N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 559
Rakion lord’s manor, after the Light Wind Division left.
"Are you alright?"
Juan looked at Bels's torn cheek with concern.
"It's just a scratch. Don't worry."
Bels wiped the blood dripping from his cheek and shook his head.
"And if it hadn't been for this, they wouldn't have been fooled."
He looked down at the empty carpet and exhaled briefly.
"Yes. Fortunately, it seems to have worked."
Juan stroked his chin as if to ask when he had ever shown such ferocity.
"It's not time to relax yet."
Bels frowned as he grabbed his left wrist.
"Raon Zieghart and Martha Zieghart realized that it wasn't the White Blood Religion’s doing as soon as they saw the bodies of the Sinigeon Branch. They are very perceptive, so they must be suspicious of us even now."
"Of course they are. But they will find nothing in the end."
Juan and Bels continued to speak calmly, as if they had expected that the Light Wind Division would realize that it was not the White Blood Religion who attacked the Sinigeon Branch.
"There are no clues, so we will be suspected, the Five Demons will be suspected, doubting each other, and eventually, they will think of a new enemy and fall into the swamp of thoughts, eventually becoming our sacrifice."
"What do you mean by sacrifice...?"
Bels tilted his head as if he didn't understand the meaning of sacrifice.
"Since the Light Wind Division has come, he said he will come himself."
Juan said, leaning back in his chair and drawing lines with his fingers.
"I thought my plans that had been in place for decades were ruined because of Shielen, but this is even better. This is a good opportunity to get rid of the humiliating name of the vassal."
"I respect father's wishes. It's just a little disappointing."
Bels looked up at the sky and clicked his tongue briefly.
"It's true that our preparations aren't perfect. But we can't wait forever. Now is the perfect time while Zieghart is being restrained by the Five Demons."
"That's not what I mean."
He shook his head slowly at Juan.
"If this was going to happen anyway, I wish I had prevented them from moving the Sinigeon's corpses to Zieghart."
"Hmm?"
"If those bodies were handed to him, they could have filled Kreatus's stomach quite well."
"Kukukukuka!"
Juan burst out laughing and patted Bels on the back.
"That's right. That's what a son of Juan and the successor of Rakion should be like!"
He smiled warmly, as if he truly appreciated Bels.
"But even feeding those bastards' blood won't make Kreatus grow that much. Soon it will be fed the flesh and blood of the Sword of Light and the Dragon Slayer, so don't worry."
Juan waved his hand, telling him to wait.
"When will it start then?"
"Since he said he would come right away, it will all be over by tomorrow evening."
He tapped the armrest of the throne with his fingers and smiled faintly.
"Make sure Shielen doesn't do anything stupid until then."
"I've sent Basion, so she won't be able to escape."
“But, the second child is too aggressive. I don't know what he's up to."
"I'll go and check it out."
"Good. The head of house Rakion should always be aware of everything."
After saying that, Juan looked out the window. He smiled coldly at the moon that was shining alone in the night sky.
"The day when Rakion will rise alone is not far off."
* * *
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Raon turned his gaze after flipping over his mask.
"Oh..."
Dorian, who shared the same room, blinked blankly.
"I'm going out for a bit. I'll leave it to you."
"Don't worry."
Dorian took out a human-sized doll wearing a golden wig from his Belsy pocket.
He put the doll in Raon's bed and covered it with a blanket then flicked his thumb.
"Is that okay?"
"It's, it's okay, but why do you have such a doll?"
"It's a necessity..."
"That's enough. Stop."
He doesn’t know how far this guy's necessities go.
Raon quickly shook his head and, with the window slightly open, slipped his body through the small gap.
Don't you think all the things you were looking for are in that guy's belly pocket?
Wrath sighed in disbelief.
'Maybe.'
He smiled faintly and nodded. If he asked for the Dragon Heart, he seemed ready to pull it out, calling it an essential item.
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at the lord’s manor on the opposite side from the roof of the annex bulding.
'Sure enough, they are watching.'
He could feel the presence of people watching this annex building from the windows of the lord’s manor.
He had used the gap in their gazes to get out of the window, so no one had noticed his presence.
Raon hid his body in the shadows of the night and headed for the lord’s manor where Juan was.
It was early dawn, so Juan and Bels were nowhere to be seen, and only the guards were standing guard with their eyes wide open.
'Let's start here.'
He began exploring the lord’s manor, minimizing his presence and utilizing the Veil of the Snow Flower.
He investigated how many guards there were, where they were guarding, and which areas were heavily guarded, and then returned to the front of the lord’s manor.
'This is strange.'
