Chapter 730

Raon calmly took Derus’s hand. Without showing any aura or imposing presence, he simply moved his hand up and down, adhering to the basic etiquette of a handshake.

‘I can’t provoke him now.’

Derus Robert is more suspicious and cautious than anyone Raon knows. The fact that he extended his hand now meant he had completed all his preparations.

‘I must wait.’

Raon bit the inside of his lip, suppressing the Blade of Death that seemed to want to pierce his heart.

‘I need to stick to the plan.’

It would be impossible to reveal Derus’s true identity while he was in such a focused state. Instead, Raon could end up falling into his trap and revealing information. Now was the time to stifle his anger and desire for revenge, and put on a fake smile. Just as Derus had manipulated him.

– Well, the atmosphere is quite cold. It feels like we’ve entered an ice castle.

Wrath muttered that the weather seemed to have turned cold, shrugging his shoulders.

“It is an honor to shake the hand of the Heavenly Sword Saint.”

Raon smiled slightly as he gently rubbed his thumb across the back of Derus’s hand.

‘I can’t feel it well.’

The black leather gloves Derus was wearing were too thick to discern any scars on the back of his hand. He was always so cautious. Raon suppressed the urge to burn the gloves off Derus and ended the brief handshake.

“Raon, you will undoubtedly ascend to heights that will far surpass my reach in the future.”

Derus offered false praise with a radiant smile that seemed to shine.

“Ah, that’s right.”

He clapped lightly as if he suddenly remembered something.

“Are you aware that your epithet has changed?”

“Yes.”

Raon nodded, lowering his eyes slightly.

“I’ve heard they call me the King Slayer. It’s an elegant epithet, but it seems too grand for me at the moment.”

While Raon said it was too grand, Lephon, who was behind Derus, cringed.

“It’s not too grand at all.”

Derus waved both hands with an exaggerated expression.

“Haven’t you toppled corrupt kings from their thrones?”

He smiled, saying it was truly an appropriate epithet.

“Actually, that epithet ‘King Slayer’…”

Derus brought Lephon Robert, who had been behind him, forward.

“Was created by our youngest son. He’s still a fan of yours, Raon.”

He laughed, saying he was almost jealous.

“Ah, hello.”

Lephon bowed his head, shrugging his shoulders as if he was embarrassed.

“Ah…”

Raon’s eyes widened upon receiving Lephon’s greeting.

‘Now that I think about it, I heard that epithet came from the south.’

When Chad had informed him about the new epithet, he mentioned that it had curiously spread from the south. It really seemed like the boy in front of him had come up with “King Slayer.”

‘Lephon Robert…’

An undeniable kindness bloomed in his pure eyes. A child Raon had never seen in his past life. Born after Raon’s death, he had just come of age this year and didn’t seem to have been tainted by Derus yet.

‘But I can’t let my guard down.’

Derus is a monster who brainwashes even his own son and feeds him Fury Worms. Raon couldn’t let his guard down just because the boy’s eyes seemed kind.

“L-sorry.”

Lephon slumped his shoulders, looking at his own feet.

“Shouldn’t have…”

His lips trembled as he apologized, apparently thinking Raon had misinterpreted and didn’t like the epithet he had created.

“No, it’s not that.”

Raon shook his head, grabbing Lephon’s trembling shoulders.

“I didn’t mean I don’t like the epithet ‘King Slayer,’ but rather, I’m not yet worthy of bearing such a name.”

He explained clearly, not wanting to disappoint the young man.

“R-really?”

Lephon looked up, his smile as bright as sunlight.

“Yes. I like it. Thank you for coming up with such a good epithet.”

Raon nodded, looking into Lephon’s bright eyes.

“N-no, I should be thanking you!”

Lephon scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed, and rolled his eyes.

“Um, Raon… sorry, but…”

He pulled out two thick books from his subspace bag. Raon immediately recognized them as the Raon Zieghart biographies he had seen before.

“Ugh…”

Raon groaned at the sight of the books with his name stamped on the covers.

‘How far have those things spread?’

He felt both amazed and dumbfounded by Ensia’s distribution capabilities.

“Lephon, the others are waiting for us in the conference room. It would be better to get the autograph later.”

Derus patted Lephon’s head apologetically.

“Why aren’t they coming quickly?!”

“Why are young people so slow?! I’ll eat all the sweets while I wait!”

Ogram and Chamber raised their voices from inside the conference room, urging them to hurry.

“Ah…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll sign them for you after the meeting is over.”

Raon promised the nervous Lephon that he would sign the books after the meeting.

“Oh, yes!”

Lephon responded in a posture as if he was before a superior.

