N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 314
Raon blinked and saw a squirrel on top of the drawer.
"The squirrel...?"
Am I dreaming?
Looking again, there was nothing special. Just an ordinary squirrel with no magical, mystical, or ominous aura. It was an unremarkable squirrel, and Raon couldn't believe that it had spoken.
"It's a bit embarrassing when you stare at me so blatantly."
The squirrel turned its head with a soft smile.
"Oh..."
Upon hearing the squirrel's casual tone, Raon's mouth fell open. It really wasn't a dream.
"What are you?"
"You called my name."
The squirrel blushed slightly, lowering its small hand.
Raon had never realized that a squirrel could change expressions so freely.
"It's been a while, Raon."
"Merlin..."
Raon bit his lip. Just as he had initially felt, the soul of Merlin was indeed within the squirrel.
"It excites me the most when you say my name with your voice."
Merlin ruffled her fur, or rather, attempted to. However, as she was currently in squirrel form, only the tail could be seen trembling.
That obsessed woman?
Wrath exclaimed, jumping back.
I knew she wasn't dead, but coming all the way here! She's truly an unbearable lunatic!
He shook his head in disbelief.
Ugh, the trauma is resurfacing.
Wrath clutched his head and collapsed onto the bed.
"If you knew she wasn't dead, you could've said something."
Raon furrowed his brow as he looked at the struggling Wrath.
"Why are you looking over there when I'm right here?"
Merlin sat on the drawer and flicked her finger. This time, she seemed to be feigning nonchalance, but only his fluffy tail was visible.
"Did you worry about me? How nice!"
"Ugh..."
A sigh escaped Raon's lips. It was clear that communicating with Merlin was difficult.
"How did you manage to survive?"
"Even rabbits dig holes to escape, so if a human wants to survive, they need at least one lifeline."
Merlin shrugged as if it were obvious.
"Still, I sacrificed a lot because of your grandfather."
Raon's expression turned bitter as she continued speaking. It ranged from happiness to regret. It was fascinating how the squirrel form allowed Merlin to display emotions so vividly.
"Is the snake helmet still alive?"
"the snake helmet is gone."
"Hmm..."
Merlin's tone was a bit off, but Raon nodded.
"Then, did you become this squirrel's form to survive?"
"No, my body is somewhere else. Why? do you want to see it?"
"Why would I want to?"
Raon sighed deeply, feeling tired already despite not having talked much.
"Then, what's this form?"
"I heard that the Six Kings Assembly is taking place, so I slowly used a method to place my consciousness in this squirrel. Neither this creature's body nor soul was disturbed, so no one can tell."
Without using mana or magic, without attacking using this squirrel, Merlin made everyone think it was just an ordinary squirrel.
"I didn't say I was going to the Six kings Assembly. Plus, the news about it being held in Owen only spread recently."
"I thought you'd attend and would involved in this Assembly. Just in case, I spread small animals that wouldn't arouse suspicion throughout the Six kings Assembly."
Merlin covered her mouth with a finger, grinning mischievously.
"Mad..."
Those were the only words that came out.
"This is a bit creepy..."
Not only had they predicted movements, but hearing about scattering small animals throughout the entire Six kings Assembly to be prepared for any situation sent shivers down their spine.
Ugh!
Wrath covered his ears as if he didn't want to hear. It seemed that he had also been tormented by such obsession before.
"So, what's the reason for coming to find me?"
"It's natural for family to be together."
Merlin smiled as if wondering why he was asking such a question.
"I wish I could hold you like I used to when you were there."
"Nonsense..."
“Then who do you think put you to bed? You even slept on my lap while you were wearing the mask.”
"Um..."
Honestly, he couldn't remember. He had been sitting in a chair, and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor.
"Forget about irrelevant things. Tell me honestly. Why did you come?"
"Because I was worried about you."
Merlin's excited voice lowered for the first time.
"You don't need to worry when the Lord, who could easily defeat your leader, is by my side..."
"Tacheon is targeting you."