He had searched the inside of the lord’s manor thoroughly, but he had not felt any special aura like magic, bloody energy, or magic circles. It was an ordinary martial family that was exceptionally powerful but nothing out of the ordinary.
Raon chewed his lips, leaning against a wall where the moonlight did not penetrate.
'But the magic I felt from Bels can't be an illusion….'
The stench of the polluted magic he had felt from Bels was real. It was certain that something within this family was generating magic, even though he couldn't sense it.
'Should I look for it tomorrow?'
In a few hours, it would be dawn. It seemed like it would be better to stop here for today and resume it’s tomorrow.
'No.'
Raon couldn't afford to waste time, not knowing what Rakion family might do.
There's no information on Juan and Bels' relationship, their thoughts, or who attacked the Sinigeon Branch.
In a situation where he couldn't predict what would happen, it was right to gather information as quickly as possible.
Raon climbed up the tall and straight pillar of the manor. From the highest point, he surveyed the entire Rakion family.
"Buildings, gardens, lakes, facilities...nothing there. Then where...?"
As he turned his gaze, he noticed a small mountain to the east, adjacent to house Rakion.
"A mountain? Is it part of the property?"
If so, it was the best location...
It was right next to the family, and since no one else lived in the area, it was the best place to hide something.
It would take a lot of time to search the entire mountain, but if he moved quickly, he could return by sunrise.
Raon made up his mind and climbed over the Rakion wall and headed towards the mountain.
'Hmm?'
When he reached the foot of the mountain, a dreadful stench, like sewage, assaulted his senses.
'This stench….'
It was almost the same smell as the one he had felt from Bels yesterday, only slightly weaker. The polluted magic was clear.
‘Wrath.'
…….
He called Wrath, but there was no answer. He seemed to be sleeping at the moment. Useless when it mattered, as always.
Raon frowned at the stench and climbed the mountain. The scent of polluted magic started from a rock on the middle of the mountain.
'This is….'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the rock. The stench was pouring out endlessly, but he couldn't feel any mana.
However, there was one thing that caught his eye, as an assassin.
‘The color of the soil is slightly different.’ The soil surrounding the rock comprised a mixture of dark and light hues. It was evident that the rock had shifted, causing the lighter-colored soil beneath it to protrude outward.
'Then it must be a mechanism.'
Judging from the fact that he couldn't feel any trace of mana, it seemed like the device was constructed solely from machinery.
'Should I go in?'
Upon closer examination of the rock, he could discern where to touch to make it move.
But he couldn't rush in, as those inside might notice.
Stepping back from the rock, Raon climbed up onto a nearby tree. Someone would enter eventually, so it seemed best to wait until then.
About an hour passed as he waited in the tree. Suddenly, he sensed someone below, not coming from the mountain but from above.
He had almost completely erased his presence, but he couldn't escape his senses, which were using the Veil of the Snow Flower.
Holding his breath, he remained still. A large man in a robe, silently descended from the mountain and stood before the rock.
Raon frowned as he looked at the man's back.
'Bels Rakion?'
The man covered in a robe was Bels. Since they had just met yesterday, even if he had concealed his aura, Raon couldn't fail to recognize him.
Swoosh.
As if sensing the different color of the soil around the rock, Bels cautiously mixed the soil with his hands and inserted his finger into the hole at the end of the rock.
Sssshhh!
The rock smoothly slid open, revealing a hole that allowed entry. As expected, It was a facility where no trace of mana seeped out.
Raon followed Bels down the hole like a shadow.
'This is terrible….'
The stench worsened as he entered. It seemed that they had installed a mechanism on the outside and used a spell or magic on the inside to prevent this magic from escaping.
'They're thorough bastards.'
They were definitely not ordinary people, considering that they had installed such a secret mechanism in a place that was no different from their own home.
As he went down the stairs, following only the steps that Bels took, a cave illuminated by yellow light came into view.
There were quite a few rooms connected to the cave, and from inside, the sound of people's breathing could be heard, and from that breath, the stench of polluted magic emanated.
'What on earth are they doing?'
He followed Bels, curious about what they were doing with the polluted magic and how they were using it.
Bels seemed uninterested in anything else and headed for the largest door in the center of the cave.
Kuuung.
As he opened the door, a space that looked like it had been painted with red paint opened up.
* * *
In a dusty corner, a young girl, whose clothes had turned into rags, was tied with iron chains, while in the middle of the room, a middle-aged woman was suspended in mid-air, bound by thin threads like a wooden puppet.
"Oh? Brother, you came?"
The young man, who was tearing the flesh of the middle-aged woman, chuckled and raised his chin.
