Raon left the lord’s manor after telling Roenn that he understood.
‘What is he thinking?’
He wasn’t sure whether Glenn intended to reward him just like Roenn said or ask more questions about Eden.
‘I still don’t understand his personality.’
He could somewhat read people’s thoughts thanks to his vast experience, but he couldn’t read into Glenn’s thoughts at all, as if he was looking into a misty space.
“Raon!”
A familiar voice was heard as soon as he left the lord’s manor. Sylvia was biting her lip while running at him with red-rimmed eyes.
“Oh my goodness!”
She didn’t care about her clothes getting dirty as she knelt down and started checking Raon’s body.
“I-I heard you fought against Eden! Is your arm okay? What happened to your waist?”
“I’m fine. I’m almost healed.”
Raon smiled gently. He was almost completely healed thanks to Rimmer’s medicine’s effectiveness.
“I…”
Sylvia bit her lip, looking at the thick bandages wrapped around his arm, waist, and thigh. She looked like she would start crying at any moment.
‘Ah, there was that…’
She had lost her husband and daughter to Eden. Raon felt like he was too inconsiderate.
“Mom, I…”
“I regretted it.”
Sylvia lowered her head. Her hand trembled as she grabbed his arm.
“Do you remember what I told you before you left on the mission? That I wanted you to act like a true Zieghart.”
“Ah…”
“I really regretted it when I heard you fought against the Green War Demon, then stopped the Blood Raving Demon in order to save everyone.”
The tear welling up in her eye ended up falling.
“I thought you made that decision because of what I said, I really…”
Her pronunciation was awkward since she was crying, but Sylvia’s feelings and message touched his heart.
“I wasn’t only a mediocre swordsman, but I’m also a bad mother…”
“I’m rather grateful to Mom.”
Raon grabbed Sylvia’s trembling hands. He could feel the same warmth from her hand as her heart.
“G-grateful?”
“Yes.”
He nodded and smiled slightly.
“Various thoughts came to my mind while fighting against the Blood Raving Demon. Should I run? How? Should I order Burren to fight then run away on my own? I might be able to survive if I run away while using the trainees as bait.”
Raon met Sylvia’s trembling eyes with an embarrassed expression.
“That’s when I heard mom’s voice. The voice that told me ‘I want you to live like the Zieghart’s swordsman from the past’.”
It was true. If it wasn’t for Sylvia’s voice resounding in his ears, he would’ve run away without looking back or saving the village chief.
“Ah…”
“If it wasn’t for that, I would’ve died while running away after abandoning everyone. Even if I managed to survive, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life, unable to wield a sword ever again.”
He confessed his frightened emotions from that time with a cold breath.
“I was only able to stop the Blood Raving Demon and fight until the end thanks to what you told me, Mom. There’s nothing to apologize for or regret.”
Why am I fighting against the Blood Raving Demon? Why do I have to be the other people’s shield? The reason he managed to endure that painful time was the fact that it was his own choice after following her words.
“Sniff…”
Sylvia burst into the tears that she had been holding back so far. Her mind must’ve been heavy ever since she heard the news about Eden.
“It’s okay.”
Raon repeated what she had told him in his childhood and rubbed her back.
***
Raon stayed by Sylvia’s side until she grew exhausted and fell asleep, then he left her room. Helen was waiting for him outside the room.
“I’ve witnessed the young master that used to be so small and young consoling my lady. Now I can die without any regrets.”
She pretended to cry, hiding her eyes with her fingers.
“Stop jesting and live for a very long time. I'll make you live in luxury with Mom.”
“I’m grateful for the thought, young master.”
“It’s not just the thought.”
Raon shook his head and closed the door to Sylvia’s room.
“Then I’ll be looking forward to it with pleasure.”
“That’s right.”
Raon nodded and went inside his room. Inside the dark room with closed curtains, a thin human shape could be found.
“Judiel.”
Since Raon was already aware of her presence, he called her name while sitting at his bed.
“Yes, young master.”
Judiel, who was standing next to the window prostrated in front of Raon. Her expression was as stiff as cold marble.
“How is the situation?”
“I got the order to return from Central Martial Palace. They are going to dispose of me, by the looks of it.”
“Hmm…”
Raon licked his lips while looking at Judiel’s head.
‘Is he venting his anger on her?’
Karoon Zieghart was the one that sent Judiel to the annex building. It looked like he decided to get rid of her, since she hadn’t managed to obtain the information about Raon becoming a Sword Expert and he had made Karoon angry in the audience chamber just before.
‘Yet…’
Judiel herself was still composed, despite her life being in danger.
He’d thought she was average from the way she was terrified at the lake back then, but it seemed she was properly educated as a spy.
“Do you want to live?”
Raon slowly opened his mouth. His voice sounded like it didn’t really matter whether Judiel died or lived.
However, he was thinking about how to save her on the inside, since a double agent like her was difficult to obtain.
“……”
Judiel slowly raised her head. Her eyes were shivering like moonlight reflected in a lake. Just as she was when he first saw her, she was still holding on to her life.
“I’ll tell you the way you can survive.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t go to the Central Martial Palace. Send a letter instead. Tell him you became Raon Zieghart’s personal maid.”
