N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 357
The office door of Adis Sepia opened quietly, and the butler, Regwin, came in and bowed his head.
"Master Adis. It's over."
"Umm...."
Adis, who was looking at the documents, stopped the pen and raised his eyes.
"How did it go?"
"Of course, it ended with the victory of the White Sword Dragon."
"That's right."
"However, there was a slight peculiarity."
"A peculiarity?"
"Yes. He won without aura only with his sword skills."
"…Is that possible?"
Adis let out a sigh and put down the pen.
"I've never seen anything like it before. I don't know if it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, bit he wiped out Mark Gorton's power without a single scratch. He was a monster beyond rumors."
Regwin frowned as if he couldn't believe it.
"I guess my eyes are still not blind."
Adis Sepia smiled slightly, nodding his head.
"How is Dorian?"
"He was injured, but the White Sword Dragon intervened at the right time, so he wasn't seriously injured."
"Hmm..."
Adis Sepia let out a very short sigh of relief.
"There is one peculiarity in Dorian's match as well."
"What is it this time?"
"Dorian defeated Totten Robel."
"What?"
Adis Sepia stood up from his desk, hitting it. It was an unusual reaction from his cold personality.
"That, that's really true?"
"Yes. He struggled at first, but he gained insight and reached the Peak of the expert level, defeating Totten Robel."
"Then Dorian's injuries are..."
"They are from Mark Gorton. He didn't back down even in the face of strength, and he endured until the end."
Regwin smiled faintly.
"Heh, heh!"
Adis Sepia let out a sigh and spun around the desk.
"He got that far...."
"He was strong-willed. He looked like the young lady, not just in appearance."
"…Yeah. He was similar."
Adis Sepia nodded his head and sat back down. A gentle smile appeared on his lips.
"How about Phalen?"
"There was no physical shock at all, and he was knocked unconscious by the White Sword Dragon's aura."
"Only knocked unconscious..."
Adis Sepia sighed when he heard that.
"Raon Zieghart. He was even more terrifying than I thought."
"Yes. It is clear that he thought of the test that will follow."
Regwin nodded heavily.
"It seems that the person who has brought the greatest treasure at this moment is Dorian."
"Yeah. I didn't think that a warrior who could be the next Continent's Greatest would take care of Dorian this much."
Adis Sepia lowered his gaze and signed the last document.
"Have everyone come to dinner tomorrow evening."
As he put down his pen, he smiled.
"The successor test is about to begin."
* * *
Raon and Dorian finished their dinner at the restaurant inside the Sepia Merchant Association's headquarters.
Yummmmm!
Wrath, who was sitting across from them, let out a loud exclamation of pleasure.
This is the best! With the highest quality ingredients and the chef's excellent skills, the food is bound to be delicious!
He smiled broadly, saying that his expectations had been met.
However...
'However?'
Something's missing.
'Missing? Now you say missing?'
Yes. These dishes are more delicious than the food from the pineapple girl or your maid, but I'm more drawn to the food from the annex building. I'm craving it for a while.
"Huu..."
I never imagined the demon king would say the word "heart." No matter how many times I think about it, he's really not like the King of Wrath.
'Still, it's good to hear.'
He smiled naturally when he heard that Helen and Yua's cooking was more appealing than the top-notch food from the Sepia Merchant Association.
Raon ate the apple that came with the tea and then lowered his gaze.
'But was Merlin really not there just now?'
I felt the presence of a small animal in the tree, but I wasn't sure if it was Merlin.
There was an animal, but I don't know if it was that madwoman. To be honest, it's a really crazy spell.
'Crazy spell?'
Yes. In animal body, you can't attack, and it takes a lot of mana and time to switch to your original body, so it's completely inefficient.
Wrath sighed as he recalled when she appeared in the form of a lion.
Literally, it's a spell that was made for the sole purpose of stalking you. It's completely crazy. She's as greedy as Geed...
He shuddered, saying that she was a really scary woman.
'Greed...?'
It's a name that comes out of Wrath's mouth very rarely. Judging by the name, he is the Demon King of Greed, the name of a demon king filled with greed.
'The Demon King of Greed?'
Yes. He's crazy about money.
Raon tilted his head. He thought that the demon realm was a world full of violence and screams, so he didn't think there would be money.
