Ch.5959. Summer

‘Is he in his right mind?’

Berger looked at Rex with a disgusted expression. At first, he thought the boy was just naturally gifted with good fortune. Considering it a talent too precious to waste, he had half-forced Rex to become his disciple.

The process hadn’t gone smoothly. For whatever reason, the boy had rejected his offer multiple times. Who was Berger? He was the most distinguished knight of Lindvale. Until now, those who wanted to become his disciples had been overflowing, but this was the first time someone had rejected him first, saying they didn’t need it.

He wondered if all this effort was necessary and felt doubtful. After finally getting confirmation that Rex would become his disciple, he had resolved to train him rigorously. But before long, a feeling of joy had blossomed within Berger.

It was enjoyable.

Watching Rex absorb every teaching like a sponge, imagining how far this boy could go, seeing someone with outstanding talent who didn’t become lazy but continued to work tirelessly—it was all so gratifying.

Where did such a person come from? Talented individuals who also put in effort are rare. Geniuses are even rarer. That’s because they can easily surpass others without necessarily harboring ambition for improvement.

‘But…’

He had been mistaken. This wasn’t ambition for improvement; it was more like an obsession bordering on madness. Hadn’t Rex said why take the long way when there’s a shorter path? That’s sound logic. If you can do something, you naturally should.

However, the world doesn’t always follow sound logic. Being right also means being difficult. There’s no one who can willingly walk a thorny path even knowing they should.

Berger knew what to call someone capable of such a thing.

A madman.

“You’re insane.”

Berger blurted out the thought that had unconsciously surfaced in his mind. He realized his mistake immediately but didn’t stop speaking.

“You can’t even endure one taboo, yet you want to add another? You’ll die that way.”

This wasn’t an exaggeration. Geas differs from blessings bestowed by gods. Its purpose is to reward those who overcome trials and hardships with something currently unattainable. Geas doesn’t kindly consider human circumstances. It doesn’t set taboos only up to what a person can handle.

One could truly die. Because of this danger, with few exceptions, most people eventually break rather than endure. In the current era, Geas was a half-forgotten practice.

Although the Geas placed on training tools was supposedly milder than its original power, it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Even overcoming just one taboo normally is difficult. Excessive greed from those unqualified invites disaster.

Right now, Rex had become worse than a corpse in just one week. Honestly, Berger couldn’t understand why Rex was so desperately pursuing strength.

“I can do it.”

Rex merely repeated what he had said before. His skin was dry, his lips were swollen, and his complexion was pale—but his eyes remained alive. Seeing this, Berger’s resolve wavered.

Rex had never told him about his past. The only thing Berger knew about Rex was that he had lived in a rural village slightly removed from Lindvale. Why he had left his hometown, what incident had made him so obsessed with becoming stronger—Berger hadn’t bothered to ask about such things.

Now he was curious.

“…Fine.”

Berger suppressed his curiosity, sighed, and handed over the taboo bracelet. Not yet… it’s not the time. He resolved to ask after some time had passed, when Rex’s passion had cooled somewhat.

Until then, he would silently watch over the boy before him. To support his back so he wouldn’t fall while running too hard. That’s the role of a teacher.

“This is the last one.”

Rex, who was about to speak, closed his mouth when he saw Berger raise a finger.

“I mean this is the last time you’ll recklessly add a Geas. Of course, not forever. I mean we should take a break. There will be no next taboo bracelet until you’re accustomed enough to endure two taboos sufficiently.”

“I understand.”

Rex nodded obediently. He looked down at the taboo bracelet with calm eyes, then put it on his wrist. Whoosh! The change happened instantly. Unlike the dream taboo, which he couldn’t feel until bedtime, this one was different.

Heavy.

The taboo bracelet is a solid iron bracelet. Compared to an ordinary bracelet, it’s only slightly heavier, not so heavy that one can’t lift it at all. Now—it felt like a large chunk of iron had been placed on his wrist.

