Destroyer of Ice and Fire

"Decide? There is no need to decide," Rinloran immediately replied. "Don't you all wish for me to learn healing skills? Teacher Ciaran, you can just start teaching me."

"You already knew?" Ciaran stiffened in surprise.

"Teacher Ciaran, although you have mastered powerful skills like Elemental Erosion, in the end, you are famous because of your skill as a medical master. So for you to be in charge of me this time, it must be for you to teach me healing skills." Rinloran gazed out a nearby broken window as he continued, "My team already has Ayrin, an existence whose offensive can even threaten arcane masters who are higher leveled than him, Stingham, who is a sturdy meatshield, and Chris, who can release a devastating blow at a critical moment. Thus, it also makes sense for me, who has experienced Lunar Baptism and already has some healing ability, to continue down the path and learn healing skills."

"Smart child."

Ciaran observed Rinloran, whose eyes had become full of determination, as he stated, "But we teachers are afraid that you have other ideas for yourself. Because with your talent, it is still possible for you to increase your own strength if you were to spend this time and energy on other aspects instead."

"It's not an issue," Rinloran remained stern as always as he replied, yet hints of warmth could be seen rising within his eyes. "Although Ayrin and Stingham, and less so the others, can be quite annoying at times, we are a team… even when we face powerful enemies, we will always stick by each other's sides and never cower. So Teacher Ciaran, hurry up and teach me your best healing skills so I can better support my team and make all of us stronger together… so we can go out and defeat even stronger enemies."

Rinloran paused as he turned his head and looked at Ciaran once more. Afterwards, he added, "After all, isn't Ayrin planning on taking on House Baratheon to protect Charlotte?" A rare smile emerged atop his stern face as he continued, "Teacher Ciaran, I've come to realize what true happiness is. It is the ability to stand by these fellows full of conviction as they chase after their dreams under the starry sky. It is something which I have felt ever since I joined the team and fought alongside them in the national tournament. Although I myself do not have someone to protect like Ayrin, I am no longer without a path."

"You've also come to terms with yourself? You've found a reason? It seems like the day which you all make Holy Dawn proud is coming," Ciaran thought to herself as she slightly lifted her head and a beautiful smile emerged atop her face.

……

……

Elsewhere, Ivan and Wilde currently stood facing each other. Sweat slowly dripped from their drenched clothes down their glistening bodies and onto the ground by their feet.

Unmasked killing intent emanated from the two of them as they fiercely glared at each other. Then, in the next moment, the two of them relaxed, their bodies collapsing as they sat on the ground and began gasping for air.

Their murderous gazes quickly transformed into warm looks of appreciation.

"Thank you for the last few days. If you hadn't trained with me, my strength and combat ability would not have improved so quickly," Ivan said.

"What is there to be thankful for?" Wilde quickly replied as he took off his shirt and attempted to wring the moisture out of it. "If not for you, I would have never been able to master my silent invocation skill."

"Charlotte."

At this time, they saw Charlotte walking towards them. Upon her arrival beside them, Ivan composed himself and said, "The Office of Special Affairs has begun issuing orders of withdrawal. As a result, most of the arcane teams are beginning to leave and scatter. But from the looks of it, Ayrin and the others will be remaining here to train for a while longer?"

"They will likely stay here until they achieve the results of their special trainings, or until the national tournament restarts," Charlotte answered with a firm nod.

"Charlotte, I have already instructed one of the arcane teams of the Shadowfiend Corps to write to Sir Lannister and General Ciat of our Western Territory Corps. They will definitely make sure that your father cannot use your sister to threaten you." After a short pause, Ivan added, "Don't worry too much."

"The reputation of the Holy Dawn Evil Six is not undeserved. They are friends with many of the peak arcane masters of the Kingdom of Eiche, and many important members of society have been treated by Ciaran's skills. There's really no need for you to worry, it will all be alright." Wilde grinned at Charlotte as he attempted to comfort her as well.

"I know," Charlotte responded with a nod. A look of determination arose within her eyes as she said, "If I gave in so easily, I would have never become an arcane master."

"And that is why you are the goddess of our Divine Shield Academy," Ivan praised as he gave Charlotte a thumbs up.

"Ack! Argh! …"

Right at this moment, miserable screams began to ring out around the three of them.

"Just what kind of training are these fellows undergoing?"

"How can their screams sound so miserable?"

Wilde and Ivan exchanged looks.

As far as they could tell, the screams belonged to Moss and Stingham.

And they could also intermittently hear loud bangs and smacks inbetween the screams.

"You want to go forward, not up towards heaven. Come on, brave warrior Moss, if you cannot even go forward, how can you move as you wish in the future? How will you be able to make your sudden attacks?"

