Chapter 182

“That’s the pin you gave us earlier.”

Burren narrowed his eyes, looking at the red pin on Raon’s hand.

“You told us to keep it with us because you can locate it, right?”

He took a pin from his pocket. The other swordsmen also took out their pins.

“Yes. Since they contain my aura, I can locate them.”

Raon nodded.

“So, how can you find the princess and Inield’s locations with that? They don’t have the pins.”

“They do.”

“Huh?”

“Th-They do?”

“Really?”

“Why does the princess have that?”

The eyes of both the swordsmen and the magicians widened when he said they had one.

“I put them on their clothes after they fainted.”

Raon chuckled, putting the pin back on his collar.

“J-Just, why?”

“How did you even know?”

The people inside the conference room gasped in bewilderment.

“I figured that if I were one of the Five Demons and realized that the princess and Inield had collapsed, I would target them for sure.”

“A-Are you saying you predicted this to happen?”

“Rather than prediction, it was more like… I can find their location if it happens, and it’s fine if not.”

“Huh…”

“Seriously…”

Raon spoke casually, and people shook their heads. Rimmer was the only one smiling, his hands behind his head with fingers laced together.

“Wait.”

Morell, who had been silent, raised his hand.

“The strategy you used by putting a pin on them was outstanding enough, to the point that it’s difficult to believe a novice swordsman did that. However…”

“Did that?”

“Do I really have to talk respectfully in this situation…?”

“The contract has to be abided by.”

“Argh, d-did that, Sir. However, they even removed my artifacts. There’s no way your pins remained intact.”

“No, they are still there.”

Raon definitely shook his head, pointing his finger at the pin Burren was holding.

“That pin is made of Flaming Steel. Since it’s made by melding my aura into the heat of Flaming Steel, no one except for me can feel anything special about the pins.”

“Hmm, now that you mention…”

Morell swallowed nervously, then nodded.

“I can’t feel any energy from the pin.”

Before Raon mentioned it, he didn’t even notice that the pin contained an aura. He just thought that it was a red pin.

‘What the hell is this guy?’

His might and actions surpassed his age, and his preventative measures were pretty much perfect. It was difficult to believe that he was a novice in every aspect. He would’ve believed it if he was a veteran, or even the head of an organization.

‘He’s probably better than that ruffian elf.’

To be honest, Raon looked like the Light Wind’s leader, rather than Rimmer, who was spacing out to the side.

“One more thing.”

Raon raised his finger.

“There’s another reason why I’m sure that Inield and Princess Jayna’s locations are correct.”

“Another reason?”

“Yes. The archbishop of White Blood Religion that fought against me is with them.”

“Huh?”

“D-Do you even know about the archbishop’s location?”

Upon mentioning that he knew her location, people’s eyes started to waver violently.

“How do you know that?”

“I put a pin on her clothes while fighting her.”

“W-Wait! You put the pin on her while fighting? Against an archbishop?”

Burren gasped in bewilderment.

“Yes. I could’ve killed her on the spot, but I released her on purpose, since we needed to figure out the location of the Porvan branch.”

Raon nodded. Just like a hunter that released a rabbit to find their den, he released the archbishop to discover the location of their branch. And that plan worked perfectly.

“Where is their location? Let’s attack them right away!”

Morell stood up while flapping his robe, urging him to attack.

“Sir Morell and Salaman have to stay here.”

“What? Why should we?”

“Why should we?”

“Wh-Why should we, Sir?”

“Just like I said before, the archbishop’s companion can use a sorcery to move long distances. If he manages to escape, he will come to Porvan’s center to either avoid attention or take hostages, which you need to stop. Magicians are better than swordsmen at dealing with something like that, after all.”

“Even so, the princess and my student are there! We obviously have to go!”

“You have to think about the big picture right now. We are better at attacking, and Salaman is better at protecting everyone.”

“But…”

Because Raon’s argument was objective, Morell bit his lips, unable to insist any further.

“Moreover, there might be people that aren’t White Blood fanatics mixed in there. It will be difficult for you to distinguish between them while using your magic.”

