After Richard finished listening to Ryn's report about the trial, he showed little interest in Theron's fate, as if he had already expected something like that to happen to Ryn someday.
"A Minotaur…?"
Richard muttered, his expression a mix of shock and concern.
"Those demons are supposed to inhabit the western territories. How could one appear so close to Central?"
He looked up at Ryn.
"You're certain you didn't misunderstand?"
Ryn shook his head.
"I don't know what it was myself, but the Warden identified it as one," he answered honestly.
Richard fell silent for a moment before standing up.
"I'll have to go to the Council. Something like this… should never happen—especially not this close to Central."
With that, he turned and left immediately, leaving Ryn sitting alone in his usual spot.
Silence slowly settled in once more, along with unanswered questions…
The next morning, Ryn woke up just as the supply unit delivered breakfast.
But Richard, who had left the day before, still hadn't returned.
Ryn quietly unwrapped his meal and ate, then went to lie down beneath the shade of a tree near the house. After the brutal battle two days earlier, exhaustion finally overtook him, and he drifted back into sleep.
He awoke in the afternoon to a familiar voice nearby.
"Oh, you're awake?"
Richard said as he saw Ryn sit up.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
Ryn stood, walked over, and sat beside his master.
Richard continued, his expression serious.
"The Minotaur… it was real, just as you said. I've confirmed it."
He paused briefly before adding,
"The good news is, there were indeed vessels inside the host—and they've already been dealt with."
Ryn nodded in relief.
At the time, no matter how much he wanted to free the vessels inside the cave, his body simply wasn't in any condition to do so.
Richard looked at him.
"It's good that you didn't release them," he said firmly.
"If you had, the situation would've escalated. You weren't authorized to enter before the scheduled time—and the person assigned to handle it… died before they could act."
Ryn nodded without argument.
"Remember this,"
Richard continued,
"Even if a mission fails, you are never to do something like that again. Do you understand?"
His voice was heavier than ever.
"Yes," Ryn replied, short and clear.
Richard's expression finally softened. He unwrapped his own meal and began to eat, as a calm silence returned…
This time, however, it was tainted by a truth they both now shared.
When Richard finished eating, Ryn—who had been waiting for a chance to speak—finally said,
"Master."
Richard turned toward him, and upon seeing the seriousness in his disciple's eyes, he asked,
"What is it?"
Ryn drew in a deep breath before asking bluntly,
"Did you truly fight King Arthur… alongside Lady Aurelia?"
Richard fell silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Ryn, who stood waiting for an answer with unwavering resolve. Then he let out a quiet sigh.
"…Yes. I did."
Ryn immediately pressed on.
"Then… the sword—"
He hesitated briefly before continuing,
"Excalibur. The blade you said you had seen… that must have been back then, wasn't it?"
Richard shook his head.
"No. I saw it even before King Arthur descended into madness."
He paused, then continued,
"I don't know how he obtained it. But one day, in the grand hall, he walked in carrying that sword and declared before everyone that it was Excalibur."
"But that happened long before he went mad—nearly two years earlier."
Ryn nodded slowly, his voice growing softer.
"I just thought… perhaps it was the sword that drove him insane."
He lifted his own blade, studying it with a conflicted gaze.
"If that's truly the case, then I don't want it. I don't want to become someone who slaughters others in blind madness."
Richard watched Ryn in silence, clearly sensing the weight of the fear crushing his disciple's heart.
"You needn't worry so much,"
Richard finally said.
"You… and he, wield it differently. King Arthur used it for himself. You use it for others."
He paused briefly.
"That difference alone may be the path that keeps you from losing your mind."
Then his expression hardened.
"Still, I cannot be certain."
"All I know is this—this sword has a will of its own."
"But who can say what that will truly is?"
He looked Ryn straight in the eyes.
"When the time comes, I'll help you face it. Rest easy."
Then his tone shifted, lightening the mood.
"Besides, for you to surpass me… you'll need at least seventy more years of training."
Ryn let out a laugh. Though he thought the number could probably be reduced by ten years, it was still long enough for his master to remain more than capable of handling him.
Several days passed, and Ryn began to feel that he was finally ready for his third trial. He bade farewell to Richard and headed once more to the recruitment grounds he had already visited twice before.
The atmosphere inside the plaza was no different from before—crowds of people, rows of notice boards, and whispers that seemed to have grown louder thanks to the "unavoidable exploits" from his previous trials.
Ryn ignored the murmurs and walked straight toward the boards, searching for his next mission.
And, as always—
"Well, well. You finally showed up."
Goran, who had clearly been waiting, strode over with a grin that suggested he'd been counting the days.
"I was getting bored waiting for you."
Ryn smiled back.
"If you were that bored, you could've gone with another group. You didn't have to wait for me."
Goran burst into loud laughter, drawing glances from those nearby.
"I'd rather die of boredom than go without you."
He added casually,
"I told you, didn't I? If things ever get too rough, you can always hide behind me."
Ryn laughed again. Even if it had started as nothing more than a joke when they first met, everything he had seen since then told him the truth—
This big, bearded, rough-looking friend of his…
was someone he could truly rely on.
Goran glanced at the notice board.
"So, which job are we taking? I'll sign up too."
Ryn shook his head.
"I'm not sure. You should sign up first. I'll pick a different mission."
Goran immediately made a displeased face.
"I've been waiting for you for days. There's no way I'm letting you go alone."
With that, he grabbed a pen and signed his name on one of the forms in front of him.
"I'm taking this one."
Then he turned to Ryn with a serious expression.
"And you're signing up too."
Goran stayed right there, refusing to move until Ryn finally agreed.
Ryn laughed in surrender and signed his name beneath Goran's.
The mission board clearly read:
Trainee Soldiers: 70
Mages: 50
Duration: 2 Days
Location: North Gate
Time: Morning
After reporting in and receiving their mission tags, Goran seemed to remember something.
"Oh, right," he said.
"Alize left with her group this morning. She looked really happy—this is her final mission, after all."
Ryn didn't say anything. He simply nodded quietly.
Then the two of them went their separate ways, preparing for the journey ahead and waiting for the time when they would meet again…