N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 323
"Why did you call me?"
"Why did you call me? Your education still seems lacking. No, is it that you're just dumb?"
Raon extended his hand towards Dorian with a cool smile.
"Dorian."
"Yes!"
Dorian retrieved a piece of pure white paper from his pouch as if he had been waiting. It was truly convenient dealing with someone who understood without words.
"Thank you."
Raon unfolded the paper that Dorian handed him. It was a special contract – the collar that had been placed around Jaina's neck after rescuing her in the city of Porvan.
"Ugh..."
Princess Jaina trembled as she looked at the special contract, her lips quivering not from realization but from a face full of anger.
"It wasn't forgotten."
It had been infuriating.
Perhaps Jaina's use of informal speech upon arrival wasn't because she forgot about the special contract, but rather a rebellious act born out of suppressed emotions.
Being the princess of Balkar who lived recklessly on her own terms, it wasn't unreasonable for her not to understand those emotions.
'But not in front of me.'
While others might understand and sympathize with Jaina's appearance and background, Raon wasn't one of them. Her appearance was merely a human shell, devoid of any positive emotions or memories, so he had no reason to hold any favorable opinion of her.
"Tsk tsk."
Wrath scowled at Jaina from the side.
Unable to control her emotions, she reveals everything. She's truly a foolish human.
'...'
Though he almost blurted out, "Do you have something to say?" Raon held back.
"I told you before, didn't I? Use polite language in front of me."
Raon lightly shook the special contract and smiled. Jaina's pupils followed the contract and flickered.
"Why did you call me?"
"I don't like it."
"Ugh, why d-did you... call me?"
Jaina clenched her fist, seemingly wounded in her pride, and lowered her head deeply.
"To provide you with valuable information."
"Information?"
"Yes. Information about Martha Zieghart, whom you'll be fighting against tomorrow."
"What's that..."
Jaina's eyes widened dramatically. Her reaction seemed to convey her complete lack of understanding about this side's intentions.
"Before that, I have a few questions."
Raon raised his chin slightly and snapped his fingers. Jaina frowned and stepped forward.
"There have been frequent meetings between the house Robert and Balkar. What's been discussed?"
This information was present in both the intelligence from the Alliance and Dening Rose. Given Zieghart's role as a check against both factions, the question wasn't out of place.
"Th-that..."
"Speak."
"It's about the mining operation."
"Mining? By the house Robert?"
"They want us to develop magic that can carefully extract minerals from an underwater mine near the Robert vicinity, beneath the sea, to prevent collapse."
Jaina shared the details about the mining operation, thinking it wasn't much of a secret.
'An underwater mine...'
That couldn't possibly exist, right?
Having undergone assassin training, Raon had explored every inch of the sea near Robert. There was absolutely no underwater mine there.
'What's going on... Ah!'
Could it be that the dungeon had been opened?
Near house Robert's vicinity, there was an unnamed dungeon beneath the sea, and no matter what was attempted, the door wouldn't open. Observing the situation now, it seemed like the dungeon's door had opened.
"Did they perhap request a magician to be sent?"
"We suggested it might be convenient, but they insisted on developing the magic."
Jaina grumbled with a slightly annoyed expression.
'Probably to maintain secrecy.'
Derus and Balkar have a somewhat amicable relationship. If it truly involved selling a mine, they would have likely requested an expert.
It was evident that they demanded magic rather than sending a magician to keep the dungeon's secret.
"When was this magic conveyed?"
"During this meeting."
Jaina mentioned that during this meeting, Chamber's assistant handed a magic book to Derus' advisor.
"I see."
Raon clenched his fist and smiled.
'Then there's still a chance...'
It seemed like another opportunity had arisen to give Derus a hard time.
'I don't mind losing. As long as he can't have it either.'
Even if there's no information about the dungeon's interior, it's alright. If it seems impossible to claim the dungeon's treasure, just destroying it would prevent Derus from obtaining anything. It was an opportunity with no downside.
"What else?"
