Raon frowned deeply as he looked at the book with his name on it.
'Right. The mercenaries I met at the restaurant talked about a book too.'
Before coming to Sepia, I heard from the mercenaries at the restaurant that there was a book with my name in the title.
'So this is the book.'
But when did they make this?
Ensia said she would make my face her signature mark when I created Sylvia's energy center.
It wasn't that long ago, so I don't know how this book came out so quickly.
'A book of this thickness couldn't have been made with magic... Ah!'
Now I understand.
Ensia didn't get permission to use the signature mark and then make the book; she made the book first and then got permission.
'That's why she said she'd give me a percentage for the rights...'
I refused to accept it, but she insisted on giving me money, and it seems it was because of this book.
"Ugh..."
Raon closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.
'This isn't humanly possible.'
In times like this, Ensia seems to rival Merlin.
"Oh, how can my brother be with Handsome Raon?"
As I sighed in disbelief, Siyana raised her trembling eyes.
"Hmm?"
Rimmer tilted his head as he looked at Siyana.
"Isn't the book you're reading about Raon?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Then you know I'm Raon's master, right?"
"What are you talking about! Handsome Raon got strong on his own! He has no master!"
Siyana raised her voice slightly, telling him not to talk nonsense.
"Why are you talking nonsense? I raised him!"
Rimmer frowned as he looked down at the blanket Siyana was hiding under.
"No! Raon was a genius who learned swordsmanship from birth!"
"There's no such person in the world! Listen! I raised Raon as my disciple, and now he's my subordinate!"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he listened to the siblings' conversation.
'If there's nothing about the Division Leader being my master, then what did they write?'
With trembling hands, he turned the pages. Thanks to the Ring of Fire, he could understand the content even if he flipped pages every second.
"What, what does it say? Is my name in there?"
"What about me?"
Dorian and Yua stretched their necks, curious.
"..."
Raon finished the book in an instant and trembled without answering.
'This is a hymn. Not a human hymn, but a Raon hymn.'
Everything starts and ends with Raon.
The events and deeds were true, but in the content, Raon was depicted as a god who could do no wrong.
Rimmer wasn't mentioned, and the three squad leaders appeared only as hindrances. Dorian was just called a mobile pouch without a name.
At least Yua's name appeared, but only once.
"Y-you are in it."
Raon nodded awkwardly to Dorian and Yua and turned to the last page of the book.
"Ah..."
As soon as he saw the last page, a groan escaped his lips.
1. The round stone Raon Zieghart threw into the sky is now called the moon.
2. Raon Zieghart did not learn swordsmanship. Swordsmanship was born for Raon Zieghart.
3. Raon Zieghart has no separate home. This world is his home.
4. Raon Zieghart can burn fire and freeze ice.
These crazy statements were written in lines. He couldn't bear to read more and closed the book.
-Did you make the moon! When and how!
Wrath seemed to believe what was written in the book, trembling as he looked at him.
"Haa..."
He didn't have the strength to answer, so he just sighed.
'I have to burn it all.'
He decided to erase the existence of this book, even if it meant spending all his money.
"Um, you're really Handsome Raon, right?"
A trembling voice came from under the blanket. She was a shut-in NEET and didn't seem to want to show herself at all.
A few strands of golden hair sticking out of the blanket were the only indication of her hair color.
"I'm not handsome, but I am Raon."
Raon nodded as he looked at Siyana's blanket.
"I'm a fan. Handsome Raon."
Siyana called him handsome again, peeking out with eyes as blue as a cloudless sky, twinkling faintly.
"Thank you. And you can leave out the 'handsome.'"
"The book says to always call you handsome..."
"Don't believe this book. Nine out of ten things in it are lies."
Raon shook his head as he handed the book back to Siyana.
"You're as humble as the book says."
Siyana seemed brainwashed, not believing Raon but trusting the book.
"It's not that. Haa..."
Raon's fingertips trembled. It was too complicated to explain. All he could do was sigh.
"It's an honor to meet you."
