N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 646
The small tavern behind the royal palace.
Despite it being broad daylight, the tavern was full of people enjoying their drinks and meals.
"Say, have you heard of the 'Land of the Sea of Swords'?"
A mage in a brown robe set down his drink and narrowed his eyes.
"The Land of the Sea of Swords? Never heard of it."
The knight sitting across from him shook his head nonchalantly.
"Always slow on the news, aren't you?"
"I was on the front lines until yesterday. It'd be strange if I knew anything about the capital's news."
"It's not just about the capital. It's related to the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb."
"The Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb?"
"Don't tell me you didn't even know the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb was discovered?"
"Of course I know that!"
The knight frowned, telling him not to underestimate him.
"Turns out, the Saber Sword Sovereign wasn't neutral, he was actually part of house Zieghart. The place where his tomb was discovered was also Zieghart territory."
The mage in the brown robe leaned forward and revealed the secret of the Saber Sword Sovereign. As if to listen to his words, the noisy tavern fell silent.
"Is that really true?"
The knight stood up abruptly, disbelief in his voice.
"Everyone who came out of there alive says the same thing, so it can't be a lie."
"Then the Saber Sword Sovereign’s legacy..."
"Thanks to the foresight of his predecessors, Raon Zieghart of the Light Wind division took it."
The mage in the brown robe nodded quickly.
"Huh, he's already a monster, and now that he's got the Saber Sword Sovereign’s legacy, I can't even imagine how far he'll grow..."
The knight spoke in awe, stumbling over his words with envy.
"Indeed. It's like a monster sprouting wings."
"So, what is this the Land of the Sea of Swords you mentioned earlier? Does it have anything to do with Raon Zieghart?"
"Looks like you're finally catching on. Yes, it does."
The mage raised his voice, sensing that the entire tavern was now focused on him.
"As you might have guessed, not everyone who sought the Saber Sword Sovereign’s legacy went into the tomb. Many were waiting outside, having formed alliances, ready to ambush whoever came out with the legacy."
"They were planning to play hyena, huh."
The knight frowned in disgust at their cowardice.
"That's right. They aimed to strike when others were exhausted and injured. But..."
The mage pressed his lips together firmly.
"They didn't take into account the 'head-crushing madman'."
"He-head-crushing madman?"
"I'm talking about Raon Zieghart. They say that before he left the tomb and could be ambushed, he made a declaration. From now on, this place is Zieghart land, so drop your weapons or get lost."
"And then? What happened next?"
The knight trembled with excitement as he held his glass. The entire tavern was silent, everyone holding their breath.
"Ten seconds later, Raon Zieghart, carrying only a sword scabbard, crushed all the warriors and mages there. Not a single one was left unscathed."
"He-crushed their heads?"
"There were hundreds of them, but none died. They all just had their heads crushed in. It was pure terror..."
The mage shuddered as if recalling a horrifying memory.
"Even those who threw down their weapons and fled had their heads crushed. Now, in front of the Saber Sword Sovereign's tomb, there's a mountain of discarded weapons and blood-stained ground from the head wounds."
"That's why they call him the head-crushing madman..."
"Yes. The fear of one man who crushed hundreds of heads without causing any deaths led to that area being called the Land of the Sea of Swords, the sacred land of Zieghart, where no one dares to draw a sword."
He nodded in awe and fear of Raon.
"It's hard to believe. That he hit the heads of hundreds of warriors and mages with just a sword scabbard..."
"Not just hit them, crushed their heads."
"Whatever, heads or not, I just can't believe it."
The knight squinted in disbelief.
"If he got the legacy from the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb, wouldn't he have fought the Five Demons and other factions too? How could he possibly defeat hundreds of people?"
"He didn't defeat them, he crushed their heads!"
"Yeah, heads! That's the part that's unbelievable!"
"There's your proof."
The mage pointed to the right. Not just the knight, but everyone in the tavern turned to look.
"Hehehe..."
"Hihihi..."
A swordsman and a mage, both with bandaged heads, were placing empty glasses on their heads and laughing strangely.
"Those two are survivors from that hell. Since returning with their heads crushed, they've been like that. The healers say it'll take at least half a year for them to recover."
"That's considered surviving?"
The knight gaped at the two men, dumbfounded.
"Well, they are still alive."
The mage nodded solemnly.
"The Land of the Sea of Swords..."
The knight stroked his nearly bald head and gulped.
"I'd better not even pee in that direction..."
***
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"...That's how the rumor is spreading."
Chamber smiled brightly, waving her hand.
"..."
Raon closed his eyes tightly.
"Head-crushing madman..."
The rumor had gotten out of hand.
He had only tested his newfound strength and quickly sorted things out to prevent the exhausted Light Wind division from getting hurt, but an unexpected rumor had spread.
However, it wasn't all bad. It meant more people were recognizing that area as Zieghart territory.
