Chapter 696

“You’re advancing the date instead of postponing it?” Rimmer’s jaw dropped as he caught the calm look in Raon’s eyes.

“Yes. After all, no one would expect me to advance the schedule in the face of danger. Most would postpone it instead.” Raon nodded at Rimmer’s surprised expression. “That’s why I plan to carry out the duel to the death on the last day of this year.”

Raon wrote on the note that it would be done on the last day of the year as he spoke.

“That’s true...” Rimmer gasped while stroking his beardless chin. “After all, our head of house, Sir Ogram, and Lady Chamber advised you to postpone it altogether.” He nodded, saying that not a single person had suggested that he advance the schedule.

“Additionally, I’m going to ask him to keep it a secret so that only Zieghart and the South-North Union’s warriors can join the scene.”

“Yes, the man using the energy of death shouldn’t be able to come if you do that.” Rimmer clapped his hands, saying that it was a great idea. “You are really smart, aren’t you?”

“No, he is going to be there.” Raon bit his lip while looking at the purple sky, caused by the setting sun.

The Axe King Roman wasn’t going to betray him, but Derus definitely had a spy in the South-North Union. The information was just bound to leak.

‘He is definitely going to be there.’

Glenn and Raon must’ve already been considered dangerous by Derus, but he’d definitely marked them as targets that absolutely needed to be killed after the Conference of the Six Kings.

‘Because we saved Sir Ogram.’

Raon was going to be considered a pest since he had gone all the way to the White Blood Religion to rescue Ogram and even picked a fight afterward, and Glenn would be considered dangerous since he could nullify the energy of death. That was why Derus was going to try to kill both of them by any means necessary.

‘And the best opportunity he has to kill me and my head of house is the upcoming duel to the death.’

Regardless of the outcome of the duel, Derus was definitely going to dispatch the Shadows as soon as the duel was over to start a chaotic battle. Since the winner of the duel wouldn’t be unharmed, he was bound to die in a surprise attack.

The moment it couldn’t be called a fair match anymore, a war was going to break out between Zieghart and the South-North Union, and Glenn was going to personally join the war. Derus was clearly planning to take Glenn by surprise when the war was reaching its peak.

“Are you really planning to proceed with the duel to the death despite being aware that the man with the energy of death will attack you?” Rimmer walked up to him with a furrowed brow. “He’s dangerous! Even the Beast King said that he might lose in a one-on-one fight against him, despite how prideful he is!”

He grabbed Raon’s shoulders and shook his head, showing that he was absolutely against the idea.

“That’s why we need to prepare against him.” Raon nodded calmly. Since there was more than a 90% chance that Derus was going to come, it was better to assume that he would be there and prepare against him.

“Prepare? But how?”

“Let me write the letter for the Axe King for now.” Raon wrote down the location and his request on the note before tying it around the Blue Sky Hawk’s leg. “It’s done now. You should return to your master.”

The Blue Sky Hawk nodded at him before it flew up to the dimming sky.

“I’d like to borrow the strongest sword on the continent.” Raon gripped Heavenly Drive’s hilt, watching the Blue Sky Hawk descending to the south like a blue ray of light. “Even if I have to offer all of my golden tablets.”

* * *

Raon returned to the audience chamber without even having dinner and knelt before Glenn.

“Greetings, my lord.”

“That’s enough.” Glenn shook his hand as Raon was about to lower his head. He told him to stand up, saying that he didn’t need to greet him a second time for the day. “What brings you here at this hour?”

“I received a message from the Axe King a moment ago.”

“From the Axe King?”

“Yes. He sent me an intelligent animal called the Blue Sky Hawk.”

“What did he write?”

“He told me not to run away from the duel since he intended to fight wherever and whenever I wanted. That’s why I...”

Raon told Glenn the exact same thing that he’d told Rimmer in the fifth training ground.

“The last day of the year...” Glenn narrowed his eyes, stroking his chin.

“That’s a smart move.” Sheryl nodded, saying that she didn’t think about advancing the date.

“He most likely won’t realize that the duel to the death will happen that day!”

“Huhuhu, it’s true that advancing the schedule isn’t that easy to predict.” Roenn agreed that advancing the schedule seemed to be a better idea than postponing it, a faint smile on his face.

“No.” Glenn calmly shook his head, unlike Sheryl and Roenn. “He even analyzed Ogram’s tendency to predict his actions. Raon’s plan is peculiar indeed, but he is most likely going to read through his intentions.”

He furrowed his brow, predicting the next move that the swordsman with the energy of death was going to make in that short time period.

“That’s true.” Raon nodded, Glenn’s gaze directed at him. “That’s why this duel to the death will be our best card to lure him out.”

