"What do you mean all of a sudden?"
Raon blinked while looking at the Blade Queen and the Warlord.
"Weren't you two supposed to be touring the annex building with my mother?"
Since Sylvia, the owner of the annex building, had said she would show the Blade Queen and Warlord around, he had left them with her and planned to practice his swordsmanship. He couldn't understand why these two, who should have been touring the annex building, suddenly brought Sia here saying they wanted to take her as their disciple.
"That was the original plan. However..."
The Blade Queen let out a deep sigh while looking at Sia.
"When I saw this child, I couldn't hold back. She's literally a bundle of talent!"
She couldn't close her gaping mouth as she declared that she had never seen such talent in her life.
"I feel the same way."
The Warlord placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head.
"She may not be at the level of the lord, but her talent surpasses even the standards of a genius. I truly want to nurture her."
His usually calm eyes trembled with excitement.
"Are you okay with this, Sister?"
Raon looked at Sia, who was being held by the shoulder by the Blade Queen.
"I'm fine with it."
Sia nodded with a peaceful expression. Since going through puberty, her composure seemed to have increased dramatically.
"How did this happen?"
Raon asked Sylvia, who was standing by the door.
"Sia said she was bored and went to train by the lake."
Sylvia continued with a bright smile, clearly pleased that Sia had earned the recognition of the Blade Queen and the Warlord.
"When the Blade Queen and Warlord saw Sia wielding her sword, they immediately rushed over and fought over who would take her as their disciple."
She pinched her own cheek, saying she still couldn't tell if this was reality or a dream.
"Then Sister..."
"I refused."
Sia shook her head, saying she had declined their offers to become their disciple.
"So you both came here because you want to take my sister as your disciple."
Raon nodded, muttering that he understood now.
"That's right."
The Blade Queen nodded.
"She refused, saying she would only listen to you, so we came here."
She bowed her head, asking to be allowed to take Sia as her disciple.
"Your direct teaching shows in her style."
The Warlord nodded, saying he could sense Raon's influence in Sia's martial arts.
"However, there are areas that seem to lack consistent guidance. I will work to correct those."
He clenched his fist, declaring he would raise Sia to become a perfect martial artist.
"You have a good eye."
Raon slightly lowered his eyebrows.
"While I did teach my sister swordsmanship, I couldn't consistently oversee her training, so there must be deficiencies."
Though he had passed on basic swordsmanship and sensory sword techniques to Sia, he couldn't devote much time to her due to various duties and overseeing the Light Wind Palace swordsmen. Since Darkan had left Zieghart, and Edgar and Sylvia only wished for Sia's well-being, she must have been practicing with her sword alone for quite some time.
'It's not a bad proposal.'
Now that Sia had mastered the basics of swordsmanship, it was time for her to have a proper master. He had thought about taking her to the Light Wind Palace to train with the swordsmen, but now the best possible masters had come seeking her out on their own, making his heart race with excitement.
"What do you think, Sister?"
Raon asked for Sia's opinion first.
"Are these people strong?"
Sia raised both hands to point at the Blade Queen and the Warlord.
"They're strong. Very strong."
Raon nodded with a smile.
"More than Raon?"
"Hmm..."
He stroked his chin while letting out a low murmur.
"Right now, they're probably stronger than me."
The martial prowess of the Blade Queen and Warlord was at the level of the Five Kings' leaders, excluding Glenn, the Heavenly Demon, Derus, and Darkan. Even if he opened his Sword Domain and fought with all his might, he could only hold out for a while before ultimately being defeated.
"Were they really that strong?"
Sia's eyes widened in surprise.
"'For now,' that is correct."
The Warlord calmly shook his head while looking at Raon.
"The Lord is destined to surpass us and reach the heavens."
He showed a faint smile, confident that Raon would eventually surpass them.
"Besides, he has hidden powers too!"
The Blade Queen shrugged her shoulders, saying she could sense something massive beneath his soul. As expected of a high-level Transcendent, she seemed to possess exceptional perception.
"Being their disciple will be very challenging. You might miss the days when you practiced alone by the lake. However..."
Raon slightly bent down to look into Sia's eyes.
"You'll definitely become stronger. Strong enough to achieve your goal of protecting the annex building alongside me."
"Then I'll do it!"
Sia nodded without any hesitation.
"I want to become stronger too!"
She nodded, saying she wanted to become much stronger than now to protect the annex building.
"That settles it."
Raon stepped back with a smile.
"Then it's our turn now?"
"Yes. Let's decide who will become the master."