Siyana extended her hand slightly to take the book. Her hand was so pale it was almost transparent, indicating she hadn't been outside for a long time.
"Hey, Siyana. Aren't you a bit too uninterested in your brother you haven't seen in a while?"
Rimmer shook his head, saying it was too much.
"Oh, sorry. I'm just... Oh, brother! Your arm!"
The blanket hiding Siyana shook violently.
"This? I invested in the future."
Rimmer winked at Raon. He seemed to like the words he said in front of Sterin.
"For Raon?"
"Yeah. I went through some trouble to save him."
"It doesn't hurt?"
"The treatment was good when it was cut, so it's fine now."
He patted the blanket where Siyana's head was.
"Brother."
"Yes?"
"You did well."
"Huh...?"
Rimmer blinked at the lively tone in Siyana's voice.
"Raon is the best of the best stocks! He'll definitely give a great return!"
She waved her hand out of the blanket, saying it was a good choice.
"Uh, yeah..."
Rimmer nodded blankly, not expecting such a reaction.
"Is Handsome Raon okay?"
"Thanks to the Division Leader, I wasn't seriously injured."
"That's a relief!"
Siyana hesitated for a moment and then spoke again.
"Handsome Raon, can I ask you one thing?"
"If you leave out the 'handsome,' you can."
Raon took a short breath and nodded.
"Raon, if you didn't have a talent for swordsmanship, what do you think you would have done?"
"Talent?"
It was an unexpected question, so he was a bit flustered.
"I was born a High Elf, but I don't have the talents a High Elf should have. I can't fight well like other elves, can't summon spirits, and can't use aura. They call me a High Elf more useless than a bug..."
Siyana muttered that all she could do was hide and breathe like this. Her voice was tinged with tears.
"But you shoot arrows well, right? Weren't you a perfect shot?"
"What's the point of shooting well if I can't use aura? And it's been so long since I last shot a bow..."
She glanced at the bow hanging on the wall and buried her face in the bed.
"Hmm..."
Raon smacked his lips briefly.
'That's a difficult question.'
Even if she's a fan, asking such a question to someone she just met means she's mentally cornered.
Since Siyana mustered a lot of courage, I wanted to help her, regardless of her being my fan or Rimmer's sister.
But there were things I needed to know before answering.
"If you're a High Elf, does that mean the Division Leader is also a High Elf?"
"I'm not."
Rimmer shook his head plainly.
"High Elves are determined at birth. It was passed from our grandfather to Siyana, but it might be different next time. It's different every time."
He shrugged, saying High Elves are chosen by the heavens.
"And only two High Elves can exist at the same time. Right now, in Sepia, there are only our grandfather and Siyana."
"I see."
Raon bit his lip slightly.
'If there are only two High Elves, she must feel pressured.'
Especially since Sterin could leave at any time.
Seeing the wrinkles on Sterin's face, he probably doesn't have much time left.
Except for him, Siyana is the only High Elf, and since she can't fulfill her role, both she and those around her must feel a great burden.
'That's pitiful.'
Raon slowly opened his mouth after thinking of an answer to Siyana's question.
"If I didn't have a goal, I would have lived an ordinary life without picking up a sword. But if there was something I had to achieve, I would have picked up the sword even without talent."
"To the end?"
"Yes. I would never have given up."
He didn't reveal the details but gave an honest answer.
"Siyana, I don't know what you read, but Raon is very talented."
"Of course..."
"But."
Rimmer smiled slightly and sat on Siyana's bed.
"That guy worked harder than anyone I've ever seen. He was the first to come to the training ground and the last to leave. I guarantee you, there's no one his age who trained more than him."
He patted the blanket, saying Raon's martial prowess was built more by relentless effort than talent.
"That's right. Raon was a training monster from the first time I saw him."
"He trains every day, even at home!"
Dorian and Yua also said Raon's true talent is his effort.
"But the book says he can imitate swordsmanship just by seeing it once..."
"He can imitate it, but that's not swordsmanship, it's a trick. To elevate your level, training is the only answer."
