Chapter 436

Glenn kept bragging late into the night.

“The partner is the most important part when it comes to drinking. Since I was the first one Raon filled a glass for, it was bound to be extremely delicious. It was closer to drops of the nectar of the gods than liquor…”

“Ah, wait a moment!”

Rimmer raised his head while grasping his temple.

“All you’ve been talking about for thirty minutes was that Raon filled your glass. Did anything else happen?”

“Anything else?”

“Yes. He filled your glass, but that shouldn’t be the end of the story.”

Getting invited to the annex building was a great opportunity for him to spend time with his youngest daughter and his grandson. Rimmer bobbed his finger while thinking that there was no way the drink was all he had.

“Like clinking glasses, bringing the food for you, or having a lengthy conversation. Something else must’ve happened!”

“That was it, though?’

Glenn tilted his head, asking what else he wanted since Raon had filled his glass.

“Argh!”

Rimmer slapped his own forehead with his palm. It hurt so much, but he couldn’t help it because of how frustrated he was.

‘What am I supposed to do? Is he really the same monster that I followed in the past?’

Glenn was still smiling, clearly in a good mood. His cheeks were red cheeks.

Rimmer couldn’t understand why he always became such a small man whenever he went to his grandson despite being an invincible warrior with overwhelming pressure even when he faced the heads of the Six Kings and the Five Demons.

“Stop smiling for now.”

“I never smiled.”

“Look at the mirror! The corners of your lips are piercing the ceiling!”

Rimmer pointed at the tilted mirror hanging on the wall.

“Ahem!”

Glenn saw his face in the mirror and forced his lips to stop dancing.

“Anyway, you are telling me that you just had one glass, right?”

“I also ate pizza. Yua gave it to me.”

Glenn exclaimed, saying that he didn’t know that she also had talent in cooking.

“Seriously, stop!”

Rimmer screamed and extended his hand.

“I don’t care about the rest! I’m telling you that you should never leave after just having a drink if you get another opportunity like this in the future! You should talk to Raon and Sylvia, act friendly to get closer to them!”

Such a great opportunity wasn’t easy to come by, but it could happen since Yua was there. Rimmer wanted him to recover their relationship a lot more clearly next time.

“Hmm, the relationship between people is similar to martial arts. You have to take it step by step, or else a problem will occur somewhe—”

“You are going to die from old age if you do that! You have to make progress like having a trance ten times in a row when it comes to stuff like this!”

Rimmer barked the words and slammed his fist against his bruised chest. He was probably going to have to stay bedridden for a few more days because of that, but he felt like he was going to be suffocated to death if he didn’t say that.

“Raon is also strangely dull when it comes to relationships with people, and it will be pointless if you don’t tell him!”

Raon was more capable than anyone at understanding the enemy’s mentality, but he was an idiot when it came to family and friends for some strange reason.

Since it was a matter between a slow-as-shit grandfather and a dull-as-fuck grandson, the slow progress was probably a natural outcome.

“Hmm, I see. I’ll think about it.”

Glenn nodded, saying that he would have another conversation with them if something similar happened in the future.

“I learned something at today's party. Raon likes pineapple pizza. I should import some pineapples. About ten tons should be good.”

“T-ten tons…”

“Since he also seemed to like beef and lamb chops, I’ll assign the chef from the lord’s manor in charge of grilling to the Light Wind division’s cafeteria.”

“Haa…”

Rimmer shook his head and sighed heavily.

‘Just say that to him! Seriously, man!’

If only he could tell his grandson that he was planning to dispatch his chef for his sake and make an unreasonable order like ten tons of pineapples, their relationship would immediately smooth out like ironed clothes. Rimmer was so frustrated that he was never going to tell him.

“What do girls like nowadays? I want to repay the favor to Yua, but I don’t really know anything about children. Shall I secretly give her a golden tablet…?”

Rimmer closed his eyes and shook his head.

“Please leave already!”

‘I’m so sick of this!’

* * *

Sylvia put her elbow on the table.

“Haa…”

She sighed deeply in exhaustion and covered her face with her hands.

“Are you okay?”

Raon leaned forward while looking at Sylvia’s hands, which were still trembling.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Sylvia shook her head while lowering her hand. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes seemed to be moist.

“It’s not because I’m tired…”

Her gaze was directed at the place Glenn had sat. Her eyes became serious. Raon could feel various emotions.

“It’s because I’m happy.”

“Happy…?”

“It was my first time having a meal with the head of house since my childhood.”

Sylvia’s smile was as distant as moonlight as she said that it was her first time seeing Glenn at the table since she was around Yua’s age.

“Hmm…”

Raon fidgeted while watching Sylvia wet her lips with the liquor that Glenn had left behind.

‘Did she like it that much?’

