Chapter 580

               

Raon frowned deeply as he looked at the book with his name on it.

‘That’s right. The mercenaries I met at the restaurant also mentioned a book.’

Before coming to Sephia, the mercenaries he encountered at the restaurant had talked about a book titled with his name.

‘So this was the book.’

But when did this get made?

Encia said she wanted to engrave her signature mark with my face when I created Sylvia’s dantian.

It hasn’t even been that long, so how did this book come out so quickly?

‘Even with magic, a book this thick wouldn’t be possible… Ah!’

Now he understood.

Encia didn’t get permission to use her signature mark before making the book; she had already made it and then asked for permission.

‘That’s why she insisted on giving me a portion of the profits…’

Even though he had refused, she had insisted on giving him money, and now it made sense why.

“Ugh…”

Raon closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.

‘This is not human behavior.’

At times like this, Encia seemed to be on par with Merlin.

“Oh, how is my brother with the great Raon?”

As he sighed in disbelief, Siyan raised her trembling eyes.

“Hmm?”

Rimmer looked at Siyan with a puzzled expression.

“Isn’t that the book you were reading about Raon?”

“Y-yes, but…”

“Then you know I’m Raon’s master, right?”

“What are you talking about! The great Raon became strong on his own! He has no master!”

Siyan raised her voice slightly, telling him to stop spouting nonsense.

“Why are you talking nonsense? I raised him!”

Rimmer frowned as he looked down at the blanket covering Siyan.

“No way! Raon has been a genius swordsman since birth!”

“There’s no such person in the world! Listen carefully! That kid is my disciple, and now he’s my subordinate!”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he listened to the siblings’ conversation.

‘If there’s no mention of the grandmaster being my teacher, then what did they write?’

With trembling hands, he turned the pages of the book. Thanks to the ring of fire, he could understand the contents even if he turned the pages quickly.

“What does it say? Is my name in it?”

“And mine?”

Dorian and Yua leaned forward, curious.

“….”

After reading the entire book in an instant, Raon trembled without answering.

‘This is a hymn. Not a human hymn, but a Raon hymn.’

All the contents started and ended with Raon.

The events and incidents were factual, but Raon was depicted as a flawless god.

Rimmer didn’t appear, and the three squad leaders were depicted as hindrances. Dorian was simply called a mobile pocket without even his name mentioned.

At least Yua was mentioned once, but that was all.

“I-I’m in it.”

Raon awkwardly nodded to Dorian and Yua before turning to the last page of the book.

“Oh…”

As soon as he saw the last page, he let out a groan.

The round stone Raon Zieghart threw towards the sky is now called the moon.

Raon Zieghart doesn’t learn swordsmanship. Swordsmanship exists for Raon Zieghart.

Raon Zieghart doesn’t need a house. The world is his home.

Raon Zieghart can burn fire and freeze ice.

Such absurd statements were written in sequence. Unable to read any further, he closed the book.

Did you really create the moon? When and how!
Wrath, seemingly believing the contents of the book, trembled as he looked at him.

“Haah…”

Too exhausted to answer, Raon could only sigh.

‘I need to burn them all.’

He resolved to spend his entire fortune to erase the existence of this book.

“Are you really the great Raon?”

Siyan’s trembling voice came from under the blanket. She seemed reluctant to show herself, just a few strands of her golden hair visible.

“I’m not great, but I am Raon.”

Raon nodded as he looked at Siyan’s blanket.

“I’m a fan. Of the great Raon.”

Siyan’s eyes peeked out, as blue as a cloudless sky, shining faintly.

“Thank you. And you don’t have to call me great.”

“But the book says to always call you great…”

“Don’t trust that book. Nine out of ten things in it are lies.”

Raon handed the book back to Siyan, shaking his head.

“As expected, you’re humble, just like in the book.”

It seemed Siyan had been thoroughly brainwashed, trusting the book over Raon himself.

