C1088
"It's finished."
Raon could hardly keep from laughing as he observed the Blade Queen and Warlord, who were nervously biting their lips in a display of sheer desperation.
"I was incredibly tense, but this is far simpler than I had imagined."
Even in retirement, the titles Blade Queen and Warlord continued to sit at the very pinnacle of the continent’s hierarchy. In fact, since they stepped away from active duty, those titles have only grown in illustriousness.
Because they were such remarkable martial artists, he had devised five distinct strategies to win them over without having to fight. Yet, to his surprise, the entire matter was resolved with the very first plan—rendering the other four completely unnecessary.
"They swallowed the bait flawlessly."
Judging by the earnest looks in both the Blade Queen’s and Warlord’s eyes, it was clear they were willing to grant any request he might make.
"Speak."
The Warlord ran his hand along his chin as he lowered his blade.
"What shall we do for you?"
Clenching his fist, he conveyed his determination to make amends for any damage—no matter the cost.
"You may frankly speak your mind!"
The Blade Queen set her sword—its once-burning flame now long extinguished—onto the glacier.
"I vow to do whatever it takes! On my name as Blade Queen!"
She stamped her foot with intense determination, ready to wager even her revered title.
—It's truly over...
Wrath exhaled a profound sigh, as though nothing further remained to be witnessed.
"How is this possible? I barely offered any bait—a mere single hook—and yet I managed to catch two carps at once."
Gritting his teeth, he observed that the naivety of the Blade Queen and Warlord was comparable to that of demon kings.
"...Indeed."
A thin smile spread across Raon’s face as he glanced at Wrath—the one who proved to be the most gullible of them all.
[Do, do I need to partake as well?]
The Gold Dragon furtively rolled his radiant golden eyes.
"Certainly you must! After all, you're the one who designated these coordinates!"
The Blade Queen extracted her sword from the ice and aimed it squarely at the Gold Dragon.
"Exactly. You claimed that nothing would occur since no one was around."
The Warlord gave a heavy nod, glaring at the Gold Dragon as if a long-forgotten memory had resurfaced.
[There truly was no one around...]
The Gold Dragon scratched his forehead with a claw.
[Ah, fine—just quit staring at me like that!]
He exhaled deeply and fixed his gaze on Raon.
[I pledge, by the name of Paratheus of the Gold Clan, that I will exhaust every effort to atone for the harm inflicted upon you and the other humans.]
Paratheus pronounced his oath of restitution in dragon tongue—the ancient language of dragons.
—Even that lizard?
Wrath stared in utter disbelief, clearly never having anticipated that the Gold Dragon would step forward as well.
"Even I hadn’t foreseen this..."
His original plan had been solely to bind the Blade Queen and Warlord, but unexpectedly, the Gold Dragon had independently taken the bait. Though surprised by this twist, Raon couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
"Paratheus, was it?"
At first glance, it was unmistakable that he was an ancient dragon—a most fortunate windfall. Judging by his enormous stature, expansive wings, and the potent aura of mana that clung to him, there was no doubt he was not only ancient but also held in very high esteem.
"The Blade Queen, the Warlord, and now an ancient dragon too."
This was far from an ordinary gain. Raon pressed his curled lips and advanced toward the Blade Queen, Warlord, and Gold Dragon.
"In truth, we were here to bolster our strength for the impending war. My companions were busy subduing monsters, and rigorous personal training was underway at Habun Castle. But now that our plan has been derailed, I’m at a loss as to how to fix this predicament."
Instead of directly asking them to join the war, he merely sighed and murmured about the enormous problem that had suddenly arisen.
"War? What war?"
The Blade Queen lifted her chin inquisitively, demanding clarification.
"Surely you know that Derus Robert betrayed the Five Kings?"
With eyes clouded by emotion, Raon uttered the name Derus.
"I know."
The Warlord exhaled shortly.
"I never imagined that a swordsman renowned as the Sky Sword Saint would choose such a path."
Clenching his fist, he added, "I intended to confront him. Had it not been for this individual’s intervention, I would have met him by now."
The Blade Queen snorted as she glanced at the Warlord, whose cold aura was unmistakable.
"But now that you mention Derus's name..."
"Indeed."
Raon hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Derus Robert and Eden are conspiring to overthrow this continent. To this end, Derus is summoning Archangels, while Eden is attempting to resurrect the Demonic Dragon that was subdued a thousand years ago. We had been preparing for war on multiple fronts to prevent such calamity."
It wasn’t completely accurate, yet not entirely untrue either. After all, they had come here with the intent of recruiting Sloth to the war.
"Ah, so in that case..."
The Blade Queen rotated her wrist as she clicked her lips.
"Are you suggesting that we join the war instead of your comrades and the knights from Habun Castle?"
