Chapter 449


    “Seriously…”


    Burren stared nkly at the White Wolf Saber, who’d fallen unconscious with his eyes rolled back.


    <em>‘A warrior called White Wolf Saber shouldn’t be defeated so easily…’</em>


    The White Wolf Saber, Dunkern, had been famous throughout the continent as a genius sabermaster since twenty years ago.


    He was a warrior who’d been polishing his skills on countless battlefields and wars. That was why Burren had never imagined that he would lose to Raon, who was as young as his son, or faint with his teeth knocked out.


    “Haa…”


    He briefly caught his breath and looked at Raon. He was carelessly turning his shoulder. He seemed to still have enough strength left in him even though he’d defeated two floor overseers from the ck Tower <em>and</em> the White Wolf Saber.


    <em>‘That madman just never stops.’</em>


    The martial arts were bound to be moreplicated and difficult the higher they grew.Burren could feel that his growth was slowing down already at the highest level of Expert, but the theory that everyone agreed on didn’t seem to apply to Raon.


    <em>‘I never thought there would be a madman who kept growing like an Expert despite being a Master.’</em>


    Raon had be a Master before twenty years of age and managed to reach the highest level of Master at thest part of his twentieth year.


    Moreover, he hadn’t just barely surpassed the wall. He was capable of overwhelming three warriors at the same level as him, implying that his might and willpower were on a whole different level.


    A mystery. It was the only way to describe Raon’s power.


    “Haa…”


    Martha sighed deeply while putting her hands on her hips.


    “That fucking monster went even higher again.”


    His might waspletely different from when he was struggling at House Arianne.


    It wasn’t just his aura and body that had gotten stronger. It felt like his swordsmanship had ascended to a new level. That intense training taught to him by the head of house and the Sword Demon must’ve been effective.


    “Damn it.”


    <em>‘I should’ve joined from the beginning if I knew this would happen.’</em>


    She frowned, regretting that she couldn’t train with him from the first day the head of house and the Sword Demon started to teach him.


    “It can’t continue like this.”


    “Hmm?”


    “What?”


    Burren and Martha lowered their gaze at the same time upon hearing the thin yet noticeable voice. Despite their expectations, it wasing from Runaan, who was talking as slowly as a sloth.


    Her eyes were sparkling faintly as she stared at Raon, despite being usually nk.


    “What can’t continue?”


    “I can’t catch up to Raon.”


    Runaan lowered her lips, her gaze fixated on Raon’s back.


    “You slowpoke! Have you still not given up on catching up to that monster?”


    “We are only at the highest level of Expert, and that monster is already at the highest level of Master. We are also called geniuses, but he should be considered a different species at this point.”


    “I agree.”


    Burren nodded while looking at Martha.


    “A drake’s wings will tear apart if it tries to catch up to a dragon. Since we are doing our best in our training, we are still making progress even though the pace is different from Raon’s.”


    He said that they should give up on catching up to Raon and maintain their own pace with serious eyes.


    “That’s not what I mean. The difference is getting too big.”


    Runaan calmly shook her head despite what Burren and Martha had told her.


    “I have a feeling that Raon will be a Grandmaster before we be Masters at this rate. We will be unable to help him once again if that happens.”


    She stared at the sloshingke while saying that she wanted the Light Wind division to support Raon sometimes, and not the other way around.


    “That’s…”


    “Hmm…”


    Burren and Martha frowned, unable to respond.


    Runaan was right when they thought about it. They kept being helped by Raon without being able to return it, and Raon really did look like he would be a Grandmaster before they reached the Master realm.


    “That’s indeed infuriating.”


    Martha furrowed her brow and clenched her fist so hard that it made a cracking sound.


    “I don’t care about the rest, but I won’t allow him to be a Grandmaster before I be a Master!”


    “Same goes for me. I said that our paces are different, but that’s one thing I can’t allow to happen.”


    Burren concurred and nodded heavily.