Is the second taboo about strength? No, that’s not it. Rex shuddered. Despite the weather being close to summer and muggy, a piercing chill penetrated his skin as if he’d been hit by a winter’s cutting wind. The cold passed through his clothes and swept through each joint of his bones.

At the same time, his breathing became labored. It was difficult to breathe. Even swallowing saliva was hard. Like feeling like an old man about to die… Rex instinctively realized.

Vitality, or life force as it’s also called. The second taboo given to Rex was one that took away the essential energy needed for a person to live.

“Rex, you…”

“I’m, fine.”

The cold made it difficult to speak properly. Rex gritted his teeth and muttered with difficulty.

Having received a mental restriction, he had expected the next taboo to be related to the body. Indeed, vitality was a troublesome kind of taboo. An element intricately linked to the body. Not just muscle strength, but also stamina, cardiopulmonary endurance, and even overall health are connected to it.

Nevertheless, his belief that he could do it—remained unchanged.

Time passes.

With a new Geas, his daily routine naturally changed again. First, he put down his sword. He intended to focus on training his body. More precisely, he wasn’t in a condition to practice swordsmanship. With his reduced strength, even properly gripping a sword was impossible.

He ran, ignoring the crushing pressure that made his heart feel like it would burst. Every step he took sent burning pain up his legs. After running one lap around the training ground, he would stop briefly to catch his breath… and numerous gazes would land on him from around. He could clearly feel their puzzled emotions—wondering why someone who ran slower than a child, at the pace of a crawling bug, was so exhausted. Some looked amused, others contemptuous.

He ignored it.

The Geas made him forget the scorching heat of summer, but sweat still poured out like rain. The breeze cooled that sweat. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant sensation. His skin felt chilled as if submerged in ice water.

He endured it.

A week passed. Though he couldn’t keep their promised morning duels, Chloe continued to make lunch boxes for him.

“…Hang in there.”

He smiled at her face full of concern.

He runs around the training ground. As the number of completed laps accumulated, his body gradually felt lighter. The time it took to complete a lap also decreased. The more he moved his legs, the more the distracting thoughts in his head disappeared, leaving him feeling clear-headed. At some point, he unconsciously moved his body while thinking of other things. The trajectory of Kaiserion style. Was he trying to practice even in his imagination since he couldn’t wield a sword? He didn’t know himself.

When he could run five consecutive laps without his breathing becoming labored, he started other exercises. He tore his muscles with horse stance and push-ups. After becoming accustomed to those, he added a routine of lifting rocks.

“Haha!”

Laughter escaped him.

It felt like returning to his childhood, when he was earnestly preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony. Rex laughed out loud. Had the terrible pain driven him mad? Even if so, it didn’t really matter. At least this moment of joy was real.

“Aren’t you overdoing it?”

Every evening when he tried to return to the inn after learning writing, Elin would say with a disapproving tone.

Rex’s knees were covered with scabs and bruises from falling on the ground. His haggard face was soaked with fatigue. He looked precarious, as if he might disappear somewhere at any moment. Looking at Rex, Elin felt a bitter pain from an emotion she had never experienced before. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to tell him to stop.

Because Rex looked happy. It was an emotion Elin couldn’t understand with her common sense. She knew the pain Rex was experiencing. She remembered gathering her party members to tell them they couldn’t go to the dungeon for a while. The restrictions of dream and vitality. Rex had spoken of them lightly, but Elin knew how fearsome these taboos were.

Father.

She recalled that plaintive voice Rex had muttered in his sleep on the way to Lindvale. Revenge? Such a question crossed her mind. Negative resentment eats away at people. It gradually destroys the inner self without one realizing it. That’s how one becomes an empty human being.

Another week passed, and Elin, who had been suffering inwardly, made a decision. She didn’t want to see Rex break. She had to stop him. Her first friend in the world. Perhaps someone even more special. Not wanting to lose Rex, she was about to anxiously open her mouth when,

She realized.

Rex was smiling. It wasn’t a forced smile. The emotion of “joy” that dwelled in that expression hadn’t faded a week ago, nor had it now.

