Chapter 1197
"Is your plan truly to march straight into their stronghold?"
Evelyn's eyes widened in shock as she seized Raon's shoulder.
"Explain yourself. What exactly are you planning?"
Her grip tightened, her expression demanding a clear account of his intentions.
"I intend to repay Derus for every single atrocity he inflicted upon us, measure for measure," Raon replied, a frigid smirk touching his lips as he shook his head.
"I never actually gave my consent to Derus Robert’s proposal for a war to commence in a year’s time."
He spoke of seeking justice for the suffering of the Five Kings, his eyes closing and opening with eerie serenity.
-Wait, what?
Wrath tilted his head, his expression clouded with confusion.
-Didn't you go along with it? You were constantly muttering about 'seeing what happens in thirteen months'...
'Be quiet.'
For the first time in a long while, Raon silenced the spirit with a sharp gesture of his finger.
"I don't fully grasp the specifics, but..."
Evelyn’s face flushed with a surge of adrenaline as she exhaled sharply.
"It sounds absolutely incredible!"
She nodded with fervent intensity, signaling her unwavering devotion to whatever path Raon chose to tread.
"E-Evelyn. You’ve successfully mapped out all the defensive barriers within that forest, haven't you?"
Raon asked, subtly leaning back to escape the overwhelming pressure of her piercing stare.
"Indeed! I’ve pinpointed every single one. However, the network is seamless. As I mentioned before, infiltrating or neutralizing that divine magic seems impossible for now."
Evelyn’s brow furrowed with frustration; she knew the coordinates of the spells but lacked the means to dismantle or bypass them.
"That’s perfectly fine. Simply knowing their locations is a significant advantage."
Raon dismissed her concerns with a casual wave, indicating that breaking the enchantments wasn't his immediate priority.
"Moving forward, I need you to shift your focus. Identify the primary sites across the continent where the abductions are occurring and categorize the types of individuals being targeted."
Now that they had located potential hideouts for Derus and his collaborators, it was time for the subsequent phase. They needed to decode the mechanics of the disappearances.
"The abduction sites and the profiles of the victims? You don't want me investigating the forest anymore?"
Evelyn blinked rapidly, her expression questioning if this sudden change in objective was truly the right move.
"Correct. Leave the forest as it is for now. Just conduct a cursory check every so often to see if anything shifts."
Raon offered a tranquil smile, looking every bit like a man who had already seen the end of the game.
"The Black Market and the Shadow Agents are prepared to offer their full cooperation, so the task shouldn't be insurmountable."
He nodded encouragingly, urging her to prioritize the patterns of the kidnappings from this point on.
"Understood!"
Evelyn threw her hand up with vigor, as if to say the mission was already accomplished.
"I’ll dig so deep into this that I'd notice even if Derus Robert started kidnapping insects instead of people!"
She caught Raon’s hand in a firm grasp, telling him to expect nothing short of perfection.
“I appreciate the constant trust you place in me.”
Raon smiled, feeling the physical heat radiating from her palm.
'Navigating this without Evelyn would have been a nightmare.'
What had begun as a tense association—back when she went by the name Merlin—had evolved into his most lethal and discreet asset. Though he rarely voiced it so plainly, he felt a profound sense of debt toward her.
“It isn’t that I always trust you blindly.”
Evelyn shook her head softly, seemingly sensing the direction of his thoughts.
"Pardon...?"
Raon’s eyes narrowed as he noticed a rare, somber depth in her gaze.
"I believe in you, Raon, but I am never without my doubts. I am constantly searching for ways to keep you out of harm's way."
Evelyn pressed her lips into a thin line, clearly haunted by memories of his past brushes with death.
"But this time, I feel something new."
She let out a short breath, her lips curling into a faint, genuine smile.
"What do you mean by 'something new'?"
"A sense of certainty and poise is radiating from you."
Evelyn nodded, clarifying that it wasn't just a facade used to comfort his allies; she could sense a genuine tranquility rooted in the very core of his being.
"It gives me a sense of peace."
She smiled without any lingering shadows, indicating she was ready to follow him anywhere.
"In that case, I’ll head to the Shadow Agents and the Black Market immediately!"
Evelyn rose from her seat, eager to initiate the new phase of the investigation.
