Chapter 660

What’s that shitty geezer even saying now?!

Wrath soared into the air, his fingers furiously shaking.

Chamber of the Self? Absolutely not! The name already stinks like Nadine bread!

He shook his head violently, saying that he couldn’t put up with it anymore. The blowing wind was as fiery as when the Light Wind Style was activated.

“Are you implying that I’d be allowed into the Chamber of the Self if I wanted to?” Raon’s lips twitched as he looked at Glenn behind Wrath.

“Indeed.” Glenn nodded with a quiet gaze.

“May I ask the reason why?”

Whether he would enter the chamber or not, he wanted to know the reason behind the sudden offer.

“The line you drew on the map with the Light Wind Division came true in reality. All of it became a part of Zieghart’s domain yesterday.”

Glenn shifted his gaze toward the waning sunlight outside the window. His shoulders, which usually seemed as sturdy as an iron tower, seemed to be shaking slightly.

“As I said before, acquiring the land by earning people’s recognition instead of resorting to war is commendable enough to be considered a great deed. I just thought that a few martial arts books weren’t enough as a reward. And…”

Glenn slowly closed his eyes before opening them again with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I went to see the Blade’s Rest that you created.”

“What?”

“The warriors visiting the Blade’s Rest put down their weapons, which should be considered their other selves, before making their entrance.”

A small sound came from his mouth.

“If only one person does it, they’d be called stubborn, but if a thousand people do the same thing, it becomes the rule.” Glenn’s gaze held the heat of the sunlight shining upon the window. “You’ve created a new rule under Zieghart’s name. It’s not strange to give a chance to enter the Chamber of the Self to such a person.”

“I also saw it.” Roenn stepped up, continuing Glenn’s speech. “The warriors and magicians visiting the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s grave put down their weapons next to the grave of blades to show their respect towards you, division leader. I’ve lived for quite a long time, but I’ve never seen such a thing before.”

His lips curved into a faint smile, saying that Raon was guiding the people with awe instead of fear and violence.

What are those geezers even saying now?!

Wrath glared fiercely at Roenn.

Who wouldn’t drop their weapons when he just breaks the heads of whoever is holding a blade?!

He wrinkled his nose, saying that they could keep saying such stupid shit because they didn’t see that Raon was ruling them with fear and power.

“Hmm.” Raon lowered his head slightly under Glenn and Roenn’s attention.

‘It wasn’t actually intentional.’

He didn’t expect that to happen. He’d simply smacked their heads to try out his newfound power without shedding any blood. The world was truly full of mysteries.

“That should be enough as an answer.” Glenn turned his head, implying that it was Raon’s turn to respond. “What are you going to do?”

“…I won’t enter.”

Raon closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and shaking his head.

“Why not?” Glenn wasn’t surprised at all. It was as if he was expecting that answer.

“It’s not the time for it yet,” Raon immediately responded, having already thought about it.

R-Raon!

Wrath approached him, his wide eyes glittering with tears.

It’s for the King of Essence’s meal! You finally learned your lesson!

He nodded while sniffling.

The King of Essence shall respond accordingly! He will acknowledge you as a dirty demon now!

‘No thanks.’

Raon slapped Wrath away because he kept getting into his vision, looking at Glenn instead.

“Lady Aries told me about the Chamber of the Self before.”

He’d first learned about the Chamber of the Self when Rimmer talked about it, but Aries was the one who gave him detailed information about it.

“I heard that there are a surprising number of people who don’t gain anything from the Chamber of the Self.”

“Indeed.” Glenn nodded in acknowledgment. “The Chamber of the Self isn’t anything like a miraculous catalyst for growth. Many don’t gain anything from it, or they only achieve a small amount of growth.”

“Lady Aries mentioned that the common aspect among the people who didn’t achieve significant growth was…” Raon licked his lips while looking at Glenn. “That they haven’t reached their limit.”

