N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 339
Raon and Dorian emerged from the secret passage and climbed up to a hill that overlooked the orphanage.
"I really thought we were going to die," Dorian said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and shivering.
"I must have been too tense; my head feels numb," he added.
Dorian's pupils were dilated, probably from the strain of protecting the children.
"Apply some medicine to any wounds. If we don't treat them quickly, they might leave scars," Raon suggested, taking off his coat and gesturing.
"Oh, right."
Dorian nodded and took a white medicine box from his bag. He retrieved disinfectant, wound ointment, and bruise medicine from the box and laid them on the ground.
"Let's start with your wound first, young master."
"But I'm not injured?"
"What?"
Dorian's mouth dropped open.
"You fought against a Master level there."
"I finished him off quickly."
Raon tapped his waist where his sword was.
"Even though he's an intermediate master, you make it sound so easy."
"Yeah."
"And without leaving a trace?"
"That's right."
Dorian sighed in disbelief.
It wasn't unreasonable for Dorian to be skeptical. He was currently at the level of an intermediate master. Even though he was close to advanced, it wasn't easy to take on an intermediate opponent.
'But...'
It was possible.
His actual strength surpassed advanced, and he knew Lisbon's movements, so capturing him wasn't that difficult.
"Phew..."
Dorian sighed as if he couldn't believe it.
"Every time I talk to young master, it feels like common sense goes out the window," he said, shaking his head and starting to apply medicine to his wounds.
Hmph!
Wrath let out a disdainful snort, as if he didn't like what Dorian, whom he considered a subordinate, was saying. Dorian often felt this way, but it was narrower in scope than being deceived by the Demon Lord.
"Just stay ordinary. It's nothing special."
He nodded, as it wasn't entirely incorrect.
"If that's ordinary, then I should be dead."
Dorian closed the medicine cap with a mournful expression.
"I've said it before. Everyone has their own strengths," Raon chuckled and buried his blood-soaked coat in the ground before quickly burning it to avoid any traces.
After erasing all traces of the burned coat, he pulled out two booklets from his pocket.
"An unexpected loot."
These two booklets contained the names of the officials - Balkar Kingdom, Owen Kingdom, and Cameloon city - who had dealings with the orphanage.
There wasn't enough evidence to bring down Derus yet, but these names would be helpful in exposing his true identity in the future.
"And..."
This is the real deal.
Raon took a blue bead from his pocket. Inside the bead was a small stick carved with symbols.
"He had this artifact hidden there."
This bead was one of the ancient relics that could enhance the power of water-type mana just by having it. It might be lower-tier, but the presence of Glacier energy was unmistakable.
"It seems unchanged."
Derus Robert had been diligent in his search for this artifact, to the extent of creating a separate investigation team. He might have been here as a lower-tier figure, but anyone above that was under his direct supervision.
"I'll put it to good use."
Raon said as he tucked the bead away, sending a mocking glance to the deceased Lisbon.
When all traces on the hill were neatly cleared, knights and children began to emerge from the entrance of the orphanage.
"Young master!"
Dorian, who had treated his wounds, bit his lip as he looked down.
"Yes."
Raon nodded and examined the children's faces. At the front was Pine, who had a hint of anxiety but also a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.
"Look! The kids are holding my snacks!"
Dorian pointed to the snacks and candies the children were holding. They were Pine's favorite treats, and despite sharing them with everyone, he looked incredibly happy.
"Good job."
Raon patted Dorian on the shoulder. In truth, it was someone else's business, but he was grateful that Dorian had given his all to help.
"They're coming out."
The last person to come out of the orphanage was Borini Kitten, and he had a complex expression on his face.
"I'm sorry. And please."
Honestly, Raon didn't want to involve Borini Kitten, but there was no one else here who could take care of the child.
"Will you able to cure them?"
Dorian sighed softly as he watched the children walking slowly. His voice sounded moist, as if he might be shedding tears.
Of course!
Wrath nodded vigorously.
If it doesn't work, the Demon Lord will find a way to solve it no matter what! Don't worry!
They were among the most compassionate people around, so they understood well. Raon wanted to make sure they could meet.
"Yeah. I'll treat him no matter what," Raon nodded at Dorian and Wrath one after the other.
"I promised to find their names," he added, nodding as he saw the children's expressions brighten a bit. Brainwashing hadn't fully taken hold since there hadn't been a struggle that killed their only friend.
With the current Frederick, he should be able to treat those children for sure.
'Now, Derus should have received the signal,' he thought.
He couldn't trust Derus, even if he was a loyal servant. If he had implanted a Rage Worm in Lisbon, by now, he would have found out about his death.
'That kind of person.'
Dealing with doubt like a true human, Derus would probably come here to confirm all traces himself.
That's when he was waiting for.
'While you waste time here...,' a chilly determination flashed in Raon's eyes.
I'll take your treasure.
