N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 558
“What, what do you mean by strange?”
Gep raised his eyebrows as if he didn't understand.
“…”
Raon turned his head away without answering his question. He examined the bodies of the women and others, then bit his lower lip.
‘It's the same for all of them.’
The necks and wrists of the bodies were roughly torn, as if to show that they had been attacked by the White Blood Religion. If he had looked at them without thinking, he would have thought that it was the work of the White Blood Religion.
However, examining the wounds closely revealed a mistake made by those who committed this act.
‘There is a difference in the time the wounds were made.’
The wounds that caused death, such as those resulting from a pierced heart or a severed waist, were older than the wounds from bites on the wrists and necks for blood-sucking.
‘That doesn't make sense.’
Most of the time, the fanatics of the White Blood Religion tear the flesh and drink the blood of living people.
The Blood Festival of the White Blood Religion is a ceremony in which the living are offered as sacrifices to the Blood God, so they must drink fresh blood.
In other words, they should have bitten the flesh and blood of the living, not the dead, but most of the bodies here had their wrists and necks bitten after they were dead.
‘Who orchestrated this?’
After confirming not only the young woman but also other corpses, it became even more certain.
‘And the most important thing is….’
Raon drew out the Blade of Requiem strapped to his waist with his left hand.
‘The Blade of Requiem is not crying.’
The Blade of Requiem could sense subtle bloody energy that even he could not feel, but now it only showed pity for the dead, not anger at the White Blood Religion.
It was clear that the people of the branch had not been attacked by the White Blood Religion, but by imposters pretending to be the White Blood Religion.
“That's right.”
Martha nodded as she examined the body of the middle-aged man.
“The people here were not attacked by the White Blood Religion.”
“W-What do you mean….”
Dorian was startled and stepped back.
“When the White Blood Religions use their blood technique to bite flesh, the blood vessels spread outward to let out more blood.”
Martha continued, pointing to the neck of the body.
“But all the people here have their blood vessels retracted inward. They could have been bitten by teeth, but it wasn't the work of the White Blood Religion. It’s the work of those trying to impersonate them, It's a fake.”
She shook her head with conviction.
Raon smiled faintly at Martha, who confidently declared it to be the work of a fake White Blood Religion.
‘She's been investigating all this time.’
To figure out in an instant that it wasn't the work of the White Blood Religion, it seemed that Martha had continued to study the White Blood Religion in order to save her mother.
“She's right.”
Raon agreed with Martha and turned his gaze to Gep and Bels.
“Not only the blood vessels, but also the wounds on the wrists and neck were inflicted after death. It's not how the blood-sucking White Blood Religion behaves. This is not the work of the White Blood Religion, but of those who are trying to mimic them.”
He showed everyone here the subtle differences in color inside the wounds on the necks and wrists.
"How did you know that?"
Martha tilted her head, looking intrigued.
"Of course I know."
Since the White Blood Religion were their sworn enemies, it was essential to keep a close eye on them.
"Hmm...."
Upon hearing that, Martha made a strange noise, scrunching her face as if she had heard something odd, and stepped back.
"What are you doing?"
As Raon let out a dry laugh, Bels approached the bodies. A cold and heavy aura that seemed to indicate he was not in a good mood could be felt.
"......"
Bels silently examined the bodies before slowly raising his body.
"It seems that you two are right."
He looked at Raon and Martha in turn and nodded his chin solemnly.
"I've never met the White Blood Religion before, so I don't know about the blood vessels, but the time of the wounds is definitely different. It seems like someone tried to frame it as the White Blood Religion's doing."
Bels sighed, admitting that their initial thought was wrong.
"You wouldn't know if you hadn't experienced it."
Martha waved her hand as if it was nothing. Since Bels was the first to admit it, she responded more gently than usual.
"......"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Bels, who was being courteous to Martha.
'Did he really not know?'
Bels' alias is Jang Hyeon Geom (Jang = Leader/Chief, Hyeon = Bright/Wise/Virtuous, Geom = Sword). He is a calm and collected person, and it was incomprehensible that the person who would be the next head of house Rakion would fall for this kind of trick.
'I don't have to suspect him outright, but it's better to be cautious... Huh?'
