N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 663
“…Si-Sir?”
“W-what are you saying?”
"Why give the mission to the leader of Light Wind...?"
The direct line executives who had trusted Balder blinked their eyes blankly, unable to understand the sudden situation.
“Didn’t all of you withdraw your hands?”
Balder responded curtly, shaking his head.
“I just handed the opportunity that came to me over to that guy.”
He frowned, questioning why they were blaming him when they had all withdrawn their hands.
“But, that guy—no, the leader of Light Wind division is a collateral line!”
"Why do you want to give the leader of Light Wind division a chance to make achiev...?"
“Palace master! Please reconsider!”
"Honestly, I don't like the collateral lines either. But..."
Balder scanned the many executives and tilted his chin.
"I like guys with capability and guts."
He turned his gaze back to Raon, blinking his left eye again.
“Ugh….”
Raon shuddered, looking at Balder. The wink from Balder, who looked more brutish than anyone here, sent shivers down his arms.
Why is that ogre acting like that?
Wrath scrunched his nose in disgust.
‘I don’t know….’
Balder, although not as much as Karoon, would have every reason to dislike me.
Even if he started the fight first, I beat his son, Raden, to the brink of becoming a cripple, we couldn't possibly have a good relationship.
Considering that, there must be some ulterior motive for him to suddenly hand me this mission.
‘However….’
I can’t predict what that guy is thinking.
He’s not even doing it secretly, he’s supporting me in front of everyone, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
It was frustrating not to understand the mindset of the simplest man in Zieghart.
“Ahem!”
Chad cleared his throat lightly to change the atmosphere.
“So, master of True Martial Palace, you mean you want to pass the monster subjugation mission to Light Wind division?”
“That’s right.”
Balder slapped the round table with his palm.
“Light Wind division leader.”
Chad nodded and turned his gaze to Raon.
“Will you accept the monster subjugation mission that the master of True Martial Palace has passed on to you?”
He subtly lowered his left eyebrow, signaling Raon to accept.
“Hmm….”
Raon didn’t respond immediately, instead, he scrutinized Chad and Balder’s eyes in turn.
‘Is this okay?’
Both Chad and Balder were suspicious individuals, making him worried whether he should really accept the mission.
However, Chad wasn’t a fool. He wouldn’t resort to such obvious trickery.
“Can I ask just one thing before accepting the mission?”
Raon exhaled calmly and looked at Balder.
“Go ahead.”
Balder nodded his chin as if granting permission.
“Why are you handing the mission to me?”
“I already told you. I like those with capability and guts.”
He lightly tapped the round table with his fingers, curling his lips into a smile.
“The answer is simple. You seem to be the best person here to handle the mission.”
Balder blinked his left eye again, his eyelid twitching awkwardly.
“You’ll accept, won’t you?”
He nodded, seemingly convinced that refusal wasn’t an option.
“Hmm….”
Raon smacked his lips as he looked at Balder. Listening to him, he felt more certain.
‘The likelihood of trickery is extremely low.’
Balder had seen Karoon get beaten up by Glenn for resorting to crude tricks.
No matter how foolish he was, he wouldn’t resort to such blatant schemes.
“I accept it.”
Raon nodded to Chad.
“Then the monster subjugation mission will be assigned to the Light Wind division.”
Chad quickly finalized the mission assignment before anyone could object.
“Do well.”
Balder gave a thumbs-up and winked again, as if to say he trusted him.
At this point, doesn’t he lack magnesium or something?
Wrath shook his head, saying he’d never seen such an ugly wink before.
‘Hmm….’
Raon bit his lip as he turned his gaze.
‘It’s not a trap, but why do I feel uneasy?’
He felt he had to be thoroughly prepared.
* * *
“Balder.”
After the meeting, as Balder was heading back to True Martial Palace, Denier called out to him.
“Let’s talk for a bit.”
“What is it?”
Balder frowned, urging him to speak quickly as if he had urgent matters.
“What’s gotten into you?”
Denier approached Balder, narrowing his eyes.
“Even though you hated Raon for what happened with Raden, why are you suddenly helping him?”
“That’s old news.”
Balder shrugged while facing Denier.
“After all, Raden was the one who first picked a fight with Sylvia.”
“Even so, you wouldn’t have any obligation to help him, would you?”
“Lately, I’ve been kind of liking that guy, Raon.”
“What?”
Denier’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected words.
“It was amusing how he turned the tables when the Thespian Emperor (Ariel) visited, and his actions since then have been quite refreshing.”
Balder smiled as he recited the things Raon had done one by one.
“But didn’t you dislike the collateral line?”
“There’s something father said when Raiden and Raon had their sword duel.”
He looked up at the lord’s manor, raising a finger.
"Responsibility. He said that as the true owners of Zieghart, the direct line must take responsibility for every action and word. Right now, Raon now has more responsibility than anyone else in Zieghart."
He spoke with conviction, his words steady and firm.
"So you passed the mission onto him?"
Denier nodded, understanding somewhat.
“Of course, that’s not all.”
Balder chuckled, shaking his chin.
"You've heard that Raon created a supreme martial art, right?"