"Mm..."
The middle-aged woman, her flesh torn open, chewed her lips until they bled, perhaps due to the child in the corner, and swallowed her screams.
"Basion. What are you doing?"
"I got bored just taking care of the kid. So, I thought I'd play a little prank."
The young man, known as Basion, flicked his fingers, sending flesh and blood that had been caught in his hand flying. The discarded flesh landed at the feet of the young girl.
"I distinctly told you to keep an eye on Shielen!"
Bels frowned as he looked at the girl moaning in pain.
"Yesterday, even after seeing blood, I held back. Understand this much."
Basion grumbled, shrugging his shoulders.
"..."
Bels looked at Basion for a moment and then approached Siren, who was tied up in the corner.
"B-big brother! Please let the nanny go!"
Shielen kneeled in front of Bels, begging him to release the tied-up servant, completely indifferent to her own situation.
“I promise I won’t do it again! I'll stay quiet, please!"
Bels shook his head with an indifferent gaze.
“Actions have consequences.”
"If you hadn't gone to the Sinigeon Branch, those people there wouldn't be facing death, and your nanny wouldn't be in this state. It's all your fault."
Shielen trembled her lips as if feeling fear from Bels' cold eyes.
"That's right. If only you had stayed quiet, I wouldn't have to waste my time here either."
Basion crumpled his face and waved his hand.
“You’re lucky though. If you weren’t my sister, I would have cut off your head right away.”
He gestured as if regretful, drawing his hand across his neck.
"Basion."
Bels turned his back and looked down at Basion.
"Zieghart are on the move, so don't leave this place for a while."
"I'm not a mole, why do I have to be stuck here! It's boring!"
"Just be patient for a little while. What you wanted will happen soon."
"Really?"
"Father has made up his mind. He said he would come himself."
"Finally! Are we going to rid ourselves of the dirty title of the vassal family?"
Basion let out a strange laugh as if he was looking forward to that day.
"Now that you know, stay quiet."
Bels left that word and grabbed the doorknob. He turned back for a moment and looked at Shielen, then opened the door and left the room.
"What am I going to do with this?"
Basion approached Shielen with heavy steps.
"Our youngest, you've likely been anticipating Zieghart bastards, but father seems to be considering offering them as sacrifices."
He stroked Shielen's cheek and curled up the corner of his mouth.
"It's all over now. And soon, you'll be like me."
Basion looked at Siren with eyes filled with madness, relishing the anticipation.
"You'd better get used to it. You don't have any family left that you knew."
He sneered at his sister and left the room.
“I’m sorry…,”
Shielen lowered her head and shed the tears she had been holding back.
“N-no, it’s okay, milady.”
Her nanny, tied up with ropes, moved her parched lips.
“You were trying to do the right thing. I’m fine, so please stay strong.”
The nanny forced a smile as she looked at Shielen.
“I’m so sorry.”
Shielen’s hands trembled. The iron chains that held her wrists rattled and made a faint sound.
"If only I had stayed quiet..."
Because she went to the Sinigeon Branch, everyone who had sent her out died, and her nanny was undergoing torture, with pieces of her flesh being torn away.
The guilt of everyone in Sinigeon being dead weighed so heavily on her conscience that she felt like ending her own life.
“Ugh…….”
As Shielen scraped the floor with bloodied fingernails, a man in a black mask emerged from the shadows behind the door. He revealed eerie eyes while placing a finger to his lips.
* * *
Raon made a thin barrier outside to ensure Basion couldn't hear, then approached the two.
"Ah..."
"W-who are you?"
Shielen only groaned, and her nany managed to part her lips.
"I come from Zieghart."
Raon revealed a badge with Zieghart's emblem engraved on it.
"Ah, I see...."
The nanny cried out, her tears finally falling for the child, her breath coming out in a gasp.
"Please. Please save our young lady!"
Raon listened to the nanny and looked at the child trapped in the iron chain.
'Did this child inform the Sinigeon Branch about Rakion’s misdeeds?'
There was a lot of information gained through the conversation between Bels and Basion. It seemed that this child, Shielen, the sibling of the two, was trying to expose Rakion’a atrocities to the Sinigeon Branch.
"Tell me what happened."
Raon knelt down on one knee and met Shielen's eyes.
"Ugh..."
Shielen shook her shoulders as if her emotions were boiling, but she immediately nodded, knowing that there was no time.
"Ri, right now, our family is working with the Holy Sword Union."
"Holy Sword Union?"
Raon frowned at Shielen.
'The Holy Sword Union here?'
