N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 572
“Ugh!”
Karoon could only glare at Aris and not open his mouth again. The way he was chewing his lips showed that he seemed to be holding back his anger.
“Esteemed Sis….”
Denier quickly shook his head. He muttered, begging her to please hold back, and clasped his hands together.
“Hmm!”
Balder tightly shut his mouth, fearing that sparks might fly at him as well, and only stared straight ahead.
“From now on, the moment any of you open your mouths, it’s a life-or-death fight with me. Got it?”
Aris pointed her chin at Karoon, Denier, and Balder in turn.
“Ugh….”
The swordsmen, who were considered the best in terms of military power, didn’t want to fight a life-or-death battle with a Transcendent, so they all kept their mouths shut.
After blocking her brothers’ mouths, Aris turned back to Raon’s side.
"I'll call my nephew my nephew, and if anyone has a problem with that, speak up. I'll gladly take you on."
She seemed to be asking not only the swordsmen but also the other executives to speak up if they had anything to say. Of course, no one raised their hands.
"No one? Then from now on, anyone who tries to stop me..."
"Excuse me, Lady Aris."
Raon interrupted Aris and pointed to the platform. Glenn was raising his hand in a very natural way.
“Aris Zieghart.”
Glenn looked down at Aris with eyes filled with emptiness.
“You still haven’t changed that hot-headed nature of yours even after getting old.”
“Hoo, I knew you’d say that.”
Aris let out a low sigh and raised her gaze.
“I know why you divided the direct and collateral lines. I even think it was necessary. But the situation has changed, hasn’t it?”
She confidently straightened her back, seeming unwilling to yield even to Glenn.
"Raon is originally supposed to belong to the direct line, and he has proven his qualifications to be in it."
Aris took a step closer to Glenn and raised her voice.
“He reached Grandmaster at the age of 21, severed the neck of the disciple of the Holy Sword Union Leader, and even cut down the Dragon Swordmaster. If such achievements are not enough to put an outsider into the direct line, then why are you being so strict with Raon?!”
“Ah, Lady Aris!”
Raon tried to stop Aris by reaching out his hand, but she only stepped forward even more.
“What are you going to do if Raon goes somewhere else? The Six Kings and the Five Divine Rulers will all welcome him with open arms. Are you going to regret it later if you let him go?”
Aris looked back at Raon with a look of regret.
"Of course, the child won't leave Zieghart, but isn't it only fair to reward him according to his accomplishments and abilities?"
She concluded with a decisive snort.
"You make a valid point."
Glenn nodded solemnly at Aris.
“However, those here who are not from the Light Wind Division have not yet heard of what he and the Light Wind Division has accomplished.”
“Ugh….”
Aris seemed to feel embarrassed that she had gotten ahead of herself and scratched her head as she stepped back.
“Raon Zieghart.”
“Yes.”
“Tell everyone what the Light Wind Division did, in your own words.”
“Understood.”
Raon nodded and stepped forward.
“We suspected house Rakion from the moment we arrived at the Sinigeon Branch. A close inspection of the bodies found in the collapsed branch revealed that it wasn’t the White Blood Religion’s doing….”
He told everyone in the audience chamber about what happened from the time they went to the Sinigeon Branch to the time he cut down the Dragon Swordmaster.
“He… he went into trance on the battlefield?”
“He’s crazy. No, has he gone mad to that extent?"
“What kind of brat…”
"It's fortunate he didn't come to our side. He's too much to handle."
“From the Holy Sword Union leader’s disciple to the Dragon Swordmaster. Once again, he has returned with remarkable achievements..."
The executives gasped in admiration at each of the achievements Raon and the Light Wind Division had accomplished.
"Of course! Only I can handle that crazy guy."
Rimmer smiled brightly, enjoying the sight of the executives gasping in admiration.
“Excellent achievements."
Glenn nodded, covering his mouth with the hand that was supporting his chin.
“Exposing house Rakion’s crimes and stopping their evil deeds, defeating the Holy Sword Union leader’s disciple and the Dragon Swordmaster, and reaching Grandmaster at a young age. It's an achievement without a single flaw."
He looked at Raon intently, saying that he acknowledged him. The hand that was covering his mouth seemed to be trembling slightly.
“Head of house.”
Raon stepped forward and bowed his head.
“The reason we were able to uncover house Rakion’s crimes is because of this child.”
He called Shielen, who had been with Dorian, to his side.
