C971
Raon led the Light Wind Palace swordsmen, with their bodies and minds sharp as a razor's edge, toward the Lord's Mansion, where Glenn awaited them. As they entered the audience chamber, with the iron doors flung wide open, the Heavenly Blade Division stood before the dais, exuding a heavy aura in their white robes.
In the center stood Sheryl, the leader of the Heavenly Blade division, her hair elegantly gathered. It seemed she had just returned after being away for a long time.
Glenn sat on the throne, his chin resting on his hand. His eyes, normally filled with emptiness, now held an unfamiliar warmth that seemed almost uncomfortable.
“You have arrived.”
Glenn gestured with his chin, as if beckoning them closer. Raon stepped forward, stepping onto the red carpet that seemed to ignite with holy flames under the sunlight, and stopped in front of Glenn.
“Greetings, Head of House.”
He knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
“Greetings, Head of House!”
The Light Wind Palace swordsmen behind him also bowed, their voices blending together.
“Rise.”
Glenn waved his hand slightly.
“You will have many greetings to make in Balkar, so there is no need to bow your head so soon.”
He smiled faintly as he told them to straighten up.
“Raon, no, Master of the Light Wind Palace, it has been a while.”
Sheryl stepped forward and bowed her head slightly.
“Eh? Lady Sheryl. What is this sudden formality…?”
Raon’s eyes widened as he looked at the top of Sheryl’s head.
“Because you are now the Lord of the Zieghart Palace. I cannot treat you with indifference as before.”
Sheryl shrugged and said she couldn’t be informal with the Palace Master of the family.
“Please, don’t. It makes me uncomfortable.”
Raon sighed briefly as he looked at the smiling Sheryl.
“Don’t lie. Who else enjoys being treated with so much respect like you?”
Wrath snorted, telling her not to lie.
“Even though I like being respected, I don’t want to hear honorifics from someone who is like a teacher to me.”
He had received various forms of help from Sheryl and had even learned dual sword techniques from her. He didn’t want to hear honors from someone who had been like a teacher.
“Ah, yes? Then I will speak naturally, as the Palace Lord desires.”
Sheryl immediately abandoned the formalities, as if it had been a joke all along.
“Yes. Please do.”
Raon nodded, observing Sheryl’s slightly tired complexion.
“Have you been out all this time?”
“Yes, more or less. I had to clean up what happened after your actions and also check the Five Kings Conference beforehand.”
Sheryl clicked her lips briefly, saying she had been busy without a moment’s rest.
“If you are referring to my actions…”
“What else could it be? The great feat of bringing down the Black Tower. There was a lot to clean up.”
She gestured with her hand, saying they had taken care of the aftermath of what happened at the Black Tower. From what she had heard, it seemed like she had been the busiest.
“…Thank you.”
“Why are you thanking me? I should be thanking you.”
Sheryl laughed as she patted her shoulder.
“It was a very busy environment, but not complicated. When I said I was from Zieghart, everyone welcomed me and treated me very well.”
She let out a dry laugh, saying it was the first time she had received such a warm welcome.
“I see.”
Raon smiled softly, remembering the residents of Montiro who had bowed so deeply that they had almost broken their backs.
“Don’t worry. They are all fine.”
Sheryl smiled coldly, as if she had read his thoughts.
“Yes. I think the leader of the Heavenly Blade Division took good care of them.”
Raon nodded, saying he trusted her.
“I was also worried, but I’m glad to hear that.”
Burren let out a sigh of relief as he looked at Sheryl.
“Of course they should be fine, after we brought down the Black Tower.”
Martha slapped her hand firmly, saying there would be no problems from now on.
“Yes. I hope peace continues…”
Runaan clasped his hands together as if praying for the stability of Montiro. It seemed all the Light Wind Palace swordsmen had grown quite fond of the place during their stay.
“By the way, how did we get to Balkar?”
Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the Lord’s Mansion. Usually, when they moved from Zieghart to another place, they used the dimensional gate in the inner magic tower, but today they had been summoned to the Lord’s Mansion, so he was curious to know the reason.
“It seems it's not time yet, so wait a little longer.”
Glenn shook his head calmly, as if someone was coming towards them.
“I understand.”