While thinking about being cautious around him, an unpleasant smell wafted from Belss.
It was like a disgusting smell seeping from a pit filled with accumulated trash, briefly stimulating the senses. No, it stimulated not only the sense of smell but also the soul, disappearing in a very short moment.
'What is it?'
Raon looked at the others. Burren, Martha, and Dorian were standing right next to Bels, seemingly calmly engaged in conversation without sensing anything.
'Am I the only one who smelled that?'
The King of Essence also smelled it.
Wrath clicked his tongue with an irritated look.
That is the smell of polluted magic power.
'Polluted magic?'
It is a foul smell of magic that has been dirtied with filth. The corruption is so deep that I can't even tell what kind of magic it was.
Wrath sniffed his nose, saying he smelled something dirty.
'Magic...'
There are only two groups of evildoers on the continent that use magic: the Black Tower and the Demon Summoning Association.
However, one should not automatically assume it's from that source, as artifacts infused with magic can also be used.
'Regardless of what happened, I shouldn't let my guard down.'
Just in case, he looked at the bodies again, but he couldn't feel even a tiny bit of magic. It seemed that he would have to slowly dig up whatever secrets Bels had.
"Sir Gep."
Raon turned his gaze to Gep.
“What happened to the mountain cottage that was supposed to be in the south?”
“Ah, I just heard the news, they say they destroyed the entire mountain cottage and ran away.”
Gep replied with a dazed look, as if he still couldn't believe it wasn't the work of the White Blood Religion.
“We need to start the investigation from there.”
Burren clicked his tongue briefly.
According to him, they should investigate the mountain cottage, but he had a feeling that they wouldn't find anything even if they went there.
“Before that, let's bring these people back to Zieghart.”
Raon closed his eyes as if in prayer, covering the corpses with a tent.
"That's right. It's the right thing to do."
Dorian nodded in agreement.
"After that, how about heading to our family? There may be no place to stay around here."
Bels approached Rimmer and suggested going to house Rakion in the east.
“Hmm….”
Rimmer smacking his lips and turned his gaze, thinking about something.
“Raon. What do you think?”
“Let's go.”
If someone seems suspicious, it was the right thing to observe them more closely.
Raon muttered, not even bothering to open his eyes as he clenched his lips.
‘Whoever did this. I will make them pay for this.’
* * *
After requesting the merchant who trades with Zieghart to return the deceased individuals to the family, Raon and the members of the Light Wind left the Sinigeon branch.
Having to examine each deceased person one by one, it was only when the moon had ascended to the center of the sky that they were able to enter house Rakion.
Even though the hour was late and the thick darkness draped the world like a curtain, the interior of house Rakion, illuminated with lights, shone as brightly as daylight.
“Welcome to Rakion.”
Bels bowed his head solemnly, yet not excessively, as he opened the gate, which gleamed with a sun-like red light.
'This place is tremendous.'
The scale of house Rakion was different from that of ordinary families. It felt more like a vibrant kingdom than a family. Smaller than Zieghart, perhaps, but the buildings and facilities were on a scale incomparable to most families.
As he followed Bels walking down the main street, the swordsmen around him bowed their heads respectfully.
The air was sharp and dignified, befitting a family renowned for its swordsmanship.
"This is the lord’s manor where the head of the family resides."
Bels stopped in front of the grand building, reminiscent of a watchtower, standing at the innermost part of the family. It had a silhouette as if a sword were piercing the sky.
‘This is….’
Raon felt his fingertips tingle as he heard those words. From inside that building, a strong aura like a sharpened blade was pouring out.
“Ahem.”
Bels coughed briefly and knocked on the door with a red lion painted on it.
“Come in.”
A thick voice with added echo flowed out immediately. It sounded like he was talking right behind the door, and it also sounded like it was coming from the end of a long cave.
“Yes.”
Bels nodded and opened the door, entering inside. Raon sent a glance to Light Wind members before following behind Bels into the ancestral house.
Unlike Zieghart, house Rakion lord’s manor itself seemed to double as a an audience chamber, there were no other rooms in sight, and only the path leading to the central platform caught the eye.
Magnificence. The space seemed to reflect that word precisely. The red carpet seemed alive with each thread, resembling the sensation of walking on grass. Priceless artworks lined up on either side, their value immeasurable.
