N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 651
Raon shouldered his black dragon coat and stepped out of the annex building.
He saw Sylvia standing alone in front of the garden. She was gazing calmly at the dead flowers and trees.
“Did I tell you? That tending the garden was my joy.”
Sylvia spoke without turning around.
“You did mention it.”
Raon nodded. Sylvia tended to and managed the garden herself. For her, it was not only a hobby but also one of the driving forces that kept her going.
“The garden was a treasure to me. I put all my heart and soul into it.”
Sylvia picked up a dry, discolored petal.
“But it doesn’t compare to my children.”
The children she referred to were, of course, the maids of the annex building.
“Seeing the children suffer made the state of the garden and the annex building irrelevant. I wanted to protect them, but there was nothing I could do.”
The petal in Sylvia's hand crumbled into small pieces.
“I wanted to bash that vice head of the senators’ head in, but I had to hold back. And the fact that I couldn't win even if I fought was just too bitter.”
She seemed to recall the time when the entire annex building was oppressed by the vice head, biting her lip.
Head, she said! Not skull, but head!
Wrath trembled as he looked at Sylvia.
You heaven being! It’s your fault that mom’s language has become so rough!
He screamed that Sylvia’s elegant and gentle speech had turned vulgar because of Raon.
However Raon is not sure if he should take "heaven being" as an insult or a compliment.
“Thank you for giving me the chance to vent my frustration.”
Sylvia clenched her fist, holding the crushed petal, and turned around. The sincerity in her brilliant red eyes was evident.
Tsk...
Wrath, sensing Sylvia’s feelings, scrunched his nose and clicked his tongue.
“Do you have confidence that you’ll win?”
Raon asked, meeting Sylvia’s red eyes.
“Winning will be difficult. But I won't go down easily.”
Sylvia’s tone was calm, but it carried a resolve for revenge.
“I won’t walk down from the great training ground on my own.”
She gripped the hilt of her sword, determined to fight until she couldn’t stand anymore. It seemed the three weeks of relentless training had paid off.
“And…”
Sylvia bit her lip as if making a firm resolution.
“Win or lose today, the training is over, right?”
“Yes? Well, yes.”
"Aaaaahhhhhhh!"
She suddenly screamed, looking up at the sky.
“It’s finally over! The hell is over!”
“M-Mom?”
Startled, Raon called her ‘mom’ for the first time in a while instead of ‘mother’.
“It was so hard. I almost hated you for it!”
Sylvia buried her face in her hands, saying she nearly died from the training.
“Um…”
Raon blinked, looking at Sylvia sobbing.
‘Isn’t this the wrong atmosphere?’
They should be motivating each other and heading to the great training ground, but
instead, she was saying she almost hated him, which was bewildering.
What’s so surprising? It’s only natural!
Wrath gritted his teeth, patting Sylvia’s head.
Who would like someone who curses at others' parents and stabs their own parent with a sword?
‘Anyone who hears that will think it’s true.’
So you didn’t do it?
‘Well, I did, but...’
The vice head provoked Sylvia first, and Raon attacked Sylvia for training purposes.
But both statements were true, so he had no rebuttal.
Ehehehehe!
Wrath perched on Sylvia’s shoulder and laughed.
So, your tongue can be tied too! This is my victory!
He wagged his tail and started dancing.
‘Ugh…’
Raon bit his lip, watching Wrath wiggle. Losing to that creature in an argument was frustrating, but he had no counterarguments.
“…Let’s go.”
He approached Sylvia and swatted Wrath away from her hand. Leaving the squawking Wrath behind, he pointed toward the main building.
“Yes. I’m not afraid of anything now.”
Sylvia nodded, more relieved about the training finally ending than the upcoming sword duel.
“Phew…”
Raon sighed and shook his head.
‘I have no allies.’
You killed all your allies yourself!
‘…….’
***
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The vice head of the senators’ office.
The room, which had looked like a battlefield, had returned to its original tidy and elegant state.
The vice head was sitting on his newly acquired ebony desk, drinking tea.
Knock, knock.
Just as he was finishing his tea, there was a heavy knock at the door.
“Come in.”
The vice head nodded, and the door opened to reveal Krisen. Dressed in his combat uniform, Krisen bowed deeply.
“Sir. The time has come."
“Indeed.”
The vice head looked out the window, observing the sun rising high in the sky. He placed his nearly empty teacup down.
“Krisen.”
“Yes!”
Krisen straightened his posture and raised his chin.
“Are you ready?”
“Of course!”
Krisen nodded with an excited voice filled with confidence.
“Thanks to the elixir you bestowed upon me, the quality of my aura has changed. I won't disappoint you!”
“Hmm…”
The vice head smacked his lips, looking at Krisen.
‘His momentum and aura have indeed changed.’
