"Huu..."
Rector sighed heavily as he grasped his teacup.
'Things aren't going well.'
He had hoped Darkan would at least listen to their story, given how highly he had regarded Raon's talent from their first meeting. But Darkan, seemingly frustrated by his lack of enlightenment, hadn't even given them a chance to speak.
'We've been here for a week already.'
At Raon's suggestion to wait, they had observed Darkan for a week, but it seemed like a waste of time. Rector set his empty teacup down on the table with a soft clink and stood up.
'I should tell them it's time to leave.'
While Darkan's help in stopping Derus Robert would be invaluable, it seemed unlikely to happen given the current situation. It would be better to return quickly and consider other options rather than wasting time on an improbable outcome.
'They should still be there.'
Rector left the teahouse, recalling the alley where Raon and Darkan had been that morning. As he entered the alleyways of the royal capital, thinking of what to say to persuade Raon, he heard a gruff voice from afar.
"P-please, spare a coin!"
It was Darkan. He was begging people with a voice lower in tone than before.
"Don't cling to me."
A wealthy-looking middle-aged man frowned but tossed a silver coin from his pocket.
'What's going on?'
Rector's eyes widened as he watched Darkan succeed in his begging.
'He was barely getting anything before.'
Darkan had such a low success rate that he couldn't even get a single coin after begging all day. Despite wearing an eye patch, he acted as if he could see, and his muscular build was as imposing as a general's, so his failure at begging wasn't particularly strange.
'Is he just lucky today?'
Darkan then managed to receive another silver coin from a young woman dressed in noble attire.
"Th-thank you!"
Darkan bowed his head to the noblewoman, preciously clutching the silver coin that had fallen to the ground.
'Wait, now that I look closely...'
His gestures seemed to have changed. Previously, Darkan would stretch out his hand threateningly, with his broad shoulders and back straight even while begging. The beggars and ruffians in this neighborhood, having figured him out, treated him like a punching bag when bored, but ordinary people couldn't help but be intimidated by his appearance.
But now, Darkan was kneeling with his knees apart, shoulders hunched, and back bent. Seen like this, his large build actually made him look even more pitiful.
'He succeeded again?'
It seemed Rector wasn't the only one who thought this way, as quite a few people were tossing money to Darkan.
'Did he have some sort of epiphany?'
If Darkan had been acting like a beggar before, now he truly became one, tapping a broken rice bowl. It was as if he had gained an enlightenment about human life in a fleeting moment.
'If that's the case, he might listen to our story...'
Just as Rector was approaching Darkan with a sense of expectation,
"That's not it, I'm telling you!"
A young man who looked every bit a true beggar appeared next to Darkan and smacked the back of his head.
"The angle! The angle of your hands is too wide!"
The beggar youth demonstrated the begging posture to Darkan by spreading his own hands.
"If you had maintained a 45-degree angle between your right and left hands like I'm doing now, you would've gotten gold coins instead of silver!"
He thrust his hands towards Darkan's eyeless face, insisting he should observe and feel it properly.
"Your trembling is too artificial too. You should tremble in different rhythms as if you're sick!"
The beggar youth kicked Darkan's back, pushing him towards the front of the alley, telling him to try again.
"P-please, spare me a coin..."
Darkan started begging again, seemingly impressed by the beggar youth's words. Seeing his fingers trembling at a 45-degree angle, Rector's hand unconsciously moved towards his pocket.
'W-what is this...?'
Is this some kind of charm magic? He truly looks pitiful. Even knowing Darkan's true identity as the Dark Night Sword God, a feeling of wanting to give him money out of pity arose.
'H-how is this possible....'
As Rector chuckled dryly and shook his head, the beggar youth who had instructed Darkan let out a thin laugh.
"Huh...?"
Rector's jaw dropped as he looked at the beggar youth.
'C-could it be Raon?'
Though his disguise was different from the morning, the beggar youth was undoubtedly Raon.
"That was fine. But there's still room for improvement."
Raon clicked his tongue as if something was lacking.
"You're blind, right? Then you shouldn't grab or receive money right away. If you deliberately drop the money and pretend to search for it, you'll look even more pitiful."
"I see! Certainly!"
Darkan put his hands together as if he had learned another valuable lesson. It was a respectful gesture, as if he had truly taken Raon as his master.
"Then I'll try again."
"Good. Express what you've felt through your begging."
"Understood!"
Raon nodded and stepped back, while Darkan came forward again to start begging.
"P-please, spare me a coin..."
As Darkan shrank his body and flailed about as if he had truly become blind, people passing through the royal capital tossed silver coins at him.
"Th-thank you!"
Remembering Raon's words, he didn't pick up the money immediately but swept the ground with his palm.
"Gasp!"
