C1023
"Has the Celestial Demon not arrived yet?"
Rector tilted his chin as he sat across from Derus.
"Unfortunately, he said he couldn't come due to important matters."
Derus Robert smiled weakly, as if he had anticipated the question.
"He asked me to convey his apologies to both of you."
He bowed as if apologizing on behalf of the Celestial Demon.
"In other words, it's too costly for him to come?"
The veil covering the face of the Leader of the White Blood Religion fluttered sharply as if struck by a wintry wind.
"Isn't anyone busy or has nothing to do?"
She snorted as if offended that the Celestial Demon hadn't come.
"From what I've heard, he is a rather uncooperative person."
Rector said as if he had expected it, placing his hand on the round table. He felt a cold sensation in the tips of his fingers, reflecting his current mood.
'I really wanted to see him.'
He hoped to gauge the level of that monster since the Celestial Demon was the only one among the Five Demons he had yet to meet. It was disappointing that he didn't come to the meeting.
"Please understand. As you both know, something significant happened in Eden."
Derus smiled weakly, stating that since The Fallen had died, they would need time to reorganize Eden. He seemed unaffected by the collapse of one of Eden's pillars.
"Let's first have a drink."
At Derus's signal, the doll-eyed maid behind him approached. Rector turned his gaze toward the Leader of the White Blood Religion as he listened to the sound of tea cups being filled.
'Is that veil an artifact?'
Considering that even his spiritual sense couldn't see the face of the Leader of the White Blood Religion, it seemed that the veil possessed special abilities.
'Of course, more important than the veil is...'
It would be this woman's martial prowess. Originally, the strength of the Leader of the White Blood Religion was stronger than his, but not by a significant margin. However, after absorbing the blood and soul of the Beast King Ogram, she had achieved growth that defied the laws of this world.
'She is much stronger than I thought.'
Although he had also grown stronger by breaking through the thick wall of martial arts thanks to recovering his lost family, he felt he could not match the current Leader of the White Blood Religion.
'An even greater problem is...'
Rector raised his tea cup and met the eyes of Derus Robert, who was smiling at him.
'This devil.'
He had expected it after hearing rumors of how he had overwhelmed Owen's Silent Sword Master, but seeing him in person was like encountering a monster beyond comprehension.
'To think I can't gauge his martial prowess.'
Even though Derus Robert was sitting right in front of him, it was difficult to sense his aura and level. This meant that he had reached a realm similar, if not equal, to Glenn or the former Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, the Dark Night Sword God.
'This is...'
Rector bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at his reflection in the tea cup.
'Dangerous.'
He had thought that with the fall of the Black Tower and the death of The Fallen, the Five Kings would have a significant advantage, but after coming here and observing closely, he realized it might not be so.
'Even if I consider that the Silent Sword Master is at a similar level to mine, and the Archmage of Eternal Flame and the Master of the Magic Tower are slightly stronger, it would still be difficult.'
Silent Sword Master Lecross, Archmage Chamber of Eternal Flame, Master Larian of the Magic Tower. Among these three Transcendents, it seemed none could face the Leader of the White Blood Religion one-on-one.
'The Beast King Ogram would be weaker than the current Raon, so he is out of the question.'
Ogram had not only been injured; his soul caliber and martial prowess had been forcibly taken by the Leader of the White Blood Religion. It was not an injury that could be recovered with simple treatment, so he wouldn't be of much help in the battle among the leaders.
'Demons...'
There is no one to stop Derus Robert. Derus Robert is even stronger than that Leader of the White Blood Religion. Unless it is Glenn or the Dark Night Sword God, a coordinated attack from high-level Transcendents would barely be enough to contend with him.
'If he had been this strong from the start, he could have declared war on the Five Kings immediately... Ah!'
Looking back, he wasn't at this level from the beginning. When Derus Robert's identity was revealed to Raon, he wasn't at this level yet. If the Transcendents of the Five Kings had gone all out, they might have been able to achieve a stalemate. But now, he had become so strong that no one, except Glenn, the Dark Night Sword God, and the Celestial Demon could stop him.
