C907
Did you see it? No, did you feel it?
Raon called out to Wrath as he watched Rensia's trembling hands.
-Indeed. I felt it.
Wrath narrowed his deep blue eyes.
-It was clearly anger.
He nodded, saying that anger had erupted in Rensia's soul.
"Anger, mixed with resentment and fear."
Whenever Rensia encountered certain adults, she would tremble slightly, trying not to show it. It was natural for children to fear adults, so he had simply noticed it mentally. But right now, she had displayed not just simple fear but also anger and resentment. It meant there was definitely a problem.
'It's gone.'
The anger that had emanated from Rensia disappeared in an instant, as if it had never existed.
-This is not a natural phenomenon.
Wrath shook his head with a cold look.
-This land has swallowed the anger.
He frowned and looked at the ground and the ceiling.
"I felt it too."
Raon slightly bit his lip.
"Now I'm sure."
There was something in this Montiro that devoured not only human death aura and demonic energy but even negative emotions.
Now is the time to call that person.
As Demonblade's information had been confirmed, it seemed necessary to call the necessary people for this matter and request their help.
"Are you listening to me?"
The man named Félix approached and looked at him. His height exceeded two meters, so Raon had to look up to meet his gaze.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Rensia bowed her head to Félix and said she had made a mistake.
-Miss Rensia, you have done nothing wrong.
Félix gently pushed Rensia, frowning.
"Oh..."
Rensia trembled as soon as Félix's hand touched her.
"Who are you?"
Raon tilted his chin towards Félix and said he had no idea who he was.
“I'm Félix, the leader of the Hochang Division.”
Félix was polite in his manners, even when he was angry.
-Are you one of those five heroes or something?
He nodded slightly with a smile.
"I'm not a hero or anything like that, just a member of this city's defense force."
Félix shook his head and said he didn't deserve such a title.
—Let me ask you again. Why did you bring Miss Rensia here? You must know that this is not a place for someone of her age.
He frowned as if wondering what Raon was thinking.
"Mmm..."
Raon clicked his tongue while listening to the cheers of the people coming from the arena.
—Well, you're not wrong. I didn't pay enough attention to a teenager.
He tossed a silver coin to Rensia and said he was sorry.
"Oh..."
Rensia blinked and caught the floating silver coin in one hit.
"Go and wait outside."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
She blinked quickly, seeming worried.
"The hero here will give me a tour of the arena in your place."
Raon chuckled and tossed a gold coin to Félix.
"...Very well."
Félix nodded calmly, probably because of what he had said before.
"But this is not necessary."
He returned the gold coin he had caught and entered the arena entrance.
"As you wish."
Raon told Rensia to wait at the church and then followed Félix.
«He's strong, but I don't feel anything special.»
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Félix's back.
"A martial artist at the peak of the Master level. That's all."
Like Calob, he was strong for his age, but that was it. His tall stature was more impressive than his martial prowess or his temper. However, he couldn't judge based solely on appearances. Judging by Rensia's reaction, this man named Félix was probably not a normal human.
-Is it okay to leave her like that?
Wrath narrowed his eyes, seeming worried about Rensia.
"We shouldn't obsess over that here. That would only raise more suspicions."
While he was worried about Rensia, following her now would only attract suspicious glances. For now, it was better to show that he was enjoying the arena.
"This is the arena."
Félix stood on the huge circular spectator stand and pointed to the sandpit three floors below. The arena was stained red, probably from the blood of the fighters.
"The betting counter is over there. There's probably no limit on how much you can bet."
Félix pointed to the window full of people and explained that one could bet as much as they wanted.
"No betting limit? I like that."
As Raon curled his lips, a screech was heard. The blood-soaked iron gate opened and a giant man with muscles that looked like armor and a young man of small but sturdy build entered the arena. As it was a physical fight, both had suppressed their aura.
"We can't bet on this now."
Félix shook his head and said that bets would close once the stadium gates opened.
"For now, let's just watch."
Raon leaned his upper body over the railing, showing a bit of disappointment.
"By the way, do you also gamble, hero? It doesn't seem like that goes with your image."
He tilted his chin and turned his gaze to Félix.
"A friend of mine comes here often, so I've learned, whether I want to or not."
Félix pointed to the smaller fighter in the arena while mentioning his friend.
"I see what you mean."
It seemed that the smaller fighter in the arena now was also one of the Martial Artists protecting Montiro, like Félix and Calob.
"Then I'll take my leave..."
Félix bowed his head as if to say he was leaving.
-Aren't you going to watch your friend's fight?
"The outcome is already decided, so there's no need to watch."
He left the arena after saying those words.
"How boring."
As Raon snorted behind Félix, a roar was heard. Hearing the screams and cheers of the people, he looked towards the arena and saw the fighter Félix had called his friend raising both hands after turning his giant opponent into pulp.
