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"Is that possible?"
Raon's eyes widened as he looked at Merlin.
"She must have been wearing that helmet for years, right?"
Unlike herself or Runaan, Sia must have worn the Orc King's helmet a long time ago. He couldn't understand how Merlin planned to verify her soul, especially since Sia had only shown the appearance of a monster, unlike Edgar.
"I've made helmets and masks for the Fallen before. I know the magical and mystical arrangements, so I can at least check the connection."
Merlin smiled confidently, saying it was totally possible to examine whether Sia's soul remained.
- That girl is a stalker, isn't she? She must be good at spying. *Cough!*
Wrath nodded, saying that no one could match Merlin's talent as a stalker.
- If she says so, we can believe her. *Cough*
He coughed repeatedly but still acknowledged Merlin.
'That is true.'
As Wrath said, Merlin had never failed at something she claimed she could do. She was a bit... no, very peculiar, but a reliable person.
'But are you okay?'
Raon squinted at Wrath. He felt even more embarrassed as the creature, which had once been beautiful, began to cough again.
- Who do you take this king for?! A demon king does not need the concern of humans... Keh-lock!
Wrath waved his hand, indicating that Raon should focus on the task at hand, but coughed again.
- Don't worry about me, just do what you have to do!
'Alright.'
Raon nodded briefly and turned to look at Merlin. Although he was worried about Wrath, resolving Sia's situation was his priority for now.
"So, how do we do this?"
"It's very simple."
When Merlin clasped her hands, a magical circle that mixed light and darkness appeared beneath her feet.
"Just place the subject on this magical circle and make contact. Shall I open it now?"
Merlin showed a confident smile, as if she could do it immediately.
"Wait."
Glenn shook his head while blocking Merlin's path.
"Even if it's possible, now is not the time."
As he slightly rotated the Heavenly Tremor, blood splattered from the air where nothing had existed, and a bisected eyeball fell with a dull thud.
"Someone was watching us."
"Mmm..."
Raon frowned as he watched the eyeball disintegrate into white ashes.
'Who could it be?'
It was undoubtedly one of the Five Demons, but he couldn't tell which one it was. He didn't recognize at all whether it was magic or sorcery.
"If it's known that I'm not in Zieghart at this moment, the family could be attacked. We need to return as soon as possible with the wounded."
Glenn shook the blood from his sword and said they had to return to the family and finish the remaining work.
"That makes sense."
Raon nodded as he looked at Glenn.
«If it's known that the head of the house has moved, they will attack immediately.»
Just like when he fought a life-or-death battle with the Axe King, the Five Demons could attack his own family, so Glenn couldn't abandon Zieghart now. Since the Dragon Lord and an unknown figure had discovered them, returning as quickly as possible was the priority.
"If grandpa says so, we must follow him."
Merlin nodded with a bright smile.
—No, why do you keep calling me grandpa...?
Glenn frowned and took a step back, seemingly nervous about Merlin's audacity.
"Because you are my grandpa."
Merlin winked at him as she approached Glenn by the same distance he had retreated.
"Mmm..."
"Don't mind her nonsense."
Raon pushed Merlin aside and entered the Arianne family residence.
"Fortunately, no one died."
Thanks to Rector minimizing the explosion of the Soul Stone as much as possible, there seemed to be no fatalities, although there were some serious injuries.
"Head of the house, please return first. I will move with the people of House Arianne."
As Zieghart could be attacked at any moment, it seemed better for Glenn to return first while he moved with the wounded.
"Well, that's..."
"No need for that."
When Glenn was about to express his refusal, Merlin waved her hand lightly.
"I've opened a spatial transfer coordinate near Zieghart."
As Merlin snapped her fingers, a door emitting a flickering blue light opened in the air. Through that door, a mountain near Zieghart covered in eternal snow could be seen.
"When, when did you..."
Raon turned to look at Merlin and his jaw trembled. He never imagined she had prepared something like this since he had only visited Merlin in animal form before.
"The security of Zieghart is strict, which is why I carefully created it little by little."
Merlin chuckled and said it was a difficult task but worth it.
"Uh, well..."
Glenn looked at Merlin with a blank expression, unsure whether to praise this or order its immediate removal.
- Kyaaaaah!
Wrath screamed that she was a real stalker and fled towards the bracelet, saying it was scary.
"Sigh..."
Raon shook his head and sighed.
"Moving first and thinking later."
* * *
In a church overflowing with holy light and faith.
"Arghhhh!"
A burly middle-aged man screamed as he clutched his right eye. His eyeball was split in half and dripped, the same color as the eyeball Glenn had cut earlier.
"It seems we've been caught."
Derus Robert smiled and waved his hand, and Bardiel, who was beside him, approached the middle-aged man.
"Sa-save me... save me..."
"Stay still."
Bardiel grabbed the middle-aged man's head with a cold look. With a crackling sound, a blue light shone from his grip, causing the man's body to tremble as if he had received an electric shock, and smoke rose from his eyes.
