N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 408
*Scream!*
"Bellisen!"
"You, you've killed him! You've slit Bellisen's throat and killed him!"
"This is insane..."
The former executives members of the Arian family screamed as they looked at the lifeless body of the treasurer, his head severed.
"What is this..."
Wigen Arian, pale in the face, raised trembling fingers.
"How could you do such a heinous act!"
"Heinous?" Raon twisted his lips, looking at Wigen Arian's trembling pupils. "The heinous ones are you who abandoned the family in crisis and fled."
He ignored the screams and accusations of the former executives members and stood in front of the military administrator. (quartermaster)
"Confess your sins."
"I, I..."
The military administrator trembled and bowed his head, his emotions barely visible.
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me just once!"
The military administrator bent at the waist and bowed, crying out that he had done wrong without making any excuses.
"What did you do?"
There was no emotion in Raon's voice as he saw through the heart of the matter once again, not swayed by words.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I, our family is in the middle of a war, and we fled."
The military administrator spoke the truth, something none of the other executives had done.
"You know well."
His voice slightly softened, giving hope, and the military administrator raised his head.
'This is my chance.'
He had to persuade him somehow to survive.
"I will accept any punishment. I will do anything for the family. Just give me one more chance..."
"That chance has already passed."
"Wait, just a moment. I'll reveal the family's secrets... cough!"
The military administrator felt a sharp pain and weakness in his body.
'What's going on?'
His strength was draining away, and it was painfully...
He couldn't grasp the red line drawn across his throat and collapsed without believing in his own death, staring at another executive beside him.
"Gah!"
"Scream!"
"He killed again! He killed again!"
The Arian executives retreated to the corners of the chamber as if fleeing from the blood spilled by the military administrator.
"This is... murder! Why are you doing this to us, who surrendered?"
Wigen Arian hid behind the other executives, full of anger.
"No matter how much power you received from Zieghart, this goes beyond your authority!"
"Is it a coup?"
"Yes! We are still the executives of this family! Who do you think you are to kill us?"
"Two things in your story are wrong," Raon raised his index and middle fingers.
"First, I didn't just receive control over this place in Zieghart."
He pointed to Wendy behind him.
"I have been entrusted the position of Supreme Commander (commander-in-chief) of the war by Wendy Arian, the current head of the Arian family. And I haven't declared that the war is over yet."
"After destroyed the black sphere, I collapsed, so I couldn't declare the end of the war. The war of the Arian family has not yet ended.
"So, since the war hasn't ended, I have the authority as the Supreme Commander to dispose of you immediately."
"Ah..."
"Immediate disposal..."
At the mention of immediate disposal, the executives trembled.
"And secondly."
Raon folded his index finger and extended his middle finger forward.
"You are not executives. You are criminals. Thieves who sold out the family and deserted as mercenaries during the war. Even if the war is declared over, immediate punishment is possible."
The executives captured here now have no value worth rescuing, not a single exception.
If they had fought during the war, they might have been forgiven, but they are trash who captured hostages and fled without looking back.
Even for the Arian family to be reborn, they must not be left behind.
"Since you've given your answer, continue."
Raon raised his sword and approached the executives. Their faces turned yellow with fear at the sight of the muscles in his eyes.
"Oh, please don't come here!"
"There he goes!"
"We just wanted to survive!"
"Please, spare us..."
The executives cowered in a corner like insects and pushed forward the smallest executive as a sacrificial lamb.
Even among themselves, they couldn't unite and were caught in a mockery of choosing a sacrificial lamb.
"Pl-please spare us. We were just following them..."
Without listening to his words, Raon applied force to his wrist. The sword passed through the executive's throat.
"Ah..."
He tried to stop the bleeding from his throat and fell back.
Raon only lowered his sword after beheading six executives in a row.
"Ugh..."
Still not fully recovered, he shook his hand slightly after standing up and swinging the sword.
Why are you in such hurry?
Wrath clicked his tongue in a pathetic way.
You could have dealt with those scum later, so what's the rush?
'Because they are the ones who can destroy the family's system.'
They were the ones who had ruled this family for many years.
If it weren't for himself being in control, they would have still been scheming against Wendy and the new executives even now. So, they all had to be eliminated.
"Phew..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the executives huddled together in a corner as if they were one body.
The only ones left were Wigen and his siblings, in other words, Wendy's family.
"Wendy-nim."
She looked back at Wendy without swinging the sword right away.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
Even if she said she wasn't okay, she nodded immediately.
"It will be difficult, so you can leave if you want."
"No. I will stay here and watch."
Wendy Arian shook her head with eyes that did not waver in the slightest.
It seemed that there was a heavy rock instead of her pupils.
'What happened?'
