Chapter 1285
—Wait, what?
Wrath spun around to face Raon, his eyes wide with disbelief.
—You actually discovered a method to trigger the awakening of <Pride>?
'I did.'
Raon gave a composed nod, his gaze fixed forward rather than on Wrath.
'Thinking it through, the solution wasn't actually that complex.'
He had spent a significant amount of time fretting over the requirements to unlock <Pride>, but during his tenure handling the responsibilities of the Head of House, a simple realization had struck him.
'I simply have to embrace arrogance.'
—Uh...
Wrath stammered, his eyes blinking rapidly in confusion.
—Based on everything I’ve witnessed, you are probably the person furthest removed from the concept of <Pride> in existence, you know?
The small king of essence shook his head, convinced that Raon’s logic was fundamentally flawed.
'I’m far from being prideful?'
Raon tilted his head back slightly, his expression questioning.
—Isn't it glaringly obvious!
Wrath’s voice rose in pitch, as if the point didn't even need arguing.
—I have never once seen you display a shred of <Pride>! You are a man who has transcended the limits of humanity to reach an absolute level, yet you still obsess over perfecting basic swordsmanship!
The blue spirit gestured wildly, insisting that Raon would never truly grasp the essence of an emotion like <Pride>.
—Furthermore, despite holding the prestigious title of Temporary Head of House, you still address every single human with polite honorifics! Someone so annoyingly well-mannered has no business talking about <Pride>!
Wrath scowled, silently pleading with him to stop talking nonsense and look at reality.
—Even for a freak like you, suffering will be mandatory to awaken Pride! It functions differently than the Authorities of the other demon kings, and you and Pride simply do not overlap!
The demon king snorted, ready to put his reputation on the line over this.
'Ugh, you’re making my ears ring...'
Raon let out a weary sigh, rubbing his left ear where Wrath’s incessant lecturing had been directed.
'It's true that the Authority of Pride doesn't naturally align with my personality. However...'
A smirk of absolute confidence spread across his face as he tilted his chin up, mimicking the posture of Pride.
'That’s exactly why this might be simple. I just have to behave in the exact opposite manner of my usual self.'
Raon moistened his lips, declaring his certainty that he could manifest the necessary ego.
—Hah...
Wrath let out a dry, hollow chuckle, completely stunned.
—Do you honestly believe you’ve accomplished something?
His eyes wavered, momentarily unsettled by Raon’s unwavering confidence.
'Just observe.'
Raon turned away after setting the teacup—which Roenn had just filled—directly onto the wooden desk surface instead of its intended saucer.
"Please, have a peaceful rest."
Roenn offered a gentle smile and stepped behind the desk to begin tidying the workspace Raon was vacating.
'Did you catch that?'
Raon stole a glance at Roenn and nudged Wrath with his elbow.
—Huh?
Wrath’s jaw dropped slightly, his expression blank.
—What exactly was I supposed to see?
'I didn't finish the tea Roenn went to the trouble of brewing, and I set the cup on the desk instead of the saucer, intentionally letting the condensation ruin the wood.'
Raon claimed that leaving the tea was a height of arrogance, exhaling a long, self-satisfied breath.
—Uh...
Wrath was so speechless at the absurdity that he could only stare at the back of Raon’s head with glazed eyes.
"Hmph!"
Raon nodded, looking quite pleased with his "sinful" behavior, and stepped down from the elevated platform.
"Temporary Head of House. We appreciate your dedicated service today."
Sheryl greeted him with a warm smile, gathering the heavy stack of documents Raon had just finished reviewing into her arms.
"Ah..."
As she bowed to Raon, one of the papers slipped from the pile and fluttered toward the floor.
Thud.
Raon snatched the falling paper with his right hand and shoved it back into Sheryl’s arms, purposefully turning it upside down so it faced the opposite direction of the rest of the stack.
"Stay focused."
After issuing the mild warning, he gave a curt nod and began his descent to the lower floors.
"Understood! Thank you very much!"