“No, it’s not that. Haah…”

Raon trembled. Explaining was too complicated, and all he could do was sigh.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

Siyan reached out to take the book with just her hand, her hand as white as porcelain, indicating she rarely went outside.

“Hey, Siyan. Don’t you care about seeing your brother after so long?”

Rimmer shook his head, saying she was being too indifferent.

“Oh, sorry. I’m just so… Oh, brother! Your arm!”

Siyan’s blanket shook violently.

“This? It’s an investment for the future.”

Rimmer winked at Raon. He seemed pleased with the statement he made in front of Stearin.

“For Raon?”

“Yes. I went through a lot to save him.”

“Does it hurt?”

“I received good treatment when it was cut, so it’s fine now.”

He gently patted the blanket where Siyan’s head was.

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

“You did well.”

“Huh…?”

Rimmer blinked at Siyan’s spirited voice.

“Raon is a great asset! He’ll repay you greatly!”

She waved her hand from under the blanket, saying it was a good decision.

“Uh, okay…”

Rimmer nodded absentmindedly, not expecting such a reaction.

“Is the great Raon okay?”

“Thanks to the grandmaster, I’m not seriously hurt.”

“That’s a relief!”

Siyan hesitated before speaking again.

“May I ask you something, great Raon?”

“You can ask if you drop the ‘great.'”

Raon sighed briefly and nodded.

“If Raon had no talent for swordsmanship, what would you have done?”

“Talent?”

The unexpected question took him by surprise.

“I’m a high elf, but I don’t have the talents a high elf should have. I can’t fight like other elves, can’t summon spirits, or use aura. They call me a useless high elf…”

Siyan murmured that all she could do was hide and breathe. Her voice was tinged with tears.

“But you can shoot arrows well. You never miss, right?”

“What’s the use of shooting arrows well if I can’t use aura? And it’s been too long since I last shot…”

She looked at the bow hanging on the wall before burying her face in the bed.

“Hmm…”

Raon clicked his tongue.

‘It’s a tough question.’

Even if she was a fan, asking such a question meant she was mentally cornered.

Siyan must have mustered a lot of courage, so Raon wanted to help her, regardless of her being his fan or Rimmer’s sister.

But before giving an answer, he needed to know a few things.

“Is the grandmaster also a high elf if you’re one, Siyan?”

“No.”

Rimmer shook his head calmly.

“High elves are determined at birth. It passed from our grandfather to Siyan, but it could appear in another tribe next time. It’s different every time.”

He shrugged, saying high elves are chosen by the heavens.

“And only two high elves can exist simultaneously. In Sephia, it’s just our grandfather and Siyan.”

“I see.”

Raon bit his lip lightly.

‘If there are only two high elves, the pressure must be immense.’

Especially since Stearin could leave at any time.

Given the wrinkles on Stearin’s face, his remaining lifespan wasn’t long.

Excluding him, Siyan was the only high elf, and she wasn’t fulfilling her role, causing both her and those around her great stress.

‘Poor girl.’

After pondering Siyan’s question, Raon slowly opened his lips.

“If I had no goal, I would have lived an ordinary life without picking up a sword. But if I had something to achieve, I would have picked up the sword even without talent.”

“To the end?”

“Yes. I would never have given up.”

He didn’t reveal all the details, but he answered sincerely.

“I don’t know what you’ve read, Siyan, but Raon certainly has talent.”

“I knew it…”

“But.”

Rimmer sat on Siyan’s bed with a faint smile.

“That kid worked harder than anyone I’ve ever seen. He was always the first to arrive at the training ground and the last to leave. I guarantee no one of his age trained more than Raon.”

He gently patted the blanket, saying Raon’s true power came more from relentless effort than talent.

“Yes. From the first time I saw him, Raon has been a monster who only thinks about training.”

“He trains every day, even at home!”

Dorian and Yua also affirmed that Raon’s true talent was his effort.

