Raon swallowed dry saliva as he felt the noble aura of a swordsman that seemed to fill the entire peak of North Grave Mountain.
'Grandfather?'
The martial artist thrusting his sword toward the sky at the peak of North Grave Mountain was his grandfather, Rector. He was drenched in sweat as if he had been training all night.
'What's this?'
He could feel more intense aura waves emanating from Rector than before. It seemed as if more powerful sword aura was blooming than when he hadn't lost his arm and stood as the leader of the Holy Sword Alliance.
'How could he have improved so much in such a short time...'
He knew that Rector had renewed his fighting spirit after receiving Ensia's prosthetic arm and started comeback training. But it wasn't that long ago, so he couldn't understand what kind of cultivation he was doing to recover his martial prowess so quickly.
'There should be limits to what mere mental strength can achieve... Ah!'
Raon let out a small gasp as he looked at Rector's exhausted face.
'Could it be grandfather?'
Glenn was waiting for him in front of the lake where Rector standing on the peak of North Grave Mountain was most visible. Considering this location and timing, it seemed he had even helped with Rector's training.
'Now the puzzle pieces are fitting together.'
Raon turned toward the main building and curved his lips upward.
'There was another reason why grandfather came directly to the annex building.'
Grandfather had helped another grandfather. It seemed Glenn had come to the annex building not only to help Raon and Sia grow but also to restore Rector's martial prowess. True to his reputation as the greatest on the continent, he was achieving multiple gains with a single action.
'Moreover...'
Raon sensed the auras of transcendents rippling around Rector and clicked his tongue.
'The Blade Queen and the Warlord are also present.'
Glenn wasn't the only one who had helped Rector. It was clear that the Blade Queen and the Warlord had also taken time from their own cultivation to help with Rector's training.
'I never thought they would move before me.'
He had been thinking about his schedule, planning to help with Rector's cultivation soon, but Glenn, the Blade Queen, and the Warlord had already taken on the role he was supposed to fulfill.
'Even without me moving...'
Raon clenched his fist as he felt something warm rising from within his chest.
'The world continues to turn.'
At some point, he had begun to think that problems could only be solved and things could only be resolved if he moved directly. But that wasn't true. Around him were people with whom he had built deep bonds. They were people who could walk the best path on their own without his instructions or actions.
-Are you only realizing that now?
Wrath descended before his eyes and frowned.
-Arrogant fool! You are neither a god nor a demon king. Don't think about doing everything, and focus on what you can do well!
Wrath told him not to be arrogant and raised his nose high.
'I should do that.'
Raon smiled thinly and nodded.
'I should focus on what I can do.'
What he needed to do now was to perfectly understand Derus Robert's plan, complete the tenth Ring of Fire, and help the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen grow. He pressed his lips together as he resolved to dedicate all his time and effort to those three goals.
'The Dragon Lord and Ancient Dragons are dead, and grandfather is recovering his martial prowess, so our side's strength might be greater now...'
Raon clenched his fist as he watched the sunlight beginning to illuminate all of Zieghart.
'Let's do this.'
There really isn't much time left now.
***
Runaan slowly lifted her eyelids as she dozed against the wall.
"Haah..."
She turned her head toward the tree on the right and let out a low breath.
"Why do you keep staring..."
Runaan muttered that she couldn't sleep and swept up the hair that had fallen beside her ear.
"I wasn't staring though?"
Martha walked out from behind the tree she had been watching and shook her head.
"I was just leaning against the tree like you."
Martha shrugged, saying she was taking a rest before starting evening cultivation.
"Hide that fighting spirit before telling such lies..."
Runaan slightly narrowed her brow, saying Martha's aura was so sticky that it woke her up.
"You could just say it directly... That you want to fight..."
She put strength into her fingertips, telling her not to beat around the bush.
"Really? Then..."
Martha curled up her red lips and approached Runaan.
"Let's fight! Right now!"
