'That's...'
Raon's lips trembled as he observed the flickering in Denier's eyes.
'What kind of smile is that?'
The smile Denier displayed was unlike anything Raon had seen in his past or present life. It seemed to brim with anticipation as if the time had finally come, yet it also appeared mocking, and even conveyed a hollow feeling like a doll mimicking human emotions.
"Light Wind Palace Master?"
As Raon was chewing his lip, Chad's voice, the Shadow Agents' Leader, reached his ears.
"Yes?"
Raon hastily turned his gaze to Chad.
"It's time for you to come down now."
Following Chad's gesture, Raon noticed that the Light Wind swordsmen had returned to their original positions. Only he and Glenn remained on the platform.
"...I apologize."
Raon bowed to Glenn and Chad before descending from the platform.
"Even our Palace Master zones out sometimes? Were you reminiscing about the past?"
Dorian grinned, seemingly pleased to have found something to tease about.
"Zoning out is the best..."
Runaan lightly patted Raon's arm, saying he did well.
"From now on, it's not Division Leader, but Palace Master. We should start using the new title."
Burren nodded, telling Raon to use the higher title.
"..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Dorian, Runaan, and Burren.
'Did no one else see it?'
Seeing all the Light Wind division swordsmen smiling, it seemed he was the only one who had noticed Denier's bizarre expression.
'Wrath.'
Raon called out to Wrath with just his eyes.
-Of course I saw it.
Wrath, not betraying Raon's expectations, nodded slowly.
-It was a mix of desire, relief, and emptiness. Even I cannot fathom that human's true nature.
He furrowed his brow, saying that even thinking about Denier gave him a headache.
'Did only you and I see it?'
-The smile lasted for an extremely short time, and everyone here was focused on your sword ceremony. It's likely no one else saw that expression.
Wrath nodded, saying it was natural that others didn't see it.
'I see.'
It was the moment when Raon was expressing his thoughts on becoming Palace Master and performing the sword ceremony, so he was probably the only one looking at Denier.
"With this, we conclude the promotion ceremony."
Glenn personally wrapped up the ceremony and turned around. The Light Wind! Light Wind! Raon! Raon! Raon! The Zieghart swordsmen and audience once again applauded and cheered for Raon and the Light Wind division.
"Light Wind Palace Master."
Glenn gestured to call Raon when the cheers began to subside.
"Now that the Light Wind division has become the Light Wind Palace, we'll need to construct a building and training ground befitting its status. Do you have any ideas in mind?"
He nodded, indicating that any vacant area could be used.
"Would it be alright to develop the path leading from the Fifth Training Ground to North Grave Mountain?"
The path from the Fifth Training Ground to North Grave Mountain was wide, so developing that area would allow for new buildings and training grounds.
"Are you suggesting demolishing the Fifth Training Ground?"
"No. I'd like to keep the Fifth Training Ground as it is."
Raon shook his head firmly.
'I want to keep it, whether we use it or not.'
Rimmer cherished that place and its memories so much that he used the Fifth Training Ground as the password for his safe.
Raon wanted to preserve the Fifth Training Ground until the day Zieghart disappeared.
"Shadow Agents' Leader. Can it be done?"
Glenn nodded slightly and called for Chad.
"I anticipated the Light Wind Palace Master might say this, so I've already investigated. There seems to be enough space for both the old and new training grounds."
Chad said there was quite a bit of space available, a faint smile on his face.
"You investigated in advance?"
"Yes. Because the Palace Master values memories."
He said he had expected it, bowing slightly.
"...Thank you."
Raon bowed back to Chad in return.
"Not at all. This is part of our duty."
Chad waved his hand dismissively, his expression calm.
"Then I'll take my leave now. I have many places to receive design plans from."
He promised to create the best building possible before departing from the two.
"He may be a bit light-hearted, but he's reliable when it comes to getting things done. There's a reason why the previous Shadow Agents' Leader retired with confidence in him."
Glenn nodded, saying it would be good for the young people to build friendships.
"Yes, I felt that too."
Raon nodded as he watched Chad's retreating figure.
'At first, I thought he was Karoon's spy, but he wasn't.'
Chad's behavior had been so kind and cautious that Raon initially thought he was Karoon's spy trying to extract information. However, he was completely neutral, not on Karoon's side, and had been doing his best as the Shadow Agents' Leader to the point where Raon felt sorry for doubting him. He felt he should apologize soon.
"Congratulations once again."