'He took his time until he acquired this power.'
Derus had clearly hidden and accumulated his strength until his martial prowess became overwhelmingly superior. It seemed neither the Black Tower nor The Fallen were significant pieces to him.
'Five Kings and Five Demons. No, now they are Six Kings and Three Demons.'
To think we would end up short on high-level experts. Even if Glenn blocks the Celestial Demon, and the Master of the Magic Tower and the Archmage of Eternal Flame block the Leader of the White Blood Religion, there is no one to face Derus Robert.
'If the Silent Sword Master faces Derus while I ambush from behind...'
Rector narrowed his eyes as he imagined a battle with Derus.
'No, it’s difficult.'
Derus is an extremely suspicious person. If I approach him during the battle, I will surely reveal my intentions without achieving anything.
'Moreover, there’s the Archangel who could appear at any moment.'
Indeed, it won't be an easy war.
'How should I prepare... Ah!'
Rector clenched his fist beneath the round table while sighing inwardly.
'No, there is a way.'
Thinking it over, there was exactly one way to stop Derus.
"How have you both been?"
Derus broke the silence first, as if he thought it was time to begin.
"How have we been? We’ve been buried underground without a ray of sunlight, just accumulating strength."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion clicked her tongue as if questioning why he would ask such an obvious question.
"Of course, I found something interesting in the south..."
She licked her lips as if she had found something that intrigued her.
"I can say the same."
Rector turned his gaze toward Derus.
"All we can do now is strengthen our bases."
He nodded, saying that he too had only been training with his subordinates.
"In fact, you both have become incomparably stronger than before."
Derus lightly clapped, showing no signs that he had achieved the greatest change.
"Then, let’s start the meeting. First, I will summarize what has happened so far. The catalyst for the fall of the Black Tower was the clash between the Demonblade and Raon Zieghart..."
He began to explain the recent events before entering the main agenda.
'It's as if he were right there.'
Derus Robert knew even the details that were not public knowledge. He must have planted spies among the Five Kings to steal information.
'It must be Zieghart.'
Considering how well he knew Raon and the circumstances of Zieghart, it seemed that he had planted a spy among the Five Kings, probably within Zieghart.
"...And that is how The Fallen was killed by Raon Zieghart."
When Derus mentioned that Raon had killed The Fallen, he directed his gaze toward Rector. It was probably a coincidence, but it sent a chill down his spine.
"Fools."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion mocked both the Master of the Black Tower and The Fallen.
"They acted as if they had mastered the principles of this world but could not hide their desires. That is why they died."
She moved her long, elegant fingers, saying it was pathetic.
"You are not wrong. The reason Eden was attacked after the Black Tower and why The Fallen died is simple."
Derus lowered his chin while placing his hand on the round table.
"Although they call us the Five Demons, we are not actually united."
He smiled cunningly as he gently traced the round table with his finger.
"We mocked the weak when the South-North Union fell, and we mocked the fools when the Black Tower crumbled. It is not strange for us all to fall."
Derus shrugged toward the Leader of the White Blood Religion, as if asking if she agreed.
"Go on."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion tilted her chin as if she was willing to listen.
"..."
Rector remained silent, crossing his arms.
"The South-North Union, the Black Tower, and even The Fallen. That’s three. If we had decided, we could have easily saved them. Ah, of course, the former Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance was different. He was a moth flying toward the flame."
Derus narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rector. He said it was regrettable that they had died, with an expression that showed no remorse at all. It sent chills up his arm, as if he were watching a puppet show.
"Since we have made such mistakes, I think it would be good if we could fill each other’s gaps from now on."
Derus nodded, suggesting they form an alliance worthy of the name Five Demons.
"An alliance sounds good. However..."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion narrowed her eyes at Derus.
"We are all hiding so well that not a hair is visible. How are we going to communicate and help each other?"