“I’m also curious about something…”
He lowered his gaze and slightly shook his chin.
“There is someone behind you who is not from the Light Wind Palace.”
Glenn slightly turned his chin and looked at the person behind him.
“I was about to mention that.”
Raon took a step to the left and turned around. Behind him stood the saint Olga, dressed in a perfectly ironed nun’s habit.
“The Saint expressed her desire to come, so I brought her with me.”
He bowed his head as he guided Olga forward.
“She wanted to come?”
Glenn lowered his eyebrows as if asking what that meant.
“That is…”
“I will explain.”
Olga stepped forward and said she would speak directly.
“I heard about the Master of the Light Wind Palace. One of the purposes of this Five Kings Conference is to attract neutral forces who have not yet chosen a side.”
She clasped her hands in front of her. Perhaps because all her tattoos had been erased, she looked as divine as a goddess bathed in soft sunlight.
“I am known throughout the continent by the title of Saint. I thought that if I joined Zieghart and participated in the Five Kings Conference, I might be of some help.”
Olga bowed her head to Glenn and said she wanted to accompany him to give strength to the Zieghart side.
“Why does she look like a real saint now?”
Wrath rubbed his eyes as if something was strange.
“Because she is a real saint.”
The tattoos that covered Olga’s entire body had disappeared, and her complexion, which had been blackened before, had completely vanished. Her original radiant appearance was now enhanced by her milk-white skin; she looked like a goddess from mythology descending into the mortal realm.
“Even though her way of speaking is still rough…”
Olga only restrained herself because she was in front of Glenn, but she still used language like an alleyway thug.
“I barely managed to stop Sia from learning it.”
Sia liked Olga to an unusual degree. She followed her around all day, except when she was training with the sword, and she almost adopted her way of speaking.
“Hmm! I’m glad you thought of that.”
Glenn nodded to Olga and said he didn’t expect her to consider Zieghart first.
“Not at all. I have received much more from the Master of the Light Wind Palace.”
Olga bowed deeply and said what she had received from Raon was much greater and impossible to repay.
“Ah, really?”
Glenn pursed his lips and turned his head to the left. His fingertips began to tremble slightly.
“In what way?”
Glenn slightly turned his gaze again, as if wanting to hear more praise for Raon.
“The Master of the Light Wind Palace is the savior of our Holy Kingdom of Suphren. He could have demanded our country, and it wouldn’t have been strange, but he didn’t ask for any compensation and simply left. Furthermore, this time he even saved my life when it seemed like I was reaching my end.”
Olga slightly bit her lip as she turned to look at Raon.
“As a Saint, I have seen many types of people, but I have never met anyone like the Master of the Light Wind Palace.”
She nodded heavily, saying it was the first time she had felt the resonance of the soul that God speaks of.
“Ahem! Is that so?”
Glenn’s cheeks flushed as if his mood had already improved, even though the Five Kings Conference had not yet begun.
“Yes, that’s how I felt.”
As Olga nodded calmly, as if only stating the truth, a blue dimensional gate opened below the dais, and Princess Jayna of Balkar emerged with white-robed magicians.
“Greetings to the heavens of Zieghart.”
Jayna bowed and placed her hand on her chest in front of Glenn.
“Yes. It has been a while.”
Glenn nodded softly as he looked at Jayna.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, thank you for your concern.”
Jayna said she had recovered, briefly looking at those behind her.
“It was decided that Balkar would take direct responsibility for this transfer. You will be able to go directly to the royal capital without needing to use multiple dimensional gates.”
Glenn nodded and said that Balkar and the magic tower had prepared this transfer themselves.
“However, this route is single-use. It will not be usable after this conference.”
Jayna pointed at the blue dimensional gate she had entered through and said it was a gate that could only be used once.
“Then let’s go.”
Glenn stood up from his throne, as if there was no need to wait.
“Understood.”
When Jayna nodded, the magicians behind her raised their staffs.
The dimensional gate opened wide horizontally, large enough for ten people to enter at once.
“You can go in now.”
Jayna stepped aside and gestured for Glenn to enter first.
“Now that I think about it, didn’t they say I should go in first?”
Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jayna.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“They make me do all sorts of strange things.”
He clicked his lips briefly and stood in front of the dimensional gate.
