Chapter3
"Madam. I have brought it."
Head maid Helen handed Sylvia a white bowl emitting rising steam.
"Thank you."
Sylvia looked at the sleeping Raon as she cooled the spiritual medicine inside the bowl.
"It will be hard to feed him, right?"
"Children dislike bitter things. You also disliked bitter medicine when you were young, Lady Sylvia."
"Me too?"
"You might not remember, but there was even a time you ran away because you didn't want to take your medicine."
"Hey, Raon is listening."
"Hehe."
The two smiled faintly as they looked at Raon, who was breathing softly in his sleep.
"Indeed, no child likes medicine. Plus, Raon is so young, so he'll hate it even more."
"Lady Sylvia. Still..."
"I know. I have to feed it to him."
Sylvia nodded as if she had made up her mind.
'It's a spiritual medicine given by Father, so I shouldn't leave even a single drop.'
Perhaps because he was bothered by how she had begged her father that day, Pedric stopped by the annex again and handed over three high-quality fire-attribute spiritual medicines.
Since the spiritual medicine would be diluted before use, it would last for quite a long time, and during that time, they could acquire other spiritual medicines. It was truly a relief that he had come.
"Raon."
Sylvia gently stroked Raon's head so as not to upset him.
"Uuu..."
Raon wiggled his hand and opened his eyes.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Auuung."
"Starting today, you have something you need to do. You have to eat all of this."
Sylvia scooped up the medicine with a small wooden spoon and brought it to Raon's mouth.
'He'll probably eat it, but he'll cry right away.'
By a child's instinct, he would eat the medicine, but he would definitely get annoyed by the bitter taste and spit it out.
"Here, let's eat."
Sylvia, tense so that the spiritual medicine wouldn't spill, put the spiritual medicine into Raon's mouth.
"Uuu..."
She saw Raon frowning. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impending cry.
But the crying sound didn't come.
"Huh?"
As she carefully opened her eyes, Raon was waving his tiny hand. As if he was definitely asking for more.
"Helen. This is..."
"T-The young master seems to be asking for more?"
"Right? That's it, right?"
Sylvia opened her eyes wide and picked up the spoon again. She scooped a slightly larger amount of spiritual medicine than before and poured it into Raon's mouth.
"Woo!"
Raon's eyebrows knit into a V-shape. But he didn't cry this time either. He flicked his hand even faster than before.
"Ah..."
Sylvia's mouth dropped open.
"Did Raon understand my feelings?"
"Definitely! It seems the young master understands your intention, Lady Sylvia, and is enduring it."
Seeing him frown, it was definitely bitter. But seeing him ask for more like that, it was clear that he understood her feelings and was enduring it.
"Raon!"
Sylvia couldn't hold back and hugged Raon tightly.
* * *
'Whatever, just give me more medicine quickly.'
Raon patted Sylvia's shoulder and waved his hand.
'A little bitterness is no big deal. I can't miss this opportunity.'
If it were just ordinary medicine, maybe not. But it's a fire-attribute spiritual medicine, which he needed the most right now. Even if it was so bitter and hot that his tongue couldn't function properly, he had to devour it all.
"Look at Raon! Isn't he eating so beautifully?"
"Of course!"
Regardless of what Sylvia and Helen said, Raon gulped down the spiritual medicine they fed him.
'I don't know what it is, but the effect is no joke.'
As soon as he ate the spiritual medicine, a hot energy surged up as if a blast furnace had been lit in his stomach. The warm heat flowed through his mana circuits and began to drive away the cold.
'The efficacy and concentration are just right.'
A strong spiritual medicine could become poison to a frail child's body.
Perhaps because Sylvia and Helen paid attention, the concentration of the spiritual medicine was at a perfect level to be absorbed.
"Geu."
Raon sucked up even the remaining spiritual medicine on the spoon, let out a small burp, and closed his eyes.
"Madam."
"Yeah. Let's leave him to sleep for a while."
Sylvia and Helen looked at him with moved eyes for a long time before going outside.
"Au."
As soon as the two left, Raon snapped his eyes open.
'They probably won't come for a while.'
Even if they do, they won't disturb him.
Since he had eaten and taken his medicine, Sylvia or Helen wouldn't have a reason to wake him. It was the perfect moment to cultivate.
Raon pulled the hot energy that had filled his body and began the formation of the Ring of Fire.
'Thanks to the spiritual medicine, the time it takes to create the Ring of Fire and melt the cold energy will be faster.'
A smile formed on his lips without him even realizing it.
* * *
Time flowed like running water, and two and a half years had passed since Raon began the formation of the Ring of Fire.
His daily routine during that time was truly simple.