She laughed, asking if the Five Demons were not keeping each other in check.
"That’s why I have prepared something."
At the snap of Derus's fingers, the maid brought gray orbs and placed them in front of him and the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"These are artifacts we created. They allow us to communicate from anywhere and open a dimensional portal to our side once."
He moved his finger, saying that it would open an escape route in dangerous moments.
"Won't those damned mages block dimensional doors?"
The Leader of the White Blood Religion frowned, asking if the Archmage of Eternal Flame and the Master of the Magic Tower would simply stand by.
"This is different from existing dimensional doors. It uses a different source of power, not mana."
Derus shook his head, saying it would not be blocked by the magic of the Transcendents.
"Don't tell me it's divine power?"
Rector interjected, observing the fluctuating energy within the orb.
"You are quite perceptive. That's right. The name of this orb is 'Divine Shine.'"
Derus smiled as if to say he had guessed correctly.
"The divine power has the ability to repel mana. Even the Archmage of Eternal Flame and the Master of the Magic Tower will not be able to penetrate it."
He nodded, saying they could withdraw properly even if they were surrounded.
"If you break the orb in a dangerous moment, a dimensional portal will open right there."
Derus smiled, saying it would be even better if they contacted him before retreating.
"It’s one-way for now, but with a bit more research, we should be able to create a path for us to go to their side as well."
He extended his intertwined hands, saying that this would allow them to overcome the numerical advantage of the Five Kings.
"By the way, the Celestial Demon has also received one."
Derus smiled as if asking what they would do since the Celestial Demon had also taken one.
"The Celestial Demon..."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion hesitated a bit before placing the orb against her chest.
"Next..."
Derus smiled as if he had expected this and began to explain the points to consider about the Five Kings.
'It’s fortunate I came here.'
Rector briefly licked his lips as he toyed with the Divine Shine that Derus had given him.
'There's a lot of information to relay to Raon.'
He had confirmed Derus's martial prowess and that of the Leader of the White Blood Religion, learned about the new item called Divine Shine, and could predict some movements of the Five Demons. This information would be of great help to Raon and Zieghart. He took a deep breath.
Rector recalled the face of his beloved grandson, unaware that Derus's eyes were gradually darkening.
***
"Then we will return to Zieghart."
Raon bowed to the Thespian Emperor and the Queen of Swords, who had come out in front of the magic tower to bid them farewell.
"Isn't it too soon to leave?"
The Queen of Swords clicked her tongue as if somewhat disappointed.
"We have much to do, and I'm sure the Five Divine Orders also have a lot to attend to."
Raon smiled weakly as he looked at the Thespian Emperor, whose eyes were filled with vitality.
"That's true. We have so many tasks that we've postponed that we won't have a moment's rest for a while."
The Thespian Emperor exhaled heavily, saying she needed to take care of the work she had postponed while trapped in her mental world.
"I-I can't do that..."
The eyes of the Queen of Swords trembled as if she did not want to see any documents.
"Then train your body and aura."
Raon pointed with his finger toward the large training ground.
"Body and aura?"
"The martial prowess of Briana cannot surpass the limits of Brigitte's body and aura. If you transcend that restriction, you will become much stronger than you are now."
While Briana could perfectly execute the swordsmanship and footwork learned, she was confined within Brigitte's body. If that body and aura grow, she could also become exponentially stronger, like a tiger with wings.
"Hmph. Why should I do that for my sister?"
Brigitte snorted as if she definitely wouldn't, but her eyes were already fixed on the large training ground.
"As soon as I return, I will contact the Leader of the Shadow Agents and the Leader of the Black Market to cooperate with White Whale."
Raon smiled, saying that information would soon start flowing like crazy.
"We will be prepared."
The Thespian Emperor nodded calmly, as if welcoming it.
"Then we will see each other next time."
Raon gave a respectful farewell to the Thespian Emperor and the Queen of Swords before entering the dimensional portal that had opened in the magic tower. The swordsmen behind him followed, emitting a chilling aura worthy of the name Zieghart.