"There were requests for other types of magic and efforts to strengthen alliances..."
Jaina mentioned a few more things, but there wasn't much substantial content.
"Now it's my turn to inform you."
"Uh..."
"Martha's attribute is Earth. However, her nature is different from other Earth attribute warriors. She unleashes sharp and indiscriminate attacks, akin to fire or wind. Especially, her swordsmanship, which emphasizes strength and speed, is..."
Raon explained to Jaina about Martha's current state of development and the flow of her swordsmanship. Although not perfect, it was sufficient to influence the outcome of battles.
"You..."
After hearing all of Martha's information, Jaina bit her lip.
"What are you thinking...?"
"What?"
"When I heard you called, I thought you might tell me to withdraw... Yet here you are, giving me information about Martha. What exactly are you thinking?"
"Don't read too much into it."
"Ugh..."
"Your answer?"
"I understand."
She lowered her gaze, her pride seemingly hurt.
"Why did I give you information about Martha..."
Raon's moonlit eyes gleamed with a slight reddish hue.
"Because humans need to face trials to become stronger."
"So you're forcibly creating trials?"
Jaina's lips trembled. Her expression conveyed her inability to understand.
"In a competition involving the pride of six factions?"
"Yes."
Raon nodded without hesitation.
"Even if you were to lose..."
"Still, it holds significance. There's a big difference between someone who knows defeat and someone who doesn't."
Thanks to Burren and Runaan's fight, where they brought out each other's abilities to the fullest, they had both grown. Raon hoped Martha would also grow through this competition.
Breaking Jaina, who recognizes her weaknesses, and defeating the third Prince would allow Martha to rise higher as well.
"I really can't understand..."
"I'm not expecting you to understand."
Raon lightly waved his hand, shaking the special contract.
"I've given you the information, so fight properly. If you fight half-heartedly and lose, this contract won't just stay put."
"Ugh..."
"What should I have you do? Shall I ask you to fetch Balkar's national treasure?"
"Dammit..."
Jaina clenched her fist while holding her mouth shut. It seemed like she didn't know how to handle being at the receiving end like this.
"Phew..."
After exhaling a sigh as if the ground had disappeared beneath her, she lifted her head. Still, being a direct descendant of the Kingdom, her emotional recovery was swift.
"So, with this, two of the commands will be erased?"
"Two commands?"
"You mentioned the deal between house Robert and Balkar, and you also told me about the command with Martha Zieghart tomorrow. That's two requests, right?"
"What are you misunderstanding?"
"Huh...?"
"I've never once mentioned a request or a command."
Raon smirked and unfolded the special contract. Inside, there were still three commands listed.
"Why..."
Jaina's pupils crumpled like a paper clenched in her hand.
"Yo-you told me to..."
"The content of the contract is a command. I asked you for a favor, I never issued any commands."
That was the truth. He merely showed her the contract and said to do it. He had never used the word "command" before.
"Selfish!"
She conjured mana as if she was about to pounce on him.
"You demon-like brat! You're an assassin, spouting nonsense! You're a demon that came from the Demon Realm!"
There are no such beings even in the Demon Realm...
Wrath acknowledged Jaina's words and shook his head.
"A demon from the Demon Realm? That's actually quite a compliment."
"The conversation is over."
Raon handed the special contract back to Dorian.
"Ugh..."
Dorian trembled as if scared and put the contract into his bag.
"Then, I'll rely on you for tomorrow."
Raon patted Jaina's shoulders, who was sulking in frustration, and left the training grounds.
"Son of a..."
When returning to her lodgings, Jaina's curses erupted like a storm from the training grounds.
"Is it, is it okay like that?"
Dorian looked back at the training grounds where Jaina's screams still echoed and gulped nervously.
"It's not like we're killing anyone. Besides, she started it first."
Despite being given a chance, Jaina had initiated a dispute twice. She hadn't shown any sign of remorse today either, so this would be a valuable lesson for her.
"Oh, speaking of which, Marta-ssi..."
"It's fine. She's so spoiled, we have to give in a little."
