“Are you saying you will tell me the properties now?”
Raon frowned as he looked at Rimmer’s disheveled hair and clothes. It seemed like he didn’t have any faith at all.
“That’s the way you look at a fraudster.”
Rimmer bent his back slightly and chuckled.
“I may be a bit lazy, but my education is solid.”
“… … .”
That’s right. Even though his method could not take in many children, it was certainly responsible for the growth of a few.
“Stop doubting and come out.”
“Isn’t that what we do here?”
“Of course not. “Please prepare and follow me.”
“… All right.”
Raon went into the room and took out his outerwear.
-You must be unlucky today to run into Pointy Ears early in the morning.
‘We met every time, but what?’
After putting on my outerwear, I left the annex.
“Where are you going?”
“Bukmang Mountain.”
Rimer pointed to the mountain rising behind the annex. It was a huge mountain surrounding the entire Sieghart building, and it touched not only the annex but also the main building.
“let’s go.”
“All right.”
Raon followed Rimmer up the mountain.
“This should be enough.”
Rimmer climbed the mountain for about 20 minutes and then stopped. Although it was flat, there were no trees growing, so it was like an empty space.
“Why are you here?”
Raon’s voice was calm, but inside he was ready to react no matter how Rimmer moved.
“There’s no need to be so nervous. “I just want to make you feel it.”
“Do you feel it?”
“okay.”
A dark green wind blew along with Rimmer’s laughter.
“Trust me and just stand there.”
“Even if I tell you to believe it… hmm?”
The wind blew softly, shaking my bangs like the scent of spring erasing the winter.
After that, a cool breeze, like something you would feel in a summer forest, soothed my heated body as I climbed the mountain.
The third is winter. A cold wind that made my bones ache like a cold storm hit my skin.
The wind changed once again.
The dark green wind that contained the four seasons turned into a sharp blade and wrapped around Raon.
“I wanted to use the wind to create a blade to protect my master.”
Rimmer’s voice was heard amidst the tidal wave of green wind.
Quaaaaa!
A storm of blades tore apart everything around him, but Raon neither retreated nor moved forward.
“This is the wind I chose.”
Raon stood there and felt the green storm.
Whoa!
The harsh wind died down, and a sly smile appeared on Rimmer’s lips.
“Weren’t you scared?”
“Because the instructor had no intention of attacking. And he told you not to move.”
“After all, you are not 13 no matter how you look at it.”
Rimmer laughed and snapped his fingers. The wind that existed around disappeared completely.
“Practices with attributes can be more powerful than other exercises, but they are not easy to learn.”
The wind rumbled as if dancing in his calm voice.
“I, an elf, have felt the wind since I was born, but you, a human, are different. “The mana circuit is full of cold, so it will be more difficult.”
“you’re right.”
Raon nodded. Although comics were difficult for him, he had to use an energy that was opposite to the coldness he had been born with, so it was bound to be even more difficult.
“There are different types of wind. Warm, cold or sharp. “I hoped for a sword of wind that would cut through everything, and it came true.”
When he said in the past tense, “I achieved it,” Rimmer’s expression was more proud than sad.
“You have to find it too. “Think carefully about the image you have of fire.”
“Image … .”
“To create an image, the most important thing is to feel its properties.”
“But this is the North. “Unless you set fire to a mountain, it is difficult to see a proper flame.”
“If you do that, you and I will get our heads cut off.”
Rimmer giggled and waved his hand. A green wind rose at his toes.
“Follow me.”
“Where are you going again?”
“I felt the wind, so I have to go see the fire.”
* * *
Raon ran up the mountain, following Rimmer. He ran for about 20 minutes when Rimmer’s pace slowed.
Phew!
A thick haze rose from the cold forest, as if a fever had passed by. My skin itched at the temperature, which was completely different from before.
‘Is it over there?’
There was a red brick house and a gray kiln attached to it. Heat was flowing from inside the kiln.
‘It’s hot.’
This is the north. Even though it is the coldest place on the continent, it is still hot, so I could see how extreme the heat there was.
“Hey, old man. I’m here!”
Rimmer walked toward the house as if it were his own. He followed after him.
The closer you get to the kiln, the stronger the heat becomes. My clothes got wet from the sweat that leaked out.
“Umm … .”
The cold air inside the mana circuit fluctuates due to the unfamiliar heat. I went home, frowning at the worsening pain.
There was only one appliance in the house.
furnace. There was a furnace in a kiln that gave off so much heat that it made the whole house look distorted.