As soon as he received Raon Zieghart’s challenge, the vice head gave Krisen a high-grade elixir and had a senior martial artist train him.
Thanks to that, this fool had become a completely different person from three weeks ago.
‘With this, he should have no problem defeating Sylvia.’
The Gambling Monster is a man of his word. Since he said he wouldn’t participate, the only one who would come out from the annex building would be Sylvia.
Even though her level was high, she had been away from the sword for a long time, so as long as Krisen didn't get careless, he should be able to fight her evenly.
“Win, even if you have to die. You are the face of this vice head of the senators’ office.”
The vice head patted Krisen’s shoulder, his lips curling. It wasn’t just encouragement, it was genuine.
“Of course! I will win even if I have to give my life!”
Krisen’s eyes reddened with emotion, feeling touched by being called the face of the vice head of the senators’ office.
The vice head inwardly scoffed at the sight of Krisen clenching his fist.
‘Yes, even if you both die together, take her down.’
He couldn’t afford to weaken himself before fighting Raon.
In a high-level sword duel, even a small difference can decide the outcome. If he wasted aura on Sylvia, there was a chance he’d be at a disadvantage against Raon.
‘I’ll likely win, but it’s better to eliminate uncertainties.’
For three weeks, he had been gathering data on Raon Zieghart, studying his swordsmanship and martial arts.
Handling both ice and fire was tricky, but Raon’s swordsmanship was still lacking in system and perfection.
He was confident he could win if he fought in perfect condition.
“Indeed. If I don’t trust you, who else would I trust?”
He stood up from the desk with a calm smile, concealing his true thoughts.
“Vice head…”
Krisen’s lips trembled again, filled with emotion.
“Let’s go.”
The vice head patted Krisen’s shoulder and opened the office door. He looked at the sunlight filtering through the corridor and smirked.
“It’s a shame to bury such a young one on a fine day like this.”
***
Thud, thud, thud!
The heavy iron gates of the great training ground opened with a tremor.
Many people entered through the wide-open entrance of the great training ground.
They entered in an orderly manner, but as soon as they passed through the gate, they hurried to secure the best seats, sprinting to the stands.
The great training ground was vast, as its name suggested, but it quickly filled up, and soon people were left standing.
“Barely got a seat.”
Burren fanned his face with a hand, sighing in relief.
“So many people!”
Martha frowned, irritated by the cramped space.
“Where did all these people come from!”
“They say residents from not only the inner city of Zieghart but also the outer city have flocked here.”
Dorian shook his head, watching the waves of people pouring in.
“Even residents from the outer city?”
“Yes. The profanity Raon—no, his message wasn’t just heard here. It spread throughout Zieghart, so there’s no one who doesn’t know about it.”
He shook his head again, saying that Raon's insults towards the vice head had now become a song, passed down orally.
“This is why one should age gracefully.”
Martha sneered, looking at the vice head's seat.
“At that age, all you have left is your honor, but his is not not just buried in the ground, it’s covered in crap. Serves him right.”
She giggled, seemingly delighted.
“Right. If he had stayed quiet, he could’ve at least maintained a mediocre reputation.”
Krein waved his hand dismissively, looking disdainful.
"It's so warm, I'm getting sleepy..."
Runaan started dozing off in the sunlight.
“Hey! Don’t sleep! You have to see the old man get beaten!”
Martha shook Runaan by the collar, but she didn’t wake up.
While the Light Wind swordsmen mocked the vice head, the spectators also began discussing today’s sword duel.
“Who do you think will win today?”
“They said it’s a 2v2 sword duel, right?”
“The vice head of the senators’ office will send the vice head and Krisen.”
“And who from the annex building? The Light Wind division leader for sure, but who’s the other one?”
“I don’t know, but wouldn’t it be hard for them to win?”
“Even if Raon Zieghart is strong, defeating the vice head is a different matter.”
“No, the Light Wind division leader got the Saber Sword Sovereign’s martial arts recently. We won’t know the outcome until we see it!”
“But it’s been less than a month since he got that. What could have changed? Not yet.”
While there were those cheering for Raon, the majority still bet on the vice head’s victory.
“Hey.”
Martha turned around, frowning.
“Are you saying that old man will beat our leader? Are your eyes just for decoration? Huh?”
She gritted her teeth, looking ready to pounce.
“N-no, that’s not what we meant…”
“We were just discussing the odds…”
“Should I cut your throats too?”
Martha smacked her lips and put her hand on her sword.
“Please, don’t cause a scene!”
“Stop it!”
“If you cause trouble here, it’ll be chaos!”
Burren, Dorian, and Krein grabbed Martha’s arm, trying to stop her.
“If you’re so sure about who will win!”
A lively voice rang from below the stands.