“Keuh…”

“We will save the princess and Inield at all costs, as long as they are alive. I swear it.”

Raon saluted with his sword, his eyes serious. It was his vow as a swordsman.

“Haa, alright.”

Morell sighed in resignation, lowering his hand.

“Thank you. I’ll leave the protection of Porvan to you, then.”

Raon bowed at Morell before looking at the Light Wind.

“Let’s go. We are leaving right away, before they notice the pin’s presence.”

He left the conference room right after saying that.

“Kuh…”

“Yes!”

Martha ran out while grinding her teeth, and the other Light Wind members followed her with nervous expressions.

“There’s nothing left for me to do.”

Rimmer slowly stood up, smiling like a slippery fox.

“Rimmer.”

Morell grabbed Rimmer’s shoulder when he tried to leave.

“What the hell is that monster?”

He was pretty surprised when he overwhelmed and beat up Inield, but the shock he felt just now was in another dimension from that. He couldn’t believe that he was only seventeen years old.

‘He’s even better than him…’

Balkar also had a young monster, but while his might probably matched Raon’s, Morell felt like he was definitely far behind in terms of strategy and action.

“Was he personally raised by the Destructive King of North or something? How did a monster like that come to be?”

“No way.”

Rimmer chuckled.

“He helped a little, but he grew up with his own power. He surpassed both my help and the head of house’s help, growing on his own.”

“What nonsense…”

“You should watch him closely. Zieghart’s, or rather the continent’s, history will be rewritten by Raon’s hand.”

He swirled his hand before leaving the conference room.

“History…”

Morell swallowed nervously, looking at the door Rimmer left through. He would’ve normally laughed at him, but he had a strange feeling that it would actually come true.

“Haa, let’s go. We should do our job.”

He left the conference room alongside Salaman’s magicians, a slightly tired expression on his face.

* * *

Raon was standing at the hill along with the Light Wind members, where they could see the place that was probably the White Blood Religion's local branch.

“It’s over there.”

He pointed at an old-fashioned mansion below the hill. It was the house located in the north of Porvan City, belonging to a merchant family praised for their usual good deeds.

Since a merchant house could easily use the carriages, it must’ve been convenient for kidnapping people.

“That’s the White Blood Religion’s…”

Martha breathed heavily, as if she were about to dash out immediately. Her black eyes were emanating something that couldn’t even be called murderous intent anymore.

‘It’s more serious than I thought.’

It looked like she would swing her sword even if she were about to die. Raon decided to watch Martha closely during the battle.

“So, that’s the location.”

Rimmer scratched his chin and licked his lips.

“However, we can’t just attack them there. Not all of them will be White Blood fanatics.”

“We can just attack.”

Raon answered, grasping the Blade of Requiem that was wailing more fiercely than ever.

“They are all White Blood fanatics, except for those that are locked up underground.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes.”

The wailing Blade of Requiem was telling him that everyone inside the mansion was a White Blood fanatic that had learned the White Spirit Aura.

“The first team attacks from the front, and the third team attacks from behind. The second team infiltrates from the right side and rescues the hostages underground. Make sure to always maintain the Light Wind formation as you move.”

“How about the left side?”

“I’ll be there with the squad leader. We will immediately go underground, just like the second team, and fight the executives. I’ll take care of Seline, so squad leader, please take care of the executive that used the teleportation spell. We need to quickly neutralize him in order to prevent their escape.”

“That’s not difficult. But…”

Rimmer licked his lips with a sour face.

“Don’t you think you look like the squad leader? I have no presence here at all.”

“You never had any to begin with.”

Burren snorted and shook his hand. Runaan calmly stood up, and Martha was spreading a frightening amount of murderous intent.

“I’ll make the first strike.”

Holding the Blade of Requiem in a reverse grip, Raon ran down the hill. He raised the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s energy to the maximum, then mixed it with the ghastly energy of the Blade of Requiem.

Whaaap!

The Flame Spirit of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, imbued with ghastly energy, decorated the sky by creating an explosion of crimson fire in the middle of the mansion.

