N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 277
Raon finished all the tasks that Rimmer had piled up and headed to the training ground after packing up his equipment.
He noticed Runaan staring blankly at the sky.
"Hmm?"
Approaching her, Raon followed her gaze upward.
The sky was filled with thick clouds, and the moon wasn't visible properly.
"Runaan, aren't you coming?"
"That looks like a bead of ice cream."
Runaan pointed to the pale blue moon nestled among the clouds, savoring the sight.
Perhaps due to the recent busy training schedule that left her no time for treats, she seemed to be transforming the moon into an ice cream delight.
"That's not... Oh!"
Raon pulled out a box he had been holding against his side.
It was the dessert Chad had give him earlier.
"Well, how about this then? It's a dessert called macaron."
"Macaron?"
In Runaan's normally unexpressive eyes, purple sparks ignited.
She seemed ready to chase Raon all the way to the annex building if she didn't get a share.
"Just a moment."
Raon chuckled and unwrapped the packaging, revealing a container with a lid.
Inside were around twenty cookies with various creams sandwiched between round meringue cookies.
"Pick whichever one you want."
Runaan had received plenty of treats from Raon before, so sharing these cookies was no issue.
-Oh!
However, it wasn't Runaan who reacted first, but rather Wrath.
-It's sweet and has a refreshing aroma. Raon Zieghart! The king of essence chooses the green one at the end! Mint chocolate is undoubtedly the correct choice!
Wrath picked a mint chocolate cream-filled green macaron.
His reference to himself as "the king of essence" and his specific choice suggested a sense of urgency.
'Mint chocolate is not my favorite.'
-Even at times like this, one must take care of the king of essence!
'Hmm.'
Watching Wrath with a pleading look, Raon indulged his desires.
'He does have a point.'
Even a giving tree needed to receive something in return occasionally. It wasn't difficult, so he decided to grant his wish.
"Huh?"
After a brief hesitation, Raon chose the macaron that Wrath had mentioned and held it out to Runaan.
She flinched and trembled slightly upon seeing the green macaron in his hand.
It seemed she also had wanted to choose that one.
'What should I do with this? The ice cream girl seems to want mint chocolate macaron.'
-Ugh...
Wrath grumbled about it.
His eyes shook like dice, seemingly wrestling with a great dilemma between his subordinate and the food.
'I'll help you with your dilemma.'
-Just wait a moment...
Raon gently removed Wrath, who was clinging to his wrist, and then offered the mint chocolate macaron to Runaan.
"Here, you have it."
"Oh no."
Runaan shook her head.
Contrary to his expectations, there was no sign of disappointment in her eyes.
She actually looked pleased.
"Comrade."
"What?"
"Raon is a mint chocolate comrade too. It's okay."
She nodded contentedly and then picked up the coconut macaron next to the mint chocolate one.
"I'll go with this. Thanks."
Runaan bobbed her head and then headed towards the carriage that had stopped in front of the training grounds.
It seemed like she was waiting for the carriage to return to the main residence.
"Hmm…"
Raon savored the taste as he watched the departing carriage.
'I wanted this one specifically.'
It was obviously the coconut-colored macaron, and he had been somewhat drawn to it since it was coconut-colored, but Runaan had taken it.
However, what annoyed him more was the misconception that he liked mint chocolate.
-Hahaha! Even you can end up in such a situation! Serves you right! Serves you right!
'It's shaped so delicately...'
Raon applied pressure to the macaron as if he was going to break it, and thin crumbs fell to the ground.
-Wait, wait! Don't do that!
'Don't do that?'
-Err...
'Don't do that?'
-I, I admit the King made a mistake...
Wrath sulked while hanging his head, seeming to find food more important to him at the moment than his pride as a demon lord.
Is this the Wrath Demon?
No matter how you think about it, his attributes were chosen wrong.
Wrath would be more suited for gluttony or voracity.
'Be careful from now on.'
Raon lightly tapped Wrath and then put the mint chocolate macaron into his mouth.
The moment he bit into the cookie, he felt sweetness.
It was a kind of sweetness he hadn't experienced before.
It was so stimulating that it made his tongue tingle slightly.