“But the book says he can mimic swordsmanship just by watching…”

“He can mimic it, but that’s a trick, not swordsmanship. To reach a high level, only training is the answer.”

Raon nodded as he watched Siyan’s trembling shoulders under the blanket.

“Effort…”

Siyan’s voice sounded both sad and somewhat brighter.

“If it’s too hard, just give up.”

Rimmer smiled, patting Siyan’s head.

“Give up? Who will purify the World Tree then!”

“Leave it to the next high elf.”

He shook his head, telling her to take it easy.

“Grandfather has purified the World Tree with obsessive care, so it will last 40 years even if he passes. A new high elf will be born by then, right?”

“But…”

“Siyan. The world is vast, and there are many things to do. Don’t lose yourself to your duty.”

Rimmer’s gentle smile seemed genuinely concerned for his sister.

Raon watched Siyan’s trembling body without a word, feeling sympathetic.

‘She’s very responsible.’

As soon as Rimmer suggested giving up, Siyan brought up the purification of the World Tree.

Despite being scorned by other elves, she hadn’t forgotten her duty.

“I don’t know much about the world of elves, so I can’t speak freely…”

He continued, looking at her blue eyes shining from under the blanket.

“Aren’t you curious about how the elves who ignored you will react when they see a changed Siyan? They’ll be speechless with their jaws dropped.”

He recalled the shocked faces of the other trainees during his training days.

“Ah…”

Siyan trembled at the thought of such a scene.

“And if you truly give your best but still can’t do it, giving up is also a choice. The important thing is to acknowledge that you did your best. You can’t fool yourself.”

“Doing my best…”

Siyan murmured the words ‘doing my best’ under the blanket.

“And you’re not entirely incapable, Siyan.”

“Huh?”

“You said you made Nadim bread. I like it. And there’s someone else who likes it too.”

Raon smiled gently, thinking of Glenn.

“Yes. You haven’t tested all your abilities yet. Think carefully.”

Rimmer pushed Siyan’s head lightly and got up from the bed.

“We’ll be going now. Rest.”

He gestured for them to leave.

“….”

Siyan remained silent.

“Then I’ll be going too.”

“Th-thank you!”

As Raon followed Rimmer out, he heard Siyan’s voice, slightly louder than before, seemingly encouraged.

“Really, I can’t live with all this discrimination, whether in Zieghart or here.”

Rimmer grumbled but smiled as he left the room.

“Rest well.”

Raon chuckled and followed Rimmer, then looked to his right.

‘But…’

He furrowed his brows as he saw Wrath floating in the air with his chin resting in his hands.

‘Why are you so quiet?’

Wrath, who had vowed to kill Siyan the moment they met, was strangely silent.

-That high elf girl…

‘Huh?’

Wrath frowned as he turned to look back.

-She’s blocked.

After everyone left, Siyan crawled out of the blanket like a turtle.

“So, even the great Raon… I mean, Raon also…”

He hadn’t reached his current position just by talent.

The Raon she saw had a different level of presence from others. He naturally drew attention, making her think he was as described in the book. But it seemed he had faced many hardships.

“Doing my best…”

She had tried hard. Probably more time than other elves spent on aura and spirit magic, she had spent on resonance training.

But if asked if she had given her best, she couldn’t say for sure.

She had been lazy at times, couldn’t focus because of other elves’ stares, and sometimes gave up and just slept.

“You can’t fool yourself.”

As he said, the time she wasted was all still in her memory.

“Should I try a little more…”

Hearing advice from the idol she had read about in the book made her want to try harder instead of giving up.

Especially the thought of seeing how the elves who looked down on her would react struck a chord.

She got off the bed and closed her eyes.

‘I still don’t have the courage to go outside.’

Holding the Raon Zieghart biography tightly with both hands, she focused on harmonizing with the world.

Raon looked around his assigned accommodation with a faint smile.

“It’s no different from where people live.”