Glenn said Raon had worked hard all this time and patted his shoulder gently.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed to Glenn and turned around. As he was about to turn back upon hearing Glenn's regretful voice, he heard hurried footsteps approaching from the front.
"Raon!"
"Son!"
"Nephew!"
Sylvia and Edgar came running with their arms wide open, and Alice called out "nephew" with a bright expression that hadn't been seen in a long time.
"Brother!"
Sia waved both hands, calling out "brother" as if imitating Alice's "nephew."
"One at a time... oof!"
Although Raon said to come one at a time, all four embraced him simultaneously, as if surrounding a criminal.
"Young Master!"
"Congratulations."
"We knew you could do it!"
Helen, Judiel, and the other maids congratulated him with tears in their eyes.
"Thank you. It's all thanks to everyone's help."
Raon bowed to his family and the maids who had taken care of him since childhood, making his current self possible.
"You did well on your own."
"That's right. What did we do..."
Although Sylvia and Helen shook their heads saying it wasn't them, Raon didn't withdraw his bow.
"Yua and Julius did well too."
Sylvia hugged Yua and Julius, who were standing behind Raon, sniffling.
"That's right. It must have been hard training while working in the annex..."
"You really worked hard."
The maids also embraced Yua and Julius with tears in their eyes.
"We were able to do it because everyone helped us."
Julius shook his head, his nose turning red.
"Yes! I'm quite amazing!"
In contrast, Yua confidently put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. The contrasting responses of the two children brought broad smiles to the faces of the annex staff.
-As expected of the pineapple girl!
Wrath nodded approvingly.
-A subordinate of mine should have such a bold attitude! It's no fun if you're always humble like you!
He grinned, saying there was a reason why he liked Yua.
'It's nice to see.'
Raon pushed away Wrath, who was muttering about raising Yua himself, and looked at the other Light Wind division swordsmen.
"I'm now a squad leader of the Palace..."
Runaan bowed deeply, saying she had become a squad leader of the Light Wind Palace.
"If you've gone from a division squad leader to a palace squad leader, doesn't that mean you've been demoted instead...?"
Rokan, Runaan's father and the head of the Sullion family, furrowed his brow, asking if that was really correct.
"Just say it's good!"
Clara, Runaan's mother, slapped Rokan's back.
"..."
"..."
Karoon and Burren were just staring at each other without saying a word.
"Now that the Light Wind division has become a Palace, you'll probably become the Vice Palace Master."
Karoon narrowed his eyes and spoke first.
"What? Me, the Vice Palace Master?"
Burren opened his mouth in a round shape, as if he couldn't understand.
"It's not because you're exceptional, but because there's no one else."
Karoon raised his hand to point at Martha and Runaan.
"Ah..."
Burren looked at the dim-witted Runaan and the fierce Martha once, then swallowed hard.
"The Vice Palace Master isn't a position for slacking off behind the Palace Master. Rather, there will be many times when you'll have to take on troublesome and difficult tasks instead of the Palace Master, so you should prepare thoroughly."
"Yes..."
He responded, but wrinkled his nose as if unsure how to prepare.
"Follow me. I won't teach you, but you'll observe and learn for yourself."
Karoon clicked his tongue briefly and turned his back.
"Ah, yes!"
Burren followed Karoon with an even brighter smile than when he was promoted.
"Now you'll also attain some leadership position."
Gambling Monster, his face red as if he'd had a drink, gestured to Mark Goetun.
"If that happens, I intend to decline."
Mark Goetun shook his head firmly.
"You'll decline?"
"Yes. I've never led anyone before. Even in the Light Wind division, I wasn't part of a squad, so I think it would be better for me to become a guardian."
He clenched his fist, saying he wanted to fight from an independent position as he does now.
"Well, that's not a bad idea. But you do know that a guardian needs to be even more confident in their martial prowess than a Division Leader or Palace Master, right?"
Gambling Monster shook his head briefly and lowered his hand.
"Yes. That's why I plan to focus solely on training for a while."
Mark Goetun nodded, saying he was well aware of that.
"Your eyes look better. Good. Follow me. I'll help you build skills worthy of the name of Light Wind Palace guardian."
"Sir..."
"If I'm not satisfied, I'll strike you down immediately, so be prepared."
Gambling Monster entrusted his liquor bottle to Mark Goetun and left the Fifth Training Ground.
"Of course."
Mark Goetun followed him, carefully cradling the liquor bottle.
"Oh, thank you!"