Raon nodded as he looked at Siyana's trembling shoulders under the blanket.
"Effort..."
Siyana's voice sounded both depressed and somewhat brighter.
"If it's too hard, give up."
Rimmer laughed as he stroked Siyana's head.
"Give up? Who will purify the World Tree!"
"Leave it to the next High Elf."
He shook his head, telling her to relax.
"Grandfather has been purifying the World Tree like he has OCD, so even if he passes away, it will last for 40 years. A new High Elf will be born by then, won't they?"
"But..."
"Siyana, the world is vast and there's much to do. Don't lose yourself in your duty."
Rimmer's lips curved into a gentle smile as if he genuinely cared for his sister.
Raon stroked under his ear as he watched Siyana trembling under the blanket without answering.
'She has a strong sense of responsibility.'
As soon as Rimmer said to give up, Siyana brought up the purification of the World Tree.
It meant she didn't forget her duty despite being ignored by other elves.
"I don't know much about the world of elves, so I can't speak carelessly, but..."
He continued, looking at her shimmering blue eyes under the blanket.
"Aren't you curious about how the elves who called you a useless High Elf would react to a changed Siyana? They'll be so shocked they won't be able to speak, just gaping."
He remembered the shocked expressions of the other kids during his trainee days.
"Ah..."
Siyana's eyes trembled with excitement just thinking about it.
"And if you really try your best but still can't do it, giving up is also a path. The important thing is to acknowledge that you did your best. You can't deceive yourself, even if you deceive others."
"Do your best..."
Siyana muttered the word "best" under the blanket.
"And you can't say you can't do anything."
"Huh?"
"You said you made Nadine bread. I like that. And there's one more person who likes it too."
Raon smiled softly, thinking of Glenn.
"Right. You haven't tested all your abilities yet. Think about it carefully."
Rimmer lightly tapped Siyana's head and got up from the bed.
"We're leaving now. Rest."
He gestured with his hand, saying he should get going.
"..."
Siyana didn't say anything.
"Then I'll be going too."
"Th-Thank you!"
As Raon followed Rimmer out, he heard Siyana's voice from under the blanket. She seemed to muster some courage as her voice rose half a tone.
"Wow, I can't live with all this discrimination, whether in Zieghart or here."
Rimmer muttered in annoyance but left the room with a smile on his lips.
"Rest well."
Raon chuckled and followed Rimmer out, looking to the right.
'But...'
He frowned as he saw Wrath floating in the air, stroking his chin.
'Why are you so quiet?'
Wrath, who had said he would kill Siyana as soon as they met, was unusually quiet.
-That High Elf girl from earlier.
'Huh?'
Wrath looked back and frowned.
-She's blocked.
* * *
After everyone left, Siyana crawled out of the blanket like a turtle.
"So, Handsome Raon. No, even Raon..."
He didn't reach his current position just by talent.
The Raon I saw in person had a different spirit from others. He naturally drew attention, so I thought he was just like in the book, but it seems he went through a lot of hardships too.
"Doing your best..."
I definitely tried. I probably spent more time on resonance training than the other elves outside did on aura and spirit art.
But if asked if I did my best, I can't confidently say yes.
There were times I was lazy, couldn't focus because of other elves' gazes, and gave up and slept.
"He said you can't deceive yourself, even if you deceive others."
That's true. All the time I wasted is still in my head.
"Should I try a little more..."
After hearing advice from Raon, whom I thought was an idol while reading the book, my desire to give up disappeared, and I wanted to try more.
Especially the words about being curious about how the elves who scorned me would react struck a chord.
Honestly, I had a deep desire for attention and praise from everyone.
Siyana got off the bed and closed her eyes.
'I still don't have the courage to go outside.'
She focused her mind to harmonize with the world, holding Raon Zieghart's biography tightly in both hands.
* * *
Raon looked around the assigned accommodation with a faint smile.
"It's no different from the accommodations where people live."
