"Phew…"
Krein let out a sigh so intense it seemed to disperse the morning mist.
"I can't believe he made us train until last night. He's one tough guy."
Muttering that he wanted to faint, he lightly tapped his shoulder with a clenched fist.
"Right? I thought he'd let us go in the afternoon, but we ended up swinging swords until night."
Burren nodded in agreement, fatigue from the training evident on his face.
"Pathetic!"
Martha glared at Burren and Krein with disdain.
"What do you think you can achieve if you can't even endure that level of training?"
She clicked her tongue, a smirk of derision on her lips.
"Miss Rakshasa, your legs are shaking."
Runaan, who had approached unnoticed, poked Martha's thigh with her finger.
"Aaaargh!"
Martha screamed and jumped up, having been struck by Raon's sword the day before.
"You, you crazy thing!"
Martha growled like a starving beast and reached out for Runaan.
"Show-off."
"Do you want to die?"
Runaan stuck out her tongue and ran off, Martha chasing after her with her sword drawn.
"You two are full of energy from the morning."
Dorian rubbed his darkened under-eye circles and exhaled.
"You okay?"
"Not really. But I'm getting used to it."
"Getting used to it?"
"Yes. When I stayed at our shop before, the training was really deadly."
"What kind of training is that?"
"Climbing cliffs with rocks being rolled down, or the cliffs collapsing themselves."
Dorian wiped the sweat from his forehead, recalling how he almost felt like he was going to the afterlife.
"Hmm…"
Mark Goetun, standing next to him, closed his eyes as if recalling that time.
"How is it at the annex building? Is it hell there too?"
Burren, leaving the shivering Dorian and Goetun, looked at Yua and Julius.
"No! They take good care of us! They do everything we ask."
Yua raised her hand and shook her head.
"Yes, at the annex building, they don't say anything even if we rest."
Julius clicked his tongue, as if regretting that fact.
"Then why do you turn into mad dogs here?"
Burren shook his head, saying it was tough.
"If it's chaotic today too, it'll be really tiring."
"But he seemed to be in a better mood yesterday, so it should be fine today. We should be able to…"
Just as Dorian was smiling faintly, the door of the great training ground opened, and Raon entered.
Rumble!
Though he didn't kick the door like Rimmer, the oppressive aura radiating from Raon made the Light Wind division unable to take their eyes off him.
"That, that guy. He doesn't look happy. Is he really okay?"
Burren nudged Dorian with his elbow, swallowing hard.
"Huh? That's Raon in his Fangs of Insanity state… Emergency! Emergenccccyyy!"
Dorian shouted emergency and ran to the platform. Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, the other swordsmen quickly lined up in front of the platform.
"Haha…ha!"
Rimmer, who had been lying on the platform, yawned and then sprang up, seeing the blazing eyes of Raon.
"You… you're here?"
Rimmer almost spoke respectfully out of habit but barely stopped himself due to the pride of a Division Leader.
"Division Leader. May I lead the swordsmen today?"
Raon's sharp gaze made it clear there was no room for refusal.
"Su-sure."
Rimmer nodded like a puppet and stepped back.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed politely to Rimmer and then stood before the platform.
"As you all know, this mission is a simple investigation. However, during the investigation, there might be complications leading to a battle, or like before, situations where we have to escape using our strength."
He continued, making eye contact with the swordsmen standing below.
"Therefore, from now until we reach Sinigen, we will train our movement techniques to the utmost. The only time we stop moving is when we sleep."
Raon's cold, low voice made the Light Wind swordsmen's shoulders tremble.
"What?"
"Oh."
"Th-that hellish training again?"
"Crazy…"
The Light Wind swordsmen murmured in disbelief, but seeing Raon's dry gaze, they all shut their mouths.
They looked at Rimmer with pleading eyes.
"Ahem! Ra, Raon? How about we train after the mission…"
Unable to withstand the swordsmen's stares, Rimmer stepped forward. Just as he was about to suggest training later, Raon's eyes flashed red.
"Didn't you say you'd leave it to me?"
"Huh? Well…"
"Moreover, it was you, Division Leader, who said that life is training. Wasn't it?"
"I did say that…"
Rimmer awkwardly laughed and returned to his place, muttering with only his mouth.
