N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 416
Raon laughed as he watched Wrath sticking his tongue out at Rimmer.
'They'd have an interesting meeting, I bet.'
He couldn't help but smile as he imagined what kind of situation would happen if Wrath, who was childish, met Rimmer.
'Maybe they'll fight like kids?'
As he was imagining Rimmer and Wrath' conversation, Wendy Arian came up to the arena.
She walked up to Rimmer and bowed her head at a right angle.
"Thank you very much, Rimmer-nim."
At first, she thought Rimmer was a money-crazed person who wanted to open a gambling den in the arena, but it was a big misunderstanding.
It seemed that Raon and Rimmer had planned this gambling scheme to help the Arian family financially, not just to save them.
'Just as I thought, he's a hero from Zieghart and the leader of the Light Wind.'
There were many bad rumors about Rimmer, but it seemed that they were all just rumors.
After meeting Raon, he felt so moved that his hands involuntarily tightened.
"Hehehe..."
Rimmer nodded with a gentle laugh like he was possessed by Roenn. Tears welled up in his thin eyes and fell down.
"To donate such a large amount of money..."
"The Arian family will never forget this favor!"
"We will now treat you as our benefactor!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The newly appointed executives of the Arian family also bowed their heads to Rimmer and cheered.
"Hehehe..."
Rimmer once again smiled and nodded.
"Let's give him a congratulatory shower!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Thank you, Rimmer-nim!"
Wendy and the executives gave Rimmer a congratulatory shower and thanked him again.
"Hehehe..."
Rimmer smiled and floated in the air, but he still looked uneasy.
He looked like he was broken.
"Benefactor?"
"Rimmer-nim?"
As people tilted their heads, Raon approached Rimmer.
"He's happy. He's always been a fan of donations."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Of course!"
"Donations are not easy, but he's amazing."
Not only the Arian executives, but also the spectators raised their hands again, praising Rimmer.
"Well, I've heard that before."
One of the executives looked at Rimmer with a hungry expression.
"My friend once said that he saw Lord Rimmer donating to an orphanage."
He smiled warmly, muttering about something that could never exist.
"Donation? Not robbery?"
Raon narrowed his eyes at Rimmer.
"Did you ever make direct donations, or is this someone else with the same name?"
He asked Rimmer, just in case, even though it was a ridiculous story.
"I don't know. Damn it!"
Rimmer turned his head and went down the arena. He waved his hand as if to let the rest handle it.
"Bank!"
"Yes!"
Dorian jumped up to the arena at Raon's call.
"Is the calculation done?"
"Of course!"
Dorian looked over the ledger like he was a bank manager, then nodded.
"Then I'll give the donation from the squad leader to Lady Wendy."
"Yes, sir."
He took out gold coins from his belly pocket and handed them to Wendy Arian and her executives.
"Ah...
"I really don't know how to thank you..."
Wendy and her executives couldn't speak as they looked at the pile of gold coin bags.
"Please contact Sepia Merchants Association and tell them to trade with Arian. It's an exclusive opportunity to control top-quality grapes and blueberries. They'll rush to do business."
He smiled as he saw that the Arian family and the Sepia Merchants Association, which could be considered allied forces, would be connected and their relationship would become even stronger.
"The head of Association will be happy too!"
Dorian nodded quickly and took out the communication bead he had received from the head of Sepia.
"Light Wind squad! Light Wind squad! Light Wind squad!"
"No, it's called the Mad Dog squad these days!"
"Mad Dog squad! Mad Dog squad! Mad Dog squad!"
The spectators raised their voices in praise of the Light Wind squad, who had saved Arian and donated a large amount of gold.
"It's not Mad Dog, it's Light Wind, you bastards!"
Martha's eyes flared as soon as she heard the word "Mad Dog."
"Aaaaaaargh!"
"She's a demon woman! The devil dog of Zieghart!"
"The devil is not me! It's Raon!"
She rushed into the audience and caused a commotion, but that was just a minor accident.
Everyone here smiled and enjoyed the festival.
'Except for one person.'
The only one not smiling was a red-haired elf sitting in a corner, crying tears of blood.
"Grrr, my money. My flower path...
He bit his lip as he looked at the pile of gold coins that Dorian had taken out.
'Now it's time to keep my promise to Sword Demon... Hmm?'
Raon stopped as he approached Sword Demon.
'That's...'
Musten, who was behind Sword Demon, was glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
'There's another one who's not smiling.'
He couldn't hear it clearly, but it seemed that Sword Demon had not rebuked Musten after the duel; instead, he had even encouraged him. However, it felt like none of that had gotten through.
He didn't raise his aura, but the malice in his eyes was even more intense than before.
'I need to step on him properly.'
He was confident that he could easily defeat Musten even if he used his full strength, thanks to becoming a peak master level.
I think I need to crush him with my power and establish the hierarchy.
"Sir Rekthar."
Raon approached Sword Demon with ease, receiving Musten's sharp gaze.
"It's over."
Sword Demon nodded and gestured to his quarters.
"Let's have a cup of tea in a quiet place."
* * *
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Sword Demon finished his tea and raised his head. He took a deep breath as he looked at Raon, who was sipping tea across from him.