Rector unconsciously tossed the silver coin he had been wearing on his finger to Darkan. However, he wasn't the only one who found Darkan pitiful. People watching Darkan also took money out of their pockets and carefully handed it to him, seemingly believing he was truly blind.
"Th-thank you."
Darkan shed tears from his empty eye sockets, as if feeling elated at truly becoming a beggar.
"Hmm!"
Raon nodded his head largely, as if proud of that sight.
"Hah..."
Rector squeezed his eyes shut as he watched his former superior satisfied with begging and his grandson proud of teaching begging.
"Am I dreaming right now?"
And if so, was it a nightmare?
***
"So..."
Rector let out a dry laugh as if he couldn't believe it.
"You taught Darkan how to beg?"
"Yes."
Raon nodded as he took off the rags that even a beggar wouldn't wear.
"At first, I thought you were talking nonsense..."
Darkan turned to Raon with a gentle smile.
"But that child was certainly right."
He placed his dirty hand on his chest and exhaled softly.
"Though I was acting as a beggar, my soul was always that of the Dark Night Sword God. Even when trampled by other beggars or disrespected by gamblers, I always had peace of mind thinking I could kill them at any time."
Darkan mocked his former self with his hands clasped in front of him.
"But nothing changes that way. It's literally just a waste of time that exhausts both body and mind. I felt I had taken the wrong path, but I didn't know what to change, so I remained still. That's when that kid said such things."
He lowered his chin heavily, pointing to himself.
"'Don't underestimate beggars,' he said. That's when I realized. I had been doing meaningless things."
Darkan said he was able to change his mindset thanks to those words, and a thin smile spread across his face.
"Now I feel uncomfortable, as if I've truly become a beggar. As if I have to worry about tomorrow's meal. This must be the true life of a beggar."
Darkan said that while his mind was uncomfortable, the unpleasantness that had been tickling his consciousness had disappeared, and then he froze in place.
-Hah...
Wrath blinked his eyes as if he couldn't believe it.
-He gains enlightenment by learning how to beg? Does this make any sense?
He shook his head, saying he couldn't understand.
"D-don't tell me..."
Rector swallowed dryly as he looked at the frozen Darkan.
"It's enlightenment. It probably won't last long."
Raon nodded calmly as he wiped off the soot smeared on his face.
"No, you. I mean, uh..."
Rector stumbled over his words as if unsure what to ask first.
"How do you know so much about begging?"
He nodded, deciding he should start with questions about begging.
"I learned it during information gathering missions."
Raon waved his hand as if it was no big deal.
"A beggar's ears catch all the rumors of the world."
There was no better profession than a beggar for information gathering and disguising as an assassin. A beggar was a being that wouldn't be strange no matter when, where, or how they appeared, so even the Shadow earnestly taught beggar acting. However, unable to mention his past life, he could only express it as something learned during missions.
"...I see."
Rector nodded as if he somewhat believed it, though not entirely convinced.
"Then..."
"Haa!"
Just as he was about to open his mouth again, Darkan exhaled heavily.
"Now..."
Darkan clenched his fist as he brushed back the hair that had fallen over his eye patch.
"My head feels refreshed as if I've been doused with cold water. The worries themselves have vanished."
He smiled faintly, saying he had gained an important realization.
"It's thanks to you, Raon Zieghart."
Darkan, though an eccentric obsessed with swords, bowed his head to him like a true martial artist.
"It's nothing."
Raon shook his chin nonchalantly.
'I just acted because I was a bit annoyed...'
But things turned out like this. He wasn't a god, nor had he calculated all of this before acting. He had simply taught Darkan a little because his clumsy beggar act was irritating, but thanks to Darkan following along better than expected, his own frustrations were also cleared up.
"Now tell me. What is it you want to ask of me?"
Darkan wiggled his fingers. Judging by the ease in his voice, it seemed he would likely agree to most requests.
"Before I make my request, I have something to ask. What do you think of the Five Demons?"
Raon brought up the name of the Five Demons before asking Darkan to stop Derus.
"The Five Demons?"
Darkan briefly smacked his lips.
"I have no feelings about them now. Though I do think they're pathetic."
He shook his head, saying he had neither goodwill nor malice.
"Even towards the Heavenly Demon?"
"I know he's strong, but that guy isn't a swordsman."
Darkan snorted, saying he had no interest in the Heavenly Demon because he wasn't a swordsman, no matter how powerful. Raon couldn't help but think he was truly obsessed with swords.
"Then I suppose I can make my request."
Raon nodded, looking at Darkan's eye patch.
"Derus Robert will soon move to attack the Five Kings. Can you stop him?"
"Derus Robert?"
Darkan muttered Derus's name while scratching the bridge of his nose.
"Yes. At this point, only you and the Destructive King of the North can stop Derus."
"Has that guy become that strong?"
He opened his mouth in a round shape, as if surprised.