* * *

Seline was headed to Darigon’s office, wearing the archbishop coat with three lines drawn at the center. Darigon was doing his hair while wearing the archbishop coat as well.

“The preparations finished a long time ago. When is he even coming?”

“He’ll be here soon enough.”

“Having to bow to that young guy is really repulsive.”

“Be careful of what you say. Even though he used to be under you, he’s currently the lord’s student. Moreover, he’s not the only one that is coming.”

“What?”

“The Tenth White Spirit said he was coming along as training. You should behave yourself.”

“That strict guy? Damn it! Nothing’s going well.”

Seline grit her teeth, massaging her arm, which wasn’t perfectly reattached yet.

“You should stay here and guard those two.”

Darion neatly swept his hair back before pointing at Princess Jayna and Inield, who were tied to the wall.

“Are you telling me to watch some hostages?”

“Would you prefer to accompany the White Spirit instead?”

“Argh…”

Seline frowned, then nodded in agreement.

“I’ll escort them here, so make sure to hold back your arrogance.”

“I know, I know!”

“I’ll be back.”

Darigon wore a white hood on his head to completely hide his face as he left the office.

“Damn it. How did I end up like this…? Argh!”

Seline ground her teeth while touching the wound on her shoulder. Although Darigon used his bloody energy, the wound wasn’t healing at all. It was a really terrible injury.

‘That bastard…’

Raon Zieghart. When she thought about the fact that it was because of that damn bastard that she was feeling such pain and humiliation, she started boiling in anger.

“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill everyone related to you, no matter what, and drink their blood.”

Seline was resolving herself to get her revenge, looking at the wound on her arm.

Baaam!

The sound of a huge explosion could be heard from upstairs, and the entire underground trembled, as if it were an earthquake.

“Wh-What’s going on?”

Seline looked up, her eyes wide.

‘White Spirit? No! There’s no way.’

There was no way a White Spirit would suddenly start attacking the mansion, not unless they decided to abandon the branch. It must’ve been an emergency that even Darigon hadn’t anticipated.

‘Then… Ah!’

Upon feeling the energy from upstairs, Seline bit her lip so harshly that it nearly bled. It was a powerful energy that she had directly faced a few hours ago. It was Raon Zieghart’s energy.

“Why is that crazy bastard here?”

She tried leaving the office in surprise.

Slaaam!

The sound of a second explosion could be heard, and the ceiling collapsed. Amidst the dust, scorched in black, she could hear the voice that made her the angriest she’d been since she was born.

“Is this the White Blood’s Porvan branch?’

“You…”

Red eyes sparked frighteningly in the sinking dust.

“R-Raon Zieghart! Why are you here?!”

The man standing on the collapsed ceiling was Raon Zieghart, who she wanted to chew up to death. 

* * * 

Raon snickered at flustered Seline.

“Did you ask why? It’s because you showed me the path here.”

“What?”

“You are wearing a coat, but you didn’t change your clothes.”

He raised his finger to point inside the White Blood Religion coat that Seline was wearing.

“Clothes?”

Seline wrinkled her nose, taking off the coat. Noticing the red pin attached at the end of the clothes she was originally wearing, her eyes widened.

“Wh-What is this?”

“It is part of a set with this one.”

Raon smiled faintly and pointed at the pin attached to his collar.

“I managed to find the White Blood branch thanks to you. Thank you.”

“Aah…”

Seline stepped backward, her teeth chattering.

“Then, you…”

“Yes. I let you go on purpose. After all, I wouldn’t have had any way of finding your branch if I killed you back then. Though, I didn’t need to do that when I think about it now.”

Raon smiled faintly, looking at Jayna and Inield hanging on the wall.

“You’d better not think about escaping, as our squad leader went to catch your companion.”

“You are so great. What a damn great guy you are! But there’s one thing that you don’t know.”

Seline’s energy exploded out, and the blazing white energy rose to her shoulders.

“Everything’s settled if you die right here!”

“I wonder.”

