C819
Raon swallowed hard as he looked at the golden flames surrounding him.
'Doesn't this lead to the memories of the First Patriarch?'
Generally, when one encountered golden flames, it would take them back a thousand years to the time of the First Patriarch. But now, they simply blocked his path. Unlike what he experienced in the Holy Sword Alliance, these flames did not seem to lead to the past.
'It's not hot.'
He placed his hand over the flickering flames before him, but he felt no heat. They were as warm as the sun on an autumn afternoon.
"It doesn't seem like it's trying to hinder me."
He perceived no caution from those flames towards him, only a sense of familiarity.
'Why is it blocking my path?'
As he squinted in confusion, the golden flames gently undulated like morning mist and then began to slowly diminish.
"Now it's disappearing."
Just as he thought this strange occurrence had ended and was about to move forward, the golden flames suddenly leaped like drops of water falling to the ground and then spread in all directions.
The scattered flames took on human forms and began to act as if they were the employees working there, handling documents and reading books.
'What is this...'
Raon let out a sigh. Seeing the memories of the First Patriarch was already surreal, but watching those flame figures move like people made him feel as if he were dreaming.
-What are you doing?
Wrath furrowed his brow, asking why Raon was distracted.
-Don't waste time and finish quickly!
He gestured with his hand and said they should just skim through the text and go eat.
"Light Wind Division Leader, is something wrong?"
Chad also tilted his head, apparently unaware of anything unusual.
'Can only I see them?'
Raon's fingertips trembled as he watched a flame figure pass through Chad.
'Now that I think about it...'
Although the flame figures seemed to be functioning, they couldn't actually touch the books or shelves. Like ghosts, they appeared unable to affect physical objects and were only visible to him.
"Light Shadow Agents Leader, is this place always like this?"
Raon shook his head briefly as he watched a flame figure emerge from Chad's shoulder.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, it's hotter than usual today."
Chad rolled up both of his sleeves and frowned.
"This file is always kept cool to protect important books and documents, but today it seems the temperature has risen a bit."
He said he needed to check the temperature control device and headed toward the right wall.
"..."
Raon squinted, not at Chad, but at the flame figures moving back and forth beside him.
'What are they doing?'
The flame figures moved throughout the archive filled with historical records, acting as if they were recording and reading something. It truly seemed as if they were watching people working there.
"Hmm, it doesn't seem like there's any problem with the device. How strange."
Chad clicked his tongue and said he might need to call a magician later.
"I'll continue the tour for now. This way, please."
"...Yes."
Raon nodded and followed Chad. The flame figures continued focusing on their own tasks, paying no attention to either Chad or himself.
-Is something wrong with you?
Wrath tilted his head after examining Raon's face. Having spent a lot of time together, he seemed to know Raon's state just by his expression.
'Flame figures have appeared, and they're organizing this archive.'
-What nonsense.
He gestured dismissively, telling Raon to ignore it if he was going to say nonsense.
"...I suppose it would sound like that."
Raon chuckled lightly as he followed Chad deeper into the archive. He decided to ignore the flame figures for now, as they didn't seem to have any purpose or effect on him or the others.
"Here are historical records from 700 years ago."
Chad pulled out an old book. Despite being 700 years old, it didn't seem that ancient due to its good preservation.
"This part says: 'The First Patriarch closed the sky of hell and opened the world of humans.'"
He turned the book around to show Raon.
"I see."
Raon nodded as he looked at the book. As Chad had said, it contained information about the legend of the First Patriarch written in great calligraphy.
"Of course, this kind of content can be found in any prestigious kingdom or family."
Chad smiled and said legends like this accumulated in mountains for any renowned kingdom or family.
"But what's a bit unusual is..."
He pulled out an even older book and opened it; his intelligent eyes sparkled.
"That everywhere it’s written that he closed the sky."
The book Chad showed contained a phrase stating that the ancestor completely closed the dark sky.
"The sky?"
"Yes. Isn't it strange? For common families or kingdoms, I would say they hunted a terrifying monster, defeated a demon king, or killed a known demon dragon. But for us, there are many phrases about closing various types of skies."
