N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 340
Raon watched as the lion approached, staggering slightly.
"Suddenly, a lion...."
Just in case, he had brought vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, cookies, chocolates, and even candies in the spatial pocket Dorian had given him, but it seemed utterly useless now.
"This is a disaster."
At least rabbits could eat fruits, but there was no suitable food for a lion in this pocket. You couldn't put chocolate in that huge mouth.
"Should I offer my arm?"
The situation was so unexpected that he even considered sacrificing his own flesh.
"No, but why a lion?"
Even though the place was remote, it consisted of only a small lake and not-so-deep woods. Raon couldn't understand why a lion would be here. Truly, an inexplicable situation.
I-I don't think it's in its right mind...
Wrath stammered, watching the lion, which seemed bewildered.
That creature that followed me around was strange enough, but this one seems even more peculiar! Next time, it might turn into an elephant. We have to kill it now!
He gestured to stab the lion.
"Right."
Nodding in agreement with Wrath, Raon spoke, "Merlin has gone mad. It's not my fault."
It was originally Raon's responsibility to deal with situations like this, where a creature had to be fed.
Feeding had become a routine, so it was natural to continue, but Raon didn't feel responsible for it.
"I almost fell for it unknowingly."
Raon looked at Merlin and straightened his back confidently.
"Hehe."
Merlin stopped in his tracks and elegantly sat down in front of him. Now that he looked closely, the lion was not just any lion; it had mane-like fur. It was even more perplexing.
"Why did you appear as a lion this time?"
He asked the question he was most curious about.
"As I've said before, I'm not here for one-sided domination. We make deals where we fill each other's gaps."
"Then what about that creature...."
"Right. This kid (lion) has his own wishes too."
Merlin winked in his lion form, flexing his muscular forearm.
"If it has something to wish for, grant it yourself and disappear."
Raon wrinkled his brow in disapproval. If he had something to offer as food, he would have given it, but that lion was beyond his means.
"Good observation."
Merlin, as usual, didn't give a straightforward answer and only spoke what she wanted to.
"This time, you're not quite yourself."
She gave him a subtle smile, lifting her chin slightly.
"You've avoided shedding a lot of blood so far. Even when killing, you've displayed overwhelming strength to make your enemies unable to resist."
That was true. Killing itself wasn't daunting for him, but he didn't want to engage in unnecessary bloodshed.
"But this time, you didn't hesitate to kill the enemy. It was chillingly fierce."
Merlin spoke while licking her paw. It was a grooming behavior typical of felines.
"Sigh...."
Raon sighed and closed his eyes.
"This is insane."
It was hard to concentrate when discussing serious matters while watching the lion lick its paw.
"Especially the man who seemed like the leader, he was ruthlessly cruel, even more than necessary. I didn't expect you to have such venom."
"So, are you disappointed?"
"No."
Merlin slowly got up.
"I was thrilled. I got so excited that my hands were practically shaking from the adrenaline rush."
"Uh..."
"You suit elegance, seriousness, and cruelty. You're always outstanding…"
Her cheeks, as she hugged the lion, flushed bright red, and her hands and feet began to tremble. It seemed like the lion's emotions were directly transmitted to her.
Tsk.
Raon clicked his tongue lightly.
"I wish I could have backed away like this."
Until now, he hadn't witnessed Merlin personally kill someone, so he had wondered if perhaps Merlin disliked blood. But that wasn't the case. She seemed unhesitant no matter what she saw.
Truly, she's gone mad! She's completely lost it!
Wrath groaned and fled with his ice flower bracelet.
"So, what do you want this time?"
Merlin nodded as if saying to just say whatever.
"I don't have any requests."
Raon shook his head and extended his hand.
"Tell me your wish. I have no intention of wasting time, so I'll listen and decide right here."
"A wish, huh?"
Merlin gave a faint smile and took a step closer. It was fascinating how well she expressed emotions with an animal's face.
"My wish is..."
She paused and stared intently at him.
"I can't imagine what she'll say."
As Wrath had said, he had no clue what wish this mentally unstable woman might make. He looked at Merlin's mouth with tension.
"Hug me once."
"Huh?"
"Hug, you know? Hug."
Merlin lifted her thick forepaw and wagged it. Seeing her demonstrate a hug with a paw that could easily tear flesh sent his mind into a daze.
"Like this?"
"Yeah. Even in this state, sensations are transmitted, you know. I have no choice but to endure it like this for now. Is this a wish you can grant?"
She laughed, saying he couldn't refuse.
"That's true."