Waking up in the morning and playing with Sylvia and Helen, eating lunch and the spiritual medicine, then pretending to take a nap while forming the Ring of Fire.
After dinner, he would sleep a little early, then wake up around midnight to start his second cultivation when everyone was asleep.
He didn't know about other things, but he could confidently say that he lived the hardest out of all the three-year-olds on the continent.
'If I do well, the Ring of Fire might reach 1-star today.'
Thanks to the spiritual medicine, even though the cultivation time wasn't long, his progress was unobstructed.
If he secured the right amount of time and concentration, it seemed possible to complete the formation of the Ring of Fire today.
'That being said, he really has no interest.'
Glen Zighart had never shown his face even once since naming him. It seemed he had no interest not only in him but also in his daughter, Sylvia.
'Well, it doesn't matter.'
If they aren't interested, there's no need for this side to be interested either. As he had thought before, he just needed to get what he could and leave the family.
'However, just a very little...'
He was concerned about the maids, including Sylvia and Helen, who would remain here. Having been with them for three years, it seemed a tiny bud of emotion had sprouted.
"Raon. Try calling me Mom!"
While he was wiggling his fingers thinking about the future, Sylvia hugged him with a hehe smile.
"Mama!"
"Woo! One more time!"
"Mama!"
"Kyaaa!"
As he forced himself to mangle the pronunciation and called her Mom, Sylvia's face bloomed brightly. Her eyes were completely immersed in happiness.
"Raon. Just one more time!"
"Mama!"
"Lady Sylvia. I've brought the medicine."
As he was playing with Sylvia with a slightly tired face, Helen brought the warmly heated spiritual medicine.
"Ah, thank you for your hard work."
Sylvia received the bowl containing the spiritual medicine from Helen.
"Here, Raon."
She let the warm spiritual medicine cool a little before offering it.
"Ah-up!"
Raon's small mouth went to meet the spoon with the medicine.
"You're eating so well!"
Even though two and a half years had passed, Sylvia and Helen smiled radiantly as they watched him swallow the spiritual medicine.
"Sleepy..."
After finishing the spiritual medicine, Raon blinked his eyes as if he was sleepy.
"Since you've taken all your medicine. Shall we take a nap?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Let's go night-night."
Sylvia laid him down on the bed by the window and patted his stomach.
"Uung..."
Raon closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. A moment later, he heard the sound of Sylvia and Helen leaving the room. This time when he pretended to sleep was their break time.
'Now I can start.'
Raon kept his eyes closed and recited the formation chant for the Ring of Fire as he inhaled.
Huuung.
He circulated the natural mana he inhaled throughout his entire body.
'The flow of mana is smooth.'
He breathed the same as usual, but the mana flowed smoothly. He had a feeling that he was about to achieve something.
'Stay calm.'
He calmly exhaled, connecting the threads of mana flowing through his mana circuits. His lungs were small, so he was out of breath and his fingertips trembled, but he held it in.
Gooo!
Using the hot energy of the spiritual medicine and natural mana, he shaved away the cold energy inside his mana circuits and circulated it throughout his body.
*Pop.*
He could feel the energy of the spiritual medicine and the mana seeping into his bones, muscles, and skin.
Maintaining his concentration, which grew sharper as if honing a blade, he continued to form the Ring of Fire.
How much time had passed.
*Flash!*
A hot sensation, as if a fireball was piercing through his heart, resonated in his chest.
The hot energy was swirling around his heart like a hoop. The Ring of Fire was finally completed.
'Finally...'
Just as he was about to open his eyes and cheer, a golden light flashed.
*Ding!*
[The first
[The first achievement has been created.]
[The trait
'W-What is this?'
A light, like a magic circle that appears when magicians use magic, was floating before his eyes.
[Due to the effect of
[Due to the effect of
[Due to the effect of
[Due to the effect of
[The trait
Even after the message saying he had acquired the
'Huh?'
Raon rounded his mouth.
'What are these...'
As the messages popped up, he felt his body become lighter.
Because it was a child's body, it wasn't a tremendous difference, but the change itself was certain.
'On top of that, the pain has decreased as well.'
The pain from the cold energy blocking his mana circuits had also lessened.
'Did the Ring of Fire have such an ability?'
The Ring of Fire was certainly a cultivation method called a legend, but it had no major effect until three rings were formed, and it exhibited its true ability from the fourth ring.
Bringing about such a change just by achieving 1-star was something that didn't happen in his previous life.
'Is it because of the spiritual medicine, or the child's body?'
He thought about it in various ways, but no answer came up.
'Or is it because of these messages...'
Raon read the messages floating in front of him again.
There were many differences between his previous life and now, but the biggest one seemed to be these messages.
