"Haaaaah..."
Dorian let out a sigh as he looked up at the mountain, which appeared more like it had been carved out than naturally formed.
"I-is this Sword Dance Mountain where the Unyielding Blade is located?"
His jaw trembled as he wondered how they would climb this mountain.
"That's right."
Raon nodded while standing next to Dorian.
"This mountain got its name because it's as sharp and straight as a well-honed sword. Even skilled martial artists find it difficult to climb."
Sword Dance Mountain was challenging even for martial artists due to its height and abundance of blunt rocks. The terrain was so treacherous that people said merely climbing it counted as cultivation.
-Hah, this thing is disgustingly tall.
Wrath heaved a deep sigh.
-There won't be anything to eat up here...
He smacked his lips, seemingly missing the happy times spent eating ice cream at House Arianne.
"Wasn't the Unyielding Blade located near White Whale?"
Martha tilted her head, recalling seeing the Unyielding Blade marked on the Continental Map.
"That's just a branch. Though it's larger than the headquarters, the real Unyielding Blade is here on Sword Dance Mountain."
Raon waved his hand dismissively.
"Then where exactly is the Unyielding Blade?"
Martha placed her hand above her eyes as she looked up at Sword Dance Mountain.
"If the mountain's that high, it can't be at the peak, right?"
She lowered her eyebrows, suggesting it might be around the middle of the mountain.
"No, it's at the peak."
Raon raised his finger to point at the mountain's summit.
"B-but it looks like it would be hard to even breathe up there..."
Dorian panted as he looked at the cloud-shrouded peak of Sword Dance Mountain.
"That might be true. The high altitude means there's less oxygen."
"Then we should use this!"
Dorian eagerly pulled a round bead from his pouch.
"It's a high-altitude artifact that makes breathing easier! A traveler's essential!"
He put the artifact in his mouth, telling them not to worry.
"That won't be necessary."
Evelyn pulled the artifact from Dorian's mouth as she approached Raon's side.
"One spell from me and we can breathe comfortably anywhere."
She gently stroked Raon's shoulder, telling him to leave it to her.
"I don't plan to use magic or artifacts."
Raon shook his head and looked back at Sword Dance Mountain.
"The reason why the Queen of Swords and other Unyielding Blade swordsmen are strong is because they trained at the mountain's peak."
Breathing itself is difficult at high altitudes. The Unyielding Blade swordsmen had trained at the peak of Sword Dance Mountain, giving them overwhelmingly greater lung capacity compared to other martial artists. They achieved great accomplishments in actual combat based on their deep lung capacity and noble willpower.
"Let's climb while thinking of it as training. Don't use aura."
Raon started climbing first, telling them to think of the climb itself as training.
-You're a Transcendent, aren't you!
Wrath furrowed his brow in disbelief.
-What kind of training do you think you'll get from mere mountain climbing!
He waved his hand, telling them to just climb quickly.
'No, there will be something to gain.'
Raon shook his head in refusal.
-Wow, you're crazy in other ways too, but when it comes to training, you're an absolute lunatic that can't be matched.
Wrath shook his head repeatedly, calling him a hopeless training maniac.
"T-training even here..."
Dorian clutched his head, already seeming tired.
"Training, you say? Then we must do it!"
Martha seemed pleased, stretching her legs while bumping her fists together.
"I don't have to do it, right? I'm a magician after all."
Evelyn floated into the air, saying she'd take the easy way up.
"Suit yourself."
Raon shrugged at Evelyn before climbing Sword Dance Mountain. While the path from the base to the middle wasn't much different from other mountains, beyond that point the slope became so steep it felt like climbing a cliff.
'This isn't bad?'
Even without using aura and despite the mountain's height, he wouldn't tire from mere climbing. However, the slope helped him find his body's precise center of gravity.
-So you're actually getting some tiny bit of growth. Really...
Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if fed up.
'As you said, I've reached Transcendence. And I'm standing just below the highest level.'
Raon looked at his heavily calloused hands.
'There are hardly any opportunities left for rapid growth like awakening. I need to get stronger bit by bit, even through methods like this.'
Not knowing when the war with Derus would break out, he needed to grow stronger by any means necessary, even if only little by little.
"Oh! That tree is the rare Siban tree!"
Dorian's eyes widened as he ran toward a tree that looked like fish bones.
"I must take this! It's an essential item!"
He gasped for breath before pulling the tree up by its roots and stuffing it into his pouch.