The Warlord and Blade Queen narrowed their eyes as they glared at each other.
"Aren't you both going to teach her together?"
Raon's eyes widened.
"We're from different schools! Of course we have to teach separately!"
"I agree that's the right approach."
The Blade Queen and Warlord began stretching, saying they would fight to determine who was more suitable as a master. Despite their usual maturity, they sometimes acted like children.
"Stop."
Raon raised his hand with a sigh.
"I gave you both the perfect Diamond Earth Technique, Devil-Fighting Sword Art, and Devil-Cutting Blade Art because I hoped you wouldn't fight meaninglessly."
"But this isn't meaningless..."
The Blade Queen raised her hand.
"Isn't it true that I learned the Diamond Earth Technique and became the head of both the sword school and the blade school?"
Raon asked, looking at the Blade Queen and Warlord.
"That's correct."
"Of course."
The Warlord and Blade Queen nodded simultaneously.
"And it's also true that there's no problem with Sia learning both of your martial arts simultaneously, right?"
"That's true."
"Her talent is beyond even our reach."
Both of them agreed that Sia was capable of learning both swordsmanship and the way simultaneously.
"Then there's no need to choose between masters - you can both teach my sister. You can take turns teaching her each day. And..."
Raon raised a finger as he continued.
"From now on, I will revive the Sword Saint School by merging the sword school and the blade school. The two schools were originally one, and since I received martial arts training from the first master, the Sword Saint, I believe I have the right to do this."
Raon looked at the Blade Queen and Warlord solemnly while stroking his chin.
"Hmm!"
"The Sword Saint School..."
The Blade Queen and Warlord bit their lips. Their eyes began to tremble intensely.
'They'll surely object.'
Having lived their entire lives in their respective schools, they probably wouldn't like the idea of creating a single school even if he was the master.
'How should I convince them...'
"That's not a bad idea?"
"It's fine."
While he was wracking his brain thinking about how to convince them, the Blade Queen and Warlord smiled, saying it seemed fine.
"Pardon?"
Raon blinked while looking at the two of them.
"After thinking about it, Lord Raon is right. There's no real need to fight anymore, and since the disciple's qualities are excellent, we can teach together."
The Blade Queen nodded approvingly.
"I will follow Lord Raon's words."
The Warlord nodded, expressing gratitude for the good judgment.
"Yuber of the Sword Saint School greets the Master!"
"Siera of the Sword Saint School greets the Master!"
The Blade Queen and Warlord looked at each other, then knelt down and bowed their heads as if they had been waiting for this moment.
"I told you to stop doing that..."
Raon hit his forehead with a sigh. That formal greeting would pop up just when he thought they'd forgotten about it, making him feel uncomfortable.
"Please take good care of me from now on!"
The Blade Queen patted the head of Sia, who was taller than herself.
"It will be a difficult path, so prepare yourself well."
The Warlord also nodded, ready to take on the role of master.
"Yes, Masters!"
Sia bowed respectfully to the Blade Queen and Warlord.
"Sia..."
Sylvia nodded deeply, seemingly satisfied with how mature Sia had become.
"Our daughter has grown up! It's time to let her go..."
Edgar covered his mouth and sniffled, seemingly moved by Sia's clear voice.
"She's not getting married, and she's not even leaving..."
Raon shook his head at Edgar, telling him not to be so dramatic.
-Those old folks...
Wrath frowned in disbelief.
-They seem like they'd really die if you told them to.
He furrowed his brows, wondering how they could be so loyal when they barely had known each other for a month. He seemed quite envious.
'It's just as you said before. This time, I got lucky.'
It was fortunate that pure-hearted people like the Blade Queen and Warlord would continue the Sword Saint's legacy. He finally felt like his luck was turning around.
-Finally? You say finally?
Wrath's jaw trembled in disbelief.
-A guy who's lived his whole life on luck says 'finally'? Have you no conscience?
He glared with reddened eyes, demanding an immediate retraction.
"Shall we start training right away?"
"Ah, before that, I have one more request."
Raon brushed off the angry Wrath with the back of his hand and approached the Blade Queen and Warlord.
"If it's a request..."
"Just say it."
The Warlord lowered his eyebrows curiously, while the Blade Queen nodded, telling him to say anything.
"You'll find out if you follow me tomorrow."
Raon nodded with a faint smile.
***
"You must have heard the rumors."
Raon stood on the platform of the fifth training ground, lifting his chin.
"These two are the Blade Queen and the Warlord."
He called forward the Blade Queen and Warlord who were waiting behind him.