"I can't even read his martial prowess."
Rector frowned, saying he was on a completely different level than before.
"Even you might not be able to win now."
He bit his lip slightly, saying he couldn't predict the outcome of a fight.
"Please. Stop Derus Robert."
Raon bowed his head to Darkan.
"I know your ultimate goal is my grandfather. But in that fight, one of you will disappear, so it wouldn't be bad to get a taste first, right?"
"No..."
Darkan waved his finger at himself. It seemed he was going to refuse after all.
"If it was something like that, you should have said so earlier!"
He shook his head as if wondering why they hadn't mentioned it before.
"If you had just told me Derus had become that strong, I would have agreed to fight him right away."
Darkan shrugged his shoulders as if wondering why they hadn't spoken up earlier.
"No, you didn't let us speak!"
Rector stomped his foot, exclaiming that Darkan had prevented them from talking with his killing intent.
"Did I?"
Darkan scratched the back of his head as if he had forgotten his own words and actions.
"Well, let's move past what's happened. I'll stop Derus for you."
He nodded, agreeing to the request with disappointing speed.
"And..."
Darkan tapped his temple while looking at Raon.
"I'll give you a small lesson in return."
"A lesson?"
Raon slightly lowered his eyebrows.
"What do you mean..."
"I like to trade. Thanks to you, I gained enlightenment, so it's only right that I repay you."
Darkan smiled, saying he just wanted to return the favor.
"I'll take a look at your swordsmanship."
He nodded, saying he would examine Raon's sword skills.
"It wasn't that big of an enlightenment, was it?"
"At my level, even the smallest enlightenment becomes precious. What you did for me was by no means small."
Unlike most people who would downplay what others had done for them, Darkan acknowledged Raon's deed as being greater than its actual size.
"What are you stuck on these days?"
Darkan spread his arms as if willing to listen to everything.
"Well..."
After pondering for a moment, Raon slowly parted his lips.
"The power of my Soul Sword seems weaker than I thought."
"Huh...?"
Darkan stood blankly for a moment before exhaling empty air.
"S-Soul Sword? You've reached the realm of the Soul Sword?"
He shook his chin as if he had no idea.
"Yes. Although I still need to borrow the power of this sword."
Raon said he couldn't do it alone yet as he drew the Blade of Requiem.
"Then you should have said so earlier! If I had known you were a swordsman walking the same path, I would have listened to everything!"
Darkan tilted his head, wondering why they hadn't spoken up sooner.
"No, you wouldn't listen!"
Raon shouted at Darkan, just as Rector had done.
-Sigh, this king has misjudged again.
Wrath grabbed his head after listening to the conversation between Raon and Darkan.
-That guy is indeed your equal. You're both just crazy!
***
In a back alley of the Oscott Kingdom.
"What kind of lesson are you going to give?"
Raon stood facing Darkan in front of the ruins of a building washed by moonlight.
"From now on, I will shoot Soul Swords at you."
Darkan grasped the air with his right hand as if holding a sword.
"You should try to defend with your Soul Sword."
He raised his head arrogantly, as if telling Raon to block it well.
"Wait!"
Rector raised his hand towards Darkan.
"Raon has only recently reached the realm of the Soul Sword. He's not at a level to block your sword."
He shook his head as if telling them to stop.
"That kid can't even use the Soul Sword alone, so the difference in power is obvious."
Darkan looked at Rector and smirked.
"But what you're thinking won't happen. My current Soul Sword is special."
He waved his hand as if there was no need to worry.
"As Darkan, I may lie as easily as breathing, but as a swordsman, I never break a promise."
Darkan nodded as if to say they could trust him.
"Grandfather."
Raon looked at Rector with a faint smile.
"It'll be fine."
After telling him to wait, he took another step closer to Darkan.
"Let's begin."
He gritted his molars as he gripped the Blade of Requiem in his hand.
"That's a good attitude."
Darkan curled up the corners of his mouth and extended the hand holding the invisible sword. A terrifying killing intent crashed into Raon's soul like a typhoon, even though not even a slight breeze was blowing. It was the wave of Darkan's Soul Sword.
Raon clenched his teeth and connected the grudges dwelling in the Blade of Requiem with his own soul.
Just as many rivers form a sea, souls of different colors mixed together, forging an even sharper soul sword.
'Now!'
Raon swung his own sword towards Darkan's fierce incoming Soul Sword. With a deafening clash, sword met sword, and soul met soul, creating a sound like thousands of glass windows shattering. After closing his eyes momentarily due to the tremendous shockwave, Raon opened them to find the whole world had changed.
"This is..."
A vast gray space stretched out before him, seemingly endless, where the ruined back alley had been.
"Welcome."
Darkan, standing at the center of this gray space, looked down at him with a curled lip.
"To my Soul Sword."