"Come in."
An old man with red hair rose from the platform that seemed to be made of gold instead of stone.
Although he was not very tall, he exuded a formidable aura that made him seem like a mountain rising up. Despite the wrinkles on his face, his eyes were vibrant with life.
"I am Juan Rakion, the head of house Rakion."
Juan Rakion looked down at the entire Light Wind Division and arrogantly nodded, surveying the Light Wind Division.
"Welcome to house Rakion."
"Greetings, Lord Rakion."
Following Raon's lead, the Light Wind members bowed their heads to Juan.
"It's uplifting to witness heroes of such splendor."
Juan received the greetings of the Light Wind Division and looked at Rimmer, who was standing blankly.
"It's been a long time since we last met, palace master."
"Ah...."
As soon as Rimmer heard the word "palace master” he frowned.
"I am the division leader of the Light Wind Division now. Would you please address me properly?"
"Ah, I made a mistake. It's because I'm old."
Juan Rakion laughed out loud and waved his hand.
"Then is that the Dragon Slayer?"
His black gaze turned away from Rimmer and towards Raon.
"Indeed, the difference in class is apparent. To have such strength at the age of 21, it would have been unbelievable without seeing it for myself."
Juan genuinely seemed astonished, and his Adam's apple shook visibly.
"Since the Dragon Slayer and the Sword of Light have visited, we should host a feast."
He muttered that he couldn't sit still on such a happy day and that he should have the tables set.
"I apologize."
Raon stepped forward and bowed his head.
"We are in a state of mourning for our fallen comrades. We are not in a position to drink alcohol. Please understand."
He cautiously expressed his refusal.
"Hmm, right. I almost made a mistake."
Juan hit his own forehead and laughed.
"I'm sorry. Nonsense often slips out at my age. Please understand."
He apologized and called for Bels.
"Bels."
"Yes."
Bels went up to the platform at Juan's call.
"What happened? Did you find out that the bastards who attacked the Sinigeon branch were the White Blood Religion?"
"No, they didn't."
"No?"
"Yes. Thanks to swordsman Raon and Martha, we found out that...."
He reported to Juan everything that had happened in Sinigeon.
"You fool!"
Juan clenched his teeth and slapped Bels across the face. With a sound like a drum exploding, blood spurted from Bels' mouth and stained the red carpet.
"You couldn't even figure out something like that? What a disgrace in front of our guests!"
He turned his face and slapped Bels's cheek again, swearing.
"Ugh..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Juan and Bels.
'He's strong, but he's short-tempered and impulsive. Strangely, he said that he knows his own shortcomings well.'
The man named Juan was precisely as described in the information from the Black Market and Shadow Agents.
However, even so, he did not expect him to insult and use violence against Bels, the heir, in front of an outsider like the Light Wind Division. Juan turned out to be more ignorant than anticipated.
"I apologize for the unnecessary trouble caused by this man."
"No need."
Raon shook his head as he looked at Bels' back, who was lowering his head.
"You must be tired. I think I've kept you for too long. Let's call it a day for today."
Juan spread his crumpled impression and gestured to the butler behind him.
"Come this way."
The butler quietly nodded, then opened the door and guided the Light Wind members out of the audience chamber.
"Ah, yes..."
The Light Wind members, unable to say anything in the awkward atmosphere, followed the butler out of the audience chamber.
Before leaving, Raon turned his head subtly. Juan and Bels stood there without uttering a word, facing each other.
'The relationship between those two...'
* * *
"Hey."
Rimmer leaned his back against the sofa in the annex lobby and yawned.
"It's been a long time since I've been here."
"You've been here before?"
Krein approached Rimmer with a curious look.
"Yeah. I came here once when I was subjugating."
"Subjugation? So you fought Rakion?"
"Yeah. It was when the lord's face was free of wrinkles."
Rimmer smirked and nodded.
"At that time, house Rakion was a family that was starting to rise to power. They were confident in themselves, and since their positions overlapped, we clashed with them often. In the end, a full-scale war broke out, and we won and took them in as vassals."
He spoke lightly, as if recounting something from a history book.
"It's amazing that they were spared."
Martha tilted her head as if she was hearing it for the first time.