Either because he’d lived as an assassin or because he never knew his father, he couldn’t really understand Sylvia’s feelings.

However, his heart was as warm as if he were drunk because she was happy about it.

Tsk tsk.

Wrath briefly clicked his tongue while patting his full stomach.

You know how to read the enemy’s mentality, but you are so bad with people’s emotions. You really belong to Devildom after all.

He looked down on him as if he were seeing something pathetic, saying that Raon still had a lot to learn.

If you come to Devildom with the King of Essence, even someone like you will be able to gain a human heart…

‘You are talking too much again now that your stomach is full.’

Raon pushed the flabby Wrath away and licked his lips.

‘Is it going to work if I gain a few more achievements?’

Glenn probably wasn’t going to visit again, but he hoped that it would happen so he could have a meal with Sylvia one more time.

“I’m glad we were thoroughly prepared.”

Sylvia smiled brightly and looked at the maids.

“Good job, everyone, and thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

Helen shook her head with an understanding smile on her face.

“We also had fun while preparing for it!”

“I’m just thankful that the head of house enjoyed the meal!”

The maids smiled faintly while wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads.

“But when he was around, I couldn’t tell if I was eating with my mouth or my nose.”

“I was the same. I couldn’t taste it at all…”

“We just ate at the same table as the head of house. No one is going to believe this.”

“I won’t be able to forget for the rest of my life.”

They were limp, with their backs against the chair, saying that they felt exhausted.

“Sir Rector and Sir Mustan, thank you for going along with the mood.”

Sylvia stood up and carefully bowed to Rector and Mustan.

“It was the natural thing to do as guests.”

Rector nonchalantly nodded, saying that he had a fun time.

“Since you are Sir Raon’s mother, I’m fine with anything you do!”

Mustan slammed his head on the table, saying that he would’ve been fine even if she had taken advantage of him because his master-servant relationship with Raon was still firm.

“Ah, I see…”

Sylvia quickly blinked in surprise. She glared at Raon fiercely, asking what he’d done to him.

“Haa…”

Raon sighed while looking at the trembling table.

‘He’ll need some education.’

He figured that he needed to educate him so that he would consider him as a friend instead of his master to stop earning people’s suspicion.

“He must’ve been satisfied.”

Raon nodded with nonchalant eyes.

“The head of house isn’t the type of person to lie. He must’ve been telling the truth when he said it was delicious.”

“That’s true.”

Sylvia smiled cheerfully and patted Yua’s head as she nibbled on a piece of fruit.

“Yua.”

“Yes!”

Yua energetically raised her hand.

“How did you come up with the idea of inviting the head of house? Wasn’t he scary?”

Sylvia asked, and everyone looked at Yua. They all seemed to be curious why she tried to bring Glenn over.

“Because ma’am has always said this! Meals are more delicious when they are shared with everyone! And…”

Yua smiled faintly and picked up the fork with a piece of pineapple on it.

“The head of house isn’t scary. He’s a kind person.”

She smiled brightly while swallowing the pineapple.

“We should keep playing with him in the future since he seems to be lonely!” 

* * * 

Rector bitterly licked his lips while watching Raon and Sylvia, who kept only talking about Glenn.

‘Is this what bloodlines are like?’

He was roughly aware of how Glenn had been treating Sylvia and Raon.

He was well aware of how much Sylvia and Raon had suffered. He also understood why Glenn had made that decision, and he could accept it.

However, he thought it would be difficult to close the gap because there was a cliff between them and Glenn.

Even though he was Sylvia’s father, Rector had thought that they couldn’t get close that easily since the paths they’d been walking were far too different.

‘But that wasn’t the case.’

A single meal. Sharing the table once allowed them to drastically reduce the distance between Sylvia, Glenn, and Raon.

He had never really cared too much about it before, but he could finally understand why people placed so much importance on bloodlines.

“Haa…”

Rector briefly sighed while guzzling down the liquor that Glenn had brought.

‘Half of his blood is from me…But I can’t say that right now.’

The fact that he couldn’t tell them what he was thinking, that he couldn’t reveal his identity, felt so frustrating that he felt like he was having indigestion.

‘This relationship really feels like just a lie.’

He wanted to reveal the truth right away and hug his daughter-in-law and his grandson with peace of mind, but he couldn’t reveal his identity yet for their sake.

‘Honestly, I’m not sure if I can even do it in the future.’

It was necessary to leave the Alliance in order to reveal his identity to Raon and Sylvia, but he had a feeling that the Alliance head’s request wasn’t going to end so easily.

‘It will be a difficult path, however… I need to return to this place no matter what.’

He was determined to do anything in order to make his daughter-in-law and grandson happy since their lives had been so difficult.

He clenched his fist under the table and steeled himself.