“Limit…”

“She laughed at them, saying that it was foolish of them to enter the Chamber of the Self when they haven’t even faced a wall that they couldn’t surpass.”

He thought about Aries’s advice as he spoke.

“Raon. You’ll reach the upper end of Grandmaster not too far in the future. However, Transcendence is extremely far away from that. It might take even longer than the time you’ve spent on martial arts so far, and it’s possible that you won’t even reach it forever. The Chamber of the Self will be extremely helpful to you when that happens.”

Aries had smiled, giving him advice that only the one who had walked the same path could give.

‘She is right.’

Overcoming the last wall towards the next realm was extremely difficult. It was the same when he was the Master. He’d quickly reached the highest level of Master, but it required a long time of contemplation to become a Grandmaster.

Raon agreed with Aries because he’d experienced the despair of facing a thick wall.

He could only enter the Chamber of the Self once in his lifetime. Since his real goal wasn’t the Axe King but Derus Robert, he had to look into the future instead of the present.

“You don’t even have five months left until the duel to death against the Axe King. Are you confident in your victory?”

Glenn lowered his gaze heavily, asking if he could win without using the Chamber of the Self.

“The duel to the death against the Axe King is just a passing point in my journey, not my final destination.” Raon smiled, gripping Heavenly Drive’s hilt. “Like I said when I was a child, my most important goal is to make my mother into a member of the direct line. I have no intention of dying before I achieve that goal.”

He confidently raised his eyes, his voice confident. “I’ll defeat the Axe King with my own strength and return.”

What are you calling your own strength? It’s the King of Essence’s strength!

Wrath furrowed his brow at his ridiculous statement.

Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?

He grabbed Raon by his shoulders and shook him, telling him to reveal the truth.

“How are you planning to spend the remaining time?”

“I’ve taught the martial art I created to the Light Wind Division. I’m planning to undergo a real battle in a mission and prepare for the duel to the death on my own after that.”

“I see.”

Glenn’s lips softened. Raon had seen his mocking smile many times before, but he felt like he’d never seen that smile before. He could guess that Glenn was expecting that answer from him.

“I’ll have to accept your will. However, your achievement remains, so your right to enter the Chamber of the Self is also going to remain.”

“Thank you.” Raon bowed deeply at him. He felt like Glenn’s consideration had widened as much as the domain’s expansion. “I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Wait a moment.”

Glenn shook his hand just as Raon was about to leave the audience chamber after bowing to him.

“Did you already have your breakfast?”

“Not yet.”

Glenn nodded at his expected answer.

“Then let’s eat together.”

“Err…”

What are you waiting for?! Nod your head right now!

Raon fell speechless in surprise, and Wrath instantly moved forward.

The geezer is definitely going to prepare a lavish meal if you’re eating with him!

He licked his lips, looking forward to the opportunity.

‘He might only give us Nadine bread.’

Ugh…

Wrath dropped his jaw, remembering Glenn’s preference for food.

Th-then what should we do…?

It wasn’t even a question. It was impossible to refuse the invitation from the head of house to begin with.

“We’ll make the preparations right now.”

Roenn smiled gently and left the audience chamber.

Th-they aren’t really going to give us the Nadine bread now, right?

‘What is he going to tell me this time…?’

Raon and Wrath swallowed nervously with two different thoughts in their minds.

* * *

Unfortunately, they didn’t get any Nadine bread to eat. Lavish dishes were lined up on a long rectangular table, just like Wrath was looking forward to.

Hell yeah! That’s our grandfather for you!

Wrath smiled happily, calling Glenn his grandfather for the first time in a long time.

‘Hmm…’

Raon slowly caught his breath, chewing the long cut of steak.

‘I can’t even tell how it tastes.’

The potato soup was thick, the stew was soft, and the meat quickly melted in his mouth. However, he couldn’t feel the taste in any of them. He just felt so uncomfortable that he felt like he was eating in a dream.