She followed the exact outline Raon had meticulously planned, giving the precise answer he desired.
"They are the villains who wish to transform the continent into a sea of flames. Naturally, we must step in—even if we’re retired! Am I correct?"
The Blade Queen shrugged in the direction of the Warlord.
"…"
The Warlord silently shut his eyes.
"Just this one time."
At last, he opened his eyes and raised a single finger.
"Only this once—I will join this war, even though everything hangs in the balance."
With a piercing cold look, the Warlord vowed to fight with every ounce of his strength in the final confrontation.
"That's correct!"
The Blade Queen patted the Warlord on the back with her palm, commending his decision.
"Hey, what are you up to? You must also speak up!"
She then motioned toward the Gold Dragon with a quick nod of her chin.
[Uh...]
The Gold Dragon averted his eyes uneasily.
[Our clan is probably going to align with the opposing faction in that war...]
He furrowed his brows, implying he might be the only one standing with the humans.
"So, you won't join?"
The Blade Queen knitted her brows as she stared at the Gold Dragon.
[Ah, how could I refuse! I’m merely noting that it might be a bit awkward! But I’ll do it—I absolutely will!]
The Gold Dragon nodded, his elongated chin bobbing, as he consented to take part in the war on the side of the Five Kings.
—What sort of vulnerability did that lizard succumb to?
"That’s precisely what intrigues me as well."
While he was immensely curious about the tale involving the Blade Queen, Warlord, and Gold Dragon, he sensed there was still further benefit to be reaped.
"Thank you. Yet one more issue persists."
Raon exhaled another long, heavy sigh.
"What is the issue?"
The Warlord tilted his chin, urging him to continue.
"The top-tier artifacts we crafted to subdue monsters have been damaged, and the gates and walls of Habun Castle were demolished by monsters. Restoring them will be extremely costly, and we’ve already exhausted nearly all of our funds..."
(At this point, I can’t even call it shameless—do those two fools really believe that?)
Fidgeting with his fingers, he explained that their war budget had left them with no money.
"Hey! What are you doing? Bring it out!"
The Blade Queen gave a tap on the Gold Dragon’s belly.
[Oh, really...]
As the Gold Dragon clasped his hands together, enormous ingots of gold began cascading down before Raon’s eyes. The resounding torrent of gold accumulated into a small mound, its gleaming radiance dancing across Raon’s face.
[Will this suffice?]
"Th-that's more than enough."
Raon nodded with bewildered eyes.
This isn’t merely sufficient—it’s overwhelmingly abundant.
He had planned on receiving only a modest sum, yet he never anticipated being granted such an immense quantity of gold ingots. Moreover, they appeared to be crafted by dwarves, which only enhanced their value even further.
"Huuu..."
Raon gazed at the gold ingots and sighed once more.
"Why at this moment? Is the gold still insufficient?"
The Blade Queen seized his shoulder, as though urging him to voice his needs if more was required.
"No. With such a sum of gold, we can acquire new artifacts and restore the castle’s walls and gates. However..."
Raon wrinkled his brow deeply.
"I'm concerned about how to replace the master-crafted weapons and armor we lost—items that no amount of money can simply purchase."
"Hmm."
"Mmm..."
Both the Warlord and Blade Queen fixed Raon with intensely furrowed gazes.
—You fool!
Wrath clapped his hands, evidently pleased.
—You overreached! They’re not fools—they won’t be duped by such a ploy! You became too avaricious!
He chuckled, remarking that Raon would end up losing everything if he attempted to secure more weapons. Yet, contrary to Wrath’s expectations, events took an entirely different turn.
"Hey, you still have the weapons and armor we entrusted to you, don't you? Bring them all out."
The Blade Queen flicked her finger at the Gold Dragon.
"There ought to be some artifacts too; have those brought out as well."
Rather than halting him, the Warlord nodded in approval for even more to be revealed.
—Wh-what! How can this be happening!
Wrath’s eyes grew wide in astonishment.
"I don’t simply discard items at random, you know."
Raon shook his head, smiling.
"I proceeded on the belief of the title bestowed upon me by you."
He bore the title <Tongue that Mocks Dimensions>. This ability induced mental disorientation when addressing formidable individuals, likely leaving the Blade Queen and Warlord in a state resembling intoxication.
—Aaagh!
Wrath gasped, as though he had finally grasped what was unfolding.
[Understood.]
The Gold Dragon manifested a dimensional portal and extracted the equipment and artifacts referenced by the Blade Queen and Warlord.
"Collect them all; they hold no value for us anyway."
The Blade Queen smiled, remarking that offloading such encumbrances was preferable.
"These items are spoils we acquired during our encounters with villains, so it would be far more beneficial if they were put to proper use."
The Warlord blinked in agreement.