“And I really like the epithet ‘King Slayer.’ I’m planning on toppling a certain nasty king from his high throne soon…”

Raon curled his lips, meeting Derus’s eyes instead of Lephon’s.

“I think I’ll be able to accept the epithet you gave me without hesitation once that man’s crown falls to the ground.”

“I look forward to it.”

Derus twisted his lips as if he knew that he was the nasty king Raon was referring to. Raon and Derus entered the Beast Union’s conference room, each with a different smile.

* * *

“Then, let us begin the Six Kings’ Conference.”

The Beast Union’s Vice Leader, acting as moderator, bowed to those seated in the circular conference room.

“Before we move on to the first item on the agenda, I will inform you about the situation and the results of the recent war.”

He picked up some documents, saying they should start by reviewing the situation.

“The war began with a duel to the death between Zieghart’s Light Wind Division Leader and the South-North Union’s Axe King. When the South-North Union refused to accept their defeat and launched a surprise attack, the Shadow Leader, the Blue Dragon Helmet Swordsman, appeared…”

After explaining the events that had happened, the Vice Leader rolled up his sleeves.

“Although the Six Kings suffered considerable losses, the fall of the South-North Union is an encouraging development. The balance of power that had been tilting towards the Five Demons has been restored.”

“Aren’t there other problems?”

King Lecross raised his hand, frowning.

“You are right. The Shadows have recently joined the Five Demons, and the dragons have become our enemies. It is true that the Six Kings are still at a disadvantage in some aspects. However…”

The Vice Leader clenched his right fist as he continued.

“The fact that our enemies are now clearly defined is a positive point for us. We will not be caught off guard by the dragons like this time.”

He nodded, saying it could be beneficial that friends and enemies were now clearly distinguished.

“…”

Derus smiled as he read the atmosphere of the conference room, which was gradually becoming heated.

‘As expected.’

They are all aiming at me. A transcendent sense beyond even intuition whispered to him. It told him that the monsters in this conference room were secretly watching him.

‘Especially my hand.’

The leaders of the Six Kings were examining only his hand through their gazes, sounds, and senses. They were clearly trying to figure out if there was a scar on the back of his hand, and if it wasn’t visible, how it might be hidden, and how they could find it. The only people in this conference room who were focused on the meeting were the leaders of the neutral factions who were lucky enough to attend.

‘How interesting.’

Derus Robert rolled his eyes, feeling the tension rising like a mist of heat. He couldn’t help but smile at what was essentially a war where everyone was trying to reveal each other’s cards.

‘Especially that guy.’

He scanned Raon, who couldn’t take his eyes off the Union’s Vice Leader.

‘Your martial prowess may be lacking, but your intuition and acting skills surpass even the old men of the Six Kings.’

You remembered the lesson that the best opportunity is often the biggest trap. Of course, offering Raon a handshake was a trap. If he had tried to check the scar on the back of his hand, Derus would have turned the situation around and extracted information, setting a sharp trap to find flaws.

‘Though in the end, even he got impatient.’

During the handshake, Raon couldn’t hide his gaze directed at the hand, and he even employed the crude tactic of trying to subtly check the back of the hand with his thumb.

‘Raon.’

Derus briefly curled his lips with his head lowered.

‘You’re no different even after being reborn.’

In his past life as an assassin, Raon lost his head to Derus because he didn’t doubt every situation. Derus thought he might have improved after reincarnation, but nothing had really changed.

‘You can never win this fight.’

Because you won’t be able to expose my scar. It was true that Raon had left an indelible scar on the back of Derus’s hand, but both times were when Derus had let his guard down. If he had been aware of Raon’s existence from the beginning, the Doppelganger Hide wouldn’t have been pierced.

‘Furthermore…’

It’s even more impossible to extract the aura of death. Derus had sealed the aura of death at the bottom of his soul. It was a place even Glenn would find difficult to uncover if he searched directly, so the only thing Raon could target was the scar on the back of his hand.

‘This is a mission that requires an unconditional retreat, but…’

Derus mockingly looked at Raon’s red pupils and contracted his fingertips.

‘You won’t back down.’

Because that’s how I taught you.

‘It seems you’re destined to help me and then disappear in this life as well.’

Derus Robert muttered that he would give Raon a grand funeral this time, clasping his hands together. In his mind, the rewards he would reap after finishing this matter began to appear one by one.

* * *

“What’s important for us now is the location of the missing dragons and the identity of the swordsman wearing the Blue Dragon Helmet.”

The Beast Union’s Vice Leader lowered his chin slightly as he picked up the second document.

