"Are you saying there's no way right now?"
Raon's fingertips trembled. He had placed great expectations on Lawrence, so hearing there was no solution made his heart sink.
'No, wait...'
That's not the look of someone who's completely given up. Contrary to his words, Lawrence's golden eyes held a small glimmer of light. It seemed there was a way, albeit a difficult one.
"Lawrence. Don't tell me..."
Raon furrowed his brow as he looked down at Lawrence.
"You're not trying to say it's so difficult that it might as well not exist, are you?"
"Uh...?"
Lawrence blinked as if he'd been caught red-handed.
"Well, that's..."
"That kind of roundabout speech doesn't work well in today's fast-paced world. Actually, it's too obvious."
Raon shook his head, expressing his disappointment.
"No, I just... Well, you're right, but... Hmm..."
Lawrence stumbled over his words before hanging his head low. As expected, there was a way, but it seemed he had said there wasn't one because it was too difficult.
-You, do you not have any sense of compassion?
Wrath raised his reddened eyes.
-How can you say such things after hearing that poor man's story!
'Lawrence himself said it. We should change the mood; staying gloomy is more disrespectful.'
-Weren't you the one who made that grasshopper all dejected!
He pointed at Lawrence, who was hanging his head.
-From now on, I'll consider you an angel! You angelic bastard!
Wrath gritted his teeth, saying he could almost see white wings on Raon's back.
"Sigh, I wonder what's wrong with that guy's tongue."
Lawrence shook his head as he looked at Raon.
"That guy's mouth never stops, the Alliance leader must be tired of it."
"To me, he's the most polite grandson anyone could have."
Rector lowered his hand, telling them not to compare Raon with others.
"That's different from Edgar in that respect."
Lawrence looked at Raon with lowered eyebrows.
"Ah, you're right. I said there wasn't a way because it's incredibly difficult. I... I didn't realize it would be so obvious..."
He scratched his cheek, seemingly embarrassed.
"From now on, try to get out of the Holy Sword Alliance more. There are many good places, I'll introduce you to them."
Raon extended his hand with a faint smile.
"Forget it. Going around with you would drive me crazy."
Lawrence ground his teeth, firmly refusing.
"Anyway, there is a way to save my comrade's mother, right?"
Raon took a step closer to Lawrence, suppressing his trembling heart.
"That's right."
Lawrence nodded firmly, as if to confirm.
"The method is..."
"Please wait a moment."
Raon raised his hand to cover Lawrence's mouth.
"Wait?"
"I don't think I should hear this story alone."
If Martha were in Zieghart, it might be different. From this point on, he wanted to hear it together with her.
"You mean you're going to call your friend."
Lawrence rubbed his chin as if he understood.
"Yes. That would be right."
He crossed his arms, saying he would wait here.
"Martha will be at the mansion."
Rector smiled as if telling him to hurry back.
"Yes. Then."
Raon bowed to Rector and Lawrence before immediately descending the mountain.
"Alliance leader... No, Old Man."
Lawrence drew a faint smile as he watched Raon's back.
"Your disciple has come to his senses, and you've gained such a crazy grandson. You're blessed in your later years."
"Not just in my later years."
Rector smiled gently as he placed his hand on Lawrence's disheveled hair.
"You too are my blessing."
* * *
As soon as Raon opened the door of the mansion, Martha thrust her face forward.
"Why are you so late! I've already prepared the meal!"
Martha frowned, telling him to wash his hands and sit at the table.
"Just a moment."
Raon closed the mansion door and called Martha aside.
"Hm?"
Martha approached, still holding a plate of food, seemingly realizing it was urgent.
"I'm sorry, but let's eat later. Something important has come up."
"Something important?"
"It's about your mother..."
He briefly explained everything that had happened until now.
"Ah..."
Martha collapsed on the spot, as if her legs had given out. The plate of meatballs she was holding rolled onto the floor.
"Is... is that true? All of it..."
"It's true."
Raon nodded heavily.
"I'm sorry for telling your secret without permission. But to hear the truth..."
"That doesn't matter!"
Martha gritted her teeth as she raised her pitch-black gaze.
"If there's a way to save Mom, I'll do anything."
She struggled to her feet, saying they should go to the cave right away.
"Then let's..."
"Wait."
Martha was about to follow Raon out but turned back.
"Hey! Come out!"
At her gesture, Runaan and Burren, who had been hiding behind the dining room wall, peeked out their faces.
"Sorry..."
"S-Sorry. We didn't want to eavesdrop, but we couldn't help it..."
Runaan and Burren hung their heads low.
"You already knew everything anyway."
