In the quiet cemetery, a person was walking along the path between the rows of tombstones. Their face was not visible because they were wearing a hood pulled down low. And because they were wearing loose-fitting clothes that covered their entire body, even their gender was unknown.

And so, they walked the path lined with tombstones... and then stopped in front of a certain tombstone.

Staring at the letters engraved on the tombstone, they soon bent down and placed the flowers they had brought in front of the two tombstones in turn.

Someone had come and gone, as there were a few flowers placed there.

Seeing that, just as they were about to straighten their bent back, a white flower caught their eye.

The owner of the yellow flowers placed one in front of each of the two tombstones seemed to be known. Because she often visited this place and always left a yellow flower.

But the white flower was only placed in front of Tina's tombstone.

"...."

They carefully picked up the white flower and examined it. It was a flower with modest white petals and a blue center.

If only one flower had been brought, it should have been placed in front of Ashuban's tombstone. Because no one in the mercenary corps knew Tina directly. Of course. Because she had passed away a long time ago.

They only knew that the owner of the tombstone was a person so precious that Ashuban had used all the money he had saved through hardship without hesitation. That's why they had spent a large sum of money to place his grave next to hers.

But, this unfamiliar flower was only placed on Tina's tombstone.

Who would place a flower only on Tina's grave?

Could it be an old acquaintance of Tina, who had passed away a long time ago? The possibility was low.

They were lost in thought, examining the flower.

"...!"

Soon, having thought of a certain possibility, they hurriedly left the cemetery with the white flower. Their footsteps were very rushed as they headed for a flower shop on the street.

***

It was a strange place. One side was so cold that it seemed to cut the flesh, and a blizzard was raging. But the other side was as hot as walking in a pit of fire.

I stood on the border and took a step, being careful not to lean to one side. I walked carefully, balancing myself as if walking on a single log bridge.

My body, walking on the border, seemed to be split in half, burning and freezing. I had no choice but to concentrate, as I felt I would freeze to death or burn to death if I fell to one side.

How long did I walk like that?

As soon as I realized I had come quite a distance, I raised a hand. Moonlight bloomed in my hand and soon took the shape of a sword.

After receiving more moonlight from the moon that was floating in the sky and watching me blankly, I struck the ground with all my might.

Thud—

The sword made of moonlight was stuck in the ground, and a shockwave spread out in a circle. The blizzard that had been blowing mercilessly and the deep blue pit of fire were also caught in the aftermath and disappeared.

I looked around the quiet surroundings and muttered.

"That's enough for today."

I caught my breath and opened my eyes.

Clip-clop— Charrrr—

A familiar noise greeted me.

I blinked and looked at the scenery unfolding before my eyes. It was a different scenery from before I had closed my eyes.

A huge mountain range stretched majestically on both sides, and the carriage was running on a narrow path between them. A wide field spread out on both sides of the narrow path, and on the mountain slope quite a distance away, a coniferous forest with pointed tips seemed to be waving and greeting me.

Trickle, trickle—

The sound of a shallow stream flowing next to the road.

Chatter, chatter—

The sound of the girls chattering about something below.

The nameless grasses that had grown to knee-height in the field swayed in the wind. From above, the field of the canyon itself seemed to shine with a golden light.

The blue sky was high, and the field rippled with a golden light. It was a golden canyon.

When night came and the moon rose, it would become a silver canyon.

I could see with my own eyes that the season was changing.

"...I think I know why my sister is living in a backwater village with no people."

The carriage was running towards Salos Village.

I had come a long way.

About half a year ago from now. The very village I had gone to to subdue a D-rank magical beast that resembled a boar.

Was it this far? In fact, since it was a village located at the end of Maia, it was only natural that it was far. At that time, I was so lost in other thoughts that I didn't seem to feel it well. In a word, I had no time to be sentimental.

Yes, what's there to hide? I was engulfed in the shock of losing to a thirteen-year-old kid.

