Chapter 650

Raon left the annex building, putting the Black Dragon Coat on his shoulders. He could see Sylvia standing alone in front of the garden. She was calmly looking at the dead flowers and trees.

“Did I tell you? Raising this garden is my joy,” Sylvia said to him without looking back.

“Yes, you did.”

Raon nodded. Sylvia had been personally tending and managing the garden. For her, the garden was a hobby and one of her motivations to continue her life.

“This garden was my treasure. I’ve been tending it with utmost devotion and passion.” Sylvia picked up a flower petal that had changed color as it dried. “But it’s not as important as our people.”

The people she was talking about were obviously the annex building’s maids.

“When I saw them suffering, the garden and the annex building being ruined wasn’t even noticeable. I wanted to protect them, but there was nothing I could do.”

The flower petal crumbled into pieces in her hand.

“I wanted to break the skull of that piece of shit vice head of the elders, but the fact that I had no other choice than to suppress my urge, that I couldn’t win against him in a fight… It made me so sad.”

She bit her lip, remembering the times when the entire building was being oppressed by the vice head of the elders.

P-piece of shit? How could you say such a word?!

Wrath’s chin trembled as he watched Sylvia.

You damn celestial! Mom’s manner of speech became more vulgar because of you!

He screamed, saying Sylvia’s noble and gentle way of speaking had become like a thug’s. However, Raon couldn’t really tell if he should take being called a celestial as a compliment or an insult.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to vent my frustrations.”

Sylvia clenched the hand that used to hold the flower petal into a fist and turned around. Her brightly shining red eyes delivered her sincerity.

Tut.

Wrath could also feel Sylvia’s emotions, and he licked his lips with wrinkles on his nose.

“Are you confident that you can win?” Raon asked, meeting Sylvia’s red eyes.

“It will be difficult to win, but I won’t lose easily, at least.” Sylvia’s calm voice was incorporating her will for revenge. “I’ll never come down from the arena on my own, at least.”

She clenched the hilt of her sword, saying that she was going to fight until she collapsed. Raon thought that training her day and night for three weeks straight was worthwhile with how powerful her spirit was.

“And…” Sylvia bit her lip as she resolved herself. “Our training will be over regardless of the results, right?”

“What? Well, yes.”

“Aaaaaah!” She suddenly started to scream while looking up at the sky. “It’s finally over! Hell is over!”

“M-Mom?”

Raon was so surprised that he called her mom instead of mother, which he hadn’t done for a long time.

“It was so painful. I even started to hate you!” Sylvia buried her face in her hands, saying that she seriously thought she was going to die.

“Err…” Raon blinked while watching Sylvia’s wail.

‘I thought we had a different atmosphere.’

Raon was flustered because he thought they would head to the great training ground while encouraging each other, but Sylvia suddenly told him that she’d even started to hate him.

Why are you flustered? This is a natural outcome!

Wrath ground his teeth while patting Sylvia’s head.

Who would like someone who insults other people’s parents and stabs their own mother?

‘If someone else heard you, they might think you’re being serious.’

Can you say you didn’t?

‘No, I did do that, but…’

As for the vice head of the elders, he was the one to harass Sylvia first, and he’d only injured Sylvia because it was training.

However, both statements were still true, so Raon couldn’t really say anything.

Ehehehehe!

Wrath sneered, landing on Sylvia’s shoulder.

Even your tongue can be immobilized sometimes! It’s the King of Essence’s victory!

He started to dance while wagging his tail.

‘Ugh…’

Raon bit his lip while watching Wrath wriggle in the air. He was frustrated by the fact that he’d lost an argument against someone like Wrath, but he still couldn’t deny it.

“…Let’s go.”

He went next to Sylvia and slapped Wrath away with the back of his hand. He ignored Wrath, who fell onto the ground harshly while screaming, and pointed at the main building instead.

“Yes. I’m not afraid of anything anymore.”

Sylvia nodded, more glad about the fact that the training was over than the match itself.

“Haa…” Raon shook his head while letting out a sigh.

‘No one is on my side.’

You are the one who killed everyone on your side!

‘......’