When he tried to mention Glenn's story, Merlin interrupted him.
"Tacheon is targeting me?"
Raon frowned at Merlin.
"Is it because of me that the Lord came and caused catastrophic damage to Eden?"
"No."
Merlin shook her head firmly. In her squirrel form, she was gradually adapting.
"Because of your future."
"The future?"
"Tacheon thinks you'll become the greatest threat to Eden's in the future and wants to kill you during this opportunity."
"This opportunity?"
"He is using up a lot of his power in various ways, so he won't be able to move freely as he wish."
She began to smile, reassuring that everything would be fine if he could endure this time.
"I don't know when they'll strike during the meeting. It won't be when the leaders of the Six kings Assembly, like your grandfather, are nearby."
That made sense. Even if Tacheon aimed secretly, he couldn't escape Glenn's watchful eyes.
"You used an animal's body to convey that information?"
Raon pointed at the squirrel-form Merlin and narrowed his eyes.
"Of course."
Merlin patted her head, nodding.
"Hmm..."
Raon bit his lip.
'What do I say to this?'
Even when Merlin had gone all out to stop the White Blood Religion and Eden, he had thought Merlin was crazy. But he hadn't imagined that it would go to this extent, revealing information like this.
He felt sorry for understanding why she was going to such lengths.
"By the way, there's one more thing."
Merlin raised a finger.
"I heard this on the way here. Derus Robert mentioned your name."
"What?"
"Derus mentioned your name twice with a strange look in his eyes, and it bothered me. So, I pretended to approach coincidentally and your name came up twice. Raon and Raon Zieghart. Isn't that a bit odd?"
"What happened after that?"
"I couldn't hear because of the interference. If I got closer, this body would have been torn apart."
She said she should have enhanced the squirrel's hearing a bit.
"Raon and Raon Zieghart. Twice...?'
Raon swallowed dryly.
'No way.'
It's not common for someone's name to be mentioned twice in one sentence.
Furthermore, the words "Raon" and "Raon Zieghart" made alarm bells ring in his head.
'Could it be?'
It was an absurd thought, but among the predictions that came to mind through Merlin's words, this seemed the most probable.
'Let's think.'
How many times have I assassinated?
The first time was when I aimed for the green war demon's back, but no outsider saw it. The second time was when I struck down the Fourth Apostle, and many people witnessed it.
'Just that isn't enough to recognize me.'
As a precaution, he didn't use assassination techniques learned from the Robert family. Instead, he used assassination techniques based on his swordsmanship, which he had learned up until now.
The level of the people there wouldn't have been enough to notice.
'That means he doesn't have complete certainty.'
If he was confident when he met Derus, he would have asked probing questions. Based on the situation so far, Derus' suspicion wasn't that great.
'Now I get it.'
The reason Derus' gaze was strange when they first met wasn't due to the matter of the house Yonaan, but because he suspected that he was the reincarnation of Raon.
'Why would he be suspicious? he's not a crazy person who comparing me to someone else just because the same name.'
No matter how much he thought, he couldn't figure out why Derus would suspect him as the reincarnation of Raon.
'No, that's not important now.'
He had to think of a way to avoid Derus' suspicion.
Hoo...
Raon exhaled all the oxygen in his lungs and closed his eyes.
'What actions would a suspicious Derus take?'
It was obvious. He would ask Martio to check if there were any traces of an assassin left on me.
Martio was Derus' right-hand man who brainwashed him and trained him as an assassin. He was also a priest of the forbidden land.
It was clear that he would observe his every move and check for traces of the assassin.
'It's meaningless, though.'
Raon bit his lip and smiled coldly.
'I've already erased everything.'
After realizing he was an assassin, Raon had erased any possible actions or movements an assassin might take so that no traces would remain.
Thanks to Sylvia, he even managed to change his mindset from an assassin to a swordsman. Even if Martio was a trainer who personally brainwashed him and taught him assassination techniques, he would never be able to tell.
'But just in case.'
In his mind, he drew a plan for how he would move forward. After checking various movements in different directions using his body, he nodded.