***
The territory of Duke Babirun, one of the pillars of the Balkar Kingdom. In the center of that massive space, a soft and pure melody flowed from the banquet hall.
Derus was having a casual drink with theBabirun Duke in that banquet hall.
"You let the one who cut your son's arm go just like that. You truly are generous," theBabirun Duke smiled as he poured Lunatic, a wine as precious as gold.
"It's not like I did it on purpose."
Derus smiled, looking benevolent, and nodded his head.
"Well, the boy did have a strong spirit, and he's still young. The biggest problem is that my own son couldn't handle it," he said, subtly criticizing Raon and displaying his own generosity.
"That's quite impressive. If it were me, I would have cut off that boy Raon's arm the same way!" The duke declared proudly.
TheBabirun Duke frowned, regretting that he wasn't present at that moment.
"To see a young lad already so intoxicated by his reputation, swinging a sword recklessly like that, he won't last long," the Duke commented.
"Please refrain from such remarks..."
"It's because I'm angry! Blue Sword is no ordinary talent, and to cut an arm so brutally! He's a wild one!"
"Instead, U can enjoy a pleasant conversation with the Duke here," Derus said with a sly smile, patting theBabirun Duke's shoulder.
"Hehe, indeed. It's an honor."
TheBabirun Duke lowered his head slightly and pursed his lips.
"We will take responsibility for Blue Sword's shoulder and ensure that it returns to normal. Our research in healing magic should definitely show results."
If the Babirun's magicians were saying this, it meant that although it would take time, they could certainly heal him.
"Thank you."
"I only hope that the relationship between the Roberts andBabirun can continue to be good."
"Of course..."
Derus nodded to theBabirun Duke but then suddenly stopped.
'Rage Worm?'
A moment ago, he had felt a tremor in his own head, where the Rage Worm was implanted. Intuitively, it seemed like the Rage Worm he had placed in Lisbon had died.
In this era, there was no known way to remove a Rage Worm. The fact that the Rage Worm had died meant that there might be a problem with Lisbon, who managed Sector 9.
"What's going on all of a sudden...?"
Sector 9 was where they raised children who hadn't earned the title of Shadow yet. It was hard to believe that something unusual had happened there, especially since it was being carefully managed.
Tsk.
Derus subtly bit his tongue without making a sound and sent a message to his steward, Regal.
[Regal.]
-Yes, my lord.
Regal responded through the aura message without any sign of movement.
[Check the status of Sector 9 and come back.]
-Yes.
He didn't question the sudden order. He quietly withdrew and went outside the banquet hall.
"Balkar and Roberts. No, Babirun and Roberts will continue to be friends in the future," Derus smiled as if nothing had happened, clinking glasses with the Babirun Duke.
Clang.
While the glasses rang out with cheerful toasts, a strange chill crept into his heart.
***
After finishing the banquet, Derus headed to the separate building provided by the Duke as his residence. Regal was already waiting at the entrance, having gathered information.
"What happened?"
"Th-the problem has arisen."
Regal's voice, surprisingly, was trembling greatly.
"The communication with Sector 9 couldn't be established."
"That can't be the end of it."
Derus glared at Regal with cold eyes.
"Yes. I ordered a nearby Shadow to check the Sector. But...," Regal paused and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Knights from the Owen Kingdom have come out of Sector 9."
"Owen? Why on earth are they there!"
"We haven't figured that out yet. But it's reported that Borini Kitten and the Silver Knights left sector 9 with the children."
"What is this...?"
Derus Robert's lips trembled.
"What about Cabel and Lisbon?"
"There is not a single shadow left alive in the orphanage. In contrast, all the children are reported to have survived."
Regal bowed his head apologetically.
"Does this make sense?"
Lisbon and Cabel could be killed. But they would never just die. According to their training, they should have blown up the entire orphanage to erase all evidence and children, but it seemed that they couldn't even do that and died in vain.
"There are shadows in the Kingdom of Owen too! Is there no report?"
"B, Borini Kitten took only his close associates from the silver knights. Because he did not inform where he was going, there was no information at all…"
"..."
Derus didn't say anything.
"When did the attack happen?"
"It was tonight."
"So the struggle ceremony was not held?"
"Yes. All the children there are alive."
Regal bit his lip and lowered his eyes.
"Ha."
Derus let out a bitter laugh.
"Hahaha!"
Rarely, he chuckled with a disdainful laugh, sweeping his hair back. After laughing heartily for a while, he gripped the table.
Zzziiing!
In an instant, the golden table and the surrounding knick-knacks, all made of metal, turned into dust and scattered.
"Investigate. Find out what happened, who intervened. Everything."
Derus's expression remained unchanged from when he was in the banquet hall, but his eye seemed to have dried up, becoming dry and void of moisture.
"If you can't find it, tell them I'll cut off the necks of all the pigs buried in Owen and Cameloon."