“If Shielen hadn’t shown courage twice, house Rakion would have concealed their intentions and attacked us from behind at the end."
Raon patted Shielen on the back and smiled gently.
“Ah….”
The redness returned to Sierlen's pale face, previously tense with anxiety.
“That’s right.”
Glenn nodded briefly at Shielen. His voice seemed to have softened a little.
"Um, excuse me!"
Shielen knelt down and bowed her head.
“I have a request!”
The child pressed her head to the floor, her lips trembling.
“There’s no need for such courtesy. Get up.”
As Glenn waved his hand lightly, Shielen’s head lifted naturally.
“What is your request?”
"Please allow me to manage house Rakion!"
Shielen recited the same words she had said to Raon before.
“I will become Zieghart’s strength so that something like this never happens again. Please!”
Glenn didn’t answer her and looked at Raon.
“How many survivors are there in house Rakion?”
"About two-fifths of the original members remain. Their martial prowess isn’t very high, but their loyalty to the family is strong.”
Raon emphasized that the remaining members were useful to help Shielen.
“Running a family is not something a child can do.”
Glenn looked at Shielen again, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
“Ah….”
“However.”
Shielen’s expression hardened when Glenn’s words continued.
“If you have established your own will while being tortured by your family, you cannot be considered a child.”
He nodded, meeting Shielen’s wavering eyes.
"I'll observe for a while."
“T, thank you! Thank you!”
Shielen banged her forehead against the floor with a thud.
"Please, please get up."
Raon forcibly dragged Shielen, who refused to straighten his back, like a ragdoll.
"Is everything settled then?"
Aris clapped her hands, looking happy that things had worked out well.
"house Rakion issue has been resolved, and Raon is now my nephew..."
"That’s not it."
Glenn turned his gaze towards Aris, shaking his head.
"Pardon?"
Aris widened her eyes incredulously.
“Don’t be ridiculous! What’s the big deal about direct and collateral lines!”
"Even though he has made achievements that would allow him to be in the direct line, the vice division leader of the Light Wind Division is currently in the collateral line. I cannot allow that title before he becomes a direct descendant."
Glenn's gaze darkened.
“However!”
"Aris Zieghart. Even if you currently have no official position, you have carving your name at the highest place of Zieghart. If you, who should be a role model, break the rules, what will others think?”
“Ugh….”
Aris felt stuffy but couldn’t argue back because she thought it wasn’t wrong.
“If you want to hear him call you aunt, let’s do it after he becomes a direct line.”
“Then you’re going to promote him to the direct line right away?”
“That’s not it either.”
“Oh, why!”
She stomped her feet and raised her voice.
“The time he will be promoted to the direct line is January 1st of next year.”
“January 1st?”
Aris tilted her head as if to ask what he was talking about.
“That’s right.”
Raon nodded, standing next to Aris.
“The head of house promised me that if I win the life-or-death duel with the Axe King Roman next year, the head of house will immediately promote my mother to the direct line.”
“Roman….”
Aris frowned at Raon.
“Roman is not an easy opponent! You could die!”
“I know.”
Raon smiled nonchalantly. He knew how strong Roman was after meeting him in person and clashing with him.
“I don't want to break what I decided myself just because the situation has changed. I want to defeat Roman, elevate the family's name, and personally raise my mother to the position of the direct line."
Raon declared the oath he had made with Glenn to everyone present.
“Ugh….”
“…….”
Karoon grimaced as if he didn't like the oath itself, while Denier looked at Raon expressionlessly, almost like a doll.
“Hoo!”
Balder opened his eyes wide as if he liked the confidence.
“Kyaaa!”
Aris screamed and hugged Raon tightly.
“What do I do! You're too good! How did such a kid pop up in our house?"
She patted Raon on the cheek, saying that he was worthy of being Sylvia's son.
“Ahem!”
Glenn coughed loudly at Aris as if to tell her to calm down.
“You're so precious!”
Aris ignored Glenn's eerie aura and hugged Raon even harder.
"Be moderate!"
“Why are you like this!”
Glenn couldn't help but frown and used his will to separate Raon and Aris.
Rimmer and Roenn looked at each other, seeing Glenn's distorted expression.
'Hehehe.'
'Is he acting like that because of hearing the aunt title and being hugged?'
* * *
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When the situation was somewhat sorted out, Raon stepped forward in front of Glenn again.