    “So, did youe up with a method?”


    “I’ll kill you if you are going to say that we should try our best.”


    “We will get them to teach us with some additional training.”


    Runaan looked up to Burren and Martha with faintly sparkling eyes.


    “And who is that teacher?”


    “Isn’t there no one suitable for the job?”


    “There’s one.”


    She flinched her nose while feeling the wind passing over theke.


    “I think he will do it for us.”


    * * *


    Raon smiled faintly while listening to the conversation between Burren, Runaan, and Martha.


    <em>‘They also love training so much.’</em>


    He was so proud of them for thinking about the future right after a fight to the death against the ck Tower’s demonized humans inside a boundary brimming with demonic energy.


    Moreover, the fact that Runaan was the one who came up with the idea made him even prouder.


    <em>‘But who is she nning to ask? Maybe it’s Sullion’s head of house?’</em>


    House Sullion’s head of house, Rokan Sullion, looked like he wasn’t even hiding his love for his daughter. That was why he figured that he would ept being their teacher.


    <em>‘They could’ve just asked me.’</em>


    Raon liked how Burren, Martha, and Runaan desired to get stronger. He was a bit saddened because he could help with their additional training as much as they wanted.


    <strong>They just want to get stronger. They don’t actually want to die.</strong>


    Wrath shook his head, saying that Raon should get rid of that stupid idea.


    <strong>They are all going to die if they stay with you all day long.</strong>


    He lowered his round hand, asking him to please stay quiet.


    <em>‘Did you finish deciding on your ice cream?’</em>


    <strong>Haa, it’s impossible topromise. The two mint choctes are must-haves, but it’s so hard to decide on the two others. There’s only one left if I add the vor of the month, but there are too many choices to pick one among th—</strong>


    <em>‘Hmm…’</em>


    Raon thought he shouldn’t have talked to him about it and walked up to the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud, who was leaning his back against a tree near theke.


    “It looks like you only told him whatever was convenient for you without mentioning your mistake.”


    The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud hadn’t told the White Wolf Saber that he was the one to strike first. The battle against the White Wolf Saber was pretty much caused by that.


    “He is in this state right now because you ran your mouth like an idiot.”


    Raon smiled coldly while pointing at the White Wolf Saber, who had argeceration on his chest and none of the front teeth.


    “I-I wasn’t trying to deceive him. I just wanted to leave as fast as possible…”


    The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud shook his head. The only arm he had left was trembling in fear.


    “Leave?”


    Raon lowered his gaze while speaking in a callous voice.


    “Your lives including yours, your subordinates’, and this idiot’s…”


    He pointed at the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud, the White Whale’s warriors, and the White Wolf Saber one after the other.


    “All belong to Zieghart. You won’t be able to leave even if you bite your tongue and die.”


    “Ugh…”


    “Ah…”


    The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and his subordinates’ faces turned pale upon hearing the dry voice deprived of emotion.


    “Anyints?”


    “N-none!”


    The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and his subordinates hurriedly shook their heads. A terror even worse than death was engulfing them.


    <strong>Tap.</strong>


    Raon lightly tapped Heavenly Drive’s scabbard while looking at the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saber.


    “You should consider yourselves lucky. I would’ve pulled your legs off right now to make you speak if the situation allowed.”


    He clicked his tongue and turned his head. He needed to tend to the injuries of the Warring Steel division and the Light Wind division, and he also needed to take care of the people who were shivering in the cold weather. That was why it wasn’t time to force them to confess.


    “I’ll pull out whatever you have in your heads as soon as we return to the house. You can look forward to it.”


    Raon used his aura to paralyze the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and his subordinates’ bodies as he spoke, immobilizing them.


    He signaled with his hand, and Mark Goetten and the Light Wind swordsmen carried the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Whale’s warriors on their shoulders.


    “Dorian, you have some fur coats, don’t you?”


    “Ah, of course I do!”