He had naturally thought that the Black Tower was behind it because of the magic rising in this space, but he hadn't expected the name of the Holy Sword Union to come up.
"Yes, it's the Holy Sword Union. The family has changed since the swordsman from there came and gave the sword to my father."
"What do you mean by changed?"
"People who couldn't casually wield a sword towards others were committing murders without any reason. Oh, they only focused on becoming stronger by wielding the sword, without any interest in anything else."
Shielen forced her trembling lips open and continued.
"Those who don't change disappear overnight, and people I don't know take their place. My family is gradually changing into a place I don't recognize..."
"So, you went to the Sinigeon Branch?"
"I, I tried to tell them that the Holy Sword Union was behind it, but th, they all died..."
She lowered her head, saying that Bels had personally visited and destroyed Sinigeon. The child cried out in her heart, unable to make a sound.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone and gotten them..."
"No."
Raon grabbed Shielen's shoulders, which were shaking so much that it was unsettling, and shook his head.
"You did nothing wrong."
Saying that, he sensed the magic emanating from another room.
'The magic might emanate from that sword.'
A sword that produces polluted magic, it wasn't surprising if it was called a Cursed Sword.
'But why did they hand over such a sword?'
The Holy Sword Union was a group of crazy swordsmen who only wanted strong swords and swordsmanship, so it wasn't strange that they had such a sword.
However, he didn't understand why they had given it to house Rakion.
'Perhaps it's part of some deal.'
It had become clear what was behind house Rakion and what they were doing, but it didn't seem like it would be easy to solve.
'No, there's an easy way to resolve this.'
From what Bels had said, it seemed that Juan was planning to hand over the Light Wind Division to the Holy Sword Union.
Then, if he took over this family as quickly as possible and set up a trap, he would be able to create the best outcome without any casualties when the Holy Sword Union came looking for them.
"Where is the sword that the Holy Sword Union gave?"
“I don’t know where it is now because it disappeared after I saw it. I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay.”
Raon smiled, putting his hand on Shielen’s head.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can save you right now. I’ll come back tomorrow morning. Can you hold on until then?"
Right now, the Light Wind Division didn’t know about this situation, so it wasn’t a good choice to make a move.
It was best to prepare thoroughly on this side and act when the other party was not ready.
“I’m fine, but…”
Shielen bit her lip, looking at her nanny.
“It’s okay. I can hold on.”
The nanny nodded awkwardly, smiling.
"I'll be back soon. Please hold on."
Raon nodded to the two and disappeared into the darkness. A red light flashed over his pupils as he left the room filled with magic.
'There's a lot to do.'
* * *
The next day.
Juan Rakion frowned as he sat on the throne.
‘What’s going on?’
Rimmer suddenly called for everyone inside the family, and from morning until now, most of the family's executives had gathered.
“It won’t be a big deal if it’s Rimmer, not Raon Zieghart.”
Bels shook his head calmly.
“I heard he fixed his energy center, but he’s still living like a loser. He’s definitely going to talk nonsense like yesterday.”
“The Sword of Light is also cunning, second to none. You have to be careful. Have you checked Shielen and Basion?”
“Yes. They both haven’t moved from there.”
“Hoo.”
Juan frowned and took a sip of the tea lightly placed on the table.
"The deal is not far off. Just endure a little more and be careful with your words and actions."
“I will keep that in mind.”
When Bels nodded, a knock was heard on the audience chamber door.
“Come in.”
As Juan nodded, the door of the audience chamber opened and Rimmer and the Light Wind Division entered. The eyes of the members sparkled sharply like generals standing on the battlefield.
‘Hmm?’
Rimmer and most of the Light Wind members were present, but Raon Zieghart and one other person were nowhere to be seen.
“You asked us all to gather, but why don’t you have…”
“We found the culprit.”
Rimmer cut off Juan’s words and grinned.
“The culprit…?”
“The culprit?”
"The one we were all searching for. We identified who the demons were that attacked the Sinigeon, and killed so many people.”
He walked confidently down the center, his eyes gleaming with confidence as if he had already figured out the truth.
“Who is it?”
Juan asked, suppressing the surge of his heart that seemed to be racing.
“That bastard is…”
As Rimmer's lips curled into a wider smile, a massive vibration emanated from the mountain standing to the east of house Rakion, shaking the surroundings.
Kuwawawawaaaang!
The ensuing thunderous explosion drew everyone's attention in the audience chamber towards its source.
"What is that?!"
"I let a mad dog loose.”
Rimmer raised an eyebrow, revealing his white teeth while looking at Juan.
"The culprit will be brought here soon. Of course..."
Though their breath may have been cut short.
