Chapter 1258
"N-no..."
Bear Fire Demon lowered his gaze in a hushed tone. The Bearwolf Shaman mask that previously obscured his features had been pulverized, leaving his raw emotions exposed to the air.
"Explain why."
Raon shifted his hand to Bear Fire Demon’s shoulder, leaning in until their faces were mere inches apart.
"You claimed you were heading back to Eden."
He threw the demon's own words back at him, those spoken earlier in the field, a sharp curve forming on his lips.
"Th-that isn't true! I only meant that returning in this state would be a death sentence!"
Bear Fire Demon’s eyes shook with terror as he frantically shook his head.
"Eden is currently under a total lockdown by the decree of the Heavenly Demon. If I show up there after failing my mission and defying his word, I’m a dead man!"
He spat a glob of blood onto the ground, wailing that Syria Sullion was the reason he had breached the Heavenly Demon's mandate, making a return to Eden impossible.
"Ah, that's right. Syria Sullion. I suppose I should settle the matter of that wretch first."
Raon gripped Bear Fire Demon by the chin, wrenching his head to face him directly.
"That bastard is truly finished this time, isn't he?"
Syria Sullion was a persistent parasite, a man who had somehow clawed back from the brink to torment Runaan even after Raon had previously taken his head. He required absolute certainty that the threat was extinguished.
"B-Baphomet is a unique entity that exists with dual souls. That is why he can unnaturally wield a massive greatsword and a staff simultaneously."
Bear Fire Demon bit down on his lip, the mere memory of Syria Sullion causing visible distress.
"If Syria Sullion had successfully claimed Runaan Sullion's soul, the spirit you slew would have been restored. But since he failed that objective, there is no coming back for him this time."
He nodded emphatically, confirming that Syria Sullion was gone for good, his essence now imprisoned within Runaan’s Sword Domain.
"So that was the trick to his resurrection."
Raon let out a dark chuckle, remembering the moment Syria Sullion’s remains had vanished into thin air.
"Then again, Eden is crawling with freakish individuals and bizarre sorcery."
Thinking back to the snake-helmeted lunatic who donned a different colored mask every time Raon killed him, Syria Sullion—who only managed two lives—was practically reasonable by comparison.
"What sort of hex did you place on Runaan?"
Raon’s voice dropped to a freezing temperature, laden with lethal intent.
"A-Ancient Dream Illusion Magic. It possesses the capability to trap a human mind within a dreamscape, eventually blurring the line between fantasy and reality until the victim becomes a mindless puppet."
Bear Fire Demon swallowed hard, his throat dry as Raon’s expression turned increasingly predatory.
"Just as I suspected."
Raon gave a slow, deliberate nod. It aligned perfectly with Evelyn’s theory; Bear Fire Demon’s sorcery was the mechanism intended to break Runaan’s will.
"I-I was merely following Syria Sullion’s orders! He provided the ritual components and brought those children! He was the one who planted the dream demon's relic inside Runaan's pillow!"
Bear Fire Demon’s hands shook violently as he tried to shift the weight of the crime entirely onto the deceased Syria Sullion, claiming he was just the technician.
"Because of that man’s obsession, I’m on the verge of being purged by Eden myself..."
"You’re talkative."
Raon’s brow furrowed in annoyance. He lashed out with the tip of his boot, catching Bear Fire Demon across the face.
Thwack!
Though the kick seemed effortless, the force sent Bear Fire Demon crashing back into the stone wall before a scream could even escape his throat.
"Ghhhhh..."
Agonized groans leaked from the demon’s lips. His cheek looked caved in, the bone structure likely shattered by the impact.
"Speak only when prompted."
Raon looked down at him with eyes like shards of ice, raising a single finger.
"Considering these might be the final words you ever utter."
He made it clear that the demon's life hung by a thread, then pressed that same finger to his own lips in a gesture for silence.
"Uuugh..."
Desperate to survive, Bear Fire Demon slumped into a kneeling position, nodding his head in frantic compliance.
"I found it odd that Runaan succumbed to the illusion so swiftly, but using a dream demon directly explains it."
Raon clicked his tongue, the image of Syria Sullion’s twisted grin and malicious eyes flickering in his mind.
"You must have planted moles within the primary Sullion residence, correct?"
