Raon instructed the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen to prepare thoroughly for training before returning, then headed towards the annex building.
-I thought you were going to whip those youngsters right away?
Wrath rolled his eyes as if surprised.
'I won't be able to see them properly for two months, so I should at least say hello in advance.'
The Light Wind Palace Swordsmen aren't the only ones who need to undergo hellish training to fight the White Blood Religion. Since he also needs to train with the resolve to die, it was right to inform Sylvia and Edgar first.
-Y-you're not going to the annex for two months...?
Wrath widened his eyes as if to ask what that meant.
'I can't waste time coming and going. I'll stay in the great training ground dormitory.'
Raon shook his head, saying he needed to save even travel time.
-Then what about food!
'Of course, I'll eat at the great training ground cafeteria'
-The side dishes there are too uniform! It's always the same thing!
Wrath grabbed his cheeks, saying the menu was the same every week.
-And the taste isn't as good as our home!
'It can't be helped.'
Raon pushed Wrath away with the back of his hand.
'I can't sleep in a soft bed and have lavish meals while putting the kids through hell training.'
He firmly lowered his hand, declaring that he should sleep in the same dormitory and eat the same food as the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen.
-No! I absolutely cannot accept this!
Wrath shouted in refusal, biting his own head.
'Then Nadine...'
Just as Raon was about to mention Nadine bread to Wrath, whose eyes had rolled back,
"Oh? Raon!"
Evelyn, who was tending to the garden in the annex, recognized him and waved her hand.
"Is that really Raon?"
"Son! You're back!"
Sylvia and Edgar stood up, brushing off the dirt on their hands.
"Raon!"
Sia threw down the shovel she was holding and ran towards him.
"I'm back."
Raon hugged Sia as she ran to him and bowed his head to everyone.
"When did you return?"
Evelyn approached, lowering her garden shears.
"I just arrived a little while ago. But why are you here..."
Raon blinked, looking at the garden shears in Evelyn's hand.
"Weren't you creating magic?"
He had heard it would take two months to complete the magic, so he thought Evelyn would be in her room, but she was tending to the garden with the family.
"I'm working hard on it."
Evelyn tapped her forehead with her finger.
"Right now, I'm combining magical formulas in my head."
She smiled, saying she was calculating the most efficient magical formula in her mind.
"Can you concentrate like that?"
"Yes. Moving my body like this actually helps me think."
Evelyn rolled her shoulders, saying that physical activity has a positive effect on the mind.
"What about Larian and Chamber?"
"I'm in constant communication with those two. They're definitely magicians above my level, and I feel like my magical realm is improving just by talking to them."
She curled her lips, saying she could feel her level rising thanks to Chamber and Larian.
"That's good."
Raon nodded, looking at Evelyn who was smiling pleasantly.
"So the magic will be completed in two months, right?"
"Of course."
Evelyn lowered her chin as if to say not to worry.
"Actually, two months is a generous estimate. The magic itself should be complete in a month, but we need to improve performance and repeatedly run experiments, so we decided on two months."
She raised her index finger as if to say the magic itself would be enough in a month.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head to Evelyn.
"It's not even your business, but for you to step up like this, really..."
"Your business is my business!"
Evelyn shook her head vigorously, saying that's not something to say to someone who's spent nights together.
"S-spent nights together..."
Sylvia's lips trembled as if those words were still shocking.
"Son! You must take responsibility now!"
Edgar frowned, saying he shouldn't pretend not to know.
"What does that mean?"
Sia blinked her eyes as if asking for an explanation.
"Our young master has already..."
Helen sniffled as if moved.
"It's not like that! I explained everything!"
He shouted that it absolutely wasn't true and to come to their senses, but everyone seemed enchanted by Evelyn and wouldn't listen to him.
"Sigh..."
Raon felt a headache coming on and massaged his temples with his fingers.
-T-there was one more...
Wrath swallowed dryly, looking at Evelyn's purple eyes.
-That madwoman is above you or that Sword Demon!
He exhaled, saying that his and Darkan's madness couldn't match Evelyn's.
"But..."
Sylvia smacked her lips, looking behind her.
"Where is Father?"
"He returned to the Holy Sword Alliance."
Raon told them that Rector had returned to the Holy Sword Alliance first to rest.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye properly..."
Sylvia squinted her eyes as if regretting not being able to say goodbye when he left.
"Didn't Grandpa say he'd come back?"
Sia pouted her lips as if missing Rector.
"He'll be back soon, don't worry."
Edgar grinned, saying it was obvious that Rector would return in the not-too-distant future.
"Now that your mission is over, are you resting for a while?"
He looked at Raon, bringing up the topic of rest as if trying to change the subject.
"No."
Raon shook his head, looking at Sylvia and Edgar.
"I think I need to focus on training for two months."
"Two months..."
"It's a long time, but it can't be helped."