The head-crushing….Kehek! Cough! Cough!
Wrath tapped his own head and then coughed dryly.
'You start coughing whenever you talk. Just stay quiet.'
Raon pushed Wrath back into the bracelet and looked at Chamber.
"But how did you hear the rumor if you're with me right now?"
"An archmage can do at least that much."
Chamber, holding a lollipop in her mouth, admonished him not to underestimate an archmage.
"To be honest, I didn't fully believe you."
Her eyes sparkled with an eerie light. The friendly demeanor she had shown moments ago was gone.
"I compared your words with the external rumors, and it seems they align quite well."
As she spoke, Chamber's demeanor once again lightened, as if she were looking at a child.
Raon bit his lip.
'What a scary person….'
She had been smiling on the outside while internally comparing his statements with the rumors. She wasn't one to judge by appearances.
"So, you really did crush their heads?"
"...I did, but I didn't expect the rumors to spread this quickly."
He had moved quickly, but he hadn't expected the rumors to travel faster.
"Rumors are always faster than feet. It's probably spread not just to the royal capital, but across the entire continent. It'll be easy to take over that region, huh?"
Chamber clapped lightly, congratulating him.
"More importantly, you didn't kill anyone. That's impressive. You have the attitude a strong person should have."
King Leckros nodded in approval.
"No, no. Those people were obvious threats. You should've just cut their heads off instead of crushing them."
Chamber frowned, clearly displeased.
"I didn't want to see any bloodshed after what happened with Sir Kusan and Sir Barpil."
"Hmm, understandable."
King Leckros nodded understandingly.
"But isn't turning them into idiots by crushing their heads worse than death?"
Chamber tilted her head, placing a finger on her chin.
"...There's something else I need to show you both."
Raon, having nothing more to say, changed the subject.
"Something to show us?"
"It feels like you're changing the subject, but fine."
Chamber smiled and nodded.
"Here it is."
Raon took out a fragment of a scabbard imbued with death energy. The fragment was still stained black.
"Is it a fragment of scabbard?"
"It gives off a very ominous aura."
Unlike Leckros, who was in the Owen Kingdom looking through the dimension rift, Chamber narrowed her eyes as soon as she saw the fragment.
"After crushed the warriors around the tomb..."
Raon explained to Chamber and Leckros about the ambush by Derus.
"So, this black energy is the energy of the one who attacked you?"
"Yes, it's believed to be the leader of the faction that used the Saber Sword Sovereign's tomb to start a war among factions."
The scabbard of Heavenly Drive was created by the Continent's Blacksmith Vulcan. It had the effect of containing aura, allowing it to hold Derus' Dark Flow for a short time.
"Wait. Is the energy contained here... death?"
Chamber touched the fragment and bit her lip.
"Yes. It's the energy of at least a transcendent. According to Lady Aris, it's at a level that could possibly match even our head of house."
"That pirate woman?"
"Yes."
"With her eyes, she wouldn't see things incorrectly..."
She was surprised, touching her lips.
"This is a valuable information. Thank you."
Chamber nodded, her eyes reflecting a serene light.
"I'd like to see it too."
Leckros eyed the fragment with interest.
"I'll send it to you."
Chamber snapped her fingers, and the fragment in her hand moved to Leckros' hand.
"Wow..."
Leckros exhaled, examining the fragment.
"Truly, death is contained within it. I can't believe such energy exists..."
His blue eyes widened in surprise.
However, Raon was surprised for a different reason.
'Is teleportation magic that easy?'
The distance between Balkar and Owen was considerable. She had sent Kusan’s sword earlier and now moved this fragment with just a snap of her fingers.
Even though Chamber was an archmage, Raon hadn't expected her to use teleportation magic so freely.
"There's nothing to be so surprised about."
Chamber smiled lightly, understanding Raon's curiosity.
"There is a small dimensional line connecting this room and his room."
"A dimensional line?"
Raon looked at Leckros, who nodded in confirmation.
"You two are closer than I thought."
"She was my teacher."
"Teacher?"
"Yes. She was my etiquette teacher since I was five. She even hid her identity to do so."
Leckros smiled softly, reminiscing.
"Why are you bringing up old stories!"
Chamber grumbled, pulling her hat down.
Raon blinked in surprise.
'Five years old? Etiquette teacher?'
Leckros appeared middle-aged, but in reality, he was as old as Glenn. If Chamber had taught him when he was five, her age was far beyond his estimation.
"So, Lady Chamber's age is..."
Unable to resist his curiosity, he blurted out the question.
Snap!
Suddenly, Raon's vision went dark.
***
"Ugh..."
Raon opened his trembling eyelids. He saw a strange ceiling, decorated with geometric patterns like constellations.
'Where am I...?'
Seriously!
Wrath appeared with a scowling face.
Your mouth is always the problem!
'My mouth? What did I do?'
Raon rubbed his temples, frowning.