"Already?"
Raon pretended to be surprised while rolling his eyes to scan the entire arena.
'There's a bloody fight in the arena and people are losing money, but...'
And yet, no death energy or demonic energy arises.
-It doesn’t make sense. As you and I have seen...
Wrath twisted his lips and looked at the ground.
-This place is absorbing negative energy.
He shook his head and said it was certain.
-For a place of this scale, a massive Sacrifice must be performed.
Wrath lowered his eyebrows and said it was horrible just to imagine it.
-I guess so.
-Kayden?
As Raon nodded at Wrath's words, a neat-looking red-haired man approached from the right. It was Burren, who had infiltrated disguised as a thug.
"Did something happen?"
He tilted his head, apparently having seen Raon with Félix.
"No, nothing special."
Raon shook his head and sent Burren an aura message using his upper dantian.
[Listen for now and relay this to the Black Market agent. This Montiro is...]
Since Demonblade's information had been confirmed, he told him everything he had found out so far. The arena was a noisy and crowded place, so it was impossible for even the Black Tower to eavesdrop on a Transcendent-level aura message here.
"Oh, so you just came to watch?"
Burren maintained a natural attitude, engaging in normal conversation while listening to the surprising story.
[And one more thing. There’s someone we need to call. She is...]
Raon clenched his fist as he mentioned the name of the person he was asking for support.
* * *
Raon watched the last fight in the arena, losing and winning some money, before leaving.
"Mmm."
Rensia was sitting on a chair in the church, weaving. Judging by the change in color, it seemed she was weaving a new garment.
"I didn't know weaving was your hobby."
Raon shook his head as he sat next to Rensia.
"When did you arrive?"
Rensia laughed and lowered the garment she was weaving.
"Right now."
"Did you enjoy the arena?"
"I did. I was completely cleaned out."
Raon pulled out an empty pocket and said he had lost all his money.
"Ah..."
Rensia blinked, looking nervous.
"I only lost the money I was going to use today. Don't worry. I still have money for you."
He lowered his hand, telling her not to worry about it.
"N-no, it's not that..."
Rensia's dry lips moved, saying it wasn't why she was asking.
—By the way, why are your lips so dry if you haven't eaten the sweets I bought you?
"I'm saving them to eat with my siblings."
She smiled slightly and said she would save them to eat with her siblings when she got home.
'Now that I think about it, she also packed food for her siblings before.'
When they went to the seafood restaurant, Rensia had also packed food, saying she wanted to feed her siblings. Seeing that the garment she was weaving now was also for her siblings, she seemed to care a lot about her family.
"Mmm..."
Raon nodded as he looked at Rensia's green eyes.
-I'm bored, shall we go to your house?
"Excuse me...?"
Rensia's eyes widened, as if she hadn't even considered the possibility.
"Your house?"
—Yes. I would like to see those siblings you care so much about.
"Why suddenly my house..."
"I lost money, so I feel a little empty in life."
He told her he wanted to calm down a bit because the stimulation was too intense.
"Oh..."
Rensia stared at him, seeming conflicted, before nodding.
"Okay. Then, immediately..."
-No, it's dinner time, so we should buy something for the kids to eat. How many siblings do you have?
Raon let out a small exclamation internally as he pulled a gold coin from his chest pocket.
"Four."
Rensia raised four fingers.
"Four? That's more than I expected."
"Ah, they're not my biological siblings."
Rensia smiled slightly, her tone sounding even more affectionate than if they were her real siblings. It seemed that her situation was a little more complicated.
* * *
In the slum neighborhood on the western outskirts of Montiro.
"This is it."
Rensia opened the door to a house that looked old but well-maintained and entered.
"Big sister!"
"Big sister!"
Four children, who appeared to be between five and eight years old, ran towards Rensia at the same time.
"Why are you so late...oh?"
The children's eyes widened in surprise when they saw Raon behind Rensia.
"Oh..."
"Ah..."
Despite seeing him enter with their sister, the children trembled their lips, fearing Raon more than necessary.
"He's not a bad person."
Rensia shook her head with a smile.
"He's a guest I'm currently attending to. He's a good person."
It seemed that the constant tips and meals he bought for her and her siblings had paid off, as she introduced him as a good person.
"He made you snacks yesterday and bought you dinner today too."
Rensia smiled deeply as she placed the seafood dishes they had just bought on a table with a broken corner.
"Wow! Shrimp and lobster!"
"There's sashimi too!"
"It looks delicious..."
As children living by the sea, it seemed they not only liked shrimp and lobster but also sashimi. However, the children didn't touch the oysters. It seemed they didn't like to eat them because of the smell.
"Did this gentleman also give us the snacks yesterday?"
A little girl who looked about five years old blinked her big eyes and grabbed Rensia's pants.