"That person is the Blade Queen? She looks so young! And she's a woman?"
"The aura they emit is definitely chilling. It seems difficult to even approach the Warlord..."
"Though they both look young, their martial prowess is real."
"I never thought I'd see the Blade Queen and Warlord with my own eyes!"
The Light Wind Palace swordsmen, well aware of the Blade Queen and Warlord's reputation, trembled with excitement just from meeting them.
"Haaaaah! Haaaaah! Haaa..."
Mark Goetun exhaled white steam from his mouth, seemingly in deep admiration of the Warlord who had reached Transcendence. It was startling to see him show such behavior for the first time.
"From today, these two will be your temporary instructors. Though they can't come every day, they'll visit once a day, so make sure to seek their advice diligently."
Raon nodded while pointing to the Blade Queen and Warlord.
'It would be a waste to let such masters rest idly.'
Since there was no need for both to teach Sia simultaneously, he had asked for one of them to serve as an instructor at the Light Wind Palace, and both had readily agreed.
"And..."
Raon gestured to Paratheus standing to the side.
"This is Ancient Dragon Paratheus of the Gold Clan. If you ask him, he can modify the training ground to suit individual training needs."
As he said this, he gave a signal to Paratheus.
"How bothersome!"
As Paratheus nodded and chanted a spell, a mountain with swirling cold energy rose at the right end of the training ground, while a deep pit of burning fire appeared at the left end.
"Woooah!"
"He cast such high-level magic without even an incantation?"
"As expected of a Dragon!"
"Having a Dragon as an ally is so convenient!"
The swordsmen sent sparkling gazes toward Paratheus, amazed by his magic.
"I-it's nothing special! Watch this too!"
Seemingly pleased with the swordsmen's cheers, Paratheus began performing unrequested modifications.
-That fellow was born a pushover.
Wrath shook his head as if pitying him.
'Indeed. Like someone we know.'
-Who might that someone be?
'...'
Raon didn't answer and turned his attention back to the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.
"Today we have three Transcendents here, so choose who you want to learn from."
Raon nodded as he told them to stand in front of whichever Transcendent they wanted to learn from.
"Warlord! Warlord! Warlord!"
"We can even choose?"
"The Light Wind Palace really is the best!"
"I choose the Blade Queen!"
Mark Goetun rushed to the Warlord with a crazed look, while other swordsmen also went to their chosen Transcendent. Most gathered in front of the Blade Queen and Warlord, while some went to Paratheus for his special training grounds.
'I can already picture the future.'
If they could develop the swordsmen like this, they might be able to create many Grandmasters before the war. Currently, only Burren, Runaan, Martha, Mark Goetun, and Trevin were Grandmasters, but with help from the Blade Queen, Warlord, and Paratheus, they could potentially raise many more swordsmen to that level.
'And Runaan might even be able to aim for Transcendence.'
Since Runaan had received the Authority of Sloth from Sloth, she might have the potential to surpass Transcendence if properly trained.
'I'm looking forward to it.'
He couldn't help but smile as he imagined an army of Grandmasters crushing the Angels and Ghosts of Eden.
-Is this really the time for you to be thinking about such things?
'Huh?'
Raon blinked and raised his head.
'What do you mean... W-what!'
Unlike the Blade Queen, Warlord, and Paratheus, there wasn't a single swordsman standing in front of him.
-Puhehehehe!
Wrath burst into mocking laughter while spreading his hands.
-I knew this would happen! Who would go to a madman like you!
He cackled, saying that having no one in front of him showed his true character.
"Ugh..."
Raon squeezed his eyes shut as he looked at the empty space in front of him.
'I know I might have been harsh with training until now, but this is a bit much.'
He had only trained them so intensely because he didn't want to see them die, but seeing that not a single one chose him made his heart ache.
-It wasn't that you didn't want to see them die, you beat them up every time you saw them, didn't you?
Wrath snorted, telling him to be honest.
"Haa..."
Just as Raon was sighing and shaking his head...
"I will learn from the Palace Master!"
Krein raised his hand energetically and stood in front of Raon.
"Krein?"
Raon's jaw dropped. He was bewildered, never expecting Krein of all people to be the first to come to him.
"It's all thanks to you that I've grown this much, Palace Master!"
Krein bit his lips firmly while glancing at the other swordsmen.
'What fools.'
They could have just endured one tough day, but now they'll suffer for over a month. Raon was a perfectionist who wouldn't let even small things slide. He'd definitely remember this day and make them do focus enhancement training, so it was right to score points with him early.
