N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 667
Raon smacked his lips briefly.
‘That's a shame.’
Although he had confirmed that a human had made a contract with a demon, but since they had not revealed their demonic energy, he could not be sure who it was.
Neither the priests nor the holy knights seemed to have noticed what had happened.
H-How did you know they were here?!
Wrath trembled, not understanding.
‘You gave me a hint.’
Raon chuckled as he looked at the bewildered Wrath.
What are you talking about! When did the King of Essence give you a hint?!
Wrath vehemently shook his head in denial.
‘The holy power-protected the walls and the contract between humans and demons.’
Raon repeated Wrath’s words from before, smacking his lips again.
S-so what about that...
‘This kingdom is overflowing with beings possessing holy power. Not just people, but buildings and sculptures too.’
As he walked towards the center of the audience chamber, he casually flicked his fingers.
‘In a place like this, only high-ranking individuals could make a contract or pact with a demon without being noticed.’
Lower-ranked priests and knights had too little holy power to completely hide demonic energy.
Even if they tried to hide it, they would soon be detected by the holy objects and priests surrounded by holy power.
In this Holy Kingdom of Schper, only those high-ranking individuals overflowing with holy power could completely hide demonic energy.
Ugh...
Wrath clutched his head and groaned, frustrated that he had inadvertently given a hint. He even pounded his chest in exasperation.
'As expected of the generous Demon King. Thank you.'
Raon smiled at Wrath and then stood in the center of the audience chamber. After confirming that the Light Wind swordsmen had followed him, he knelt on one knee towards the king on the platform.
"It’s an honor to meet the ruler of Schper."
"Please, do not kneel."
As he was about to bow his head in greeting, king Baurun of the Holy Kingdom of Schper shook his head. His gentle voice made Raon straighten up instinctively.
"You saved our knights, so I should be the one to greet you."
King Baurun clasped his hands together and bowed politely.
"Th-There's no need for that."
This time, Raon was taken aback and stepped forward, waving his hand.
'What's with this person?'
In his previous life and now, he had met many heads of houses and kings, but he had never seen someone like this. Even Derus wasn’t this polite.
"Are you crazy? Why is the king bowing so casually?!"
The purple-haired woman next to priest Piren furrowed her brow deeply.
"Where do status and rank matter when it comes to expressing gratitude?"
King Baurun waved his hand, saying it was fine.
"It’s embarrassing! Get up! It’s not like the head of house Zieghart is here, why are you bowing to these guys?!"
The woman shouted, embarrassed, slamming her hand down.
"Saintess. We are not alone, so please watch your language."
The blond holy knight on the opposite side placed a finger on his lips.
"I’ll say whatever I want with my mouth, why are you interfering?"
The woman, called saintess, scowled.
"Saintess."
Priest Piren smiled faintly at the saintess.
"Ugh..."
The Saintess couldn't retort to priest Piren and turned her head away.
"In any case, a king should not bow so easily. A king is not a blade of grass, no matter how hot the sun or fierce the wind, he should not bend."
She clicked her tongue, telling him not to do that again.
"My knights returned alive, what does my bow matter?"
King Baurun smiled, saying he didn’t care about his status.
"I care! It’s embarrassing!"
The saintess yelled at him to stop.
"Hmm..."
Raon looked back and forth between the king and the saintess, exhaling sharply.
‘This is a mess.’
It felt like he was watching a guild of back-alley thugs, not the holy kingdom.
The biggest reason for the chaos was the woman called the saintess.
The saintess was a beauty with cat-like eyes, a high nose, and small lips, but it was unbelievable that such vulgar words came out of her pretty mouth.
Moreover, her nun's clothes were torn at the shoulders and thighs, revealing numerous tattoos, making her look more like a gang leader than a saintess.
However, the saintess’s holy power was exceptional. Even among the high priests, hers was overwhelming.
"What are you looking at?"