“You mean the Light Wind Style?”
“Yes, that.”
He glanced towards the annex building.
“He gave the Shining Light Style to the annex building and the Light Wind Style to the Light Wind division. There are many strong martial arts, but those tailored to an individual are rare.”
Balder licked his lips as if he was envious. “He’s a genius of martial arts! The rarest kind who can create techniques suited to an individual.”
His eyes gleamed with excitement.
“With such a genius next to me, I can’t just leave him alone, can I? I have to ask him to create a martial art for me!”
Balder laughed, saying that he might be able to break through the wall of transcendence.
“So, are you siding with Raon?”
“What nonsense is that?”
He frowned deeply.
"Why would I side with Raon? It's simply mutual assistance!"
Balder shook his head, saying that since he helped him, he would ask him to create martial arts.
“I haven’t given up on the head of house position yet. But….”
He faced Denier, frowning.
“You speak as if Raon shouldn’t become the head of house.”
"I didn't mean it like that, but aren't you?"
Denier met Balder’s gaze calmly.
“I don’t.”
Balder shook his head resolutely.
“I’ve said it before, even if I don’t become the head of house, I’ll accept whoever can lead the family better than I can, whether it’s you, the elder brother, or Raon.”
He answered with a sincere and straightforward gaze, as large as his physique.
“I see.”
Denier nodded, understanding.
“What about you brother? You always act kind but secretly aim for the head of house position, don’t you?”
“Well….”
Denier smiled softly.
"I am a little different from the elder brother, who thinks he must become the head of house, and from you, who doesn’t mind if someone else takes the position."
"What do you mean? Explain it simply so I can understand!"
Balder frowned, not comprehending.
"It's not something you need to know."
Denier turned his back as he spoke.
“And just in case you’re wondering…”
He raised a finger and looked back at Balder.
“Don’t ask Raon to make a martial art just because you helped him once today. You’ll be chased away.”
"Huh? I can't?"
Balder blinked as if he had been planning to go to the annex building right away.
"Creating martial arts isn't easy, and Raon's opinion of you is likely rock bottom. What do you think you're going to accomplish by going now?"
Denier sighed, as if he had expected this.
“Then I can just help him one more time, right?”
Balder smiled, saying it would be fine then.
"It's not about the number of times. Even if you help him five times, it won't work!"
Denier couldn’t hold back and raised his voice.
"Fine. Then six times!"
"Ugh…"
Upon hearing Balder's fresh response, Denier's shoulders slumped in resignation.
"...Do whatever you want."
"This feels just like old times."
Balder laughed, looking at Denier, who appeared exhausted and resigned.
"You've been acting all high and mighty lately, but you're the same as always."
"Sigh…"
Denier shook his head.
"Your simplicity is one of your strengths. Just keep walking that path."
With those words, Denier left for the area where the Wise Martial Palace was located.
“I told you to explain it simply.”
Balder snorted as he watched Denier leave.
* * *
The next day.
Raon was ready for the mission and stood on the platform of the fifth training ground.
He clasped his hands behind his back and gazed down at the entire Light Wind swordsmen.
Though it hadn't been long since he taught them the Light Wind Style, the swordsmen’s aura had reached a higher level. It was clear they had been training day and night.
Standing at the edge of the platform, Raon spoke with pride.
"The mission is to subdue the Monster King that has appeared in the Divarun mountain."
Raon re-explained the mission to the Light Wind swordsmen, who seemed more excited than nervous.
"They say there are powerful monsters like etin and that the number of monsters is continuously increasing. It's the perfect opportunity to test the Light Wind Style."
“W-Wouldn’t it be more common to say ‘be careful’ instead of ‘perfect’?”
Dorian shook his jaw in disbelief.
“Our leader isn’t an ordinary person. He’s crazy. No, he’s a little crazy. No, he’s beautifully crazy…?”
Krein stuttered as if his thoughts were tangled while trying to describe Raon.
“Unless it’s the king and its royal guards, you don’t need to be afraid of ordinary monsters.”
"That’s true!"
"We’ve grown a lot, too!"
"Monsters are nothing compared to us now!"
"Yeah. If we get hurt by monsters, we might as well bite our tongues and die!"
The Light Wind swordsmen nodded confidently, as if they had turned their daily training into confidence.
"Good confidence. So…"
Raon smiled approvingly.
“If you get even a small scratch from a monster or if you’re late in subjugating them, there will be a punishment so severe that you’ll wish you had bitten your tongue and died.”
Raon’s red eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light.
"Ackk…"
"No way…"
“We fell for it again!”
"Krein! Please, shut up!"
The Light Wind swordsmen realized they had fallen into Raon’s trap and screamed.
Clap!
Raon clapped loudly to silence them.
“Of course, there will be training on the way there.”
He pointed to his feet as he spoke.
"You're now used to incorporating the Light Wind Style into your swordsmanship, but you’re still lacking when it comes to footwork…"
“S-Surely not…”
"That's right. During the entire journey, you'll practice integrating the Light Wind Style into your footwork. With the super sensory perception, consciously summoning it will yield greater benefits."
