Raon first cleared the reward message and then turned around. Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Sheryl were looking at him with questioning eyes.
'It's understandable they'd look at me like that.'
It was natural for them to have doubts, given that not only was he talking with Askara, but words like demon king and Devildom kept coming up.
-What are you going to do?
Wrath seemed even more nervous as he moistened his lips with his tongue.
'What else can I do but tell them?'
Glenn and Rector knew that Wrath was his friend and a demon king. It seemed right to tell those present now, as they were just as trustworthy as those two.
-Are you sure about this?
'Look.'
Raon smiled faintly as he met the eyes of Burren, Martha, and Runaan, who were slowly rising to their feet.
'They have eyes that will believe whatever I say.'
The three squad leaders of the Light Wind division didn't avert their gaze, even though they were confused. It meant they would trust him no matter what happened. Dorian, though unconscious, would be no different.
'And...'
He looked at Sheryl, who was lowering her twin swords. Although she was more flustered than the others because she had heard more, she wasn't stepping forward. It meant she would listen to him first. Sheryl was also someone he could trust completely.
-Th-Then...
Wrath's hands trembled as he looked at Runaan and Martha.
-Finally, this king will be able to meet the ice cream girl and the beef girl!
He seemed to be in a good mood, bouncing up and down in the air. It hadn't been long since he had cursed at the system, but his emotions had already settled. He truly was a consistent demon king.
"Raon..."
Sheryl approached with heavy steps.
"Can you explain what's going on? Why are you talking in a strange way, and why did that demon call you a demon king?"
She looked at him with trust, even in her confusion.
-How insolent!
Wrath threw his chubby fist towards Sheryl.
-To say this king's manner of speech is strange! It's nothing but magnificent!
He grabbed Sheryl's collar and shook her, demanding an immediate apology.
"I heard it too."
Burren nodded, holding his burned shoulder.
"He called you some kind of monarch, and a demon king too."
He sent a calm gaze, as if asking for an explanation of what it meant.
"Don't rush. He'll explain if you wait."
Martha, who seemed like she would be the first to step forward, instead calmly suppressed her emotions.
"Yes. Surely."
Runaan also blinked calmly, as if she had decided to wait like Martha.
"As expected."
Raon smiled softly as he looked at Sheryl and the three squad leaders.
"As expected?"
Martha tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
"It's not difficult to explain. Actually..."
As Raon was about to explain the situation, stones and dirt began to crumble and fall from the ceiling.
"Let's wake up the others and get out of here first."
Due to Askara's fighting spirit, which was still so intense it sent chills down his spine, not just this underground area but the entire tunnel was about to collapse. Even with him and Sheryl present, if they got trapped underground, there would be no way out, so leaving this place was the priority now.
"Right. That should come first."
Sheryl nodded and woke up Borgos and the dwarf masters.
"Hey! Dorian! Wake up!"
Martha kicked the drooling, unconscious Dorian.
"Huh!"
Dorian shot up as if he'd been electrocuted.
"What? I'm sure a strange monster appeared..."
He opened his eyes blankly, muttering that it must have been a dream.
"Never mind that! Hurry up and carry the people!"
Buren slapped Dorian's forehead and pointed to the dwarf masters who were struggling to walk on their own.
"Huh? What's going on all of a sudden?"
"The ceiling..."
Runaan raised her finger to point at the ceiling. The frost pillars she had temporarily created were cracking, and stones and dirt continued to fall.
"Gasp!"
Dorian nodded as if he finally understood and carried three severely injured dwarves at once.
"Master Borgos, please get on my back."
Raon was about to carry Borgos on his back and head upwards when he stopped in his tracks. As the excitement subsided, the pain from his internal injuries suddenly intensified. With his energy center and the surrounding mana circuits torn, it was difficult to even walk on his own, let alone carry someone.
"Ugh, benefactor! I can walk on my own feet, please put me down."
Borgos, seeming to realize Raon wasn't in good shape either, flailed his legs, saying he would get down.
"It's, it's fine."
As Raon was forcing himself to walk, Sheryl, who had been standing in front, approached.
"I'll carry him. You just follow."
Sheryl seemed to already know his condition, as she lifted Borgos in her arms despite already carrying two people on her back. Despite her small frame, she looked like a giant carrying two adults on her back and Borgos in her arms.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for? We'd all be dead if it weren't for you."