'No matter how I look at it, he's similar...'
If Raon's hair and eyes were changed to brown and blue, he would look similar to that guy.
'Especially his expression when he's fighting was exactly the same.'
He felt that it was not the calm expression he wore now but rather the way he fought with all his might that made him feel like that guy was back, swinging his sword.
While there might be some people who resembled each other to some extent, finding such a striking similarity was difficult to fathom, especially without any familial ties.
"Sword Demon?"
"Uhm!"
At Raon's call, Sword Demon snapped out of his thoughts and cleared his throat.
"My apologies. I got lost in thought for a moment."
"No, it's fine."
Raon nodded gently.
Raon looked at Sword Demon, who was looking at him with a sad expression.
'He seemed a bit melancholic earlier.'
Sword Demon, who had appeared earlier like an old man with his age fully revealed, had shown a touch of sadness.
Since he said he was thinking about something else, he seems to have been lost in his old memories for a while.
'What is he going to ask me?'
I don't know his intention, since he said he would just ask me a few things, not a favor or a rematch with his disciple.
"Don't think it's strange and listen."
"Yes."
"May I inquire about your parents?"
"My mother and father?"
"Yes, I'd like to know who raised you so well, developing your strength, mental, and personality at such a young age."
Sword Demon smiled awkwardly, saying that it was strange that he had created both power, mental strength, and personality at the age of twenty.
'Personality...'
Sword Demon seemed to be aware that Musten's personality, who was also his disciple, was in a state of deterioration.
Seeing him seek advice for such a disciple warmed his heart.
'It's not a secret, anyway.'
Since it was already known that he was Sylvia's son, it wasn't difficult to tell him.
"My mother is Sylvia Zieghart. She was originally a swordswoman of Zieghart, but she now lives a normal life. However, she has a firm heart, and she makes everyone feel comfortable."
Raon honestly told him about his feelings and thoughts about Sylvia.
He told him that Sylvia said she wanted him to be someone who wields the sword for others, like the old Zieghart swordsman..
"…I see."
Sword Demon nodded, swallowing his throat.
"Then what about your father?"
"It may be a strange thing to say, but I don't know my father well."
"You don't know?"
"Yes. He passed away before I was born, so I never met him."
"He, he died…?"
Sword Demon's voice was calm, but his lips trembled slightly.
"How? Did he get sick or something?"
"I don't really want to explain it to an outsider, but he was murdered."
"……."
Sword Demon closed his eyes. His shoulders, which had looked as strong as steel, felt as thin as twigs.
"Mother never talked about my father, so I honestly didn't even hear his name."
"Were you not close?"
"No, both of them loved each other more than anyone else. My mother cared for me so much because she was afraid I'd feel the absence of my father."
Sylvia spoke of her father with a smile, but at the same time, her expression became filled with sorrow.
Raon didn't ask any more, knowing how difficult it was for her mother to speak about him.
"As my mother put it, my father was a bit of a fool. He was tall, exceptionally skilled in swordsmanship, but lacked any talent aura, so he wasn't known as a famous swordsman."
Raon brought up a story about his father that Sylvia had told him gently in the past.
"However, my father was a man who drew his sword for others, and he became stronger when he stood in front of others. I guess the reason I'm thinking about others like I am now is because of my mother, who was influenced by my father."
In his previous life, having lived as an assassin with deteriorated ethics, Raon believed that if it weren't for Sylvia, he could have become a monster like Musten.
Meeting Sylvia and the people at annex building had been the luckiest thing to happen to him.
"......"
Sword Demon stared at the teacup he had placed on the table without saying a word. The tea in the bottom, which had been left with a few drops, seemed to be evaporating.
"I'm truly sorry, but could you tell me who your father was murdered by? Please."
"Eden."
"That... I see."
He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. His hands, which had been unwavering when holding a sword, now trembled ever so slightly.
"Hmm..."
Raon looked at Sword Demon, who looked a little precarious, and rubbed his lips.
"By any chance, do you have any connection with my father?"
Considering the circumstances, it seemed like Sword Demon was related to his father in some way.
"Not yet."
Sword Demon shook his head calmly, as if he had managed to control his emotions in the meantime.
'Not yet?'
I don't know what that means.
'Well, it wouldn't make sense to know with this explanation.'
It's more amazing that he knows my father when I haven't even told him his name.
"Can I ask you one more favor?"
Sword Demon took a deep breath and raised his head.
"Pleaae speak."
"May I accompany you when you return to Zieghart?"
"Are you going to see my mother?"
"I want to confirm something about your father. I swear to you that I will not harm anyone."
He said the swordsman's oath, placing his right hand, which held the sword, on his left chest, where his heart is.
"I'm considering not going right away but stopping by Habun Castle. Is that okay with you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"If you come as a guest, it's okay."
Sword Demon was neither an enemy, nor did it seem like he had any ill feelings if he had a relationship with my father.
Since he had been of great help this time, inviting him was not a difficult task.
"Thank you. Really..."
Sword Demon raised his eyes. His eyes were clear, but they felt strangely hot, like a heated iron plate.