Knowing Syria Sullion’s nature, it was a logical conclusion.
"Th-that’s right. I don’t have all the names, but he mentioned intimidating a servant of the Sullion household to slip the dream demon into Runaan Sullion’s bedding."
Bear Fire Demon’s jaw quivered. He admitted to hearing the plan but claimed ignorance regarding the specific identity of the traitor.
"Furthermore, Runaan Sullion had reached the summit of the Grandmaster level recently. She was desperate to achieve transcendence. That ambition made it remarkably easy to pull her into the dream world."
He squinted, explaining that Runaan’s own hunger for advancement acted as the perfect lure.
"A hunger for power..."
Raon sighed quietly.
'Was it triggered by my words?'
Prior to his secluded training with his grandfather, he had assembled the warriors of the Light Wind Palace, urging them to reach their peak before the inevitable conflict with Eden.
He had specifically challenged Burren, Martha, and Runaan to break through the ceiling of transcendence. It seemed his encouragement had inadvertently become a vulnerability.
'I must be more cautious with my guidance and critiques.'
Realizing his subordinates might take his expectations to dangerous extremes, he resolved to weigh his words more carefully in the future.
"Exposing a servant loyal to Syria Sullion shouldn't be a challenge."
Raon traced a small circle in the air with his finger. With Syria Sullion dead, the leverage over any coerced butler or maid was gone; they would be easy to find.
"Will there be lasting damage to Runaan's mind?"
Given the potency of the magic, he needed to be certain no lingering corruption remained.
"N-no, none at all."
Bear Fire Demon shook his head with conviction.
"Because Runaan Sullion shattered the magic using her own internal strength, there are no lingering effects. If anything, she has likely experienced a massive surge in spiritual fortitude."
He bit his lip, suggesting that Runaan had emerged from the ordeal significantly more powerful than she was before the corruption took hold.
"It wasn't her strength alone."
Raon lowered his hand, his voice steady.
"Had Runaan been isolated, she never would have overcome your sorcery or Syria Sullion's traps."
It was the unwavering presence of Burren and Martha, along with the resilience of the Light Wind Palace warriors at Birdnew Village, that allowed Runaan to find her path and grow.
Left to herself, she would have been swallowed by Syria Sullion’s spite, becoming a slave to the Baphomet helm.
-Correct.
Wrath gave a small nod of agreement.
-However, that strength belongs to her as well—the strength of the connections the Bead Ice Cream girl has cultivated.
He wore a subtle smile, noting that Martha and Burren’s willingness to die for her was the direct result of the trust Runaan had built with them.
'True. They've become a family.'
Raon closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them. He knew Runaan would have sacrificed just as much if the roles were reversed. The link between the three of them had evolved into something deeper than mere kinship.
"Now that Runaan's status is clear, let's address the primary objective."
Raon raised his foot, bracing it against the wall right next to Bear Fire Demon’s head.
"I-I've shared everything I know. What objective..."
Bear Fire Demon looked down, his eyes pleading for mercy and release.
"Eden."
Raon growled the name with venomous intensity.
"Provide me with the coordinates of Eden's stronghold."
Bear Fire Demon was a rare specimen among the Ghosts of Eden. Unlike the others who were blinded by fanaticism and impervious to pain, this one possessed a shred of human self-preservation. Information could be squeezed out of him.
"I... I honestly do not know the exact coordinates of the main base."
Bear Fire Demon looked pained, as if he had expected this impossible question.
"You travel to specific rendezvous points, and from there, gatekeepers emerge to escort you to the center. I wouldn't have even been able to depart that place if Syria Sullion hadn't arranged it."
He shook his head once more, insisting on his ignorance.
"Then take me to one of those rendezvous points."
Raon reached down, grabbing Bear Fire Demon by the front of his clothes and hoisting him into the air.
"I will take care of the rest from there."
"Phew..."
Burren exhaled a long sigh as the towering, snow-white walls of Zieghart came into view.
"Leading a mission to its end is an exhausting burden. I finally realize why Raon always looks at these walls with such relief."
He gave a tired smile, finally understanding the heavy weight Raon carried every time he returned home from the field.
"I-I'm so sorry."
Dorian offered a deep, formal bow toward Burren.
"I had no inkling that such a desperate struggle was happening on your end."
