N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 333
Raon looked at Ogram, who was standing behind without receiving the Black Dragon Robe.
"Can I hear about the bet you made with head of house?"
"Well, it's not that difficult."
Ogram nodded, casually draping the Black Dragon Robe over his shoulder. Despite his nonchalant demeanor, he exuded an air of confidence that was almost unsettling.
"I started it. I scoffed at you, calling you a cocky little brat who would lose quickly."
From the perspective of the Beast Alliance, which values physical strength, it wasn't strange to think that way, so Raon shrugged.
"Back then, your head of house chimed in. Not just you, but the other Zieghart youngsters as well, said they wouldn't submit to the Alliance's children."
"Ah..."
Raon's eyes widened as he looked at Glenn. He didn't expect Glenn to pay any attention to such provocations, but he was surprised.
"Ahem."
Glenn cleared his throat as if he wasn't particularly interested, then turned his head and took a sip of wine.
"That's when the idea of making a bet came up. I bet you the Elixirs I gave you, and he bet..."
Ogram raised his finger and pointed at the True Heavenly Sword hanging from Glenn's waist.
"...bet that sword."
"The True Heavenly Sword?"
Raon's eyes widened as he looked at the True Heavenly Sword along Ogram's finger.
'He bet the sword...'
The True Heavenly Sword was a symbol of Glenn Zieghart. Raon couldn't believe that he had bet that sword in a small competition, and for the sake of the Light Wind squad at that.
"The head of house..."
"Betting the True Heavenly Sword for our sake..."
Burren and Martha clasped their hands together, looking at Glenn.
"Thank you!"
"Head of house! Thank you for believing in us!"
The other Light Wind squad members also bowed their heads to Glenn. Their expressions seemed almost teary-eyed when lightly prodded.
"Thank you."
Raon also bowed his head, clasping his hands together and nodding at Glenn.
"It was just a light-hearted competition."
Glenn waved his hand indifferently, his expression unchanged.
'It seems like he's starting to trust us a bit.'
He said it was lighthearted, but a swordsman only bets their sword when they're confident. Raon's heart raced at the thought that the Light Wind squad had gained Glenn's trust.
Shouldn't you keep the king's trust as well?
Wrath floated up with a pout, pushing his face up. He pointed at his sunken cheek with a frustrated expression.
'I'll give you plenty to eat later, so for now, get lost!'
Ugh!
Raon swatted Wrath away with the back of his hand and looked at Ogram.
"Will you continue?"
"I bet a cherished possession from my side, and I couldn't just let it go. I swore to give the elixirs all of you and bet on this Black Dragon Robe as well."
Ogram spoke with a light tone, as if it was no big deal.
"As you all know, the results are that the Expert level contender, the slightly crazy kid, and the Master level contender, you, won. It was an undeniable, perfect defeat with no excuses anywhere."
He maintained his cheerful smile even as he admitted defeat.
"The elixirs will be given to all of you, and I didn't say I'd give the Black Dragon Robe to anyone separately, so I want to give it to you, the one who pleases me."
Ogram lifted the Black Dragon Robe, which had been draped over his shoulder, and handed it forward.
"The Black Dragon Robe is a coat made of Black Dragon scales. Are you really give it to me?"
"Black Dragon Coat" is an indestructible coat made from the scales of a real dragon, not from a young dragon or a hatchling. Although it appears to be an ordinary black coat on the surface, it was a treasure among treasures, made entirely from the scales of a true dragon, both on the outside and inside.
"If I make a promise, you should keep it. The Beast Tribe doesn't speak with forked tongues."
He nodded as if it were obvious and waved his hand as if to say, "Hurry up and take it."
"Hmm..."
Rather than taking it immediately, Raon looked at Glenn. He nodded as if to say, "Do whatever you want."
"Well, I'll give it, but it might be difficult for you to wear it in your current state."
"What? What does that mean..."
"This thing was made with that beautiful lady over there, so it points to the owner."
Ogram frowned and looked at the podium. Chamber, who was eating chocolate with his black-stained hand, smiled and waved his hand.
"Since it's quite a temperamental item, you'll have to overcome some barriers to handle it properly."
Ogram approached and personally put the coat over the formal attire.
"It's a bit long..."