"Rakion was also strong, and they didn't use any strange tricks. The lord (Glenn) seemed to have liked the fact that they always fought head-on with strength."
Rimmer rolled his eyes upwards as if he were recalling that time.
"I see."
"Oh, I didn't know that."
The members expressed their surprise, assuming that house Rakion would have followed house Zieghart first.
"But will Sir Bels be okay? The Lord of Rakion seemed very angry..."
Dorian gulped as if he was worried.
"He's a reckless human."
Martha, too, furrowed her brow in a way that suggested she didn't expect Bels to be on the receiving end of such treatment.
"Pitiful."
Runaan muttered and glared with fierce eyes, saying that he didn't like Juan.
"He's too quick-tempered, unlike Sir Bels."
"That's right. How can he hit his son in front of us..."
"He seemed like a man who lives according to his temper."
Not only the captains, but all the members of the Light Wind were cursing the head of house Rakion and muttering that Bels was pitiful.
Raon narrowed his eyes as he listened to the consistent opinion that Bels was pitiful and that the head of house Rakion was quick-tempered.
‘Could he have wanted this reaction?’
For a moment, the perspective of the the Light Wind members was shifted from Sinigeon branch to Bels and Juan.
It seemed as if he intentionally struck Bels to portray an image of an ignorant and impulsive lord.
Crack!
Raon lightly clapped his hands and gathered the attention of the Light Wind members.
"You've done well today. You must have been shocked too, so go rest for now."
"Really? Are we allowed to rest?"
"What's going on?"
"That's right. I thought you would train us today..."
The members widened their eyes in surprise at Raon's words to rest.
"Do you want to train?"
"Ugh!"
"No, no!"
"We'll go right away!"
As Raon tilted his head and asked if he should let them go, the members quickly nodded and rushed to their respective rooms.
"The captains stay."
Raon gestured for Burren, Martha, and Runaan to stay on the sofa.
"What's going on?"
Burren tilted his head as if questioning why they were the only ones left.
"I find house Rakion a bit suspicious."
Raon told the captains everything he had thought so far.
"Actually, Zieghart initially established a branch in Sinigeon to keep an eye on Rakion. Over the years, as house Rakion quieted down it must have become meaningless."
"That's true."
Rimmer nodded with a surprised look.
"As soon as we subjugated house Rakion, we immediately set up a branch to contain them. Decades have passed, and during that time Rakion has done nothing, so it has all been forgotten. How did you know that?"
"It's something obvious."
Raon brushed it off as nothing.
"Then, when the branch was attacked, wouldn't house Rakion be the first to be suspected?"
Burren frowned at Raon.
"That's the common perception. There are also many opinions that house Rakion is not a suspect. Even looking at you now, there is no one who suspects Rakion."
Raon nodded calmly.
"Above all, it's bothering me that Bels Rakion didn't recognize the White Blood Religion’s wound."
It was difficult to understand how, even without knowledge of the White Blood Religion, he failed to notice the significant time difference between the wounds.
The most significant point of suspicion was the magic, but since it was something he felt alone, Raon decided not to mention it for now.
"The head of house Rakion just seemed like a dirty bastard. It's hard to believe that someone who hits his son in front of guests would resort to such tricks," Martha twisted her lips, expressing her disdain for the head of house Rakion.
"Even that could be an act."
Raon looked at the three captains in turn and tapped the table with his finger.
"And above all, the traitors don't have much time."
"Not much time?"
"Yes, everyone knows that the traitor of the family was found out a while ago, right?"
"Yes."
"Now that the internal affairs of the family have been sorted out, it's time to investigate the vassal families. It's also possible that the impatient ones got caught by the branch before they could commit their crimes and attacked them."
While there was no concrete evidence pointing to Rakion as the culprit, there were enough suspicious circumstances.
"Then why are we here? It could be dangerous."
Runaan stabbed a reasonable question with fierce eyes.
"It could be dangerous. But..."
Raon curled his lips as if he had been waiting for that question.
"There are things that you can only find out by coming here."
Food!
As soon as he said that, Wrath, who had been drooling and sleeping, jumped up.
The King of Essence has been starving all day, so let's eat first! Isn't that the most important thing!
'...Please, just go back to sleep.'