Don't underestimate the demon realm!
Wrath puffed up his cotton candy body and shouted.
Where there are intelligent beings, there must be money!
'Ah, sorry.'
He apologized, lowering his gaze as it was true.
But...
"Hmm?"
Have you become interested in the demon realm?
Wrath's eyes shone brightly like a well-cleaned window.
'This is okay, right?'
He nodded his head lightly, thinking that this was an opportunity to extract information about the demon kings ftom Wrath.
'Why does this Greed guy collect money?'
What else could it be? Because the more money he collects, the stronger he becomes.
'...Money makes you stronger?'
Raon widened his eyes.
That's right. Humans and demons alike put their desires into money. A good house, good clothes, good food. The very concept of money shows the desires of intelligent beings.
The blue light in his eyes flickered.
Greed. That filthy bastard absorbs the desires of humans and demons through money to strengthen his abilities.
Wrath frowned as he said that he was a dirty bastard.
However, even if that bastard collects all the money in the world, he is still weaker than me! If I said I would destroy all his money, he would be so scared that he wouldn't even come out!
'Hmm…'
It felt a little cocky, but it seemed like Wrath was in the upper hand.
Anyway, that filthy bastard's story is over. Now I will start explaining the history of the demon realm and my greatness. I was born with a different...
It was a useless story, so Raon listened with one ear and let it go with the other.
'That's okay.'
Wait, I haven't finished talking yet?
'I heard it all.'
…I really wonder why you were born in the human realm! I'll start over! I was born with a different...
Raon put a piece of apple in his mouth as he ignored Wrath's voice.
"Squad vice-leader."
Dorian put down his fork and sighed deeply.
"What?"
"This is a bit awkward to say, but my third sister. She won't just sit there. She's never been hurt by anyone before, so she'll definitely seek revenge... "
"I know."
Raon nodded without surprise.
"Yes?"
"I've seen people like that a few times."
Phalen Sepia was born into the Sepia Merchant Association's direct line, and because she used money like water and did whatever she wanted, she became so reckless.
Since she had tasted the humiliation of kneeling and bowing her head for the first time, it was obvious that she would prepare for revenge as soon as she woke up.
'In fact, I let her go for that reason.'
I only scratched her pride to finish her off for sure. My purpose in coming here was not to defeat her, but to devour this Merchant Association.
'Of course, there is one more reason... '
Raon smiled faintly as he drank tea.
'If she bring a strong warrior and challenge me head-on, I can't easily let it thay chance go..'
If a warrior could defeat me, he would have to be a peak master level or a grandmaster.
Even among such top experts, there are those who move for money, but it requires a astronomical amount of money.
Even if she is Phalen, the eldest daughter of the Sepia, her funds will be almost depleted and she will not be able to fight the succession war.
In other words, her choice is obvious.
"She is more likely to hire an assassin."
"W-why didn't you put more pressure on her if you knew that?"
"First of all, they kept to the line."
Neither Pallen nor the warriors who received her orders ever raised their killing intent.
"Because they keep the last line I didn't inflict a fatal wound on them either."
"Besides, this is your time to shine, not mine. I thought you might feel guilty if I were too harsh."
"A-ah..."
Dorian is the softest and most innocent guy I've ever met in my past and present lives.
I wanted to hear his resolve before he did something he might regret in the future.
"You decide. Can you fight your siblings with blood and tears?"
"......"
Dorian swallowed his saliva and looked into Raon's eyes.
Dorian swallowed his dry saliva and looked into Raon's eyes.
.
'Really....'
He's a strange person.
He acts like a hooligan, but at times like this, he shows a wise appearance. He seems to not care about his opponent, but when it really matters, he follows that person's wishes.
He feels like he's moving on his own without thinking, but the end is always a success.
He is truly an unpredictable person.
'However, there are two things that are certain.'
That he is a person I can trust. And that I have to follow him for the rest of my life.
"Phew..."
After making up his mind, Dorian let out a deep breath.
"T, That..."
"Hmm?"
"Don't kill them, or chop off their arms and legs..."
Raon giggled at Dorian, who scratched his cheek.
"Even though they bullied and ignored you since you were a kid? Even though they were thinking of getting rid of you even after you came back?"
"Even so, they're my siblings."
Dorian nodded with hardened eyes.