Erian had given him a human-made building for accommodation. It was convenient, but he had hoped to stay in a tree house, so he felt a bit disappointed.

Raon unpacked his things and left the accommodation. Wanting to feel the pure mana of Sephia more deeply, he looked around, and the elves began to stop and stare.

“Is that a human?”

“A human with such pure mana…”

“Cleaner than us. Almost like a spirit.”

“As Erian said, is he really a spirit king’s contractor?”

“I don’t know if he’s a contractor, but it’s clear there’s potential.”

The elves murmured in admiration or amazement as they looked at Raon.

“That’s ridiculous. Why would a spirit king contract with a human?”

“Right. I’ve never heard of a human contracting with a spirit king.”

“I can’t understand why Erian likes him so much…”

Some elves dismissed it as nonsense, shaking their heads. Honestly, Raon appreciated them more.

‘As expected, it was that elf’s doing.’

Judging by the mention of Erian’s name, it was clear that eccentric elf had spread the story of the spirit king throughout Sephia.

‘Really, there’s no one normal around the grandmaster.’

Raon shook his head and moved to avoid the elves’ gazes. Walking to a place out of sight, he found himself in front of a small clearing.

‘Is this a training ground?’

Seeing arrows and wooden swords around, it seemed to be a place where elves practiced archery and swordsmanship.

‘Training grounds always make me feel at ease.’

-That’s because you’re crazy about training.

Wrath scowled at Raon.

-Stop moping around and let’s go back. I’m hungry!

He licked his lips, eager to try the bizarre foods Rimmer had mentioned.

‘But first.’

Raon grabbed Wrath’s tail and pulled him close.

‘What did you mean by Siyan being blocked?’

-Blocked means blocked.

‘Explain in detail.’

-That high elf girl’s upper dantian, as you call it, is completely blocked.

‘That’s usually blocked. It opens naturally as one advances.’

The path to the upper dantian is usually blocked at birth. He himself had only opened it upon reaching the Grand Master level.

-That’s true. But something else is blocking that girl’s path.

‘Something else?’

-I don’t know what it is. But there’s something deep and dense blocking it for sure.

‘Why didn’t Stearin know?’

-He probably thought it was natural since she was born like that. And the old high elf can’t see what I can.

Wrath lifted his chin proudly, claiming his superiority.

‘Blocked, huh…’

Raon stroked his chin, shaking his head.

‘She seemed to be struggling.’

Living as a branch family member in Zieghart, he could somewhat understand her plight.

Rimmer had also been deeply worried, enough to stop smiling after leaving Siyan’s room, so Raon wanted to help if he could.

‘Upper dantian… hmm?’

As he was pondering, a sharp wind sound came from the right forest.

Before he could think, Raon drew the Heavenly Sword. The balanced sword defense was firm, capable of withstanding any attack.

But.

Clang!

The defense crumbled like a sandcastle, and a white arrow pierced through the shield.

With his empty left hand, he drew the Requiem Sword to form a flame barrier.

Woosh!

The flame shield rose like the moon, blocking the arrow’s trajectory.

The white arrow, however, acted like a living being, dodging the flame shield and targeting his right shoulder.

Clang!

Raon quickly retrieved the Heavenly Sword to block the arrow.

“Ugh…”

His palm throbbed painfully. The force behind the arrow was stronger than a Grand Master’s sword strike.

Moreover, the arrow was only slightly deflected and was now hovering with a sharp aura.

“This arrow…”

“Impressive.”

The forest parted, revealing Stearin. His tall frame and confident stride reminded Raon of Rimmer.

“Why all of a sudden, Guardian?”

“I gave strength to my granddaughter who was lying down, so I have to give you a small reward.”

Stearin gestured, and the white arrow floated into his hand.

“You said you wanted inspiration from watching the spiritual archery, right?”

He smiled loftily as he set an arrow on his bowstring.

“Try to take it if you can.”