Minlur laughed heartily as he waved his fist towards Moss, whose head was already covered in bumps and bruises. Countless large, human sized holes had already appeared within the ceiling of the room they were training in.

"Again!"

Another loud bang rang out as Moss exploded forward once more. But yet again, his trajectory was too slanted as he careened into a portion of the ceiling once more.

"Argh!" Moss cried out as he crashed back into the ground, yet another bump emerging on his forehead, which was becoming increasingly swollen and unrecognizable.

"Hurry up and practice Shock Absorption! Otherwise, even with Lover's Corpse to block the blow, you will still die from the shock. After all, the skills of truly strong masters rely on not the blow itself, but the power contained within to shock and squeeze your organs to cause fatal injury." Rui's angry voice incessantly rang out from within another hut. "Aren't you always calling yourself the most handsome and most talented? How come you are learning this skill so slowly? If it was Ayrin, he would have already mastered this skill and nine more!"

"Ack… ack… ack…"

Stingham's screams grew louder as Rui continued to chase him and beat him with his big black stick.

"Shock Absorption!"

As Stingham continuously invoked the skill over and over again, he silently cried within his mind, "Notebook Teacher Houston has a notebook, and Master Scoundrel Rui actually has a black stick! His materialization is actually a massive black stick!" [1]

……

……

The Lord's Castle, Hammerstone Ridge, the land of House Baratheon in the Eastern Territory of the Kingdom of Eice.

The corpses of arcane masters littered the red coralstone floor of the castle's greathall, covering it with patches of dried blood.

Attracted by the stench of blood, countless vultures and flies gathered in the skies above the castle and outside of the hall.

"How did this happen?"

A tall man with a face devoid of emotion asked a white haired arcane master holding a white bone staff beside him as he scanned the hall. His dim yellow eyes seemed to contain a vicious storm ready to erupt at any moment.

The man lowered his head and looked at the corpse by his feet. It was a young arcane master who looked rather like Rinsyi.

There was a single circular wound in the child's forehead, and their expression was one full of shock and terror, as if they had died while seeing something unbelievable.

"I do not know."

The white haired arcane master shook his head as he continued, "Although my Soul Reincarnation skill can increase his strength, it shouldn't have caused him to lose control and kill everyone."

"You do not know?"

A look of intrigue appeared on the tall man's face as he said, "Rinsyi was originally the second heir of our House Baratheon. Although unable to recover from his situation, at the least, it would have been able to turn him into a loyal and powerful undead arcane master. Yet now… Rincero, whom we had chosen to inherit the lordship of one of the seven great territories and already gained the position of Lord of Hammerstone City… Something like his has happened, yet you tell me that you do not know?"

As the tall man emotionlessly spoke, a terrifying draconic aura enveloped the entire castle.

All the flies and vultures abruptly flew away in terror, many of them freezing from the fear and falling out of the sky.

The white haired arcane master's face remained the same as he answered, "There is only one possibility… As you instructed, I instilled within him absolute loyalty to you and House Baratheon when I used my skill. He should have only acted as you commanded. But it seems like his mind contained a strong emotion, or perhaps feeling of hatred, one which overpowered the loyalty which I instilled, causing him to lose control and this to happen."

"Was there any animosity between Rinsyi and Rincero?" the white haired arcane master asked the tall man.

The tall man's brows slightly furrowed as he replied, "During a past test, Rinsyi suffered a serious wound at the hands of Rincero. Although Rinsyi also heavily injured Rincero and ended up winning."

"Then perhaps it was because Rinsyi felt that the injury caused by Rincero affected his speed of improvement?" The white haired arcane master looked at the tall man as he continued, "Because of this incident, Rinsyi held great hatred towards Rincero… Other than this explanation, I do not know what else to say."

The tall man turned and looked at the white haired arcane master. A glint flashed through his eyes, after which, the draconic aura surrounding the castle slowly began to fade away.

"So what will Rinsyi do now that he has escaped from our House Baratheon? Based off what you have said so far, it seems like he will go and kill every single person he has a grudge against?" the tall man asked as he regained his composure.

"In theory," the white haired arcane master nodded. "He will become a Monster of Vengeance."

"Monster of Vengeance?"

The tall man silent thought to himself for a moment before beckoning over an arcane master from behind him. "Spread the news of Rincero's death, but do not say that it was Rinsyi who killed him. In fact, do not let any outsiders know of Rinsyi's transformation. And if possible, try to involve Ayrin in this matter."

"I see that the major houses plot no less than us. You major families are practically us Evil Dragon Followers? Only you do not have the ability to rule the world like the Evil Dragon King," the white haired arcane master stated as he revealed a knowing smile.

[1] I mentioned this in the past, but the characters for scoundrel, 黑棍, when taken literally, translate to black stick. The author made a play on words.