"Hmm, you’ve been on your feet quite a bit lately. Perhaps I should be the one to visit the Black Market and the Leader of the Shadow Agents this time..."
"Absolutely not! I’ll handle it! I’ve actually developed a decent rapport with both of them now!"
She waved off his suggestion, insisting he stay put, and hurried out of the room.
"Certainty and poise..."
Raon stared at the door she had just exited, then slowly opened and closed the hand that usually gripped his blade.
'Was I projecting that?'
He hadn't consciously felt a surge in confidence. However, if Evelyn—who studied him more intently than anyone—observed it, there had to be truth to it.
-I'm inclined to agree.
Wrath nodded, his brow knitted in uncharacteristic seriousness.
-The old version of you would have been consumed by the immediate problem and charged in like a mindless beast. Now, you’re weaving together information from all sides and constructing a meticulous strategy.
The spirit clicked his tongue, noting that it had been ages since Raon displayed such calculated patience.
'Is that how it looks?'
Raon lowered his gaze, reflecting on the spirit's assessment.
'My internal landscape has certainly shifted.'
In the past, the mere mention of Derus Robert would shatter his calm, driving him to chase petty, immediate vengeance rather than the larger goal. Now, perhaps because his soul had matured alongside his martial prowess, he was capable of playing the long game.
It felt like a desperate, sharpened resolve to ensure Derus Robert’s demise while safeguarding those he cared for.
-It’s almost like watching you as a child. No, that’s not quite right. You were far too freezing back then.
Wrath shook his head slightly.
-I’d say you are finally blending cold composure with actual humanity. It galls me to admit it, but truly...
He scowled, clearly loath to give credit, yet his lips moved anyway.
-I suppose you’ve reached the finished form of both a warrior and a sovereign.
Wrath gave a heavy nod, acknowledging that Raon had finally earned the right to stand as a monarch above the masses.
'The finished form...'
Raon let out a soft chuckle, watching the spirit shift his eyes uncomfortably.
'That has to be the most sincere praise you've ever given me.'
Wrath was a King of the Devildom, a being incapable of falsehood. Since those words reflected his genuine perception, a powerful heat began to swell in Raon’s chest.
-Hmph! I simply refuse to be a liar! Don't let it go to your head; you still have a mountain to climb!
Wrath snorted, warning him against arrogance.
'I know. For both of us...'
Raon nodded, sensing his nine rings rotating with a strange, deliberate slowness.
'This is merely the opening act.'
He tightened his fist against his chest, vowing that the coming days would be his most interesting yet.
-Th-the opening act?
Wrath recoiled in genuine horror.
-You’ve been draining my essence like a parched vampire until now, and you’re telling me this is just the start! I want off this ride!
He wailed that his true form would be nothing but a skeleton if this continued, begging Raon to reconsider.
'Uh...'
Raon stared blankly at the sobbing spirit.
'This really wasn't the vibe I was going for.'
Was this actually happening?
"Hmph."
Evelyn hummed a light tune as she stepped into a modest tea house tucked away in the Zieghart business sector. Though the exterior looked neglected enough to ward off most patrons, the inside was immaculate. Soft lighting and a soothing aroma created a tranquil atmosphere.
Evelyn took her place at the solitary table and crossed her legs with practiced ease. She swung her pale legs—a stark contrast to her dark, neutral-toned robes—while waiting for the proprietor.
Before she could even count to ten, the inner curtain parted. A striking woman wearing an eyepatch emerged, carrying a jade teapot and matching cups.
"Lady Evelyn, back so soon?"
Denning Rose, the Zieghart Branch Manager of the Black Market, offered a polite bow and a knowing smile.
"I take it Lord Raon is occupied?"
Denning Rose smiled warmly as she poured a stream of green tea into Evelyn’s cup.
"Not exactly. He has plenty of time; he just prefers to delegate everything to me."
Evelyn matched the manager's smile as she lifted the steaming vessel.
"It’s a bit of a burden, honestly. He trusts me far too much. It's exhausting."
She took a slow sip, acting as though Raon’s reliance on her was a heavy cross to bear.
"Oh, is that right? My reports say he’s currently undergoing intensive training with the Head of House, remaining strictly within the annex and only visiting the fifth training ground under the cover of night."