Sheryl smiled brightly, bowing deeply toward Raon's retreating figure.
'Did you catch that?'
Raon jerked his chin toward Wrath, seeking validation for his performance.
—Huh?
Wrath squinted his eyes, his confusion deepening.
—What on earth was I supposed to see this time?
He tilted his head, genuinely failing to find the point.
'I could have retrieved the document and aligned it perfectly with the others, but I put it back in complete disarray. On top of that...'
Raon curled the corners of his mouth into a smirk, acting as though he had reached a new peak of haughtiness.
'I even lectured her on being more careful. Is that not the definition of arrogance?'
He spread his arms wide and raised his chin, looking for all the world like he believed he had already ascended to the throne of the Monarch of Pride.
—Ah...
Wrath’s entire frame shuddered, his mouth hanging open in a state of utter shock.
—Has he actually lost his mind?
A person truly possessed by pride wouldn't bother picking up a fallen paper; they would have kicked the rest of the documents out of the subordinate's hands for being incompetent. He couldn't fathom how showing basic kindness could be interpreted as being a jerk.
'This is merely the opening act, so pay close attention.'
Raon beckoned Wrath with a finger, signaling him to follow as he exited the audience chamber.
"We thank you for your hard work!"
"Thank you for your service!"
The guards stationed at the Lord’s Manor, moved by seeing Raon leave so late into the night, stepped forward and bowed their heads in unison.
"Do you have any idea who stands before you?"
Raon spoke the classic lines of the conceited and lifted his chin high.
"You are the Temporary Head of House!"
"The Sword Emperor, Raon Zieghart!"
The guards found the question peculiar, but out of their deep admiration for him, they barked their answers with enthusiastic grins.
"Precisely."
Raon gave a solemn nod and strode past the line of warriors.
'Did you catch that?'
—No, no...
Wrath’s eyes began to twitch uncontrollably.
—What are you even talking about now!
'Arrogant individuals throw those kinds of questions around constantly to assert their status, don't they?'
Raon nodded, seemingly impressed with his own acting.
—No, while those words are indeed haughty...
Wrath’s hands trembled with frustration.
—That only works in a place where people don't recognize you! What is the point of saying that here, where your face is as famous as the family crest!
Watching Raon’s bizarre antics gave him a headache so sharp he felt his skull might split. He felt a sudden, powerful urge to smack the back of Raon’s head.
"You, over there."
Raon dismissed Wrath’s annoyance with a snort and came to a halt beside a servant who was scrubbing the walls.
"When you're cleaning the ceiling, don't hold the cloth with your hand. Use a pole."
He dispensed this advice to the worker and then simply kept walking.
"Th-thank you so much!"
The servant pressed their hands together and bowed, looking genuinely touched that Raon had even bothered to notice them.
'Did you catch that?'
Raon twisted his lips into a smirk again, looking for praise.
—What! What now! What was it this time!
Wrath ground his teeth, exhausted by the sheer nonsense but unable to stop himself from asking.
'That servant clearly knows more about cleaning than I do, yet I gave him unsolicited, mediocre advice. How incredibly arrogant of me!'
Raon tapped his own shoulder, looking remarkably proud of his "condescension."
—You moron! You told him to use a pole because you were worried he might fall and get hurt!
Wrath’s lips quivered, his eyes a chaotic blend of rage, bewilderment, and sheer irritation.
—If I stay here, I'm going to evaporate! My frustration with this lunatic is going to make me detonate!
He had always known Raon was excessively humble and kind-hearted, but he hadn't realized the man was this delusional. Every single sentence out of Raon’s mouth made his blood boil.
"Ah!"
As Raon reached the exit of the Lord’s Manor, a young maid walking toward him became startled. She lost her footing while looking up at him and began to pitch forward.
Whoosh!
Raon's feet moved in the Supreme Harmony Steps. In less than a heartbeat, he had closed the distance and caught the girl before she hit the ground.
"Th-thank you, sir."
The girl looked up at Raon, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment as she bowed.
"Mm."