The moment she tried to use her bloody aura, Raon used the Supreme Harmony Steps. With a single step stretched in a straight line, Raon ignored the space in an instant and reached the area in front of Seline.

“Wh-What?!”

“You have no more chances left.”

“Keuh!”

Seline hurriedly controlled the bloody energy she was trying to attack with, trying to switch to defense, but it was pointless. The mixture of ghastly energy of the Blade of Requiem and pure energy of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation created a burning golden flame, engulfing the space.

Whir!

The blade, which was imbued with powerful energy, slashed through Seline’s bloody energy and shredded her arm once again.

“Kyaaah!”

Seline screamed at the unbearable pain. A serious amount of blood was flowing from the arm that was cut by the dagger.

“H-How…?”

“I told you.”

Raon coldly smiled, twirling the dagger.

“I went easy on you earlier.”

“Sh-Shut up!”

Seline’s arm wasn’t completely severed, probably because she instinctively pulled her arm away at the last moment. However, it looked like she couldn’t regenerate it. Blood kept gushing out, and she was unable to restitch the wound.

“Keuh! I’ll kill you!”

Seline pulled off the skin on her hand herself, then gathered her hands. The blood flowing down from her hand and wrist gathered at the center, creating a tremendous amount of boiling power.

“I saw from outside that there were at least two hundred people locked up here.”

“What are you talking about right now?”

“I’m saying that you don’t deserve to live.”

“Bullshit! You are the one that’s going to die here!”

Seline shot the bloody energy she had gathered at him with maximum power.

Whaam!

Dozens of streams of bloody energy twisted with each other like vines to cover the space. His vision was completely covered with the wave of bloody energy, with no place to dodge nor escape.

Creak!

Raon fixed his grip on the Blade of Requiem and controlled as much energy of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation as he could.

Whir!

The ghastly energy of the Blade of Requiem created a yellow trajectory of light in the air. Raon placed the energy of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, following the best path to sever the bloody energy.

Whaaam!

The light of resentment bursting from the sparkling crimson blade perfectly severed the light of the bloody energy.

“Th-This is impossible…”

Raon could see Seline’s wide eyes between the severed bloody energy. Murky blood gushed from her mouth as she looked at the huge hole that had appeared on the left side of her chest.

“R-Raon Zieg…”

Seline collapsed backwards before she could finish calling Raon’s name, gasping out her final breath.

“The Blade of Requiem is the best for fighting the White Blood Religion, after all.”

Raon caressed the Blade of Requiem, which seemed to be sucking up Seline’s blood. Heavenly Drive was also a legendary sword, but the Blade of Requiem was the best when it came down to fighting the White Blood Religion.

“Raon.”

Raon looked back upon hearing the soft voice coming from the door. Runaan and Dorian were there.

“We’ve finished rescuing the hostages.”

She waved her hand, telling him that she had accomplished her mission.

“Any casualties?”

“No.”

“Good job. Please take the rescued people outside.”

“Mhm.”

Runaan nodded in acknowledgment, going back to the corridor.

“Then, I’m also leav…”

“You should stay here.”

He bobbed his finger towards Dorian, who was about to follow Runaan out.

“Sorry?”

“I have a job for you.”

Raon smiled coldly, looking at Princess Jayna, who still hadn’t woken up.

“The dog that barks constantly needs a collar.”

* * *

Clap. Clap.

Jayna slowly opened her eyes at the sound and feeling of someone slapping her cheeks.

“Huh?”

The man in front of her was Raon Zieghart, who was the biggest eyesore in the world.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you in front of m… Huh?”

Jayna’s eyes widened upon noticing that something was hanging around her wrists.

When she looked upwards, she saw that shackles attached to the wall were fastened around her wrists and ankles, preventing her from moving. The room was also completely unfamiliar to her, and the ceiling and walls were trembling as if they were going to collapse at any moment.

“Wh-What? Where is this? What did you do to me?”

“This is the White Blood Porvan branch.”

Raon gestured with his chin, spinning the dagger in his hand.

“Wh-White Blood branch?”

“Yes. And you are here because you were kidnapped by the White Blood Religion.”

