N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 369
Raon smiled as he looked at Dorian, who was biting his lip. He seemed to think he had done something wrong, his eyes darting around.
'He's so strange.'
He had simply repeated the test instructions that Adis had told him, but he had included the word "pass" as well.
[You didn't need to say that.]
[I'm so sorry!]
Even through the aura message, Dorian's trembling could be felt.
[Well, it's too late to do anything about it now.]
Just have to go out with confidence.
Even though he had been caught giving Dorian orders, Raon confidently raised his chin.
Are you really a lunatic ?
Wrath frowned in disbelief.
Were you brainwashed by the madwoman when you were kidnapped?
'He already knows that I'm the one giving the orders.'
From the look in Borgos' eyes, it seemed that he had already figured out who was in charge of this deal.
The word "pass" had only confirmed his suspicions.
"If you're going to do this, then sit down."
Borgos pointed to the empty seat, saying the same thing as Wrath.
"I'm an outsider in this matter."
Raon shook his head with a smile.
"An outsider? I think this one looks more like an outsider."
Borgos looked at Dorian and laughed in disbelief.
"That can't be. Dorian is the future successor to this Sepia Merchants Association."
That successor is in your palm, isn't he?
'I'm only moving because I'm thinking about Dorian.'
You're kidding me! Get rid of the greed that's filling your eyes and speak!
Raon wiped his eyes with his sleeve and blinked.
'I got rid of it.'
Wrath, filled with anger, shook his chubby fist.
"Haa, I didn't think I would have to sweat so much when dealing with a young person."
Borgos sighed deeply.
"Please, sit in front of me."
"It's not polite to refuse an adult's request twice."
Raon sat down next to Dorian, as if he had been waiting for it.
"Then I'll stand up!"
Dorian stood up with a smile, as if he had been waiting for it. The two of them had calm expressions, as if they had found their place.
"That's right."
Borgos sighed with relief and nodded.
"Now, let's have a frank conversation. White Sword drake. What you want is not money, is it?"
Raon Zieghart was not the type of person to just want money. It was clear that he was after something else.
'What... Ah!'
As he thought about Raon's movements, he remembered the sword sheaths he had casually shown off.
'The long sword felt like Vulcan's, and the dagger felt like Kuberad's.'
Then, perhaps...
Borgos raised his gaze to look at Raon. When he saw his eyes, which were as deep as a lake, his prediction became a certainty.
'That's it.'
He smiled in satisfaction and caressed the contract.
"......"
Raon looked at Borgos with his usual calm eyes and licked his lips.
'No, though.'
He had only thought about money.
Borgos didn't know what Raon was thinking, but all he wanted was money.
'That's understandable since the drake was just a side income.'
The purpose of coming to this Association was to make Dorian the successor.
Thanks to the test of bringing the drake, he was able to obtain the drake heart, which is the material to make Sylvia's energy center, so he didn't care how the body turned out. Just pay the price.
"I thought so!"
Borgos nodded his head vigorously, apparently taking Raon's silence as a positive answer.
What the hell is that dwarf shit talking about now?
Wrath frowned at Borgos.
'Well...'
He's just a greedy bastard, that's all he thinks about!
He yelled that the guy was just full of greed for money.
"The reason you kept your cloak on is because you wanted to show me the two swords, right?"
"That's correct."
Raon shook his head, even though he had no intention of showing the sword, but the two swords, Heavenly Drive and Blade of Requiem, were the works of Vulcan and Kuberad.
"Can I see it for a moment?"
"Yes."
Raon unsheathed Heavenly Drive and Blade of Requiem and held them out in front of him, wondering how far Borgos would go.
Srrrrrrrr!
Borgos first pulled out Blade of Requiem. His eyes trembled slightly when he saw the red light on the blade.
"A cursed sword. A cursed sword that burns the flames of resentment by sacrificing itself. I wonder what happened that Kuberad made this."
He stroked the Blade of Requiem with a bitter expression.
"He must have used all of his skills. It looks like it will be placed at the top of Kuberad's works."
Borgos admired Blade of Requiem and put it back in the scabbard, then pulled out Heavenly Drive.
"Clean and elegant, with a noble finish. Just like Vulcan's craftsmanship. This sword grows with its owner. Depending on how you use it, it can become a divine sword or a cursed sword. And your path is still undecided, it seems."
He smiled as he gazed at the Heavenly Drive.
"That was a good look."
Borgos smiled and returned the two swords.
"What you want is a weapon that won't lose to those two swords, I guess."
He nodded in understanding.
"No, I..."
"It wasn't a bad idea to show the two swords to provoke this Borgos."
"Huh..."
"This Borgos can't lose to Vulcan and Kuberad!"
Borgos slammed the table as if to say, just order me.
Raon breathed a sigh of relief as he looked into Borgos' eyes, which seemed to be burning with fire.
'Is this how it is?'