The two nodded heavily as if they understood his situation without him saying anything.
"That's too long..."
Sia frowned as if displeased, but having gone through puberty and grown mentally, she didn't throw a tantrum like before.
"So before that..."
Raon held Sia's hand and met her gaze.
"I came to have a hearty meal with you, Older Sister."
"Really? Then I'll prepare it! Helen!"
Sia called for Helen and ran to the kitchen, as if she would prepare the meal herself.
"I should show off my skills too. Let's go!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Sylvia smiled as if to say to expect something good and headed to the annex with Helen.
-Urgh!
Wrath let out a groan and fell from Raon's head as soon as he heard about having a hearty meal.
-Great Raon!
He wagged his tail, clasping his hands as if he had never cursed.
-I believed in you!
***
#Krein's Training Log Day 1.
The Palace Master said we should go to the hot springs to rest before starting full-fledged training. Everyone followed him with excited faces, but what greeted us wasn't a hot spring, but a freezing lake on North Grave Mountain. That lunatic used his aura to boil the lake water and then threw us in.
The training of swinging swords while protecting our bodies with aura in the boiling water that seemed to cook our bones and flesh was too painful. But if we couldn't stand the water and jumped out, a scabbard heated like fire would fall on our heads, forcing us back into the lake.
[I-I'm scared of water! I want to go home!]
Dorian fainted after getting hit on the forehead with a scabbard while crying and saying he wanted to go home. This place isn't a hot spring, it's hell. It was no different from the Hell of Pounding, where they say they beat your whole body with red-hot clubs. Our Palace Master is insane.
#Krein's Training Log Day 2.
As I massaged my swollen head like a lump and went to the great training ground, the Palace Master asked how the hot springs were yesterday. If I had the strength, I would have wanted to sew that person's mouth shut. The Palace Master said that since it was the second day, we would start full-fledged training, and he personally checked our swordsmanship and told us our strengths and weaknesses.
I was smiling with satisfaction, thinking it was more systematic than usual, when the Palace Master called me forward.
As it was a familiar situation, I went out prepared, and the Palace Master instructed me to demonstrate my swordsmanship again. The moment I swung down my sword, thinking about the strengths and weaknesses the Palace Master had advised and trying to improve my swordsmanship accordingly, everything went dark.
When I opened my eyes again, an hour had passed, and the other swordsmen were also rolling on the ground like me.
As I tilted my head thinking it was strange, the Palace Master called me again and told me to demonstrate my swordsmanship. As I swung down my sword in a daze, everything went dark again. That's when I realized. The Palace Master was training us to block surprise attacks with Grandmaster top-tier Martial Prowess that we couldn't react to.
[T-this is too much! We should do training that we can... Ack!]
Dorian fainted again after getting hit on the forehead while muttering that it was too much. This wasn't training, it was just violence. I don't understand how we Masters are supposed to block sword strikes that even the Division Leaders can't block.
This brutal training continued for four days without sleep, and finally, the swordsmen were able to avoid the Palace Master's surprise attacks, whether by blocking with their swords, evading with footwork, or rolling on the ground like rabbits.
Our Palace Master is quite insane.
#Krein's Training Log Day 8.
Today was the day for focus enhancement training. As I climbed North Grave Mountain, somewhat prepared for the now familiar training, the Palace Master said he had changed the training method. If he was going to say such things, he should have said so earlier. He was truly despicable.
The new method of focus training wasn't the Palace Master or Division Leaders finding and attacking us, but a free-for-all survival game among all Light Wind division members here.
The swordsmen had to collect three of the Zieghart badges that each person had one of to escape this training. On the other hand, those who couldn't collect all the badges or lost their own badge couldn't leave this mountain and had to repeat the intensified focus training.
To escape North Grave Mountain, which would soon become hell, the swordsmen followed their own strategies: attacking head-on, ambushing, or hiding and waiting for the right moment.
Of course, the Division Leaders and guardian collected four badges before a day had even passed, and those who used their heads well also quickly gathered badges.
[Finally, my chance has come! Zieghart badges are essential items!]
Dorian took out a large number of badges from his belly pouch and handed three to me as well. But the badges we had were meaningless. The Palace Master, who we thought would just watch the war between the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen, suddenly jumped out and attacked us, taking our badges.
In his left hand was a cloth bag containing dozens of badges.
[Why...]
When Dorian, who fell after getting hit on the forehead, asked why, the Palace Master answered like this.
[I said all Light Wind division members. I'm also part of the Light Wind division.]
The Palace Master left those words, collected the badges of all Light Wind division members, and then repeatedly put us through even more intense focus enhancement training. Our Palace Master is disgustingly insane.
#Krein's Training Log Day 19.
When we went to the great training ground, the Magician Evelyn was waiting. I thought Evelyn had come looking for the Palace Master, but it turned out the Palace Master had called her.
