Chapter 777

“Is that possible?”
Raon’s eyes widened as he looked at Merlin.

“She must have been wearing that helmet for years, right?”

Unlike herself or Runaan, Sia had likely worn the Orc King’s helmet long ago.
Raon couldn’t understand how Merlin planned to verify her soul—especially since Sia had only shown the appearance of a monster, unlike Edgar.

“I’ve made helmets and masks for the Fallen before.
I know the magical and mystical arrangements, so I can at least check the connection.”

Merlin smiled confidently, assuring them it was entirely possible to examine whether Sia’s soul remained.

–That girl is a stalker, isn’t she? She must be good at spying. Cough!

Wrath nodded, saying that no one could match Merlin’s talent as a stalker.

–If she says so, we can believe her. Cough.

He coughed repeatedly but still acknowledged Merlin’s skill.

That is true.

As Wrath said, Merlin had never failed at anything she claimed she could do.
She was a bit... no, very peculiar, but a reliable person.

But are you okay?

Raon squinted at Wrath.
He felt even more embarrassed as the creature—which had once been beautiful—began coughing again.

–Who do you take this king for?! A Demon King does not need the concern of humans... Cough!

Wrath waved his hand, signaling Raon to focus on the task at hand—but he coughed again.

–Don’t worry about me. Just do what you have to do!

Alright.

Raon nodded briefly and turned to look at Merlin.
Though he worried about Wrath, resolving Sia’s situation was his top priority.

"So, how do we do this?"

"It’s very simple."

As Merlin clasped her hands together, a magical circle—woven from light and darkness—appeared beneath her feet.

"Just place the subject on this magical circle and make contact. Shall I open it now?"

Merlin smiled confidently, as if she could do it immediately.

"Wait."

Glenn shook his head, stepping to block Merlin’s path.

"Even if it’s possible, now is not the time."

He gave the Heavenly Tremor a slight twist.
Suddenly, blood splattered from thin air where nothing had been—and a bisected eyeball fell with a dull thud.

"Someone was watching us."

"Mmm..."
Raon frowned as he watched the eyeball dissolve into white ashes.

Who could it be?

It was undoubtedly one of the Five Demons, but he couldn’t tell which one.
He couldn’t recognize if it was magic or sorcery.

"If it becomes known that I’m not at Zieghart right now, the family could be attacked.
We need to return as soon as possible—with the wounded."

Glenn shook the blood from his blade and said they had to return to the family and finish what remained to be done.

"That makes sense."
Raon nodded as he looked at Glenn.

If it’s known that the Head of House has moved, they will attack immediately.

Just like when he fought a life-or-death battle with the Axe King, the Five Demons could strike his own family—
so Glenn couldn’t abandon Zieghart now.
Since the Dragon Lord and an unknown figure had discovered them, returning as quickly as possible was the priority.

"If Grandpa says so, we must follow him."
Merlin nodded with a bright smile.

“No, why do you keep calling me Grandpa...?”

Glenn frowned and took a step back, clearly a bit nervous about Merlin’s boldness.

"Because you are my grandpa."
Merlin winked as she closed the distance to Glenn, matching his retreat step for step.

"Mmm..."

"Don’t mind her nonsense."
Raon pushed Merlin gently aside and stepped into the Arianne family residence.

"Fortunately, no one died."
Thanks to Rector’s efforts minimizing the Soul Stone’s explosion, there were no fatalities—though several serious injuries remained.

"Head of House, please return first. I will move with the people of House Arianne."
Since Zieghart could be attacked at any moment, it seemed safer for Glenn to return first while Raon stayed behind to assist the wounded.

"Well, that’s..."

"No need for that."
Just as Glenn was about to refuse, Merlin waved her hand lightly.

"I’ve opened a spatial transfer coordinate near Zieghart."

As Merlin snapped her fingers, a door emitting flickering blue light opened in the air.
Through the door, a mountain near Zieghart covered in eternal snow came into view.

"When, when did you..."
Raon turned to Merlin, his jaw trembling.
He had never imagined she had prepared something like this—he had only meet Merlin in animal form before.

"Zieghart’s security is strict, so I carefully created this little by little."
Merlin chuckled softly, saying it was a difficult task but worth the effort.

"Uh, well..."

Glenn stared at Merlin with a blank expression, unsure whether to praise her resourcefulness or demand immediate removal of the portal.

–Kyaaaaah!

Wrath screamed that she was a real stalker and bolted toward the bracelet, yelling it was terrifying.

"Sigh..."
Raon shook his head and sighed.

"Moving comes first and thinking later."

* * *

In a church overflowing with holy light and faith.

"Arghhhh!"

A burly middle-aged man screamed, clutching his right eye.
His eyeball was split in half and dripping—the same color as the eyeball Glenn had severed earlier.

"It seems we’ve been caught."

Derus Robert smiled and waved his hand.
Bardiel, standing beside him, approached the struggling middle-aged man.

"Sa-save me... save me..."

"Stay still."