Next came the mint chocolate cream.
The slightly cold cream enveloped his mouth, conveying both a refreshing sweetness and a delightful texture, more so than the cookie.
"Haah..."
Raon let out a deep exhale and shook his head.
'What on earth is this taste...'
The combination of the overly sweet cookie and the mint chocolate cream was something he didn't want to taste again.
He felt like blaming Chad for giving him these macarons.
"Wrath you think it's disg... Huh?"
As Raon lowered his head to gauge Wrath's reaction, he saw the demon lord with his mouth wide open, drooling profusely.
-This, this kind of dessert exists in the world...
Wrath cupped his cheeks, emitting an excited moan.
-This is insane. The perfect harmony of sweet cookie and mint chocolate cream! This is gastronomy, this is dessert!
He exclaimed, as if he had discovered new levels of culinary delight.
-Next! Try the next one too!
'Um...'
Seeing Wrath like that, Raon found himself salivating without realizing it.
This time, he chose a chocolate macaron that was unmistakably chocolate.
"Gulp..."
While the taste was better than mint chocolate, the sweetness was even stronger.
It was so overwhelmingly sweet that it left a bitter taste on his tongue.
-Huheee!
Wrath rolled around on his shoulder, his expression ecstatic.
It was like a cat rolling around in sheer bliss.
-More! More! Let's try more in today's new realm of gastronomy...
Listening to Wrath's exclamation, Raon tightly closed the macaron box.
-Hey!
I can't eat anymore.
I'll give them to Sylvia and the maids later.
*******
Raon handed the macarons to the maids and entered his room.
Sylvia and the maids surprisingly loved the macarons.
He asked if they weren't too sweet, but they said it was fine.
At this point, he even considered the possibility that it might not be Wrath, but his own tongue that had an issue.
-Groan, you wasted those precious ones...
Wrsth complained, tears glistening in his blue eyes, saying he could only eat two.
"I'll buy you some pearl ice cream later. Hold on with that."
-Really?
"After I'm back from the mission. Please be quiet."
-Of course! Isn't the king of essence being quiet again? Don't worry! By the way, when the king of essence was in the demon realm, the subordinates were complaining that you don't talk much and...
"Sigh..."
His attempt to quieten things down by suggesting ice cream only made things louder.
Raon shook his head helplessly and began packing the items he would need for the mission.
He put his equipment and supplies into his backpack.
As he did so, he sensed a presence outside the window.
It felt eerily familiar, prompting him to open the window immediately.
"Long time no see!"
Rimmer, with his black glasses covering his eyes, approached with a smile.
"Why are you wearing black glasses at midnight?"
"Oh, this? It's fashion. Fashion."
Rimmer awkwardly waved his hand, mentioning fashion.
"You're going on a mission the day after tomorrow?"
"Yes. Lord Chad will stay behind, won't he?"
In the mission orders given by Chad, Raon was listed as the responsible person.
This meant Rimmer would be staying here.
"Although I'd like to go together, moving around like this wouldn't be of much help."
"True."
Raon nodded.
Rimmer had chosen the path of accumulating pure Aura, so he hadn't accumulated enough yet.
Rather than losing time while moving, it was better for him to train within the house.
"Now that you mention it, it is a bit sad."
"That's what Lord Chad said."
"But still, Inma! If your master and superior are feeling down, you should comfort them! You're so clueless that you're in for a rough ride."
"Sigh..."
He sighed, finding him the second most annoying person after Wrath.
"You thought I'd find you annoying?"
He was a ghost.
"Well, enough with the jokes."
Rimmer smirked and leaned against the windowsill.
"Starting from this mission, you'll be in charge. There's no one behind you like before to watch your back. Based on your judgment, the Light Wind squad could be wiped out, or everyone could survive."
His eyes glowed with a bright bluish light, resembling moonlight.
"Responsibility can be lighter or heavier than you think."
"Are you saying it's up to me to decide?"
"Yes."
Rimmer flicked his finger.
"It's up to you to not be crushed by the weight and not be swayed by the lightness. You'll figure it out, I'm sure."
"So you were light that's why you were always flying around?"