"Urgh..."
The middle-aged man fell backward, vomiting black blood as if he had suffered terrible pain. It was an instant death.
"Who discovered us?"
Derus tilted his chin as if urging Bardiel to speak.
"It was Glenn Zieghart."
Bardiel replied while rubbing his temples.
- Glenn, start from the beginning.
Derus approached Bardiel, seemingly intrigued.
"Yes. First, the Green King, the Two-Headed Demon, the Severing Sword..."
Bardiel recounted the events to Derus as if he had participated directly in the battle.
"I see. So that was what happened?"
Derus chuckled amusedly as he sat back down.
"We lost the Two-Headed Demon, the Severing Sword, and even the Green King. Even if the Fallen is not dead, Eden's losses must be astronomical."
Kubara, standing behind him, narrowed her eyes and said it was not a good situation.
"All three are Grand Masters. The damage can't even be measured. Well, that Celestial Demon probably doesn't care."
Derus smiled softly, as if he knew something about the Celestial Demon.
"But..."
He licked his lips while looking at the cross hanging on the wall.
"The Fallen's words bother me. What did he mean by the last piece?"
"Judging by his reaction, it seems he realized that Raon Zieghart possesses the power of a demon king."
Bardiel tilted his head as he turned to Derus.
"That could be. The Fallen also possess demonic energy. However..."
Derus held back his words as if he still couldn't be sure.
"Either way, the plan has failed. Not only did we fail to get stronger, but our losses have increased."
Kubara exhaled softly, saying that the Five Demons' growth plan seemed to have been ruined.
"Of course, Eden is finished, but we have gained a significant advantage."
Derus slowly shook his head while looking at Kubara.
"Because Glenn Zieghart won't be able to move for a while."
He licked his lips longingly as he gazed at the sunlight shining on the cross.
"What do you mean Glenn can't move…?"
Kubara tilted her head, not understanding.
"Vitality, you see. No matter how strong you become, there's a limit. Especially for a transcendent warrior like Glenn, who couldn't overcome age, the consumption of vitality leads to severe damage. He won't be able to leave Zieghart for a while."
Derus chuckled softly, saying a very good opportunity had opened up.
"Now it's your turn, Beorn."
At his call, a young red-haired man emerged from the darkness of the church.
"How was it? Did you absorb enough power from Raon?"
"Indeed, his talent and aura were remarkable."
Beorn nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"Is he on the brink of Transcendence? I had a suspicion, but it's truly impressive."
Derus patted Beorn on the shoulder, pleased with his achievement.
"Are you ready now?"
"...Yes."
Beorn looked at Derus with firm eyes, as if asking him to trust him.
"Good."
Derus placed his hand on Beorn's head. Beorn's appearance began to change with his touch. With a resonating sound, Derus released the constraints placed on Beorn while curling his lips.
"It's time for you to destroy Zieghart's prestige."
* * *
As soon as Raon returned to Zieghart, he took the patients to find the Tattered Saint, Federick.
"Saint, please help!"
Raon bowed his head and urgently asked Federick to examine Sia with the Orc helmet, Edgar with the Death Knight armor, Rector, who had become the leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, and finally, Sylvia and Rimmer.
"I also ask for your help."
Glenn told Federick to examine everyone and then went to Lord's Manor.
"What in the world..."
Federick exhaled sharply as he looked at the fallen patients, then blinked in disbelief when he saw Merlin.
"Are these hostages?"
"No. I'll briefly explain for now."
Raon shook his head and quickly explained what had happened.
"Those damned bastards..."
Federick's lips trembled, as if he hadn't known the atrocities of Eden were so severe. He sighed deeply, seemingly holding back tears, and examined the patients.
"As you said, it seems Rector, Sylvia, and Edgar have truly died and come back to life. Their vitality has not stabilized yet."
"Is that a problem?"
"No, it's just that they need time to adapt, as it doesn't depend on their own vitality. It will take some time for them to wake up, but once I treat their external and internal injuries, there shouldn't be major issues."
Federick shook his head, saying there was no need to worry about those three.
"Haha..."
Raon exhaled a sigh of relief as he held his head. If there had been problems with the family members who had just reunited, it would have been devastating, but knowing they were safe finally eased his mind.
"Rimmer will wake up soon too. He was too focused on building a wall instead of his own safety. I can’t believe he made such a mistake..."
Federick clicked his tongue, wondering why Rimmer, who had been through thick and thin, had acted that way.
"That wasn't a mistake."
Raon bit his lip slightly. Rimmer hadn't made any mistake; he had become a wall to protect him. Feeling his intentions made Raon's heart ache even more.
"Frustratingly, he was faster than me."
Merlin grumbled like a puppy as she looked at Rimmer. She seemed displeased that he had protected Raon before her.
"I see..."
He didn't know that Rimmer, who always joked and played pranks, would risk his life to protect him. It seemed that his recent words about changing and asking if Raon intended to become the head of the house were sincere.
