Chapter 22: Mastery
The funeral of the deceased farmer was a solemn event — his family, his colleagues, and others who stayed behind were overcome with grief as they watched sand slowly cover up his corpse.
His wife and son wailed, the shock and pain of his death still fresh in their hearts. The little boy who had once been cheerful and playful now wore the saddest expression, one that melted Ragnar’s heart in anguish.
Ragnar clenched his fist and ground his teeth from time to time, his eyes alight with an inexplicable thirst for revenge and power.
Standing beside him, Noah shared the same emotions.
The funeral ended after a few hours, by which time the sun had already begun beating down with its scorching heat.
People began to exit the graveyard one after another. Merlina escorted the mother-and-son duo home, consoling them as best she could.
After a few minutes, only Ragnar and Noah remained in the graveyard.
They stood side by side, silently staring at the grave with anger in their eyes. Their black hair fluttered in the gentle wind, a solemn atmosphere blossoming between them.
"Ragnar, we need to get stronger," Noah said gently.
Ragnar nodded without taking his eyes off the grave, the guilt of weakness and failure still boiling hot inside him.
"We have to learn the ways of the sword from Old Man James as quickly as we can. Then we can hunt down low-rank monsters and wild beasts residing in the woods to gain experience and grow stronger," Noah continued.
Noticing Ragnar’s silence, he added in a gentle tone, "Ragnar, this is not your fault."