"Argh, it hurts. Why are there so many sharp-tongued humans these days?"
He clenched his chest in pain before lifting his head.
"You're wearing the protective pendant, right?"
"Do you mean this?"
Raon took out the protective pendant from around his neck.
After Roenn had told him about its effects, he had been wearing it continuously.
"Yes. That."
"I'm sorry, but I can't give it to you. You're probably going to sell it and gamble with it anyway..."
"Hey! I'm not going to loot my subordinate belongings!"
He vehemently shook his head, absolutely refusing.
"What do you guys see me as?"
"Gambling addict, swindler, lazy bum, thief?" (lmao)
"Ugh..."
Rimmer clenched his chest again and staggered.
"I can't argue against that."
He smirked and leaned against the window frame.
"Raon, I entrust the Light Wind squad to you."
It was a serious voice filled with concern.
His desire to go together seemed sincere.
"I'll bring everyone back safely."
"Wait for me."
Rimmer waved lightly and left.
Watching his retreating figure, Raon let out a quiet sigh.
'Responsibility...'
He had always thought that he carried a lot of responsibility even in place of Rimmer.
But now that he was going to be solely responsible for the Light Wind squad, his heart felt heavy.
Rimmer had always been there, pretending to play, pretending to sleep, but always watching over everyone from behind.
Raon lowered her head, looking in the direction Rimmer had left.
'I'll be waiting for the day when we're together again.'
******
Chad headed to the training grounds of Light Wind squad, timed to coincide with their departure time.
"... This time, the squad leader won't be here. We have to handle everything on our own, so let's firmly fortify our hearts to maintain composure."
Raon's voice echoed within the training grounds.
As it was a mission without the king, it seemed like he was encouraging everyone.
'He knows how to handle people.'
Seeing that he wasn't just excited about taking on his first mission with responsibility, but also tried to restrain the team members, it was evident that he was indeed a people person.
"Depart."
With a low voice, the training ground's door opened, and the members of the Light Wind squad walked out in line.
Chad stood a bit away from the training ground's door, waiting, and as soon as Raon emerged, he approached him.
"Vice leader."
"Vice leader?"
He blinked with his eyes wide open, as if he hadn't expected him to be there.
"What brings you here..."
"I have some information about Granseville and the White blood religion that I investigated. I thought it might not hurt to bring it, in case it's helpful."
Chad offered him a booklet with a faint smile.
It contained the information he had collected.
"I was working overnight until late, so I'm on my way home. Don't worry about it."
"Ah, thank you."
Raon took the booklet with a slightly bewildered expression.
"Then, I wish you luck."
Chad turned around with a light smile, as if there were no lingering feelings.
'Perfect!'
In reality, the booklet was data he had prepared the previous night, and he hadn't been on his way home but had been waiting early in the morning.
However, he had come up with plausible excuses to not burden Raon.
It was a perfect way to leave a good impression without burdening him.
"Now, shall I prepare for the next step?"
Chad praised himself for getting his work done and returned to the Vian Assembly with a sense of accomplishment.
*****
After memorizing all the information from the booklet Chad had given him, Raon set it on fire.
As the ashes scattered in the air, he narrowed his eyes.
'This information is too detailed.'
It wasn't just about Granseville it contained sophisticated information about the recent activities of the White Blood religion and even their tactics.
'Chad...'
He was becoming increasingly suspicious.
It was odd for the acting head of the division to come to the training ground early in the morning and hand over such information.
Typically, the leaders of intelligence organizations were serious and authoritative figures.
Even though Chad was relatively young,
it was unusual for him to be so attentive.
'Perhaps it's not just the White Blood religion.'
Contrary to what he had been told during the mission briefing, it might not be the White Blood religion behind it.
Contrary to what was stated in the request, I strongly considered the possibility that it might not be the White Blood religion, but instead, it could be a swordsman or an assassin prepared by the central martial palace or the true martial palace.
'A bit risky.'
Unlike the White Blood religion, they were aware of our forces, so there was a possibility of an unfavorable situation arising.
'But there is a solution.'
A very simple one.
He could simply strengthen the Light Wind squad's forces during the journey from here to Granseville, surpassing the enemy's information advantage.
