled with a mixture of regret and bitterness.
"Rimmer would understand, even if others don't."
Glenn patted Sheryl's shoulder, telling her not to worry.
"No. That idiot wouldn't understand. Right now, I just..."
Sheryl sighed and wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes.
"I just hope those children overcome their grief and return."
She waved her hand as if saying goodbye to the Light Wind division disappearing from view.
"Yes. The Light Wind division will surely return stronger. When that day comes, as Rimmer wished..."
Glenn nodded with a deeply sunken gaze.
"We'll be able to promote Raon and the Light Wind division."
* * *
'I wonder why?'
Raon raised his knees as he stared at the gently burning campfire.
-What do you mean?
Wrath, who had finished eating and even had a late-night snack while on watch, asked while smacking his lips.
'I still don't feel like I've really reached transcendence.'
Despite reaching the realm of transcendence he had longed for, he didn't feel a sense of achievement at becoming stronger. Instead, only the desire to go even higher welled up.
-Mountains always look high before you climb them, and low after you've climbed them.
Wrath wagged his round finger from side to side.
-You've already climbed the mountain of transcendence, so of course it looks low. If you had remained at Grandmaster, it would still look like an insurmountable wall.
'I suppose that's true.'
Raon nodded as he looked at Wrath floating like a cloud.
-Moreover, since Pointy Ears died, you've been looking only forward. Like a racehorse with blinders on.
Wrath let out a short sigh.
-You're whipping yourself, vowing never to lose anyone again after experiencing Pointy Ears' death.
He shook his head, saying Raon wouldn't have trained all night even on party days otherwise.
'I guess you're right.'
Raon exhaled heavily. As Wrath said, he wasn't enjoying the realm of transcendence, but only running towards something higher.
'Because I don't want to lose anyone anymore.'
Not just the Light Wind division swordsmen, but he didn't want to lose anyone in Zieghart. He wanted to become strong like Glenn and solve everything.
'I'm surprised.'
Raon smirked as he looked at Wrath.
'I didn't know you understood me so well.'
-I've been through it too.
Wrath turned his gaze away, as if he had experienced the same thing.
'You've been through the same thing? Come to think of it, before...'
As Raon was about to ask Wrath about his past, he heard sniffling from his right. Turning his gaze, he saw Yua, who was on watch duty with him, burying her face in her knees and sobbing.
"Yua?"
Raon approached Yua and grasped her shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"...I'm thinking about Master Rimmer."
Yua shook her head without lifting her face.
"When we were on watch like this, he would always wake up in the middle and talk to us. I remembered that and..."
She sniffled, saying she started crying without realizing it as she thought of Rimmer.
"Don't cry..."
Julius, who was also on watch duty, bit his lip as if he too missed Rimmer.
"We shouldn't waver. We need to show a strong front so he can rest in peace."
Despite his words to Yua, Julius's face turned red as he failed to hold back his sorrow. Raon let out a short sigh as he looked at Yua and Julius forcing themselves not to cry.
'Come to think of it...'
We didn't even properly congratulate them. Yua and Julius broke through the Master barrier and drew out Astral Energy due to their anger over Rimmer's death. Although they couldn't freely use Astral Energy yet as it wasn't stabilized, they had clearly reached Master, but he realized he hadn't congratulated them until now.
'Actually, the same goes for me.'
He too had reached transcendence, but there was no time to celebrate. He didn't want to be celebrated either. But those children would be different, so he felt a wave of guilt.
"Then let's cry just for today."
Raon sat between Yua and Julius, pulling their heads into his embrace. Though the two were now clearly adults to anyone who looked, to him they were still fragile children in need of help. Yua wailed loudly, beating his chest, while Julius, who had been holding back, shed chicken-pea sized tears.
From the tent where the rest of the Light Wind division was sleeping, very faint sobbing could be heard. Raon closed his eyes, tightly gripping Rimmer's sword.
'As expected. No, of course, Master's absence feels very empty.'
It seemed they were all still longing for Rimmer in a corner of their hearts, even though they thought they had accepted the sorrow. It was sad yet strangely joyful to realize what Rimmer meant to the Light Wind division. Raon closed his eyes, feeling the clear breeze blowing as if to comfort the Light Wind division.
* * *
Hoo. Raon exhaled heavily as he gazed at the verdant world before him. The Great Forest, the vast green land that protected Sepia, the elves' sacred place, filled his vision. Seeing the dense natural mana and the vegetation spread in all directions, more intense than anywhere else, Rimmer's face naturally came to mind, as he had come here together with him before.
'He was foolish back then too.'
At the time, Rimmer had forgotten he was an elf and showed them for the first time how he conversed with the forest. It was absurd, but also very Rimmer-like, which naturally brought a smile to Raon's face.
"Mmm..."
Yua's lips trembled slightly, as if she too remembered the joke she had made then, asking Rimmer if he was really an elf.
"How do we get in here?"
Martha frowned as she looked at the dense forest without a single gap.
"Isn't it impossible to go without the Vice Division Leader since it's a naturally formed maze?"
She waved her hand, saying she didn't want to get lost.
"We've sent word that we're coming, so if we wait here, someone should come out to greet us."
Burren answered calmly, crossing his arms.
"...It smells nice."
Runaan hugged Yua, who was trembling, saying the forest's scent was pleasant.
"Let's wait. As Burren said, a Guardian will come."
Raon stepped back, saying they should wait here. Since they came to return Rimmer's belongings, he didn't want to damage the forest by forcing their way in. However, even after waiting for over an hour, no elves emerged from the Great Forest, and there were no signs of wild animals either.
"Isn't this a bit strange?"
Krein frowned, saying it was taking too long.
"You're right. Elves wouldn't forget a promise, right?"
Dorian also stroked his chin, saying it was odd.
"Master is an elf too." (E/N: it's a bit weird that they all call him master now even though they almost never did before. Maybe instructor is a better translation? TODO note to get back at some point to check...maybe)
"Ah!"
At Burren's words, Dorian gasped and covered his mouth.
"Let's go in."
Raon rotated his wrist as he approached the Great Forest again.
"They say it's a maze, how will you find the way?"
Martha narrowed her eyes, as if asking if it would be alright.
"I think I can open a path."
Raon nodded and stretched his hand towards the vegetation.
'Just like Master did.'
Recalling how Rimmer had opened the path, he called upon the Garunua wind to create a connection with the natural mana spread throughout the Great Forest. Whoosh!
As the Garunua wind seeped into the mana of the Great Forest, the densely grown vegetation parted to the left and right as if with a will of its own, creating a path for them to enter.
Raon trembled at his fingertips as he looked at the gently swaying vegetation and trees that seemed to welcome them. Recreating the scene Rimmer had opened with his own power felt strange.
"W-what!"
Krein's mouth fell open.
"Was this possible for you too, Division Leader?"
He shook his chin as if asking if Raon had elven blood mixed in.
"Don't be stupid!"
Martha shook her head, telling him not to talk nonsense.
"That's..."
"It smells like..."
Runaan nodded as she sniffed the air.
"That's right. I just imitated Master."
Raon nodded, saying he had used Rimmer's wind to open the forest path like an elf.
"You really..."
Martha let out an exasperated sigh.
"Let's go in for now. We should reach Sepia before nightfall."
As Raon was about to lead the way into the forest, it happened. Boom! A massive body that seemed to block out the sky rose from near the center of the Great Forest, then disappeared in a golden light. Raon frowned as he looked at the suddenly brightened sky.
"A dragon?"