    Raon waved his hand, and Dorian immediately nodded.


    “I’m guessing you don’t have enough since there are too many people, start with the small children…”


    “I have enough, though?”


    Dorian put his hand inside his belly pocket and took out as many fur coats, boots, and gloves as the number of people. It looked like he had way more than the number of people despite Raon’s expectation.


    “…Are you actually carrying this many of them?”


    “They are necessities!”


    He grinned and started to distribute the fur coats to the people.


    <em>‘He’s such a mystery.’</em>


    Raon was dumbfounded and stared nkly at Dorian. That was when the Warring Steel division leader, Trevin, weakly walked up to him and bowed.


    “I’m sorry. It was because of us that you had trouble with the White Whale…”


    “Please don’t mind it.”


    Raon shook his head. The smile on his face waspletely different from when he was facing the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud.


    “They are the ones who started the fight. Even if that Thespian Emperor or whateveres toin, he won’t be able to say anything.”


    Raon said that the situation justified his actions and that he even had proof of it, and he grabbed the embarrassed Trevin’s shoulder.


    “And this isn’t time to be thinking about some White Whale. You should be taking care of the injured and the deceased.”


    “…Yes, you are right.”


    Trevin looked back and nodded heavily.


    “We are going to return right away. Please get ready.”


    “I understand.”


    Raon turned around after taking care of the Light Wind division, the Warring Steel division, and even the hostages.


    <em>‘He is still there.’</em>


    Ayad was still ring at him while hiding above a tree.


    The fact that he was the only one there, without his subordinates, seemed to be thest piece of pride left in him.


    Raon looked away while sneering at Ayad.


    “You can keep watching like that forever.”


    * * *


    * * *


    The White Lotus division leader, Ayad, bit his lip tightly while watching Raon and the Light Wind division leave theke.


    <em>‘That boy…has he always been that powerful?’</em>


    Reaching the highest level of Master already was still understandable considering how fast Raon had been growing. He could still convince himself of that.


    <em>‘However, the might he’d just disyed was far above my prediction.’</em>


    Since the Warring Steel division leader was on the verge of death, Raon was the only one who could fight the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent inside the boundary.


    He couldn’t believe that he’d actually defeated the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent, who were at a higher realm than him, inside a boundary brimming with demonic energy—even destroying the boundary itself afterward.


    <em>‘Moreover, he even defeated the White Wolf Saber.’</em>


    The White Wolf Saber was a warrior who’d properly polished his martial art, unlike the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent who relied on the power of demonic energy, but he was defeated by Raon with an overwhelming difference.


    He lost in terms of technique despite being the more powerful one. It was an extremely shameful thing to happen to a warrior.


    <strong>Crack.</strong>


    Ayad clenched his fist holding the branch. The thick branch was ground into a powder and scattered into the air.


    “I should consider that he is a lot more powerful than I thought.”


    <em>‘And it looks like he’d even managed to find me.’</em>


    Raon had sneered while looking at him. His face looked like he was aware that Ayad was hiding there.


    <em>‘It looks like…I won’t get another chance if I don’t crush him right now.’</em>


    Raon’s growth was far above the normal standard. Since he could surpass the wall at any moment, he wanted to break his spirit while he could.


    <em>‘It’s been a long time, but I’ll have to return to the house.’</em>


    Ayad wrinkled his mouth while nning to crush Raon, and someone was watching him from behind.


    <strong>Whir.</strong>


    On the hill behind the tree where Ayad was hiding, a woman wearing an old woman’s mask and d in a ck robe was standing above the hill of greenery.


    “Hnngh…”


    She plucked the petals out of the flower she was holding one by one while looking at Ayad’s back.


    “Kill him. Leave him. Kill him. Leave him. Kill him. Leave him. Kill him. Leave him. Kill him. Leave him. Kill him. Leave him. Kill him. Leave him?”


    Merlin licked her lips upon seeing that thest flower petal ended at the leave him part.