“Since that day, the Dragon Lord and the dragons have disappeared as if they no longer exist on this continent. Some have even abandoned their nests.”

He read the report without hesitation, as if he had already completed the investigation into the dragons.

“They probably won’t appear for a while.”

Chamber tapped the round table with her candy cane, clicking her lips.

“The dragons were born as the strongest race on the continent. Those arrogant bastards almost died en masse at the hands of humans they considered insects. Do you think they’re in their right minds? They’re probably hiding in some corner, trembling.”

She chuckled, saying they deserved it.

“It’s not just the dragons.”

King Lecross raised his hand to speak.

“The Fallen, the Holy Sword Alliance Leader, the White Blood Religion Leader, and the swordsman wearing the Blue Dragon Helmet will also have a hard time moving.”

He nodded, saying that even if they survived, they wouldn’t be able to show themselves for a long time.

“T-that’s fortunate…”

The Magic Tower Master raised her head for the first time, her fine golden hair falling onto the table. She seemed pleased that they wouldn’t have to fight for a while.

“During that time, we need to reorganize our forces and increase our strength. So that we can crush them when we face them again.”

Chamber clenched her small fist, saying they shouldn’t waste this opportunity.

“I agree. Owen has also prepared to improve the capabilities of our knights.”

King Lecross cast a sharp glance as he stroked the Silent Sword resting on the round table.

“Robert has already begun training. Everyone is wielding their swords, shedding blood and sweat.”

Derus Robert also nodded, saying they should take advantage of this opportunity.

“All of this is thanks to Head of House Glenn. I can only express my gratitude.”

He rose from his chair and bowed to Glenn.

“Are you referring to the Soul Weapon?”

“Yes. They say everyone who saw that sword was paralyzed for a while…”

“To think it could bring down even one of the Five Demons with a single strike, it’s still hard to believe.”

The leaders of the neutral factions let out empty breaths as they recalled the Soul Weapon they had only heard about.

“Of course, that old man is impressive. But…”

Ogram looked away from Glenn.

“If it weren’t for Raon, even that guy would have ended up with his heart pierced.”

He pointed at Raon, grinning and showing his teeth.

“In other words, the one who ended this war and gave us time wasn’t Glenn, but Raon!”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

Chamber rolled her eyes, asking why he was mentioning something everyone already knew.

“It’s worth reiterating. I also believe that the Light Wind Division Leader changed the course of the war.”

King Lecross gave a thumbs-up, saying Raon had achieved a truly remarkable feat.

“Aren’t you afraid…?”

The Magic Tower Master lowered her head, muttering that even she would have found it difficult to block that attack if she had been there.

“So, Raon.”

Ogram turned his upper body towards Raon and smiled.

“Do you have any wishes?”

“Excuse me? Wishes?”

Raon’s eyes widened as if he was hearing it for the first time.

“As Lecross said, what you have achieved is not just saving one person, but changing the course of the war. No, it’s no different from changing the balance of this entire continent.”

Ogram nodded with a serious look in his eyes.

“If you have a wish, I will grant it to the extent my power allows.”

He waved his hand inward, as if to say Raon could ask for anything.

“Same here. I’ll even grant it if you ask me to marry you.”

Chamber lightly pressed her witch’s hat, saying Raon’s face was good enough for her.

“Hey, that’s too brazen, the age difference is 100 years… ouch!”

Lecross was shaking his head, but quickly shut his mouth when he saw Chamber’s bloodshot eyes.

“I-if there’s anything you want in Owen, I’ll grant it, Light Wind Division Leader.”

He shouted that Raon could make a wish, avoiding Chamber’s gaze.

“As long as it’s not problematic…”

The Magic Tower Master raised her head for the first time, her fine golden hair falling onto the table.

“I can’t stay out of this either. Robert agrees as well.”

Even Derus Robert smiled, saying he would grant a wish.

“Raon. Speak.”

Glenn extended his hand as if to tell Raon to come closer.

“Hmm…”

Raon scratched the back of his neck as he stood in front of the round table.

“It’s embarrassing, but there’s something I’d like to ask.”

He began to speak in a calm tone, turning to look at Glenn.

“I learned swordsmanship from the Head of House, and the Beast King taught me the Fierce Wave Arts. The Silent Sword Master also gave me advice.”

He straightened his back confidently, knowing that no one could verify the lie about receiving martial arts advice from the Silent Sword Master.

“I also wanted to learn a thing or two from the Heavenly Sword Saint, but I regretted not having much interaction with Robert.”

Raon slowly lowered his gaze. A crimson flame flickered over his eyes as he looked directly at Derus.

“I would like to request a duel with Heavenly Sword Saint Derus Robert.”

***

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]