The atmosphere was different from before. Wendy's gaze exuded an overwhelming will.
"Are you really sure about this?" Raon asked one last time, his lips pressed tightly.
'They're family.'
To him, they were outsiders and sinners, but to Wendy, they were family. He was concerned about staying here to witness it all.
"I'm sure. As the head of the family, I will witness the end of these sinners."
Wendy looked at the executives with a cold, calculating gaze, as if she were looking at strangers.
"Wendy! Do you remember when your uncle used to carry you when you were little?" The executive with a goatee at the front gestured to Wendy.
"Please, give us one last chance! If you forgive us just once..."
"You threw away your last chance yourself."
Wendy didn't even turn her head and stared them down.
"All that awaits deserters is the blade."
He nodded as if he understood it was time.
It seems she has changed.
'Yes, something has changed.'
Wendy Arian's inner self had clearly transformed into a different form. It wasn't clear whether it was for the better or worse yet.
'But that doesn't mean it's not painful.'
A person's character doesn't change in just three days. She must be enduring it, so it was important to handle this as cleanly as possible for her sake.
Swish!
Raon swung down the raised Heavenly Drive. Without hesitation, the fallen sword cut through the throat of the executive in charge.
Hot blood flowed down onto the feet of the executives huddled in the corner.
"Wendy!"
"How can you do this?"
"We raised you!"
"We can't even beg for mercy!"
The executives shouted at Wendy, but she didn't even blink an eye, just continued to stare at them.
Raon beheaded each of the executives one by one, starting with those who had cursed at Wendy.
Swoosh...
Before he knew it, hot blood was dripping down from Heavenly Drive, and the only person left was Wigen Arian.
"Wendy!"
Wigen Arian crawled toward Wendy, his hands and feet trembling.
"I'm sorry! I've been wrong all this time! Please spare me!"
He grabbed Wendy's ankle and cried like a child. He seemed to be in a state of panic because he couldn't have imagined such a situation.
"I don't care if I spend my whole life in prison! P-Please spare me!"
"Do you remember the candy you gave me when I was young?"
"C-Candy? What are you talking about? It's not a time to joke, now, any way you can persuade that monster..."
Wendy looked down at Wigen, who was kneeling and pleading.
'What kept me under your rule until now...'
It was because of the candy.
In her childhood, the candy Wigen had given her came to mind.
The warmth of her father's hand and the sweetness of the candy. Over thirty years, they had created a life of submission under his rule.
She asked Wigen if he remembered the gift he had given her, but as expected, he didn't seem to recall.
'Now, all that candy has melted away.'
During this war, the candy Wigen had given her had melted away completely, leaving not a trace. There was no longer any lingering attachment to him.
Wendy raised her head. She felt a sense of trust from Raon that she had never felt from her family.
She remembered her vow to follow him, and her heart began to pound against her chest.
"Father."
Wendy kneeled down and looked at Wigen in the eye.
"I wanted to rebuild this family with you."
"Th-then..."
"I intended to give you the position of the family adviser and seek your advice after paying for your sins. But you committed unforgivable crimes."
A cold aura rose in her eyes, like the wind of the North Sea.
"For a family head to take hostages and abandon the family during times of crisis, fleeing like cowards—this is unheard of in the history of our continent."
Wendy stood up with a cold expression on her face.
"But don't worry."
"Ah!"
At her words, Wigen raised his head. Hope bloomed in his eyes, which had seemed dead.
"T, thank you! Thank you so much! I will serve the family for the rest of my life...!"
"You've had a big misunderstanding."
"What?"
"Your ugliness. I will leave your family's filth in history, so don't worry."
Wendy shook her head, saying that she had misunderstood.
"Raon-nim. I'm sorry. Please."
Raon nodded and approached Wigen.
"Wait a minute! I am the head of this family..."
Wendy cut off Wigen's words and neck at the same time to make it easier for her.
"Agh..."
Wigen scratched his bleeding neck with his dirty fingernails and fell to the ground.
"Phew..."
Raon wiped the blood off Heavenly Drive and took a deep breath.
Wendy Arian looked at the dead bodies one by one before raising her head.
"Raon-nim."
A thin tear ran down her cheek as she looked at him.
"Will you buy me a candy?"
* * *
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A small, windowless, dimly lit room.
If it weren't for the blue flames emanating from the central white skull, nothing would be visible in the dark chamber. The sound of muscles and bones contorting reverberated for about an hour.
Thud!
The eerie sound that had been heard for about an hour stopped, and Manghongwi known as Arc Lich rose from beneath the white skull.
However, his appearance was different from before.
All of the death energy (aura of death/deathly aura) that had been wrapped around him like skin was gone, his robe was torn, and there was a large scratch on the forehead of his mask.