He clicked his tongue briefly and said it was unusual.
"Ah, of course, I mean that it's strange, not ridiculous."
Chad waved both hands, thinking Raon might have misunderstood.
-No, I have similar thoughts.
Raon nodded calmly.
'His actions were unusual in many ways.'
From the training room in Zieghart, the underwater dungeon, the World Tree, the Holy Sword Saint's Tomb, to the land of the predecessor of the Holy Sword Alliance. The seeds he planted spread widely and deeply. It seemed that only an opponent from hell or heaven would make sense.
-Oh! You’re the first person to agree with my opinion!
Chad smiled cheerfully and stepped forward, apparently pleased.
"I'll pull out the books that I remember for now. Of course, I haven't read all the records here, so I can't find everything."
In just a few minutes, he pulled out dozens of books and placed them in front of Raon. Remembering the content of all those books made him an extraordinary person.
"Unfortunately, I have to leave now. There's a conference in the morning."
Chad gave a careful bow after stacking a mountain of books in front of Raon.
"Thank you for accommodating me so early in the morning."
Raon left the book he was reading and bowed to Chad.
—No way! If it weren't for the conference, I would have spent the entire day searching for books for you. That's what’s truly regrettable.
Chad clicked his tongue for a long time, looking genuinely disappointed.
-No, I'll search from now on.
Raon smiled lightly and nodded.
"I understand. Call me anytime if you need help."
Chad gave a courteous bow and headed toward the exit. He kept glancing back and seemed truly regretful.
"..."
Raon squinted as he watched Chad's back.
'Is he still following Karoon?'
Chad was someone who had provided help and recognition even when everyone else ignored him. Although Raon had thought that it might be difficult to fully trust him, as he could have been sent by Karoon or another direct member of the lineage like Judiel, lately, he felt a little different.
'For now, let's focus on my task.'
Regardless of who Chad was following, what was certain was that he felt affection for Zieghart. Since Raon wasn't competing for the head of the house, there was no need to worry about the Shadow Agents. He immediately sat down and opened a book.
-Instead of those millennia-old humans, why not pay attention to a supreme being who has lived for thousands of years?
Wrath shook his head vigorously, telling Raon not to waste his efforts.
'Don't tell me that this supreme being who has lived for thousands of years is...'
Raon lowered his eyebrows as he looked at Wrath.
'You?'
-¡Of course! ¡There is no being in this world more noble and wise than this king!
Wrath spread his arms elegantly, seemingly unaware that he looked like cotton candy.
'...Then, have you heard of Anima?'
-Is that the name of a new ice cream? It sounds delicious!
He clicked his lips. It seemed he had forgotten it despite having heard it from the Holy Sword Saint.
"I should have known."
Raon sighed and turned his attention back to the book.
-¡Ugh! ¡E-then finish quickly! This king still has many things to eat...
'Shut up before I make you eat Nadine's bread.'
-G-Gasp!
Wrath immediately shut his mouth without saying another word.
"It seems you really hate Nadine's bread."
-Of course! I hate it as much as those crazies!
He shook his head vigorously, saying he absolutely hated it.
"But they love you a lot. Should I help you connect...?"
-¡Shut up!
* * *
"Damn!"
A swallow perched on a tree branch frowned as it looked toward the Shadow Agents' building.
"Where did he go?"
Raon’s presence suddenly disappeared after following the unpleasant-looking man. Although Merlin had been watching through the window, she could no longer know his location, which made her feel frustrated.
"Hmm."
A mocking sound was heard from the air. Looking up, a very faint pink mist formed, like melted azaleas. It was that stalker. After battling all day on the cliff, they had come to a place and reached a small agreement to enter Zieghart together.
"Is that all you can do?"
Lust looked at Merlin and snorted.
"Well, I guess that's the limit of human stalking. Your effort was commendable."
She let out a small sneer of disdain, saying it seemed that the result had already been decided.
"Hmm..."
Merlin’s wings trembled as she looked at Lust, who had dissolved her spiritual body into the atmosphere.