He could easily reject requests like killing someone or selling information, but a hug was no big deal. Especially since he wouldn't be doing it himself.
"But..."
She could still kidnap him like before. There was a possibility she might use an artifact to take him away, so he couldn't just accept it without reservation.
"I'll make an oath, staking my soul and body. I will never take any action that harmed you."
The moment Merlin raised her hand, mana waves emanated from her surroundings. It was a contract of body and soul with self-imposed constraints.
"Isn't it the shock that affects the soul and body of the lion, not you?"
"Absolutely not.".
That statement is correct.
Wrath raised his head above the bracelet.
It's a solemn pact with her own body and soul. If she doesn't keep the promise, there will be a significant impact on her body and soul. That's why...
He shuddered.
It's even scarier! That woman is truly insane!
"...Alright."
Raon nodded. He had to fulfill the promise since he had said it in the first place.
"Hehe."
Merlin flicked her paw as if urging him to come closer.
"Looking forward to it."
"Sigh..."
Raon let out a deep breath and stood in front of Merlin. Since the lion was quite large, he bent his knees slightly.
"Just endure it once."
He closed his eyes tightly and embraced Merlin. No, the lion. The mane was plush, but the skin felt rough like sandpaper.
"Just for 3 seconds."
As he counted to three and was about to let go, the lion's body suddenly began to soften and thin like pudding.
Hey! Hey! Hey, you!
"What, what is it?"
When he opened his eyes in response to Wrath's urgent call, the lion disappeared, and Merlin, wearing an old man's mask, was right in front of him. Her innocent fragrance tickled his nose.
"Fine. Tonight, I'll have sweet dreams."
"You!"
Raon clenched his teeth and pushed Merlin away.
"Hehehe!"
Merlin leaped back, waving her hand.
"Indeed, you have to feel a person's warmth directly."
"After making an oath like that..."
"I didn't harm you, did I?"
She waved her hand as if to say it was okay.
"Sigh..."
Raon let out a breath of frustration. As she said, there was no harm done, and the contract remained intact.
"It was enjoyable being together."
She vanished into thin air, turning into foam.
"I won't be able to see you for a while due to some business, but I look forward to your actions."
With those words, Merlin's presence completely disappeared.
Raon let out a bitter laugh and slumped his shoulders.
"I'm tired."
He felt more exhausted now than he did running around all day.
Still...
"At least I don't have to feed the lion anymore."
Thanks to Merlin's disappearance, he was relieved that he no longer had to provide food for the lion.
"Thank goodness."
That's all because of that crazy woman's plan!
Wrath raised his head slightly and rolled his eyes.
The king saw it too. I bet that crazy woman's head has a portrait of you instead of a brain!
He shuddered as he spoke.
Now your body is no longer needed...
"...."
* * *
The Cloud House, which had been filled with children's laughter on the outside but screams on the inside, was now guarded by Owen's knights.
"It's hard to believe that this orphanage raised assassins. I still can't wrap my head around it."
A blonde knight sighed as he looked at the Cloud House.
"It's vile. Kidnapping children and raising them as assassins. It sounds like something out of a novel."
A black-haired knight shook his head, his eyes filled with disgust.
"Vile doesn't even begin to describe it. The one who ordered this must be a demon in human disguise."
"Yeah. It's something a human could never conceive of."
As the knights were discussing the mastermind behind raising children as assassins and sharpening their swords, two knights approached from the direction where orphanage was. They were there for a shift change.
"Halt! Halt! Halt!"
The blonde knight drew his sword and aimed it at the approaching knights.
"Hands up! Don't move, or you'll be skewered!"
Upon hearing these words, the knights who were approaching from the other side raised their hands.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, it's me. Your comrade."
A tall knight raised his helmet and smiled.
"Beer."
"Chicken."
After confirming the secret codes, the blonde knight lowered his sword.
"Good job."
The newly arrived knights patted the shoulders of the knights who had been on duty.
"How are the kids?"
The blonde knight asked as he prepared his equipment.
"The same. They don't talk, they don't smile, they just move like machines following orders."
"It breaks my heart just watching them."
The knights who had come for the shift change sighed.
"Is there no way they can naturally recover?"
"The brainwashing has been going on for a long time."
"They said someone's coming to treat the brainwashing, so we'll have to wait and see."
The knights couldn't help but sigh as they thought of the lifeless eyes of the children.
"If I had the real demon who did this in front of me, I would have cut them down without hesitation."
"Arthur. You are...hmm?"