* * *

Vice Head of the Council of Elder’s Office

The room that used to look like a chaotic battlefield had regained its original neat and antique appearance. The vice head of the elders was drinking tea, sitting at a new blackwood desk.

Knock knock.

By the time he mostly finished his tea, a blunt knocking sound could be heard from the door.

“Enter.”

The vice head nodded, and Krisen opened the door, making his entrance. He bowed at him, wearing a uniform specially crafted for the sword duel.

“Vice head, the time has come.”

“Indeed.”

The vice head of the elders gazed up outside the window. He put down his teacup while watching the sun advance toward the center of the sky.

“Krisen.”

“Yes!” Krisen raised his voice, straightening his chin.

“Are you ready?”

“Of course!” He confidently nodded with an excited voice. “Thanks to the elixir you’ve bestowed upon me, my aura’s quality has drastically improved. I’ll never disappoint you, vice head of the elders!”

“Hmm…”

The vice head of the elders looked at Krisen while licking his lips.

‘Both his pressure and the atmosphere around him have changed indeed.’

The first thing he’d done after Raon Zieghart challenged him to a sword duel was to give a high grade elixir to Krisen and ask a warrior from the Council of Elders to teach him.

Thanks to that, the idiot in front of him had become a completely different person from three weeks ago.

‘He should have no issue defeating Sylvia now.’

The Gambling Monster’s words could be trusted. Since he’d declared that he wasn’t going to participate, Sylvia was the only person who could be the first fighter from the annex building. Even though her realm was high, she hadn’t wielded a sword for a long time, so he guessed that Krisen would be equally matched against her as long as he didn’t underestimate her.

“Win even if you have to die. You are the face of the vice head’s faction.”

The vice head of the elders twitched his lips, patting Krisen’s shoulder. He sounded serious instead of just trying to encourage him.

“Of course! I’ll win even if I have to offer my life!” Krisen replied with teary eyes, moved by the fact that he was the face of the vice head’s faction.

The vice head of the elders laughed at him in his mind, watching Krisen clench his fist.

‘Yes. Defeat her even if you have to die in the process. After all, I can’t waste my strength before fighting that Raon bastard.’

An extremely small detail could make the difference when it comes to a battle between powerful warriors. He could end up losing against Raon if he wasted his aura against Sylvia.

‘I’m most likely going to win, but it’s better to be sure.’

He’d been researching Raon’s swordsmanship and aura, collecting all kinds of information about Raon. Raon was difficult to deal with because he used both fire and ice, but his swordsmanship was still incomplete, lacking in the systematic aspect. The vice head of the elders was confident he could win as long as he was in his best condition.

“Yes, you are the one I trust the most.”

Despite what he was thinking, his lips curved into a gentle smile as he stood up from the desk.

“Vice head of the elders…”

Krisen was moved once again, his lips trembling.

“Let’s get moving.”

The vice head of the elders patted Krisen’s shoulder and opened the office door. He curled his lips into a smile while watching the sunlight shining down upon the corridor.

“The weather is too nice for a youngster’s burial.”

* * *

Rumble!

The heavy iron door of the great training ground opened up, shaking the land in the process.

Countless people entered through the wide open entrance of the great training ground. They lined up and entered in an orderly manner, but as soon as they went through the entrance, they executed their footworks to leap towards the spectator seats in order to get the best seat.

The great training ground was as vast as the name implied, but the seats were filled in no time, and some people already had to stay standing.

“We barely managed to get some seats.” Burren breathed out a sigh of relief, fanning his face with his hand.

“Why the hell are there so many people?!” Martha furrowed her brow, irritated by how cramped it was. “Where did they even all come from?!”

“I heard that in addition to the residents of Zieghart’s inner compound, even the residents from the outer compound have gathered.” Dorian shook his head, watching the people swarming like a tidal wave.

“Even the residents from the outer compound?

“Yes. Apparently, Sir Raon’s parent insult—I mean, that letter wasn’t simply heard by the people around here. It spread to the entirety of Zieghart, and everyone knows about it already.”

He shook his head, saying that Raon’s insulting letter directed at the vice head of the elders was being passed down as a song.

“This is why it’s important to stay graceful in your old age,” Martha sneered while looking at the vice head’s seat prepared next to the arena.