“What nonsense…”

“You can tell from looking around.”

He pointed at the murky blood on the ground, and Seline, who had turned into a corpse.

“Th-Then, what are you doing right now? Release me right away if you’ve come to rescue me!”

“Why should I?”

Raon’s mouth curled up into a smile as he looked at her coldly.

“Wh-What?!”

“I’m asking why I would save you when you just want to antagonize me.”

“What kind of madness is that?”

“It’s perfect, right? If you die here, I can just say that it was the White Blood’s doing.”

“Y-You are crazy! Do you think Balkar will overlook this matter?”

“No one will know if you die because the ceiling collapsed.”

Raon pointed at the ceiling, which was trembling like it would collapse at any moment, covered in holes.

“Wh-Why would you do that? Balkar and Zieghart are allies!”

Jayna’s lips trembled in fear.

“We are allies in names only, and we are actually on cat-and-dog terms, just like you and me. Weren’t you only thinking about how to kill me until you got kidnapped?”

“Th-That’s…”

“That’s why I’m saying farewell.”

Raon waved his hand, then turned around.

“Wait! P-Please save me! I’ll never offend you over again. Even if we meet outside, I will pretend nothing happened, and do anything you want. Please!”

She struggled, and the ceiling and walls started to tremble even more intensely.

“Hieee!”

“Are you serious about that?”

“Yes! I won’t even look at your shadow! Quickly!”

“I already don’t like your manner of speech.”

“P-Please save me! I’ll do anything you ask!”

“Really?”

Raon smiled, stretching his hand to the side.

“Special contract.”

“Phew…”

Dorian sighed slightly, taking out a gilded contract and pen from his belly pocket, before giving them to him. He kept murmuring that he didn’t have everything while handing them over.

“S-Special contract?”

“You know what this is, right? Since this is created in your country.”

A special contract was different from a normal contract, since the contractors were forced to abide by the contents because it was imbued with magic.

“This sounds good.”

Raon wrote on the contract that Jayna Balkar would grant three requests from Raon Zieghart, no matter what.

“Sign.”

“A-Are you seriously telling me to sign to something like this?”

“Like this?”

“Like this, Sir…”

“But you said you would do anything.”

“But these contents…”

“Fine. I’ll add that I won’t make you risk your life. Are you satisfied?”

“Ah…”

“You don’t want it? That’s fine, then.”

Raon nodded, putting away the contract as if he didn’t mind it. He pointed at the ceiling that was boiling like stew, then smiled faintly.

“Since there’s less than a minute left, say goodbye to the world.”

“D-Damn it!”

Jayna screamed, shaking her fingers.

“I get it! I got it! I’ll sign it!”

“I’ll sign it?”

“I-I’ll sign it… Sir.”

“An excellent choice.”

“Aww…”

Raon handed Jayna, who started to weep, the contract. Jayna used nothing but her fingers to sign her name on the signature part of the contract.

Cring!

Golden light burst from the contract to create two lines, which streamed into Raon and Jayna’s bodies. Jayna would receive a powerful shock in her heart if she didn’t carry out the contract.

Since there was such a scary price to pay, a special contract was extremely expensive, and it was rarely used.

“I’ll release you, then.”

Raon simply swung his dagger, and the handcuffs and shackles suppressing her body shattered.

“Sniff…”

“Since it came down to this, I’ll tell you a secret as well.”

As Jayna was grabbing her stinging wrists and ankles, Raon unsheathed his dagger and stood up.

“Secret? What secret?”

“What?”

“Wh-What secret, Sir?”

“It’s about the butterfly you bought at the auction house.”

Raon turned his back on her and continued.

“I was the one that took it. I’m sorry. Ah, revealing this fact makes me so refreshed.”

He left after saying that. The most staggering part was that the ceiling that was about to collapse stopped trembling as soon as he left.

“Ah, aah…”

Jayna finally realized that she was tricked, and her hands trembled.

“Kuaaah!”

She screamed, shouting the name of her new archenemy.

“Raon Zieghart!”

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]