'I'm scared of that guy too!'
Raon, confirming that Rimmer had backed down, looked at the Light Wind division again.
"This is for your improvement, so please understand."
"Yes…"
The Light Wind division, teary-eyed, raised their voices as much as possible.
-Destroying subordinates instead of enemies…
Wrath applauded in admiration.
-Indeed, you are not meant to stay here! Come to the Devildom with me!
'You go.'
-I can't even if I want to!
Raon looked back, helping Yua and Julius run faster.
"Huff!"
"He's really not stopping…"
"I feel like dying."
The Light Wind swordsmen ran across the frozen lake, exhaling heavily. The forced march of movement training that started at dawn continued until evening, which was expected.
"Is he really not going to let us eat?"
"That crazy guy…"
"Raon is the worst today."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan were also exhausted, exhaling white breaths.
Raon smiled slightly and waved his hand at the swordsmen behind him.
"Can you endure?"
"I feel like dying."
Dorian wiped the sweat pouring down and shook his head.
"If it's tough, chew on some beef jerky while running. It'll help."
Raon told them to eat as they pleased and turned his gaze away.
"Ugh…"
"That demonic human…"
"You can do that, but how can we eat beef jerky at this speed? I'll bite my tongue!"
The swordsmen whispered curses at Raon's back.
"Phew…"
Rimmer, running at the very back, sighed in relief.
"At least I'm above that guy."
He shook his head, looking at Raon's back. If he were in the position of a regular swordsman, he would have quit the Light Wind division immediately. Growing old had its perks.
'But it's not just hard training.'
Raon wasn't just pushing the Light Wind division.
As he said, they had mainly focused on swordsmanship training so far, so using the travel time to train their movement techniques was an excellent way to save time and address their weaknesses.
As Rimmer smiled coolly, looking at Raon and the Light Wind division, a cheerful wind blew from the sky.
Raising his gaze, a blue hawk descended like a thunderbolt, spotting its prey.
Whirr!
Rimmer extended his arm calmly. The hawk skillfully slowed its descent and landed gently on his forearm.
"A hawk from the Shadow Agents?"
Raon narrowed his eyes, seeing the hawk perched on Rimmer's arm. Given that the message arrived so soon after their departure, something must have happened in Sinigen.
"Hm…"
Rimmer stroked the hawk's head and took out the paper tied to its leg. His relaxed expression quickly hardened.
"What's the matter?"
Raon approached, exhaling the pent-up energy in his chest.
"Read it yourself."
Rimmer handed the paper to him. It was a simple message, but its content was extremely heavy.
"Sinigen Branch annihilated?"
The message said that the Sinigen Branch members had been annihilated and urged them to reach there as soon as possible.
"Annihilated?"
"Why suddenly?"
"Did the South-North Union attack?"
Although it was a branch, it was still part of the Zieghart family, and the Light Wind swordsmen's eyes burned with yellow rage.
"We'll change our approach."
Raon burned the message and stood before the Light Wind division.
"From now on, slow down and focus on recovering your bodies and Aura. Be ready to fight at any moment."
"Yes!"
The Light Wind swordsmen no longer chattered or complained. They responded firmly and adjusted their breathing as if preparing for battle.
Raon, satisfied with their response, nodded deeply and took the lead.
"There will be no rest until we reach Sinigen. Let's go!"
The ground split like there had been an earthquake, and the eerie village was filled with blood.
Raon frowned as he saw Sinigen Village, which symbolized warmth, turned into a scene from hell.
'It's not just the branch that's destroyed.'
It wasn't just the Sinigen Branch that was ruined; the entire village of Sinigen was destroyed.
There were no bodies visible, but there wasn't a place untouched by blood flowing from the crushed houses and walls. It looked like a battlefield.
"Horrible…"
Burren trembled, looking at a well soaked in blood. The other swordsmen couldn't continue speaking, only biting their lips at the grim situation.
"Phew…"
Raon exhaled to blow away the scent of blood and walked inside.
Around the village, people who seemed to have lost their families gathered, but fierce-eyed swordsmen blocked their path, preventing them from entering.
"Who are they?"
Martha frowned, looking at the swordsmen blocking the way.
"They're swordsmen of the Lakion family."