Wow! The meat is so good here! Hmm? The meat is great!

Only the demon king next to him was wagging his tail, blabbering how happy he was.

‘Yes, I’m glad you are happy at least.’

Raon swallowed his sigh and brought the dishes that Wrath wanted one after the other to taste them.

“What’s the name of the martial art you’ve created?” Glenn shifted his gaze towards him for the first time after drinking some water.

“…It’s called the Light Wind Style,” Raon answered after chewing and swallowing the shrimp in his mouth.

“It’s a fitting name since it’s a martial art using super-sense and the wind.”

“Thank you.” Raon smiled awkwardly because he wasn’t expecting to be complimented over the name.

“The Light Wind Style’s efficiency is maximized as the warrior becomes stronger. Make sure to practice it every single day, just like the aura cultivation.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“If you really want to achieve the super sense, it’d be better to make it capable of detecting danger even when it’s disabled. I think it can be done by slightly altering the current method.”

“What do you mean by altering it…?”

“If you overlap the mana circuits twice under the energy center before activating them, the sensitivity will increase. It won’t be perfect, but it can serve as an improvement.”

Glenn taught him the location of the mana circuits directly, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“It’s extremely important to control your breathing in order to draw more power from the wind. A small aspect like this creates a bigger difference when it comes to more advanced martial arts. Make sure to teach the Light Wind Division about this on top of using it for yourself.”

He taught him a few more theories, telling him to adjust his martial art.

“Thank you.” Raon lowered his head, engraving all of his advice into his mind.

“You don’t need to thank me during a meal.” Glenn casually shook his hand, brushing it off as a pastime.

Eat that one next! The chicken drumsticks covered in red sauce are calling to the King of Essence!

‘How come you have such a huge stomach despite being so small?’

Raon sighed and extended his hand toward the roasted chicken that Wrath wanted to have. Glenn’s fingers weakly tapped the table.

“…Is Sylvia doing well?”

“Yes.”

Raon nodded while lowering his hand. He was expecting that kind of question because he’d had the impression for a while that Glenn cared about Sylvia a lot.

“Fortunately, she is recovering without any aftereffects. She was craving some action, bored from the recovery.”

Raon smiled, thinking about how Sylvia was before he went to the Light Wind Division to teach the Light Wind Style.

“I see.”

Glenn’s expression was the same as always, but his voice sounded slightly emotional.

“I’m sure my mother will be happy to have you visit, my lord.” Raon mustered his courage and asked him to visit Sylvia.

Ooh! What brought that on?

Wrath’s jaw dropped in admiration.

“If there’s a chance.”

Glenn didn’t open his mouth again after that response. They didn’t talk to each other anymore after that. The meal was quiet, but it strangely felt warm.

* * *

“Roenn!” Glenn curved his lips into a faint smile while looking at Raon’s seat after he was gone.

“Yes, I’m writing it down.” Roenn was writing in Raon’s Gospel without even looking at Glenn.

“There were many great lines today, but this one should be the best.” He loudly recited, lowering the hand holding the pen, “‘The duel to the death against the Axe King is just a passing point in my journey, not my final destination.’ I had goosebumps when I heard him say that.”

Roenn stated with teary eyes that Raon had grown up into such a fine man.

“That was a nice line, but I liked it more when he said, ‘I’ll defeat the Axe King with my own strength and return.’ It shows how much he believes in himself.” Glenn clenched his fist while thinking about the look in Raon’s eyes.

“All of them were nice. We can’t miss a single one.”

Roenn shifted his gaze towards Glenn while writing down Raon’s lines in the Gospel.

‘Is he finally mustering his courage?’

Considering the fact that Glenn had invited Raon to a meal, he must’ve been mustering his courage to approach Sylvia and Raon.

‘Sir Raon’s surprise was so cute.’