"Are you done thinking?"
Merlin, who had been nibbling on the drawer, smiled awkwardly. It seemed she couldn't completely control the squirrel's instincts.
"Yes. Thank you."
Raon bowed his head to Merlin. Despite the misunderstanding caused by her, he had received a great deal of help. He sincerely expressed his gratitude.
"In a family, you don't say things like that."
Merlin repeated Sylvia's words from some time ago. It pained his heart.
"You don't need to say such things."
She came down from the drawer and placed her small hand on top of his hand. He could feel the warmth from her tiny fingers.
"...."
For a brief moment, he thought about using Merlin in this way. Using the one-sided affection of a Grandmaster level magician could be a significant advantage for his future endeavors.
'No, no.'
Raon slapped his own cheek forcefully. The sound of his skin being torn reverberated through the quiet room.
"Raon?"
Have you gone mad now too?
Both Merlin and Wrath blinked their eyes.
'Right. That's a crazy idea.'
If he used someone like Merlin like that, he wouldn't be much different from Derus Robert, who sought revenge.
Even though he was an enemy, he shouldn't mock someone's life as he had been mocked.
"I'll say it again. Thank you for giving me the information. But I'm not your family member, Rockta Deport. His soul has been absorbed by me."
Raon looked at Merlin and honestly explained what had happened in the mental realm.
"He's no longer in this world. I'm not your enemy, nor am I someone you should help."
"Did Rockta say anything in his last moments?"
"He... he said..."
Raon closed his eyes. Rockta's last words were still in his memory. They weren't anything particularly special, but he would never forget them.
"He was worried about you. He said you have sins, but there are reasons behind those sins."
"Right, I see..."
Raon waited for resentment to return to Merlin, but she remained silent for a long time.
"Raon. You are indeed Rockta."
Merlin grinned. It was the expression a sunflower seed-eating squirrel might make if it were overfed.
"Rockta wouldn't do anything shameful since he was a knight."
"I'm not Rockta!"
"I said it before. As long as Rockta's spirit is within you, you are Rockta."
"I am Raon Zieghart."
"I'll call you by that name. Raon."
"Ugh..."
Raon bit his lip. He thought things were getting better, but now the irritations were resurfacing.
"My love can be one-sided. Like I said, that's what family is."
"I'm not your family..."
"Oh, it seems time is running out."
Merlin's voice trembled, and the squirrel's fur stood on end.
"I can't let this connection continue for too long, or it'll burden this little one. I hope you survive this time as well."
She smiled one last time and waved her hand. She looked like an adorable squirrel, but it felt like seeing Merlin's actual farewell.
"When I'm gone, make sure to feed this little one. That was the deal."
As her last words ended, the squirrel's pupils cleared.
Click.
The squirrel, who had regained its senses, stared at himself for a moment and then hid in a corner of the bed.
This is a crazy obsession. It was terrifying…
Wrath trembled as he looked at the spot where Merlin had been on top of the drawer.
'Maybe it is.'
"Why are there only crazy people around you?"
'Hmm...'
Raon couldn't bring himself to say that he found Merlin the "most peculiar."
As he reached his hand under the bed to call the squirrel that had gone underneath, he heard a knocking sound from outside.
"Young master! Why aren't you coming? It's our turn to enter!"
It was Dorian's urgent voice.
"Dorian, come in for a moment."
"Yes?"
He opened the door and entered.
"Do you happen to have any nuts?"
"Of course, what kind do you want? Peanuts? Almonds? Walnuts? Dezz nuts?(just kidding) Pistachios? Sunflower seeds? Pine nuts? Pumpkin seeds? Cashews? I have them all."
It had been a while, but Dorian was still incredibly well-prepared.
"Just sunflower seeds and peanuts."
"Yes!"
Dorian nodded and handed him a cylindrical container filled with nuts from his pocket. He gave Raon sunflower seeds and peanuts from it.
"Come out."
When Raon slowly handed peanuts and sunflower seeds under the bed, the squirrel came out, nibbling on them one by one. It then carefully moved out from under the bed.