Time flows endlessly.

The brightly shining sunlight is hot. When such a thought suddenly occurred to him, Rex’s smile deepened. He should be cold, but he wasn’t. He had regained the heat. Running was not difficult. The taboo bracelet on his wrist felt light. Even when doing push-ups and maintaining the horse stance, he didn’t sweat.

So he picked up his sword.

Nightmares still came when he fell asleep. That was a kind of pain he couldn’t adapt to. He would wake up thrashing violently, wipe the moisture gathered at his eyes with his fingers, go out to the yard and

Swing his sword.

After being immersed in swordsmanship for a long time, by the time dawn broke, the traces of nightmares floating in his head would be gone. After repeating this, nightmares were no longer frightening. Desire filled the empty space. I want to swing better, I want to move faster.

I don’t want to lose to anyone.

He set a goal.

Berger had said that if he could draw out holy flame while wearing all the taboo bracelets, at least he wouldn’t be helplessly defeated by a Radiant-class. Those bracelets were enhanced by Geas. One Geas was equivalent to or greater than two original taboo bracelets.

If so…

He recites the Heavenly Descent Mantra. He always operates the sacred power dulled by the Guardian Armor. Except during sleep, he paid attention to maintaining sacred law at all times. While contemplating his inner self, Rex not only became accustomed to sacred law but also achieved his own enlightenment.

Gratitude for what he had been given, the preciousness of the relationships he had formed, the joy of being able to work hard, the will to protect all of this.

Drip, drop…

Each drop of sweat that formed and fell from his chin became nourishment. It was firewood that fueled the flames of his heart, and at the same time, a hammer that forged a sharp blade.

A week passed.

He didn’t stop.

A month passed, and he continued to swing his sword. Another day, two days,

When three months had passed.

“Rex.”

Standing under the dense shade of a tree to avoid the bright sunlight, Chloe tilted her head and spoke.

“Did you get taller?”

“…Did I?”

“Yeah. Look, we used to be about the same height—”

Chloe stood on her tiptoes and brought her hand to her forehead. Even by eye, there was more than a hand span difference between them. Chloe, who had been standing close enough for their breaths to touch, suddenly blushed and stepped back when their eyes met.

“Anyway…! You really have grown a lot! It’s amazing. Is it because you’re in your growth period?”

Rex silently wore a faint smile. Chloe, looking embarrassed, turned her head and fluttered her hand fan before blurting out.

“It’s so hot… It’s summer now.”

“Indeed.”

“I hate summer. It’s hot. It’s stuffy, and just when you think it’s getting better, the rainy season comes. I wish it would pass quickly.”

Rex chuckled without realizing it. Immediately, Chloe glared at him with narrowed eyes, making him awkwardly scratch his cheek and avoid her gaze.

“I like summer.”

At this quiet remark, Chloe blinked and asked.

“Huh? Why?”

“Just because.”

“…What, that’s boring.”

As Chloe grumbled, Rex smiled softly.

At first, he had disliked the season of summer. Not anymore.

He likes summer. The dazzling sunlight, the clear sky stretching out, the wind that cools his sweat, the sound of cicadas coming from somewhere, the heat haze rising above the yard—he had come to like all those things that embrace summer.

Had he changed a little?

Rex slowly inhaled. The heated air tastes sweet.

Chloe, who had been staring at him, whispered softly.

“Something’s different.”

When he shifted his gaze with round eyes, Chloe mumbled awkwardly.

“Ah, no. Just… in my opinion, you seem more relaxed, or should I say your atmosphere has changed. That’s the feeling I get.”

“Thank you.”

“Huh? Why?”

Rex shook his head and looked up at the sky. Now his blue eyes were no longer cloudy. His golden hair, resembling wheat, had regained its luster. He no longer bit his lips.

If spring is the season of blooming, summer is the season of full bloom.

Full summer had arrived.

On a day when flowers bloomed profusely, Rex’s talent also blossomed fully.

Chapter 4 – Days of Growth (End)