"Yeah. Well, there are many ways to hurt them without killing them."
Raon laughed and got up from his seat.
"Ugh..."
Dorian seemed to be thinking of a few things as he trembled his chin.
"Let's go back."
"Yes..."
As Raon was about to leave the dining room, the door opened. It was Dorian's second brother, Diarun Sepia, who he had seen in the afternoon.
"Hmm..."
He didn't seem surprised to see his hair and eyes, as he had already heard the news. He couldn't help but harden his expression like plaster, however.
"I'm greeting you for the second time. It is an honor to meet the White Sword Dragon."
He bowed his head politely.
"I apologize for lying to you before. My name is Raon Zieghart."
Diarun had properly greeted him in the past, even if it was only on the surface.
"You've done some big things since you arrived."
Diarun lowered his chin slightly.
"I'm not the type to tolerate provocations that come my way."
"That sounds very scary. Almost like a threat."
"I won't move unless you strike first."
Raon smiled as he looked into Diarun's sunken eyes.
"Phew..."
Diarun sighed and looked at Dorian, who was standing next to Raon.
"To be honest, I didn't think you could even get into the successor competition, but you've brought someone who will be difficult to handle."
He looked at Dorian with cold eyes.
"You might be the most dangerous one."
"Well observed."
Dorian swallowed his saliva and raised his head.
"I won't lose to my brothers either. Because I'm not alone anymore."
"Hah!"
Diarun laughed coldly in response to those words.
"I know. Dorian Sepia of the Light Wind squad."
Diarun patted Dorian on the shoulder and entered the restaurant. The warriors and servants followed him. All of them had a bright light in their eyes.
Diarun remembered their movements and went outside.
"I, I didn't say anything weird, did I?"
Just a moment ago, he was confident, but now he is shrinking and trembling his shoulders. He is really a strange guy.
"It was your first time to reveal your identity like that. It was great."
"Oh!"
"However... "
Raon smiled and raised a finger.
"Your voice cracked and trembled."
"Uh... "
'To be honest, it didn't look good either.'
"Aaaaaack! I'm embarrassed!"
Dorian screamed, holding his head.
"It's just the beginning, but it will gradually improve."
Raon smiled and headed for the inn.
...That's how I was able to become the Demon King!
'....'
Was he still talking?
* * *
Phalen Sephia slowly opened her eyes.
"Ugh... "
The familiar ceiling and the soft touch of the bed were felt. It was her room.
"Why am I here... Ah!"
With a splitting headache, the past came to mind. It seems that she fainted because she was scared by the aura of Raon Zieghart, who revealed his red eyes.
"Damn it!"
Phalen jumped up and swore. The events that happened in the training ground flashed through her head like a dream.
"Swin!"
At her call, the door opened and a secretary in a uniform entered.
"Did you call me."
"Tell me what happened."
"After you fainted, Miss... "
"No, from the beginning!"
"After arriving at the training ground with Dorian and Totton Robel... "
Swin, who was called, told her everything that happened in the training ground.
As he listened to his words, the dream became reality and the events there came to mind vividly. It was a situation where swearing came out naturally.
"Kugh... "
Phalen grabbed her long hair and ground her teeth.
"Damn it!"
Born as the eldest daughter of Sephia, she had never kneeled down to anyone and raised a white flag. Humiliation. It was a humiliation that could never be repeated.
'I gave him a break...'
Even though she was going to try to deal with him gently, since they were half-related by blood, she was now filled with murderous intent.
She wanted to kill Raon Zieghart more than Dorian.
"Is the connection with the assassins called Black Snake still there?”
Phalen looked at Swin with cold eyes.
"Miss. They are anonymous... "
"Shut up and answer me."
"They'restill here."
Swin nodded with a faint sigh.
"Contact them. Not just my brothers and Dorian, but also Raon Zieghart. I'll kill them all."
"Yes? Ra, Raon Zieghart...?"
"I know. The Merchant could disappear. So just contact them so that they can kill him after he leaves here."
Raon Zieghart was a dangerous man, and if he was killed, the Merchant Association itself could be in danger. So they had to wait until he left before killing him.
"Hah..."
Swin sighed deeply and nodded.
"Understood."
"Wait."
As he was about to leave, Phalen raised her hand.