"Wait, why is a squirrel here?"
"It's hungry."
Raon laughed wryly and placed the squirrel, along with the sunflower seeds, on his palm into the bag filled with nuts. Afterward, he lifted the squirrel onto the windowsill. The creature looked back for a moment, twitched its head, and then disappeared in the direction of the garden.
Raon briefly watched the setting sun and put on his coat.
"Let's go."
* * *
Following Dorian toward the banquet hall, they found no one else around. Only the Zieghart swordsmen were waiting at the door.
"As expected, we were the last ones."
Normally, the lower-ranking individuals and juniors entered the banquet hall first, which meant that the Zieghart group would be the last to enter.
"Hey, Raon. Have you grown taller? You're making me wait."
Rimmer approached with a playful step, and Raon furrowed his brows in response.
"How dare a junior keep a senior waiting... Ugh!"
"You were deliberately delaying."
Before he could pick a fight, Sheryl slapped Rimmer's side, making him step aside.
"Raon, is something wrong?"
Runaan came closer and tilted his head, grinning.
"No, nothing happened."
Raon smiled faintly and shook his head. It was a troubling matter, but it wasn't something he could discuss with just anyone.
"My lord, everyone is here."
As Sheryl bowed toward the right waiting room, the door opened, revealing Glenn. He wasn't dressed in formal attire but his usual uniform, and it suited him even better.
"Let's go."
He glanced briefly in their direction, narrowing his eyes slightly before nodding gently.
"Yes!"
Led by Sheryl, the Zieghart swordsmen answered and followed Glenn, standing in line outside the banquet hall.
"Welcome the heroes of Zieghart."
As the knights guarding the entrance lowered their lances, the doors to the banquet hall swung open. Simultaneously, the grand announcement of the socialites within swept through the hall.
[Lord Glenn Zieghart, the King of the Northern ruler, and the Heroes of Zieghart are entering!]
The bustling atmosphere of the banquet hall instantly quieted down, and all eyes turned in their direction.
"That man is lorf Glenn Zieghart of the Northern ruler."
"Wait, are you serious? Who has that kind of presence...?"
"Ugh, I can't breathe."
"Was it true that he single-handedly overwhelmed the White Blood religion leader and the Tacheon?"
"He's even more impressive than before. I can't even see properly..."
Those who faced Glenn were overwhelmed by his aura, unable to lift their gazes or even look directly at him, trembling in awe.
"He's terrifying."
Normally, the strong would somewhat restrain their own power, but Glenn had a nature of revealing his strength, which made everyone's faces pale.
"This is good."
Raon sensed the subdued atmosphere and chuckled softly.
"No one pays attention to me."
With Glen drawing all the attention, there was no need for him to forcibly hide his presence. This way, he felt that he could achieve his purpose in this place comfortably.
"Please come this way."
As the host of the event, King Leckros, who was already seated at the table, smiled and gestured towards an empty seat beside him. Derus was already sitting to his left.
Raon pretended to look at Glenn's back as he ascended to the podium and glanced at Derus, their eyes meeting.
Derus smiled again as if he was seeing him again. Seeing his feigned smile, his head began to heat up again with anger.
"That fool..."
Wrath, feeling the boiling anger within him, furrowed his brow.
"Don't worry."
It's fine now.
Using the ring of fire to quell the anger that was surging up, Raon composed himself. He smiled at Derus with a carefree expression, bowing his head slightly.
As he raised his head, he could see a slight stiffening in Derus' expression.
Maintaining a natural expression, he glanced at the two attendants behind him.
"Right side, huh?"
The old attendant on the left was responsible for various tasks, and the middle-aged attendant on the right, who had a friendly appearance, was clearly Martio, the one who held the real power behind the scenes.
"That's how the world works when you don't know."
Thanks to the unexpected variable known as Merlin, it was not the other side but this side that was being tested.
Raon turned his back to them, giving them a chilling smile.
"It's been a while, Instructor."