Martha shook her head calmly.
"You guys come too."
She gestured for the two to join them instead.
"Uh...?"
"Us too?"
"Were you not planning to help?"
Martha wrinkled her nose, telling them not to ask such obvious questions.
"O-Of course we'll help! Helping a comrade is what a Zieghart swordsman should do!"
Burren nodded, looking a bit dazed.
"Miss Rakshasa's business is my business."
Runaan answered decisively, contrary to her usually blank expression.
"Then let's go."
Martha took the lead, leaving the mansion first and heading up the mountain.
"Yeah!"
"O-Okay."
Runaan and Burren followed right behind Martha without hesitation.
'It's good to see.'
Raon smiled warmly as he watched the backs of the three.
'Looks like they're finally understanding each other.'
-It's a nice sight, but you orchestrated all of this, didn't you!
Wrath snorted derisively.
-A cunning one like you wouldn't forget to set up an aura barrier. You let them hear everything, expecting the beef girl to react like this!
He raised his chin as if he knew everything.
'Oh, you figured that out? You're getting sharper too!'
-Don't underestimate me! I'm above you in terms of humanity!
'That's a bit sad...'
It pained him every time Wrath said something that sounded like he truly lacked humanity.
"Anyway, it's nice that they're becoming like family now."
Raon nodded with satisfaction as he watched Martha, Burren, and Runaan walking in a line.
"Who's family!"
Martha turned back, rolling her eyes.
"Being family with such a violent person is a bit..."
Burren shook his head as if the idea was burdensome.
"I'm a refined lady."
Runaan blinked her blank eyes, saying not to compare her with Miss Rakshasa. The three of them growled different things, but it only made them seem closer.
"Let's move a bit faster. They'll be waiting for us."
With a smile on his lips, Raon led everyone to Lawrence's cave.
"I've brought them."
He bowed slightly and placed Martha in front of Lawrence.
"You're the..."
Lawrence looked at Martha, unable to finish his sentence, and let out a long sigh.
"It's okay. I've accepted everything now."
Unlike the struggling Lawrence, Martha nodded calmly.
"Just tell me. There really is a way to save my mom, right?"
She bowed as if pleading. Though she looked confident, her shoulders were trembling. She seemed tense enough for her heart to sink.
"Yes. There is a way. But it's nearly impossible."
"Please tell me."
Martha bit her lip as if ready to hear anything.
"There are three conditions. Each one is difficult."
Lawrence raised three fingers.
"The first condition is to subdue the Leader of the White Blood Religion. You can't kill her, but you must bring her to the brink of death."
He continued, furrowing his brow.
"As you know, bringing that monster, who grows stronger with time, to the brink of death is extremely difficult. Even among the leaders of the Five Kings and Five Demons, only a few could manage it."
"I suppose so. Currently, among the Five Kings, only our Head of House could subdue the Leader of the White Blood Religion."
Excluding the Beast King Ogram who had lost his martial prowess, Silent Sword Master Lecross, Mage Tower Master Larian, and Archmage Chamber of Eternal Flame could all potentially face off against the Leader of the White Blood Religion. However, only the Destructive King of the North, Glenn Zieghart, could subdue her and bring her to the brink of death.
"With the first condition being extremely difficult, the second one isn't easy either."
Lawrence shook his head lightly.
"The second condition is that there must be a body nearby that the Leader of the White Blood Religion can transfer into."
"A body she can transfer into..."
"The Leader of the White Blood Religion is a monster who has lived for hundreds of years by transferring between bodies. She has the ability to possess another person's body in her spirit form."
He continued with a look of disgust in his eyes.
"However, that monster only controls the body without killing the original owner's soul. It's like a contract condition that allows her to squeeze out the body's potential and use all her abilities."
Lawrence clicked his tongue briefly, saying that's why Martha's mother was still alive.
"Ugh..."
Martha bit her lip and clutched the cheap necklace. She finally understood why the Leader of the White Blood Religion was wearing the old necklace she had matched with her mother.
"When the Leader of the White Blood Religion moves to a new body, she completely kills the original owner's soul before leaving, to erase the memories and bloody energy that would remain in the previous body."
Lawrence bowed his head, as if apologizing for having to say this.
"However, if a crisis moment comes, she'll immediately extract her soul regardless of what happens to the original body. Without that, there's absolutely no way to save the soul of the original body."
He exhaled deeply, saying that was the only way.
"The problem is that there are very few bodies that can accept the soul of the Leader of the White Blood Religion. The Blood Demons are sending sacrifices to the main altar to find such bodies, but they're not easily discovered."
