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C722
As Karoon walked from the Lord's Mansion to the Central Martial Palace, Denier and Balder, who had stayed in Zieghart to protect the main building, approached him.
"Good job."
Denier bowed respectfully.
"How did the war end? From the children's condition, it looks like it was an easy victory?"
Balder rotated his right shoulder and snorted.
"It ended well enough."
True to his arrogant nature, Karoon compressed the long and arduous war into a single sentence.
"Don't respond so briefly! Give us a proper explanation! Everyone returned without communication, so no one knows what happened!"
Balder struck his chest in frustration as he spoke.
"I'll explain."
Chad, the leader of the Shadow Agents who had been behind Karoon, stepped forward with a bow.
"In this war, the leader of the South-North Union was killed, and the leaders of the other Five Demons were either killed or severely injured to the point that they won't be able to move for a while. As the Master of the Central Martial Palace said, it's not an exaggeration to call it an overwhelming victory."
Chad raised his finger and gave a slight smile.
"So the other Five Demons got involved after all."
Balder frowned deeply, saying he had expected that.
"Which of the Five Demons came?"
"The Fallen, the leader of the White Blood Religion, and even the leader of the Shadows wearing the Blue Dragon Helmet appeared. Finally, even the Dragon Lord got involved."
"The Dragon Lord? That damned meddler came too? Those bastard salamanders seem to only interfere with us..."
He moved his finger, expressing his disgust for the Dragon Lord.
"You're right that they only interfere with us. From now on, all dragons are enemies of Zieghart."
"Eh? Enemies?"
"Leader of the Shadow Agents, what do you mean?"
Balder and Denier opened their eyes simultaneously.
"When we invaded the South-North Union headquarters..."
Chad briefly explained to the two Palace Masters and the Zieghart swordsmen behind them what had happened.
"Is that true?"
Balder's jaw trembled in disbelief.
"Are you saying Raon blocked the Transcendent Warrior and saved Father?"
"Yes. It was only for a moment, but he withstood the sword of the Transcendent Warrior. Even the Head of House recognized it."
Chad swallowed, as if he still couldn't believe it himself.
"......"
Denier lowered his gaze as he listened to Chad's words. His expression darkened.
"Ha, that kid has really gone crazy, hasn't he?"
Balder let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Defeating the Axe King and coming back alive would have been worthy of praise, but also saving Father? What kind of child is he!"
He laughed, exclaiming that Raon was truly unique.
"Why are you so quiet? Aren't you surprised?"
Balder nudged Denier with a smile on his face.
"I was too shocked to speak. As you said, he's an incredible child. Such talent can't be found anywhere else."
Denier nodded with a slight smile.
"Denier."
Karoon, who had been standing silently, narrowed his eyes as he looked at Denier.
"You look pale. Did you get injured in the last attack?"
"No. I just felt a bit dizzy when the tension eased."
Denier waved his hand, saying it was nothing to worry about.
"...I see."
Karoon observed Denier massaging his temple with a dry look.
"It's only a matter of time before Sylvia and Raon become part of the direct line now."
Balder turned to Karoon with a smile.
"Even you won't be able to stop it this time."
He lifted his chin as if provoking Karoon.
"I have no intention of stopping it."
Karoon calmly shook his head without even looking at Balder.
"Hm? Really?"
Balder blinked, as if asking what he meant.
"Are you starting to care for Raon now too?"
"No, I hate him."
Karoon replied firmly, frowning.
"I hate him so much that just seeing his face irritates me."
"Then why..."
"Raon saved the Head of House and decapitated the leader of the South-North Union. Witnessing such achievements and not acknowledging them would lower Zieghart's reputation by my own hand."
He shook his head, as if he disliked the damage to Zieghart's name more than his dislike for Raon.
"You always have a talent for making simple things sound complicated."
Balder snorted, murmuring that he didn't understand what Karoon meant.
"I want to kill those dragons even more than the Five Demons. They never liked us anyway, so should I consider this a good thing?"
He clenched his fist, shouting that he would cut down all the nearby dragons.