Raon, making eye contact with her, noticed the saintess raise her chin as if to pick a fight.
Is that supposed to be a saintess?
‘Is that supposed to be a saintess?’
A chuckle escaped his lips. For once, he and Wrath shared the same thought.
"She’s similar to the Rakshasha woman."
Runaan pointed at both Martha and the saintess in turn.
"Who are you calling 'similar,' you little brat!"
Martha stepped forward, twisting her lips.
"You little brat, have you lost your mind?!"
"The saintess is nuts. She’s a bitch!"
Martha went wild as if her leash had been taken off.
"Stop!"
"Please stop!"
Raon and the king raised their hands simultaneously.
"Forgive us. The saintess can be a bit rough with her words..."
The king apologized, bowing his head again.
"We apologize too. She has a bit of a temper..."
Raon glanced at Martha and bowed.
"Grrr..."
"Hmph..."
However, the two parties involved glared at each other with fierce eyes.
"Ahem, I heard the monster king on Divarun mountain was a Double-Headed Ogre. It must have been very dangerous. Thank you for your help."
King Baurun thanked them again, trying to change the atmosphere.
"You're welcome. We thank the Holy Kingdom for its consideration in dispatching knights so far to protect the citizens."
Raon smiled lightly and shook his head. As he expressed his gratitude, he observed the priests and knights.
‘I still can't tell who it is.’
Everyone was cloaked in holy power, not letting any demonic energy seep out.
It seemed impossible to find them unless he grabbed them one by one and forced wrath energy into them.
"Not just this time. Didn’t you also save our knights during the attack in Barene?"
The king continued to express his gratitude as if he hadn't been able to thank them enough.
"Ugh!"
The saintess sighed deeply, as if displeased with the king bowing, and looked away.
The commander of the holy knight and the commander of the royal guard remained silent, only watching, while priest Piren and the other priests smiled faintly.
"You’ve saved our knights twice now. We’d like to repay you, even if it’s just a small token."
The king picked up a wooden box from the golden table and personally stepped down from the platform.
"This is a holy elixir made by mixing medicinal herbs and holy water. I am confident that it is better than any other elixir in the world for strengthening the internal organs and muscles."
He asked him to accept it and handed the box to Raon.
"Thank you."
Raon accepted the box containing the holy elixir and bowed.
"We’ve also prepared elixirs for the Light Wind division members. Please accept them."
At the king’s gesture, young priests to the right stepped forward and began distributing the elixirs to the Light Wind swordsmen.
"He's giving them all of it? That precious thing?"
The saintess couldn’t hold back and screamed.
"I made all of that while shitting blood! Even our people can't have it! This is crazy!"
"Saintess."
"Ugh..."
At the priest Piren’s call, the saintess bit her lips hard.
"Two Grandmasters and four Masters in one division, that's amazing. As expected of house Zieghart."
King Baurun exhaled sharply, looking at the Light Wind swordsmen receiving the elixirs.
"Not all Zieghart armed groups are like this. We’re a bit of a special case."
Raon shook his head modestly. It wasn't humility, not many armed groups or organizations in the current Zieghart could match the Light Wind division.
"In these times when the Five Demons are causing trouble, such a formidable force is enviable. However..."
The king showed a thoughtful smile as he looked around at the knights and priests in the audience chamber.
"I believe our knights and priests, with their courage beyond strength, will protect this land against any foe."
"Of course!"
At those words, the faces of the knights and priests were filled with pride. It was an ideal relationship where the king trusted his subordinates and the subordinates supported the king.
"Your Majesty. Perhaps the arrival of the Light Wind division is also the will of god. How about inviting them to participate in the holy conference? It's less than a week away."
The blond holy knight smiled, looking up at the ceiling where the sunlight was dimming.
"Hmm..."
King Baurun stroked his chin, contemplating.
“What is the holy conference?” Raon asked.
“It’s an event where we offer prayers to the god. However, unlike the widely known holy festival, it is only for prayers, so it might not be very interesting..."