Rector raised his glass without much alcohol left inside. Raon and Sylvia could be seen through the splashing red liquor.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take care of the two of you, at least.’

After he drank about half of the liquor inside the glass, he raised his glass towards the empty seat where Glenn used to be.

‘Glenn, Raon filled your glass before mine this time, but I won’t lose next time. His paternal grandfather will come first!’

Rector chuckled and emptied the small amount of liquor left. The funny part was that it still tasted great.

‘Let’s drink together again later on.’

* * *

Raon went to the fifth training ground early in the daybreak and warmed himself up.

He had no other choice than to wake up so early because he needed more time to train by himself in order to properly engrave Glenn and Rector’s teaching from the day before in his body and mind.

Zzz…

It looked like it was too early for Wrath to wake up. His snoring was the only sound coming from the ice flower bracelet.

‘Seriously.’

Raon chuckled and unsheathed Heavenly Drive. He slashed the Fangs of Insanity while thinking about Glenn and Rector’s teachings.

Even though his sword technique used to have nothing but the sharpness of a noted blade forged by an artisan, it conserved the twist of his wrist to create delicate variations.

Heavenly Drive’s edge scattered like dandelion seeds and summoned a wave of swords. The sword wave sloshed endlessly and left dozens of scars on the floor.

It couldn’t be called an ultimate variation, but there was a huge difference compared to before.

‘Next up.’

Raon didn’t lower Heavenly Drive even though he’d just unleashed the variable sword to the best of his ability. He returned to the Fangs of Insanity’s first technique and engulfed his blade with the principles of the illusion sword.

Whap!

Heavenly Drive spread around like a brush drawing in the air and unleashed a thick fog of swords into the space.

The trajectories weren’t as varied as the variable sword, but the blades created with the illusion had the same murderous intent as the real one.

“Haa…”

Raon consecutively unleashed the Fangs of Insanity six times total before he exhaled his heavy breath.

‘I can’t tell if I’m doing well or not.’

He wasn’t sure whether he was improving or not because both Glenn and Rector had been pointing out his flaws instead of praising him.

He did have the feeling that he was getting better, but he couldn’t tell how much that was.

‘The path of the sword is so far and deep.’

He used to be somewhat confident in variable and illusion swords because he’d been continuously practicing them even though they weren’t as much as powerful, swift, and heavy swords. However, having his flaws constantly pointed out embarrassed him.

Just like Rimmer had said, the study of martial arts seemed to be endless.

Cring.

Raon raised Heavenly Drive to around his waist.

‘I should try using that one.’

The Flame Spirit. It was the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s technique that deserved to be called the epitome of variable and illusion swords. When Raon was about to clad the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s heat around Heavenly Drive in order to confirm his progress in variable and illusion swords, the training ground’s door opened and Rector entered.

“Good morning.”

Raon lowered Heavenly Drive and bowed to Rector.

“Yes, did you have a good night’s sleep?”

“Yes.”

Raon nodded with a smile.

“I believe your vacation is nearing its end. Don’t overwork yourself too much.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then let’s get started right away. We will start with the illusion sword just like yesterday.”

“Yes.”

“Wait!”

When Raon got into the posture and was about to incorporate the principles of illusion sword into Heavenly Drive, Rector shook his hand.

“I’ll demonstrate for you beforehand. Repeat after me.”

Rector didn’t even wait for his response and raised his sword in front of Raon’s eyes. His sword was diffused like sunlight and created hundreds of illusory swords.

“How was it?”

He ordered Raon to repeat exactly what he’d done with a smile that looked similar to Glenn’s for some reason.

‘I finally got used to his method though. Why did he suddenly decide to change it…?’

* * *

“Hmm?”

Burren tilted his head upon finding the Light Wind division’s swordsmen gathered in front of the fifth training ground’s main door.

‘Did they also come here to practice?’

He was there for some exercise since the vacation was about to end, and he guessed that the others had also come for some light training.

‘But why are they standing in front of the door instead of entering?’

He waved his hand at the swordsman while thinking that it was strange.

“What are you doing?”

“Ssh!”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Be quiet!”

Runaan, Martha, and Dorian shook their heads and gestured for him to close his mouth.

“Hmm?”

While Burren was standing there in bewilderment, Krein waved his hand at him.

“Come here without making any sound.”

“Ah, okay…”

Burren nodded and went next to everyone.

“Look over there.”

He followed Krein’s finger and looked inside the training ground.

“Raon and…huh? The head of house?”

Burren’s jaw dropped in surprise.

“Is the head of house teaching Raon?”

“Yes. And I heard the Sword Demon taught him in the morning.”

Krein quietly whispered as if it were a secret.

‘Why is the head of house teaching Raon?’

He could understand about Rector since he’d been helping with the training for everyone in the Light Wind division, but he couldn’t figure out why Glenn was teaching Raon.