"A gift? This is southern supplies, isn't it?"
"Ah, I didn't do anything! It was all our Palace Master!"
True to his sociable nature, Dorian was surrounded by many people, receiving gifts and congratulations. Besides them, most of the Light Wind swordsmen were spending happy moments receiving congratulations from family or friends.
'Over there...'
Raon turned his gaze to the two people wearing the warmest smiles among them.
"From now on, call me Division Leader! Your daughter is now a Division Leader too, Father!"
Martha lifted her chin proudly in front of Denier.
"Of course! Not just Division Leader, but I should call you esteemed Division Leader!"
Denier nodded, saying he would even use an honorific.
"At first, I hoped you would join our Wise Martial Palace, but now I can only say that your choice was right."
He smiled with eyes that had erased any regret and were filled only with joy.
"Honestly, there were many days when I wanted to give up, but it was possible because of the Light Wind division people and you, Father. Thank you."
Martha bowed her head, showing a softer gaze than her usual rough appearance.
"No, I've always been happy because of you."
Denier gently reached out and hugged Martha. He gave her a soft smile, which, unlike the one he had shown Raon, was the very image of a kind father.
"Congratulations."
Denier made eye contact with Raon and congratulated him in a low voice. Although his tone was calm, for some reason, a chill ran down Raon's spine.
-This, this is getting a bit scary...
Even Wrath let out a sigh of disbelief.
'I don't know.'
Neither Raon's life as an assassin nor his life as Raon Zieghart could read Denier's intentions and thoughts. There seemed to be something there, but it was frustrating that he couldn't openly suspect or question it.
'Because he's never actually done anything suspicious or been caught.'
Denier had shown incompetence at times, but he had never once acted suspiciously. He had even passed the audit conducted by Glenn himself, and because he was an executive with better public opinion than Raon, it was impossible to openly suspect him.
As Raon was biting his lip, a clear breeze flowed from the Blade of Requiem, enveloping him. It felt as if it was telling him not to worry too much.
'...That's right.'
Raon nodded, feeling the cool yet gentle breeze.
'I must prevent anything like what happened to Master from happening again.'
Raon clenched his fist, vowing not to lose anyone again.
* * *
In a tavern in the back alleys of Cameloon, bustling despite the sun not having set yet. Raon's name floated from the end of the tavern, which was buzzing with numerous rumors from across the continent.
"Did you hear that story?"
A middle-aged man with thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows and black hair tilted his chin as he put down his beer mug.
"What story? There are countless stories circulating in Cameloon."
A muscular middle-aged man with loose, seaweed-like red hair furrowed his brow.
"Not those trivial rumors! I'm talking about Raon Zieghart!"
The black-haired middle-aged man slammed his beer mug down forcefully. As he mentioned Raon's name, the noise in the tavern briefly quieted.
"Ah, you mean about him killing the Demonblade? I've heard it, but it's hard to believe..."
The red-haired middle-aged man shook his head as he popped a peanut into his mouth.
"Everyone knows that the Kingkiller Raon Zieghart is strong, but the Demonblade is different. He's been an unbreakable wall for decades. You're asking me to believe that a kid not even thirty years old caught him?"
He shook his head as if this was nonsense.
"The Demonblade will probably pop up soon and shout that it's not true."
"It's not strange to think that way. I thought similarly. However..."
The black-haired middle-aged man leaned forward and shook his head.
"Evidence is starting to emerge one by one."
"Evidence?"
"Yes. Raon Zieghart, who returned to his family, has been promoted from Division Leader to Palace Master. Someone as cold as the Destructive King of the North wouldn't give a reward like Palace Master for a false achievement, would he?"
He lowered his eyebrows, asking if the other man didn't know Glenn's personality well.
"Well, that's true..."
The red-haired man nodded.
"There's more. The movements of the Dark Black Lotus, where the Demonblade was the leader, have completely stopped. They're not even collecting taxes, I hear."
"Re-really?"
"Yes. I heard that those guys who were preparing for some external activities have completely locked their doors and aren't coming out at all. There's no reason for that unless their leader is dead, right?"
"Hmm..."
He blinked as if mesmerized by the black-haired middle-aged man's words.
"The last reason is the Demonblade and the Dark Black Lotus themselves."
"The Demonblade and the Dark Black Lotus?"
"Yes. Even among the Five Kings and Five Demons, the Demonblade and the Dark Black Lotus were very sensitive about rumors about themselves. There were many cases where they would personally go and behead people who spread false rumors. But..."