    “Ah, he’s irritating me. I want to kill him…”


    She picked up another flower while touching her lips, which were slightly visible below her mask.


    “Let’s try one more time. Kill him. Leave him. Kill him. Leave him…”


    * * *


    Raon smiled faintly while looking at the high and sturdy gate of Zieghart.


    <em>‘It makes me feel at ease.’</em>


    He’d thought that it looked like a prison when he’d first seen the aloof gate, but it was looking like the entrance to his home now, filling him with nostalgia and warmth.


    He felt like he was feeling thefort of home for the first time in his previous and current lifebined.


    Raon watched the slowly opening gate before he looked around.


    <em>‘They fortunately managed to follow us all the way here.’</em>


    The people who were kidnapped by the ck Tower’s demonized humans were zealously following them while wearing Dorian’s fur coats.


    Raon actually wanted to return them to their homes, but they’d been exposed to demonic energy and were even injured. That was why he was trying to bring them to the house—in order to treat them.


    They must’ve understood Raon’s intentions and followed him there without anyone refusing his offer.


    The Warring Steel division and the Light Wind division were taking care of them one-on-one despite being injured themselves. Both divisions were groups of true warriors, iparable to the White Lotus division.


    <em>‘I really like them.’</em>


    <strong>Then how about you have them?</strong>


    Wrath was licking his lips above Raon’s head but bobbed his finger upon hearing his thought.


    <em>‘Have what?’</em>


    <strong>He’s talking about them.</strong>


    Wrath pointed at the Warring Steel swordsmen, who were either carrying or pulling the people to help them.


    <strong>Get them as your subordinates if you like them.</strong>


    He shook his hand, saying that personally recruiting the talented ones that he took a liking to was a demon king’s virtue.


    <em>‘I don’t really want to be a demon king though. And how am I supposed to have them as subordinates when we are both divisions of equal standing?’</em>


    <strong>You just need to ascend higher in that case.</strong>


    <em>‘Higher…’</em>


    It was possible to have other divisions and squads under him if the Light Wind division became the Light Wind Pce.


    However, it seemed excessive to already think about the promotion to Pce since they had only recently be the Light Wind division.


    <strong>It’s not excessive at all! You are eventually going toe down to Devildom with the King of Essence and be a new demon king. You should stop contemting gaining some shabby humans as subordinates. You need to be greedier.</strong>


    <em>‘My stomach is going to burst like you if I do that.’</em>


    <em>‘Because my real objective isn’t to stand above the others.’</em>


    Raon walked up to the front gate while reminding himself of his resolve to take his revenge against Derus Robert and to restore Sylvia’s status as a direct line.


    <em>‘The Light Wind Pce, though…’</em>


    Being a Grandmaster was the prerequisite for bing a pce master. Raon hadn’t even reached the wall yet, and he wasn’t the division leader either, so it was impossible for him to be a pce master. However, he felt like it wasn’t too bad to have as a new goal since they had been promoted to a division.


    <em>‘I should consider it.’</em>


    After he finished putting his thoughts together, Zieghart’s gate opened up and the externalmander, Illiune, walked out from it.


    “Good job!”


    He patted Raon’s shoulder while revealing his emotions in his expression, unlike the other times he’d seen him. Even Illiune seemed to be happy about the house member’s rescue.


    “Head to the lord’s manor right away. Everyone is waiting.”


    He pointed at the lord’s manor, which could be seen from afar, while telling him to leave the rest to him.


    <strong>Everyone’s waiting?</strong>


    Wrath licked his lips loudly as soon as he heard it.


    <strong>Which means it’s party time? With a lot of ice cream?</strong>


    He kept licking his lips. The party they’d previously had in the main building must’ve left a deep impression on him.


    <em>‘It’s a type of party indeed.’</em>


    Raon chuckled and shook his head.


    <em>‘But there will be a lot of food for me, not for you.’</em>