Lawrence frowned, saying that the second condition might be even more difficult than the first.
"Then what's the third condition?"
Raon asked, looking at Lawrence's second finger.
"The third is that you must kill the fleeing soul of the Leader of the White Blood Religion before it enters a new body."
Lawrence shook his head briefly.
"You mean kill her in her spirit form?"
"Yes."
He nodded shortly.
"The Leader of the White Blood Religion can control all the bloody energy in the world. If she enters a new body, she could use the previous body with remaining bloody energy as a hostage."
Lawrence bit his lip, saying none of this was easy.
"That's why I said there was no way. It's nearly impossible..."
"I can be the second hostage."
Martha thumped her chest with her fist.
"Mom and I are alike. There must be space in me for that damned woman to enter."
She nodded, saying that the 10th Apostle had recognized and targeted her before.
"Then I'll take care of the first one."
Raon stepped forward, as if picking up from Martha's words.
"I'll capture the Leader of the White Blood Religion."
He spoke of one of the continent's strongest, the Leader of the White Blood Religion, as casually as if she were a neighborhood thug.
"We'll be the support then."
Burren swallowed hard and clenched his fists.
"Yeah. Anything."
Runaan also nodded, saying she'd do whatever was needed.
"N-No!"
Lawrence suddenly stood up.
"Did you even listen to what I said? It's not something you can talk about so easily..."
"We heard everything. We just need to subdue the Leader of the White Blood Religion and kill her when she tries to transfer to another body, right?"
Raon condensed Lawrence's long, despairing mutterings into a single sentence.
"W-Well, that's right, but..."
Lawrence's jaw trembled in disbelief.
"Even if Martha could potentially be a new body for the Leader of the White Blood Religion, how on earth are you going to subdue and kill her!"
"We'll fight, train, and become stronger. That's why we came here in the first place."
Raon nodded as if it were a simple matter.
"That's easier said than done..."
Lawrence looked at the smiling Raon and Martha with confused eyes.
"We were sailing through a vast ocean without a map, and suddenly a sea chart dropped in front of us. Even if we have to cross lava and overcome typhoons, we're just happy."
Raon smiled warmly at Lawrence.
'Because now we have a way.'
Despite not knowing how to save Martha's mother, they had been determined to do so, and now Lawrence had given them a plan. No matter how difficult it was, they couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you."
Martha drew her sword and performed the Zieghart sword salute. It was the first time they had seen her show such a respectful greeting.
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
Runaan and Burren also expressed their gratitude for helping their friend.
"Then let's go down."
Martha turned her back without a moment's hesitation.
"Go down?"
"We need to train. We don't have time to just stand around."
She nodded, saying she needed to become a Grandmaster to be of even minimal help.
"Right..."
"Guess we're done eating."
Burren and Runaan shrugged and followed after her.
"No..."
Lawrence's jaw trembled as he watched the three children leave without hesitation.
'Don't those kids feel any fear?'
If they hadn't seen the Leader of the White Blood Religion, it might be understandable, but they had faced her and still showed no fear. It was amazing that they were confident they could win despite knowing her strength.
'How on earth...'
He had vowed to avenge his mother, yet he hadn't left the cave, using the excuse of training in Reverse Wave Arts. Even after reaching transcendence, he still feared the Leader of the White Blood Religion. But those children, much younger and weaker than him, were steeling themselves to face her head-on.
He couldn't lift his face due to the shame welling up in his chest.
"It's hard. It's scary and difficult."
Raon nodded as if understanding Lawrence's feelings.
"But it's something we have to do. Isn't it the same for you, Lawrence?"
At those words, Lawrence's lips trembled.
'Something we have to do...'
Hearing those words, he remembered his real mother's smiling face as she was dying. He had sworn revenge with his soul, yet he had become a coward without realizing it.
'This must be my last chance.'
It was something he could never do alone, but thinking about doing it with those children strangely gave him courage.
"That's right. I've been burying the task I must do even after death in my heart."
Lawrence nodded with a tear-stained smile.
"I'll help too. Whether as a stepping stone or a sword, I'll do anything in that fight."
He revealed his bright golden eyes as if he had gained a spiritual enlightenment.
"Then, let's start by helping with my training."
Raon nodded approvingly.
"Huh...?"
Lawrence blinked as he looked at Raon.
"T-Training?"
"You said you'd do anything."
"No, I didn't mean now, I meant I'd join you when fighting the Leader of the White Blood Religion..."
"Never mind that. Get up. We don't have time."
Raon beckoned to Lawrence with his finger.
"Huh? Uh..."