He opened his subspace pocket and took out all of the golden and silver tablets he’d received so far.

“I’ll be the bait, so please defeat him.”

Raon slammed his head on the ground, pushing the golden and silver tablets toward Glenn.

‘This is my chance.’

If he could get Glenn to act for him, it was possible to get Derus, just as Derus was trying to get him. He wanted to make sure to gain proof to reveal Derus’s identity at least.

“R-Raon!”

“Young master Raon?”

Sheryl and Roenn gasped, surprised by his sudden behavior.

“Ahahahaha!” Rimmer burst out in laughter while sweeping his hair back, leaning his back against a pillar. “Is this what you meant when you said you were going to borrow the strongest sword? I expected no less from the craziest person in our house!” He even applauded, saying that Raon disappointed him.

Raon bit his lip while looking at the sparkling golden and silver tablets.

‘They are useless to me right now anyway.’

He could restore Sylvia’s status to the direct line by winning the duel to the death without needing any golden tablet. That was why the tablets were completely meaningless to him.

“Raon Zieghart. I’m not a mercenary.” Glenn’s red eyes turned cold, even colder than an ice sheet.

“Kuh...” Raon’s chin trembled as he met the frightening light in his eyes.

‘Is it not going to work?’

He’d thought that it was going to work because Glenn had gotten more friendly recently and he was infuriated by Ogram’s defeat, but it must’ve been a huge mistake.

“I’m sorry. But I’m not trying to buy you, my lord...”

“However.” With a single flick of Glenn’s finger, the golden tablets that Raon had taken out returned to his subspace pocket. “I can’t leave the garbage who attacked the member of my household and even interfered with my sworn friend’s duel alone.”

He nodded with a noble look in his eyes.

“Tell me your plan.”

Raon raised his head, clenching the hand supporting him on the ground into a fist.

“What I’d like to request is...”

* * *

The next day.

Raon went to the fifth training ground early at dawn.

Just as he finished practicing the basic techniques and was going to start focusing on the main part, the training ground door opened and Burren, Martha, and Runaan made their entrances.

“I knew you would be here, you traitor!” Martha furrowed her brow deeply while looking at Raon.

“Traitor?” Raon blinked while repeating the word traitor.

“She is calling you a traitor because you attacked the White Blood Religion alone without us.” Burren shook his head while letting out a sigh.

“Ah...” Raon let out a small groan while watching Martha’s pouting face.

‘It’s understandable for Martha to think like that, of all people.’

The White Blood Religion was her worst enemy. Since the White Blood Religion’s leader was involved in the incident, it was normal that she was saddened by the fact that she couldn’t participate in the assault.

However, Raon didn’t regret not bringing her to the White Blood Religion. It could’ve been really dangerous for her if she’d gone with them.

“I’m sorry, but...”

“Don’t apologize to me! I’m already aware!”

Martha shook her head while looking at him. Her black eyes, engulfed in determination, looked similar to the White Blood Religion’s eyes—but different at the same time.

“It was because I’m too weak that I couldn’t participate.” She deeply bit her lip. “I’m not trying to blame you, traitor.”

“You are already calling me a traitor though—”

“I’m going to get stronger. I’ll become the strongest, destroy them all, and rescue my mother.”

Raon gasped while watching Martha suppress her anger and resolve to grow further.

‘She’s changed.’

The donkey who barged headfirst just because she was angry didn’t exist anymore. Martha had become a full-fledged swordswoman of Zieghart, one who could look further ahead while hiding her emotions.

“But I still have a question. Is the White Blood Religion’s leader, I mean, is my mother’s body alright?” Martha lowered her head, showing her fear about hearing about the White Blood Religion’s leader.

“Yes, she looked fine for now.” Raon nodded while thinking about the White Blood Religion’s leader, who tried to chase after them until the end with disheveled hair.

“Huu...”

Martha sank powerlessly to the ground. She groaned deeply, torn between the contradicting values of the well-being of her mother’s body and the White Blood Religion’s leader.

“And...” Raon raised his finger while unleashing Tidebreaker’s energy from it. “I have a way to save your mother now.”

“What...?” Martha briskly stood up. “Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“There’s this martial art called Tidebreaker...”

Raon told her about Ogram’s Tidebreaker, which was a transcendental martial art that didn’t simply consist of breaking through aura but could even harm the soul. He told her about the fact that he would be able to attack the White Blood Religion’s leader’s soul without harming her mother’s body if he reached the peak of Tidebreaker.

“I told you before that I would help you recover your mother.” Raon nodded his head while meeting Martha’s trembling eyes. “I’ll make sure to keep that promise.”

Martha hurriedly turned around.

“Thank you, erm...”