Despite being on the tall side himself, the coat Ogram was wearing, which was nearly 2 meters and 30 centimeters long, dragged on the ground.
Woong woong woong!
Just as he was debating whether to cut it, the Black Dragon Coat trembled and shrank like a wet cloth, adjusting to his height. Its appearance also transformed from a rugged shape that resembled a windbreaker to a noble and elegant form that suited his current attire.
"It feels like it's clinging to my body."
There was no discomfort in moving as if he was wearing tailor-made clothing. It fit so well on top of the formal attire that he hardly felt he was wearing the Black Dragon Coat.
"This is unexpected."
Ogram commented while stroking his beard as he observed the sight.
"it's not fully accepted you as the owner yet, but Iit has acknowledged your existence."
"What does that mean?"
"It means it see you as a future owner."
He also patted his shoulder, saying he's impressive.
"Does the Black Dragon Coat have its own consciousness?"
"It's not that grand."
Ogram shook his head.
"It's more about whether it lends its power by acknowledging the owner or not."
He stared at the Black Dragon Coat with a peculiar gaze and stepped forward.
"Lending power..."
Hearing the words, he felt that the Black Dragon Coat possessed a special power akin to the Soul Sword.
"As for the Black Dragon Coat, let's move on. Have you gotten married by any chance?"
Ogram approached and pushed his face closer. His eyes explored his face and surroundings with a probing gaze.
"Uh..."
Raon's mouth hung open.
"Is that all?"
He was an incredibly composed person, considering that he handed over the Black Dragon Coat, a name spread throughout the continent, without showing any hesitation.
"...No."
Although the question was sudden, he immediately nodded.
"Are you in a relationship?"
"No."
"Good!"
Ogram laughed heartily and patted his shoulder.
"Then how about meeting my daughter? She's cute and petite."
"Well..."
That phrase about her being petite somehow bothered him.
"Monna's quite petite, isn't she?"
Upon hearing the deep voice behind him, Raon turned his head. Garona was approaching with a slight smile.
"Wasn't he around this size when I last saw him?"
Garona raised her hand to the lower part of her chin as if comparing.
'Is that considered petite?'
About 6'3"?
Garona's physique wasn't any less impressive than Ogram's. Her chin was higher than her own brow, so even considering it lower, she'd still be around 6'3".
Whether a woman's tall or short, 6'3" couldn't be considered petite.
"If you marry Monna, you'll become a real brother to me! Well, you already are a real one!"
"Right. You were a brother to me and your bunch! If Monna's happy, that'd be a great connection!"
Blocking the path ahead and behind, Garona and Ogram erupted into hearty laughter that echoed painfully in Raon's ears.
"Hmm..."
Though there was a formidable pressure emanating from these 6'6" giants, he had something to say. He still had a goal he needed to achieve even if it meant putting his life on the line, so he wasn't considering forming any alliance through marriage just yet.
"I don't have any intentions of getting married..."
"Hehe! Who's rejecting whom?"
Just as Raon was about to decline, Chamber appeared out of thin air.
"We have some good candidates on our side too!"
Tapping her staff lightly on the ground, Princess Jaina, who had been far away, suddenly popped up in front of them.
"Eek!"
Startled, Jaina dropped the fork she had been holding and let out a scream.
"Our Jaina is good-looking, comes from a good background, has great skills. Her personality is slightly... well, just a bit prickly, but that's also her charm."
Chamber continued to shower Jaina with praise, regardless of whether she was flustered or not.
"Ugh..."
Jaina's face turned bright red as she locked eyes with Raon and immediately turned her head away.
Raon chuckled at the mix of anger and embarrassment on Jaina's face.
"Oh?"
Chamber alternated her gaze between Jaina and Raon, her mouth forming a round shape.
"What's going on here? What is this? Have you two already done something?"
"Not at all."
Quickly intervening, Raon waved his hand to dispel the misunderstanding.
Given his knowledge of Jaina's nature, he knew that even if others didn't, he could never establish a good relationship with her.
'Even if the sky were to fall, I wouldn't end up with that cheeky one.'
You cheeky one! Let's grab a meal!
* * *
"The more I see him, the more interesting he becomes."
King Leckros looked at Raon, who could hold his own in conversations with both Ogram and Chamber, and wore a kind smile.
