Chapter 719

Raon focused all his mind on Glenn's swordsmanship, forgetting even to breathe.

'What is this…?'

There was no sense of overwhelming aura, no mysterious movements, no extreme will.

Glenn's Heavenly Tremor simply advanced in silence. However, the results produced by that small, thin blade were different.

The vast light unleashed by the Leader of the White Blood Religion and the Fallen was cut down, the breath of the Dragon Lord was erased, and the aura of death spread by Derus Robert melted away.

Even the dark sword of the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, which had been cleaving the sky and earth, was broken in half.

'I can't believe this is possible…'

It was a mysterious blow that shattered all martial arts and knowledge accumulated until now.

Glenn lowered his Heavenly Tremor after cutting everything that existed before him.

"This sword is called the Soul Weapon."

He smiled differently than before, as if asking Raon if he had seen it.

"Soul Weapon…"

Raon looked up again to gaze at the world created by Glenn's sword.

A power that erased not only the aura but the enemy themselves. It was a transcendent sword that turned everything into nothingness.

—Soul Weapon, you say.

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at Glenn.

—You've given it a rather fitting name.

A fitting name?

—Indeed.

The creature nodded and extended his round fingers.

—Old Nadine's sword had something more important than aura, martial arts, or will imbued in it.

What's more important?

Although he felt he knew the answer, Raon looked at Wrath, wanting to hear it clearly.

—Life and soul.

Wrath pushed Raon's chest with his finger.

—Old Nadine captured his life until now, his future life, and the soul that would exist between both, within that sword.

The creature said it was interesting and curled his lips.

—It seems it won't be easy to determine a winner now.

Wrath licked his lips, saying he wanted to properly face Glenn.

'It's not easy to determine a winner…'

Wrath had always said he could defeat Glenn. To say it was difficult to determine a winner meant that Glenn and Wrath were now in the same realm.

Raon swallowed and looked at Glenn. His red eyes had a warmer light than usual.

Strangely, Raon's chest tickled and ached.

"W-what the hell is that…?"

Ogram stammered, as if he couldn't believe it.

"What kind of swordsmanship!"

His eyes trembled as if he couldn't understand Glenn's Soul Weapon either.

"That's swordsmanship, but it's not swordsmanship."

King Lecross lowered his eyebrows as if he had felt something.

"Head of House. Are you alright?"

He lowered his voice as he turned to look at Glenn.

"Yes."

Glenn nodded calmly as if he was fine.

"What are all of you doing! We need to check if those bastards are dead!"

Chamber frowned as he floated in the air.

"Especially those two-faced lizards. We can't let them escape. I'll chase them to their nest and skin them alive!"

He gritted his teeth in anger, more because of the Dragon Lord clinging to the tails of the Five Fallen Demons than the corrupted Five Demons themselves.

"Let's go!"

Chamber grabbed King Lecross's nape and disappeared like a bolt of lightning.

—What are you doing! Chase them immediately!

Wrath raised his round hand toward where Chamber's presence could be felt.

—This is a chance to eat roasted dragon!

He yelled to hurry and chase them, asking if it wasn't a waste to miss out on dragon meat.

Sigh…

Raon let out a long sigh. It seemed a little better, but his gluttonous behavior was starting again.

He pushed Wrath away with his eyes closed. Glenn had already turned his back, his eyes calm as if he already knew what the outcome would be.

"Alice, Karoon, Sylvia."

He looked at Alice, Karoon, and Sylvia in turn, then stroked his chin.

"What did you feel with my sword?"

Glenn waited for his children's answers as if telling them they could take their time, with his hands behind his back.

"I felt great freedom."

Alice looked up with confident eyes.

"It was a free sword that could extend anywhere."

She smiled with flushed cheeks as if she was excited.

"I saw the aura of an emperor."

Karoon bowed his head with his trembling hand on his chest.

"I felt absolute power that could split anything."

He revealed his clear red eyes, saying he had seen a goal.

"I, I…"

Sylvia hesitated before answering, her lips trembling.

"I felt bitterness and sadness."

She bowed her head with the tip of her nose red, as if she thought her own words were strange.

"I see."

Glenn stroked his chin at Alice, Karoon, and Sylvia's answers, and finally looked at Raon.

"Raon. What did you feel?"

"I…"

Raon looked up to meet Glenn's red eyes that resembled his own.

"I felt warmth from your sword, Head of House.

Although it was clearly a sword that cut everything, more than that, I felt a gentleness that wanted to protect this place."

He spoke honestly about what he had felt, even if it might sound crazy.

"Warmth, you say."

Glenn smiled for the first time as he looked at Raon's trembling eyes.

Indeed, everyone felt something different.