Sheryl told him to just follow from behind as she moved to the front again.
"Yes."
Raon let out a long sigh and followed behind Sheryl, who was leading the way.
"Then, did the Division Leader take care of that monster?"
Dorian took a deep breath, seeming to remember Askara who had broken through dimensions.
"As expected of the Division Leader! I believed in you!"
"I didn't kill him. What do you mean you believed in me when you were unconscious?"
Raon turned to look at Dorian and snorted.
"Even if I was unconscious, I believed in the Division Leader in my heart!"
Dorian shook his head vigorously, insisting he was sincere.
"Alright, just take care of the injured."
"Yes, sir!"
He smiled as if to say not to worry and flexed the arms holding the people.
"Hmm..."
Raon slightly furrowed his brow as he forcibly moved his heavy legs. Even though the state of excitement had already subsided, instead of getting more difficult, his insides and body were starting to feel more comfortable.
'What's this?'
Even though he was a Transcendent with various characteristics, it wasn't to the extent that he could quickly recover from the shock to his energy center itself. It was a good thing, but it was so strange that he was suspicious it might not be a good thing after all.
-It's because of that damned fighting spirit.
Wrath frowned as he looked at him.
'Fighting spirit?'
-The fighting spirit you obtained through that crazy performance!
He clicked his tongue long.
-The Balrogs, being demons of battle, have the adaptability to fight anytime, anywhere. What you obtained is the fighting spirit possessed by the Balrog king, so such injuries are nothing.
Wrath sighed, saying he had obtained a useless power.
'I see.'
As he slowly examined the energy inside his body, he could see that the Balrog's fighting spirit that had entered his liver was moving on its own, mending the tears in his energy center and mana circuits.
-It's a bit different from healing, but you should be able to endure.
'It seems so.'
-Ugh! To think such power was given to someone who doesn't even know about it!
Wrath threw his fist in the air, as if he was dying of regret.
'Maybe that's why I got it.'
Raon grinned and quickened his pace.
"Huh? Are you alright?"
Dorian expressed concern, telling him not to walk too fast.
"I can manage."
Raon nodded and caught up right behind Sheryl. As he, who had been slow, moved quickly, they were able to reach the Gray Hammer Guild's base before the entire underground space collapsed.
"This place is collapsing too. We need to leave."
Sheryl shook her head as she watched rocks falling onto the workshop that had been reduced to ashes.
"If, if we're going, let's hurry! We're going to get crushed!"
Dorian's chin trembled as if he was scared.
"Wait!"
Martha shook her head as she grabbed Dorian's nape.
"Huh? But it's dangerous..."
"We should wait for their final farewell."
She raised her finger to point behind them.
"..."
Borgos and the masters bit their lips as they looked at their burned comrades and the workshop. They didn't seem like they would stop their final farewell to their comrades even if they died here. Runaan created a barrier of cold energy to protect everyone so that Borgos and the masters could say their final farewells to their comrades.
"Haa..."
She seemed to have overexerted herself as blood flowed from her mouth, but she absolutely didn't extinguish the cold energy.
"Let's go..."
Borgos nodded, holding a blackened hammer that could have belonged to anyone.
"Thank you."
Borgos bowed to Sheryl and Runaan, who were preventing the ceiling and ground from collapsing.
"I can understand those feelings too."
Sheryl nodded with a faint smile.
"Yes..."
Runaan also blinked calmly, as if she felt the same way.
"It would be better to give your thanks after we get out. It's really dangerous now."
Burren swallowed dryly as he looked at the rocks and dirt pushing past Runaan's cold energy.
"Understood."
Borgos nodded and went to the surface with the masters.
"Let's go too."
Raon nodded and gestured to Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian.
"Alright..."
"Sigh, even though we saved people, it doesn't feel entirely good."
"May they rest in peace..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan comforted the dead in their own ways before heading up.
"..."
It was when Raon was about to go up last. A very faint negative energy rose from inside the collapsing underground village and approached him. He tried to push it away, but that energy went around behind him and seeped into the Blade of Requiem.
'What's this?'
Although it was clearly a negative, unpleasant energy, he didn't feel like it would harm him. It felt like a vengeful spirit dwelling in the Blade of Requiem.
'I'll have to look into this later.'
Raon let out a short breath and went up to the surface. As soon as he left, Sheryl's energy disappeared, and the entire underground village built by the Gray Hammer Guild collapsed, with even a corner of the mountain being shaved off and falling.
