"That was a good match."
Glenn concluded the match between Raon and Blade Queen Siera without any particular reaction, as if that was the expected outcome. However, his earlobes had turned redder than a ripe apple, perhaps pleased with the level Raon had reached.
"Next, Karoon."
Glenn called for Karoon, who had been standing with his arms crossed, to begin the second match.
"Yes."
Karoon stepped forward with proper posture, as if he had anticipated being called.
"And..."
Glenn looked between Warlord Yuber and Alice, who could be Karoon's opponents, then slowly raised his hand.
"Warlord Yuber."
He called the Warlord's name instead of Alice, who had been sparring with Karoon every day.
"Yes."
Warlord Yuber answered just as briefly as Karoon had and stood before Glenn.
"Ah, what about me! Dad! Take care of your daughter!"
Alice complained to Glenn, jumping up and down like a child, saying she would have no opponent this way.
"Hmm..."
Glenn pretended not to see Alice acting like a monkey and focused again on Karoon and the Warlord.
"Fight as if you were enemies."
Glenn told them to fight seriously, just like Raon and the Blade Queen had, then stepped back. The sound of metal sliding against scabbards rang out! Unlike during Raon and the Blade Queen's match, Karoon and the Warlord stood in place, watching each other as they drew their weapons. The sound of their sword and blade being unsheathed echoed coldly through the training ground.
"..."
"..."
Despite having drawn their weapons, Karoon and the Warlord remained motionless, observing each other with calm gazes. The chilling energy emanating from their feet froze the air of the training ground. It was completely opposite to the previous match.
"Ugh..."
"I-I can't breathe."
"It feels like Lord Karoon's sword is pointing at me."
"Transcendents really are different..."
Unlike during Raon and the Blade Queen's duel, the swordsmen gulped nervously as they felt the tense atmosphere.
"Hmm."
Raon clicked his tongue softly as he watched Karoon and the Warlord's standoff.
'Did he deliberately match those with similar styles?'
Both Karoon and the Warlord were cold-blooded martial artists who sought to find their opponent's weakness and force them to surrender completely. Even now, they remained motionless as they assessed each other, sharpening their concentration to a razor's edge.
'Looking at this, Karoon has grown much stronger.'
Originally, Karoon could barely reach the Warlord's level, but thanks to his consistent training with Alice, he had grown unrecognizably stronger. Though he still couldn't defeat the Warlord, he now possessed enough martial prowess to face him as a worthy opponent.
'But it's still not enough.'
Karoon needed to grow even stronger to increase Zieghart's chances of winning the war against Derus. Raon hoped he would develop enough to at least face one of the weaker Archangels.
'How amusing. To think I'd end up hoping for his growth.'
The thought that he now wanted his former enemy Karoon to become stronger, and that he had personally arranged this situation, made him smile. The old saying that there are no eternal enemies or eternal allies seemed perfectly apt.
'Of course, except for him...'
He bit his lip firmly as he watched Karoon and the Warlord pointing their swords at each other.
'Derus Robert.'
No matter what circumstances or past Derus Robert had, it didn't matter. He would kill that man and all his followers without leaving a trace.
"Hoo."
As Raon was collecting himself, Sylvia and Sia approached from the side.
"Raon. Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
She set down bundles of medicine and bandages, seemingly worried about him after his match with the Blade Queen.
"You shouldn't be in pain! Apply medicine quickly!"
Sia also clung to him with rolled bandages, telling him not to endure the pain.
"I-I'm fine. I'm not hurt anywhere!"
Raon waved both hands, but Sylvia examined his body all over, as if concerned that the fight had been too intense.
"Your clothes are torn! Change into these first. You'll catch a cold."
Sylvia pulled out new training clothes for him to change into, pointing out that his current ones were torn by the Blade Queen's energy.
"Ugh..."
Raon squeezed his eyes shut. If it had been anyone else, he would have pushed them away or fled, but because it was Sylvia and Sia, he had no choice but to stay still.
-Accept it quietly. It is a mother's love.