“Honor should be the only thing left for him at his age, but on top of getting put in the dirt, he’s completely covered with shit. Serves him right.” She grinned cheerfully.

“I agree. He wouldn’t have suffered if he had done nothing, at least.” Krein shook his hand, calling him pathetic.

“I’m sleepy because it’s so warm…” Runaan started to doze off under the sunlight.

“Hey! Don’t fall asleep! Don’t you want to watch that vice head geezer getting destroyed?” Martha grabbed Runaan by her collar and shook her, but she never woke up.

As the Light Wind Division was making fun of the vice head of the elders, the people in the spectator seats also started to talk about the sword duel.

“I wonder who is going to win today?”

“It’s supposed to be a two-on-two boss match, right?”

“The vice head of the elders and Krisen should be participating from the vice head’s faction.”

“As for the annex building, the Light Wind Division leader will definitely be here, but who could the other one be?”

“I’m not sure either, but they won’t be able to win regardless of who it is, I think?”

“That’s true. No matter how powerful Raon Zieghart is, he won’t be able to defeat the vice head of the elders.”

“No, the Light Wind Division was the one who got the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s martial arts. We won’t know until it happens!”

“It shouldn’t change anything since it hasn’t even been a month since he obtained it. He isn’t good enough yet.”

Some of them were rooting for Raon, but far more people were predicting the vice head’s victory.

“Hey.” Martha wrinkled her nose while looking back. “Did you say that the shitty geezer is going to win against our division leader? Are your eyes decorations? Hah?”

She ground her teeth, looking like she was going to attack them at any moment.

“Th-that’s not what I meant…”

“We were just trying to gauge the outcome…”

“Do you want to go six feet under with him?” Martha placed her hand on her sword while licking her lips.

“Please stop causing trouble!”

“Pl-please stop it!”

“It will be a huge issue if you use violence here!”

Burren, Dorian, and Krein grabbed Martha’s arm and tried to stop her.

“If you are confident in your estimation about the victor!” A cheerful voice riding through the wind could be heard from below the spectator seats. “How about betting your money according to your conviction? Annex building, the vice head’s faction, and a draw! Your decision will decide your future home!”

It was Rimmer. He had already created a gambling spot and was gathering people to participate.

“Ah…”

“That… that damned elf!”

“Th-this is embarrassing…”

The Light Wind Division lowered their heads upon seeing that Rimmer had even hired a professional dealer to collect the money.

“Ooh!”

“We can gamble for the sword duel!”

“Let’s go!”

People who’d been talking about who was going to win went down to Rimmer and started to throw their gold coins.

“Uhehehehe!”

Rimmer stretched his lips into a wide grin as he watched the gathering crowd. His eyes looked like they were taking the shape of gold coins.

“Haa… Is there no one to arrest him?”

Martha shook her head while letting out a sigh, and that was when the fluttering sound of a coat could be heard from the gate, which had become less crowded. The buzzing sound of the spectators subsided in an instant.

Step.

With the footsteps that naturally attracted the attention, Raon made his appearance, wrapped in a black coat. Sylvia was following him from behind, also wearing a black martial outfit. It was as if they’d deliberately matched the colors.

With blond hair shimmering like ocean waves under the sunlight and red eyes that seemed to suck in people's souls, the spectators were left speechless by the appearance of Raon and Sylvia, whose beauty was among the greatest in all of Zieghart.

Raon buried his back onto the chair placed in front of the arena, a faint smile on his face. He seemed to be enjoying the sudden silence that fell over the great training ground.

“Seriously, he has a thing for setting up the mood,” Martha chuckled while looking at Raon.

“Raon, damn handsome today. Raon’s mom, damn beautiful today.” Runaan had woken up at some point, blinking her eyes at Raon and Sylvia.

“When did you even wake up?” Martha laughed bitterly at her ridiculous behavior.

“More than anything else, I’m the most impressed by the fact that Lady Sylvia managed to withstand Raon’s training.” Burren’s lips trembled in fear. “I would’ve run away a long time ago if I was asked to train with him, just the two of us for three weeks straight.”

He shook his head, saying that it would be impossible to endure.

“Hey, no matter how crazy our division leader is, there’s no way he would make his mother work the same way he did for us,” Martha snorted, saying that it would never happen.