Raon gave a curt nod and, without another word, continued on his way.
'Did you catch that?'
He shot a wink at the floating Wrath, looking triumphant.
—Stop saying 'did you catch that'! I'm losing my grip on reality!
Wrath shrieked, feeling like he was at his breaking point.
—Mmm...
Still, despite himself, he couldn't help but wonder what Raon thought was arrogant about this interaction. By any objective standard, saving a falling girl was a selfless act.
—Fine, what... what was it this time...
Wrath finally succumbed to his curiosity and demanded an answer.
'Ha!'
Raon lifted his chin, as if he had been waiting for the question. That expression, at least, looked genuinely full of himself.
'The truth is, I foresaw that she was going to trip. I could have intervened before she even started to fall, but I was so overconfident in my speed that I waited until the last possible second to move.'
He clicked his tongue, lamenting his supposed hubris in trusting his physical abilities over immediate action.
'Furthermore, I’ve been accepting everyone’s praise while my back was turned. A proper exchange should happen face-to-face. Ignoring them like that—how arrogant is that!'
Raon seemed completely submerged in his own warped version of arrogance, beyond all help.
—I genuinely want to end him...
Wrath clenched his fists until they shook.
—This is the first time in my life I’ve felt such a pure, unfiltered urge to commit murder! Aaaahhhhh!
He let out a scream of agony, his very essence throbbing with the mental strain.
'Now then...'
Raon scanned his surroundings, completely ignoring Wrath’s meltdown.
'Who shall be the next victim of my overwhelming pride?'
He searched for a new target with a satisfied grin, convinced he was making excellent progress.
—Hahhh...
Wrath exhaled a heavy, weary sigh.
—How do I even begin to explain this?
The gulf between Raon's idea of arrogance and actual arrogance was so vast that he didn't even know where to start the correction.
—Hey! Listen, pride is actually... wait?
Just as Wrath finished gathering his thoughts to deliver a proper lecture—
Swoosh.
Raon was already sprinting toward another location, using high-level footwork specifically to "show off."
—That—that lunatic! Where is he sprinting off to now!
Wrath screamed and chased after him at top speed.
—What you’re doing isn't arrogance, it’s just adorable posturing! Everything you’ve done so far is just a list of good deeds!
'Just stay tuned.'
Raon ignored the spirit and approached Balder, who was walking toward the main building.
"Oh! Nephew! Wait, I mean, Temporary Head of House!"
Balder spotted Raon and waved both arms energetically.
"I heard the news! You actually took down the Heavenly Demon? That's my nephew for you! Uh, I mean, the Temporary Head of House!"
He slammed a massive hand onto Raon’s shoulder, seemingly indifferent to the fact that Raon technically outranked him now.
"So, when will that martial art of mine be finished? Nephew? I mean... Temporary Head of House?"
Whether Balder was truly slow-witted or just pretending, he kept slipping up on the title.
"Please be patient. It’s nearing completion."
Raon nodded, assuring him the end was in sight.
"It will be every bit as powerful as you anticipated."
"R-really? Excellent! I’ll stay quiet and wait then! Nephew! Er, Temporary Head of House!"
Balder headed into the manor with a beaming face, clearly revitalized by the news.
'Did you catch that?'
Raon looked as fresh as ever as he nudged Wrath again.
—What now! What could possibly be arrogant about that!
Wrath didn't want to engage, but his curiosity was a physical itch he had to scratch.
'It’s nowhere near finished. I’ve barely even started the foundation, yet I told him it’s almost done and to expect great things! How incredibly arrogant of me to make such a bold claim!'
Raon looked up at the stars with his arms outspread, seemingly drunk on his own perceived ego.
—Huh...?
Wrath tilted his head, staring at Raon.
—Th-that... that actually is arrogant!
Boasting about progress on a task he hadn't even begun—that was a genuine flash of real arrogance. However, before he could even begin to praise the breakthrough, his pity for the victim took over.
—That poor idiot is actually going to be waiting forever now! Have some mercy!
You absolute monster!