"Damn it!"
Manghongwi roared as he slammed his fist into the ground.
"Raon Zieghart! How dare this wretch..."
It was all done.
After a thousand years of gathering the energy, the Jewel of Deception (black sphere) had been completed. He was confident he could kill both Raon Zieghart and the reinforcements he had summoned.
Although Rimmer had intervened, he was weakened from fighting Hell Pilgrim, so dealing with him wouldn't be a problem either.
But it had all fallen apart because of Raon Zieghart, whom he thought he had captured.
"You rat-like scum!"
Raon Zieghart deliberately concealed his power, instilling the notion that his defenses couldn't be broken down easily. Then, with his sword imbued with divine energy, he shattered both the orb and his core.
Because of the divine energy, his resurrection was delayed, and it took three days before he could awaken.
'Moreover, he's not dead.'
He didn't know how he managed it, but Raon survived the massive explosion. He was a lucky bastard.
'I will kill him, no matter what.'
Until now, Raon had been considered a mere nuisance, but not anymore. He was determined to use every means at his disposal to thoroughly eliminate him.
'No matter how long it takes!'
Thanks to the characteristics of the Arch Lich mask, his resurrection was successful, but he had lost his best body and orb. It would take a considerable amount of time to regain his strength.
But he would never give up. He would pursue Raon to the ends of the continent if necessary to kill him.
'I'll kill you, no matter what.'
As he made this resolve, a sinister voice echoed throughout the room.
"This voice..."
It was the voice of Merlin, the crazy woman.
"Merlin? Why are you here in this room?"
He shouted, but Merlin was nowhere to be seen.
"Where are you! Come out right now!"
He attempted to use detection magic, but the remaining energy in his body was insufficient to cast spells.
"If you're going to be crazy, at least do it properly!"
He gave up on searching for Merlin and tried to leave the room. He placed his hand on the wall and released what little energy he had left.
"Hmm?"
But the door didn't open. The only exit from this room remained sealed shut.
"What on earth..."
Trembling with frustration, he raised his head. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began to see the upper part of the room.
Now that he looked, this was not the room designated for his resurrection, but a place like a dark, translucent aquarium with a dark background.
'An aquarium?'
Could it be a Golden Frame Aquarium? (Golden Fishbowl)
The Golden Frame Aquarium was an artifact that could confine a target within it. It was immensely powerful, but to keep someone inside, they had to spend over two days within it, rendering it almost useless.
"But..."
He had been sent directly to the resurrection chamber after his death, spending three days there in a small, skeletal form. In other words, he couldn't have been trapped in the Golden Frame Aquarium.
"Merlin! You mad woman! What the hell is this! Come out now!"
As he yelled in frustration, Merlin, wearing a wizened old woman's mask, appeared on the opposite wall.
"You've done something unforgivable."
Merlin said, looking at him with a cold glare."Unforgivable? What are you talking about?"
"Raon spilled blood and fell."
"What?"
"He fought for six days without eating or sleeping. You deserve to rot here for what you've done."
She laughed sinisterly, stating it was only fair.
"Do you think Tacheon will just let this pass?"
"I'll kill you as long as he doesn't find out. I'm performing a different task right now."
Merlin explained that this body was just a projection.
"Considering your usual personality, you won't show up in front of Tacheon until you've fully recovered, so there's no need to worry."
As she said this, the corners of the old woman's mask curled upwards, sending a shiver down his spine.
"I don't care if I'm discovered."
"What?"
"My path no longer leads to restoration."
Merlin left these words behind and vanished into the foaming water within the aquarium. She had been watching from the outside, not gone.
'Still, it's okay.'
If that crazy woman doesn't watch, there will be plenty of opportunities to escape this place. It will take a long time, but I can break out of the aquarium.
"Merlin. I will Kill Raon in front of your eyes."
As he forcibly gathered mana, an eerie sensation, like someone staring at the back of his neck, sent a shiver down his spine."What is this?"
Puzzled, he raised his head, and the sky, stained black, bore a writhing cross-shaped iris. It was Merlin. She hadn't left; she had been watching the aquarium from the outside.
"Oh..."
His heart tightened as if it would burst, looking into her eyes, filled with murderous intent.
"Who are you going to kill?"
Below the iris, crimson lips sprouted, and a sinister voice emerged.
"Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill? Who are you going to kill?"
He tried to block his ears from the voice that felt like it was slicing through his eardrums, but her voice didn't stop.
"Aaaargh! Stooooop!"
After screaming as if he would tear his throat, Merlin's voice finally ceased, but it was only the beginning.
"I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch. I'll watch."
To make sure he doesn't become a threat.