“Why don't you bet money on that confidence! Bets on the annex building, the vice head of the senators’ office, or even a draw! Your decision could decide your future!”
It was Rimmer. He had set up a betting booth (gambling den) with wooden boards and was gathering people around.
“Ah…”
“That damn elf!”
“So embarrassing…”
The members of the Light Wind division lowered their heads at the sight of Rimmer, who had even hired professional dealers to collect money..
“Oh!”
“The betting booth for the sword duel is open!”
“Let’s go!”
The people who had been arguing over who would win started heading down and throwing gold coins around.
“Ehehehehe!”
Rimmer’s grin stretched wide as he watched the crowd gather. His eyes seemed to sparkle like the coins they held.
“Ugh, can’t someone rein him in?”
Martha sighed and shook her head.
Just then, the sound of a flapping cloak came from the now quiet the great training ground gate. The murmurs of the spectators died down.
Thud.
With footsteps that naturally drew attention, Raon, clad in a black dragon coat, appeared. Sylvia, following behind, wore matching black martial uniform as if they had matched their clothes.
The spectators were momentarily speechless at the sight of Raon and Sylvia's elegance, with Raon's blond hair shimmering like sunlight on ocean waves and Sylvia's red eyes that seemed to suck in one's soul.
Raon, as if enjoying the hushed atmosphere of the great training ground, sat down on a chair in front of the training ground with a gentle smile.
“He sure knows how to set the mood.”
Martha chuckled at Raon.
“Raon is so handsome today. His mom is stunning too.”
Runaan, who had woken up at some point, blinked at Raon and Sylvia.
“When did you wake up?”
Martha let out a helpless laugh.
“I’m more amazed that Lady Sylvia endured Raon’s training.”
Burren shuddered at the thought.
“If I had to train with him alone for three weeks, I would’ve run away.”
He shook his head, convinced he couldn’t handle it.
“No matter how crazy our leader is, he wouldn’t train his mom the same way, right?”
Martha snorted at the ridiculous idea.
“Right. Even a demon king would recognize his own mother.”
Krein laughed and nodded.
“Um…”
Dorian trembled as he looked at Sylvia.
“Don’t her eyes seem familiar?”
“What do you mean?”
“Her eyes?”
The Light Wind swordsmen followed Dorian’s gaze to look at Sylvia’s eyes.
Her eyes seemed to be filled with a transparent haze. A madness that was slightly off the norm was flowing out.
“Isn’t that…”
“Y-yeah. It’s the same look we had when we went through the concentration training!”
“Crazy…”
“He really did train his mom that hard?”
Burren and Martha were stunned, mouths agape.
“Is he even human?”
“He’s really a demon king. No, even a demon king would be shocked!”
***
“Sigh.”
Raon sighed as he watched Rimmer’s betting operation and the Light Wind swordsmen’s wild behavior.
‘I don’t know why there are no calm people on our side.’
You’re one to talk….
Wrath let out an exasperated sigh.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
As Raon shook his head slightly, heavy footsteps were heard from the entrance of the great training ground.
Turning, he saw the vice head and Krisen approaching in pristine white uniforms. Their relaxed smiles and confident strides were reminiscent of triumphant generals.
“Hmph.”
The vice head snorted briefly and walked to his seat on the opposite side. As he arrived, a small voice emerged from the spectators.
“There is an old man who does not know this natural law that even children understand. Why?”
“Because his parents did not teach him what he should have known by his age!”
The words that filled the skies of Zieghart three weeks ago were now being sung by children.
“Grrrr!”
The vice head's previously calm face turned red with rage, his eyes bloodshot.
“Eek!”
“Ugh…”
The children who were singing trembled, their lips quivering as if terrified by the vice head's murderous intent.
“V-vice head! Please, restrain yourself! They’re just kids! And the sword duel is about to start!”
The host hurriedly ran over to calm the vice head.
“Tch.”
The vice head clicked his tongue and suppressed his killing intent. Instead, he twisted his lips into a sneer aimed at Raon.
Raon met the vice head's murderous gaze with a smile. Seeing the sly old man lose his temper was refreshing.
However, Sylvia did not smile, maintaining a calm demeanor as she gazed at the vice head, seemingly reaffirming her resolve.
Boom!
As Raon nodded in satisfaction, a grand noise erupted from the entrance of the great training ground.
“The head of house, the Destructive King of the North, Glenn Zieghart, is entering!”
“We greet the lord!”
As the gatekeepers shouted Glenn’s name at the top of their lungs, everyone in the great training ground knelt towards the entrance.
Raon bowed his head, observing Glenn as he entered the great training ground.
Without glancing around, Glenn headed straight for the platform, with Sheryl, Roenn, and Aris following behind, nodding at Raon as if to encourage him.
“Begin.”