Ugh! Never mind!
Wrath waved his hand dismissively, mumbling that Raon was hopeless.
"You're awake."
It was Aris' voice. When Raon looked to his right, he saw her sitting on a sofa, smiling.
"What did you say to that witch? I've never seen her frown like that."
"Ah..."
When she mentioned the frown, Raon remembered. He had asked about her age and then his vision suddenly went dark.
"I asked Lady Chamber about her age."
"Oh! So that's it!"
Aris couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Well, that makes sense. Actually, that witch's age is over a hun—"
As she began to speak, the ceiling twisted, and a lightning struck out of the blue.
Boom!
Aris quickly looked up at the ceiling, which seemed about to collapse, and then shook her head rapidly.
"We'll stop this conversation here."
She waved her hand cautiously.
"Witch. No, what did Lady Chamber say?"
"Both of them actually thanked me."
Raon sighed as he lifted his upper body.
"I owe my life to them (Kusan and Barpil), so I don't understand why they thanked me."
"That's obvious."
Rimmer entered through the door, shaking his head.
"Kusan and Barpil sacrificed their lives to save you, and you lived up to their expectations by defeating the mastermind and saving people. You didn't let their deaths be in vain, so they thanked you."
He continued in a serious tone, which was unusual for him.
"That's the attitude a leader of the Six Kings should have. You should learn from this."
"...I understand."
It was rare for Rimmer to give such advice. Raon engraved the looks and voices of King Leckros and archmage Chamber in his heart once more.
"Here."
Aris tossed him the fragment of the scabbard stained with death energy.
"They both checked it thoroughly and said they'd help with the search."
"Ah, thank you."
Raon carefully put the fragment into his pocket.
'It's finally over.'
The reason for coming to Balkar wasn't just to inform them of Kusan and Barpil’s deaths.
Informing Chamber and King Leckros about the death energy left by Derus Robert was also a goal, and it seemed they had taken it seriously.
If Derus ever used that death energy again, it would catch their attention, which was a huge gain.
"What are you going to do now?"
Rimmer asked, crossing his arms and tilting his chin.
"I need to return to Zieghart."
Cough! Cough!
"But first..."
Raon smiled faintly, hearing Wrath's coughing.
"Before I go back, I need to get some mint chocolate ice cream."
Oooh!
Wrath jumped out onto the bracelet, shouting with joy.
Just the thought of eating mint chocolate makes my cough go away! The power of mint chocolate is truly incredible!
'If your cough is gone, there's no need to eat it...'
Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!
Wrath began coughing uncontrollably. It appeared as if blood was trickling from his throat.
'...Alright, I'll eat it. So stop.'
***
A group of people dressed in black stood in front of the garden of the annex building of Zieghart's.
"The garden has expanded. No, it seems the building has been extended as well."
A middle-aged man with blond hair at the forefront of the group sneered as he inspected the garden and the annex building.
"I think we should start with that, vice head."
He bowed his head to an old man with white hair standing to his right.
"Don't be foolish, Krisen."
The old man called the head of the senators frowned in disdain.
"The garden was always this size, and the annex building extension was approved by the head of house. If you mess with irrelevant parts, it could backfire. It seems you didn't do your research properly."
"I'm s-sorry."
Krisen grabbed the back of his head and bowed.
"I just thought they were all scarecrows without Raon Zieghart..."
"Tsk."
The vice head clicked his tongue shortly.
"Since Karoon, who used to suppress the bastards of the collateral line, is in that state, make sure you get it right. This is the only place where we can get a leash on Raon Zieghart."
"But I'm not sure if it'll work..."
Krisen sighed as if he was worried.
"Do you know how to subdue a wild lion?"
"Um, well..."
"You sneak up from behind and grab its neck tightly, and it can't move. It's because it hasn't forgotten the memory of its mother biting its neck when it was just a cub."
The vice head twisted his lips.
"To leash Raon Zieghart, we must first put a leash on Sylvia's neck."
He glared at the annex building with eyes full of disgust.
"I can't stand the sight of a runaway woman who left Zieghart on her own and a bastard whose father is unknown standing at the center of Zieghart."
"You're absolutely right."
Krisen nodded in agreement, unable to accept that as well.
"Then, get your mind straight and follow me."
The vice head walked towards the annex building with a cold gaze. Krisen and the swordsmen from the senate followed behind him.
They trampled the flowers in the garden, even though there was a path, and stood before the annex building.
"Ahem."
Receiving a glance from the vice head, Krisen cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"This is a senate inspection! Everyone in the annex building, come outside!"
He shouted first to intimidate them, but his voice disappeared just before reaching the annex building.
Rumble.
The main door of the annex building opened quietly, and a blonde swordswoman, dressed in a white martial uniform, walked out.
"Hmm..."
The vice head bit his lip as he met the calm, red eyes of the swordswoman.
'Is that Sylvia?'