“Ah…”
“He won’t suspect it if you write that my mom was worried about my body and picked you.”
Raon pointed at the wounds wrapped by bandages. Since the rumors said he was severely wounded, despite his actual status, it was going to work for sure.
Moreover, Karoon was going to think he could obtain information more easily in the future since his spy became Raon’s personal maid.
“Th-that’s true. But why are you being so considerate towards me…?”
“It’s not for you. It’s because it would be a waste for me to lose a double agent like this.”
“Hmm…”
“I’ll give you some good information on top of it. Everyone thinks I’m severely wounded, but I’ve actually almost finished healing. I’m planning to train in the annex building, while pretending to recover.”
Raon gave Judiel the information about his injury without any hesitation.
“Instructor Rimmer and the head of house are the only people that know this fact right now. He is going to realize you are still useful if you tell him about this.”
“I-indeed.”
Judiel nodded.
“Then, what are you waiting for?”
He pointed at the door.
“Go and write that information on a letter and send it. You need to manage your expression, or he will find out.”
“U-understood!”
Judiel lowered her head while covering her cheeks with her hands, then left the room.
Everything she says and does is pathetic. What are you going to do with a useless spy like her?
‘She is going to become the trap to stab Karoon Zieghart in the back. And…’
Raon murmured on the inside while looking at the almost unrecognizable door in the darkness.
Because she reminds me of my past self.
* * *
* * *
Raon was mindlessly lying on his bed, but he stood up as soon as the moon reached the top of the sky.
It wasn’t because the promised time had come, but because of the presence outside his window.
“I’m glad you’ve been waiting.”
Roenn greeted him with a smile as he opened the window.
“Of course. I wouldn’t be sleeping after what you told me.”
Raon went over the window, putting a coat on his shoulders.
“So, what did you mean earlier?”
He opened his mouth, looking at Roenn’s wrinkled eyes.
“How can I know the head of house’s intentions? You will see once you get there.”
“Hmm…”
Raon asked because he wanted to know Glenn’s intention, but Roenn wasn’t easy to deal with. It was certain that he knew the answer, but he wasn’t telling.
He went to the lord’s manor while chatting with Roenn. Curiously, the presence of the swordsmen standing guard in the area were gone.
‘No one is here.’
Following Roenn, he entered the lord’s manor without meeting anyone. Even the maids, servants, and swordsmen guarding inside the lord’s manor were nowhere to be found.
It seemed Roenn had ordered the place to be cleared out beforehand.
“Hmm…”
Raon’s heart pounded, feeling anxious and nervous in such an unknown situation.
“You don’t need to be so nervous, young master. What you did was a great accomplishment, one you can be proud of.”
He opened the door to the audience chamber while saying that. The light poured out from the inside as the enormous door opened.
Raon followed Roenn and entered the audience chamber. Glenn Zieghart, who was sitting on the throne like a statue, opened his eyes.
‘Haa…’
That was enough to fill the entire audience chamber with nervousness once again.
“Greeting my lord.”
“You don’t need to.”
As Raon was about to kneel and bow, his body froze as if he was petrified.
‘This energy…’
That wasn’t what he was trying to do. Glenn had single handedly stopped his movement with his voice.
‘Seriously…’
Raon shuddered at his level of martial art and raised his head.
Tap.
Glenn removed the hand supporting his chin, looking down on Raon.
“Raon Zieghart.”
“Yes, my lord.”
He lowered his head with a trembling throat.
“What do you think about footwork?”
‘Let’s see, footwork.’
Footwork was the way of walking.
Footwork was the technique that created the most efficient way of moving in all situations: attack, defense, or even evasion and escape.
“I think it’s the most efficient martial art, one that decides a warrior’s life or death.”
“Hmm.”
Glenn nodded slightly, to a point where it was almost unnoticeable. Maybe he was pleased with the answer, or maybe he wasn’t. Raon couldn’t tell.
“What footwork did you use upon fighting against the Green War Demon and the Blood Raving Demon?”
“I used the River Footwork.”
Raon had also used the Shadowless Steps on top of the River Footwork, but he didn’t mention it.
“River Footwork is a great technique that can still be used after you get stronger, but its forms are too simple.”
He was right.
River Footwork was excellent footwork for sure, but it only had the basic forms.
On the other hand, the ‘Shadowless Steps’ was a footwork focused on evasion and stealth, even more unsuitable for use than River Footwork in situations other than assassination.
He had planned to ask for a new footwork with the extra tablet he should’ve received, but the plan had gone completely awry.
“Raon.”
When he was licking his lip in frustration, Glenn called his name once again.
“I rewarded you with a silver tablet at noon for killing the Green War Demon and holding your ground against the Blood Raving Demon. However, I didn’t give you anything for finding out their objective.”
Raon unconsciously gulped, since he could anticipate what he was going to say next.
“I’ll teach you suitable footwork as a reward for discovering Eden’s objective.”
Glenn stood from the throne. It felt like the highest mountain in the continent, the Erlast Mountain, had surged up in front of his eyes.
He walked down the platform and extended his right foot to the front, then his left front to the back. His pressure was as proud as a noble and as tough as a general on the battlefield.
“Watch closely, since I’m only going to show you once.”
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