She trembled with her shoulders, saying her competitive spirit toward Runaan was boiling over and she couldn't stand it. The Authority of Envy from the demon king Envy seemed to shine in her black eyes.
"Hmm..."
Despite receiving Martha's angry aura head-on, Runaan blinked blankly as if it didn't affect her at all.
"I don't want to..."
Contrary to what she had said moments before, she shook her head, saying she didn't want to fight.
"Huh?"
Martha's mouth fell wide open.
"Hey! The mood was set for accepting a spar! What are you suddenly saying!"
She shouted as if she couldn't understand this situation.
"I was going to..."
Runaan yawned widely and clicked her tongue.
"I got sleepy so it became bothersome..."
She lowered her hand, saying she was sorry but couldn't do it.
"Ha! This is really killing me!"
"Instead..."
Runaan extended her palm toward Martha, who was about to explode with anger.
"Just one strike..."
She raised her index finger, long and sharp like a blade.
"Let's settle it with one strike..."
Runaan sighed deeply, telling her not to bother her after that.
"Fine!"
Martha said she would accept that and roughly drew her sword.
"Sigh..."
Runaan wiggled her fingers as if even a one-strike match was bothersome and slowly drew her sword.
"It will be different from before!"
Martha shouted that she could look forward to it and released her aura at full power. The Titan's Aura that formed her foundation created massive waves that swept through the fifth training ground.
"Come if you want..."
In contrast, Runaan maintained just enough aura to barely cover her sword and body while rubbing her chin.
"Hyaaaah!"
Martha charged with a roar-like battle cry. Her movements were fierce like a wild beast, but her sword path curved down gracefully like the fingertips of a sage reading a book.
Martha poured her explosive aura into her sword tip as if trying to erase Runaan's very existence. It seemed like she was unleashing anger, or perhaps showing trust in the swordsman named Runaan.
Runaan didn't retreat even while watching Martha's sword strike that seemed capable of shattering the earth. Instead, she advanced with steps as gentle as butterfly wings and drew a semicircle with her sword from which frost bloomed.
The sword blade filled with pure white cold energy covered everything before her eyes. Even Martha's sword strike was no exception before the flow of frost that froze time and space alike.
Martha froze along with her violently extending sword and stiffened right in front of Runaan's nose. She exhaled gray breath and rolled her trembling eyes.
"As, as expected..."
Martha's lips, pale blue from the cold energy, trembled as if she was overwhelmed by it.
"The gap has widened quite a bit."
She nodded heavily as if she had known from the beginning that the skill gap with Runaan had widened.
"If you knew that, then why...?"
Runaan tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
"Because I need to feel the skill difference precisely to know. How long it will take..."
Martha shattered the ice that covered her skin like thin ice and twisted her lips upward.
"Before I can catch up to you."
She nodded, saying she wanted to find out since she had also obtained a Demon King's Authority.
"It seems it won't take as long as I thought."
Martha left with words about fighting again later and walked toward the center of the training ground. Despite her defeat, she put strength into each step as if she was rather satisfied.
"No..."
Runaan looked at Martha's back and slowly lowered her eyes.
"It won't happen..."
She said it wouldn't happen as if she would never let Martha catch up to her, slightly raising her lips upward.
"Either way..."
***
Raon clapped his hands with satisfaction after watching Runaan and Martha's spar.
'Martha has already embodied envy.'
Martha had grown both physically and mentally just from that brief spar with Runaan. It seemed like the power of the Authority of Envy truly transformed into competitive spirit - the ability to become stronger simply by fighting strong opponents.
'And Runaan is...'
Raon let out an empty breath as he watched Runaan, who had fallen asleep again.
'She might really reach transcendence soon.'
Among all the people he had given Demon King's Authority to so far, Runaan was the only one using that power better than himself. She was becoming stronger rapidly as if she had truly become Sloth's incarnation. At this rate, it seemed she would break through the wall and ascend to become a new transcendent before long.
'No, that's not all.'