'When he wakes up, should I give him some money to play with as much as he wants?'
- This, this king too!
Suddenly, Wrath rose and waved his hand.
- Give this king money too! There are mountains of things I want to eat... Keh-lock!
He shook his head and said he couldn't stand seeing just Gluttony eating everything he wanted.
'Alright.'
Raon nodded with a slight smile.
- Oh?
Wrath's eyes widened.
- What's wrong? Will the sun rise in the west tomorrow?
"You've done a lot for me."
Raon gestured with his hand and smiled. Although he had received help from many people this time, Wrath's contribution was the greatest. He intended to do everything Wrath asked of him for a while.
-Kyah... Keh-lock! Hoong!
Wrath raised his arms in joy, even as he coughed.
"Lastly, your sister..."
Federick frowned as he examined Sia, who was lying last.
"How to say it? Her breathing doesn't seem human."
He clicked his tongue and said Sia was breathing like an orc.
"She has definitely been consumed by the helmet, but there is something unusual I need to verify."
"Well, and it seems she's already waking up..."
As Federick shook his head, a red light emerged from inside the black orc helmet.
"GRRRR!"
Sia attacked Federick with her sharp claws. With a dull thud, Raon kicked the patient's bed to divert Sia's attention and prevent her from attacking Federick. With a crunch, Sia crushed the patient's bed as if it were a cookie. As she did this, Raon stepped forward and extended his frost-wrapped fist.
"Urgh..."
As soon as he struck Sia's solar plexus, she clutched her chest and fell to her knees. With a whistle, Raon seized the opportunity and struck the back of Sia's neck to knock her out again.
"Ugh..."
Sia gritted her teeth as if she didn't want to faint, but finally collapsed in place.
"Ugh..."
Federick exhaled sharply, leaning his back against the wall.
"I'll take my sister with me."
Raon shook his head as he placed Sia on his shoulder. Although he was tired and wanted to rest, it seemed he needed to resolve her situation quickly first.
- Alright. Then I'll take care of these.
"Ah, that's not all."
Raon shook his head at Federick and opened the door. The people from the Light Wind division and House Arianne who had been injured in this war were lined up in front of Federick's mansion.
"Eh, huh?"
"As I mentioned, there was a war, so there are quite a few injured."
Raon bowed his head and said he was counting on him.
- Glenn, you bastard! So that's why you disappeared immediately!
Federick gritted his teeth, recalling Glenn, who had quietly disappeared.
"If you're going to do this, at least pay me for the work!"
Despite shouting for money, he immediately signaled for the first patient to enter. As expected, he honored his title as a saint. Raon silently exhaled and looked at the members of his family, who breathed peacefully, one by one, before leaving Federick's mansion.
* * *
Raon entered the audience chamber where Glenn was waiting, carrying Sia in his arms.
"Follow me."
Glenn opened the door to the room farthest to the right, saying they needed to examine Sia in a calm and secure place, and went down the stairs leading to the basement.
"Yes."
Raon nodded and followed Glenn. Unlike the audience chamber, the stairs were low and well-lit, comfortable enough for even a child to ascend.
After descending about two floors deep, a room in soft pastel tones appeared.
It was quite a spacious space, but nothing looked extraordinary. There was a small bookshelf, comfortable-looking chairs and tables, and pictures that seemed unfinished scattered everywhere.
"This is the space your grandmother used while I worked."
Glenn moistened his lips briefly as he caressed the dust-free shelf and chairs.
"I built this place more solidly than any other in Zieghart, so let's proceed with that task here."
He shook his head and said he had to access Sia's mind here.
"Ah..."
Raon swallowed hard as he looked around. Come to think of it, he had never heard stories about his grandmother. Looking at that place, she seemed to have been a modest person.
"Ah, grandmother..."
Merlin bit her lip as if she were moved.
"You’re quite..."
Glenn frowned, seemingly unsure how to handle Merlin's reaction. It seemed she was getting more out of control each time.
"Merlin, let's start quickly."
Raon gestured for Merlin after placing Sia on the ground, trying to finish before Glenn got angry.
"Don't worry. I've prepared everything."
As Merlin extended her hands, a magical circle intertwining light and darkness spread over the fallen Sia. With a resonating sound, a column of blue light rose from the black orc helmet Sia was wearing.
"Simply place your hand on this column of light."
Merlin smiled confidently, as if wanting to say to approach her.
"Then I will trust you."
"You're not well, are you sure you'll be alright?"
Glenn frowned, looking worried.
"I have experience in this. If there’s any problem, I’ll leave immediately."
He shook his head and said there was no need to worry, as he had already decided on the way there.
"..."
Glenn looked into Raon's eyes for a moment before nodding.
"Alright. Don't overdo it."
"Yes."
Raon bowed his head and turned to Merlin.
"When I count to three, place your hand on the helmet. One, two, three!"
As Merlin shouted "three," she extended her hand toward the blue light. With a flash, the world changed.
-
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