"That's right."
Rensia nodded with a smile.
"Thank you."
The child thanked him with a lisp, probably due to missing teeth.
"Tha-thank you."
"We'll enjoy it."
The other three children also thanked him and bowed their heads.
"Sure. Enjoy your meal."
Raon waved his hand, accepting the children's thanks.
'Mmm...'
Sitting on a chair, he examined the house that was visible at a glance.
'It's old, but clean.'
The house was old, but the inside was clean, probably because Rensia had taken good care of it. As he had initially suspected, it seemed that Rensia was taking care of the children on her own, without parents.
—There's nothing strange about the children either... Oh yeah?
The smallest girl's T-shirt was identical to the garment Rensia had been weaving before. It really did seem she was making clothes for her siblings.
-What an admirable child!
Wrath seemed to have noticed it too, as he approached Rensia from behind and patted her head while she was attending to her siblings' food.
'Indeed.'
Raon nodded heavily.
'At an age when it's already quite difficult to take care of oneself.'
Rensia was only fifteen years old, but she worked as a guide, managed the house, took care of the children, and even wove clothes. She seemed more mature than some of the Light Wind swordsmen.
-Sir, aren't you going to eat?
The youngest child waved his hand, inviting him to eat with them.
"I'm full."
Raon chuckled and shook his head.
"I ate a lot of money."
"Can you eat money too?"
"You'll understand when you're older."
Seeing the children enjoying their food made him feel full even though he hadn't eaten.
"Well, it seems you're living well. I feel better now, so I'll be leaving."
Raon said he felt a bit better and got up from the chair.
"Ah, I'll escort you!"
Rensia got up after feeding the little ones sashimi.
-It's okay. I know the way now.
He told her to take care of the children and opened the door to leave.
"Tha-thank you!"
Rensia bowed her head and said thank you.
"Go back inside."
He gestured towards Rensia and turned his back.
'I don't want to disturb that place...'
Raon left the dark alleyway, biting his lip tightly.
'I'll have to find another way somehow.'
* * *
Tsk. Raon clicked his tongue as he watched people surfing in the emerald sea.
«In the end, we haven't found anything.»
It had been a week since they intensified their search, convinced that Montiro was the Black Tower's stronghold or factory, but so far no one had discovered the secret of this place. They still couldn't feel any demonic energy or Death Energy, and there was no sign of the Black Tower's demonized humans anywhere.
The longer the search lasted, the more likely they were to become suspicious, so it was time to make a decision.
"Uf."
Raon let out a short sigh and turned his gaze to the right.
"Worm. It's a worm..."
Runaan, disguised as an innocent tourist, followed a worm crawling on the beach, blinking.
"Ah, how disgusting! Stop picking up those things!"
Martha, projecting the image of a mature woman, shouted as she slapped Runaan on the back. The two had entered Montiro as friends and seemed to have become even closer than before.
"Did you buy everything?"
Raon tilted his chin towards Dorian, who was sitting next to him, and asked.
—¡Yes! Thank you for the time you have given us, Mr. President of the Merchants Association, I have gotten everything.
Dorian nodded vigorously, saying he had sold what he had to sell and bought what he had to buy.
"I have also completed my tasks."
Kerin clasped his hands in front of him and said he had finished what he had to do.
"Oh..."
Rensia's eyes widened, seeming to realize they were ready to leave.
"Are you leaving already?"
"A merchant can't stay in one place forever."
Raon smiled slightly and said it was time to leave.
"Ah..."
Perhaps because she had become attached to him over time, a slight tremor appeared in Rensia's eyes.
"However, before that..."
Seeing Rensia's hesitant eyes, he absorbed the energy of the water scattered on the beach to create an aura barrier that would prevent sound from escaping.
"There's something I want to ask you."
"Go ahead, I'll answer anything!"
Rensia nodded her head emphatically, as if thinking it was the last time.
“You said before that Montiro is a place full of only happiness.”
"...Did I?"
She blinked at the unexpected words.
"But such a thing is not possible."
Raon shook his head calmly.
"No human being or place can be always happy. That's just a dream. Or a nightmare."
"Mmm..."
Rensia blinked slightly and silently.
"I'm quite perceptive, you know?"
-Eh...?
Ignoring Wrath's questioning tone, he continued speaking.
"Every time you encounter adults here, especially those of reputation, your hands tremble..."
Raon slowly turned his gaze to look at Rensia.
"Ah..."
Rensia swallowed dryly as she looked at her own hands, as if she hadn't been aware of it at all.
"Are you being bullied by adults?"
"No, no!"
She waved her hands, saying that was not the case at all.
"I'm nervous, that's all. Really..."
Deciding that if Rensia closed her mouth there would be no way, he chose to move in a direction that could evoke emotions and bring up past events.