In Runaan's sword that he had just seen, faint particles of aura were connecting in hazy lines like constellations. Natural energy was moving on its own regardless of her will, which meant a Sword Domain would soon open.
'Transcendence and even a Sword Domain...'
Raon curled his lips as he imagined Runaan ascending to transcendence and opening a Sword Domain.
'She'll become a tremendous asset.'
He nodded, resolving to help Runaan ascend to transcendence before the war began.
"Hmm..."
Raon observed Dorian cleaning up the training ground during break time and lowered his eyebrows.
'Dorian is also growing steadily.'
Though not as much as Runaan, Dorian was also becoming stronger rapidly as the Authority of Gluttony synchronized well with him. He originally had martial prowess similar to Krein, but now his level had changed considerably.
'And...'
Raon looked to the right and slightly frowned.
'Burren.'
Burren was staring blankly into space, biting his lips until they bled. He seemed shocked by the grown martial prowess of Runaan and Martha, whom he had considered his rivals.
"Damn it..."
Burren spat out a curse and began gripping and swinging his sword again. It seemed he would never give up the sword, whether his peers who had stood at the same level moved ahead or whether his juniors surpassed him first.
'I should take care of that guy too.'
Burren was the Vice Palace Master of Light Wind Palace whom he had personally selected. Since he felt sorry for not being able to give him the Demon Kings' Authority, it seemed good to provide him with separate personal training.
-You thought well!
Wrath looked at him and nodded.
-Greed. Obtaining that bastard's Authority will be as difficult as taking this king's Authority!
The guy snorted, saying it would be difficult to obtain the Authority of Greed and give it to Burren.
'Huh? That was easier than eating bread while lying down though?'
Raon tilted his head as he looked at Wrath.
'Wrath came to me on its own.'
He lowered his hand, saying there was no difficulty at all.
-This, this bastard...
Grinding his teeth, Wrath said Raon always picked at his words when bored.
'And obtaining Greed's power doesn't seem like it would be that difficult either.'
Raon fingered the coin in his pouch as he watched Wrath burning blue.
'I have a decent plan.'
***
"Raon! Raon!"
Evelyn came to Raon's room and roughly threw open the door.
"Uh..."
Raon stared blankly at Evelyn while half-undressed, his sweat-soaked shirt pulled halfway off.
"Oh my! Should I come back later?"
Contrary to her words about coming back later, Evelyn closed the door and entered the room. She covered her eyes with her hand, but spread her fingers to observe Raon's body in detail.
"The mole on your side got a bit bigger? Should I remove it for you later?"
Evelyn slightly frowned, saying Raon's mole seemed to have gotten bigger.
"M-mole?"
Raon's lips trembled in shock that Evelyn knew about a mole in a location he himself didn't know about.
-Th-that's a truly terrifying woman!
Wrath held his breath, saying he didn't know there would be a human even he couldn't adapt to.
-She probably knows more about you than you do yourself!
'I think the same thing.'
Raon sighed and took out new clothes to put on.
"Tsk..."
Evelyn clicked her tongue as if slightly disappointed and sat down in a chair.
"Did you go to the place written in the Dragon Lord's records?"
Raon draped a towel around his neck and sat across from Evelyn.
"Yes! Everything you said was right!"
Evelyn nodded vigorously as if she had just remembered the main point.
"There was a barrier around there that detects Animal Possession Magic. It's magic using divine power rather than mana, so it would be difficult to dispel."
She clicked her tongue, saying that if that magic were dispelled, a signal would immediately go to the caster.
"As expected."
Raon smiled faintly and nodded.
"I thought Derus Robert would do something like that."
"But why did you tell me to examine all the barrier locations?"
Evelyn tilted her head, asking why he told her to search all around there when he knew barriers were installed.
"I want to move without raising suspicion as much as possible."
Raon drew a chilling smile as he grasped the Heavenly Drive that was placed on the table.
"Because I need to enter those angels' den directly myself."