As soon as Raon received his invitation to a meal, his eyes had widened like a rabbit’s. It reminded him of his childhood from a long time ago, bringing a smile to his face.

‘Of course, it will still take a long time for this dull grandfather and grandson pair to get close…’

Raon was still unaware of Glenn’s thoughts, and Glenn had no intention of revealing his mind to Raon.

It was going to take a long time for them to understand each other, but the step they took was satisfying enough for the day.

“My lord.”

“Hmm?”

Glenn was immersed in deep emotions and shifted his gaze upon hearing Roenn’s call.

“Young Master Raon asked you to visit Lady Sylvia.” Roenn shook his hand with a faint smile on his face. “How about visiting her at some point?”

“…She is getting out of the hospital today. Forget it.” Glenn briefly closed his eyes in contemplation before he shook his head.

“Was she being discharged today? I didn’t even know, how did you…?” Roenn shook his head, showing that he didn’t know about that.

“Ahem! That bum came to tell me.”

Glenn shook his hand, saying that he just happened to learn about it before he left the dining room.

Roenn smiled faintly while looking at Glenn’s back as he kept clearing his throat.

‘He went to see her every day.’

Federick hadn’t come to the lord’s manor recently. The reason Glenn knew when Sylvia was leaving the hospital was because he’d gone to her room every day to check on her well-being.

“Since he finally made some progress…” Roenn licked his lips while putting the empty dishes on top of each other. “We should stop here for today.”

* * *

Martha crossed the Wise Martial Palace’s gate, her fingers engulfed by the wind.

‘This is seriously amazing.’

She’d thought she would only use the earth attribute for the rest of her life, but she’d suddenly become capable of using the wind.

‘Moreover, it happened so easily.’

The wind was moving like her own body thanks to Raon’s creation.

Of course, it was still lacking in many ways, but the fact that she could learn and use an extremely advanced martial art in a single week was already absurd.

‘He is indeed a monster.’

On top of creating an extremely advanced martial art, he’d even set it up in a way that they could learn right away. She was afraid of Raon’s talent and the depth of his mind at that point.

The more she used the Light Wind Style, the deeper Raon and Rimmer’s wishes were engraved in her heart. She felt like she had no choice but to grow stronger, even just out of gratitude for the two of them.

‘Yes, I need to get stronger. After all, I haven't managed to achieve any of my goals yet.’

Martha bit her lip, clenching the necklace that was shaking under her training outfit.

‘Mom…’

The recovery of her mother's body, which was taken by the White Blood Religion’s leader, and walking alongside Raon, who gave her courage when she was about to give up on that goal.

She’d already given up on catching up to Raon. She knew better than anyone in the world that it was impossible.

That was why she wanted to walk next to Raon. She wanted to support him and became the sharpest sword for him.

Martha was heading towards her room but suddenly turned around.

‘This isn’t the time to rest if I want to achieve that.’

She changed her direction and headed toward her father’s training ground. She stood at the center of the empty training ground and unsheathed her sword.

She swung down her sword, which was wrapped in Titan’s Aura, and the Light Wind Style’s wind naturally emerged to add speed and sharpness to the blow.

Whaaam!

A deep crater was made on the ground, pushing the sand away like a wave.

‘This is really impressive.’

It felt like the blunt and heavy blow had become at least twice as sharp as before.

She couldn’t maintain it for a long time because the Light Wind Style was still at one star, but she had the feeling that the speed and sharpness added by the wind would be extremely helpful in upcoming battles.

Martha executed her techniques one after the other while smiling in satisfaction. She finally lowered her sword after unleashing all of the Light Wind Style’s energy.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and was about to prepare for aura cultivation when Denier entered the training ground.

“Father!”

Martha ran up to him, looking forward to showing off her Light Wind Style, but Denier’s expression was as stiff as dry firewood.

“Martha…” Denier furrowed his brow deeply, not noticing Martha’s smile. “I have something to tell you about your mother.”

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]