Lawrence sighed as if he'd been swept up again, and stood up.
Rector smiled with amusement as he watched the flustered Lawrence.
-I told you not to get carried away by the atmosphere.
Wrath also shook his head as if exasperated.
-A leech never lets go once it's latched on!
* * *
Martha and Jaira's swords clashed as they aimed for each other's necks, sending bright red sparks flying. Martha's sword contained explosive energy, but Jaira's straight and precise thrust nullified all that power.
"At this rate, nothing's changed from before?"
Jaira clicked her tongue in disappointment.
"Let's talk about that after this match is over!"
Martha gritted her teeth and pivoted on her left foot.
'I'm different from Raon.'
Raon had advised her to find her own path here. However, unlike Raon, she didn't have the ability to absorb others' strengths, so there was only one path she could take.
'Power and recklessness.'
She had considered learning gentleness to improve her stagnant skills, but the path that suited her best was still straightforward aggression. Thanks to the Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen who had walked only one path, she could be confident that her way wasn't wrong.
'I'll go on like this!'
Martha took a decisive step. A supreme slash infused with Gale Wind Style on top of her full-power Titan aura. She unleashed the same sword technique as before, but with a completely different mindset. Like a deep-rooted tree that doesn't waver in a storm, Martha's powerful sword clashed with Jaira's precise sword, creating a massive shockwave.
Although a violent shockwave exploded, powerful enough to overturn the ground as before, the result was different.
"Ugh..."
Jaira was lying on the ground with a furrowed brow, and Martha was standing in front of her.
"Ha..."
Jaira looked up at Martha and let out a wry laugh.
"You really have changed. In just a month..."
She shook her head, saying it was unbelievable.
"Congratulations on reaching the pinnacle of Master level. And on finding your path."
Jaira gave a hearty laugh, seemingly genuinely congratulating her opponent's growth.
"Thank you."
Martha bowed her head and took Jaira's hand. Unlike her pursuit of greater strength, her personality seemed to have softened. Raon watched Martha and Jaira talking with smiles, then turned and headed up the mountain.
-Everyone's changing.
Wrath nodded approvingly.
'That's right. And for the better.'
Not just Martha, but Runaan and Burren had also grown significantly both in martial arts and mentally. It was good that he had brought them all here.
'Now it's my turn to change.'
After learning about Lawrence's situation, he had spent a month traveling around the Holy Sword Alliance, engaging in life-or-death matches with strong opponents. As Rector had said, there were many eccentric swordsmen in the Alliance who pursued only one path, and thanks to them, he was able to greatly improve his stagnant Ten Thousand Swords technique.
As he stood in the clearing halfway up the mountain, thinking about his growth and changes, Lawrence's voice came from inside the cave.
"Hah, don't you ever get tired of this?"
Lawrence shook his head, saying it was exhausting.
"You'd think you'd give up if there was no effect from attacking every day, but you're relentless."
"I'm tired of hearing that too, so come down quickly."
Raon chuckled and beckoned with his hand.
"And today will be a bit different."
"You leech."
Lawrence let out a short sigh and jumped down to the clearing.
"Let's begin."
He nodded his chin, saying there was no need for preliminaries and to just come at him.
"Very well."
Raon drew his Heavenly Drive sword while steadying his breath.
-Wouldn't it be better to use the Sword Domain now?
Wrath frowned, saying he was tired of watching Raon lose.
'It's meaningless.'
The chance of winning with the Sword Domain was low, but even if he won, it would be meaningless. He wanted to overcome Lawrence's special ability with swordsmanship alone.
'It's not about ability versus ability, I need to win with the sword.'
He closed his eyes and opened them again while taking a breath. Regarding Lawrence not as an enemy, but as another teacher, he quietly extended his left foot.
* * *
Lawrence lowered his eyebrows as he watched Raon's familiar stance.
'Not yet, huh.'
Raon's swordsmanship was developing rapidly, but he still couldn't overcome the wall itself. Despite his talent and patience, it seemed to take time to break through the shell.
'Then what I can do is...'
To block with all his might. Thanks to Raon, his own Reverse Wave Arts were slowly growing too. Being a steadfast wall for everyone was the best he could do. With a sharp ring, Raon's sword came rushing in, tinged with silver. At a speed that seemed to transcend the word 'fast'. The kid's sword had gotten even faster.
'He's definitely improving. At this speed... Huh?'
Just as he was about to employ his Reverse Wave Arts while admiring Raon's swordsmanship, Raon's sword, which had been executing a sword technique, suddenly changed. It was twisting the flow of the Reverse Wave Arts backwards.