After Raon halted his steps, he raised his head to look at the darkening sky and smiled.
* * *
Derus Robert sat beside Martio's bedside, tapping his chin.
"Martio."
At his call, Martio's eyes, which had been closed as if dead, opened. Anger flickered in his sunken pupils for a moment, but quickly disappeared.
"...Yes."
Martio replied, enduring the pain that seemed to make him faint again. His voice was raspy, but his mind remained steady.
"Thoughts on Raon?"
"I, I didn't see everything up to the end, but until then, I didn't detect any movements of an assassin."
"Are you sure?"
Derus narrowed his eyes, studying Martio closely.
"Yes. The, the movements and demeanor up until then were typical of a swordsman emanating the distinct aura of a Zieghart."
Martio answered, his voice trembling as if in pain.
"While he did assume a posture similar to an assassin's, all his actions and stance were those of a s swordsman , things that other swordsman could do as well. I didn't see any inclination towards an assassin in him."
"What about him attacking you? What are your thoughts on that?"
"Hmm..."
Martio closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. This was an act of calming his mind to give an objective response, erasing emotions as an assassin would.
"As Raon claimed, the safest place in that location was the training ground. With Borini Kitten's strike aimed at his waist and having to erase Tacheon's magic, he had no leeway. It wasn't particularly strange to me that he swung his sword down right in front of me, considering the circumstances."
He explained that unlike Raon, he didn't find that action as odd. In fact, he considered it rather astute.
"Based on what I've seen so far, I don't believe there's any connection between Raon Zieghart and the recent events."
"Is that your judgment as someone who raised Raon?"
"Yes. It's an objective judgment, excluding emotions."
Martio nodded his head, enduring the excruciating pain that felt like his whole body was being torn apart.
"Understood. Rest."
"Ah, not so fa—"
As Derus began to rise, Regal, the butler in charge of his seat, spoke up.
"Would'nt you cancel your orders to the young master?"
Regal lowered his head as if expressing remorse.
"The Glenn Zieghart we've seen today clearly values Raon. If young master Cardis were to cut Raon Zieghart's arm, that could cause problems."
"I see. Glenn Zieghart seems to hold Raon in high regard, especially among the Light Wind squad."
"Well then..."
"In that case, we'll have to let it go."
Derus Robert chuckled and waved his hand.
"We can't miss this rare opportunity to gain insight into Glenn Zieghart's inner thoughts. We need to observe whether he genuinely values Raon or how he'll react if Raon loses an arm."
Despite his son's life being at stake, Derus still had a cold smile on his face.
Both Derus and Regal were confident that Cadis Robert would ultimately emerge victorious from the battle against Raon, even after watching the fight.
"It might be better to provoke Cadis even more than merely suppressing him. He's already quite irked as it is."
Derus looked out of the dim window, a chilling smile on his face. Since the spectators were constantly chanting Raon's name, Cadis Robert, despite his overwhelming victory, was receiving very little acclaim, aggravating him to the extreme.
"Give him a little more provocation."
"Understood."
Regal, who had been worried about Cadis, nodded emotionlessly in response to his master's command. Though divided into light and dark, both Martio and Regal were nothing more than puppets who unquestioningly followed Derus's words.
"Have you confirmed the magic obtained from Balkar?"
"Yes. It was exactly as requested."
Regal straightened up and nodded his head.
"Regardless of how much time it takes or how many hundreds may die, it doesn't matter."
A bloodthirsty desire flickered in Derus's eyes.
"Bring only the ancient treasures buried beneath."
* * *
Chirp, chirp.
Raon, who was sitting on the floor of the inn, opened his eyes at the clear sound of a bird. Nervously lifting his head, he found that it was the morning sun accompanied by the twittering of a bird, marking the beginning of the day.
'Not Merlin.'
Do I have to live my whole life on edge like this?
Not knowing when or where Merlin might appear, Raon couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
'Coward.'
Wrath laughed coldly, shaking his head.
Frightened to the point of trembling. Your courage is no greater than a bean.