Raon narrowed his eyes, seeing the red lion crest on the swordsmen's chests.
"The Lakion family isn't far from here, so they must have come to support."
The Lakion family, a vassal family, was to the east of the Sinigen Branch. They seemed to have come running as soon as they learned about the situation.
"Let's go in."
Raon gestured to the Light Wind division and entered the village.
"Are you from the Light Wind division?"
The Lakion family's swordsmen, recognizing the Zieghart emblem, bowed their heads.
"What happened here?"
"We haven't gotten exact information yet. Please come inside. I'll guide you to the Division Leader."
The swordsman gestured respectfully.
Raon nodded and followed the swordsman into the bombarded branch. Inside, there were many people, but the most noticeable was a middle-aged man standing in the center, radiating a massive aura.
"You, you're here!"
A young man with black hair standing next to the middle-aged man ran over with a tearful face.
"Greetings, Division Leader! Ah, Vice Division Leader too!"
The young man bowed his head to Rimmer and Raon in turn.
"I'm Gef, the informant of the Sinigen Branch!"
He introduced himself as Gef and bowed again.
"You survived."
Raon sighed in relief. It would have taken more time to investigate if everyone had died, but having at least one survivor was fortunate.
"What exactly happened?"
"To be honest, I don't know either."
Gef swallowed and shook his head.
"What?"
"I followed the Branch Leader's order to deliver a letter to the head of the Lakion family, but when I returned, the branch was in this state."
He trembled, unable to understand the exact circumstances.
"Then this person…"
Raon turned his gaze to the middle-aged man. He approached Gef and bowed.
"I'm Bells Lakion of the Lakion family. It's shameful that we couldn't prevent this incident despite being so close."
He couldn't lift his head, genuinely apologetic.
'Bells Lakion.'
He had heard of him. He was already the heir of the Lakion family, a swordsman with no rivals around him.
"Please explain what you know."
Raon helped the two up and suggested they start by sorting out the situation.
"Although it's not certain, it seems the group we thought were bandits was actually the White Blood Religion."
"The White Blood Religion?"
Martha was the first to react to Gef's words. She stepped forward and thrust her face toward him.
"What are you talking about! Why mention the White Blood Religion all of a sudden?"
"We deduced it from the traces here."
Gef shook his head vehemently, stepping back.
"The branch members and the villagers who made up the branch have all disappeared, but only half of the bodies remain!"
He continued speaking despite trembling lips.
"Moreover, the remaining bodies had wounds as if they had been bitten or died brutally. It's almost identical to the Blood God's ritual of the White Blood Religion."
"Krr…"
Martha frowned at the collapsed buildings and the village.
Raon nodded slightly, looking at the broken walls and the blood spraying around them.
'The White Blood Religion…'
It was possible.
Upon arriving here and seeing the destroyed buildings and spilled blood, he thought it might not be the South-North Union but the White Blood Religion's attack.
But to confirm that, he needed to see the remaining bodies.
"Can we see the bodies?"
"Of course. This way."
Gef nodded and led them outside the branch.
Raon patted Martha's trembling shoulder, soothing her anger, and followed Gef to the training ground outside the branch.
A black tent covered the ground, slightly raised, indicating that it covered bodies.
At Raon's signal, Krein and Dorian, who were behind, came forward and lifted the tent.
"Ugh!"
"What is this…"
"Those bloody fiends!"
The Light Wind swordsmen clenched their lips, seeing the bodies under the tent.
The condition of the bodies was so severe that even the seasoned swordsmen found it hard to look. Some turned their heads away.
Raon, however, calmly approached and examined the bodies.
'It certainly looks like the work of the White Blood Religion.'
Almost none of the bodies were intact. Torn flesh was common, and there were many with limbs severed or necks and waists seemingly torn off.
It looked like a scene from the Blood God's festival, where flesh and blood were torn apart as offerings.
Grinding his teeth, Raon examined the closest body.
It was the body of a young woman, her waist slashed and neck torn as if bitten by a wolf.
She had died without even closing her eyes, probably taken by surprise by the sudden attack.
Raon looked at the neck wound and tilted his head. He turned to Gef and Bells, curiosity arising in his gaze.
"This body is strange."