"Although I live as a slacker now, my childhood wasn't very comfortable either. I had to fight a lot, always watching out for adults."
Raon bit his lip as he recalled his past lives, both the previous one and the current one.
"That's why, just by looking into your eyes, I can tell you’re not in a good situation."
"..."
Rensia shivered, gripping the knitting needles she held tightly.
"If something happens that scares you, tell me now. As I said, I have enough money to take care of you and your siblings."
He took a risk, risking his current identity, hoping that if he could pull Rensia out of there, he could find answers or at least get a clue even if she didn’t leave.
"Sir Kayden..."
Rensia looked at him with dazed eyes. After a long silence, she slowly opened her dry lips.
"No! My siblings and I are very happy. The adults help us in many ways!"
Rensia shook her head, smiling only with her face just as she had when they first met.
"You were scared when you met that Félix. I could see it clearly from behind."
She lowered her gaze when mentioning Félix's name.
"It will be difficult to help you if I don’t do it now. I also can’t stay here forever."
It wasn’t just for the sake of finding the Black Tower. He truly wanted to help Rensia in some way, seeing how well she took care of her siblings while working at such a young age.
"When I was young, I was quite mischievous, so I got scolded a lot. That’s why I have a bit of fear of adults."
Rensia scratched her neck and said that was all.
"In reality, nothing is happening. Don’t worry. And please don’t mention this to anyone else. It might trouble other people. And..."
She lowered her gaze and slowly pulled the words from within.
"If you are going to leave, please get out of this place as soon as possible. As fast as you can."
Rensia stood up, hardening her expression as if she were telling him not to get involved with her any further. After shaking the sand off her clothes, she put on that doll-like smile again, just like at the beginning. The sight sent chills down his spine.
"Rensia..."
"I’ll go back first today!"
Rensia bowed her head in apology and left the beach.
"..."
Raon bit his lip as he watched Rensia's small back.
"I was wrong."
Believing she was a child hungry for affection, he had tried to stimulate that part, but it seemed he had made a mistake.
"Shouldn’t we catch her?"
Kerin shook his hand, looking worried.
—No. We haven’t revealed anything important. It’s better to let them think it’s just a whim of a rich man.
Since he hadn’t mentioned Zieghart or the Black Tower, and had only addressed the issue of child abuse, even if his current identity was exposed, the overall plan wouldn’t be discovered.
"Let’s leave this place in three days. If we leave immediately, we’ll raise more suspicion."
Raon pushed back the hair falling over his forehead after letting out a long sigh.
'Nothing in this mission has been easy...'
* * *
Two days later, Raon observed the darkening sea from his lodging after preparing to depart.
'What identity should I adopt next?'
He felt a bit frustrated, thinking it would be difficult to create an identity that could move around this place with more freedom than the head of the Merchants Association, Kayden.
-That’s not the only thing bothering you, is it?
Wrath narrowed his eyes as if he knew everything.
-You’re right. I’m worried about that girl.
Rensia hadn’t come to the lodging in two days. He was worried she might tell others what they had discussed, and he was also concerned about the girl herself.
"All preparations are complete."
Kerin nodded, saying he had erased all important traces.
"I have finished too."
Dorian also licked his lips, saying he had organized all the supplies to the end.
"Then let’s leave this place as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow. Let’s load the luggage in the carriage we originally brought..."
As Raon was giving instructions to the two, a soft knock was heard at the door.
"Come in."
He told them to enter immediately, as he had a feeling of who it could be. The door creaked open, and Rensia carefully entered, carrying her blue backpack as always.
"I thought you weren't coming anymore."
Raon shook his head as he looked at Rensia. Now that it was too late, it seemed better to say something to cut ties, also for her sake.
"...Why didn’t you leave?"
Rensia shook her head and asked why he hadn’t abandoned the place immediately.
'Is this the last chance?'
Sensing that she might say something important, he created an aura barrier using the surrounding mana.
"Why should I leave as if I were running away?"
Raon shook his head and said he was not afraid of the residents there.
"I have more money than you think. I’m not afraid of anything."
He spun the gold coin he held between his fingers and said that the world revolves around money.
"There are things in this world that cannot be solved with money. It would be better for you, Sir Kayden, to leave as soon as possible."
Rensia bit her lip, breaking the doll-like expression she had shown on the beach.
"That makes me want to stay even more. I want to find out who is bothering you and who might try to touch me."
As Raon tilted his chin with an arrogant look, Rensia dropped her blue backpack and suddenly lifted her shirt.
"W-wait! What are you doing...? Ah!"
As he stood up from his chair to stop Rensia, his body froze in place. Something resembling a black heart protruded from the right side of her waist. The moment he saw the pulsating black heart, a chilling sensation ran down Raon’s spine.
-
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