"I am the one who can best follow him."
Lust, thinking she had won the stalking competition, slowly advanced toward the Shadow Agents' building with her calm pink current. Except for her slow speed, it seemed that no one would detect her.
"Hmm..."
Merlin bit her beak until it bled. While contemplating sending her soul, even at the risk of losing her body, she saw a small spider clinging to the crack of a window.
"That's it!"
Merlin immediately flew and stood in front of the spider.
"¡?"
The spider, trapped in the eyes of a predator, trembled in fear, unable to move from its spot.
"It's okay, it's okay."
Merlin initiated a spiritual conversation with the spider. Although the success rate with insects was extremely low, that wasn't important at the moment. She had to achieve it somehow, even if it was through sheer will. Fortunately, the spider agreed to her request. Of course, Raon would have to pay the price later, but for now, she was only thinking about winning.
"Ha!"
Merlin sent the swallow away and, after filtering into the spider's body, abruptly lifted her head.
"You move so slowly, when do you plan to enter? I'm going to die of old age!"
Merlin made a hand gesture in front of the slowly flowing Lust and crawled toward the window crack.
"That little..."
Lust leaped toward the window forcefully. She consumed her soul to block the window frame through which Merlin was trying to enter.
"Move!"
"No, you can't go!"
The 241st duel began between Merlin, now a spider, and Lust, now a cloud.
* * *
"Haha..."
Raon let out a brief sigh as he left the book on history from 900 years ago.
-It's not here either.
All the books Chad had pulled out contained information about the First Patriarch Zieghart. However, there was no content about what the First Patriarch actually did or who he fought against. There were only incredible achievements such as closing the sky or destroying hell, and records of Zieghart's founding afterward.
'There must be something more...'
What he wanted to see wasn't this, but information about the Anima that the First Patriarch fought against and what he had prepared. It seemed that he needed to look at even older content.
'The next book is...'
As he reached out to the right, there was nothing to grab. It seemed he had already read all the books Chad had piled up in the meantime.
'Wow! Already?'
-Already? Yaa...
Wrath furrowed his brow and leaned his round face forward.
-It's already night outside because we are underground! What are you doing, not even eating?
He grabbed Raon's neck and shook him up and down, asking why they had to starve even at home.
"Mmm..."
Raon looked up at the ceiling and clicked his tongue.
"It seems it's already night."
Feeling hungry, it seemed Wrath was right that a lot of time had passed.
-Then I should pull out Nadine's bread...
-¡Grrrr!
When Raon touched his subspace pouch, considering pulling out Nadine's bread, Wrath gritted his teeth like an enraged beast.
-If you pull out that bread, you and this king will die!
Wrath shook his fist, saying that everyone should die. Although he seemed like a cute fluffy puppy, Raon couldn't pull out Nadine's bread because Wrath had been quiet and patient until now.
"Alright, let's just go back for today."
-You should have done that earlier!
'I’m going to get everything in order quickly.'
Raon returned the books he had read to the shelves. The flame figures continued moving around the archive, but since he had seen them often, he was already used to them and didn’t feel much. Just as he was about to turn around after placing the last book on the shelf, the behavior of some flame figures seemed strange to him.
'What are they doing?'
Unlike the flame figures that seemed to be working (looking, pulling out, and organizing books), two flame figures simply stood in front of the far wall without moving.
'That posture is...'
Guards? Their stance, not even moving their gaze and standing in the same spot, seemed like they were protecting something.
"Mmm."
Raon swallowed hard and stood in front of the wall. The flame figures didn’t seem to notice him; they still remained unmoving in their places. Raon placed his hand on the wall and exhaled quietly. Naturally, nothing happened.
'I guess not?'
When he was about to withdraw his hand with a wry smile, he felt the warm energy he had experienced for the first time here coming from the flame figures on both sides.
'It could be...'
Raon pressed his lips tightly and, at the same time, activated the Fire Ring and the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. At that moment, the flame figures on both sides, converged at the tips of his fingers and opened a door of flames in the wall before him.
-
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