The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue.

[You're quite something.]

"You don't know because you didn't see it, Master. That guy was a serious genius. A guy who had held a sword for the first time in his life was throwing out fierce sword strikes as if he had trained for decades."

The overwhelming talent that had brought me despair. I still remember that memory and the emotions I felt at that time clearly. Because it was that shocking.

The Heavenly Demon simply summarized the shocking experience I had received.

[So you're saying you got your ass kicked by a thirteen-year-old kid who had held a sword for the first time?]

"Uh..."

[How pathetic, how pathetic.]

The Heavenly Demon sighed deeply.

Come to think of it, I was curious. What was that damn genius kid doing now? What great thing was he doing after giving me such great despair?

As I traced my thoughts back like that... I suddenly noticed a flame burning brightly in my chest. It was a desire for revenge.

The Heavenly Demon asked in a tone as if he were about to die of patheticness.

[Are you going to get revenge on that kid?]

I answered in a rather rebellious tone.

"What's wrong with that?"

[You learned martial arts from me, and you've overcome the brink of death several times and become strong, and what you're going to do is get revenge on a thirteen-year-old kid?]

I declared in a solemn tone.

"I always do my best, no matter who my opponent is. Even if it's a kid."

[Oh dear...]

The Heavenly Demon's sigh deepened.

For now, I decided to think about that kid later. Right now, the guys whose asses I had to kick were waiting in line.

According to Mary, a resident of Salos Village, the leader was living in Salos Village. He had even opened a restaurant and was living while cooking.

When I first heard it, I was dumbfounded. What kind of restaurant when he can't even cook? Has the leader gone mad? But it seems he has customers. Seeing that he hasn't starved to death yet.

And, of course, my sister was also with him. She was helping to run the shop by taking orders and serving at the restaurant. It's a laughable thing. That Red Witch is a restaurant waitress?

A restaurant where Gustan of the Greatsword cooks, and the Red Witch, who burns things at the drop of a hat, works as a waitress. Who would dare to complain that the food is bad? Just thinking about it was chilling. The moment you complain that the food is bad, you'll be knocking on the gates of the afterlife.

Screech—

I drew the silver sword and then injected yin energy into the blade. At that, frost began to form on the blade, and soon the blade was covered in white cold energy. It looked just like a snow-covered tree branch.

"Hmm."

After swinging it a few times, this time I injected yang energy. The white frost melted in the hot heat, and a blue flame bloomed all over like a flower that had grown on the snow, and then it completely enveloped the sword. A fiercely burning flame sword was in my hand.

[It's become quite natural now.]

My realm had deepened and widened to the point where I could wrap my sword in Flame Art and Ice Art, and it had also become quite natural to maintain the state of balance between yin and yang in my body, which allowed me to use Flame Art and Ice Art.

The Heavenly Demon called this realm the Third Stage of the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art. It was a realm I had achieved not long after leaving Schirnberg. Still, perhaps thanks to the experience of mastering the Night Sky Star Moon Art, I was moving forward slowly but smoothly without hitting a wall so far.

Of course, there was one expected wall.

I put the silver sword, from which the flame had been withdrawn, back into its scabbard, and then raised both hands and tried to summon a blue flame and a white cold energy at the same time.

"Ugh."

Thump!

Of course, it was a failure. I succumbed to the dizziness that rushed at me like a tsunami and hit my head on the roof of the carriage. My head was spinning.

The Heavenly Demon nagged me.

[You're so disobedient. I told you it would be possible at the Fifth Stage.]

"...."

[It's not a level that's possible at the Third Stage. There's a time for everything. You're still far from that time. It's something that's possible only when the level of both the Ice Art and the Flame Art has risen even further. Why do you keep trying to use them at the same time when you should be concentrating on each of the Flame Art and the Ice Art?]

I answered with my head on the roof of the carriage.

"Because... it's cool!"

[....]