Denning Rose gave a slight shrug, making it clear she was well-informed of Raon’s schedule.
"Heh, you don't say? Well, he still finds moments of leisure here and there."
Evelyn’s eyes darted around as she nearly choked on her tea, her surprise momentary but visible.
"Regardless, he’s entrusted this specific task to me as well."
She shook her head, doubling down on the narrative of Raon's exclusive trust.
"I see."
Denning Rose nodded as if accepting the explanation, though a small crease appeared near her eye.
"And what are the new orders?"
"Right. He wants to move focus away from the forest for now. Instead, we are to compile data on the kidnapping victims and the specific circumstances of their disappearances..."
Evelyn relayed the details of Raon’s request to the manager.
"I see the logic. It carries its own risks, but that approach is likely the most effective path forward."
Denning Rose nodded, grasping Raon’s strategy instantly.
"Consider it done. I will put every available agent on the case."
She set her teacup down with an air of finality.
"However, I will deliver the gathered intelligence to Lord Raon personally."
"What? No need. You’re busy and so is he. I’ll just take it to him."
Evelyn waved her off, trying to maintain her role as the sole intermediary.
"I'm not busy at all. And since you mentioned Lord Raon has free time, it’s only logical that I visit him. It’s a short trip, after all."
Denning Rose gave a radiant smile, making her intention to see Raon face-to-face perfectly clear.
"Ahahaha. Right. I get it."
Evelyn gestured dismissively, as if the matter was beneath her. She drained her tea in one gulp and stood up.
"Make sure the tea is a bit more high-end next time."
"But that is the finest grade available?"
Denning Rose tilted her head, noting that the tea was a rare commodity even by continental standards.
"I used to be royalty and a court mage. Perhaps that's why it lacks a certain... richness."
Evelyn walked out, leaving behind the remark that her refined palate was hard to satisfy.
"Is it because she was raised in the wild? She’s certainly a different breed than those two."
Evelyn frowned, thinking of the two women from the Light Wind Palace who were her equals in beauty but far more gentle in temperament.
"Honestly, he goes around helping everyone and being charming; of course everyone falls for him!"
Evelyn let out a short sigh, lamenting the future exhaustion Raon’s magnetism would surely cause her.
"But in the end, I'll be the one standing by his side."
With a cunning smile, she turned her steps toward the Shadow Agents as Raon had instructed.
"Oh! You've arrived! What news do you bring from Lord Raon?"
Chad, the Shadow Agents' Leader, rushed to meet her, his breath coming in ragged gasps like someone waiting for a letter from a distant lover.
"Hah..."
Evelyn stared at Chad in disbelief, seeing the unmistakable adoration in his eyes.
'It isn't just the women...'
He was winning over the men, too?
"Gugh!"
Raon let out a guttural groan as he collapsed forward. Above him, Glenn’s branch remained perfectly still and unmarked, swaying slightly in the breeze.
"Not a bad showing."
Glenn offered what amounted to a rare compliment before turning away.
"You are beginning to grasp the solution. Persist in your training."
With a shadow of a smile, he walked back toward the main annex.
Raon pushed himself up slowly, his eyes fixed on Glenn’s back.
'So this is the path?'
Glenn’s feedback confirmed that his current trajectory was the correct one.
'The Ring of Fire has definitely changed its pace.'
Just as he had felt during his talk with Wrath, the rotation of the Ring of Fire felt far more nuanced. In fact, during that last bout, he had managed to complete seventy-five percent of the tenth ring. He felt that with just a bit more time, he could manifest the tenth ring and finally unravel the mystery of Glenn’s branch.
'I need to keep this momentum.'
Raon was nodding to himself, reinforcing his commitment to the plan, when he detected a set of unfamiliar footsteps in the garden. The light, rhythmic pace belonged to Denning Rose, who arrived wearing her signature black rose eyepatch.
"It has been some time."
She offered a composed smile, noting the duration since their last meeting.
“You’ve come up with quite the provocative strategy.”
Denning Rose’s visible eye held a sharp, cold intensity, suggesting she had already dissected his entire plan.
"I have brought the intelligence Lord Raon requires to step into the lions' den."