Wrath nodded, saying that was the greatest power and force.
"Wow..."
"So, even the Light Wind Palace Master can't win against his mom."
"My mom nags like that too."
"Life is the same for everyone."
The swordsmen smiled softly, seemingly more drawn to Raon's human side, which contrasted with his usual god-like presence.
-However...
Wrath sighed irritably as he turned his gaze elsewhere.
-When are those two going to fight?
He frowned as he watched Karoon and the Warlord, who remained motionless with their swords pointed at each other.
-Tell them to either fight or quit!
Wrath chewed his lips impatiently, saying he was dying of boredom.
'That's more difficult than just fighting.'
Raon calmly shook his head.
'Both physical and mental strength are rapidly depleting.'
Though Karoon and the Warlord appeared motionless as they observed each other, they were rapidly depleting their mental and physical energy as they searched for weaknesses and guarded their own vulnerabilities.
-Do you think I don't know that?
Wrath furrowed his brows.
-I'm saying it because it's no fun!
He waved his hand, explaining that he was bored and wanted them to hurry up and fight.
'Why is the Demon King so impatient?'
Just as Raon sighed and shook his head...
"Ah, these so-called martial artists are disgustingly petty!"
Alice stomped her foot in frustration and drew her sword.
"Both of you, come at me!"
She charged at Karoon and the Warlord, who stood like statues, shouting that she couldn't wait any longer. With a fierce slash! Alice struck with a blue-glowing sword attack aimed at both Karoon and the Warlord simultaneously, a deep smile on her face.
"This crazy sister!"
Karoon widened his eyes in disbelief as he whirled his sword.
"Ha..."
The Warlord also let out a hollow laugh as he deployed a defensive stance, seemingly not having anticipated this development. A powerful shock wave swept across the entire training ground as Alice's sword strike collided with Karoon and the Warlord's martial arts.
"If you're going to fight, fight quickly. Why are you leaving me out!"
Alice fired another sword strike at Karoon and the Warlord, suggesting a three-way battle.
"You're a disgrace to our family!"
Karoon gritted his teeth as he deflected Alice's attack and launched a sharp counterattack.
"This doesn't seem bad either."
After smoothly deflecting Alice's attack with his blade, the Warlord aimed a ground-scraping strike at Karoon's chest.
"Hmm?"
Sensing the Warlord's blade targeting his back, Karoon sharply diverted his sword path that had been aimed at Alice. With a clash! He successfully defended himself, but his hands trembled from desperately blocking the Warlord's powerful strike.
"Are we really doing it this way?"
Karoon deeply furrowed his brow as he looked at the Warlord.
"This could happen in war as well, couldn't it?"
The Warlord shrugged, suggesting it wouldn't be bad practice for such scenarios.
"Ahahaha! Now we're talking. Let's do this!"
Alice burst into laughter and charged at the Warlord.
"Hmm!"
Though aware of Alice following him, the Warlord brought down his blade streaming with cold energy upon Karoon.
"Fine! I'll make both of you kneel!"
Karoon gritted his teeth and advanced, unleashing his sword wrapped in fighting spirit. His sword path became dominance itself, pressuring the Transcendents. As the three Transcendents unleashed their martial arts, Glenn's sword barrier began to twist as if it would soon break.
"Argh! I want to join in too..."
The Blade Queen fidgeted, looking as if she would jump in immediately if she weren't so drained of energy.
"Insane..."
"I-is this right? Why are three people..."
"Transcendents aren't right in the head either."
"No, from what I can see, it's just Lady Alice who's strange."
The swordsmen shook their heads, unable to comprehend the situation even as they watched it unfold.
"Head of House."
Raon approached Glenn and slightly bowed his head.
"Should I go stop them..."
"No, it's fine."
Glenn calmly waved his hand.
"As the Warlord said, there's no rule saying this won't happen on the battlefield. It's not bad to experience it in advance."
He nodded calmly, as if saying they should leave things as they were.
"Besides, we can learn from watching this too."