"Bring me some alcohol. Something strong."
"...Yes."
Swin brought a dark brown whiskey and some snacks, then left the room.
Phalen sat at the table and gulped down the whiskey.
"Damn it..."
Even as she was drinking, Dorian's victory and Raon's red eyes were on her mind.
She felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep unless she got drunk.
"Huh?"
As she was drinking the whiskey without any snacks, she heard a small cry coming from the window on the right. She turned to see a bat clinging to the window.
"Go away!"
"Eek!"
Phalen threw the glass of whiskey at the window. The glass shattered and the bat flew away.
"Phew..."
She was still angry, so she drank the bottle of whiskey in one go. She finished the full bottle and lay down on the bed.
"I'll kill him no matter what."
Phalen looked at the ceiling, which seemed to be spinning, and vowed to get revenge on Raon Zieghart.
She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep due to the alcohol and fatigue.
...
"Huh?"
Phalen shuddered all over.
"I can't move."
Her mind was clear, but she couldn't move a finger. She couldn't open her eyelids, so it was pitch black.
"Am I sleepwalking?"
It was her first time sleepwalking, but it was similar to what she had heard from others.
"This is just my luck."
She swore to herself and wiggled her fingertips to make it go away, but her whole body didn't move.
"How long is this going to... Hmm?"
Even though she was sleepwalking, she could feel something touching her forehead. At the same time, her eyelids and eyes began to move.
"What is this..."
Phalen felt a sense of unease as she opened her eyes.
"Gulp!"
As soon as she opened her eyes, she almost fainted again.
A young woman with blue eyes and a red cross on her forehead was looking down at her, forehead to forehead.
The energy emanating from her distorted eyes was filled with malice.
"What, what, what is this! Who the hell are you...?"
A woman with a creepy aura stared at her without saying a word.
His heart tightened as he felt the dark energy emanating from her red eyes.
“Who did you kill?”
As the short sentence brushed past his ear, he felt a creepy sensation as if a worm were burrowing through his ear.
Her whole body broke out in goosebumps at the moist lethality emanating from the woman's eyes. But that wasn't the end.
“Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill? Who did you kill?”
"Aaaaaa…".
Every time her voice rang out, she felt a pain as if her flesh were being torn off. She wanted to scream in agony, but she could only move his eyes.
“Ugh!”
She wanted to close her eyes, but her eyelids wouldn't move again. She felt like her heart was being torn out by the woman's eyes.
“Who did you kill?”
The woman's hand grabbed hed shoulder. A strange, hot energy entered her body, and then a pain like ants were gnawing at his entire body.
“Aaaaaack!”
The excruciating pain caused his pupils to roll back, but her mind remained clear. He wanted to faint, but he couldn't.
“P-please…."
She begged for her life with her eyes, but the woman's expression didn't change. She just stared at her with a chilling smile.
“Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.”
The madwoman's obsession and Pallen's silent screams rang out all night in the Sepia Merchant Association.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
* * *
Raon opened his eyes after finishing his morning training. The sunlight shining through the window felt pleasant on his shoulders.
How can you do that boring thing all the time?
Wrath shook his head, not understanding why Raon practiced cultivation every day..
Raon didn't feel bored or tired. He practiced cultivation to become stronger, like the way he breathed to live.
‘Now, if I don't do it, I'll feel stiff.’
Like stretching and moving the body after waking up, cultivation stimulates the magic circuits in the body.
There was no reason not to do it if it could increase aura and cultivation level, as well as stretch the body.
‘Oh yeah.’
Raon smiled coldly as he looked at the door where he felt the presence of two people.
‘They came sooner than I thought.’
Yeah, that's right. They're not stupid.
Wrath nodded in agreement.
‘Will they challenge me head-on? Or will they try to deceive me?’
Raon laughed lightly and stood up to open the door. Phalen Sepia and Mark Gorton were standing on either side of the door.
“What's the matter….”
“Save me!”
“Accept me!”
The two individuals shouted in different voices and knelt down at the same time.
“Please, please save me! I made a mistake!”
Phalen Sepia cried and bowed her head with her sad eyes.
“Accept me I will be your servant!”
Mark Gorton bowed his head with a thick bandage on his chin.
“…….”
Raon was left dumbfounded by the unexpected situation.
"What the hell?"