“I have something else to say.”
“Something you haven't said?”
“Yes. After the fight againts the Dragon Swordmaster ended, another Holy Sword Union figure attacked us.”
“Who is it?”
“Hoo….”
He exhaled briefly and closed his eyes. He thought of Rector's eyes, as dry as the desert sand, and opened his lips.
“The Blood Swordmaster Rector. He's the one we called the Sword Demon.”
As the name of the Sword Demon Rector came out, the once chaotic audience chamber fell silent again.
“…You mean he was a member of the Holy Sword Union?”
Glenn, too, showed a surprised expression, opening his eyes wide for the first time as if he hadn't anticipated Rector's involvement.
“Yes.”
Raon himself still couldn't believe it, so he nodded with his lips pursed.
“He called himself the Blood Swordmaster of the Holy Sword Union and attacked me.”
“…….”
Glenn heard the definitive answer and leaned his back against the throne with his eyes down. His face suddenly seemed to be filled with fatigue.
“T, the Sword Demon is from the Holy Sword Union?”
“The Sword Demon is a Transcendent! Did the number of Transcendents in the Holy Sword Union increase?”
“Crazy….”
"Why on earth did he join the Holy Sword Union in the first place?”
“He didn't join, he said he was from the Holy Sword Union from the beginning.”
“I don't understand. Then why did he go around doing good deeds!”
The executives also turned pale when they heard the news that the Sword Demon belonged to the Holy Sword Union.
“What did he say to you?”
Glenn asked after a while, opening his eyes.
"He said that since the Dragon Swordmaster and Cloud were dead, taking me would satisfy the Holy Sword Union leader."
“He tried to kidnap you?”
“Yes. Lady Aris came in time and stopped him.”
“Hmm….”
Glenn looked at Aris for a moment and narrowed his eyes.
“It means that the Sword Demon Rector is our enemy.”
“That's….”
Raon uttered something ambiguous. Instead of immediately responding, he recalled Rector's eyes and the swordsmanship he had shown.
'He must have had something to convey to me. But... '
The fact that he belongs to the Holy Sword Union remains the same.
'I shouldn't talk about the possibility that he has other intentions here.'
What he felt alone while looking at Rector was not something to be brought up in such a public place.
“That's right. He's an enemy.”
Raon nodded heavily, looking at Glenn.
“And one more thing, it seems that the Black Tower, the Holy Sword Union, and the White Blood Religion have formed an alliance.”
“Alliance?”
"Yes. Considering the words of the Dragon Swordmaster and Rector...."
Raon informed Glenn and the executives of the deductions he made through the statements of Dragon Swordmaster.
“See! Why are you keeping such an information-gathering kid as a collateral line!”
Aris, still feeling regretful that Raon hadn't been elevated to the direct line right away, praised his exceptional information-gathering skills.
"Good job. You've brought back a lot of information."
Glenn nodded and gestured, and Roenn went up to the platform with a large tray.
“Raon Zieghart. Come forward.”
“Yes.”
Raon nodded and went up to the platform.
“I will honor your achievements in stopping the evil deeds of house Rakion and killing the disciple of the Holy Sword Union leader and the Dragon Swordmaster with a golden plate and a reward.”
Glenn took out a golden plate and a red box from the tray that Roenn was holding.
“Thank you.”
Raon accepted the golden plate and the box with a bowed head. However, he didn't feel as pleased as usual.
'This is not what I want right now.'
Raon descended from the platform without revealing the bitterness that had welled up in his heart.
* * *
The audience chamber was quiet after the Light Wind Division and the executives left.
“Sigh.”
Rimmer leaned against the pillar and exhaled briefly.
"What a great opportunity, yet you just let it slip away!"
“What are you talking about?”
Glenn, who was lost in thought, slowly turned his gaze.
"What am I talking about? Of course, it's Raon. It would have been great if he had been promoted to the direct line as soon as Aris stepped forward!"
Rimmer patted his chest with his left hand, feeling frustrated.
"Even Karoon and Balder kept quiet because they were intimidated by Aris. Where else would such an opportunity come again?"
“I told you, I have a prior promise with that child.”
Glenn shook his head firmly.
"Besides, it wouldn't be a wise decision to promote Raon directly to the direct line with Aris's influence. He needs to stand atop the direct line by his own merit for Sylvia and those in the annex building to be comfortable."
He looked at Rimmer with a sunken gaze.