The faces of the Light Wind swordsmen turned pale at Raon's order.
“Then let’s start now. The one who runs at the back will get their back of the head…”
As soon as he said “back of the head,” the Light Wind swordsmen activated the Light Wind Style and dashed out of the fifth training ground..
"Um…"
Rimmer smiled awkwardly, looking nervous.
"I don’t have to do this, right? I’ve almost mastered it."
"……."
Raon simply smiled without answering, and picked up his sword scabbard.
"Oh, come on! What are the demons doing! Why don’t they take him away!"
Rimmer ran out with a tearful face, exclaiming that no disciple had ever threatened their master.
What nonsense is that!
Wrath roared at Rimmer's back.
If we take this guy, the Devildom will be doomed as well!
* * *
"Urgh…"
Hopen, the fifth holy knight captain of the Holy Kingdom of Schper, swallowed dryly as he looked at the endless wall of monsters.
‘This is no joke.’
There was no need to spread his aura and perception. The stench and energy of the monsters covered the entire mountain. The number was beyond reckoning.
‘It hasn’t been long since we heard the king had appeared, and it's already like this…’
It wasn’t just the numbers. The mountain was filled with mid to high-level monsters, not just lowly kobolds or goblins.
‘If this continues, it’ll be annihilation.’
With this many mid-to-large monsters, there was no way to get close to the king and its royal guards.
Retreating was the only option.
"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"
Hopen stepped forward to buy time for the knights and soldiers to withdraw.
‘I can't let any more die.’
Many knights, including the captain Biten, died in Barene during the Five Divine Orders’ festival. He couldn’t lose more knights here.
"There are monsters behind us too!"
"They've surrounded us from the bottom of the mountain!"
The knights, who had been trying to open a path, returned with trembling lips.
"Damn it…"
Hopen felt the murderous aura of monsters from behind and bit his lip.
‘The king must be at the top of the mountain, but is there another leader?’
Ordinary monsters couldn’t form such a siege. There must be another one giving orders.
‘There was a reason we lost contact with the vanguard.’
They must have all been killed.
The scouting party, which had a knight at beginner master level, went up first but didn’t return. Now it was clear they had been wiped out.
‘I have no choice.’
He abandoned the idea of saving everyone and shifted to saving as many as possible.
“From now on, I’ll take the lead! Break the square formation and switch to a breakthrough formation!”
Hopen directed his astral energy towards the path with the least monsters. The blade, enveloped in holy light, split the wall of monsters in half.
"Charge!"
As soon as the path opened, he commanded a charge down the mountain, unleashing successive astral energy attacks to prevent the monsters from closing the path.
Kihihihi.
As he neared the foot of the mountain, strange laughter echoed, and the ground suddenly sank.
Boom!
Hopen halted and stepped back, turning to see a troll shaman waving a staff made of human bones.
"You!"
Hopen moved to cut down the troll shaman, but the monsters blocked his way again.
Boom!
The troll shaman, as if knowing the range of his astral energy, cast spells from a distance, crushing the knights and soldiers with its spells.
"Stop right there!"
Hopen sharpened his astral energy and delivered a long-distance slash, but the troll shaman leapt back, attacking only with spells.
Judging by how well it measured distance, it was a very intelligent one.
‘So, it was you…’
It was likely this troll that orchestrated the monster siege. Its skin color was different too. Not a regular troll shaman.
‘If I use all my strength on this one, we won't be able to get down the mountain…’
Using all his power would kill the troll shaman, but he would be in danger too. He had already used much of his strength in the ongoing battle.
‘There’s no way!’
Hopen bit his lip. As the captain of the holy knight, he had to save his subordinates even if it meant sacrificing himself. He gathered all his remaining aura to form a thick, astral energy.
Swoosh!
He broke through the siege in one go, aiming to decapitate the troll shaman.
Wooooong.
The troll shaman’s body became blurry and then vanished like a mirage. It was a spell of illusion. Hopen had been completely fooled.
Kihihihi!
The troll shaman reappeared next to the soldiers, giggled. Burning rocks began to shoot from its hands, falling onto the heads of the knights and soldiers.
‘Damn it!’
Hopen's jaw trembled. The urgent situation prevented him from making clear judgments.
“Noooooo!”
He screamed and reached out, but the distance was too great.
As he felt his heart tighten with the impending deaths of his subordinates, a blue wind, as if erasing the darkness of the mountain, blew in, and the head of the troll shaman, who had been mocking the humans, fell off.
Behind him, swordsmen wrapped in blue energy jumped out and began to slaughter the monsters.
“Die!”
“Kill them all!”
However, they didn’t appear as knights bringing salvation, but rather as vengeful specters swinging their swords.
“What, what is this…?”
Hopen’s eyes trembled, and he saw the last swordsman walking up. Blond hair and red eyes. A man wrapped in a radiance deeper than the sun, someone unforgettable after a single encounter.
“Raon Zieghart!”
“The mad dog division….”
Raon, adorned with a nobility even greater than what Hopen had seen in Barene, gracefully moved his lips.
"Rip them all apart."
"......."
