C1049
Raon looked down and then opened his eyes before leaving the annex. The maids were starting their daily routines with chatter, and the sound of Sia swinging her sword could be heard from the lakeside.
Enjoying the sounds of the annex that always lifted his spirits, he headed towards the lake. Sylvia and Edgar had set up a table behind the lake, watching Sia perfect her swordsmanship.
"It's unusual for you to stay up so late and have breakfast with us,"
Sylvia commented, setting down her teacup as she looked at him.
"Aren't you going to the training ground today?"
She smiled slightly, as if it was something strange.
-Today's breakfast was really good.
Wrath relaxed his eyes and licked his lips.
-The slightly browned meat melted smoothly in my mouth with the wine. It was a good palate cleanser before the grilled Kraken.
He nodded, satisfied with the meal before the battle.
"The intensive training period ended yesterday,"
Edgar pointed to the piercing blue sky with his finger.
"Our son deserves a day off too."
He gave Raon a gentle pat on the arm, saying that he should rest well today after all his hard work.
"Would you like some tea?"
Edgar pulled out a chair beside him and gestured for Raon to sit down.
"I have something to tell you both."
Raon sat down in the chair Edgar had pulled out and let out a soft sigh. The two set down their teacups and turned their attention to him.
"Do you remember the story from about three months ago, when Light Wind and I captured an apostle and sank the White Blood Religion's ship?"
He mentioned the details of the mission from three months ago before getting to the main point.
"Of course."
"Certainly, I remember. I could recite every word you said without missing a single detail!"
Sylvia nodded as if it was obvious, while Edgar muttered about the atmosphere of the time, seeming to actually remember everything.
"Actually, that story didn't end with the apostle's death. The sea spirit I saved told me the location of the White Blood Religion's headquarters, and I, along with Evelyn and Roenn..."
Raon told them everything that had happened since then.
"I see."
"No wonder you've been so busy..."
However, Sylvia and Edgar accepted it calmly, as if they had known about all his activities.
"So you already knew?"
When he left with Rector and when he recently went to the sea alone, Sylvia and Edgar hadn't asked anything, so he had expected it to some extent. It seemed that they had been reading his movements and predicting the war with the White Blood Religion.
"Don't underestimate your mother, dear."
Sylvia waved her hand, saying that she could feel things without being told.
"I know you better than anyone in the world."
She smiled softly, saying that his thoughts were transparent to her.
"It's not just you; I also felt something in our father's reaction."
Edgar raised his eyebrows, resting his chin on the table.
"That man can't lie well."
He snorted, saying that he had felt it in Rector, not in himself.
"I see."
Raon nodded with a slight smile.
"Are you confident you can win?"
Sylvia looked him in the eye. In the past, he would have been on the verge of tears from excessive worry, but now he barely held back, his hands trembling. It seemed that she didn't want to show him weakness since he was participating in the war.
"I've prepared myself to the point where I won't have any regrets. Now all that's left is..."
Raon drank the tea Edgar had served him in one gulp and stood up from the chair.
"To do my best."
He bowed to them, saying that he would be back.
"Raon."
Sia approached the table, having heard that he was leaving.
"Are you going to fight?"
"Yes. There are some bad guys I need to teach a lesson."
"Can't I go too?"
She hugged the sword he had given her affectionately, as if she wanted to go with him.
"You have your own place to fight, sister."
Sia was already strong, but she was growing faster than anyone. She could make a significant contribution if she participated in the war right now.
However, the first enemy she should unsheathe her sword against wasn't the White Blood Religion, but Eden. She needed to plunge her sword of vengeance into those who had insulted and mocked Edgar and her, no, her entire family.
"Can you wait until then?"
"Of course!"
Sia nodded as if to say not to worry, then returned to the lake and swung her sword.
"That girl has grown a lot too."
Sylvia sighed, seeming both proud and a little regretful.
"She's overcome her rebellious phase. She'll soon be more mature than me."
Raon laughed, saying that the days of treating Sia like a little sister were numbered.
"D-did Sia's rebellious phase end?"
Edgar's eyes widened in surprise.
"She still won't let me into her room! She washes her clothes separately and doesn't want to sleep with us!"
He raised his chin as if asking why.
"..."
"..."
Raon and Sylvia stared blankly at Edgar without saying a word.
"She still doesn't want to eat the side dishes I pass her and throws them away! Why is she doing this?"
Edgar grabbed his head, saying that he didn't understand it at all.
-Why, you ask...
Wrath snorted as he watched Edgar lament.
-That's why she hates him!
***
In the Chamber of Sacrifice, where red and white blood flowed together. The Blood Demons approached the martial artists who were tied up with their eyeballs gouged out. The Blood Demons breathed heavily, seemingly struggling to control their appetites as they watched the blood flowing from the martial artists' eye sockets.
"Eat."