As he spoke, Glenn's eyes captured every single movement of the three Transcendents without missing anything.
"You too, watch their battle and think."
He slightly lowered his chin as he called Raon to his side.
"About what you can gain from this."
Glenn closed his mouth after saying those words.
"Yes."
Though Raon didn't understand what Glenn meant, he fixed his gaze on Karoon, the Warlord, and Alice.
'What I can gain...'
***
The sparring of the swordsmen gathered at the head of house's training ground continued until sunset, and the final match was reaching its conclusion.
"Mom! This time I'll finish it!"
Sia curled her lips as she unleashed a vicious sword strike toward Sylvia. The Fangs of Insanity and Blizzard Sword Art that Raon had taught her fluctuated through her hands as if alive.
"Ahhhh..."
Sylvia shuddered at her daughter's frightening swordsmanship but advanced with sharp footwork and swung her sword. Brilliant radiance bloomed from her sword. The Radiant Light Flow that Raon had passed down created an even more intense light as it extended outward. With a tremendous clash!
The magnificent light Sylvia created pushed back the beast's fangs and frost wind, stopping just before Sia's chest.
"I-I lost..."
Sia bit her lip firmly, as if she couldn't believe her defeat. Though it was her mother, her eyes welled with tears from the frustration of losing.
"Huff! Huff! I'm still stronger than Sia, see."
Sylvia lowered her sword while catching her breath.
"But I still hate this..."
She sniffled, saying she never wanted to fight with her daughter again.
"Mom!"
"Sia!"
Sylvia and Sia threw down their swords and embraced each other.
"Sigh..."
Raon sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, seemingly embarrassed by his mother and older sister's behavior.
"Ahem!"
Glenn's lips quivered, not like someone watching Sylvia and Sia's match, but like a grandfather adoring his daughter and granddaughter.
"This is insane..."
"T-those two aren't even formal swordsmen."
"Division Leader... No, they're almost at Palace Master level?"
"At this rate, isn't the annex building the strongest force in Zieghart?"
"It might be. The Gambling Monster, Blade Queen, and Warlord all belong there too!" (E/N: Putting a Master and Transcendent at the same level? Huh)
The swordsmen couldn't close their mouths, astonished by Sylvia and Sia's unexpected martial prowess.
"Well done."
Glenn climbed back onto the platform and stroked his chin while the swordsmen were still in shock.
"The purpose of today's sparring was to precisely identify your strengths and weaknesses. I paired you with compatible opponents for that purpose, and you all did well."
He closed and opened his eyes, saying that thanks to the swordsmen fighting properly, he was able to gather detailed information about everyone.
"From now on, I will explain the strengths and weaknesses in the order of the matches. Listen to the information from my perspective, think about how to develop yourself and what to improve, and organize your thoughts by tomorrow."
Glenn took a short breath and looked at the Blade Queen and Raon, who had finished the first match.
"Blade Queen Siera. Your strength is that despite having destructive power and charging force beyond blade techniques, you haven't abandoned the mysterious movements of swordsmanship. Your weakness is, conversely, that you aren't fully capturing the ultimate meaning of swordsmanship. Against a martial artist one level below you, your current level would be sufficient, but against someone of similar or higher level, that weakness will become glaringly apparent."
He shook his head, saying that while the Blade Queen's sword was strong, it lacked the breathing and variation a sword should have at her level.
"There are two directions for improvement."
Glenn raised his fingers.
"Either incorporate more of the subtleties of swordsmanship itself, or further refine the value you've built up until now."
He calmly lowered his hand, as if it didn't matter which the Blade Queen chose.
"That's right!"
The Blade Queen curled her lips as if she had already made her decision.
"Then next..."
Glenn's gaze turned toward Raon.
"Hmm!"
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Glenn's lips, but the man's gaze immediately moved to the next person.
"Central Martial Palace Master Karoon Zieghart."
"Huh...?"
Raon blinked blankly at Glenn, who had skipped over him.
'What's going on? Why not me?'