"Hello, everyone?"
As Evelyn smiled and waved her hand, the whole world turned pitch black as if a black curtain had been drawn, and from that dark sky, countless spells rained down. We tried to avoid or cut through the magic, but there were too many falling spells, so we had no choice but to endure by taking them with our bodies.
[You're worse than a demon! What sin did I commit!]
When Dorian sniffled and cursed the Palace Master, more than a hundred spells fell on his head simultaneously.
[Gack...]
Dorian fainted after getting hit on the forehead with a chunk of ice. Of course, the others weren't in a leisurely situation either. By the fourth day, the swordsmen learned how to block or avoid magic while conserving energy, but eventually, everyone collapsed as their physical and mental strength reached their limits.
But even though everyone was too weak to lift a finger, the magic didn't stop.
[B-bastard...]
[He's not human!]
[Does our Palace Master not have any emotions?]
[If I die, I'll definitely become a ghost and haunt that guy...]
As we cursed the Palace Master while watching the magic approaching our faces, the black world was lifted, and the blue sky appeared. The ground that had collapsed due to the continuous magic was intact, and the injuries we had sustained from the magic were wiped clean as if washed away.
It was all an illusion. When the swordsmen were about to part their lips to say it was too much, Raon flashed a chilling gaze daring them to say whatever they wanted.
Our Palace Master was unfairly insane.
#Krein's Training Log Day 30.
As we entered the great training ground with our bodies in tatters thanks to a month of training, this time the Ragged Saint Federick was waiting. As we were trembling with an inexplicable sense of unease, the Palace Master said that today he would conduct a mid-term evaluation through a duel with him.
[Krein, step forward.]
As I was somewhat used to dueling with the Palace Master, I gripped my sword and stepped forward, but something was different that day. When the Palace Master raised the Blade of Requiem and pointed it at me, my spine chilled as if I had fallen into the North Sea, and my vision turned white. In that moment, my neck was cut dozens, no, hundreds of times by the Palace Master's sword.
The sensation of death approaching. A chilling feeling I had never experienced even in fierce battles deeply scraped my soul and passed by.
"Urgh..."
I dropped my sword and collapsed on the spot. As I was trying to somehow regain my senses while gasping for breath, strangely, my pants felt warm. As I tilted my head and lowered my gaze, I saw my pants getting wet. Despite there being no rain, a pungent smell wafted.
[Ah! Sorry! I didn't mean to go this far.]
The Palace Master clasped his hands apologetically, saying he had failed to control the power of his Soul Sword. I had wet myself, but fortunately, it seemed no one had noticed as the swordsmen were looking at my side profile or the Palace Master. Just as I was about to leave this place quickly, Dorian approached from the side.
[D-do you want pants? Pants are essential items.]
Dorian brought up the topic of pants so that others would notice my condition, having read my state with his Mind's Eye. I cursed and struck Dorian's forehead, but it was too late. The gazes of the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen were fixed on my damp pants. I wanted to bite my tongue and die right there. Our Palace Master was insanely crazy.
Ah, add that damn Dorian for today too!
***
"That's all for today."
Raon clapped his hands while standing on the platform.
"There will be new training tomorrow morning, so go and rest quickly."
He instructed the swordsmen to rest, who were wearing tattered training uniforms thanks to the practical training.
"Haa..."
"I-I'm dying."
"How does it get harder with each passing day?"
"I can't adapt..."
The swordsmen slumped their shoulders, saying they couldn't adapt to the training.
"That means it's helping us that much."
"Yeah. The effects are definitely there."
Burren and Martha clenched their fists with their weakened hands, as if satisfied with their training.
"I-I'm lacking sleep..."
Runaan swayed like a zombie with her eyes half-closed, saying everything was fine except for the lack of sleep time.
"L-let's go..."
"Mm..."
Krein and Dorian walked like slugs, holding each other's shoulders as if they didn't have the strength to walk. Their foreheads were swollen in harmony.
As the bustling air disappeared, silence and darkness descended upon the Fifth Training Ground.
Raon didn't return to the dormitory but went down to the dark great training ground and drew his Heavenly Drive.
-Don't you ever get tired?
Wrath exhaled as if dumbfounded.
-Training the youngsters from dawn to night, and then personal training from this hour, it's too much!
He shook his head, saying Raon would soon die if he didn't sleep even an hour a day.
'It can't be helped. I need to get stronger too.'
Just nurturing the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen won't be enough to win the war against the White Blood Religion. He needs to rise even higher than now to keep his promise to save Martha's mother from the Leader of the White Blood Religion. Raon demonstrated unwavering swordsmanship despite being more exhausted than anyone else in the Light Wind division.
-You're mad, in both a good and bad sense.
Wrath said he was mad, but didn't go into the bracelet and watched his training until the end. Thus, as each person's time and wishes flowed, the season of falling white snow arrived before they knew it.