The blonde knight turned around, raising his hand, and stopped.
Thunk.
A tall man, clad in a black cloak, approached from the direction of orphanage. His face was hidden behind a gray mask that covered even his eyes, and his eerie appearance with white pupils was unsettling.
"Halt! Halt! Halt!"
The newly assigned knights drew their swords, but the man didn't stop and continued to approach.
"Stop!"
"If you come any closer, you'll be dead!"
All four knights drew their swords and emitted an aura, but the man continued walking.
"It's me."
He raised his hand above the crimson cape.
"What?"
"They said I was the one running this place."
A sinister smile emerged from beneath the mask that covered the man's face.
"You're insane!"
"Attack!"
All four knights moved simultaneously. Utilizing their practiced formations, they rushed in from four directions, wielding their swords with great intensity.
Pukaaaaaah!
As the man slowly lowered his raised hand, the bodies of the knights were cut into dozens of pieces and scattered on the ground. It wasn't like swordsmanship or magic, but rather, the result seemed predetermined from the beginning.
"You wretches."
He twirled his finger, and the corpses and blood of the knights turned into dust as if nothing had ever existed.
Standing in front of the orphanage building, the man was followed by figures in black masks that rose like shadows.
When the man removed his mask, the chilling face of Derus Robert was revealed, colder than ever.
"Begin."
At his command, the shadows scattered here and there, searching for traces.
Derus started by entering the orphanage himself. With razor-sharp eyes, he scanned the floor, walls, and even the remnants of aura that lingered in the area.
He thoroughly inspected the orphanage building, the underground chambers, and the secret passages, then returned to the orphanage.
"There's no trace of anything."
Borini Kitten, the top knight among knights, with his overly dignified demeanor, couldn't resolve this matter so neatly. Surely, someone with a shady past must have been involved, but there was no trace of that person anywhere.
"This doesn't make sense."
No matter how thorough the knights were, as long as they were human, they should have left some traces behind. But the only traces remaining here were the shadows and the knights. The presence of that intervening entity had been completely erased.
"Outside the animal pens, no traces."
"Inside the animal pens, no traces."
"External and internal passages, no traces."
With each report from the shadows, veins on Derus's forehead bulged.
GOOOOOOO!
A sinister smile crept onto the corners of Derus Robert's mouth. His patience, held in check from Owen onwards, began to crack, and his anger overflowed.
KUWAAAAAAAH!
The moment a vacant gray color emitted from his eyes, both the orphanage and the underground spaces beneath it collapsed into dust.
HUUUUUUUUM!
In the swirling sandstorm, Derus removed his gloves. He spread the blood trickling from his hand across his lips and clenched his jaw.
"Kill them."
Derus Robert, with dry eyes that seemed to have absorbed all the blood, gazed upon the world, his eerie smile lingering.
"Wherever it is, whoever it is... I'll get them all..."
* * *
Raon used his new identity to travel to the dimensional portal, and from there, he descended south. He deliberately moved to a location quite far from the house Robert territory, using both teleportation and his horse, until he arrived at the house Robert's domain.
He arrived much quicker than expected, but he didn't think about that. His senses were fixated on the house Robert in the distance.
"It's been about 20 years..."
Estate houses as beautiful as emerald-colored seas, exuding an elegance and grandeur. The imposing figures of knights. And the celestial beings supporting the family from below.
Like the gentle sunlight filtering through, that warm place had no room for him. Not a single place he could call his own. Nothing in his grasp.
'Where I came from was the slums.'
That place belonged to humans living on the surface. He was just a hunting dog, locked underground, sharpening his fangs.
GOOOOOOOO!
Rising from the depths of his soul, anger boiled up. As it threatened to consume him through his veins, he operated the Ring of Fire and dispersed it.
'It's not the time yet.'
This anger wouldn't be vented recklessly. It was a precious and cherished emotion, and he had debts to pay, one by one, to Derus and the higher-ups following him.
What is there to see in that tiny house that you've been standing there for an hour? I'm bored to death!
Wrath grumbled, furrowing his brow.
Like a bumpkin! If you see my castle later, you'll be shocked!
Raon couldn't help but chuckle. Thanks to this guy, the lingering heaviness in his heart had slightly lightened.
It's getting boring, how about treating yourself to some local cuisine here? I've been smelling delicious food since a while ago, and I can't stand it!
Wrath gestured toward several restaurants, claiming he wanted to try some seafood.
"Alright."
Raon agreed.
"Anyway, it's mealtime."