* * *
Raon arrived in the city of Motrun in the south with Dorian.
This city served as a crossroads between the Sepia Commerce Association to the west and house Robert to the south.
"Now that we're here... I'm starting to feel a bit nervous."
Dorian sighed as he unpacked his luggage.
"If you want, we can turn back now. I'm worried about the kids..."
"No, we can't."
Raon grabbed Dorian's shoulder as he tried to run away and pushed him back.
"Ugh..."
Dorian slumped to the ground and sighed.
"Is this really the right thing to do?"
Raon didn't answer right away, considering the situation. Finally, he spoke.
"Think about it this way. We can't leave you to be mistreated at home. And I don't want you to show them any weakness either."
Dorian seemed surprised by this perspective.
"But don't worry. I'm the Vice-Leader of the Light Wind squad, and I have nicknames like the White Dragon and the strongest among young masters. They won't dare to treat you lightly."
Dorian, still uncertain, mumbled, "I see... Well, that's true. And with the nickname of the White Dragon..."
Raon reassured him, "Don't worry. We'll handle it. I'll make sure they understand you're off-limits."
Dorian nodded, feeling somewhat reassured.
"You stay here to manage the supplies. I need to go on a mission for a few days."
Dorian looked puzzled. "Where are you going?"
"To make sure they don't touch the children."
Raon's eyes turned cold.
"I, I'd help if I could!"Dorian followed, eager to rescue the children.
"No, this is something I have to do alone.
"Entering the underwater dungeon held a high chance of encountering someone like Martio, an equivalent-ranking officer. Taking Dorian along would be akin to suicide in this unpredictable mission.
"Ugh, alright..."
Dorian lowered his head in disappointment.
"However, there's something you can do."
"W-What is it?"
"Do you happen to have a spatial pocket?"
"Of course!"
Dorian nodded vigorously and retrieved a spatial pocket from his bag.
"But it can only hold so much. The compression rate is only tenfold."
"Hmm..."
Raon considered Dorian's spatial pocket and his own backpack.
"Normally, this should do."
The value of a spatial pocket varied based on its compression rate. Even wealthy individuals or prominent warriors had limitations on their spatial pockets, but Dorian's backpack had no such restrictions.
"For now, pick something as a gift for the squad leader."
"Well, our family's general store has everything..."
"That's enough. Just pick something."
Raon pressed Dorian's shoulders as if threatening him.
"Uh, alright..."
Dorian nodded hesitantly.
"I'll be off then."
Raon smirked, opened the door of the lodgings, but turned back.
"...Do you happen to have parsley?"
* * *
Raon left immediately for the house Robert after departing from Motran.
Where are you going?
Wrath raised an eyebrow as if finding it strange.
'You'll find out when I get there.'
Hmph, this guy with nothing but secrets...
He seemed displeased.
The king knows that you're not ordinary...
'How about some shrimp with salt for lunch today?'
Sh-shrimp with salt...?
'And add some seashell crab too!'
Oh, wow!
Wrath quickly forgot about their conversation and focused on his appetite.
Raon narrowed his eyes at the distracted Wrath.
'Even this much might not be enough.'
Or maybe he had already noticed.
Nevertheless, this was a matter that couldn't be overlooked. He had to stop it no matter what, even if it meant allowing his power to grow while ignoring his own hunger.
'Time is running out.'
He spent four days traveling to Cameloon. Thanks to destroying the orphanage, he gained some time. However, even when his schedule became known, he needed to arrive at the Sepia Commerce Association as quickly as possible to avoid suspicion.
'But I feel good about this.'
He had accomplished everything at that place.
Taking revenge on Lisbon, saving all the children, and feeling proud of it. And thinking about Derus, who would soon explode with anger, made him burst into laughter.
'But it's a shame I can't see it in person.'
He couldn't help but wish to witness Derus' distorted expression, but he had no choice. He couldn't risk being discovered. He envied Regal for being able to stay by Derus' side.
After a day of continuous running, Raon found a spot for camping by a small lake, anticipating Derus' crumpled expression.
"Hmm..."
He gazed at the direction of the empty thicket and let out a short breath.
"Merlin. Are you here?"
Although he could sense the presence of some wild animals in his senses, Merlin should be among them.
"I'll grant your wish, so come out."
Raon had no intention of entrusting Merlin with the wish right now. He wanted to grant her request and be done with it.
'This time, I'm fully prepared.'
Merlin seemed to enjoy small animals, so Raon had prepared grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, insects, candy, and cookies. He even brought parsley and celery. He was ready to handle any creature that appeared.
Kwoong.
However, Merlin didn't appear immediately. After about 30 seconds, a heavy footstep sound accompanied the appearance of a lion, breaking through the thicket.
"Did you call me?"
The lion's voice, though somewhat hoarse, had a refreshing tone.
Huh….