“If we put Raon in the direct line now, his achievements will be forgotten, and there will be more people who will complain that he got into the direct line because of Aris’ influence.”
Glenn seemed to have already envisioned all the future and was confident in his judgment.
“Hehehe.”
Roenn nodded with a thin smile.
“I agree. If the young master Raon had promoted to the direct line today, the fact that he is close to Lady Aris would have been highlighted more than his achievement of becoming the continent’s youngest Grandmaster.”
He laughed, saying that it would be better for Raon to ascend to the direct line through a duel with Roman.
“And then….”
Glenn clenched his teeth and fixed his fierce gaze.
“The first word that child should call after becoming a direct line is not ‘aunt’, but ‘grandfather’! I absolutely cannot see him calling ‘aunt’ first!”
He said he couldn’t compromise on this and glared at the space where Aris had been standing.
“Sigh….”
Rimmer lowered his eyes and nodded.
"If only he had shown that attitude in front of him. Then everything would've been settled!"
He shook his head with a sense of regret.
“Hehehe.”
This time, Roenn also seemed to agree with Rimmer and smiled softly.
“What are you going to do?”
Glenn frowned and turned his gaze to Rimmer.
“Well.”
Rimmer scratched his head while smacking his lips.
“I don’t know yet. What should I do….”
He shook his head as if he still couldn’t make a decision.
"However, there's something more important."
“What’s that?”
"How much will my pension and retirement pay be? I need to know that to make a decision..."
Rimmer chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
But Glenn raised his finger to interrupt him.
Zap!
A thunderous roar erupted above Rimmer's head.
"No, I was just kidding! It was just a joke!"
“Sigh….”
Eveen Glenn couldn’t bring himself to struck the patient Rimmer, and he just crumpled his face and turned off the lightning.
"I plan to visit my hometown for a bit."
"Hometown?"
“Yes. Now I have to return this sword.”
Rimmer tapped the sword hanging from his waist.
“I see.”
Glenn nodded nonchalantly. It seemed like he would accept any choice Rimmer made.
“Fine. Go and take a break.”
He said that and stood up from the throne and stepped down from the platform.
“Where are you going?”
At Rimmer's question, Glenn nodded calmly.
“Somewhere I need to be.”
* * *
“…That’s what happened.”
Raon returned to the annex building and told Sylvia everything that had happened.
“I see.”
Sylvia sighed, looking at Raon.
“What do you think?”
"You said, Sir Rector could have captured you, but he let you go, right?"
“I think so.”
She nodded, maintaining a calm expression.
“I told you before. He seems to be connected to your father.”
“You did.”
"He might have come all the way here because he knows about your father. Perhaps it was a warning for you to be careful in the future?"
“A warning….”
It was true that thanks to Rector, he learned that the Holy Sword Union, the Black Tower, and the White Blood Religion were in an alliance, and he also realized that all three were after him.
"But this is just my optimistic view. You should be cautious, as we don't know what might happen."
"Of course."
Raon nodded, taking Sylvia’s hand.
"You should rest too, Mother."
Sylvia waved her hand, smiling despite the fatigue on her face.
“You too, Mother.”
Raon bowed to Sylvia and left her room. Returning to his own room, he sank to the floor.
“Sigh….”
I’m tired.
He still couldn’t sort out his feelings about Rector.
It would have been better if it was a clear betrayal, but since he didn't know Rector's intentions, he couldn't easily settle his emotions.
Hmm….
Wrath frowned at Raon, who was lost in thought.
Even I, the King of Essence who is full of humanity, don't know this well.
Wrath clicked his tongue, saying that humans were truly complicated.
“Right.”
Raon didn’t go to bed, but lay on the floor and sighed.
"Human relationships are truly complex."
As he let out a short complaint, a huge shadow loomed over the window.
Raising his gaze, Raon saw Glenn's stern expression, beckoning him to come out.
“Ugh….”
Raon quickly got up and went outside.
'Is he giving me the reward he couldn’t give me in the audience chamber?'
Glenn had visited Raon at night many times to give him additional rewards, saying that the rewards he gave in the audience chamber were insufficient. It seemed like that was his intention this time as well.
However, what Raon needed now was not material rewards but peace of mind, so he didn't have high expectations as he followed Glenn.
As he approached the lake in the annex building with slightly weakened steps, Glenn turned around. He looked at Raon and nodded gently.
“You must have had a difficult time.”