"Thank you. Truly..."
Raon bowed profoundly to the Blade Queen and Warlord while licking his lips.
"I wonder if there’s even more I can extract from this...?"
—Stop! You lunatic!
***
"Now that the matter is resolved..."
The Blade Queen glanced at the Warlord while licking her lips.
"Let's engage in a genuine duel and then depart from this area."
She lifted her hostile aura-infused blade, indicating that they should end their prolonged sect rivalry immediately—without the need for any further aura transfers.
"Not a terrible notion."
The Warlord nodded in concurrence.
"It was about time to make a move, anyway."
He directed his frost-imbued blade toward the Blade Queen’s neck.
[I don't even understand anymore...]
The Gold Dragon shook his head and swiftly distanced himself from the glacier.
[Raon Zieghart, you must flee as well. Not only this glacier, but the entire surrounding sea will be thrown into chaos.]
He nodded his chin, instructing Raon to maintain his distance since it might become perilous.
"It's alright."
Raon offered a faint smile and retreated merely five paces.
"I’ll guard the glacier, allowing you both to battle here."
Truthfully, he wished to closely observe the martial skills of the Blade Queen and Warlord—there was something he needed to verify, so he chose not to leave.
"Are you truly going to be fine?"
The Blade Queen furrowed her brows with concern.
"This is the one bestowed with the title Sword Emperor. He requires no worry from us."
The Warlord didn’t even divert his gaze, evidently placing his trust in Raon.
"Then observe closely. Watch as I force that cold-hearted one to kneel."
The Blade Queen proclaimed that she would overcome the Warlord today, extending her left hand forward while drawing her right hand—sword in hand—back behind her shoulder.
"Your blade will shatter before you force me to submit."
The Warlord lifted his blade high above his head with both hands, emitting an icy aura that sent shivers down the spine. As powerful energy waves surged from their weapons and made the glacier tremble, both the Blade Queen and the Warlord stamped the ground in unison, creating a resounding, thunderous impact!
When the fiery sword and the azure blade collided head-on, the dark northern heavens and sea appeared to cleave in two.
Yet the central glacier remained unshaken, for Raon was safeguarding it with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier.
"Now that’s more like it!"
"We can now battle at our full strength."
The Blade Queen and Warlord nodded in approval as they unleashed even more formidable and enigmatic martial arts. The North Sea itself turned dark as innumerable fissures burst forth.
"This is unbelievable..."
Raon gulped as he watched the martial display of the Blade Queen and Warlord.
Their mastery of both swordsmanship and blade techniques was absolute—this was truly the zenith of martial artists who had dedicated themselves to a singular path.
His entire body buzzed with excitement as he witnessed the exquisitely refined and intense duel between them; simply watching felt as though his own Ten Thousand Swords prowess was being further enhanced.
"This is a veritable gold mine."
Every detail of the Blade Queen and Warlord’s techniques was etched into Raon’s mind without him blinking even once.
"But..."
No matter how he scrutinized it, their styles bore notable similarities. Beneath the Blade Queen’s flames and the Warlord’s frost lay an earth aura that bolstered their energies and shielded their bodies. Although the earth auras they employed differed in nature, curiously enough, they shared many characteristics with the earth aura he had inherited from the Sword Saint.
"Could it be considered a slightly diminished version of the Sword Saint's aura?"
The Blade Queen’s earth aura appeared somewhat insubstantial, while the Warlord’s was light rather than heavy. Even though these were clearly distinct martial arts styles, oddly, they emitted a scent akin to that of the Sword Saint's earth aura.
"Let’s examine this further..."
Raon retracted a bit from the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier, summoning the earth aura imparted by the Sword Saint. A vibrant yellow aura erupted from beneath his feet, reinforcing the trembling glacier with even greater solidity.
"So it appears that the earth aura can be utilized in this manner as well."
At that moment, Raon smiled and nodded, pleased to have discovered something new.
"Huh...?"
"What!"
Both the Blade Queen and the Warlord simultaneously lowered their weapons and turned to look at Raon. Their eyes brimmed with intense, unprecedented emotion.
"Th-that's it, isn't it? I’m not wrong, am I?"
"...It is certain. Our auras are distorting on their own."
The Blade Queen and the Warlord advanced toward Raon, their chins trembling.
"I believed there was something familiar about this..."
"To imagine that we would meet in such a manner."
The two stood before Raon, their lips pressed firmly together.
"Wh-what's the matter?"
Raon gulped as he beheld the tearful Blade Queen and the quivering Warlord.
"Siera, descendant of the Blade Gate..."
"Yuber, descendant of the Sword Gate..."
Simultaneously, the Blade Queen and the Warlord knelt down.
"We honor the descendant of the Sword Saint!"
-
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