“Yes, even a demon king should recognize their mother.” Krein nodded while giggling.

“Erm…” Dorian’s lips trembled as he watched Sylvia. “Don’t Lady Sylvia’s eyes look familiar somehow?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eyes?”

The Light Wind Division looked at Sylvia’s eyes to check. It looked like some kind of transparent heat haze was fluttering around her gaze. A madness that strayed away from the normal was leaking from her slightly.

“Don’t tell me, that’s like us…”

“Y-yes, that’s the eyes we had after going through the focus enhancement training!”

“What the hell…?”

“Did he really work his mother to the limit?”

Burren and Martha dropped their jaws at the ridiculous realization.

“…Is he even human?”

“H-he really is a demon king. No, even a demon king would be shocked!”

* * *

“Haa.”

Raon sighed while watching Rimmer, who was running the gambling area, and the Light Wind Division that was rampaging around.

‘Why can none of us stay calm for a moment…?’

Are you really complaining now…?

Wrath gasped at his ridiculous statement.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

As Raon briefly shook his head, heavy footsteps could be heard from the great training ground’s entrance.

He looked around and saw that the vice head of the elders and Krisen were walking inside, wearing pure white outfits. Their composed smiles and confident footsteps were reminiscent of the victorious return of a general.

“Hmph.”

The vice head of the elders let out a short sneer and walked towards the opposite side of Raon, where his seat was located. A small voice could be heard from the spectators by the time he reached his seat.

“There’s an old man who doesn’t know the law of nature that even children are aware of. What could be the reason?”

“If he still doesn’t know that obvious fact at his old age, it’s definitely because his parents didn’t educate him!”

The words that filled the Zieghart’s sky three weeks ago were echoing like a song from the children’s mouths.

“Kuh!”

The vice head’s composed expression rapidly turned red, and his eyes became bloodshot.

“Hieeh!”

“Err…”

The singing children’s lips trembled, terrified by the vice head’s murderous aura.

“V-vice head of the elders! Please hold your temper! They are just children! And the sword duel is starting soon!”

The master of ceremonies hurriedly ran to the vice head of the elders to stop him.

“Tsk.”

The vice head of the elders clicked his tongue and removed his murderous aura. Instead, he shot a deadly glare at Raon, his lips twisted.

Raon smiled with his eyes while meeting the vice head’s murderous gaze. An old snake like him getting angry was a great sight to behold.

However, Sylvia was quietly looking at the vice head of the elders without smiling. She seemed to be hardening her resolve like they’d talked about beforehand.

Whaam!

As Raon was nodding in satisfaction, a majestic resonance occurred from the training ground’s entrance.

“The sky of the north, the head of house, Glenn Zieghart is making his entrance!”

“Greetings, my lord!”

The gatekeepers loudly declared Glenn’s name, and everyone in the great training ground knelt towards the entrance.

Raon lowered his head and examined Glenn, who was making his entrance at the same time. Glenn headed above the platform without looking at him, and Sheryl, Roenn, and Aries followed behind him, nodding at him as encouragement.

“Begin.” Glenn nodded after looking at Raon, Sylvia, the vice head of the elders, and Krisen one after the other with the same emotionless eyes as in the lord’s manor.

“Yes!” The master of ceremonies lowered his head, then went onto the arena. “The two-on-two sword duel between the annex building and the vice head’s faction is starting now!”

He energetically raised his hand, and the spectators cheered loudly, shaking the entire arena.

“A sword duel normally proceeds after deciding on the terms that the loser will have to follow for the winner, but those terms aren’t decided yet!” The master of ceremonies continued after looking at Raon and the vice head one after the other.

“So, let’s decide those wishes now…”

“How about doing that after the match?” Raon casually gestured his chin at the vice head of the elders. “The loser will do everything the winner wants.”

“…Fine.” The vice head of the elders replied firmly, showing his confidence.

“Hmm…”

The master of ceremonies was unable to decide and looked up to the platform instead. He only nodded after Glenn signaled with his gaze that it should be allowed.

“Alright, the loser of today’s sword duel will have to do everything that the winner wants him to. However, orders like suicide aren’t allowed.”