He just stood there, but he was going to get money and weapons from a master craftsman of the continent. The world seemed to be turning in a strange way.
"Then can I ask for a set of daggers?"
He asked for the daggers he had always thought were necessary, as this was an opportunity.
"Are you also learning dagger techniques?"
"I know a little bit."
"Great! There's nothing I can't make!"
"Oh, and..."
Raon turned around and pointed to Dorian, who was standing there blankly.
"This guy's sword is broken, so I'd like to get a new one. Is that possible?"
"Hmm, that's what my apprentice will do. He may look frail, but he's the second-best craftsman in the guild."
Borgos pointed to his apprentice, who was standing behind him. It was unexpected to hear the word "frail" used to describe a giant who could crush an orc with his muscles.
"I don't mind!"
Dorian simply bowed his head, saying that he was grateful.
"So, it'll be five gold bars, a set of daggers, and one sword," said Borgos, after making a revision to the contract and handing it to Raon.
"Good. And now, let's be on a first-name basis," said Raon, nodding his head in satisfaction and shaking Borgos' hand.
* * *
Raon and Borgos left after completing the negotiations.
"I didn't think you'd ask me to do that," said Borgos, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It's best to leave it to the experts," said Raon, smiling slightly as he bowed his head.
"You're not wrong. I just didn't expect the White Sword Dragon to be such a sly person," said Borgos.
"I don't know my own personality well either," said Raon.
This was not a lie. His personality and character were slowly changing along with the growth of his swordsmanship.
As they were about to return to the training hall where the drake was located, a group of merchants rushed over.
"Dorian, young master!"
"Hello! I'm Latin, the owner of the clothing store Kamerin! Please take care of me in the future!"
"It's been a while! I'm Sizern, who distributes wheat!"
"Dorian, sir! Congratulations on your succession! I'm from Camelon and I do trade with you..."
"Young master!"
"Young master, just a moment..."
A large number of merchants rushed over and attached themselves to Dorian. Some people were also trying to give him gifts in order to curry favor with the new successor.
"B-boss!"
"Good luck."
Dorian was buried in a crowd of people, but Raon didn't pay any attention to him and headed to the training hall with Borgos.
"You're not going to help?"
"It's something he'll have to deal with in the future, so he needs to get used to it," said Raon, smiling as he opened the door to the training hall.
"I felt it earlier, but you're really not a child. Even if your fighting skills are due to talent, experience doesn't just come from nowhere..."
Borgos narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon.
"I've lived a tough life," said Raon, shrugging his shoulders as he stood in front of the drake.
"Then, I'll do as you ask."
"Oh, really."
Borgos licked his lips and pulled a dagger out of his pocket. A faint red light emanated from the thin and sharp dagger, which was so thin that the other side was visible.
ROAR!
He carefully cut open the drake's neck with that dagger, then removed a hexagonal object that was emitting a brilliant blue light from within.
Raon stared at the light with his eyes wide open and clenched his fist.
"The drake Heart."
The drake heart was a natural mana storage that could hold a large amount of mana, although not as much as a dragon.
'This will be enough.'
Although it had an ice attribute, it was also pure natural, so there would be no problem using it as material for Sylvia's ebergy center.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head to Borgos and received the drake heart. He could have taken it out himself, but he didn't want to even scratch it, so he asked the expert to do it.
"If you're thinking of selling the drake heart, I can introduce you to a good place. You can get a higher price than at an auction."
Borgos again offered to introduce him to someone.
"That's okay. I have a place to use it."
This was only for Sylvia, so he wouldn't even think of selling it for a fortune. In fact, as long as he got this, it didn't matter how much the drake was sold for.
"I see. I understand."
Borgos nodded with a smile.
"So, the promised items can be sent to house Zieghart?"
"Yes. Please send them to the Light Wind squad in Zieghart as well."
"I'll do that."
He laughed and pulled out a cloth from his pocket. As the cloth fell on the drake's body, the giant body, which was over 35 meters long, shrank to about 5 meters.
The craftsmen of the Gray Hammer Guild stood behind Borgos, carrying the board on which the drake was placed, as if they had been waiting for it.
"See you later."
Borgos waved his hand casually and left the training hall.
The sucker is gone.
Wrath spat out that he was the sucker of suckers.
'It's not that bad.'
Why not! He just gives away money and goods!
It's definitely not as much as you.
Even the most sucker in the world could not compare to Wrath, who was always generous.
As he was about to return to the guild, a neatly dressed middle-aged man approached him.
"Sir Raon."
"Hmm?"
Raon was amazed when he saw him. His appearance had changed a lot, but he could tell by his cloudy aura. It was Mark Gorton, the fallen swordsman he had defeated in this training hall.
"May I ask when that thought will end?"
Thought?
After a moment of silence, Raon thought about Mark Gorton's words, and the conversation he had with him came to mind.