With the dry gaze he often showed in the sword duels, Glenn surveyed Raon and Sylvia, the vice head, and Krisen in turn, then nodded.
“Yes!”
The host bowed his head and climbed onto the training ground.
“We will now begin the 2v2 sword duel between the annex building and the vice head of the senators’ office!”
As the host raised his hand energetically, a roar erupted from the spectators, shaking the great training ground.
"Usually, the sword duel involves a promise that the loser must fulfill for the winner, but that promise hasn't been decided yet!"
The host looked at Raon and the vice head in turn as he continued.
"Let's decide…"
"How about we talk about it after it's over?" Raon suggested, gesturing lightly toward the vice head.
"The winner can ask for anything they want."
"…Fine." The vice head answered confidently.
"Hmm…"
The host, unable to make a decision, looked up at the platform. Glenn gave a subtle nod, indicating it was okay, and the host finally nodded in agreement.
"Very well. The loser of today's sword duel will have to grant the winner's every wish, except for commands like taking their own life."
"Understood."
"Got it."
Raon and the vice head nodded simultaneously.
"Then will the vanguard please step onto the training ground!"
As soon as the host finished speaking, Krisen stepped onto the training ground.
Sylvia, instead of immediately stepping up, looked toward where the maids stood in the spectators.
She nodded to the maids, who had their hands clasped in prayer and were biting their lips, before stepping onto the training ground.
"L-lady S-Sylvia?"
"Is Lady Sylvia the vanguard?"
"I heard she gained an artificial energy center, but to step into the sword duel?"
"Yeah, her energy center can't be stable yet. Isn't this too much?"
"The vice head of the senators’ office will definitely win the vanguard round."
"Ah, I bet on the wrong person!"
The spectators, convinced of Sylvia's defeat, shook their heads.
"It's been a while."
Krisen narrowed his eyes at Sylvia.
"This time will be different. This time, I'll break your jaw."
He massaged his slightly crooked jaw, indicating he wouldn't be careless.
"……."
Sylvia said nothing, glaring fiercely at the vice head before standing in front of Krisen.
"Let's see how long you can keep that expression."
Krisen gave the host a look, urging him to start quickly.
"Ahem."
The host cleared his throat and raised his hand.
"Then let the vanguard sword duel begin!"
He brought his hand down like lightning and stepped back.
"Haaaah!"
Krisen charged at Sylvia, stomping as if to destroy the training ground. His movements were fierce and splendid, like a predator pouncing on its prey.
Sylvia stood still, sword drawn. Only when Krisen's sword was about to slice under her chin did she swiftly duck as if snuffing out a candle.
Whoosh!
She narrowly avoided Krisen's sharp thrust, then pivoted on her right foot, moving to the left.
"Ugh!"
Sylvia followed up, pressing the attack on the startled Krisen. She pushed away his forced counter with the back of her hand and slashed upward from below.
Smack!
Krisen's body flew into the air as her sword struck his chin. His jaw shattered, and bloodied teeth scattered from his mouth.
"Ugh…."
As Krisen fell, Sylvia spun her sword and struck the back of his head.
Crack!
Krisen collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from the top of his head like a fountain. He didn't move, as if he had fainted, but blood continued to flow from his mouth and head.
"Oh…."
"Whoa…."
"This is…."
The spectators was stunned, both by Sylvia's victory and by how quickly the sword duel ended, leaving them speechless.
"Th-the winner. Sylvia Zieghart!"
The host slapped his own cheek to regain his senses before shouting Sylvia's name.
"Ugh…."
The vice head, without even glancing at the convulsing Krisen, stared at Sylvia with a look of frustration and anger.
"Can you continue?"
The host asked Sylvia about the next round.
"Yes."
Sylvia nodded as if it were the most natural thing.
"Then, vice head, please come forward."
"Sigh…."
The vice head sighed as he climbed onto the training ground.
"Continue? Do you really think you can beat me?"
He twisted his lips and furrowed his brow.
"You have no chance. Stop this nonsense and step back."
The vice head's eyes glinted menacingly as if to intimidate her.
"Even if I have no chance, it doesn't matter."
Sylvia shook her head calmly, her gaze unwavering.
"There are times when a warrior, no, a person, must fight even if they know they will lose."
She stood tall and proud, unyielding to the vice head's intimidating aura.
"You might not understand, vice head. Someone as lowly, ignorant, and uneducated by their parents… Ah, I'll stop here."
Sylvia covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"You wretch!"
The vice head roared, trembling with rage like a dragon whose reverse scale had been touched.
Aaaaack noooo! Stop it!
Wrath screamed, clutching his head.
Because of you, mom has become corrupted! That’s not mom’s true self!
In contrast, Raon clapped his hands in applause, watching Sylvia.
"Bravo."