"Young Master. You're already awake."
Helen's voice came from above his head. It seemed she had come back into the room while he was cultivating.
"Hewen! Wook at dis!"
Raon pointed at the message like a magic circle with his finger.
"Yes? The bed?"
Helen just smiled, looking at the bed as if she couldn't see the messages.
'Is it only visible to me?'
Seeing that it was invisible to Helen's eyes, it seemed those messages were only visible to him.
[If you want to check the changes, please check the
'Status window? Huh?'
As he repeated the words 'status window' without knowing what it meant, a window of light, like the messages, popped up before his eyes.
Name: Raon Zighart.
Title: None.
State: Curse of Extreme Cold (Nine Strands), Poor Stamina, Systemic Coldness, Decreased Physical Abilities, Decreased Mana Sensitivity.
Traits: ???, Ring of Fire (1-star), Water Attribute Resistance (1-star)
*Additional abilities have not been unlocked.
He slowly examined the status window floating before his eyes.
'Curse of Extreme Cold, Poor Stamina, Systemic Coldness, Decreased Physical Abilities and Mana Sensitivity...'
The contents written in the state seemed to point to his current condition.
'As expected, my body is trash in many ways.'
Let alone the Curse of Extreme Cold, he also had systemic coldness and poor stamina. That was the reason he got tired even from moving a little.
'Still, it doesn't matter.'
Raon closed his lips. Although it was full of poor constitution, he wasn't anxious at all.
He was called the best assassin in his previous life, and he knew the ancient formation method called the Ring of Fire.
If he completed the Ring of Fire based on his previous life's experience, those flaws would be as good as non-existent.
'Besides, this is Zighart.'
If he even learned the swordsmanship secret techniques that Zighart possessed, it would be entirely possible to behead Derus Robert.
However, he shouldn't only think about revenge.
'I'm only three years old.'
Derus was one of the strongest people on the continent. If he got fired up about revenge from now on, his mind wouldn't be able to endure it.
Anyway, there were almost no people who could kill that guy. Even if it was slow, he had to build up his power steadily and end it all at once when the opportunity came.
Raon clenched his fists as if making a vow and looked at the status window again.
'That being said, what really are these messages?'
He didn't know the reason why these messages and the status window suddenly became visible. With his senses as an assassin, he could only feel that they wouldn't harm him.
'It's probably related to reincarnation.'
He could only vaguely guess that the reason he was reincarnated with his past life memories and these messages were related.
He felt he needed to look into it slowly, just like how he was targeting Derus Robert's neck.
'Let's not be impatient and take it calmly.'
* * *
[The second Ring of Fire has been created.]
[Due to the effect of
[Due to the effect of
[Due to the effect of
[Due to the effect of
Raon grinned after checking the message window.
'Finally.'
Thanks to consistently training for two and a half years after the first ring was created, the second Ring of Fire had been born.
The first Ring of Fire was circling his heart horizontally, and the second Ring of Fire that had just been born was circling it vertically.
Perhaps because of the message saying his sensitivity had increased, his senses towards the mana floating in the room became sharper.
As expected, those messages seemed to provide special benefits.
'To create two Rings of Fire at the age of five.'
Acquiring the legendary cultivation method, the Ring of Fire, at the young age of five, would probably be the first time in the continent's history. Pride swelled in his chest.
'Still, I mustn't be satisfied.'
He mustn't let his guard down just because things were going according to plan. Because he didn't know when or what kind of interference would come, he always had to prepare thoroughly.
'Because I don't want to cause them harm.'
The maids, including Sylvia and Helen, had only given to him.
Since he was someone who would leave, he couldn't help them, but he didn't want to exploit their goodwill.
"Phew."
Just as Raon was about to start cultivating again, the door swung open.
"Son!"
Sylvia came in. She was smiling, but her complexion was a bit dark.
"Mom?"
Since he was over five years old, he now had to properly call Sylvia Mom. A slightly off pronunciation was unavoidable, though.
"I told you we have somewhere to go with Mom today, right?"
Saying that, she placed the dark red formal dress she had brought on the bed and took off his pajamas.
'Come to think of it.'
A while ago, she said they would gather the young direct and branch family children to check something.
"Don't worry. It will be over soon."
Sylvia smiled brightly as if trying to reassure him.
"Yeah."
"How can our son be so kind and pretty."
Sylvia stopped changing his clothes and rubbed her face against his cheek.
'Ugh, please...'
Raon could only shake his hands, unable to do this or that.
It was Helen who stopped Sylvia's rampage of holding him for a long time even after changing his clothes.
"Madam. This is not the time to be doing that. The 'Appraisal Ceremony' is about to begin!"