A blue flame in one hand. A white cold energy in the other. How can that not be cool?

If I show it to my sister, she'll be surprised. And I'll be able to intimidate the leader. Or he might be so surprised that he'll shout surrender before we even fight.

"Huhuhu..."

Just imagining the leader's dumbfounded face was exhilarating. This bastard. He probably didn't know that I would come back as a master of martial arts.

While heading to Salos Village, I was working harder on my training than ever before. Because I had to kick the leader's ass hard. No matter what happens, it's a very natural sequence of events for me to have a match with the leader. I know that, the sky knows that, and Ketel knows that.

"Alright."

After strengthening my resolve, I continued with the Night Sky Star Moon Art energy circulation. While training the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art, I did not forget to train the Night Sky Star Moon Art as well.

Currently, the realm of the Night Sky Star Moon Art was naturally higher than that of the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art. To the point where I could easily suppress the combined attack of the cold Ice Art and the blazing Flame Art with just one moonlight sword.

I tried to create a new ultimate skill by combining the Night Sky Star Moon Art and the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art, but the result was a failure. Because my understanding of the martial art of the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art was not deep enough, I couldn't mix it with other martial arts.

It was a natural sequence of events, as it was only after the level of both the Night Sky Star Moon Art and the Floating Step had risen, and my understanding had naturally deepened, and I had mastered their mysteries, that I was able to use them in detail. It was just that my heart was hasty and I was greedy.

[You fool. You should be calm at times like that.]

The Heavenly Demon was right. I have to kick the leader's ass calmly.

[That damn ass.]

The Night Sky Star Moon Art is also a tower built through endless energy circulation, contemplation, and countless actual battles. Since the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art is a more complex and tricky martial art, it is obvious that it will take a long time to master it. I need to build a more solid foundation.

Let's not be hasty.

While I was contemplating martial arts like that, the carriage continued to move east. Past the canyon, past the valley, over the mountain, across the bridge, past the field... The bandits and magical beasts that greeted me at those times became excellent practical experience for my martial arts. Unfortunately, no B-rank or higher magical beasts appeared.

During the journey, Mary quickly became friends with Shushruta and Linda. Just as Joy had, it seems it was because their mental ages were somewhat similar. Why, don't kids become friends easily?

While eating, I told Mary tales of valor from my time in the Blake Kingdom. I would wake up from sleep and train under the moonlight. I would sit side by side with Shushruta, who had taken a liking to energy circulation, on the roof of the carriage and do energy circulation. I would snatch a cool hat from a bandit who had attacked us and wear it. I would also deliciously eat the elixir that Shushruta had found. I would also watch Linda get kicked by the horse's hind legs and fly away with a nosebleed. We would all lie on the roof of the carriage and watch the sparkling stars that seemed to be about to pour down...

And then we arrived at a mountain village.

"It's over there!"

Mary shouted in an excited voice.

Finally. We had arrived at Salos Village.

I got off the carriage and looked at the houses clustered together. It must be dinner time. Puffs of white smoke were rising from the chimneys.

The orange-tinged sunset was warmly settling on the quiet mountain village. The stream that had been guiding us, trickle, trickle, continued into the village. Dragonflies were diligently flying against the backdrop of the pouring orange sunset.

The color had changed from when I had come before. It was autumn.

***

Ting-a-ling—

A man entered the quiet restaurant. The man, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, looked around the inside of the restaurant once, and then strode over and sat at a table.

A little later, a woman with the sound of clicking heels approached the table where the man was sitting. She was a woman with impressive hair as red as fire.

She asked in a rather languid voice.

"You're a new customer. What would you like to eat?"

"What's delicious?"

"Everything is delicious."

The man smiled slightly.

"That can't be."

The man lifted his hat slightly and looked at her. His eyes were as red as the woman's hair.

"It's been a while, sis."

The woman's eyes widened considerably.

Clang!

The tray she was holding fell to the floor.

(End of Chapter)