"Like the king said, the holy conference is not a festival, but a prayer event. It's just a sleeping pill for outsiders. Just leave."
The saintess shook her head, saying it was a day of continuous prayers.
“You won’t be able to swing your swords that day, so it will be boring for you.”
The commander of the holy knight, who had been silent until now, placed his hand on his sword and lowered his gaze.
“It will certainly be boring, but witnessing a world filled with holy power will be quite a spectacle.”
Priest Piren said it was a rare sight and urged them to stay.
“Hmm, I was thinking of leaving if it was just a festival, but if it’s such an event, I’d actually like to participate.”
Raon smiled, saying it might be beneficial for the impatient Light Wind members.
“A world filled with holy power...”
Perfect for finding the demon.
* * *
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Raon took a bite of the mint chocolate ice cream topped with almond slices.
The nuttiness of the almonds and the bittersweet taste of the mint chocolate filled his mouth. Honestly, he couldn’t quite place the taste.
Aaaahhh!
Contrary to Raon, Wrath let out a long sigh, looking up at the air.
It feels like my mouth is alive! It was already the best, but with the almonds, the taste has hit rock bottom!
The demon king urged Raon to try the next one, wiggling his fingers.
‘Rock bottom as in, this is a compliment, right?’
Raon sighed and took a bite of the white-colored ice cream. The sweet yet refreshing coolness spread across his tongue.
Is this pear-flavored ice cream? Ah! It’s as refreshing as diving into the north sea!
Wrath smiled, saying this was happiness and life.
‘Hey.’
Raon put down the spoon and called Wrath.
'You know who made the contract with the demon, right?'
Of course, the King of Essence knows.
Wrath nodded, saying why wouldn’t he know.
But the King of Essence has no intention of telling you.
He muttered that even if Raon took the ice cream away, he wouldn’t open his mouth.
‘I wasn’t going to ask that. Instead...’
Instead?
'Do you know what kind of contract was made between the demon and the human?'
How would the King of Essence know that?
Wrath shook his head, saying not even the demon god would know the specifics of the contract.
'Then when will that contract between the demon and the human be fulfilled?'
Hmm, judging by the accumulated demonic energy, it won't be long…
He smacked his lips, saying it would be soon.
‘As expected.’
Raon nodded.
As expected?
‘You said that a contract is most likely for personal benefit between a demon and a human, but I think differently. If an executive of the Holy Kingdom made a contract with a demon, it could never be for personal gain.’
The goals of lower-class people are very simple and straightforward. They want money, a good house, become stronger, etc. It’s direct.
But those with status and power are different. They already enjoy a lot, so they would definitely make complex wishes that require a lot of sacrifice.
‘If, as you said, the demonic energy has accumulated, there's a high chance that something will happen at the upcoming Holy Conference.’
Thus, the answer became somewhat clear.
I and the Light Wind division are strong, not out of arrogance but fact.
For the contractor, it would not be favorable for them if the Light Wind division and I remained at the Holy Conference, the place where the contract with the demon could be fulfilled.
It was likely someone who opposed my staying.
The king said it might not be very interesting. The commander of the holy knights was the first one to suggest inviting the Light Wind to the holy conference, and priest Piren's words were also closer to a recommendation. The opposition was...
The saintess and the commander of the royal guard?
I thought the saintess was too openly rough to be involved, but looking at it this way, it seemed she might have acted that way to clear any suspicion.
‘It’s difficult...’
With so little information, it was hard to find clues even with hints.
“Phew...”
As Raon let out a short sigh, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
After a moment, the door opened, and Hopen entered, bowing his head.
“I apologize.”
“Yes?”
Raon tilted his head, not understanding what he meant.
“I lied to you.”
“A lie...”
“When I said his majesty had prepared the martial arts book and elixirs for you, it was actually me who prepared them...”
Hopen apologized again, bowing his head.