She looked like she couldn’t find anything else to say other than a word of thanks. She stood there with trembling shoulders for a moment before she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Raon quietly held her shoulder since he was aware of the meaning of family thanks to his family in the annex building.

“Haa...”

Martha caught her breath for a while before she finally turned around. She lowered his head with red-rimmed eyes, then she immediately started to swing her sword.

“Martha?”

“I can’t just be idling around. I need to get strong enough to buy time for you to use Tidebreaker at least.”

She started her sword practice, saying that she would definitely join him the next time.

“...I’m also going to join.”

Runaan stood next to Martha and started to swing her sword with an unusually serious look in her eyes. She seemed to be sympathizing with Martha’s pain because of the incident with Syria.

“I’ve had this feeling ever since we were trainees, but you really attract people.” Burren smiled faintly while looking at Raon. “It’s the so-called quality of heroes.”

“But you hated me back then, didn’t you?” Raon tilted his head while looking at Burren.

“Yes, I hated you. But I changed my mind after I saw your shoes.”

“Shoes?”

“Make sure to win the duel to the death. You have a lot to do after that.”

Instead of answering his question, Burren went next to Runaan and drew his sword. Raon licked his lips while watching the backs of the three team leaders practicing their swordsmanship.

‘They’ve changed, but they haven’t at the same time.’

Raon had thought that they would walk a separate path in the end, so watching them practice together gave him a tickling sensation in his heart.

The sun rose behind the four who had steeled their swords and resolve, warming the cold air of dawn.

* * *

The Axe King Roman slowly opened his eyes. The usual ferocity surrounding his eyes didn’t exist anymore. The only things reflected to his eyes were the setting sun and the noble evening glow, dying the river with a golden hue.

“I can finally see it.”

He’d watched countless evening glows at the riverside for the past year. The sky was always the same, but it was different for once. The deep and straight evening glow was separating heaven and earth, as if it were symbolizing his life itself.

The sky and the blue river gradually turned purple, and the arrival of twilight destroyed all the rocks in his upper energy center, which had been suppressing him for years without exception.

Whaam!

The red water of the river started to fill the new area unlocked in his upper energy center.

Enlightenment. The ascended realm, created through long years of contemplation, etched a profound image in his mental world.

Roman closed his eyes. By the time he opened them again after a long time, the sky had already darkened. However, the color of twilight announcing the night had never left his gaze.

Rumble!

Roman stood up, holding the Red Dragon Axe in his hand. A red aura was blazing from the dragon eyes engraved on the shaft.

He gripped the Red Dragon Axe with both hands and swung it down at the river.

Whaaam!

A tremendous amount of energy gushed out, cutting the endless flow of the river in half. It was a mysterious power that wasn’t just stopping the flow of water but even reversed the flow of it.

Wham!

Roman smiled deeply in satisfaction and slammed the Red Dragon Axe onto the ground.

“Raon Zieghart.”

He called Raon’s name within the river, his eyes reflecting the twilight.

“I believe you’ll be able to follow me.”

* * *

The faint glow of starlight faded away and a crimson blush rose into the dark sky like a burn.

“Haa...”

Raon was standing on the lake, and he raised his eyelids with a small sigh.

‘Was it not enough?’

Even though he’d been training his body and mind for an entire month, he hadn’t managed to get a perfect grasp of his swordsmanship, the Sword Field, or the aura.

It wasn’t because he didn’t have enough time. The training was just too difficult to begin with.

‘I was too greedy.’

Instead of creating a new Sword Field with the preexisting martial arts, he even tried to incorporate Glenn, Wrath, and Ogram’s insights. It was only natural that the difficulty was too high and required too much time.

‘I have no regrets, though.’

The duel to the death against the Axe King was a large hill to surpass, not the final destination. It was important to look further into the future in order to defeat Derus Robert one day.

Shring!

Raon unsheathed Heavenly Drive. He lightly swung the sword at the lake. It was the downward slash, the simplest technique among the basic techniques. However, the outcome wasn’t that simple.

Whaaam!

The lake gently split apart as if it were greeting God and flowed down onto the ground.

Slash!

The lake that got split apart was slowly reattached, regaining its original peace as if it had never been split.

‘It’s still not enough, but... I still have to go.’

It was already the day of the duel. The only path he had left was to gain the enlightenment he needed during the battle with the Axe King.

Whaam.

Raon shook off Heavenly Drive, which didn’t have a single drop of water on it, and returned it to the scabbard.

The red sun was rising above the dim scene of North Grave Mountain. The golden light of daybreak removing the night to announce the morning dwelled in Raon’s red eyes.

“Wrath, if you aren’t going to wake up...”

Raon tapped on the ice flower bracelet, his eyes reflecting the daybreak.

“I’ll be getting all the tasty things for myself.”

Footnotes:

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