Bardiel grabbed the middle-aged man’s head with a cold glare.
With a crackling sound, blue light radiated from his grip, causing the man’s body to tremble like he’d been electrocuted.
Smoke rose from his eyes.

"Urgh..."

The man fell backward, vomiting black blood as if wracked by unbearable pain.
It was an instant death.

"Who discovered us?"

Derus tilted his chin, silently urging Bardiel to speak.

"It was Glenn Zieghart."

Bardiel replied, rubbing his temples.

“Start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

Derus approached Bardiel, seemingly intrigued.

"Yes. First, the Green King, the Two-Headed Demon, the Severing Sword..."

Bardiel recounted the events to Derus as if he had been there himself.

"I see. So that was what happened?"

Derus chuckled amusedly as he sat back down.

"We lost the Two-Headed Demon, the Severing Sword, and even the Green King.
Even if the Fallen is not dead, Eden's losses must be astronomical."

Kubara, standing behind him, narrowed her eyes and said it was not a good situation.

"All three are Grand Masters. The damage can't even be measured.
Well, that Heavenly Demon probably doesn't care."

Derus smiled softly, as if he knew something about the Heavenly Demon.

"But..."
He licked his lips while looking at the cross hanging on the wall.

"The Fallen’s words bother me. What did he mean by the last piece?"

"Judging by his reaction, it seems he realized that Raon Zieghart possesses the power of a Demon King."
Bardiel tilted his head as he turned to Derus.

"That could be. The Fallen also possesses demonic energy. However..."
Derus held back his words, as if he still couldn’t be sure.

"Either way, the plan has failed. Not only did we fail to get stronger, but our losses have increased."

Kubara exhaled softly, saying that the Five Demons’ growth plan seemed to have been ruined.

"Of course, Eden is finished, but we have gained a significant advantage."

Derus slowly shook his head as he looked at Kubara.

"Because Glenn Zieghart won’t be able to move for a while."

He licked his lips longingly as he gazed at the sunlight shining on the cross.

"What do you mean Glenn can’t move…?"

Kubara tilted her head, clearly not understanding.

"Vitality, you see. No matter how strong you become, there’s a limit.
Especially for a Transcendent Warrior like Glenn, who couldn’t overcome age, the consumption of vitality leads to severe damage.
He won’t be able to leave Zieghart for a while."

Derus chuckled softly, saying a very good opportunity had opened up.

"Now it’s your turn, Beorn."

At his call, a young red-haired man emerged from the shadows of the church.

"How was it? Did you absorb enough power from Raon?"

"Indeed, his talent and aura were remarkable."

Beorn nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Is he on the brink of Transcendence? I had a suspicion, but it’s truly impressive."

Derus patted Beorn on the shoulder, pleased with his achievement.

"Are you ready now?"

"...Yes."

Beorn looked at Derus with firm eyes, silently asking for his trust.

"Good."

Derus placed his hand on Beorn’s head.
Beorn’s appearance began to shift beneath his touch.
With a resonating sound, Derus released the constraints placed on Beorn, curling his lips in a sly smile.

"It’s time for you to destroy Zieghart’s prestige."

* * *

As soon as Raon returned to Zieghart, he took the patients to find the Ragged Saint, Federick.

"Saint, please help!"

Raon bowed his head and urgently asked Federick to examine Sia wearing the Orc helmet, Edgar clad in Death Knight armor, Rector—who had become the leader of the Holy Sword Alliance—and finally Sylvia and Rimmer.

"I also ask for your help."

Glenn told Federick to examine everyone before heading to Lord’s Manor.

"What in the world..."

Federick exhaled sharply as he looked at the fallen patients, then blinked in disbelief when he saw Merlin.

"Are these hostages?"

"No. I’ll briefly explain for now."

Raon shook his head and quickly recounted what had happened.

"Those damned bastards..."

Federick’s lips trembled, as if he hadn’t realized just how severe Eden’s atrocities were.
He sighed deeply, seemingly holding back tears, then turned to examine the patients.

"As you said, it seems Rector, Sylvia, and Edgar have truly died and come back to life.
Their vitality hasn’t stabilized yet."

"Is that a problem?"

"No. It just means they need time to adapt—it doesn’t depend solely on their own vitality.
It will take some time for them to fully wake up, but once I treat their external and internal injuries, there shouldn’t be major issues."

Federick shook his head.
"There’s no need to worry about those three."

"Haha..."

Raon exhaled a sigh of relief and held his head.
If there had been problems with the family members who had just reunited, it would have been devastating—but knowing they were safe finally eased his mind.

"Rimmer will wake up soon too. He was too focused on defending instead of protecting himself. I can’t believe he made such a mistake..."

Federick clicked his tongue, puzzled at why Rimmer—who had been through thick and thin—would act that way.

"That wasn’t a mistake."

Raon bit his lip slightly.
Rimmer hadn’t made a mistake; he had become a wall to protect him.
Feeling that intention made Raon’s heart ache even more.

"Frustratingly, he was faster than me."

Merlin grumbled like a puppy as she looked at Rimmer, clearly displeased that he had protected Raon before her.