'I'm getting out of this one.'
A smile formed on his lips as he imagined Raon remembering this day and being lenient with training only for him.
"No, that's not it..."
Dorian shook his head with a pale face, as if saying it was the wrong decision.
"Mind your own business."
Krein snorted and brushed off his hands.
"Krein!"
Raon jumped down from the platform.
"You believe in me!"
He nodded broadly, genuinely seeming pleased.
"Of course! I, Krein, would give my life for you, Palace Master!"
Krein raised his fist, declaring that he alone truly believed in Raon.
"Good."
Raon's red eyes burned with intensity.
"I will definitely make you a Grandmaster. Let's train together starting today."
He slapped Krein's back, saying they should both work hard.
"Kuheck!"
Krein's jaw trembled as he felt the burning heat from his back.
"F-from today? Not just today?"
"I was originally planning to do it just for today. However..."
Raon nodded while gripping Krein's shoulder.
"Your passion and determination have moved me. Living up to your reputation as the one and only Krein, I'll make you the first regular swordsman of the Light Wind Palace to become a Grandmaster!"
"Ah, you don't have to..."
"No, this is non-negotiable."
He grabbed Krein by the nape of his neck and dragged him into the training room, determined to see it through.
"Kyaaaaaaaaah!"
Krein's piercing scream echoed from inside the training room, which was supposed to be soundproof.
"Whew..."
Dorian shook his head repeatedly at the sight.
"Why did he even go?"
Raon was more affectionate than he appeared, which could turn into poison if you got caught up in it. He himself had almost gone to Raon but gave up immediately after reading his thoughts with his Mind's Eye.
"Urrrrrgh!"
Dorian prayed for Krein's peace as his screams continued to emerge from the training room.
"May he die peacefully."
***
"Without a doubt..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the Blade Queen teaching Sia.
"She's developing quickly."
Three weeks had passed since the Blade Queen and Warlord took charge of Sia.
Thanks to their enthusiastic teaching, Sia had grown remarkably, enough to make a name for herself even now.
'Her talent truly is unmatched.'
He clicked his tongue, feeling slightly envious of Sia's innate special talent.
-Have you truly gone mad?
Wrath frowned in disbelief.
'Why? I was on the untalented side, wasn't I?'
-Yes. You were at the bottom. But you've grown that talent to reach where you are now!
He waved his hand.
-Your talent, which broke through its ceiling through growth, is unprecedented not just in the Human World, but even in the Devildom!
Wrath shook his head vigorously, saying it wasn't even comparable to Sia.
-Besides, you're still growing through effort! You don't need to envy your sister, or even that old geezer!
'What's with the sudden acknowledgment?'
Raon looked at Wrath with a wry smile.
-Because your talent wasn't innate, but self-made.
Wrath's eyes wavered with a serious light.
-You've climbed from the bottom to the heavens, so it's only natural to acknowledge that.
'Hmm...'
Raon couldn't meet Wrath's gaze and slightly turned away.
'Usually you're such a fool, but you can be serious at times like this.'
Since Wrath never spoke empty words, receiving his praise felt better than any other reward.
'Alright. Today I'll treat you to bead ice cream.'
Raon grinned and gave Wrath a playful punch.
-R-really?!
'Think about which flavor you want.'
-Then of course I'll choose mint chocolate...
Just as Wrath was muttering about which bead ice cream flavors he wanted...
"Light Wind Palace Master!"
Shadow Agents' Leader Chad waved as he approached the annex building.
"Shadow Agents' Leader?"
Raon stood from his chair to greet Chad.
"What brings you to the annex building?"
"I came because there's something I need to tell you."
Chad nodded while wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Something you need to tell me..."
"The first successor candidate test will end at midnight today."
He nodded, saying the time previously set with Glenn was up.
"Already?"
"They say there's no point in giving more time since the gap between the ranked candidates and the others has become too wide."
Chad nodded, saying it was Glenn's decision.
"The second test will probably be announced tomorrow."
"Then who are the five people who passed the first test?"
He knew about himself, Karoon, and Balder, but was curious about the other two.
"It will be announced tomorrow, but I can tell you in advance. Lord Karoon, Lord Raon, Lord Balder, Lady Alice..."
Chad swallowed dryly as he named the four people.
"Aunt participated too?"
"Yes. She had many Golden Tablets saved up from the past, and she's been collecting more recently, saying she wanted to enter as a candidate to help you."
He nodded, explaining how Alice had ended up among the candidates.
"As for the fifth and final person..."
Chad nodded and revealed the last name.