"That was close."
Dorian let out a sigh as he looked at the entrance of the underground village, which now had a complete hole.
"Hmm..."
Borgos bit his lips as he looked at the tunnel that he could no longer return to. The dwarves masters also shed tears they had been holding back, their emotions seeming to have intensified.
"Haaa..."
Borgos grasped the blood-soaked ground with his thick fingers. After sorting out his emotions for a while, he approached Raon.
"Can you tell us what happened?"
Borgos bowed his head, asking to be told what he had learned.
"Of course."
Raon nodded and explained about the Balrog King and how the ones who summoned them were the minions of the Black Tower.
"I see. So that's what happened..."
Borgos nodded and then fell to his knees.
"Borgos of the Gray Hammer greets the benefactor."
"We greet the benefactor!"
The masters also bowed with Borgos.
"Please don't do this."
Raon shook his head, saying their injuries would worsen.
"After you saved our lives and even avenged us, if we can't even give this greeting, we have no right to be alive!"
Borgos pressed his head to the ground, insisting that he accept the greeting.
"Accept it."
Sheryl came to his side and grabbed his shoulder.
"You deserve to receive this much of a greeting."
She rubbed her chin, saying it would be more disrespectful not to accept the greeting.
"...Alright. I'll accept it, so please stand up."
Raon accepted Borgos's greeting and held his hand.
"I will surely repay this debt."
Borgos beat his chest, saying he would fulfill any request.
"Yes. I'll be waiting."
"No."
He shook his head as he stood up.
"There's no need to wait. I'll start the work you requested right away."
Borgos gritted his teeth, saying he would begin work immediately.
"What? But in this situation..."
Raon let out a sigh and shook his hands.
"No, it's better to work at times like this."
Borgos clenched his fist, saying he felt he could make even better weapons through these emotions.
"We feel the same!"
"We want to work!"
The other masters and dwarves also nodded, saying they would start work right away.
"I ask this of you."
Borgos bowed again, asking to entrust that task to them.
"I understand."
Raon nodded with a faint smile.
"But where will you do the work?"
He couldn't leave them here as it seemed dangerous due to the Black Tower.
"We'll have to go to Zieghart."
Borgos licked his lips as he stared at him.
"By the way, do they accept refugees there?"
* * *
Since the dwarves had severe burns, they first returned to the Sephia family to quickly treat their wounds. Thanks to Adis, the experienced merchant, who had healers and priests on standby in advance, everyone including Borgos was able to receive quick treatment.
"What a relief."
Burren nodded as he closed the door of the treatment room.
"Yeah. Fortunately, there won't be any wounds with lasting effects."
Martha nodded as she rolled up the blood-stained bandages.
"It's thanks to you. This time."
She nodded at Runaan, who was standing blankly.
"Me...?"
Runaan tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
"You maintained the cold energy barrier even while sweating profusely. If it wasn't for that, we might have had to cut off flesh or amputate arms and legs."
Martha nodded, saying she did well.
"Miss Rakshasa is praising...?"
Runaan opened her eyes wide, as if truly surprised.
"Who do you think I am, a demon? I can do it when I need to!"
Martha bared her teeth at Runaan.
"Ugh! There's no point in praising you!"
She snorted as if annoyed.
"Don't fight and let's rest for now! I'll guide you to the guest rooms!"
Dorian nodded as he squeezed between Martha and Runaan.
"Before that."
Raon shook his head as he looked at the three squad leaders and Sheryl.
"I have something to say, so let's go somewhere quiet."
"Huh? Ah, yes!"
Dorian nodded and guided everyone to the reception room. It was a lavish place that seemed to flaunt the company's financial power, but it was well soundproofed, making it good for quiet conversations.
"So, what did you want to say?"
Dorian shook his legs nervously.
"Do you have something urgent to do?"
Raon asked as he sat in the frontmost seat.
"Yes. I need to distribute the other items before my father arrives..."
Dorian nodded, saying he needed to complete the unfinished supply.
-No matter how I look at it, this guy isn't normal either.
Wrath shook his head, saying he was crazy in a different way, but at his level.
"If that's the case, sit still."
Raon pressed down on Dorian's shoulder and sat in the frontmost seat.
"Heavenly Blade Division Leader. No, Sheryl, please sit down too."
"Alright."