"There's a white salamander living in the nearby mountains; I should smash it first."
"Balder."
Karoon shot a cold glance.
"Search for the ancient dragon's nest in the north."
"An ancient dragon? Even if it's just you and me together, an ancient dragon would be difficult. Unless you're a Transcendent Warrior..."
Balder waved his hand, saying it wasn't possible.
"Don't worry. I'm not far from transcendence."
"Eh...?"
"W-What did you just say...?"
Denier and Balder turned their heads so quickly it made a sound.
"I gained enlightenment from seeing the Head of House's sword. After isolating myself, I should be able to reach that realm."
Karoon nodded confidently, as if he were sure he could break through the wall of transcendence.
"Insane..."
Balder murmured in disbelief, his lips trembling.
"Transcendence..."
Denier also moistened his dry lips, as if he couldn't believe it.
"It won't take long, so start looking for the ancient dragon's nest in advance."
Karoon ordered Balder, then directed his gaze.
"Burren."
He narrowed his eyes at Burren, who had awkwardly stopped next to Chad.
"You are the weakest among the leaders of the Light Wind Division. The difference was more than a level. Is this the result you said you would show?"
Karoon's red gaze turned icy.
"That is..."
Burren couldn't respond and pressed his lips tightly.
"Damn it."
There was nothing he could say. He wanted to retort Karoon's words, but he couldn't. As Karoon said, his martial prowess was now behind Martha and Runaan, and he couldn't see a way to catch up.
"Follow me."
Karoon turned his back and headed toward the Central Martial Palace.
"B-But I'm in the Light Wind Division..."
"Who said I was accepting you? I just want to fix your pathetic state."
He didn't even look back, as if to say 'leave if you don't like it.'
"You should hurry."
Chad extended his hand with a slight smile.
"Oh, yes."
Burren bowed his head to Chad, Balder, and Denier before following Karoon.
"What happened to that guy all of a sudden?"
Balder twirled his index finger near his head.
"Has he contracted some terminal illness?"
"It seems this war has caused a change in his way of thinking."
Chad smiled slightly as he watched Karoon and Burren walk away.
"......"
Denier's gaze lingered calmly as he observed the backs of the two.
* * *
After all the maidservants had gone to sleep, Raon stepped out to the lake behind the annex building.
-Keuheuk!
Wrath patted his plump belly with satisfaction.
"Eating outside is nice, but home-cooked meals are the best! Nothing compares to this homemade cooking, no matter where you go!"
He smiled, saying that the mango ice cream they had eaten for dessert was also good.
'However, isn't this your house?'
-Nonsense! This is my house, my mother, my maidservants!
Wrath waved his round hands, asserting that the entire annex building belonged to him.
'Sigh, think what you want.'
Raon shook his head with a sigh. Since Wrath called Sylvia 'mother,' it seemed pointless to argue with him.
"But why did you come out here? You're tired too, so you should rest..."
'Because I've grown rapidly. I need to assess my current level.'
All his abilities had increased by 50 points, his mastery of the Ten Thousand Swords had improved greatly, and the ranks of various traits had increased.
He felt that he wouldn't be able to sleep without confirming what had changed.
-Y-Are you going to do that now?
'Yes.'
-You're really crazy! What kind of lunatic trains on the day they return from war!
Wrath shouted that such a person wouldn't exist in the human world, let alone in the celestial realm or the Devildom.
'There's one right here.'
Raon pointed to himself and activated the Heavenly Drive. As always, he began with the basic swordsmanship. The tip of the sword cutting through the dawn air felt as vivid as his own skin. His whole body felt lighter, as if he had transcended the limits of his physical vessel and gone beyond.
'My physical abilities and sensory acuity have improved significantly.'
Raon smiled slightly as he flexed the tips of his fingers.
'It's to be expected, given that 50 points increased at once.'
Although the effectiveness of each point diminished as it increased, a sudden increase of 50 points meant there had to be a clear difference compared to before.
'Now, for the next part.'