‘What’s going on right now…?’

He’d heard that Glenn hadn’t taught anyone recently, including the palace masters like his father. He was unable to understand the situation.

“Ah!”

Krein was watching inside the training ground before he briskly turned his head.

“Raon was the only person who didn’t get the extra reward from the head of house in the audience chamber. I’m guessing he is teaching him to make up for that.”

“Ah, that’s it!”

Martha looked away from the crack in the door and nodded.

“It’s frustrating to admit, but he deserved it. Because eighty percent of the war at House Arianne was handled by him.”

Everyone in the Light Wind division had worked to the bone at House Arianne, but Raon had fought the hardest among them.

Since she was well aware of how he’d fought back then, she didn’t feel any jealousy.

“I’m still a bit jealous though.”

Martha bit her lip tightly, and Runaan secretly approached.

“Martha, are you jwealous?”

Runaan tilted her head while eating the bead ice cream in her hand.

“I told you to stop doing that!”

“You only told me to stop saying mya mya.”

“No, I meant to say to stop using that way of talking entirely!”

“Nyaw.”

“Fuck off!”

Martha charged at her, and Runaan ran away while eating her ice cream. No one was paying any attention to them because they’d gotten used to it already.

“Wow, I never thought I would see the day when the vice division leader gets tired.”

Dorian fiddled with his belly pocket while watching Raon, who was breathing roughly while holding his knees.

“Same goes for me. I never thought he would be so exhausted during training. However…”

Krein nodded in agreement and raised the corners of his lips slightly.

“Doesn’t it feel great for some reason? It’s so nice to see.”

He murmured that it felt so great to see him suffer like that because he was usually perfectly fine whenever he trained them.

“I’m not the only one who feels this way, am I?”

“Honestly, I feel the same way.”

Burren chuckled and scratched his cheek. Raon usually didn’t even sweat at all, but he was panting in exhaustion. Watching him made him feel like his lunch had been digested in one fell swoop.

“Same goes for me.”

Martha nodded with a cold smile on her face.

“He needs to experience being the receiving end.”

She murmured that Raon needed to suffer a lot more than that.

“I agree.”

Runaan raised her hand, standing one step away from Martha.

“I agree with Miss Rakshasa for once.”

“So you understan—stop calling me Miss Rakshasa!”

Martha started to smile, but her face turned like a fiend as she charged at Runaan, which started another round of tag.

“Our vice division leader needs to learn how difficult it is to train.”

“I agree. He won’t go so hard on us once he learns his lesson.”

“He must’ve realized our pain after suffering so much. It’s so hard when the trainer doesn’t match your level.”

“Our training should become easier in the future.”

The other Light Wind swordsmen were nodding vigorously while thinking about all the suffering they had to go through when the training ground door slammed open.

Whoosh.

The violent sandstorm subsided, and they could see inside the training ground. Glenn had already left, and Raon was staring at them with his red pupils while leaning forward like a beast.

“You should’ve entered since you were here. What are you waiting for?”

“Ah…”

“A-about that…”

The way the Light Wind swordsmen were trembling upon seeing the black steam emerging from Raon’s mouth looked like they'd caught a chill.

“I’ve realized something from this experience.”

His lips smoothly rolled into a smile, but his smile was glowing with an evil aura.

“Just like iron that becomes harder upon tempering, humans become stronger from hardship. I think I’ve been going too easy on you so far.”

His frightening smile deepened as he bobbed his finger.

“I’ll help you become even harder pieces of iron.”

Raon’s smooth gesture looked like the bloody scythe of a death god to them.

“W-we aren’t iron though?”

“Yeah! The vacation is still not over!”

“…I-I’m sleepy.”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan’s chins trembled in terror upon seeing the madness glowing from Raon’s eyes.

‘Aah…’

‘W-we are screwed…’

‘I thought we would have an easier time, but it’s even worse!’

‘H-he learned his lesson in the wrong way!’

The Light Wind swordsmen also frantically shook their heads and showed their denial.

“I-it’s okay! I’m going to return for now.”

“Yes, my family is sick…”

“I have an appointment with my parents… Gasp!”

“Aaaah!”

“B-behind! He’s behind us!”

Everyone started to step back, but Raon had moved behind them before they knew it to block their path.

“It’s fine.”

Raon’s eyes glowed with madness as he grabbed the Light Wind swordsmen by their necks.

“It won’t last that long since this is our first day. And you know… I can’t be the only one to suffer.”

“D-did you just say that you can’t be the only one to suff—cough!”

“Shut up.”

He smacked Krein’s mouth and threw the other Light Wind swordsmen he was holding by their necks into the training ground.

“Let’s get started.”

Raon drew Heavenly Drive with a frightening smile on his face.

“The endless hell of sword practice is coming.”

***

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]