The black-haired middle-aged man shook his head as he took a bite of a cold sausage.
"They're not responding at all to this incident. Why do you think they're staying quiet even as their reputation is plummeting to the ends of the earth?"
"...Because it's true?"
"Exactly! The Demonblade really died at the hands of Raon Zieghart, so they can't respond!"
He nodded, saying it was certain that Raon had slain the Demonblade.
"Moreover, I've heard about the battle between Raon Zieghart and the Demonblade."
"How, how did you hear about that?"
The red-haired middle-aged man's eyes widened.
"The goods I brought this time are from Zieghart territory. The rumors have already spread there."
The black-haired middle-aged man licked his lips slowly.
"The story goes like this..."
As he was about to recount the battle between Raon and the Demonblade, he turned his eyes. The tavern, which had been as noisy as a marketplace, had fallen silent like a library, and everyone's gaze was turned towards them.
"Ahem! My throat's a bit dry."
The black-haired middle-aged man cleared his throat and lightly shook his empty beer mug. As someone who loved gossip and rumors, he knew this was an opportunity to gain a lot.
"Innkeeper!"
"Two more beers over here!"
"Two more for me too!"
"Bring some side dishes too! Put it on my tab!"
"I'll pay! Just start the story already!"
The tavern's drinkers ordered beer and side dishes with their own money to hear the black-haired middle-aged man's story. Some even threw money at him.
"Hmm! Then shall we start again?"
The black-haired middle-aged man downed the newly brought beer in one go and grinned.
"Yes, I'm curious. Hurry up and tell us!"
The red-haired middle-aged man's legs were shaking as if his curiosity had reached its peak.
"Actually, to strengthen his lost arm and morale, the Demonblade..."
The interior of the tavern was so focused on his story that not even the sound of an ant crawling could be heard. However, this situation wasn't happening only in this tavern. The stories that Roenn had spread while moving south were being passed on through people's mouths, naturally spreading Raon's story across the entire continent.
* * *
[The continent is astonished by your achievement.]
[All abilities increase by 10 points.]
[The level of the trait
[The level of the trait
[The level of the trait
'Huh?'
Raon stopped mid-swing and blankly opened his eyes.
'What's this?'
He had just been training in the great training ground when suddenly reward messages popped up.
-What, what is this!
Wrath, who had been happily napping after eating bead ice cream for dessert, suddenly sat up.
-Why did rewards suddenly appear!
Wrath's jaw trembled, unable to understand.
'The continent is astonished by my achievement...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the first message.
'It seems like a reward for the rumor of killing the Demonblade spreading across the entire continent?'
In fact, even he still found it hard to believe, so it wasn't strange that the entire continent was surprised. Of course, he hadn't expected to receive such a reward.
-Argh!
Wrath groaned, clutching his head.
-This cursed system! It seems to only think about how to torment me!
He shook his head, saying he was about to lose his temper.
"Hmm..."
After briefly examining the rewards, Raon grabbed the Heavenly Drive again and began performing the Celestial Thunder Arts swordsmanship.
-Huh?
Wrath furrowed his brow as he watched Raon.
-Aren't you happy?
'I am happy.'
There was no way he wouldn't be happy about receiving such rewards for free.
'But even with such rewards, I still need to become stronger on my own.'
It was true that he was becoming stronger due to the system's rewards, but if his own martial prowess remained stagnant, it would be meaningless. To protect everyone in future battles, he needed to build up enough martial prowess to face any of the Five Divine Orders.
-You're sometimes pleased and sometimes not. I can't figure you out.
Wrath snorted with his arms crossed. His lips were pouted, but his eyes revealed that he was pleased.
'That's because it's the right thing.'
Although he had defeated the Demonblade, Raon still felt he was lacking a lot. Now was the time to focus on training, as there was no guarantee he could win against the other Five Divine Orders, including the Thespian Emperor. Just as Raon was wielding his sword using the lightning aura of the Celestial Thunder Arts, the door of the great training ground opened and Chad, the Shadow Agents' Leader, entered.
"Light Wind Palace Master."
Chad bowed to Raon, still not quite used to the new title.
"Shadow Agents' Leader."
Raon lowered the Heavenly Drive, still crackling with lightning aura, and nodded to Chad.
"What brings you here?"
"The Head of House has summoned you."
Chad raised his head. His eyes were heavy with concern.
"It's about the Black Tower."