Erian provided a building touched by human hands as accommodation. It was comfortable, but he was a bit disappointed because he wanted to stay in a treehouse.
Raon unpacked his belongings and left the accommodation. Wanting to feel the pure mana of Sepia more deeply, he looked around, and the elves began to stop one by one.
"Is that a human?"
"A human with such pure mana..."
"Cleaner than us. Almost at a spirit's level."
"Is he really the Spirit King's Contractor as Erian said?"
"I don't know if he's the contractor, but it's clear there's a possibility."
The elves sighed or looked at Raon in admiration.
"That's ridiculous. Why would the Spirit King contract with a human?"
"That's right. I've never heard of a human, not an elf, contracting with the Spirit King."
"I can't understand Erian. Why does he like him so much..."
Some elves dismissed it as nonsense, shaking their heads. Honestly, he was more grateful to them.
'It was that elf's doing, after all.'
Since Erian's name was mentioned, it was clear that eccentric elf had spread the story of the Spirit King throughout Sepia.
'There really are no normal people around the Division Leader.'
Raon shook his head and moved to avoid the elves' gazes. As he walked away from their eyes, he found himself in front of a small clearing.
'A training ground?'
Seeing arrows and wooden swords around, it seemed to be a training ground for elves to practice archery and swordsmanship.
'Training grounds make me feel at ease anywhere.'
-That's because you're crazy about training.
Wrath glared at Raon, frowning.
-Stop being pathetic and let's go back. I'm hungry!
He smacked his lips, saying he wanted to try the strange foods Rimmer mentioned.
'Before that.'
Raon grabbed Wrath's tail and pulled him in front of him.
'What did you mean when you said Lady Siyana is blocked?'
-Blocked means blocked.
'I mean, explain in detail.'
-That High Elf girl. The part you call the upper dantian is completely blocked.
'It's usually blocked. You unblock it naturally as your level rises.'
The path of the upper dantian is blocked from birth. He also unblocked it as he reached Grandmaster.
-That's right. But that girl has something else besides her own wall.
'Something else?'
-I don't know what it is either. But it's certain that something deep and dense is blocking it.
'Why didn't Guardian Sterin know that?'
-She's been like that since birth, so he probably thought it was natural. And that old High Elf can't see what I see.
Wrath raised his nose, saying his level was higher.
'Blocked...'
Raon stroked his chin and shook his head.
'She seemed to be having a hard time.'
Having lived as a branch family member in Zieghart, he could somewhat understand Siyana's perspective.
Rimmer also stopped smiling as soon as he left Siyana's room, showing his concern, so Raon wanted to help if he could.
'Upper dantian... Hmm?'
While he was contemplating, he heard a sharp wind sound from the right forest.
Raon drew the Heavenly Drive before he even thought. Even in a hurry, he held a stable sword stance, thinking he could withstand anything that came.
But.
Twang!
The sword stance crumbled like a sandcastle, and a white arrow pierced through the boundary.
With his empty left hand, he drew the Requiem Sword and erected a Fire Wall.
Whoosh!
The shield of flames rose like moonlight, blocking the path of the arrow.
Ping!
However, the white arrow, like a living being, soared not to the left where the Fire Wall was erected, but aimed at his right shoulder.
Twang!
Raon hurriedly retrieved the Heavenly Drive and barely deflected the charging arrow.
"Ugh..."
His grip ached fiercely. The power contained in the arrow was stronger than a Grandmaster swordsman.
Hum!
Moreover, the arrow only bounced off slightly and returned forward with a sharp momentum.
"This arrow is..."
"Impressive."
The forest split open, revealing Sterin. His tall figure approached without hesitation, resembling Rimmer.
"Why is the Guardian here all of a sudden..."
"You gave strength to my granddaughter who was sitting down, so I must give a small reward as well."
As Sterin gestured, the white arrow floating in the air was sucked into his hand.
"You said you wanted to gain inspiration by watching the Spiritual Bow?"
He smiled confidently as he placed the arrow on the bowstring.
"Take it if you can."