Ten years passed. I was 15. I spent those years training to be useful to Aaron. I practiced nearly every martial art and trained my body daily. The training was brutal—I fought over 30 D-rank beasts every weekend on Mount Hallawulu. Individually, they were manageable, but together, they could reach A-rank.

Over the years, I lost sight in my right eye due to Kaiser Spider venom that entered through my ears, affecting my hearing and vision. Though healing magic restored my hearing, the venom in my eye made recovery impossible.

Thanks to my grueling training, I can wield Aaron’s Abyss Sword, though I must be cautious, as its darkness could consume me if I’m reckless.

As for Aaron, his personality hasn’t changed, though his appearance has—now a gray-haired old man, still as robust as ever. I’ve never beaten him in a duel.

Oh, and the Ryaokku Academy offered me a scholarship, but I declined. Not out of arrogance, but because I was eagerly awaiting something else: the Celestial Arcane Order, Aaron’s group of 15 talented members, from mages to swordsmen. He promised I could join at 15, but first, I had to pass a test.

I was summoned to a place called the “Silent Ravine” for the test. I rode there as fast as I could, knowing it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When I arrived, I took a deep breath and shouted, “I’m here!”

I waited for Aaron, but all I got was silence—the kind that defined the ravine. I wandered, searching for any sign of him, but found nothing. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed writing carved into a rock. The letters were reversed, making them hard to read.

As I tried to decipher them, the rock shattered. Instinctively, I unsheathed my sword and blocked an attack from a pink-haired girl with a slender build, tanned skin, and sadistic red eyes. Our blades clashed, and she grinned as if she’d found her prey.

“Kukukuku, I found a cute little kitten, huh~” she said, licking her lips as she stepped back.

“Who are you? Identify yourself!” I demanded, on guard.

She’d broken a massive rock with a mere dagger—she wasn’t someone to underestimate.

“Huh? Does that matter for someone who’s about to die?” She hurled a dagger at me.

I barely dodged it, but then I heard a boom—the sound barrier breaking. In a blink, she was in front of me, her dagger plunging into my chest.

I spat blood and glared at her. “Kgh—Who are you!? Where’s Aaron!?”

“Aaron? Oh, you mean that old man~?” She pointed to a severed head—Aaron’s.

“Impossible… Impossible… No, no, no, NO!”

I yanked the dagger from my chest and threw it at her, but she dodged effortlessly. My mind and body wept, not from the wound, but for the loss of the person I cared for most.

If I wanted to honor Aaron’s memory and teachings, I had to stay calm and strategize.

“I’ll kill you… Then I’ll mourn Aaron. But first, I need to turn these emotions into stimuli, like he taught me.”

“Oh…~” A smirk curled on her lips.

I closed my eyes, and memories of Aaron flooded my mind. The sword’s aura intensified. I pointed it skyward, and a dragon’s head erupted from it, charging at her.

“Kekekeke, so fun~” she laughed, leaping to dodge it. The sound barrier broke again.

I retreated, holding the sword vertically to protect my chest. As she lunged, another shadowy mouth tried to tear her limb, but she punched it, creating a shockwave that shattered the darkness.

She spun 360° in the air and kicked me in the head, sending me crashing into a rock formation, which crumbled.

“Huh…?” I muttered.

As she charged again, I stopped her. “You’re not fighting seriously, are you?”

“Oh? And why do you think that?” she teased.

“Someone who can shatter rocks with a dagger, break the sound barrier, and dispel darkness itself could’ve killed me with that kick.”

“Oh~ So the rumors about you being rational were true~”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, Aaron emerged from the shadows and walked toward me. “Recognizing your enemy’s strengths and, more importantly, your own weaknesses is a lost art. Young people today think strength makes them invincible until proven otherwise.”

“Impossible…” I stammered.

“Sorry for pitting you against the fifth-strongest member of my order. This is Alphine Korsha, tasked with conducting your test.”

“Eeeey! It’s rude to introduce someone without asking them first~” Alphine pouted.

“B-But the severed head…”

“I can craft them from darkness. Look closely, and you’ll see the flaws.”

I wanted to cry and scream with joy but held my composure.

“Shin, I was proud to see you stay calm despite my ‘death,’” Aaron said, smiling. “You’ve learned well. Teaching you was worth it.”

His words kissed my raw soul, and I couldn’t help but tear up.

“Knowing when to free yourself is part of a human’s greatest strength,” he added.

“A-About the test…”

“Congratulations, Shin. You’re in.”

“Kukukuku, congrats~” Alphine clapped.

“I… Thank you!”

So much has happened to make me who I am today without losing who I once was.

Now, I’m the sixteenth member of the Celestial Arcane Order, serving as a swordsman. My main task is eliminating Erebos that appear across the kingdom, though I conceal my identity with a mask.

I wear a black-and-gold yukata with the Order’s dragon emblem, something I’m truly proud of.

People often look at me with fear, thinking, “He’s dangerous,” “Stay away,” or “He’s scary.” But I know their fear stems from my appearance or aura. A person’s true intentions are measured by their actions.

Even someone half-blind like me can see through what a human represents.

My swordsmanship has improved immensely. I took the Aura test, which measures a swordsman’s energy, and I’m ranked B+.

After hours patrolling the city, I returned to the Order’s base to rest. I sat, resting my sword on my leg, removed my mask, and adjusted to my right-eye blindness.

There’s so much I can’t see, but as long as I’m in the right place with the people I want to be with, I know I’ll be happy. And I’m certain that not everything that glitters is gold.