Raon retorted, disliking Wrath's obsession and the cryptic words he was spouting.
"Frightened due to obsession, huh?"
Obsession?
Suddenly, Wrath, who had been murmuring, began to explain his trauma. To plant such a trauma, he couldn't be an ordinary demon.
"If you're frightened to this extent, they must be incredibly strong."
I'm not frightened! Are you saying I'd avoid feces because they're scary? Would I dodge them because they're dirty?
"That's true."
Raon smirked. Even in the Demon Realm, facing a lunatic wasn't the way to go; it was better to avoid them.
"Are they somewhat strong?"
It's just annoying. When the king was in the Demon Realm, he was the invincible demon king with the most powerful might...
Wrath, trembling with his obsession, suddenly started boasting about himself. His emotional fluctuations were as extreme as a true demon king's.
"Ugh."
Raon let out a sigh, half-listening to Wrath's boasting, and checked his physical condition. While the injury on his back and the swollen mana reservoir hadn't fully healed, there were no significant issues for him to fight. The sleepless night spent using his ring of fire and Ten thousand flames cultivation had been worthwhile.
People in the Demon Realm still miss the king, I'm sure. Why do you think they miss him? Right. The mighty power, like an ocean, that they miss...
"It just won't end."
Raon commented, not paying much attention to Wrath's ongoing self-praise. When he changed into his uniform, a message appeared before his eyes.
[Achieved Elemental Magic <Yin and Yang>.]
"Defeated a high-ranking expert while injured."
[Raised the grade of the trait <Mana Severing> by 2 levels.]
[Raised the Yin-Yang Energy.]
[Raised the grade of the trait <Elemental Interpretation>.]
[Raised all stats by 8 points.]
The rewards for defeating Tacheon's magic and Borini Kitten while injured had only appeared now. It felt like he had been waiting for his body and mind to recover somewhat.
"A two-level increase at once?"
Thanks to depleting Tacheon's chaos, the grade of <Mana Severing> had jumped to 3 stars in one go. Considering the increase in <Elemental Interpretation>, the rise in Yin-Yang Energy, and the fact that all his stats had increased by 8 points, the rewards for trading his magic seemed excessively generous.
Woong, woong!
The Blade of Requiem resonated as if expressing its approval.
What, what is this!
Wrath, who had been boasting about himself, suddenly gaped in disbelief.
Is this the reward given just for defeating that? What's the king supposed to do with such rewards! Just scraping the bottom of the barrel and giving it all away...
"You're supposedly one of the strongest in the Demon Realm as well."
Huh...
"If you're so burdened by receiving rewards of this level, aren't you weak?"
N-No, it's not that...
"To the merciful Demon King of Wrath, these rewards are merely a drop in the ocean. Isn't that right?"
Exactly! That's right!
Having boasted earlier, Wrath held back his tears and nodded his head. He was like a tree that generously gave even its bark.
Raon turned his head from the awkwardly smiling Wrath to the last part of the message.
"While the increase in stats is welcome, the improvement in abilities is a bit ambiguous."
It's not that great.
There's a battle coming up soon where I'll have to fight with all my might, so it was a bit disappointing that there was a discrepancy in my well-honed physique.
"Not really."
The next opponent is the Earth Dragon.
If the next battle he had to fight was against the Earth Dragon before trampling over Cadis, then the opponent was perfect for getting his reinforced body accustomed to his newfound strength.
"A strength battle sounds good."
Engaging in a strength battle against the Beast Union's best warrior, who possessed the strongest physique among the Six Kings, seemed quite interesting.
Raon put on his outerwear and looked out the window. Clutching his Heavenly Drive sword, he gazed at the sunbeams streaming in.
"Today is the day when Zieghart's name is hung highest among the Six Kings..."
Let's eat first before that. I can't sleep properly, and I feel empty because my stats are taken away by you.
Wrath rubbed his stomach with his eyes wide open.
'For heaven's sake, can't you read the mood…'
Raon sighed and shook his head.