"Huh? Is that a Murang fruit? That's also an essential ingredient used in sweet seasonings?"
Dorian moved to the right and quickly picked the yellow ball-like fruits.
"Here he goes again."
Martha sighed as she watched Dorian gathering supplies from everywhere.
'Already...'
Unlike Martha, Raon stared at Dorian with wide eyes.
'Has his Authority awakened?'
As Dorian put the tree and fruits into his pouch, Raon sensed a new breath awakening in his soul. The Authority of Gluttony, which also existed in his own soul. It meant the power granted by Gluttony had awakened.
-Huh, it seems so!
Wrath nodded, saying he could see Gluttony awakening in Dorian's soul. With a deep resonance, though Dorian himself wasn't aware, his martial prowess and mental strength were gradually growing through the Authority of Gluttony.
'This is no joke.'
To be able to grow stronger while doing what one loves - it was an even more impressive ability than he'd thought.
'We absolutely need to get more of this.'
Raon turned around to look at Martha and Evelyn, who was floating in the air.
'Evelyn will definitely resonate with Lust. However...'
Who would suit Martha and Burren? He wanted to find demon kings whose powers would resonate with them too, but no particular Authority came to mind.
'No, we need to find them even if none come to mind.'
To minimize casualties even slightly, he needed to help the swordsmen grow stronger somehow. Raon looked at Wrath as he resolved to definitely help Burren and Martha reach Transcendence.
-W-why are you suddenly looking at me!
Wrath's jaw trembled as if suddenly flustered.
-Stop making that scary expression!
He shook his head vigorously.
-Whenever you get that look in your eyes, strange things always happen!
***
Raon reached the main gate of the Unyielding Blade at the peak of Sword Dance Mountain before sunset. The main gate was so small that it would be crowded with just two people passing through, and so worn that it seemed like it might break with just a little force. It was such a modest place that it was hard to believe it was one of the top ten powers on the continent.
However, perhaps due to the noble air of Sword Dance Mountain, the building itself held a sharp aura like a sword.
As Raon approached the main gate, it opened with a loud noise, and a blue-haired girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens walked out.
"This is the Unyielding Blade. What brings you honored guests here?"
The girl bowed politely before straightening up. Though still young, she emanated a powerful aura of swordsmanship.
"I am the Light Wind Palace Master of Zieghart. I've come to see the master of the Unyielding Blade."
Even though she was young, she represented the Unyielding Blade, so Raon introduced himself with equal politeness.
"Ah! So you're Lord Raon!"
The girl widened her green eyes as if finally recognizing him.
"Please wait a moment."
Though flustered, she didn't forget her duty and went back inside the Unyielding Blade.
"The kid's quite capable, isn't she?"
Dorian smacked his lips, saying she seemed quite mature for her age.
"Right. She's better than you, isn't she?"
Martha nodded in agreement.
"H-hey! That's not true! I've made my living by the sword for years!"
Dorian waved both hands, protesting it wasn't that bad.
"The you I know could never act like that. You'd stutter just from seeing an important guest, wouldn't you?"
Martha smirked, saying it was obvious.
"N-no, that's not true!"
"See? You're stuttering from embarrassment even now."
As the two were having their light argument, the main gate of the Unyielding Blade opened again, and familiar faces appeared.
"How did you end up here?"
Brigitte, the master of the Unyielding Blade and known as the Queen of Swords, opened her eyes wide upon seeing Raon.
"I heard someone was coming up, but I didn't know it would be Lord Raon."
The Thespian Emperor Ariel drew a faint smile as if pleased to see him.
"Still, I know why you've come here. It must be about supporting the successor."
She nodded gently, as if already having heard the news from Zieghart.
"Supporting the successor?"
Brigitte tilted her head as if not understanding.
"I told you already. That Zieghart is currently holding successor selection trials."
The Thespian Emperor lowered her hand, saying she had mentioned it before.
"I think you told that to my sister? I don't remember hearing about it."
Brigitte lightly tapped her forehead, telling her to think carefully.
"Ah, you're right!"
The Thespian Emperor clapped her hands softly as if remembering.
"I told Briana because she was so interested in Lord Raon."
She nodded, indicating it was Briana, not Brigitte.
-Ah, right.
Wrath whistled as he looked at Brigitte.
-Those were the twins sharing one body, weren't they?
'That's right.'
Raon nodded slightly.
'Briana and Brigitte's two souls share that one body. Though it was by chance, I helped awaken them too.'