As the handsome blue-haired man gestured with his finger, the Blood Demons unleashed their suppressed desires and bit into the martial artists' necks.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Aaaaargh!"
The martial artists screamed as if their throats were being torn out, but the Blood Demons were further excited by the sound and tore off flesh with their sharp fangs. The screams of the people begging them to stop were merely an orchestra in a high-class restaurant, enhancing the Blood Demons' appetites.
The Leader of the White Blood Religion, observing this scene, lowered her pipe and exhaled white smoke from her red lips.
"You've done well to gather so much prey in such a short time."
She nodded slightly towards the handsome blue-haired man who was approaching her.
"12th Apostle."
"It's all thanks to your sacred teachings, Leader."
The man called the 12th Apostle bowed carefully with his hand over his chest.
"You still know how to use that tongue well."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion snorted at the smiling 12th Apostle.
"I thought you would spend your entire life moving that mouth, but to think you would reach Transcendence."
She lowered her eyebrows as if she was genuinely surprised.
"I can't even calculate how many sacrifices you must have taken along the way."
"Hahaha."
The 12th Apostle laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck as if he was embarrassed.
"I'm sorry. I got a little excited after being inspired by your teachings, Leader."
He lowered his eyes slightly as if he couldn't deceive the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"Normally, that body would have burst before reaching Transcendence. Thank your robust frame."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion waved her hand as if to say it was okay.
"Thank you for understanding. Although it's meager as payment..."
The 12th Apostle extended his hand with a subtle smile.
"I've brought you a gift, Leader."
As he gestured with his finger, the red-haired Archbishop brought forward a woman who was bandaged, gagged, and tied up.
"This is the Captain of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Sebion. A Grand Master."
The 12th Apostle spread his arms as if to say that he hadn't inflicted a single wound on her, so she could enjoy her at her leisure.
"I hope this prey becomes the final piece for your great work, Leader."
"You're a cunning fox."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion curled her lips, seemingly not entirely displeased despite her words.
"If you and the 10th Apostle were mixed halfway, you would have made a pretty decent man."
She clicked her tongue, looking at the 10th Apostle who was standing silently to her right.
"To be compared to such a great senior in that way, it's an honor."
The 12th Apostle bowed his head towards the 10th Apostle.
"..."
The 10th Apostle simply looked at the 12th Apostle and looked away without saying a word.
"How is the atmosphere outside?"
The Leader of the White Blood Religion asked with her pipe between her lips.
"The Five Kings... no, the entire continent is calm. However, I didn't feel peace. Should I say it's like a powder keg before ignition?"
The 12th Apostle licked his lips, saying that he felt anxiety as if it was about to explode at any moment.
"That means they're preparing to attack us."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion exhaled white smoke, saying that the Five Kings' thoughts were transparent.
"Come to think of it, it seems like it's time for you to change bodies."
The 12th Apostle narrowed his eyes, looking at the white scales that had appeared on the back of the Leader of the White Blood Religion's hand.
"Reminds me of when I brought that body."
He shrugged, looking at the 10th Apostle.
"I was about to eat it, but the senior stopped me. Thanks to that, we have our current Leader."
The 12th Apostle applauded the 10th Apostle, saying that he had done a great thing.
"..."
The 10th Apostle didn't react to the 12th Apostle's words, which seemed to be both praise and mockery, and simply looked ahead.
"A change..."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion frowned, looking at the scales on the back of her hand.
"I should certainly make preparations."
She nodded slightly towards the 10th Apostle.
"Contact the thirteenth."
With those last words, the Leader of the White Blood Religion left the Chamber of Sacrifice, taking the Captain of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Sebion that the 12th Apostle had obtained.
"Even though I've reached Transcendence, it seems that the Leader trusts the senior more. What a disappointment."
The 12th Apostle clicked his tongue as if he was regretful, and then followed the Leader of the White Blood Religion outside.
"The thirteenth..."
The 10th Apostle slowly opened his lips, not taking his eyes off the people who were dying with all the blood drained from their bodies.
***
Raon climbed onto the platform of the fifth training ground with heavy steps.
"You've all worked hard."
He observed the swordsmen who had followed his grueling training for the long but short two months. He nodded with satisfaction at his subordinates who had grown physically and mentally.
"This operation to attack the White Blood Religion has been progressed with only a few select individuals in Zieghart knowing about it, which means we will play a major role in this war."
Raon lowered his red gaze towards the swordsmen who were emitting a crude martial will as if they were excited.
"It means we must produce results, even if we have to give our all and everything we've built so far. Can you do it?"
He stepped onto the platform with the weight of ten thousand catties, saying that if they couldn't or weren't confident, they should withdraw now.
"Of course."
Burren pounded his chest with his fist, uttering with an unwavering voice.
"I'm ready too..."
A star of determination shone in Runaan's dull eyes.