“Understood.”

“I understand.”

Raon and the vice head of the elders nodded at the same time.

“Then, vanguards, enter the arena!”

As soon as the master of ceremonies finished speaking, Krisen entered the arena.

Sylvia didn’t enter right away, looking at the maids standing among the spectators instead. She nodded at the maids who were biting their lips with their hands put together before she entered the arena.

“Sy-Sylvia?”

“Is Sylvia the first fighter?”

“Huh, I heard that she has obtained an artificial energy center, but is she really participating in a sword duel now?”

“I know, right? Her energy center shouldn’t even be stabilized yet. Isn’t she overdoing it?”

“The vice head’s faction is definitely going to win the first match.”

“Ah, I bet on the wrong side!”

The spectators shook their heads, certain of Sylvia’s defeat.

“It’s been a while.” Krisen narrowed his eyes while looking at Sylvia. “It will be different from the last time. I’ll shatter your chin this time.”

He touched his own slightly tilted chin, declaring that he wouldn’t be careless.

“......”

Sylvia didn’t respond at all. She glared at the vice head of the elders fiercely before she stood in front of Krisen.

“Let’s see how long that expression is going to last.” Krisen signaled with his gaze for the master of ceremonies to start the match already.

“Ahem.” The master of ceremonies cleared his throat, then raised his hand.

“First match, begin!”

He rapidly lowered his hand, then stepped backwards.

“Huaaah!”

Krisen stomped the ground powerfully enough to destroy the arena and dashed towards Sylvia. It was a ferocious and swift movement, like a beast leaping towards its prey.

Sylvia was standing still, her sword drawn. She waited until Krisen’s sword was right under her chin before she rapidly lowered her upper body, like a candle suddenly being extinguished.

Whoosh!

She dodged Krisen’s sharp strike with a hair’s breadth, then she turned her right foot to advance to the left.

“Kuh!”

As Krisen stepped back in surprise, Sylvia caught up to him. He tried to force his way into a counterattack, but she pushed her sword aside with the back of her hand and swung the sword in her right hand upwards.

Whack!

Sylvia’s blade smacked Krisen’s chin, and his body floated into the air. His chin bone was shattered, and multiple bloody teeth popped out of his mouth.

As Krisen was falling, Sylvia swung her sword to smack his head.

Crack!

Krisen collapsed on the ground, blood gushing from the top of his head like a fountain. He was completely immobile, implying that he’d lost consciousness, but blood was continuously gushing from his mouth and head.

“Err…”

“Huh…”

“Wh-what…?”

The spectators were unable to close their mouths, surprised by the fact that Sylvia managed to win and that the match ended so quickly.

“W-winner, Sylvia Zieghart!”

The master of ceremonies slapped his own cheeks to regain his senses and shouted Sylvia’s name.

“Kuh…”

The vice head of the elders was fully focused on Sylvia, not even taking a glance at Krisen, who was spasming on the ground. He looked enraged.

“Can you continue?” The master of ceremonies asked Sylvia about what she wanted to do next.

“Yes.” Sylvia nodded as if it were an obvious question.

“Then the leader of the vice head’s faction, please enter the arena!”

“Haa…”

The vice head of the elders heeded his words and went into the arena.

“Are you really going to continue? Do you believe that you can win against me?” He furrowed his brow, twisting his lips. “You stand no chance against me. Stop your pointless struggle and withdraw.”

The vice head’s eyes shone in a frightening manner, as if he were threatening her.

“It’s okay even if I stand no chance.” Sylvia calmly shook her head. “Because a warrior—no, a human being sometimes has to fight even if they know they are going to lose.”

She confidently straightened her back and neck, not yielding to the vice head’s fiery pressure.

“You might be unaware, though, because you are a lowly and ignorant person whose parents never taught… Ah, I’ll stop.” Sylvia laughed elegantly while covering her mouth.

“You bitch!”

Her comment hit the mark, and the vice head of the elders furiously shouted with trembling shoulders.

Aaaargh! Noo!

Wrath screamed while clutching his head.

Mom fell to the dark side because of you! My mom shouldn’t be like that!

On the other hand, Raon was sending a round of applause at Sylvia.

“Bravo.”

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