The freedom Alice felt was himself when he traveled the continent and experienced many things before becoming the head of the house. The spirit that moved Karoon was himself when he was immersed in demonic energy, destroying everything in his path and dominating the battlefield.

The sadness and bitterness that made Sylvia whimper was himself lamenting his past actions after escaping demonic possession.

And…

Glenn looked at Raon with a slight smile.

The warmth that child felt…

It must be me now. Now, instead of regretting the past, I only wish that Raon, Sylvia, and Zieghart's children live happily. It didn't matter if I wasn't part of that happiness. Even if I became fertilizer to nourish a tree, I could willingly die for those children.

"I see."

Glenn showed a sincere smile towards Raon as he calmed his heart that seemed to be straying from its path.

"H-Head of House?"

Raon grabbed Glenn's torn sleeve. Strangely, he felt as if Glenn could disappear from this place, and his hand moved before he realized it. Glenn patted Raon lightly on the head and stepped forward.

"Clean up the remains of the Five Demons. Today, we erase the name of the South-North Union from this continent."

"Yes!"

The Zieghart swordsmen pounded their chests and ran toward the headquarters of the South-North Union. The eyes of the swordsmen who had witnessed Glenn's divinity up close were filled with respect for the head of the house and the family.

"Head of House. Are you alright?"

Raon stood beside Glenn and swallowed.

"I'm fine for now."

Glenn shook his head calmly as he looked at the tips of Raon's trembling fingers.

"There's still a lot I need to pass on to everyone, a lot to teach. And don’t you have a promise to keep with me?"

He smiled softly like the setting sun. Raon bit his lip as he looked at Glenn, who somehow seemed different.

'For now?'

* * *

"Um…"

Mustan's jaw trembled as he looked at the Lable River, which had turned completely white.

"It's a bit awkward to say this, but doesn't our Alliance leader look like a moth drawn to fire?"

He blinked as if he couldn't believe it.

"Dying right after appearing, struck by Glenn Zieghart's sword… what is this…"

Mustan let out a sigh, still unable to understand.

"You're not wrong. However…"

Rector nodded slowly as he lowered his gaze.

"I think I understand why he jumped into the fire."

For someone obsessed with swords like the Alliance leader, it was natural to want to cross swords with Glenn, as that could elevate his level by simply doing so. Rector exhaled softly as he looked at Glenn's back.

'You've finally achieved it.'

The sword that Glenn Zieghart showed was a dream realm for practitioners of the Ten Thousand Swords. A state that transcends the framework of martial arts, capturing the accumulated life and soul in the vessel of a sword. Indeed, it was a transcendent sword that could be called the Soul Weapon, as Glenn said.

'I envy him.'

Although he had given up his martial arts dreams to desire Raon and Sylvia's happiness, the realm that Glenn had reached still seemed enviable. Rector stroked his wrist as he watched Glenn holding Raon's shoulder.

'Have you finally decided?'

Unlike before, there was no hesitation in Glenn's eyes as he looked at Raon. It seemed he had clearly decided on a direction.

'I hope you can at least take good care of Raon.'

Although there might not be much time left. The Soul Weapon that Glenn showed was a power that could even twist causality. It wasn't a martial art that could be completed as a human. His time had begun to flow.

"Master. What will you do now?"

Mustan scratched his head as he approached.

"The Alliance leader seems to be dead too…"

He licked his lips as he inspected the calm river.

"If he's dead, at least we should find the Alliance leader's body. And if he's alive…"

Rector gripped the hilt of his sword without finishing his sentence.

"Understood. That path is for the sake of Lord Raon."

Mustan nodded and moved to the opposite side of the river.

"Raon, Sylvia."

Rector smiled warmly as he looked at Raon and Sylvia standing beside Glenn.

"Be happy."

He gave his blessing to the grandson and daughter-in-law whom he couldn't yet call by those names, and disappeared into the darkening forest.

* * *

"For now, two ancient dragons are dead."

Chamber, returning to the Lable River, snapped his fingers.

"Not only are the corpses in a miserable state, but the Dragon Hearts are completely shattered. You really gave it a fitting name, Soul Weapon."

He let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn't believe it.

"What about the Dragon Lord?"

Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at the distant sky.

"He wasn’t there."

Chamber shook his head with a frown.

"That damn lizard! He has a bad habit of running away first."

He scoffed, saying he wasted his life, and let out a mocking laugh.

"To think we've become enemies of the dragons, it's incredible."

King Lecross massaged his temples as if he still couldn’t believe it.

"Isn't it actually a good thing?"

Ogram grabbed King Lecross's shoulder and smiled.

"It’s been bothering me how they kept interfering in every battlefield while claiming to maintain neutrality. Now we can chop their heads off with justice."

He clenched his fist, saying he would skin every dragon and make a different coat.

