N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 696
"The beast old man has also returned alive, and we lack information on the one using the energy of death, so let's end it here for today."
Chamber waved her hand as she put the shrunken lollipop back in her mouth.
"That sounds good. And…."
King Lecross swallowed and then looked at everyone.
"According to the information from Cameloon, the forces following the Five Demons are rising like wildfire. It seems wise for everyone to focus on internal stability for the time being."
He spoke of the broken balance of the Six Kings and the Five Demons and advised them to be cautious.
"I never go out anyway…."
The Magic Tower’s master Larian rubbed her dark circles, which looked like they were painted with charcoal, and shook her head.
"That's right! I found out that you didn't come to the previous Conference of the Six Kings because it was too bothersome!"
Chamber glared at Larian and bit her lip.
"It wasn't because it was bothersome, I was conducting an experiment…."
"You didn't even set up a magic network!"
"Hehe…."
Larian scratched the back of her head as if she had received a compliment. Her blonde hair, like molten gold, rippled gently.
"It's not a compliment!"
Chamber gritted her teeth as if she was about to pounce on Larian.
"It's noisy when everyone gathers."
Ogram laughed and waved his hand.
"I feel peace in this chaos."
Derus moved his lips with eyes that were not at all peaceful.
"It seems that since there are more unnecessary words, everything that needed to be said has been said."
Glenn raised his right hand with a sinking gaze.
"Let's end the conference here…."
"Wait! There's one important thing left."
Chamber interrupted Glenn's words and leaned in with a blue window.
"What about Raon's duel to the death?"
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Raon standing next to Sheryl.
"Hmm…."
"Indeed, in this situation, it's an important issue."
"There's less than a month left now."
The heads of the other Six Kings also stopped talking and looked at Glenn as if they were curious.
"That is…."
Glenn closed his mouth and lowered his gaze. He nodded his head as if telling Raon to speak directly.
"I intend to fight, of course."
Raon walked to the center of the audience chamber. His steady steps exuded unwavering firmness.
"Delaying the promised duel to the death over something like this is not befitting of a Zieghart."
He smiled as he looked at Derus, one of the leaders of the Six Kings.
"Ahem!"
Glenn curled his lips as if he liked Raon's declaration-like words.
"Those kids over there don't know the fear of the world…."
Chamber sighed shortly as if worried.
"The Axe King is an old warrior like us. But I believe you can overcome it."
Ogram raised his large fist as if he believed in him.
"I will also trust the Light Wind division leader so that Lephone won't be disappointed."
Derus shook his head as he once again used the name of his youngest son.
"There won't be anything to disappoint you about, especially not from me."
Raon smiled at Derus.
'It's not me, it's you he'll be disappointed in.'
If there's anything that would disappoint Lephon, it won't be my defeat, but your own vileness.
He turned his head, mocking Derus to the fullest.
"……."
Derus bit his lips inward, understanding the meaning of Raon's words. He still seemed to be seething inside.
"Let's end it here then."
When Glenn gestured lightly, the five blue windows floating in the center of the audience chamber sank like extinguished candles.
Raon touched his fingertips as he looked at the space where Derus’ face had been.
'In the end, the lava erupted.'
Derus maintained a calm expression until the end, but his lips were curled inward. It meant he was genuinely furious.
'He might have destroyed everything in sight by now.'
Though Derus’ reasoning is colder than the north wind, he is still human and has his limits.
With Ogram being rescued and regaining his consciousness, and Raon continuously provoking him, much of his mental barriers must have collapsed to a considerable extent.
'It's a pity I can't see it.'
Raon clicked his tongue, regretting that he couldn't see Derus rampaging.
As he felt a gaze from behind, he turned his head. Glenn was looking at him with a strange, indescribable expression.
"Head of house?"
"Raon!"
Just as he was about to ask if there was something Glenn wanted to say, Balder approached and grabbed his shoulder firmly.
"You attacked the White Blood Religion’s headquarters and rescued the Beast King! You’re a true hero!"
Balder nodded his big head, showing admiration in his eyes.
"It's the first time I've seen the heads of the Six Kings praise one person like this. Truly, you surprise me every time!"
He laughed heartily, making the audience chamber shake.
"That's true."
Sheryl nodded her head.
"The heads of the Six Kings have never praised anyone like they did today."
"Huhuhu, I've never seen it either."
Roenn said it was a remarkable event, showing a gentle smile.
"……."
Denier didn't say anything, just watching Raon and Balder.
"I've felt this before, but you are a spitting image of my personality! I wish I had as sharp a mind as you!"
Balder gave a thumbs-up with the hand that had been patting Raon's shoulder.
"Uh…?"
Raon exhaled a confused breath as he looked at Balder's intense gaze.
'What is he saying?'
He thought Balder might pick a fight, but it seemed he was trying to give a compliment in his own way. It was confusing why he was acting like this when he always picked fights before.
As Raon looked around, hoping someone would help him get Balder off his back, he made eye contact with Denier. Unlike the crumpled expression he showed when Raon mocking Derus, Denier had a calm smile.