“I will go in first, follow me slowly.”
Glenn nodded slightly and entered the dimensional gate first.
“Hehehe.”
“Yes!”
Roenn and Sheryl immediately followed Glenn, and the Heavenly Blade Division also entered the dimensional gate immediately.
“Wait a moment. It’s better to enter after those who entered first have come out.”
When Raon was about to enter, Jayna raised her hand to block his way. She was now speaking with courtesy, not the forced honorifics from before.
“You’ve changed a lot. I guess I can break that contract now, can’t I?”
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at Jayna.
“I have seen and felt a lot firsthand.”
Jayna bowed her head and said she was grateful for what happened in Montiro.
“Has this one actually changed? I thought she would keep screaming even after she died!”
Wrath opened his mouth wide in surprise.
“Some people change.”
Just as Karoon had become a true martial artist and adult, it seemed that Jayna, who had been a typical trash royalty, had matured a little, even if only slightly.
“But I didn’t hear that anyone else was coming.”
Jayna slightly lowered her eyebrows as she looked at Olga behind her.
“Do you have a problem with that? Do I have to pay you?”
Olga frowned as she looked at Jayna.
“No, I was just curious to know why you are here.”
Jayna slightly shook her chin.
“To settle a debt. I don’t like just receiving.”
Olga looked at Raon with a blank expression.
“A debt, I see…”
Jayna clicked her lips as she looked at Olga and Raon. She seemed somewhat disappointed, but also understanding.
“Hey! Stop chattering and let’s go! How long do we have to wait?”
Martha approached and patted her back as if it hurt.
“Boring…”
Runaan puffed out his cheeks as he scratched the red carpet with his finger.
“The dimensional gate has stabilized, can’t we go in now?”
Burren pointed at the dimensional gate, which had reduced its fluctuations, after helping Runaan get up.
“…Yes. You can go in now.”
Jayna nodded, saying the dimensional gate had stabilized.
“Then.”
Raon bowed his head to Jayna before entering the dimensional gate. After briefly feeling his body float, a bright light emerged, and the world changed. When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw colorful petals falling before him.
After the petals, a deafening ovation was heard.
The royal capital of Balkar. On the huge road leading to the royal palace, countless people lined up and waved their hands in his direction.
“Wow!”
“Zieghart! Zieghart!”
“The Light Wind Palace has arrived!”
“Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart!”
The people sent thunderous applause and cheers toward him and the Light Wind Palace members following him.
“This is…”
Raon let out a dry sigh as he looked at the royal capital where the petals and cheers seemed to continue endlessly.
“We couldn’t hold a proper celebration after defeating the Black Tower, so we wanted to hold a festival during this conference period to relieve the tension of our citizens.”
Jayna nodded calmly and said that from today, a victory celebration festival would be held in Balkar.
“Raon, move your hand.”
Sheryl approached him and gently touched his waist with her elbow.
“It’s no exaggeration to say you brought back the smiles of those people.”
She smiled and said they would be even happier if he greeted them.
“Eh? It’s not that big a deal…”
“The leader of the Heavenly Blade Division is right.”
Jayna shook her head firmly.
“Until the Black Tower was erased, the mood in Balkar… no, in all the Five Kings wasn’t good. While the enemy was hiding and slowly devouring our forces, we had no way to attack. Every morning we woke up to news that another village had fallen, so everyone was terrified.”
She shook her head, revealing eyes filled with intense emotion.
“But when the Black Tower fell, the situation completely changed. The Five Demons, no, the Four Demons not only stopped attacking, but even their traces disappeared. Everyone is happy because it has been so long since we felt this peace.”
Jayna slightly shook her chin and said, as Sheryl said, everyone was smiling thanks to him.
“The Master of the Light Wind Palace is answering those cheers for their sake.”
She smiled faintly, saying that all the citizens here had gathered voluntarily.
“Ahem! They have very discerning eyes.”
Glenn’s shoulders trembled slightly, as if he had been moved to hear Raon’s name from the mouths of so many people. He seemed to have forgotten the dignity he should be showing as the head of Zieghart.
“Well, we did quite a bit.”
Martha gestured with her hand towards the citizens of Balkar, as if enjoying the situation.
“Just the fact that they acknowledge it is rewarding enough.”