'Plus, there's that.'
Raon noticed Marta, leaning against a tree, lost in thought.
Ever since she heard about the possibility of the enemies being the White Blood religion, Martha had been in this state.
She exuded a ferocity and anger stronger than even her strengthened powers, which kept even the first class swordsmen of the house away from her.
'I'll have to help her regain her senses even more.'
Seeing the Light Wind squad taking a half-day break for the first time, Raon smiled coldly.
"Everyone, get up."
"Already?"
"We haven't rested for even 10 minutes."
The Light Wind squad grumbled, asking for a little more rest.
"Well then, sit down."
Nodding, Raon met the eyes of the squad members.
"As I mentioned before we set off, this mission could be a bait from the enemy. In other words, we might end up fighting an enemy who knows us. So, what should we do?"
"Well…"
"That's…"
No one could answer and they exchanged baffled looks.
"As you all know, it's going to take quite a bit of time for us to reach Granseville. Are we supposed to waste that time?"
"Huh...?"
"Seriously...?"
The Light Wind squad felt an odd feeling and swallowed nervously.
"That's right. We're starting training during our journey from now on."
"No, you can't!"
"This madman!"
"Let's not overdo it!"
They groaned, protesting the decision.
"Wait, wait a minute! What if we run out of energy during the training, and then we arrive there and might have to fight immediately? Or we might be ambushed during the journey!"
Burren raised his hand and shouted.
"Don't worry. We'll take a shortcut to avoid any surprise attacks and adjust our schedule so that we're in good shape by the time we arrive at Granseville."
Having been to Granseville many times in his past life, he knew various shortcuts and hiding places.
There was no encounter with assassins in between.
"Ugh..."
"Darn..."
"Why does that guy know everything!"
Burren and the Light Wind squad couldn't refute, slumping to the ground.
"It's, it's alright!"
Krein smiled and clapped his wrists and ankles.
"There's no black ring, so I can endure anything..." (Encia's artifact that surpress the user aura)
"Don't worry about that either. Dorian."
When Raon signaled, Dorian came forward with a deadpan expression.
He bit his lip and put his hand in his pocket, taking out the black ring.
"I asked Dorian to prepare in case something like this happened."
Raon smiled faintly and gestured.
"Get ready, everyone, put it on."
"No wayyyyy!"
The Light Wind squad screams echoed through the quiet mountains.
*****
A variety of brilliantly ornate buildings, each unique to the point of being distinct, filled the hexagonal territory, and the lake that lay behind it radiated a brilliant light, as if melting gold, under the afternoon sun.
Though it was of much smaller scale compared to the kingdoms and cities he had visited until now, this small city, Granseville, was no less magnificent in its splendor.
Raon looked around at Granseville visible beyond the low city walls and nodded.
"It's still the same here."
In the corners of entertainment, there was a place that sucked away people's minds.
It was an optimal location for assassinations, and indeed, Raon had carried out numerous missions in this city.
"My feelings are different though."
In his past life, he had come to kill, but this time, he had come to save, so the emotions were new.
"Wow..."
"Is this Granseville?"
"As, as dazzling as I've heard."
The members of the Light Wind squad were astonished by the splendid appearance of Granseville and Lake Molbe.
"..."
Martha, whether she was still fixated only on the White Blood religion or not, gazed at Granseville with a sharper glare than before.
"Let's go."
Raon signaled with a nod and took the lead.
The Light Wind squad members caught their breath and followed behind.
After showing the mercenary token received from the gatekeeper at the city gate, they were gestured to enter without proper verification.
"Still the same here."
If the balance between Yin and Yang was like the Camellune, then Granseville leaned more towards Yin, making the security check more of a formality.
After receiving back the mercenary token, Raon stepped over the low city gate and entered Granseville.
Whoo, whoo, whoooom.
As their feet touched the ground of Granseville, the Blade of Requiem emitted a rugged vibration.
"Look at this!"
Raon grasped the handle of the Blade of Requiem, whose blade vibrated energetically. Looking at the magnificent cityscape, they formed a chilling smile.
It's as bustling as a hive of bees.