"Not intimidated by the strong but compassionate toward the weak. It's a rare trait these days. I understand why you're putting up with this young one's antics."
"Well, I was a bit different from others even when I was young."
Glenn slightly rolled his eyes and nodded at King Leckros.
"It seems you found pleasure in watching from the sidelines."
"I wasn't particularly interested."
He waved his hand as if he didn't know what Glenn was talking about.
"Is that so? What a shame."
King Leckros let out a sigh of regret for not hearing about Raon's childhood.
"Cough."
After a brief few seconds of silence, Glenn cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
"The first time that boy showed his mettle was during his time as a trainee. He had a rather unfavorable constitution back then, but during his first training, he didn't fall and persevered to the end…"
Sheryl looked at Glenn, who brought up Raon's story, with her mouth agape.
"From there?"
It wasn't from a somewhat later point in his growth, but rather from his time as a trainee, it seemed like Glenn was about to recount Raon's entire story.
I wanted to tell him to start from a bit more impactful achievement, but I couldn't stop him.
"Your expression is too bright."
Glenn's expression while talking about Raon's childhood was so joyful that she couldn't stop him.
"Moreover…"
Perhaps due to the positive image of Raon, even King Leckros seemed interested in his story.
"...So, from there, Raon confidently won his first real duel."
"Ah, he's been showing his potential from a young age. Well, after our third son came back from Zieghart, he praised Raon."
"There's more after that. Just as he was recognized as a trainee and was about to start proper training, Martha…"
Glenn was about to transition into Raon's time as a trainee when Derus slowly ascended the steps.
"Hmm..."
Glenn paused, calling out to Derus.
"How's the state of the Blue Sword?"
"The diagnosis is the same. There might be some lingering effects."
Derus raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly.
"Hmm..."
King Leckros frowned.
"I can't just stand by when something happens in our kingdom. If there's anything I can do to help..."
"No, that won't be necessary."
Derus gently shook his head.
"We all know that raising Cardis' survival chances was a necessary step."
"Is it really okay?"
Glenn narrowed his eyes at Derus, a slight glint in his eyes as if indicating that he would help if necessary.
"Don't worry. I have a few ideas on how to fix it. Cardis will have learned something from this incident as well, so I'm satisfied."
Derus smiled lightly, mentioning that he would have to leave immediately to fix Cardis' arm.
"You're still the same."
"Impressive."
Glenn and King Leckros admired Derus, who genuinely cared for his son.
"Wow..."
"As expected of Lord Derus."
"Such a compassionate person is truly rare in this world."
"It's not for nothing that the Southern region is peaceful."
Others in the banquet hall also shimmered with excitement upon hearing Derus' words.
"Let's stop the gloomy talk."
Derus clapped his hands and raised a glass of wine.
"It's not easy for us all to gather like this, so how about a toast for the first time?"
As he raised his glass, Glenn and King Leckros followed suit.
"Oh, count me in!"
Chamber suddenly appeared and levitated a cup of juice.
"Are you guys just going to have fun without me?"
Ogram also leaped onto the stage, raising a beer mug.
Five glasses clinked, reflecting in the eyes of the six leaders standing beneath. Their expressions appeared calm, but there was a depth to Derus' eyes like an abyss.
"Wow!"
"Long live the Six Kings !"
"Let's continue to work together!"
The crowd in the banquet hall applauded and cheered, unaware of the truth behind the scene. Except for one person. One person who saw through the façade.
Seeing Derus shake hands with the people amidst the cheers, Raon smiled.
"I'm getting worked up."
Really worked up.
With the failure of the plan involving Cardis, Zieghart's name had risen to the skies, and the worst-case scenario had unfolded for Cardis, burdening him with injuries.
Despite his peaceful appearance, he must have been burning inside, wanting to flip this place upside down.
"Derus Robert."
Indeed, he was an incredible person.
To outwardly display such a compassionate smile while harboring so much anger within—it was hard not to acknowledge him, even if he was an enemy. His patience was embarrassing when compared to Cardis.
"However..."
The next one would be unbearable, right?
A reddish gleam flashed in Raon's eyes as he looked at Derus.
"Because the treasure in the underwater dungeon you cherished so much will disappear."