Sheryl also sat in the opposite seat, seeming to have realized what he was going to say.
"Haa..."
Raon met the eyes of Burren, Martha, Runaan, Dorian, and Sheryl in turn.
'Yes. I can trust these people.'
There was no need to explain about Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian... and Sheryl had risked her life with Rimmer before to save him and the Light Wind division. If he couldn't trust these people, there would be no one in this world he could trust.
"About what happened earlier. Words like Devildom, demon, and demon king came up."
Raon nodded as he clasped his hands in front of him.
"Yes. That burning monster called you a demon king."
Burren nodded.
"No, didn't Raon call himself a demon king first?"
Martha shook her head, saying that came first.
"..."
Runaan silently looked at him. She seemed to be looking at him with eyes that said she would just believe.
"Hmm..."
Sheryl also said nothing, waiting for his next words.
"Huh? What do you mean..."
Dorian tilted his head as if he didn't understand what they were saying.
"I'm not a demon king or a demon. I'm a pure human. However..."
Raon glanced at Wrath sitting on his shoulder and shook his head.
"The one with me is a monarch of Devildom."
He explained about Wrath who was attached to his side.
-Hmm...
Wrath's lips trembled finely, as if nervous about the explanation given about him. He seemed to be unconsciously tense, not knowing how those he had grown fond of would react.
"A de-demon king..."
"Is next to you?"
"..."
Burren and Martha opened their eyes wide as if their ears had gone wrong. Runaan just listened quietly.
"I-I see. Then all the impossible things that have happened so far..."
Dorian nodded, saying he now understood the inexplicable events that had occurred until now.
"It's not dangerous?"
Sheryl lowered her head, worrying about him before anything else.
"Yes. He's actually been a great help."
Raon nodded with a faint smile.
"All this time..."
After taking a short breath, he told them everything that had happened so far.
"All of that?"
"Ah..."
"Then I'm alive thanks to that demon king too!"
Martha, Runaan, and Dorian trembled their chins, surprised at the help they had received from Wrath.
"When we were about to be annihilated by the Flame Demon General, the one who came out was..."
"Yes. It was this guy."
Raon nodded to Burren.
"Wa-Wait! Then!"
Burren stood up abruptly.
"The thing on your shoulder isn't a sea spirit, but a demon king?"
He let out a gasp as he looked at Wrath with the eyes Wrath had created for him.
"Yes. You can see his form like this now because this guy made your eyes."
Raon poked Wrath lightly and smiled faintly.
-Now it's finally revealed! It was this king who made your eyeballs!
Wrath raised his chin, saying to worship him.
"...Ugh."
Burren bit his lip as he looked at Wrath.
"I thought demon kings were just beings to be defeated, but to think such things were happening behind the scenes..."
He met Wrath's eyes looking at him and nodded as if he had made up his mind.
"Thank you. Thank you for helping me. And us."
Burren knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
-The, the eyeball guy is thanking me?
Wrath opened his eyes wide.
-I thought he would hate demons more than anyone else, but...
He trembled his chin as if surprised.
'Because he's no longer a child with strong prejudices.'
Burren was no longer a little boy trapped in a single value. He was thinking of the help he had received first, rather than the negative existence of demons.
"If there's anything you want, I'll do whatever I can."
Burren nodded, saying he would do whatever he could.
-Is, is that true?
Wrath opened his eyes round.
-Is it really okay to say it?
'I'll relay it for you.'
Raon nodded as he looked at Wrath, whose mouth corners were twitching.
-Th-Then of course it's food! Tell him to bring all the dishes this king hasn't tasted yet!
Wrath shouted to bring all the delicious food, saying Burren was rich so he must know good food.
"My friend says,"
Raon nodded with a grin.
"He wants mysterious and unseen swordsmanship techniques. The more precious, the better."
-Huh...?
Wrath blinked blankly as he looked at Raon.
-Wh-When did this king say that! Food, I said! Not swordsmanship!
He jumped up and down, asking what he was doing.
"Ah, not just swordsmanship, but footwork and body techniques are good too?"
Raon smiled again and stretched out his words.
"This guy seems to be very interested in human martial arts."
"Is, is that so? Alright. I'll bring everything I can get."
Burren clenched his fist as if to say to wait.
-Are you really human?!
Wrath screamed as he grabbed his head.
-Even those damn angels aren't as bad as you! Where the hell did you come from?!