In front of the furnace sat an old man with gray hair and full of wrinkles. Even though he was sweating so much that his clothes were all wet, he did not take his eyes off the furnace.
‘Is this the fire I knew?’
Raon swallowed dry saliva. He has seen many fires through his past lives. From self-made bonfires to high-level flame magic spewing out from the wizard’s hands.
But nothing seemed to be able to match the heat of the flame rising from the furnace.
Gooooo!
The coldness of the mana circuit screamed, and the surrounding mana moved along the flow of the manga ball that had not yet been acquired.
The sound of the fire hitting my ears, and my heart pounding as the heat swirled around. I couldn’t take my eyes off the furnace, as if I was possessed by her ghost.
“Inspiration. “Your concentration is still the same.”
Rimmer shook his hands, soothing the heat with the green wind.
“Isn’t the heat dying because of you?”
“Looking at it, today is going to be a failure anyway.”
“Okay… .”
The old man glared at Rimmer, sighed, and put an unknown gray lump into the furnace.
Huh.
The heat that seemed to melt the earth subsided, and the flames became low enough to be warm.
“ah… .”
A sigh escaped Raon’s mouth. As soon as the flames went out, the stream of cartoon balls running through the mana circuit dispersed. His fingertips trembled with regret.
“What did you bring again this time? “What is that?”
The old man looked at Raon and frowned. Looking at his lowered mouth and raised eyebrows, I could tell that he was stubborn.
“Uh-huh! That’s it! “What kind of mean things can you say to the matriarch’s grandson!”
Rimmer was saying that he would also speak informally and be polite.
“Hmph, I’m just an old man who has already retired. Unless the head of the family comes in person… hmm?”
He stood up and stopped when he saw Raon’s eyes and hair.
“Blonde red eyes? And that face … .”
“It’s similar to the head of the family, isn’t it? “Raon is much more handsome, though.”
“hmm.”
The old man nodded his head in agreement.
“It’s Balkan. “If you want to be polite, go somewhere else.”
‘Vulcan!’
Raon pursed his lips as he looked into the old man’s blurry eyes, as if he were looking at burnt-out charcoal.
‘I can’t believe this person was here.’
master. He was also a man with the title of continental craftsman whose name was known to the world, and who was famous for creating Glenn Sieghardt’s Jincheon sword.
However, his last activity was 30 years ago, and after Jincheon Sword, he did not create a sword that could be called a famous sword.
“My name is Raon Sieghardt.”
Raon lowered his head, not paying attention to Balkan’s informal language. He was a courtesy to a giant who had reached the end of a path.
“hmm… .”
Vulcan’s wrinkled expression eased slightly at the polite greeting.
“What you told me about me… .”
“at all.”
Rimmer shook his head and turned around.
“This old man is Sieghardt’s father-in-law.”
“Retired.”
“okay. Retired craftsman. Anyway, it’s been over 10 years since this old man started burning the fire here.”
Rimmer turned and pointed to the extinguished furnace.
“This is the place where you can feel the hottest, most passionate fire in the North.”
* * *
“It’s a fire attribute practice… .”
Balkan frowned after listening to Rimmer’s explanation.
“Is that why you brought him here?”
“Younggam keeps the fire burning here all year long. “Where else can you really feel fire other than here?”
“There is a battle between field leaders, right?”
“It’s so conspicuous there. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to show it until you master the practice.”
“Not good?”
“Because Raon is Sylvia’s child.”
At the mention of Sylvia’s child, Balkan’s gaze swept over Raon once again.
“after… .”
As if he was worried, he turned and saw a burning scarlet ember.
“I will not interfere. Just let me feel the fire.”
Raon bowed his head to Balkan.
‘I want to see you again.’
When Vulcan burned the embers, his heart pounded and his mana circuit fluttered loudly. She wanted to feel the breath of that flame again.
“I’m just making charcoal.”
“What if it’s charcoal?”
“Golden coal can create much more powerful heat than white or black coal. “It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it doesn’t interfere with the work of making gold bullets.”
“thank you.”
“hmm… .”
Raon bowed his head again. Vulcan turned his head as if embarrassed by the greater courtesy than before.
“It’s okay because I gave permission. Raon. You come here during early morning practice time and practice Manga Gong. There’s no one around, and this old man doesn’t know how to do the exercises. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
“All right.”
Raon nodded. As Rimmer said, not even a little mana was felt from Balkan.
“Younggam, please look at me for a moment.”
Rimmer clapped his hands saying that everything went well and took Balkan out of the house.