"It's nothing. We will leave in 5 days, so please prepare in advance."
"I understand."
He nodded, told him to take care of his health, and closed his eyes.
Raon bowed his head and left Sword Demon's room.
'I wonder what's going on.'
He thought about the relationship between Sword Demon and his father as he descended to the first floor, but on the stairs, Musten came up.
His pupils still contained the two swords, and he emitted a chilling aura, as if he might draw his sword at any moment.
"What did you talk about with the Master?"
Musten raised the chilling atmosphere as if he were about to unsheathe his sword at any moment.
"Why do you care so much?"
Raon sneered at Musten.
"If it was something you needed to know, you would have been called to the room."
"Arrogant..."
Musten's brow furrowed like a piece of paper crumpled by a fist.
"Are you just waiting for moments of complacency, thinking you won fair and square?"
"It's not a misconception, it's reality."
"If I had used my full power from the beginning, the outcome would have been different! If we fought right now, you wouldn't be a match for me!"
He seemed ready to fight right away, clutching the hilt of his sword.
"For the sake of sir Rekthar, I'll let you off this time."
"Don't tarnish Master's name with your nonsense."
After exhaling a sigh, he was about to descend the stairs, but Musten roughly grabbed his shoulder.
"You're the one who can't grasp the essence of the situation."
Raon turned and approached Musten.
Kugugugu!
Naturally, the resonating Ring of Fire. Having reached peaj master level and enhanced soul, an imposing aura was unleashed.
"Ugh..."
Musten raised his aura to confront the overwhelming force, but he was torn to shreds by the sharp aura, as if it were sharpened blades.
"W-What is this..."
He trembled, taking steps back down the stairs.
"Ugh!"
As Raon's aura intensified, Musten stumbled and fell to the ground, unable to keep his balance on the stairs.
"Musten."
Raon looked down at the fallen Musten and spoke in a dry voice.
"In this world, there's no room for carelesness. If this were a real battle, your head would be rolling on the ground right now."
"Ugh..."
"If you understand, shut up and leave."
He left Musten shaking all over and left Sword Demon's quarters.
He's consumed by jealousy.
Wrath licked his lips.
Jealousy is originally an emotion that is difficult to bear with one's own strength.. It's like a filthy snake, and they call it 'snakeskin.
'Snakeskin…'
In the Devildom , there was a guy like that. No matter how much you praised him or how much he had, he envied others, suspected others. However, that crazy bastard used his jealousy to gain tremendous power.
He mumbled about there was dirty bastard among the demons.
'That... couldn't be…'
Indeed. He used the power of his disgusting jealousy to rise to the position of Monarch.
Raon seemed to understand even without being told. The Monarch of Jealousy. Envy. Another Demon King that Wrath had told him treated his subordinates harshly.
'Did he rise to a level similar to yours with the power of jealousy?'
What nonsense! The King of Essence is much stronger than that guy!
Wrath blew his nose, saying that he could trample Envy in terms of both the quality of his subordinates and his own strength.
'Well, that guy is too pathetic to be a demon king.'
Raon raised his head, looking at Sword Demon's quarters as he pondered.
"Still, I wonder why Sword Demon took such a jerk as his disciple...?"
* * *
'Huff…'
Sword Demon let out a deep sigh.
'It's almost certain now.'
Sword Demon thought about the conversation he had just had with Raon.
'A righteous personality and weak aura, but excellent swordsmanship. Finally, a tall height.'
It will be confirmed by Sylvia, but no matter how much I think about it, Raon's father must have been that guy.
'How could this happen...'
While conducting closed training, he heard the story that guy had made a great sacrifice and left the 'Alliance,' but he didn't know it would be connected like this.
'Of all places, it had to be Zieghart...'
It was hard to swallow that Raon belonged to Zieghart, not another house.
'Of course, you didn't care about such things.'
Sword Demon let out a hollow laugh and held his churning heart as the door opened and Musten entered.
"Master. What did you talk to Raon about a little while ago?"
He approached with a distorted face.
"It's nothing."
Sword Demon shook his head. He couldn't talk about something that wasn't certain yet.
"Don't think about useless things. Just train for four days. On the fifth day, you will be going to house Zieghart with the Light Wind squad, so get ready."
"Yes?"
Musten's mouth dropped open.
"You're going to Zieghart? What are you talking about?"
"There's something I need to do there."
"That place is our enemy territory! Even if they don't know our identities, why would you go there...?"
"Our affiliations are not yet revealed. This is an opportunity that won't come again."
Sword Demon raised his head and closed his eyes.
“I have seen you teach talented warriors of the Six Kings several times, but this is a different case.”
Musten gritted his teeth.
"It's different from other Six Kings. The gap between Zieghart and us is deep, isn't it! Even if you like Raon Zieghart, you've crossed the line!"
He knelt down as if he couldn't accept it.
"Master. Come to your senses! I am your disciple! If something happens before we are called to the Alliance, it will be a big problem!"
Musten banged his head on the ground as if it was absolutely not possible.
"Even if that happens... "
Sword Demon opened his eyes, which had been closed deeply. The pupils, filled with a firm will like a rock, flashed blue.
"I have something to confirm."