He drew a faint smile as he recalled awakening Briana and the Thespian Emperor while trying to form an alliance between the Five Divine Orders and Zieghart.
"Is Lady Briana present now?"
Raon slightly tilted his chin as he looked at Brigitte.
"She's still swinging her sword in her mental image. She barely comes out, probably thinking of catching up to you."
Brigitte frowned, calling her sister an obsessive person.
"You seem quite intense yourself, Lady Brigitte?"
Raon said while examining Brigitte's entire body.
"What? What do you..."
"You said you didn't want to do physical training because of your sister, but you've been working hard at it."
Raon smiled as he sensed that Brigitte's body had become much more toned than before.
"W-what nonsense! I just trained because I wanted to!"
Brigitte shook her head vigorously, denying it was for her sister Briana.
"Stop talking nonsense and tell me what you mean about coming here for successor support!"
She stamped her foot, demanding an explanation.
"The Head of House set the successor selection trial as gathering supporters..."
Raon explained to Brigitte the reason he had come all this way.
"Hmph. So you came wanting the Unyielding Blade's support."
Brigitte snorted and crossed her arms.
"My support isn't something you can earn so easily..."
"I'll give it to you."
The Thespian Emperor nodded calmly, as if having already made her decision.
"Ariel!"
Brigitte's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
"Compared to the serendipitous encounter Lord Raon gave us, supporting him is the least we can do. And..."
The Thespian Emperor smiled faintly as if seeing through everything.
"Besides, Brigitte was just going to stall for time before helping anyway, right?"
"Nnngh..."
Brigitte pressed her lips together tightly, as if her true intentions had been exposed.
"Oh, fine! I'll give it too!"
She lowered her eyebrows, claiming she had intended to give it from the start.
"Thank you both. However..."
Raon raised his hand to the Thespian Emperor and Brigitte.
"My reason for coming here isn't just for support."
"Then?"
Brigitte tilted her head, wondering what the reason was.
"It's the same as the Thespian Emperor."
Raon raised his hand to point at the Thespian Emperor.
"I heard that every ten years, the Unyielding Blade holds a swordsmanship tournament without using aura, and grants the winner access to an archive of rare swordsmanship manuals..."
He smiled as he placed his hand on the hilt of the Heavenly Drive.
"As an ally of the Five Divine Orders, I would like to participate in that tournament."
-You little punk!
Wrath furrowed his brow in disbelief.
-Why would a Transcendent like you enter a tournament meant for novices!
***
Thud. From the end of the dim corridor came chilling footsteps that made one's skin crawl. The owner of those ominous sounds was Derus Robert, with his long silver hair flowing behind him. He entered the office with steps that seemed to press down on the earth itself.
"Congratulations on your great achievement."
Kubara, who had been waiting in the office, knelt before Derus and bowed her head.
"Great achievement..."
Derus sat on the sofa while looking at his snow-white hands.
"I wonder if there's such a thing as great achievement in the Soul Sword."
He smiled leisurely while floating something transparent above his palm.
"Just as there's no end to martial arts, it seems there's no end to this Soul Sword either."
Derus smiled with clear eyes like a sage who had transcended the mental world.
"Still, it seems I've reached the level I wanted. I should send my thanks to the former Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance."
As he spoke the name of the Holy Sword Alliance Leader with cold killing intent, an ominous aura crept out as if the heavens and earth themselves harbored malice.
"Report the events that occurred while I was in the training room, in order of importance."
Derus nodded, indicating he would hear the report first.
"I apologize, but the first thing I must report is bad news. Three factories gathering divine power have been destroyed."
Kubara spoke without daring to look at Derus.
"Must be the work of one person."
Derus jerked his chin, saying it was obvious. It meant for her to continue.
"The first attack was so perfectly executed that we couldn't identify the enemy before they vanished. The second factory was also completely destroyed despite our precautions. So for the third..."
Kubara took a short breath before continuing.
"We received help from Lady Raphael. Thanks to her, we were able to identify the attacker."
She raised her head, indicating they had confirmed the attacker's identity.
"The attacker of the factories was Rector, the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, and his subordinates."
Kubara's previously unfocused eyes flashed with certainty about Rector's involvement.
"As I thought."
Derus nodded calmly, as if he had expected this to some degree.
"I was planning to use him moderately and discard him before the war, but if he acts like this, I have no choice."
He drew a cold smile as he traced his long, thin finger across his throat.
"We'd better kill him."