"I-I'm scared, but I'll fight to the end. No, I'll succeed!"
Dorian clenched his fist, saying that he would fight with his life on the line even though he hadn't completely overcome his fear.
"I'll fight like a madman, like our crazy Palace Master!"
Krein called him crazy repeatedly as if rebelling against him again, but Raon let it pass for now because he liked the spirit.
"I will follow."
"Finally, a real battle with the Five Demons. I'm looking forward to it."
Mark Goetun simply bowed, saying he would follow, while Trevin bumped his fists, saying that he had been waiting for this moment.
"..."
Martha, who always roared at the forefront, didn't open her mouth, but she gripped her sword so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand were marked. That alone was enough to answer how she was approaching this war.
"Let's go."
Raon descended from the platform with calm eyes and headed towards the exit of the training ground. The Light Wind Palace swordsmen followed him, emitting a sharp martial will as if they had already unsheathed their swords. Raon led the swordsmen, who had become a single sharp blade, to the Head of House's training ground.
The Head of House's training ground was the largest place in Zieghart, but it was almost full with the martial forces lined up in response to Glenn's summons.
"Light Wind Palace, please come this way."
Raon followed Roenn's guidance, who was waiting, towards the left side where the palace was lining up.
"Await my instructions."
After instructing the Light Wind Palace swordsmen not to move, he went to the front of the platform where the executives were.
"Hello! Nephew!"
"You're here."
Balder and Denier, who had arrived earlier, gestured to him.
'Denier.'
Although it was still unclear whether Denier was an ally or an enemy, he emitted a stench similar to Derus Robert. He should never let his guard down and should remain wary until the end.
"Greetings to the two Palace Masters."
"You're late."
As Raon bowed to Denier and Balder, Karoon came out from the far left.
"Raon! It's been a while! I heard you took good care of our kids!"
Alice came out from behind Karoon and ran towards him.
'What...'
Raon let out a sigh as he looked at Karoon and Alice.
'Have they grown so much?'
The two Transcendants had reached such a high level that it was difficult to remember their previous appearance. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they had caught up to him, excluding his Soul Weapon.
'Impressive.'
He was amazed and curious about what kind of training they had done to achieve growth no less than his own. No, more than that, he was moved by the two's efforts.
"They've worked hard"
Instead of a welcoming greeting, Raon acknowledged Karoon and Alice's efforts.
"Ahem!"
Karoon cleared his throat, his face reddening as if he understood the meaning of Raon's words.
"As expected, you understand."
Alice hugged him tightly, saying that she knew.
"You've changed a lot too. How did you grow so fast!"
As she laughed, saying that his growth was even more surprising, the main gate of the Head of House's training ground opened, and Glenn entered with the Heavenly Sword Division.
"Greetings to the Head of House!"
"Greetings to the Head of House!"
At Karoon's greeting, all the executives and martial forces on the training ground knelt and bowed their heads. Glenn walked towards the center of the training ground with steps that flowed with spirit and climbed onto the platform. His enormous and intimidating martial will made cold sweat run down the swordsmen's spines.
"Everyone can rise."
With Glenn's low voice, the swordsmen raised their trembling knees.
"You've all worked hard during the two months of intensive training."
Glenn nodded as he looked at the swordsmen standing on the training ground one by one.
"Some of you may wonder why we conducted intensive training for two months when it normally lasts for a month or isn't conducted at all."
He lowered his red gaze to look at Raon.
"The Light Wind Palace Master will explain the reason instead."
"Yes."
Raon nodded and climbed onto the platform. He calmly accepted the gazes of the swordsmen who were solely focused on him and opened his lips.
"You all know that our Light Wind Palace beheaded the 9th Apostle and stopped the White Blood Religion. However, there were some further circumstances after that."
He explained everything that had happened to all the swordsmen of Zieghart. Having told Sylvia and Edgar in the annex earlier, the words flowed smoothly and without hesitation.
"Y-you found the White Blood Religion's headquarters? Underwater?"
Alice's eyes widened as if she couldn't have imagined it.
"A war with the White Blood Religion..."
Karoon clenched his fist as if he was pleased to have the opportunity to unleash his grown power.
"..."
Denier remained silent, only looking at him and Glenn with calm eyes.
"An all-out war with the White Blood Religion?"
"Now I understand why we trained for two months..."
"Indeed. This makes that time meaningful."
"Strangely, I feel confident."
The swordsmen raised their fighting spirit, emitting a powerful martial will, seemingly confident due to the intensive training they had undergone for two months.
"Then when does this war start!"
Balder stepped forward from the platform, stomping on the ground so hard that it trembled, as if he was excited about the war with the White Blood Religion.
"..."
Raon raised one finger towards the sky, looking not only at Balder but also at the Zieghart swordsmen standing behind him.
"Now."
He pointed to the blue dimension appearing above his head and growled fiercely.
"The war has already begun."
-
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