"I'll rest a bit before I leave."
The Queen of Swords said she would rest, but walked toward the large training ground. It seemed she was going to start training immediately after hearing Raon's words.
"That's so adorable."
The Thespian Emperor laughed and entered the office of the mansion. She looked at the documents piled on her desk and then took out the Celestial Scriptures she had stored between her thighs.
'Somehow...'
Now, she felt she could understand what kind of person Raon Zieghart was. Her prophetic instincts told her that understanding Raon now would allow her to see a different celestial flow than before. Ssssh. The Thespian Emperor was about to open the Celestial Scriptures when she suddenly stopped.
'No...'
She shook her head as she pushed the Celestial Scriptures deep into her desk.
'It’s not the time to rely on this book.'
She would use it if truly necessary, but it was still not the moment. She patted her cheek with the hand that was about to open the book and then pulled out documents she hadn't reviewed for a long time.
"Well, where shall we start?"
For the first time in a long time, vitality and the soft sound of a pen began to emanate from her office.
***
"Are you done and back already?"
Glenn blinked blankly, as if he hadn't expected them to complete the mission in just one day.
"Yes. We communicated well with both."
Raon nodded calmly.
-They communicated well, my feet!
Wrath let out an exasperated sigh.
-You actually knocked them all out!
He shook his head as if to say, what nonsense are you talking about? It wasn’t dialogue, but fists and swords.
'In the end, the words got through.'
Raon smiled as he looked around the audience chamber.
'Fortunately, no one else is here today.'
Unlike other missions, this one ended in a day, and they returned through a dimensional portal, so now only three people were in the audience chamber: Glenn, Roenn, and Sheryl. It felt peaceful without the presence of the other executives, unlike usual.
"Well..."
"I'll report first. After arriving in Barene, we immediately went to find the Thespian Emperor and the Queen of Swords..."
Raon quickly began to explain what had happened in Barene, the city of the Five Divine Orders, in case Glenn suddenly called for the others.
"...And thus, White Whale and The Unyielding Blade have agreed to work with our Five Kings. The Thespian Emperor will contact us soon."
Raon inclined his head, saying he had awakened the Thespian Emperor and the Queen of Swords and received their oath to fight together until the end of this war.
"I thought you would return with an alliance, but I didn't expect you to finish it in just one day..."
Sheryl blinked in disbelief.
"To think you even subdued the Queen of Swords, or rather, Briana. As expected, you are amazing."
Roenn laughed, saying he was beyond expectations. He seemed to also know about the condition of the Queen of Swords.
"She was really strong. I learned a lot..."
"Sheryl, Roenn."
When Raon was about to respond, Glenn raised his trembling hand and called for Sheryl and Roenn.
"Right now! Summon all the executives of the family!"
He slammed his foot down, ordering them to call all the executives.
"Head of House?"
Raon swallowed hard, sensing Glenn's strange atmosphere.
"Why suddenly call the executives..."
"Why, you ask?"
Glenn curved his lips, his face flushed as if he were proud.
"I can't be the only one to hear about this great achievement of awakening the Thespian Emperor and the Queen of Swords, opening their hearts and forming an alliance!"
He violently broke the armrest of his throne, telling Raon to speak again once everyone had gathered.
"E-Wait..."
Raon tried to stop them, but Sheryl and Roenn had already opened the doors of the audience chamber and exited.
"Hahaha!"
"I share the same thought!"
The two waved their hands, saying they would return as quickly as possible, and ran out of the Lord's Mansion.
"Ahem!"
Glenn licked his lips, rubbing his hands as if he were already curious about the executives' reactions to his story.
"Ah..."
Raon let out a sigh, slumping his shoulders.
-Has that old man finally gone mad?
Wrath let out an exasperated sigh.
-This isn’t just being affectionate, it’s senility!
Why listen to that long story twice?!
-
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