"I see..."

Raon didn’t realize that Rimmer—who always joked and played pranks—would risk his life to protect him.
His recent words about changing and asking if Raon intended to become Head of House suddenly seemed sincere.

When he wakes up, should I give him some money to play with as much as he wants?

–This, this king too!

Suddenly, Wrath rose and waved his hand wildly.

–Give this king money too! There are mountains of things I want to eat... Cough!

He shook his head, saying he couldn’t stand watching Gluttony eat everything he wanted.

Alright.

Raon nodded with a slight smile.

–Oh?

Wrath’s eyes widened.

–What’s wrong? Is the sun rising in the west tomorrow?

You’ve done a lot for me.

Raon gestured with his hand and smiled.
Although he had received help from many this time, Wrath’s contribution was the greatest. He intended to do everything Wrath asked of him for a while.

–Kyah... Cough! Yeah!

Wrath raised his arms in joy, even as he coughed.

"Lastly, your sister..."

Federick frowned as he carefully examined Sia, who was the last to be examined.

“How to say it? Her breathing doesn’t seem human.”

He clicked his tongue and said Sia was breathing like an orc.

“She’s definitely been consumed by the helmet, but there’s something unusual I need to verify.”

“Well, it seems she’s already waking up...”

As Federick shook his head, a red light emerged from inside the black Orc helmet.

GRRRR!

Sia attacked Federick with sharp claws.

With a dull thud, Raon kicked the patient’s bed to divert her attention and prevent her from harming Federick.

With a crunch, Sia crushed the bed as if it were a cookie.

As she did this, Raon stepped forward and extended his frost-wrapped fist.

Urgh...

As soon as he struck Sia’s solar plexus, she clutched her chest and fell to her knees.

Without wasting a moment, Raon seized the moment and struck the back of Sia’s neck, knocking her out again.

Ugh...

Sia gritted her teeth, as if unwilling to faint, but finally collapsed in place.

"Ugh..."

Federick exhaled sharply, leaning his back against the wall.

"I’ll take my sister with me."

Raon shook his head as he placed Sia on his shoulder.
Though tired and wanting to rest, it seemed he needed to resolve her situation first.

“Alright. Then I’ll take care of these.”

"Ah, that’s not all."

Raon shook his head at Federick and opened the door.
The people from the Light Wind division and House Arianne who had been injured in the war were lined up in front of Federick’s mansion.

"Eh, huh?"

“As I mentioned, there was a war, so there are quite a few injured.”

Raon bowed his head and said he was counting on him.

Glenn, you bastard! So that’s why you disappeared immediately!

Federick gritted his teeth, recalling how Glenn had quietly slipped away.

“If you’re going to do this, at least pay me for the work!”

Despite shouting for money, he immediately signaled for the first patient to enter.
As expected, he honored his title as a saint.

Raon silently exhaled and looked at the members of his family—each breathing peacefully—one by one, before leaving Federick’s mansion.

* * *

Raon entered the audience chamber where Glenn was waiting, carrying Sia in his arms.
"Follow me."

Glenn opened the door at the far right, mentioning they needed a calm and secure place to examine Sia, then descended the stairs to the basement.
Raon nodded and followed.

Unlike the audience chamber, the stairs were low and well-lit—comfortable enough for a child. After descending about two floors, they reached a softly lit room decorated in pastel tones.

The room was spacious but nothing about it stood out. A small bookshelf, cozy chairs and tables, and scattered unfinished pictures filled the space.

"This is the spot your grandmother used while I was working," Glenn said, briefly moistening his lips as he ran a hand over the dust-free shelf and chairs.

"I built this room sturdier than any other in Zieghart, so let’s get started here." He shook his head slightly. "I’ll need to access Sia’s mind here."

Raon swallowed hard, glancing around. He realized he’d never really heard stories about his grandmother. Judging by this place, she seemed modest and unassuming.

"Ah, grandmother..."

Merlin bit her lip, moved by the thought.

“You’re quite...”

Glenn frowned, clearly unsure how to handle Merlin’s emotional reaction. She seemed to be losing control more with each passing moment.

“Merlin, let’s get started quickly.”

Raon gently placed Sia on the ground and motioned for Merlin to begin, hoping to finish before Glenn lost his patience.

“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared everything.”

Merlin extended her hands, and a magical circle weaving light and darkness spread over Sia. A resonant hum filled the air as a pillar of blue light rose from the black orc helmet Sia wore.

“Simply place your hand on this pillar of light.”

Merlin smiled with confident ease, silently inviting Raon to approach.

“Then I’ll trust you.”

Glenn’s brow furrowed with worry.

“You’re not well. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’ve done this before. If anything goes wrong, I’ll stop immediately.”

He shook his head, already decided.

Glenn met Raon’s eyes for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. Don’t overdo it.”

“Got it.”

Raon bowed slightly and turned to Merlin.

“When I count to three, place your hand on the helmet. One, two, three!”

At the count of three, Merlin extended her hand toward the pillar of blue light. With a burst of light, reality warped.

***

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]