“At the time, my father was too grief-stricken over my third brother's death to think about anything else. Besides Biten, my eldest and second brothers had also returned to the goddess’s embrace, which made it even harder for him.”
“Ah...”
Raon swallowed dryly. He hadn’t known that three of the four princes had died, and it made a rough breath escape from his lungs.
“Father and everyone else were so absorbed in the sorrow of losing my brothers that I had to prepare everything myself.”
Hopen handed over a wooden box and a martial arts book. The wooden box contained the same elixir he had received from king Baurun, and the book was titled “Brown Swordsmanship.”
“It’s an advanced defensive swordsmanship. I’ve learned it too. It will be helpful.”
Raon looked at Hopen, not taking the box and book immediately.
"Sir Hopen must have been going through a hard time too, why..."
“My brother didn’t just pass away. He pushed me and other knights away from the clutches of the White Blood Religion leader. Even while dying, he asked me to look after father. So, I must do my part.”
Hopen said, handing over the box and the book again.
“......”
Raon almost refused it, but, seeing Hopen’s calm eyes, he reached out and accepted the gifts.
“Thank you for accepting them.”
Hopen smiled, realizing the meaning behind Raon’s gesture.
‘What a kind person.’
Hopen, and his late brother Biten, whom he had met before, were people who grew on him the more he saw them. They were knights worthy of the name of the Holy Kingdom.
‘But...’
I can’t drop my suspicion.
“Sir Hopen. I’m sorry, but may I see your wrist?”
Raon pointed to Hopen’s right wrist with his finger.
“My wrist?”
"Your aura is unique, Sir Hopen, so I'd like to check it."
“By all means.”
Most warriors wouldn’t casually offer their wrists to others since major mana circuits ran through them.
But Hopen, seemingly trusting Raon, immediately extended his wrist.
“Thank you...”
Raon nodded slightly and grabbed Hopen’s wrist. He injected his mana and wrath energy into Hopen’s mana circuits.
“Hmmm...”
Although it was not demonic energy, the emotion of the demon king of wrath caused a low groan to escape Hopen’s lips.
'As expected, there's nothing.'
Even after thoroughly checking, there were no traces of demonic energy or any sign of a demon.
If a demon had possessed Hopen, he wouldn't have been able to trust people for a while, so it was a relief.
"Did you confirm anything unusual?"
“No.”
Raon shook his head while looking at Hopen.
“Your aura isn’t unusual sir Hopen.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that...”
“Now I can speak honestly.”
Raon looked into Hopen’s confused eyes and steadied his gaze.
“Actually, I sensed demonic energy as soon as I entered Schper. At the entrance...”
He explained everything that had happened so far to Hopen.
“N-no way...”
Hopen’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
"That's impossible! Even if it were possible in the royal city, how could it be in the audience chamber with my father, the saintess, knights, and priests..."
“It wasn’t demonic energy but the presence of a demon, a mere breath of it, so it’s natural that you didn’t notice.”
Raon calmly shook his head and raised the holy power of Divinity Blooming from the Underworld.
“H-holy power?”
Hopen’s lips trembled at the sight of the holy power rising from Raon’s palm.
“It’s clearly a holy power, but why does it have dark energy...”
“This is holy power extracted from demonic energy. Because of this ability, I can sense the presence of demons better than anyone.”
Raon continued, looking at Hopen’s wavering eyes.
“The demon will reveal itself soon. I believe it will be during this holy conference.”
“P-please give me a moment to think.”
Hopen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After about a minute, he slowly opened his eyes.
“......”
Raon waited silently for Hopen’s response.
"Alright, I’ll trust your word, Sir Raon. If there are no demons, that’s good news. If there are, it’s better to be prepared. We have nothing to lose."
Hopen sighed and nodded. He seemed to have made a calm decision in a short time.
“What do you need me to do?”
“First, I need information about the executives who were in the audience chamber.”
Raon asked for details about the priests present in the audience chamber.