Raon chuckled and raised his head. When he was about to leave after gazing at the house Robert mansion one last time, a red-haired boy approached him.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Hmm?"
"That mansion over there. You've been looking at it for an hour."
It seemed like the boy had approached because Raon had been staring at the house Robert mansion.
"Yeah, it's impressive."
Raon nodded his head; the truth was, the house Robert buildings were even more elegant than Zieghart's.
"I'm going to become a great knight there!"
The boy proudly declared, believing that he liked the house Robert.
"That's great. Like the Sky Sword Saint, guarding the southern continent, the greatest knight of the continent!"
As the boy spoke proudly, he seemed to believe that he would become a top knight there.
"Just like the Sky Sword Saint, you know?"
Raon lowered his gaze to properly look at the boy. He appeared to be in his early teens, and a longsword dangled from his waist.
"Sky Sword Saint...?"
The boy seemed perplexed by Raon's unfamiliarity with the term.
"He's the most famous knight on the continent. I want to be just like him."
Unlike the other children Raon had rescued from the orphanage, who had lost their personalities due to the demon's influence, this boy had a completely different expression.
They were of the same age, the same human beings, but their personalities had been wiped out by a demon. He felt a deep sense of sadness when faced with a child who aspired to be like the demon responsible for such atrocities.
There was nothing he could say to a child who wanted to resemble the demon who had caused such harm.
"Is that so."
Raon smiled and patted the boy's head.
"Work hard for it."
* * *
Raon and Wrath ate lobster pizza, octopus steak, grilled squid on a hot plate, chili shrimp, gambas, and pearl ice cream as Wrath wanted, then headed in the direction of the underwater dungeon.
What's the matter?
Wrath laughed and rubbed his shoulders. It was his highest expression of happiness.
"It's only now that I feel like you're under the king's command,"
Wrath ' voice, which had enjoyed delicious food to his heart's content, was as clear as a rolling ball of jade. It had been a long time since he had heard such a voice.
'That's enough.'
Raon shook his head. He had let Wrath eat whatever he wanted for other reasons.
'There will be a commotion soon, so it would be good to move quickly.'
Raon ignored Wrath, who was chattering endlessly, and moved along the east coast. There were many tourists around the house Robert, but the number of people began to decrease as he moved.
'Now I need to prepare.'
Raon changed into the clothes worn by the people of the region, like the people of the south, and then reduced his presence. He then moved along the coast again, killing his presence so much that it was difficult to feel his presence even if he was right next to him.
After moving for a whole day, a sign that said "Marine monsters appear" and a line that said "No entry" appeared.
'Here it is.'
Although it had been more than 20 years, the appearance of the coast had not changed much, so he remembered the location of the dungeon.
'A more definite point is...'
He smiled coldly as he looked at the sand and trees. The existence of the shadows guarding this place. It became more certain thanks to the shadows hiding between the sand and trees.
It was clear that the dungeon was submerged under the sea in front of him.
Gooooo.
Raon further reduced his presence. He made his body organs beat to a minimum so that he would feel like a scattered sand, not a living creature, and then quietly looked at the sea.
A day passed, and even at night, Raon did not move. He watched the sea in the same posture as before. Even if the shadows hidden in front of him couldn't help but move, Raon didn't move a finger.
Ugh! I'm going to die! I'm hungry!
Wrath couldn't stand it and screamed.
It's torture to stay still all day and not eat!
'That's why I fed you a lot two days ago.'
Urk...
He opened his mouth wide.
'I thought it would be like this, so I prepared it in advance.'
It's not necessary! I'm happier just eating three meals a day!
"Well, how about some Naden bread?"
That's rubber that only fills your stomach! You crazy bastard!
"If you're hungry."
I'd rather drink seawater than eat that and fill my stomach!
"Oh, that's good."
No, it's not! I made a mistake!
Wrath shook his head vigorously. He seemed to think he was going to do it for real.
Raon smiled wryly and looked back at the sea.
You're an unscrupulous employer! Violation of working hours! You didn't even give me food, so you're violating the Food Sanitation Act too!
'The Food Sanitation Act is not for that... Quiet!'
Raon covered Wrath's mouth and swallowed his saliva. Someone was coming out of the beach after two days.
Plap.
Thirty masked people, a woman who looked like a magician, and a tall black-clad man walked out carefully from the sea.
'I knew it.'
Martio.
As expected, while Derus was elsewhere, exploring the dungeon was entrusted to Martio.
"After the dungeon collapse..."
A fierce determination gleamed in Raon's eyes.
"I can seek revenge as well."