'That guy is hard to figure out.'
Raon could understand Balder since he was a simple person, but he really couldn't figure out what Denier was thinking.
"You've done well."
Glenn gestured to Chad, the master of the Shadow Agents, who had prepared the video conference, and the magicians.
"Ah, no, my lord, we haven't!"
Chad and the magicians hurriedly bowed their heads as if they had received divine revelation.
"The master of the Shadow Agents will organize today's content and bring them to me. The rest may leave."
"Yes!"
The magicians and executives bowed and left the audience chamber.
"Raon."
Glenn called Raon by his name, not his title, stopping him.
"Yes, my lord."
"Since you've made your decision, I won't stop you. But…."
He tapped the armrest of his throne heavily with his finger.
"I would like you to change the date and location."
Glenn seemed worried that the swordsman with the energy of death might interfere with the duel to death, advising him to change the date and location.
"I understand."
Raon nodded, having thought about it since the incident occurred.
"Alright. You may go."
Glenn's hardened gaze seemed to soften slightly.
Having worked together to rescue Ogram, Raon felt that Glenn was somewhat different from how he appeared.
Raon bowed politely to Glenn and left the audience chamber.
"My lord."
Sheryl looked up at Glenn and gently tapped her lips.
"You showed a lot of different expressions today."
"Th-that's…."
Glenn hurriedly hardened his expression and lowered his chin.
"Huhuhu, it's because young master Raon was praised by the Six Kings. It's only natural."
Roenn smiled softly and shook his head.
"That's right! How could I stay calm when those stingy people were making a fuss!"
Glenn quickly nodded.
"Then it would be better to tell Raon that. How about officially treating him as your grandson this time, my lord?"
"Well, that's a bit…."
"Huhuhu, it seems my lord still feels some distance. But this event has definitely brought you closer, so just wait a bit longer."
"Yes! That's it! It's not time yet."
"Then when will the time come? If this goes on..."
"Uh…."
Sweat streamed down Glenn's forehead as Sheryl and Roenn, influenced by Rimmer, bombarded him with whips and carrots.
* * *
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The smile that had been on Derus Robert's lips melted away like bubbles in water.
In the end, he couldn't hold back and slammed his fist onto the black wooden table in front of him.
Baaang!
With a tremendous impact that felt like the ground was twisting, the table and the surrounding furniture all shattered into gray dust.
"Ugh…."
"Kugh…."
The executives of house Robert, who were actually part of the shadows, could only gulp dryly, unable to move their lips.
'What in the world happened?'
Derus ignored his nervous subordinates and flexed his fingers like a hawk's claws.
'Did the energy of death become distorted while the leader of the White Blood Religion was absorbing his blood?'
No, that couldn't be.
He had already tested it several times. Bloody energy and the energy of death were not opposites. There was no way the energy of death would be disturbed during blood absorption.
'Then did Glenn Zieghart really save Ogram?'
He knew Glenn was the strongest among the Six Kings, but he hadn't thought he could erase the severance.
Even a slight mistake would have meant Ogram never waking up, and Glenn's boldness in doing so, knowing that, was shocking.
"There's a reason he's called a god, despite being human."
Glenn's titles were the Destructive King of the North, the King of Northern Conquest, and the Lightning God.
While the Destructive King of the North and the King of Northern Conquest were impressive, the title that best described Glenn was the Lightning God, a god in human body. This incident made him understand why Glenn was called a god.
Whoosh!
With a flick of Kubara's finger, the dust that filled the air was sucked into her hand.
"It seems…."
Derus spoke after a long silence, rubbing his chin as he looked at Kubara.
"Glenn and Ogram seem to believe there's a spy within the Six Kings."
"Pardon?"
Kubara's lips parted slightly as if asking what he meant.
"What does that mean...?"
"They concealed Ogram's true condition."
The White Blood Religion’s leader's blood absorption didn't just drain life force (vitality) but also combat power.
Moreover, having been exposed to the energy of death for so long, it was highly likely that Ogram's claim of not losing his power was a lie.
Glenn and Ogram must have realized there was a spy within the Six Kings and coordinated their story.
"Hmm…."
Kubara clenched her wrist as she watched Derus form a hypothesis.
'He's crazy.'
Even though he was surprised by Ogram's unexpected appearance and perfect condition, he had thoroughly analyzed the events of the conference and grasped the situation.
His calmness and composure seemed unmatched by anyone.
"And the one who came up with this trick…."
Derus twisted his lips and removed his gloves. Sticky blood dripped from a wound on the back of his hand that seemed to have reopened.
"Raon Zieghart. It must be him."
Every time Raon Zieghart disrupted the Shadows' work, the wound on Derus’ hand throbbed with deep pain, and blood flowed.
It was hard to believe, but it seemed that Raon Zieghart and the assassin who had inflicted this wound and died were the same person.
Especially today, Raon Zieghart had planted seeds of doubt among the other Six Kings while seemingly pretending to be concerned for him.