"What about the others?"

Glenn turned his gaze towards Chamber and lowered his chin.

"The Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance was nowhere to be seen. She must be dead. And as for the Leader of the White Blood Religion…"

Chamber wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"There was an area covered in white blood, but I can't believe that cockroach died so easily."

He shook his head, saying that the Leader of the White Blood Religion would probably be the last survivor among the Five Demons, even if everyone else died somehow.

"The Fallen definitely escaped."

Chamber licked his lips, disgusted.

"Finally, that bastard wearing the dragon helmet must be dead too."

"He's alive."

Glenn briefly licked his lips.

"Alive, you say?"

"Yes. The bracelet he threw expanded the aura of death, creating a path for him to escape."

He frowned as he recalled the situation.

That's what I thought.

Raon nodded calmly.

There's no way Derus died in a place like this.

He knew from the beginning that Derus hadn't died.

However…

Now there was evidence to reveal Derus's identity. Finally, the opportunity had come to unmask him and bring down Robert. Raon clenched his fist, determined to achieve this.

"Well done."

Glenn grabbed Chamber's shoulder.

"It's alright. I have to do at least this."

Chamber waved his hand, then slightly raised his eyes.

"But you can't keep using that sword, can you?"

"…That's right."

Glenn nodded calmly.

"I thought so."

Chamber pulled a lollipop from his bosom and put it in his mouth.

"There's something similar in magic too. I understand a little what kind of power it is."

He chewed the candy, saying he finally understood.

"Enough with the complicated talk!"

Ogram clapped loudly and pointed to the headquarters of the South-North Union, which had been cleaned up.

"What are you going to do with that place? You won, so you need to think about what comes next."

"Oh? The old boar can think about those things too?"

Chamber widened his eyes.

"What did you say, brat?"

Ogram frowned, flexing the muscles in his arms.

"Hmm."

Glenn passed between the two and headed toward the riverbank.

"Come out."

"......"

Even when told to come out, there was no change in the river water.

"Alright, don’t be afraid and come out."

When Glenn called again, the river water bubbled and a young Blue Lugh poked his face out. It was Flumen.

"Flumen!"

Raon immediately ran and stood between Glenn and Flumen.

"He's not an enemy, he's a friend who helped me."

"I know."

Glenn raised his hand as if he had expected this.

"Still, it could’ve been dangerous. Why did you help this child?"

He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Flumen, whose shoulder was bleeding.

"B-because we’re friends!"

Flumen shouted that they were friends without any doubt.

"I see."

Glenn nodded with a slight smile.

"The more dangerous it is, the more you must help a friend."

He raised his finger to point to the river where the headquarters of the South-North Union had been built.

"Do you know who the original owners of this area were?"

"I-I don’t know."

"It was the Blue Lugh Tribe."

"Uh…"

"I’ll return this river to you."

Glenn knelt down and extended his hand to Flumen.

"Ah, uh?"

Flumen was stunned for a moment before grabbing Glenn’s thumb.

"He's still good friends with this child."

Glenn gently patted Flumen’s head and stood up.

"Head of House…"

"I’m tired. Let’s go back now."

Glenn said they should return to Zieghart and turned his back. He really seemed to intend to return this river to the Blue Lugh Tribe.

"R-Raon!"

Flumen ran with surprised eyes.

"Is it true? Are you really giving us this place?"

"Yes. Although it will probably be a symbiotic relationship."

Glenn would probably set up a branch here to protect both the river and the Blue Lugh Tribe. Now Flumen and the Blue Lugh Tribe wouldn’t need to hide in the depths of the Gazelle River.

"Whoo-hooo!"

Flumen raised both arms and cheered.

"Thank you! Raon!"

"No, I should thank you."

Raon shook his head and patted Flumen on the head.

—Shouldn't you thank this king too?

Eh?

—Eh? Hmm? You’ve gone mad! You should immediately thank this king who saved your life… Hm?

Wrath’s jaw trembled as he stopped mid-sentence.

—M-my ribs hurt.

Ribs? Did you have ribs?

—Of course I did. Oh, he’s coming! He’s coming!

At the creature’s shout, Raon hastily released his aura perception. But what was coming wasn’t an enemy.

[You have achieved an incredible feat!]

[You have saved a Transcendent Warrior from the brink of death.]

[A Transcendent Warrior of a different caliber…]

[All skills…]

—Kyaaaaah!

Wrath screamed at the sight of the messages appearing one after another.

—I knew this would happen! Damn it, Angel!

Wrath pointed at the messages, foaming at the mouth.

Really…

Raon let out a sigh as he calmed his aura perception. He was examining the messages when his eyes widened in shock.

Eh? This is…?

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – MurimTang]

[Proofreader – Mayank]