'He asked me to accept him.'
He had come with Phalen and begged him to follow him. At the time, he remembered telling him to wait because there were more important things to do.
It had been a month since then, and he seemed to have been really waiting for an answer, not leaving the fair.
'Is it because he's a knight?'
He was originally a knight of the Warner Kingdom. Unlike swordsmen, knights always obey the orders of their lord, so he seemed to have been following that order until now.
'Was he sincere?'
It seemed that he was not lying when he said he wanted to follow him.
'am I really getting a master level subordinate for free? No, no.'
Even if he was sincere now, he might change his mind soon.
People do not change easily, so he wanted to test his true patience.
"Mark Gorton."
"Yes."
"Your condition is still not good."
"I am trying my best to improve."
"I see. You have been waiting for my answer for a month?"
"Yes. I am always ready to follow you."
"That's not what I asked."
Raon looked at him with a stern expression.
"I asked if you are still sincere."
Mark Gorton's eyes widened in surprise. He had thought that Raon would accept him without question, but he was wrong.
"Yes. I am still sincere."
"I will give you one more chance. If you are not sincere, I will never accept you."
"I understand."
Mark Gorton nodded, his face serious.
"Then go training and recover your strength. I will give you a year."
"I'm sorry. I'm training, but..."
"Do you see that mountain?"
Raon pointed to the steep rock mountain in the west of Rocan City.
"Cross that mountain four times a day without using your aura. It will be a great help in recovering your damaged body. If you can't do it..."
"I'll do it!"
Mark Goten nodded and took off his shirt, and immediately ran in the direction of the mountain.
"B-Boss!"
Dorian approached him, panting, as he watched his back.
"You're so mean to just leave me behind!"
Dorian frowned and raised his head.
"I'm sorry."
Raon smiled gently at Dorian.
"Do you want to run away from people?"
"Yes. I'm not used to it, and I'm a little disappointed that you came back now... "
Dorian sighed.
"Well, there's a good way to do it."
"A way?"
Don't do it!
Wrath raised his head.
That guy is never a good thing when he smiles like that!
He warned strongly, but of course no one could hear him.
"Do you want to do it?"
"I'll do it!"
Raon smiled and pointed to the rock mountain where Mark Goten had run just before.
"There will be Mark Goten there. Monitor him and climb the rock wall four times a day."
Man-to-hand rock climbing is not only beneficial for finger and wrist, which are important for using swords, but also for upper body, lower body, and balance. It was also a good training for Dorian, whose body was not yet complete.
"So, did you hear me wrong?"
"Go up the mountain. Let's go!"
"I, I won't do it."
Dorian shook his head wildly.
"I just want to meet people here..."
"By the way, you called me a sociopath, right? Then I'll do some concentration training..."
"I'll be back!"
He ran to the rock mountain with his ears plugged.
Raon nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the backs of Mark Goten and Dorian, who were running in front of him.
"It's a good sight."
Were you a loan shark in your past life?
* * *
The next day.
Raon was led by butler Regwin to the office of Adis Sepia. He had been here a few times with Dorian, but this was the first time he had been called alone, so he was a little nervous.
'Why are you calling me?'
The successor has been decided, and the deal is done, but I don't know why he's calling me.
The king knows.
Wrath smirked, curling his lips.
'What is it?'
What else? He's going to be mad as a father when he sees his cowardly son become your lackey.
Wrath laughed as he said that it was a crazy thing to make the successor of a top Merchants Association a watchdog.
'Hmm....'
It could be.
Since Adis cherished Dorian, unlike his appearance, it was not an impossible thing. In fact, since he did not know much about the form of other families, he could not say anything.
You should be punished!
Wrath grinned, saying that he would enjoy watching.
It would be perfect to watch while eating blueberry pie.
'Anyway.'
Raon kicked Wrath, who was teasing him with his tongue out, and stood in front of Adis' office. This time, Regwin didn't seem to go in, so he just opened the door quietly.
"Come in."
He nodded to Regwin and entered the office. Unlike usual, Adis Sepia was sitting at the table in the center, not at his desk.
"Did you call me?"
"Thank you for coming. Please sit down."
Adis' voice was even more stiff and cold than usual.
"You know, I don't like nonsense. Can you just tell me the reason?"
His gaze also felt sharper. I thought Wrath's words might be true.
"Yes."
Raon took a short breath and nodded.
His voice is already angry. Now get ready to get cursed.
Wrath danced with his fingers, but the thing he expected didn't happen.
"The Sepia Merchants Association wants to invest in house Zieghart. No, in Raon Zieghart."
Adis Sepia looked at Raon with a serious expression.
Huh?
Wrath bit his lips as he looked at Adis' clear eyes.
He, he's a sucker too?
He flailed in the air, saying that it didn't make sense.
One of the top 5 Merchants Association, right? Why are you trying to be a sucker on your own?
Is it a family trait?