After the basic swordsmanship, Raon demonstrated the Fangs of Madness, the Blizzardsword Art, and the Azure Sky Sword before lowering the Heavenly Drive.
'My achievement in swordsmanship has also reached a different level.'
The various techniques of the Ten Thousand Swords - Fast Sword, Heavy Sword, Variable Sword, Phantom Sword, and others - seemed to move on their own. If he could reach this level with his internal injuries not fully healed, he felt he could demonstrate an even higher level of swordsmanship once he fully recovered.
"Uf."
Raon nodded, exhaling with satisfaction.
'It wouldn't be strange to call this explosive growth.'
Thanks to this war, it seemed he had leaped a level that would normally take years of training to reach. It was such rapid growth that it was almost ridiculous. However, there was something that made him feel even better than that.
'Derus Robert's twisted expression was truly delightful.'
Seeing Derus's plan to kill Glenn crumble and the wavering look in his eyes was many times more joyful than becoming stronger himself.
-Ugh! You're a nasty guy.
Wrath shook his head in disgust.
"If you're done, let's go back inside. This king is sleepy."
He yawned widely and entered the Ice Flower bracelet.
"There's one last thing I need to check."
Raon held the Heavenly Drive upright and activated the newly acquired trait <Blade of Death>. A pure white aura blossomed along the cold blade. Although faint as mist, a mysterious power burned and flickered.
'Just wait, Derus Robert.'
Raon curved his lips as he felt the new power silently rising within him.
'The moment to cut your throat is not far off.'
* * *
Derus Robert quietly left his office. Despite the early hour before dawn, his appearance was impeccable. His hair was neatly arranged, and his blue tunic was stiff as if it had just been pressed.
"Father!"
As Derus was about to ascend to the upper floor with quiet steps, Lephon Robert came running with hurried steps.
"Did you hear? They say the Six Kings won!"
Lephon Robert burst with excitement, apparently having heard the news from the intelligence department.
"And it wasn't just a simple victory..."
He spread his arms like bird wings and recounted everything that had happened at the South-North Union headquarters.
"Lord Raon saved Glenn Zieghart and decapitated the leader of the South-North Union. It's not an exaggeration to say he ended this war!"
Lephon raised his clenched fists toward the sky.
"Though exaggerated, it's not wrong."
Derus Robert smiled kindly, as if he found his youngest son’s excitement endearing.
"It's a shame we had to remain on standby. I should have seen with my own eyes how Lord Raon blocked the Blue Dragon Helmet Demon’s surprise attack!"
Lephon bit his lip, as if he were angry for not being able to go to the battlefield.
"Lephon. I understand your disappointment, but our role was as important as that of those who participated in the war. We had to be a barrier against the other Five Demons."
"I know. I just feel regretful!"
He smiled, saying he understood the importance of the task assigned to House Robert.
"As long as you understand."
Derus patted Lephon on the head with a slight smile.
"Shouldn't we change Lord Raon's title now? Dragon Hunter doesn't seem enough to capture his essence..."
Lephon stroked his chin, saying that Raon needed a new title.
"It seems you still admire the leader of the Light Wind Division."
"Of course. It's not just me; no one dislikes him."
He raised his hand, saying that Raon's reputation was soaring to the heavens.
"Hmm, why don't you try to come up with one? After all, titles are usually created by fans."
"Is it really okay for me to do that?"
Lephon crossed his arms, seeming embarrassed.
"If you come up with a good name, the leader of the Light Wind Division would also like it."
"E-Then you have to take me to the next Six Kings Conference, okay?"
"Alright, now go rest. You've been on standby in the intelligence department all night, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
He bowed to Derus and returned to his quarters with energetic steps. Even while walking, he continued murmuring various words, apparently thinking about Raon's new title.
Derus watched Lephon with warm eyes before heading to the Head of House's study on the upper floor. He paused briefly in front of the study, then slowly opened the door.
Under the soft light of the dawn moon, a man wearing a blue dragon helmet leaned against the wall, coughing up blood.
Derus Robert's silver eyes calmly met the silver eyes inside the blue dragon helmet.