“The old man is still kind.”
Rimmer put his arm around Vulcan’s shoulder and grinned.
“If you take good care of Raon, I’ll come back later with some good drinks. “Do you like fruit wine?”
“It’s not because of you.”
“huh?”
“When that child came, the fire in the furnace burned brighter. “So much so that the sudden heat ruins the charcoal.”
Balkan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the yellow charcoal.
“It’s been a long time since a color like this came out.”
“As expected, I felt inspired.”
“I am a craftsman. “How could you not know that the fireworks you have seen your whole life are fluttering around?”
Vulcan’s gray eyes, which seemed to have turned to ashes, twitched.
“That child’s breath has the power to move fire.”
* * *
Early morning the next day.
Raon ran to the charcoal kiln in Balkan before the sun rose. It wasn’t difficult to find a charcoal kiln in the red heat rising in the dark mountains.
Whoa!
Even though Balkan heard footsteps, he did not look at Raon and was only looking at the furnace of the kiln.
The sight of him not taking his eyes off the furnace while sweating profusely showed that he was not given the title of continental craftsman for nothing.
‘This heat… .’
Raon went and stood in the spot where the heat was the strongest.
The intense heat caused my clothes to dry up and my skin to sting. The cold pierced the mana circuit as if struggling.
“Sigh… .”
The pain of gritting my teeth arose. Gray breath flows from the mouth.
It was so painful that I wanted to run away right away, but my heart was pounding with excitement as I felt a spark.
Joy fills my heart. I memorized Manhwagong’s phrase along with the breathing of flames conveyed through pain.
Hot breath was contained in the mana I inhaled, and stale energy was released in the air I exhaled.
Raon closed his eyes. He operated a cartoon ball with a spinning ring of fire.
Goooooh.
As my concentration reached its peak, the pain disappeared and only the joy from the heat filled my heart.
“… … .”
Vulcan turned around. His hand gestures became a little softer as he watched Raon breathing with her eyes closed.
Crack.
In front of the furnace where the two people were, only the sound of burning firewood rang quietly.
* * *
It’s been three months since Raon started going to the charcoal kiln in Balkan to practice.
Now that I am familiar with the mountain path, I was able to reach the charcoal kiln in 10 minutes.
Whoa!
The charcoal kiln crushed the space, spewing out more intense firepower than first seen. The area around the kiln was filled with a haze the size of a finger.
‘You’re still the same.’
Balkan knew he had come, but he didn’t look back or open his mouth. He just looks at the furnace with concentration.
Raon walked in front of him without making a sound.
As I approached the kiln step by step, the hot air enveloped my entire body.
I was out of breath, and my back was wet with sweat. The coldness of the mana circuit growled like the maw of a wild beast.
“Huh… .”
It was a pain he couldn’t get used to, but Raon smiled. Now just seeing the flames made his heart pound.
‘Fire… .’
I finally understand.
As Rimmer said, by spending time with fire, I learned what fire was.
People say fire is the most terrifying and powerful attribute, but if handled properly, it is more stable than any other attribute.
I took a step closer, feeling the heat as if it was burning my skin.
Whoa!
The energy of the manga artist that I had not mastered yet awakened by itself, attracting the heat that heated the earth.
As if reacting to the mana, the embers in the furnace rose up as bright red as the devil’s tongue.
“after… .”
Raon let out the remaining breath in his lungs and took in the ripe mana.
Mana boiling like lava was led to the mana circuit. The cold energy that was running away from the heat was drawn to Danjeon by the flow of the cartoon ball.
‘image.’
When the training was on track, Raon thought about Rimmer’s advice. He said that you have to draw the image you want.
‘The fire I need… .’
I thought about my goal.
The goal is to elevate Sylvia to the direct line and cut off Derus Robert’s head. It will be as difficult as walking in the dark without being able to see an inch ahead.
Sometimes fire was needed to be a torch to light the way, and sometimes a sword to slay wild beasts.
Even if it snows or rains, the fire must not go out. A fire that never goes out. That was the flame I chose.
Hahaha!
When I caught a clear image of fire, a thunderbolt struck my mind and my heart pounded.
The mana circuit repeats expansion and contraction, stimulating frozen cold.
The heat spread like lava melting a glacier, penetrating the mana circuit and eventually reaching the dantian.
Gooooo!
The moment the manga ball’s energy was condensed to create an auror bead, an eerie voice rang in my mind.
-Now it’s the king’s turn.
Goosebumps rose up behind Raon, who was in a trance.