“Alright…”
Hopen took a deep breath and began counting on his fingers.
“First, let’s start with priest Piren, whom we met earlier. He is the acting head priest, the highest position among the twelve high priests. He became a priest at a young age and rose to his current position by performing many good deeds. He is the most respected figure among all the priests and knights.”
“I see.”
Raon remembered how the madwoman, no, the saintess seemed intimidated by priest Piren.
“The knight standing opposite him was Sir Danieff, the commander of the royal guard. He is the best knight in the kingdom, having achieved the rank of Grandmaster. He speaks little but is a steadfast friend and protector of my father.”
Hopen shook his head, indicating that these two were definitely not suspects, as they had been with the king since childhood.
“The person next to Sir Danieff is my direct superior, Sir Kinear. Despite being blessed by the god, he did not become arrogant and trained diligently to become the commander of holy knights at a young age, a position all holy knights aspire to.
And the saintess…”
Hopen swallowed dryly, seeming burdened.
"She has a bit of a foul mouth, but her heart is warmer than anyone else's. She has gone to every battlefield to save people."
“Is that so…”
Raon scratched his head, finding it hard to believe.
“I understand if you find it hard to believe.”
Hopen chuckled softly and continued to describe other priests and knights.
“Haa…”
After Hopen finished speaking, he let out a deep sigh.
"The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it's no one. But Sir Raon wouldn't talk nonsense, so it's frustrating."
“I understand. But we have to find them.”
As Raon took a deep breath, the door opened, and the three division captains, Rimmer, and Mark Goetten entered.
“Why the…did you call us at this hour…”
Martha frowned as she unwrapped the towel from her wet hair. She was about to speak informally but switched to formal speech when she saw Hopen.
"This isn't a formal occasion. You don't have to use that awkward formal speech."
"Really? I've been annoyed since I saw that bitch earlier, so that's good."
Martha sighed and sat on the bed.
“Rakshasa woman and bitch woman.”
Runaan giggled, covering her mouth.
“Shut up!”
Martha yelled at Runaan.
“Why did you call us?”
Rimmer flicked his finger, sitting on a chair.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly. I need to find a casino.”
“I have something important to say.”
Raon repeated what he had told Hopen.
“Demonic energy in the Holy Kingdom…”
“Is that true?”
“Demon…”
Burren, Martha, and Runaan swallowed dryly.
“It’s certain.”
Raon nodded.
“And it’s likely that the demon will act during the upcoming holy conference.”
"That makes sense. With all the priests, holy knights, and citizens praying all day, there will be plenty of time for them to do something bad."
Rimmer nodded, saying even he would move during that time.
“So that’s why you said you would stay a few more days here.”
Burren nodded, understanding.
“No wonder.”
“Indeed, it was strange for someone obsessed with training to decide to stay.”
Martha laughed.
“No, this is also training.”
Raon shook his head calmly.
“Fighting demons or monsters will teach you more than training alone.”
“Ugh…”
“This monster…”
The two shook their heads, looking exasperated.
"Plus, imagine how great the reward would be for saving the Holy Kingdom from the demon." Raon smacked his lips.
“You’re kidding.”
Martha chuckled, shaking her head.
“You’re not an elf! You wouldn’t care about that.”
She pointed at Rimmer, who was spacing out.
“Yeah. You never care about such things.”
Burren shook his head, agreeing.
"Unlike that cheapskate."
Runaan nodded.
“Why are you picking on me while I’m just sitting here!”
Rimmer shook his head vigorously.
Hopen also smiled quietly.
“Anyway, we need to find out who made the contract with the demon. We will stick close to the executive priest while pretending to explore.”
Raon gave instructions to the three captains, Rimmer, and Mark Goetten.
“I will help too.”
Hopen clenched his fist, saying he would narrow down the suspects to those he could truly trust.
“Yes. Let’s give it a try.”
Raon nodded, making eye contact with everyone.