He bit his lip nervously, glancing at the still-unconscious Martha.
"There's no need for that! Our primary goal was the defense of Birdnew Village."
Krein cut in with a scowl, insisting that no apologies were necessary for following orders.
"Krein speaks the truth."
Burren looked over at Krein and nodded.
"Everyone executed my commands perfectly."
He offered Dorian a reassuring smile, letting him know he wasn't to blame.
"Exactly. Though, obviously, we could have settled things much faster if..."
Krein clicked his tongue, his eyes darting toward Runaan on their right.
"K-Krein!"
Dorian grabbed Krein’s arm, trying to quiet him.
"What? I’m saying what everyone’s thinking! If you’re struggling, you should ask for help!"
Krein, never one to filter his thoughts even in front of Raon, glared openly at Runaan, his frustration boiling over.
"Do you think anyone in this group would turn their back on you if you just said the word?"
He stomped his foot on the ground, his irritation palpable.
"Gasp!"
Dorian’s head whipped between Runaan and Krein. In all their time together, he had never seen Krein show such genuine, heated anger toward a superior officer.
"Krein isn't wrong."
Trevin, the leader of the Warring Steel Division, nodded in somber agreement.
"My unit hasn't been with the Light Wind Palace for long, but you've been together forever."
He frowned, disappointed that she hadn't reached out to her comrades.
"Hmm..."
Mark Goetun also seemed to take Krein’s side, crossing his arms and looking down with a stern expression.
The rest of the swordsmen watched Runaan with heavy gazes, their silence speaking volumes of their shared frustration.
"......"
Burren remained silent. He didn't defend Runaan, nor did he scold Krein. He simply continued walking toward the main gates of Zieghart. This was a rift that Runaan had to bridge herself; his intervention would mean nothing.
"I am sorry..."
Runaan adjusted the unconscious Martha on her back and turned to face Krein and the rest of the Light Wind Palace.
"I allowed my own selfishness to cloud my judgment..."
She bowed deeply to the group, accepting full responsibility for the danger they faced.
"Uh, well..."
Krein blinked, caught off guard by her blunt and sincere apology.
"I will find a way to make amends for this..."
Runaan pressed her lips together, her resolve clear. She intended to earn back their trust.
"No, that's not what I meant!"
Krein pounded his chest in exasperation.
"This isn't about 'debts' or 'making amends.' It's just..."
But as he stepped closer to Runaan, his face twisted in anger—
Thwack!
A sharp crack, like a firecracker detonating against a skull, echoed through the air. Krein collapsed instantly.
"Oww! What the hell..."
Krein groaned, clutching his head in agony.
"Hey. You’re making so much noise I can’t even rest!"
Martha, who had been slumped over Runaan’s shoulder, slowly opened her eyes. She had clearly delivered a heavy-handed wake-up call to Krein’s cranium.
"M-Martha!"
Krein paled, seeing the fire returning to Martha’s eyes.
"Martha..."
Runaan looked back, her eyes wide with surprise at her friend’s sudden consciousness.
"My head is splitting, so quit shouting. And..."
Martha let out a sharp exhale as she glared at Krein.
"Save the bickering for another time. We’re literally at the front gates of Zieghart!"
She bared her teeth, asking if they were trying to make the Light Wind Palace look like a bunch of brawling children.
"Hic, s-sorry!"
The sheer intensity of Martha’s stare sent a jolt of fear through Krein, triggering a fit of hiccups.
"Heh."
Burren allowed himself a small smirk, relieved to see Martha back to her usual, abrasive self.
"Then, let’s head inside..."
"Well said, for once."
Just as Burren started toward the entrance, a massive figure dropped from the top of the ramparts, his voice echoing with authority.
Thoom!
It was External Commander Illiune. The veteran who had overseen Zieghart’s defenses for decades stood before them, casually rubbing his head.
"Stop your chatting and get moving. The acting head of the house is expecting you."
Illiune narrowed his eyes, signaling that they shouldn't test the patience of the one in charge.
"It seems your father has been counting the minutes until your return."
Martha smirked, her thoughts immediately going to Karoon.
"No. The one currently presiding over Zieghart is..."
Illiune looked at Martha and shook his head. A spark of intrigue flashed in his eyes as he corrected her.
"Acting Head of House, Raon Zieghart."