Burren also raised his clenched fist to his chest, as if he had been touched.
“We are heroes…”
Runaan also seemed to be in a good mood, he narrowed his eyes and straightened his back. It seemed like he was trying to imitate the posture of some noble lady he had seen before.
“Forget about these cheers, just serve me some delicious food!”
Wrath waved his hand and said he only cared about good food.
“It’s always about food…”
As Raon sighed and shook his head, the Balkar knights standing in front of the crowd struck the ground with their huge spears. The resonance spread throughout the royal capital, and when the crowd’s voices died down, the knights opened their mouths.
“The heroes of Zieghart have arrived!”
As dozens of knights announced the arrival of Zieghart, massive cheers erupted not only on the path they were on, but also up and down.
“Let’s go.”
Glenn walked up the flower-strewn path towards the royal palace, with a cold expression as if he had never been excited.
“Mmm…”
Raon slightly bit his lip as he followed.
“I feel a tingling in my chest.”
He had received a lot of applause in Zieghart, but being applauded by everyone in another force, and in a huge kingdom like Balkar, made his chest feel like it was about to burst with warmth. He didn’t know that the feeling of pride could be so intense.
“Let’s calm down.”
But he couldn’t hold onto that feeling forever. The real war hadn’t even begun yet.
“Let’s go too.”
Raon calmed the excited emotions of the Light Wind Palace swordsmen and followed Glenn down the royal road of Balkar.
“Wow!”
“Thanks to you, we can breathe better!”
“May you be eternal allies of Balkar from now on!”
“Thank you so much!”
“Is that Raon Zieghart? What a face…”
As they walked up, hearing countless thanks and praises, the royal palace of Balkar appeared before their eyes right away. The main gate of the palace was flung wide open, as if welcoming them, and knights, magicians, and civil servants lined up in front of it.
“Welcome to the heroes of Zieghart!”
The knights, magicians, and civil servants bowed their heads and said they were grateful for coming so far.
“You are…”
Raon’s eyes widened as he looked at the magicians on the right. Looking at them closely, they were the magicians who had gone up the magic tower with him and fought to the end. However, one of them was someone he hadn’t seen before, and he could feel that this person possessed extremely strong mana, although not on Chamber’s level.
“It’s been a while.”
Raon bowed his head to the magicians he recognized.
“Have you been well?”
The magicians also smiled at him, as if they were happy to see him.
“That guy from the Chamber…”
Glenn frowned as he looked around.
“Why did they make such a noisy event?”
He clicked his tongue and said it was too boisterous.
“I will have to talk to her when we meet…”
“Isn’t it natural to welcome the heroes?”
As Glenn shook his head in disapproval, Chamber descended from the highest tower of the palace, using her witch’s hat as a parachute.
“Enjoy this moment!”
Chamber said this was a peace that might not exist again, as she popped a candy in her mouth.
“Besides, I didn’t call these kids or the citizens below. They gathered on their own when they heard that Raon was coming.”
Chamber gestured with her hand and said that most of the citizens gathered in the royal capital came because they wanted to see Raon.
“Really? Well, then…”
Suddenly, Glenn stopped talking and cleared his throat. The corners of his mouth began to tremble. After hearing Chamber’s confirmation once more, he seemed unable to hide his joy.
“That’s what I’m telling you. When it was known that Raon was coming, it caused a big stir. He’s young, handsome, strong, and rich!”
Chamber laughed and said this was the perfect place to show off Raon.
“Ahem! That’s true.”
Glenn whispered to Chamber that they could do it again on the way back.
“Head of House…”
Raon closed his eyes tightly.
“Well, enough with the jokes…”
Glenn’s round eyes sharpened again as they fell to the right.
“Why is the king of Balkar bowing his head here?”
“The King? Oh, you!”
Chamber bit the candy in her mouth as if she had just realized, looking towards the magicians.
“Ha, as expected, nothing can be hidden from the God of Lightning.”
A blue-haired man slowly rose from among the magicians dressed in robes.
“Don’t misunderstand me, I didn’t come as king, but as a father.”
He curved his lips softly as he looked at Raon.
“I wanted to see with my own eyes the man who changed my daughter.”
-
More Ch4pters on KoreanPlayer
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
Thanks for the support