The heads of the Six Kings were no fools. They seemed to let it slide, but they would surely remember his distorted expression.
"Yes. This time, I was outplayed. Completely."
Derus clenched his fist as he recalled Raon's twisted smile.
'But I gained something.'
Glenn Zieghart, that cold-hearted man, had shown a clear reaction to Raon's praise.
The hypothesis that Glenn cherished Raon more than his other grandchildren was true.
'That's why the duel to death is crucial.'
It's a chance to kill both the annoying grandfather and grandson at once.
While he had intended to end it by someone else's hand, it now seemed impossible. He resolved to kill them both with his own plan.
"Send a message to all of the Five Demons. And for the South-North Union..."
Derus Robert stood up with a noble posture. He brushed off his blue coat and twisted his lips.
"Tell him I will go to meet him in person."
* * *
The Axe King Roman Reycal did not leave the riverside even after grinding all the pebbles.
He kept his breath calm, resting the sharp-edged Red Dragon Blade on his knee.
The calm eyes that reflected only the river and the sky now showed the figure of an old man with gray hair. It was Helgurum, the vice leader of the South-North Union.
"Roman."
Roman lowered his gaze at Helgurum's call.
"As you know, the Beast Union has collapsed. There's so much to be done now. Forget about the duel to death…."
"It has nothing to do with the Six Kings. It's a promise between me and Raon Zieghart, as warriors."
A chilling, beast-like hunger appeared in his once calm eyes.
"Unless there is a problem on our side, I have no intention of stopping the duel to death over someone else's issues."
"I sent the blue falcon just in case, but you haven't deviated from my expectations at all."
The vice leader clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Then why did you send the blue falcon?"
"To tell him not to run away."
Roman caressed the hilt of the axe and raised his gaze again.
"Not to run away?"
"That's right. Wherever he wants, whenever he wants. I'm even willing to fight inside house Zieghart’s territory. I told him not to think about running away from the duel to death."
He nodded confidently.
"Haa, you've already become strong. You've made tremendous progress in the past three years. If this continues, reaching transcendence won't be impossible. I don't understand why you're so obsessed with that promise."
"It's because of that promise that I became strong."
Roman said that the duel to death with Raon had made him who he was today and clasped his hands together.
"Sigh, do as you please. But as I said before, if you lose…."
The vice leader narrowed his eyes as he looked at Roman.
"All the honor you've built will fall into the gutter. Make sure to return victorious."
"You don't need to worry. I will, of course."
As Roman clenched the hilt, an eerie aura flared up on his shoulder.
"…You seem confident enough."
The vice leader nodded and disappeared in the direction of the South-North Union headquarters.
"It doesn't matter what those guys say."
Roman raised his lips as he looked at the setting sun.
"What's important is us, isn't it, Raon Zieghart?"
* * *
As soon as the conference ended, Raon started training in the fifth training ground.
"Do you train even on a day like this?"
While practicing basic swordsmanship as usual, Rimmer, who was lying on the platform, waved his hand.
"There's not much time left."
Raon shook his head and thrust his sword into the air. A black dot appeared on the setting sun as if a hole had been pierced.
"No, on a day like this when you've hit the jackpot, you should treat your teacher to a meal, lend your teacher some money, and at least thank your teacher."
"Forget that. How about sparring with the teacher? What do you think?"
Raon smiled and beckoned with his finger.
"What I need now is real combat experience."
"Well, I'm still not fully recovered from my injury, so that's difficult…."
Rimmer awkwardly laughed and shook his head.
"Come on, it's the day your student hit the jackpot, so help me out a little..."
Just as Raon was about to approach the pale Rimmer, a sharp cry rang out.
Screech!
A blue falcon descended swiftly in front of Raon.
"This falcon…."
He had seen it before. It was the blue falcon that sat on the mast of the Axe King Roman's warship, the Misfortune.
"It looks like it's from the Axe King."
"Yes, it's the Axe King’s blue falcon."
Rimmer nodded, confirming it was the Axe King’s familiar.
"Come here."
Raon raised his hand, and the blue falcon calmly perched on his hand. He untied the white note attached to its ankle and unfolded it.
"Sigh…."
Raon exhaled deeply after reading the note.
"What does it say?"
Rimmer smacked his lips in curiosity.
"He wants me not to run away. He says I can choose the time and place. He even offers to fight within Zieghart."
"Is that guy crazy?"
Rimmer laughed in disbelief.
"Accepting the duel to death in the first place wasn't normal."
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the note again.
"He is a different kind of person than the usual Five Demons."
Saying that, he picked up a pen.
"Huh? What are you doing?"
Rimmer quickly approached and shook his head.
"Don't decide right away. Discuss it with the lord first…."
"The head of house said he'd leave it to me."
Raon shook his head and placed the pen on the back of the note.
"The location will be the Gazel River, where I first met Roman, and the date…."
"T-the date?"
"Not january 1st of next year, but december 31st of this year."
Golden sunlight seeped into Raon's eyes.
"Instead of postponing, I'll bring it forward and settle it."
